Curriculum Night This Thursday

E is for Engineering.  Students built simple structures after learning about different types of engineers.

We had a great first week in Room K-3!  Here's the information I have for you today.

Picture Day
Picture day is tomorrow, Tuesday September 11th.  You can use this form to order photos, you can also order online.  A printed paper order form went home in students' red folders.  If you would like to buy school pictures you need to send in the completed order information tomorrow.

Snacks
Thank you for sending in healthy snacks with your students, I really appreciate it and it is a school-wide goal.  Students eat their snacks in the afternoon around 1:45 PM and it is a good way for them to refuel before their specials classes.  During our early morning recess I have been giving students 4 to 5 crackers to keep them satisfied until lunch.  Our lunch is rather early, 10:54 AM, so it is working well to just hand out a few crackers around 9:45 AM during our first recess.  If you would contribute some crackers to the class it would really be helpful.  Please only bring clearly nut-free choices like Wheat Thin Originals, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, or Ak Mak Crackers from Trader Joes.  Grab them while you are already shopping, don't make a special trip, I have a fair amount stocked up.  More information on how you can contribute fresh snacks like carrot sticks, will be presented at Curriculum Night.

Seesaw Learning Portfolio
A2 STEAM uses an app called Seesaw to create a digital portfolio of some of the work we do here at school.  A flyer showing you how to access your child’s work went home in students' red folders.  When you access your child’s portfolio you will see just one photo, but we hope to add more soon.  Items tagged with blue were created in Room K-3.  You will also begin to see work tagged by the teachers your students see in their specials classes.

Curriculum Night
Curriculum Night is this Thursday, September 13th, beginning at 6:00 PM.  This will be a chance for you to learn about our kindergarten plan for the year, meet me, and see the classroom.  Here is the schedule for the night:

6:00 PM - 6:15 PM | ALL Kindergarten families meet in the Library for a presentation from Ms. Reader
6:15 PM - 6:45 PM | I present formally in Room K-3
6:45 PM - 7:30 PM | At this time I will repeat my presentation for any families who have students in multiple grades.

Attendance Hotline
If your child will be absent please call the main office at 734-994-2080 (this number is different from previous years). The attendance clerks would like all absences routed through that number, not sent in over email.  It makes it easier for them if it is all in one place.
 
Send In Pictures Of People From Your Child's Life
I have begun creating a wall in our classroom where students can display photos of people who love and care about them.  I emailed you an online Google document where you can add some photos.  Because they will be printed, the pictures you add needs to be high-resolution.  If you would prefer to email me some photos that's no problem.  If you need help send me an email and we'll figure it out.

Curriculum Overview
STEAM Project - These first weeks we are working to answer the question "What does STEAM stand for?"   For every letter in STEAM we are doing an activity.  A science experiment for (S)cience.  An activity with our iPads for (T)echnology.  A building project for (E)ngineering.  An (A)rt project and a (M)ath project. 

Reading - We are learning about authors and illustrators and the roles they play in creating books.  Ask your students about I Want To Be a Ballerina and Dump Truck Dash.

Writing - Student have been learning how to capture their experiences using drawing and writing.

Math - We have been counting and building quantities up to 15 including trying to recognize small quantities quickly.