Gabriella "Ella"

Mrs. Conner's September Newsletter

Book Orders

I am sending home the first book orders of the year.  As long as interest remains I will send them home every month.  There are two different orders but both are through Scholastic.  You can order online or send one check made out to Scholastic.  The due date this month for book orders is September 8^th.

To order online use:

http://pcool.scholastic.com/parentordering/login.jsp

User name mrsconner

Password bookorder

Other Items…..

v     Thanks for the snacks many of you have sent, it is great to give them a little snack in the monring. They are also getting a few crackers in the afternoon as well until they get use to the schedule.

v     Library is on Mondays, the kids get bags to keep their books safe.  Try to help your child remember their books so they can check out new ones each week.

v     The kids have been very tired in the afternoon but are adjusting each day to the longer schedule and work than they are use to.  A routine and bedtime will continue to help this transition.

v     Thanks so much for letting me know in the planner if your child is going home  a different way than usual or if they will be leaving early for an appointmeent.  This allows me to have them ready to go.

v     Awesome job getting planners signed every night!  This is a super way for us to have communication.

Star of the Week

Star of the week will begin next week! The star helper is listed on the calendar.   They “star” on the webpage after their week is over.  Please check out your child as well as their classmates!  When your child is star helper they will bring a bag home with directions inside as to what they can bring to share as well as decorate a page about themselves that I will send home in the bag.  Star helpers also get to do all classroom jobs and be the line leader for the week.

Homework-

We will begin homework on September 15^th.  It is always on Tuesday and due on Wednesday. 

I will send home further instructions with the homework but the idea is to cut out pictures from a magazine that begin with the letter we are working on.  The students will also trace the letter at the top.  I expect at least 5-6 pictures but more is awesome!  The idea is that they begin to understand the letter/sound connection.  Please help your child with their homework but don’t do it for them.  Have them search for the pictures, narrow down a page if they are having trouble.  Have them cut and glue with your guidance.  If you need magazines your child can take a few home from our classroom.

Sharing

Sharing is the Friday homework and is the same letter as the homework on Tuesday.  This will begin on September 18^th.  It is listed on the calendar.  You child can bring one item to share with their friends that begins with the letter we are working on.  Remember to be creative; there are only a few rules:

v     Nothing alive

v     The item must fit in the backpack

v     Food, household items, anything goes, we are just looking for a variety!

Conferences

Conferences are September 21, 23 & 24th.  I will send home a reminder card.  If there is a conflict please let me know and we can reschedule.  We will be discussing the testing from before school started.  If both parents can attend it is appreciated.  We will not have school that Thursday and Friday (24^th & 25^th).

Reading

We have begun this week with Start Smart which is a review of all the alphabet letters, teaches the fluency words I & can.  We mainly establish some routines with the students about what reading looks like.  We will begin Unit 1 the week of the 14^th.  Unit 1 in reading, which is about families, the kids will learn letters and sounds A & M and also the fluency words we & the.  We will be taking a unit test on all the skills learned in October.  I will share those scores with you through a note home.

Each Monday you will receive a home letter that tells you what the focus of the week is in reading.  Please take time to look that over, focus on the letter/sounds for the week and the fluency words.  The workbook students have will go home at the end of the three week unit.

Science

In science we are exploring the idea of Inquiry and how our senses help us in science.  We planted strawberries and herbs as part of our inquiry.  We will be investigating the idea of living and non-living and what makes something living or non-living.  We will move into tree investigations by the end of September.  We will be keeping a science notebook for our work but there will be less written work coming home in science.

Math

We have begun the getting started unit which helps establish routines for math and also build a time capsule of information about them to keep until the end of kindergarten.  We will move into topic 1 which is sorting and classifying during September.  We will also begin Topic 2 before the end of the month which is focused on counting to 10.  Most math topics are only 2 weeks long.  There are home letters to let you know what we are working on in math as well and those will go home before each topic.  There is a math workbook as well and those pages may come home a few at a time.

Second Step

Second Step is our social studies component.  We discuss feelings and how to appropriately interact with others.  We work on life skills as well as making friends.  We have also talked about bullying since we have a new school-wide program for bullying prevention and identification.

HWT

Handwriting Without Tears is a new program this year to assist students in handwriting.  We will use this in conjunction with writing.  There is a specific order to which the letters are taught and how they are taught.  We are not focusing on writing the letters during homework because the letters taught in reading are in a different order than HWT.  We will be working on capital letters F, E, D, P, B, R, N & M in that order this month, as well as numbers 1, 2, & 3.  There is a workbook so much of this work will not come home but I hope you see progress in your child’s writing the more they learn.

We will be working hard on writing their name appropriately.

Upcoming Events

PROP BOXES

Each month in an effort to build community together, increase vocabulary and heighten the play experiences of my students we are going to create a prop box.  Prop boxes are jut that, boxes filled with items that are similar in theme and allow children to use the props in dramatic play.  We will mostly use ours when we cannot go outside for recess and other special times.

Each month I will send home the theme along with the suggested props  and vocabulary list.  What I would like is for you to send items that may be useful in the box.  It is not limited to the suggestions list and anything pertaining to the topic is great!  I do not expect you to purchase itmes for the box but to send in something gently used that is no longer needed.  In order for this to be successful I need your help to donate whatever you can.  More questions??  See the FAQ at the bottom of this page.

August/September Prop Box

is

The Bakery

Suggested Items:

• aprons, bowls, cake pans, cash register or money box, cookbook with pictures, cookie cutters, cookie sheet, empty ingredient containers, hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, play money, reciept book, timer, wooden spoons, bags, baker's hat, cake decorations, flour sifter, muffin tin, rolling pin, pot holders, wisk, etc.

FAQ's

Is it going to stay at school?

yes, the items will stay with the boxes we create.

Does it have to be on the list?

no, we are only limited by our imagination!

What if I don't have anything?

That is okay, you don't have to send anything.  You can ask family and friends too, it is amazing what peope may have to contribute.                                      

Can I send more than one thing?

YES!!

How much time do we have to bring items in?

All month, at the end of the month the prop box will hit the play shelf for use after we have talked about the items we have put in the box and how we can use them.

What if I forget the theme or loose the list?

I will have a page on the wiki that will detail the list and theme for the month as well as past boxes.

Can I send something to put in a past box?

Sure, as long as I know that is what it is for.

What if someone else sends the same thing?

That is okay, we have plenty of students who can play

Throughout the school year the children and I will be working on building our classroom community.  In order for me to get to know your child and family better I have a questionnaire for you and one for your child (you can help them write the answers) You can send them back with your child by the end of this week.  I appreciate you filling these out it helps me to get to know your child quickly and how to best help them adjust to school.

I will send out a monthly calendar with important events, star helper schedule, homeowrk information and specials listed.  I will also e-mail this each month along with the class newslette which tells you what we re woring on in each area of our day.  These can also be found on the class webpage.

Your child needs to bring their planner and backpack each day!  Your child will put their weekly schedule in their as well as fluency words for the week. I will stamp the planner each day indicating they had a good day or make a note to you accordingly.  They will color a square to let you know the color their behavior card is on each day.  Please check your child’s planner everyday and initial it so I know you have seen it. Feel free to write me notes there as well (have your child let me know there is a note there for me to read, sometimes I don’t see them till the afternoon)

Family Folders go home on Thursdays and they will contain school-wide notes as well as my notes if I have any.  Those are returned on Fridays.

The first several weeks of school I will be working with your child on the rules and procedures for the classroom.  I have also enclosed my discipline procedures, rules and consequences so that you are aware of what is expected.  I believe all that happens in this classroom will have an impact on your child’s future.  Your child’s time here will be well spent and I will make every minute count.  Don’t be surprised if your child comes home tired, especially in the beginning, kindergarten is quite an adjustment and it may take some time for your child to get into the routine.  As parents your role is crucial to assist in their leaning and help in teaching responsibility as they begin their school career.  If there are ever any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me, we are a team with the same goal in mind.  E-mail is the quickest way to contact me and get a response back but I will return phone calls as prompt as possible as well.  If you would like to visit, conference or just observe in the classroom  I would be glad to accommodate that but please let me know in advance if possible so that you come at a time where you get the most of your visit. 

I am looking forward to a terrific year ahead with your help we make this a rewarding and academic experience for your child.

Sincerely,

                                                          Denise Conner

connerd@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us

                                                          563-381-1712   School Number

563-676-0083  Cell Number

Welcome to Room 1. My name is Denise Conner; I am starting my eighth year of teaching and my fourth year at Blue Grass Elementary.

I have previous experience with preschool, special education, and kindergarten.  I would like to let you know a little bit about my family and myself.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood /Special Education with a reading endorsement from St. Ambrose University, and a Masters Degree from Ashford University in Teaching and Learning with Technology.  This summer I completed my second Masters Degree in Reading and Literacy from Walden University! 

 I live with my husband and daughters in Davenport.  My husband works for Hormel Foods in Eldridge and my daughter Corea is 6 and in first grade at Blue Grass.  My youngest daughter Jayden is 4 and attends St. Ambrose Children’s Campus.   Life wouldn’t be complete without our pets; we have a golden retriever named Zoie and two pugs named PJ and Milo.  Our class pet that will soon be ending his summer vacation at my house and returning to school is Rocco the adopted guinea pig who is a little shy but warms up and purrs all the time! 

Family Pictures from my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party this summer

My husband and I in Jamaica last summer

My Girls

My other Kids....PJ & Milo.

Zoie is super camera shy!

At a friends wedding this month...My husband and I  with my brother and his fiance Emily

Mrs Conner's Favorite things

Starbucks!!

Iowa Hawkeye football....it's coming soon!!

Pugs

My iphone

Kindergarten! (of course)