Can It Be Spring?

Hello all!  As I sit here typing up this new message,  I am looking out my living room window as the snow is coming down fast and furiously.  It is a wet, heavy snow, so it is sticking to the ground and to the trees.  It does look pretty, but not when I think about it being mid April!  I am ready for green grass and daffodils!

As we head into the home stretch of this school year,  a few things to keep in mind: 

1. Be sure your child has appropriate clothing for outdoors.  When the weather changes so much from day to day, and even from morning to afternoon, it is hard to keep up with how to dress.  It is probably best to dress your child in layers, and maybe just send an extra sweatshirt to keep at school for those afternoons when it warms up nicely and they don't want to wear their winter coats.

2. The end of the year is a busy time. We will be finishing up our normal station routine of going over a letter or two each week, in just a few more weeks.  We are really focusing on strengthening our foundational reading and writing skills, as we finish up this kindergarten year, and begin to think about being prepared to be first graders.

3. On May 16th, all the kindergarten classes will be going together to the Midland Center for the Arts. Weather permitting, we will go to a park in Midland for lunch and a little play time.  The bus will leave at 8:30 and return to school around 2:30. We welcome parents to join us!

4.  Track and Field Day is always a fun time!  This year the K-2  day is May 29th, beginning at 12:30.  Please come to join us, as we cheer the children on!

5.  Keep on sending the Take-Home Reading folders back to school each day, after you have read through the book at least once with your child.  Every day, as they bring their signed folder back, each child gets to bring home a new book to read out of the 5-6 books they have already "shopped" for earlier.  The children have learned to shop for "good fit" books.  Good fit books are books that they are interested in, and ones that are neither too hard nor too easy for them.  They should be books that they know many of the words, but not all of them.  They should be practicing their reading strategies when they come across unfamiliar words (like getting their lips moving, stretching out the sounds, flipping the vowel, using the picture, etc.).   They are really excited to bring  home a new book to read with you!

6. We will be starting the end-of-the-year assessments soon.  Please be sure you are practicing skills at home that you know your child has shown some weakness in in the past.  Even if your child is doing well, reviewing letters, letter sounds, blending sounds, sight words, counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s,  recognizing numbers to 20, writing numbers to 20, etc, are all good skills to review. 

If you have any questions or concerns that I can help you with, feel free to write me a note, email me, or contact me by phone through the elementary office. 

I am looking forward to finishing the year strong with this wonderful group of children!  I have truly enjoyed spending time with your child this year!

Reading Month

The children have been enjoying the special Reading Month activities the past several weeks!  We have worn red-like the red carpet, we wore our words,  we dressed like movie stars in our sun glasses, etc., and this week, on Friday, we get to wear our PJs!!  We have also made Mary's little lamb, learned some spider facts ( to help Little Miss Muffet), we are reading various nursery rhymes, and we will be voting on our favorite this week.  Putting a "Spot Light" on reading as we read with our flashlights has been fun too!
Our Pastries with Parents brought some parents and grandparents to have breakfast with some of the children.  We also kicked off our "Take Home"reading program that morning by letting those with a special guest read the first set of books to them.  Those without a special guest enjoyed just reading their new books to themselves.  Be sure to send the folder with the book and the sheet signed with title listed each day please.  If your child didn't have time to read with you, I will send it back the next day.
Remember, we only have a 1/2 day this Friday, March 22nd, then our spring break begins!  I hope if any of you are traveling over the break, you have a safe and enjoyable trip!  If you are staying home, I hope you enjoy some extra time with your child(ren) during the week!

Don't forget to check the calendar for special days coming up soon.  A special reminder that on April 12th and April 26th there isn't any school for kindergarteners.  On these two days we will be hosting Kindergarten Round-Up for next school year.  If you know of anyone who has a kindergarten age student that is interested in attending McBain Kindergarten in the fall, please have them contact Mary Beth Hill in the office to schedule an appointment.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING! 🌷🐣

REMINDERS

Well, another day of no school because of poor weather conditions and rough traveling.😒
IF we are able to have school tomorrow, just a reminder that the kindergarteners will be participating in Stations for Heart, from 10:00-11:00, in the High School gym.  Please be sure your child comes with tennis shoes, comfortable clothing (they can bring shorts to change in to), and a water bottle, if they would like.  If you would like to come join us, to help with the stations, we would love to have you!

A few dates to remember:

February 14th - Stations for Heart (10-11:00) and in the afternoon, we will be having our Valentine's Day party.  Please send your child with his/her valentine cards, and if you signed up to provide  something for the party, please send it in tomorrow morning.  Thank you!
February 15th- No school (Professional Development)
February 18th- No school (President's Day)
February 21st- 1/2 day of school (a.m. only), P/T Conferences 4-7:00 p.m. (Conferences by invitation)  If you didn't get invited, but have questions or concerns about your child, you can request a conference, or feel free to contact me via email dixie.nelson@mcbain.org , calling 825-2021 (office), or by sending a note in your child's folder.  I will happily try to answer any questions you may have.

We will be celebrating the 100th Day of School this coming Thursday, January 31st (unless there is a snow day before then).  To help us celebrate, please work with your child to count out 100 snack items (100 Cheerios, 100 M & Ms, 100 pretzels , 100 peanuts, 100 Goldfish Crackers, etc.) to send in for a class snack mix. Please send the snack in a labeled bag.  If possible, please send the 100 snack items in by Tuesday, January 29th.
We will also be doing lots of other activities to celebrate this fun day!  We will be doing 100 exercises, reading for 100 seconds; various times throughout the day, making a class book about 100 things, counting to 100 by 1s and 10s, and lots of other fun activities.
One of the other things we are going to do this year, is come to school dressed like we are 100 years old.  This is a fun, new addition to the other ways we have celebrated this day in the past!  I hope your child and you can have fun with this dress-up day!😁

Christmas Concert Time!

REMINDER:  OUR KINDERGARTEN CHRISTMAS CONCERT IS TOMORROW!!!  Please have your child to the high school multiuse room by 5:45 tomorrow, Thursday, December 6th.  The concert will begin at 6:00.  Please come back to the multiuse room after the concert to pick up your child from me.
The children should be in dress clothes.  Please no jeans or sweatpants, if possible.
This should be a fun music program!  The children have been working hard on learning the songs.  I know I am excited to hear them sing and to see their smiling faces!!

Winter Weather Has Arrived!

Just a quick post to encourage to please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  The children go out for recess at least twice a day, unless it is raining or if the temperature is below a certain number.  So...most days, they children are outside. 
Please be sure your child has a winter coat, winter boots, warm gloves or mittens, snow pants, and a hat.  If you can't provide any of these for your child, please let me know.  I will do my best to try to help you get the needed clothing items.
I do have a few hats, gloves, and scarves that the children can borrow if they happen to forget one day.

Fabulous Fall Fun!

Hello!  Here are just a few of the fun things we are doing this month in class.

1. Learning about the weather, and about how to be a "Weather Watcher".

2. We are learning about how apples grow from a seed to a tree.

3. We are tasting and comparing different colors of apples, and comparing the taste of an apple to an orange.  We are then graphing our results.

4. We are making and tasting applesauce. YUM!

5. We are learning some facts about spiders; like they have 8 legs, they are not an insect, and they have 2 body parts not 3.

6. We are reading books about fall/autumn, and we are looking at some fall items like colored leaves, gourds. pumpkins, and acorns.  Did you know that some acorns sink in water and some of them float?

7. We are learning about Fire Safety.  We are learning to "Stop! Drop! and Roll!", and to "Stay low and go", and to "Get out and Stay out".  Have you checked the batteries in your smoke detectors lately?  Do you have a plan for where you will meet, as a family, if there ever was a fire in your home?

8. We are having fun collecting "Coins for Kids".  We love to hear the change as it falls into the collection bowl!



PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK THE CALENDAR AT THE SIDE FOR IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP.