No Conferences Tonight - Monday, January 31st

We will not be having conferences tonight.  Monday night conferences have been rescheduled for Monday, February 7th due to the weather.  If you have questions, please e-mail me or call me at school.  Thanks!

Don't forget...

Winter conferences will be Monday evening (January 31), Thursday evening (February 3), and Friday (February 4).  Students do not have school on Friday, February 4th due to conferences.  If you are not able to make your scheduled time please call or e-mail me.  I look forward to seeing everyone at conferences this week.

Books orders have arrived!

January book orders have arrived.  YEAH!  I was so excited that so many students ordered books this month.  It is exciting to see so many books in the hands of students.  The students have been asking when their book orders would be in since they handed in their orders.  I will be sending the books/games home in backpacks tomorrow.  Please be looking for them.  I will continue to suggest books from the book order on the blog each month.  If you ever have questions, or want to know about a specific book give me a call or e-mail me. 

Check out the updated reading links!!!!!!!!

I have added several beginning/ending sound games, cvc words games, and rhyming games.  Check them out and let me know what you think.

AIMSweb Testing

Thanks so much for helping your child get to school on time Thursday with a full stomach.  AIMSweb testing was a success.  Everyone came to school on Thursday with lots of rest and lots of energy to take their test.  I was very proud of how well students did.  I will be sharing AIMSweb scores with you at conferences.  If you have not gotten back to me about your child's conference time please give me a call.  Thanks!

Lily gave birth to two cubs on Friday afternoon!!!!!!!!!

Check out the link below to see Lily, Hope, and a glimpse of the two cubs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvu3b--1A48&feature=channel

Check out Lily...

Has labor begun?  They think so.  Thursday evening Lily began clenching her teeth.  Last year when Lily gave birth to Hope she clenched her teeth and 22 hours later she gave birth to Hope.  They are thinking that Lily will give birth to her new cub or cubs sometime tomorrow.  If you get a chance check periodically throughout the day.  The link is below:

http://www.bear.org/livecams/lily-hope-cam.html

Don't forget...

AIMSweb testing tomorrow (Thursday, January 20th).  Please make sure your child gets a good night sleep and eats a good breakfast before coming to school.  These assessments help us determine you child's progress throughout the kindergarten year and helps us determine their additional academic needs. 

Reminder:
NO SCHOOL on Friday, January 21st, 2011. 

Please place your book orders by Friday, January 21st, 2011.

Dear kindergarten families,

It is a very exciting time in our classroom as many of the students have begun reading!  I have had parents ask where they can get books that their child can read.  I recently sent home scholastic book order forms.  There are several selections in the January book orders that would be great for your child to work on reading on their own at home.  See some selections below:

Firefly:

• Guided Reading Set 1 #24 - 30 books for $25 (includes reading levels A-C)
• Sound-Out-the-Words Phonics Reader Pack #71 - 10 books & 2 workbooks for $22
• Learn to Read with Spongebob Phonics Boxed Set Level 1 - 12 books & 12 flashcards for $12

Seesaw:

• Animal Safari Collection #4 - 5 non-fiction books for $15
• Spider-Man Phonics Fun #72 - 12 books for $12
• High-Frequency Readers Library #27 - 15 books for $18
• Guided Reading Set 2 #25 - 30 books for $25 (includes reading levels A-C)

Remember: You can send forms to school with a check made payable to Scholastic or you can order online at www.scholsatic.com/bookclubs.  Our class activation code is: DKZ7H.  Don't forget our class earns $3 in FREE books for our classroom library when you order online.

Sincerely,

Mrs. LeachJ

AIMSweb Testing on Thursday, January 20th

The kindergarteners have a very important AIMSweb testing day coming up on Thursday, January 20th.  We use the data from these assessments to determine your child's progress and learning needs.  Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast before school on Thursday.  It is very important that your child comes to school that day, as we may not be able to have a makeup testing day. 

Thanks for helping your child be successful with their AIMSweb tests!

Lily & Hope (Bear Camera)

We started learning about bears in our class today.  Kindergartners were introduced to Lily (4 yr old) and her cub Hope (almost 1 yr old).  Lily and her cub Hope are currently hibernating in their den in Ely, MN.  Last year, Kindergartners had the opportunity to watch Hope be born on January 22, 2010.  Lily is expected to give birth to her cub soon.  We will be watching and keeping up with Lily, her cub Hope, and her soon to be new cub.  You can follow these bears at home by clicking on the following link. 

http://www.bear.org/livecams/lily-hope-cam.html

You can also follow Mrs. Tims blog at....

http://mrstimshawthorne.blogspot.com/

Conference Letters

Please check your child's folder over the weekend.  I am sending home conference letters with the date and time of your child's conference.  If the time slot given to you will work please send it back to school on Monday.  If the time does not work for you please give me a call at 507-379-4971 or e-mail me at hleach@albertlea.k12.mn.us.

Sight Word Flash Cards

I sent green CARS sight word flash cards home in backpacks yesterday and an additional flash card sheet today.  Many of the students have mastered or are close to mastering their letters and sounds therefore, we are shifting our focus to reading words.  Please help your child practice these sight words at home.  Thank you!

Help!!!!

I have about 30 file folder games that I need help making for our classroom.  They are very simple to make.  It involves cutting and gluing.  If you are interested in helping make these please give me a call or stop by school.  I would be happy to send home an example or sit down with you and show you what to do.  Thanks so much for all that you do!

Looking for a Valentine's gift???

If so, check out the January book orders.  There are several selections in the January book orders that would be great for your child to work on reading on their own at home.  See some selections below:

Firefly:

• Guided Reading Set 1 #24 - 30 books for $25 (includes reading levels A-C)
• Sound-Out-the-Words Phonics Reader Pack #71 - 10 books & 2 workbooks for $22
• Learn to Read with Spongebob Phonics Boxed Set Level 1 - 12 books & 12 flashcards for $12

Seesaw:

• Animal Safari Collection #4 - 5 non-fiction books for $15
• Spider-Man Phonics Fun #72 - 12 books for $12
• High-Frequency Readers Library #27 - 15 books for $18
• Guided Reading Set 2 #25 - 30 books for $25 (includes reading levels A-C)

Remember: Book orders are due January 18th.  You can send forms to school with a check made payable to Scholastic or you can order online at www.scholsatic.com/bookclubs.  Our class activiation code is: DKZ7H.  Don't forget our class earns $3 in FREE books for our classroom library when you order online.

Our 2011 New Year's Resolutions

You can also check out our New Year's Resolution book on our class wiki.

Reading Buddies Visit

Happy New Year!

Dear Kindergarten Friends ~

I am so excited to be starting back at school tomorrow.  I have missed you so much.  I cannot wait to hear about your winter break and what you did, who you saw, etc.  If you wrote in your journal that I gave you please bring it tomorrow so I can read all about what you did over break.  Tomorrow will be a busy day.  Our new para-professional will be starting tomorrow.  Her name is Mrs. Bradford.  I know that you will give her a warm welcome.  We will also be reviewing our classroom rules, talking about our New Year's Resolution, and writing about them.  Please remember to bring  your December reading log to school tomorrow and your January snack if you are not part of the snack cart program.  I look forward to seeing everyone back at school tomorrow.

Love,
Mrs. Leach