Parent Newsletter: Tenth Week of School

Dear parents,
     Today in class we had a little fun reviewing our vocabulary words. To interest the children I came up with a review game called Musical Chairs Vocabulary. In the middle of the room I had a circle of chairs each containg a vocabulary word. for example, some said school, home, shoe, bathroom, etc. I had one less chair than child and played music. When the music stopped the children had to sit in a chair. The one without a chair was eliminated. Each child then had to read the vocabulary word on the chair they were sitting on. We played this game until there was one winner. Then the children loved the game so much we played it a second time. This activity allowed the students to get on their feet and have fun while learning. It was fun and educational.
                                                                                                    Sincerely,
                                                                                                     Ms. Gammell

Parent Newsletter: Tenth Week of School

Dear Parents,
   In our math lesson today we practiced counting to twenty. To begin the lesson I read the book, The Cheerios Counting Book 1 2 3. This book includes colorful illustrations of the popular cereal Cheerios to represent numbers. As I read the book  the students had their own Cheerios at their desk. for every number we discussed it and represented it using our cheerios. For example, we learned the the number eleven. We discussed that it is one group of ten plus one single. So altogether you have eleven Cheerios. At the end of the lesson I had each child practice counting to twenty. They had to place Cheerios on a string one by one and count all the way to twenty. Once each child completed this activity we made the strings of Cheerios into necklaces that the students could wear all day. The students practiced counting numbers while at the same time were able toi visually represent the number using Cheerios.
                                                                                  Sincerely,
                                                                                   Ms. Gammell

Parent Newsletter: Ninth Week of School

Dear Parents,
To continue this week with safety week we learned about protective behaviors when strangers approach. To begin the lesson we discussed the rule to never talk to strangers. Next we made a list of general safety rules. We came up with:  

• Stay with a group or friend when away from home or school
• understand the rules your parents create about where it is and is not safe to go
• make sure you know how to get help or call for help in an emergency
• Always check with your parents before talking to anyone you do not know or recognize.

Next we came up with a list of steps to take if you are approached by a stranger:

• Keep a safe distance from the stranger. If the stranger comes closer you back away to keep enough distance between the two of you
• Never talk to the person, even if they know your name.
• Do not take anything from the stranger.
• Never go with the stranger even if they say it is an emergency.
• If the person approaches you yell for help and run to a safe location.

As an activity, I had the students fill out several worksheets. These activities included scenarios and required students to list safe places and adults they trust.

It is important to make your child aware of strangers and danger. Be sure to always talk to your child about what is safe and what to do if danger does approach them.

                                                                                                  Sincerely,

                                                                                                   Kristin Gammell

                      

Parent Newsletter: Ninth Week of School

Dear Parents,
     This week our main focus centered on safety. Today we specifically learned about safety on the streets. We learned about the different traffic signs and what they mean. We even discussed what the color of sign represent. To begin the lesson I taught the children what the different colors signs mean. We discussed that red means stop or caution, yellow means hazardous or warning, green means go or can be used to display directions, and blue shows information such as hospitals and airports. Then we viewed the signs on transparencies and discussed what each sign means. For example, the first sign we learned was the stop sign. the kids were able to see the sign and understand what it means. We did this for a number of signs including stop lights, yield, walk, one way, and railroad crossing. This lesson really informed the children and I hope they are more aware of street safety.
                                                                                        Sincerely,
                                                                                         Ms. Gammell

Parent Newsletter: Eighth Week of School

Dear Parents,
Today we explored the animal kingdom. The main focus of this lesson was to discuss the different shapes animals come in and why they are different colors. First we created a list of shapes. We included square, circle, and triangle. We then discussed different parts of animals that come in those shapes. For example many birds have beaks shaped like a triangle. Next we discussed the various prints and colors animals are. We went over the definition camouflage and protection to enrich the children's understanding. I explained that some birds and frogs are brightly colored to warn other animals that are trying to eat them that they are poisonous. We also explained why animals have stripes, spots, and textured skin. I told them in order to hide from other animals, or to create a camouflage, animals have skin/fur that blends in with the environment. For example a toad has lumpy greenish brown skin to blend in with the mud and swamp around it. To finish the lecture I prepared a power point containing pictures of different animals. We discussed the shapes and color of each animal, then elaborated on why these animals are the way they are. It was a great lesson that the kids enjoyed participating in.
                                                                                          Sincerely,
                                                                                           Kristin Gammell

Parent Newsletter: Eighth Week of School

Dear Parents,
     Today in our history lesson we identified important symbols of America. I had the children gather around the carpet and brainstorm ideas on what buildings, events, etc. shape America's history. The students hit a few key buildings like the White House and Statue of Liberty. After, the gave their ideas I introduced a few more such as the declaration of independence, Plymouth rock, and the Bald Eagle. Next, I had created a small booklet for every student with images that represented America. Under each picture were a few bullet points outlining the significance of the person, place, or event. As we went through the booklet, I told the students about the historical significance and why each image can represent America. When we were finished discussing I allowed the students to color the images. The students had an idea of several images of America, but I feel they enhanced their historical understanding after completing this class activity.
                                                                                                           Sincerely,
                                                                                                            Kristin Gammell

Parent Newsletter: Seventh Week of School

Dear Parents,
               Today we explored dental hygienics and the importance of brushing teeth. To begin the lesson I read the children's book, Arthur's Tooth, by Marc Brown. The book explains how Arthur is the only one in his class who still had all of his baby teeth. He waits patiently to lose his teeth. Then as a class we discussed experiences we had about losing teeth. Next I explained to the children the importance of brushing our teeth. I explained how after we eat and drink we have to brush our teeth to avoid cavities. I created an activity to show the children what happens to teeth if the are not taken care of after drinking certain drinks. I had four hard boiled eggs, four jars, and four different drinks. I used Coca-Cola, Orange Juice, Fruit Punch, and water. I then placed the hard boiled eggs in the jars with the different beverages. The eggs were left in the beverages for thirty minutes. We then took the eggs out and observed them.We talked about what would happen if someone drank a lot of these beverages and didn't take care of their teeth. The kids were very interested and really learned a lot about the importance of dental hygiene.
                                                                                          Sincerely,
                                                                                          Ms. Gammell