Fall Kindergarten Conferences are set for following dates and times.
Thursday, November 3 2:30 - 7:30
Monday, November 7 3:30 - 7:30
Tuesday, November 8 3:30 - 7:30
Due to the scheduling of our conferences, if your conference is scheduled for 5:00 or later, please be sure to use our classroom's exterior door, or the K-2 Project Room door upon arrival. The front entrance will be locked.
Please use the link below to sign up for a 30 minute conference block. A link to the sign up sheet can also be found on the Welcome page's sidebar. During your child's conference time, we will review your child's school work and discuss their progress, strengths and areas of continued focus. I will have a folder of their work for you to take home and enjoy as well as a conference narrative that will further detail your child's first ten weeks in Kindergarten. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to meeting with you.
Fall Conference Sign Up Link
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
We ♥ Iowa City!
The Cottontails have been busy enjoying themselves within the Iowa City community. From the library and downtown playground, to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, to the Iowa City Fire Department and Homecoming parade we have made our little presence known. It is fun to show our WIllowwind pride and hear wonderful compliments about our interactions with the community.
Our field trip to the Iowa City Fire Department was a lot of fun and helped us further our fire safety study. Firefighter Lyle gave us a tour of the fire department. We spent a lot of time in the garage looking at the tools, trucks, and heavy equipment. Firefighter Lyle even led us in a lesson where we looked for similarities and differences between the hoses they use. This quick, impromptu activity fit so well with our math unit - same vs. different! It can't get any better than real life math just like this! Firefighter Sadie showed us her firefighting suit. She tried on all of her equipment for us showing us that even with all of her equipment she is still the same person on the inside. We learned that there is NEVER a reason to be scared of a firefighter even with their bulky equipment. We also learned the importance of a practicing fire safety drills at home. In case of an emergency, please see that your family has an escape plan in place and a family meeting place. Also, please make it a monthly activity to test the smoke detectors throughout your home.
We also took a peek into the firefighters' home away from home. It was neat to see their living quarters, sleeping quarters, and exercise space. We also saw the fire station's fireman pole. Did you know that most current fire houses are without fireman poles? The downtown fire station still has the building's original fireman pole and they still use it as a means to quickly reach the garage and trucks. It was fun to watch Firefighter Tim demonstrate how they use the fireman pole. It is definitely quicker than using the stairs. In fact, it took us 72 seconds to walk down the stairs and to the garage. It took Firefighter Tim a mere 1 second to reach the garage by using the fireman pole!
After our visit to the Iowa City Fire Department we enjoyed the beautiful afternoon by eating lunch on the Ped Mall and visiting the downtown playground. We were so excited to see a "fireman pole" at the playground. The Cottontails thoroughly enjoyed the playground playing fire fighters on the fireman pole.
Last week, we took time to travel just south of Iowa City to visit Sass Family Farm in Riverside. Sass Family Farm is full of fun activities. We took a hayrack ride through the property looking at silly and "scary" Fall decorations. We visited the petting zoo, the "haunted" barn, the hay bale maze, the corn bin, and the playground. It was a ton of fun playing on the swings, the teeter totter, and the antique tractors. We also enjoyed watching the many pets at the farm. The goats were cute, the turkeys were big, and the peacocks were beautiful. We picked out pumpkins that we plan to use during our pumpkin studies in the classroom.
Before we move onto our pumpkin unit we continue to study apples. This week we identified the parts of an apple - the stem, skin, flesh, core, and seeds. We dissected apples looking for the number of seeds. Did you know? Apples can have up to ten seeds. We graphed the number of apple seeds we found in each apple. We also participated in a taste test. We tasted Jonathans, Honey Crisps, and Granny Smiths. We used adjectives to describe their appearances and their taste. We graphed the results of our taste test. Take a look at our graphs on display in our classroom.
At snack time, Sayan introduced the class to a famous apple saying, "An apple an day keeps the doctor away". He explained to us the meaning behind this famous saying and his quote led us into a natural lesson about other apple sayings including, "Apple of my eye", "American as apple pie", "The apple never falls far from the tree", "One bad apple ruins the bunch," and "Comparing apples and oranges". It was the perfect way to allow the students to take leadership in our unit's discussions.
Speaking of comparing apples, Ms. Danielle began our apple and pumpkin comparison discussions, in Spanish. It was a great way to bring our apple and pumpkin theme into Spanish. Spanish is a favorite part of our day. Three days a week Ms. Danielle leads Morning Meeting in all Spanish. It is amazing to watch the Cottontails' Spanish language vocabulary grow! During Morning Meeting, Ms. Danielle will complete our calendar activities. She will also use our Morning Meeting time to further our Spanish lessons. November 2nd is Dia de los Muertos. The Cottontails have used our Morning Meetings and Spanish class to learn about this fun holiday. A new favorite book is titled Clatter Bash. The Cottontails had fun reading this fictional book about Dia de los Muertos and were excited to identify the rhyming words. What a great literacy extension. In honor of Dia de los Muertos, the PreK-6 students will celebrate together on November 2nd from 9:00 - 9:30 am. Please join us for a variety of presentations and the unveiling of the traditional alter. Ms. Danielle has placed a sign-up sheet with volunteer opportunist at the Front Desk. Check it out!
Friday's Homecoming Parade was a wonderful event. I was amazed at the turnout of families and friends. The applause we received and the cheers from the crowd were amazing. Thank you to those that participated. It was great way to cheer on the Hawks and show our Willowwind pride. Throughout the parade we handed out bookmarks that featured our new Saturday enrichment events, Feed Your Brain. See the following blog post for more information regard this wonderful series.
Interested in other Iowa City events? Cottontail mom, Kari Yankey, emailed an exciting event my way. We'd like to share it with you, too. On Tuesday, November 15th at 7:30 Carver Hawkeye Arena is home to the Band Extravaganza. Show your Hawkeye spirit at the biggest band event in Iowa. Don't miss an evening featuring the UI Symphony Band, the big band sounds of Johnson County, the Hawkeye Marching Band, Hawkeye Golden Girl and Drum Major, the Iowa Spirit Squads, and Herky the Hawk! Kari says this is an event her family looks forward to each year and Nina is especially excited to check it out this year! Parking is available around Carver and is fairly easy to find. Check out this link for more information! Thanks, Kari, for sending this fun Iowa City event our way!
Don't forget, on Monday, October 24th we will continue our tour of Iowa City by visiting the Iowa City Public Library with the Prairie Racerunners. Please be sure that your child brings their library card.
Be sure to check out our updated photo albums for our recent adventures throughout Iowa City!
Our field trip to the Iowa City Fire Department was a lot of fun and helped us further our fire safety study. Firefighter Lyle gave us a tour of the fire department. We spent a lot of time in the garage looking at the tools, trucks, and heavy equipment. Firefighter Lyle even led us in a lesson where we looked for similarities and differences between the hoses they use. This quick, impromptu activity fit so well with our math unit - same vs. different! It can't get any better than real life math just like this! Firefighter Sadie showed us her firefighting suit. She tried on all of her equipment for us showing us that even with all of her equipment she is still the same person on the inside. We learned that there is NEVER a reason to be scared of a firefighter even with their bulky equipment. We also learned the importance of a practicing fire safety drills at home. In case of an emergency, please see that your family has an escape plan in place and a family meeting place. Also, please make it a monthly activity to test the smoke detectors throughout your home.
We also took a peek into the firefighters' home away from home. It was neat to see their living quarters, sleeping quarters, and exercise space. We also saw the fire station's fireman pole. Did you know that most current fire houses are without fireman poles? The downtown fire station still has the building's original fireman pole and they still use it as a means to quickly reach the garage and trucks. It was fun to watch Firefighter Tim demonstrate how they use the fireman pole. It is definitely quicker than using the stairs. In fact, it took us 72 seconds to walk down the stairs and to the garage. It took Firefighter Tim a mere 1 second to reach the garage by using the fireman pole!
After our visit to the Iowa City Fire Department we enjoyed the beautiful afternoon by eating lunch on the Ped Mall and visiting the downtown playground. We were so excited to see a "fireman pole" at the playground. The Cottontails thoroughly enjoyed the playground playing fire fighters on the fireman pole.
Last week, we took time to travel just south of Iowa City to visit Sass Family Farm in Riverside. Sass Family Farm is full of fun activities. We took a hayrack ride through the property looking at silly and "scary" Fall decorations. We visited the petting zoo, the "haunted" barn, the hay bale maze, the corn bin, and the playground. It was a ton of fun playing on the swings, the teeter totter, and the antique tractors. We also enjoyed watching the many pets at the farm. The goats were cute, the turkeys were big, and the peacocks were beautiful. We picked out pumpkins that we plan to use during our pumpkin studies in the classroom.
Before we move onto our pumpkin unit we continue to study apples. This week we identified the parts of an apple - the stem, skin, flesh, core, and seeds. We dissected apples looking for the number of seeds. Did you know? Apples can have up to ten seeds. We graphed the number of apple seeds we found in each apple. We also participated in a taste test. We tasted Jonathans, Honey Crisps, and Granny Smiths. We used adjectives to describe their appearances and their taste. We graphed the results of our taste test. Take a look at our graphs on display in our classroom.
At snack time, Sayan introduced the class to a famous apple saying, "An apple an day keeps the doctor away". He explained to us the meaning behind this famous saying and his quote led us into a natural lesson about other apple sayings including, "Apple of my eye", "American as apple pie", "The apple never falls far from the tree", "One bad apple ruins the bunch," and "Comparing apples and oranges". It was the perfect way to allow the students to take leadership in our unit's discussions.
Speaking of comparing apples, Ms. Danielle began our apple and pumpkin comparison discussions, in Spanish. It was a great way to bring our apple and pumpkin theme into Spanish. Spanish is a favorite part of our day. Three days a week Ms. Danielle leads Morning Meeting in all Spanish. It is amazing to watch the Cottontails' Spanish language vocabulary grow! During Morning Meeting, Ms. Danielle will complete our calendar activities. She will also use our Morning Meeting time to further our Spanish lessons. November 2nd is Dia de los Muertos. The Cottontails have used our Morning Meetings and Spanish class to learn about this fun holiday. A new favorite book is titled Clatter Bash. The Cottontails had fun reading this fictional book about Dia de los Muertos and were excited to identify the rhyming words. What a great literacy extension. In honor of Dia de los Muertos, the PreK-6 students will celebrate together on November 2nd from 9:00 - 9:30 am. Please join us for a variety of presentations and the unveiling of the traditional alter. Ms. Danielle has placed a sign-up sheet with volunteer opportunist at the Front Desk. Check it out!
Friday's Homecoming Parade was a wonderful event. I was amazed at the turnout of families and friends. The applause we received and the cheers from the crowd were amazing. Thank you to those that participated. It was great way to cheer on the Hawks and show our Willowwind pride. Throughout the parade we handed out bookmarks that featured our new Saturday enrichment events, Feed Your Brain. See the following blog post for more information regard this wonderful series.
Interested in other Iowa City events? Cottontail mom, Kari Yankey, emailed an exciting event my way. We'd like to share it with you, too. On Tuesday, November 15th at 7:30 Carver Hawkeye Arena is home to the Band Extravaganza. Show your Hawkeye spirit at the biggest band event in Iowa. Don't miss an evening featuring the UI Symphony Band, the big band sounds of Johnson County, the Hawkeye Marching Band, Hawkeye Golden Girl and Drum Major, the Iowa Spirit Squads, and Herky the Hawk! Kari says this is an event her family looks forward to each year and Nina is especially excited to check it out this year! Parking is available around Carver and is fairly easy to find. Check out this link for more information! Thanks, Kari, for sending this fun Iowa City event our way!
Don't forget, on Monday, October 24th we will continue our tour of Iowa City by visiting the Iowa City Public Library with the Prairie Racerunners. Please be sure that your child brings their library card.
Be sure to check out our updated photo albums for our recent adventures throughout Iowa City!
Willowwind Celebrates Halloween
On Monday, October 31st, PreK - 6 grade students will participate in an exciting day of Halloween celebrations. In the week leading up to Halloween, students will be working with their partner families use a pumpkin to create representations of different prairie animals. If your child has offered to supply the pumpkin for their partnership an email will go home informing you of their decision. On the 31st, students are welcome to BRING costumes to school and change into them after lunch recess. Please no guts, no gore, no weapons. Make sure your child leaves this aspect of their costume at home for trick-or-treating later that night.
Families and friends are welcome to join us for both costume and pumpkin reveal as well as fall treats in the Indoor Play Space at 2:45 pm. See you there.
Please note, the Cottontails and Prairie Racerunners will help Chef Gaby prepare treats for our Halloween celebration. An additional email will go home looking for Kindergarten families to help supply various ingredients. Thanks in advance!
Families and friends are welcome to join us for both costume and pumpkin reveal as well as fall treats in the Indoor Play Space at 2:45 pm. See you there.
Please note, the Cottontails and Prairie Racerunners will help Chef Gaby prepare treats for our Halloween celebration. An additional email will go home looking for Kindergarten families to help supply various ingredients. Thanks in advance!
Feed Your Brain - Willowwind's NEW Saturday Enrichment Series
On Saturday, November 5, Willowwind School is launching Feed Your Brain, a series that features classes for the whole family. This series is open to the public, to all families and children at Willowwind and beyond.
Younger children (ages 2 - 5) are inited to a preschool interactive story time with Creative Drama teacher, Kizzy Marco, you will lead children and parents on an exploration of the world of Leonardo the Terrible Monstor, the well-loved book by Mo Willems. A related craft will be a part of this story time hour. K-3 students and parents will have the opportunity to work with book artist, Laura Clapp, to create a large and small accordion family album.
Handmade Book Art Workshop
Saturday, November 5 9:30 am to Noon
Age: K - 3 Grade
Cost: $45 for student & parent pair
Preschool Coffee & Story Time
Saturday, November 5 10:00 - 11:00
Cost: Free
Mark your calendars for December 3rd where our 3rd through 6th grade friends and their moms and dads can "feed their brain" and make their own masterpieces. With Laura Clapp, learn the basics of the brush, pastels, and portraiture using your own family "models". Take home two paintings suitable for framing. Preschool aged friends can participate in an interactive story time where they will use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring to life Ian Falconer's story Olivia Saves the Circus. A related craft will be a part of this story time hour.
Preschool Coffee & Story Time
Saturday, December 3 10:00 - 11:00
Cost: Free
Portrait Drawing
Saturday, December 3 9:30 - 12:00
Age: 3 - 6 Grade
Cost: $40 for student & parent pair
Click here for more information or to sign up for events in this new enrichment series.
Younger children (ages 2 - 5) are inited to a preschool interactive story time with Creative Drama teacher, Kizzy Marco, you will lead children and parents on an exploration of the world of Leonardo the Terrible Monstor, the well-loved book by Mo Willems. A related craft will be a part of this story time hour. K-3 students and parents will have the opportunity to work with book artist, Laura Clapp, to create a large and small accordion family album.
Handmade Book Art Workshop
Saturday, November 5 9:30 am to Noon
Age: K - 3 Grade
Cost: $45 for student & parent pair
Preschool Coffee & Story Time
Saturday, November 5 10:00 - 11:00
Cost: Free
Mark your calendars for December 3rd where our 3rd through 6th grade friends and their moms and dads can "feed their brain" and make their own masterpieces. With Laura Clapp, learn the basics of the brush, pastels, and portraiture using your own family "models". Take home two paintings suitable for framing. Preschool aged friends can participate in an interactive story time where they will use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring to life Ian Falconer's story Olivia Saves the Circus. A related craft will be a part of this story time hour.
Preschool Coffee & Story Time
Saturday, December 3 10:00 - 11:00
Cost: Free
Portrait Drawing
Saturday, December 3 9:30 - 12:00
Age: 3 - 6 Grade
Cost: $40 for student & parent pair
Click here for more information or to sign up for events in this new enrichment series.
Willowwind Pride Grows & Grows
Our Willowwind and Iowa City pride has extended beyond our local reach. Ms. Carly received the following email and picture from the grandmother of Cottontail alum and current 3rd grader, Penny Wilkins. How fun!
Hello. I'm Bonnie McAreavy, Penny Wilkins's grandmother. She asked me to share the attached photo, of my garden in New Jersey. We were fortunate to be visiting Iowa last year at this time and watched the Willowwind kids march so proudly in the Homecoming parade. I was lucky enough to be given a packet of the wildflower seeds the kids were passing out. As you can see, they did terrifically in my garden. The photo doesn't do them justice - there were abundant flowers that kept the bees and butterflies in our yard very happy all summer long. Just thought the kids might like to know their "reach" extended over a thousand miles that day.
Hello. I'm Bonnie McAreavy, Penny Wilkins's grandmother. She asked me to share the attached photo, of my garden in New Jersey. We were fortunate to be visiting Iowa last year at this time and watched the Willowwind kids march so proudly in the Homecoming parade. I was lucky enough to be given a packet of the wildflower seeds the kids were passing out. As you can see, they did terrifically in my garden. The photo doesn't do them justice - there were abundant flowers that kept the bees and butterflies in our yard very happy all summer long. Just thought the kids might like to know their "reach" extended over a thousand miles that day.
ICPL Field Trip - TOMORROW Monday, October 24
The Cottontails will be taking a trip to the library, tomorrow, Monday, October 24th. Please be sure your child brings their library card! Thanks!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
University of Iowa Homecoming Parade - TOMORROW Friday, October 21
Join us in the University of Iowa Homecoming parade TOMORROW Friday, October 21st. Let's show Iowa City that Willowwind is celebrating 40 wonderful years…and still growing!
We are excited to have more than 65 Willowwinders coming out to celebrate the school - and the Hawkeyes - in the Homecoming Parade this Friday, October 21. Please visit the attached document that includes numerous details about the Homecoming parade. If you have signed up to attend, all your who, what, where, when, & how, questions can hopefully be answered within it; please be sure to review before Friday.
We look forward to seeing you, and your Willowwind spirit (Willowwind apparel, blue apparel, gold apparel) on the 21st at 5:00 pm on Johnson Street, between Iowa and Jefferson! For those of you coming out to cheer for Willowwind, look for us as parade entry #45.
University of Iowa Homecoming Parade Guide Sheet
We are excited to have more than 65 Willowwinders coming out to celebrate the school - and the Hawkeyes - in the Homecoming Parade this Friday, October 21. Please visit the attached document that includes numerous details about the Homecoming parade. If you have signed up to attend, all your who, what, where, when, & how, questions can hopefully be answered within it; please be sure to review before Friday.
We look forward to seeing you, and your Willowwind spirit (Willowwind apparel, blue apparel, gold apparel) on the 21st at 5:00 pm on Johnson Street, between Iowa and Jefferson! For those of you coming out to cheer for Willowwind, look for us as parade entry #45.
University of Iowa Homecoming Parade Guide Sheet
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Volunteer Opportunity: Cutting Lamination
I am in need of a few parent volunteers to help cut out a variety of laminated posters and products. These items are a part of our new math curriculum and our new calendar curriculum. This opportunity can be done from home and may take an hour or two to complete. Please email me if you are interested. Thanks for your help!
Willowwind Birthday Apparel - Order Due THIS Thursday
Don't forget to place your Willowwind apparel order by 3:30 THIS coming Thursday, October 13. This year's apparel commemorates a huge milestone, Willowwind's 40th birthday. Please find the linked order form and apparel mockups on the Welcome page's right side bar. Note, the women's fitted t-shirt is not included in the mock up, but is $15. Print off your order form and drop it off with payment at the Front Desk by this Thursday afternoon. Apparel will be available to pick up on Thursday, October 20. There are also order forms available at the Front Desk.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Picture Day - NEXT Tuesday, October 11
The Cottontails will be taking individual, class, and school wide photos NEXT Tuesday morning. A great community photographer will be on hand at Willowwind to capture our sweet Kindergarteners' faces. If you are interested in ordering school photos pick up a form from the Front Desk. Fill out order form and return them to Amber no later than before school on Tuesday, October 11th.
Website Updated
The Cottontail Chatter has been updated. Take a look at all of the following changes.
~ NEW October Newsletter
~ NEW Curriculum Map Subpage - Look under the Curriculum tab for a map of our entire Kindergarten year.
~ Updated September and October Photo Pages
~ A functioning Calendar tab
~ NEW October Newsletter
~ NEW Curriculum Map Subpage - Look under the Curriculum tab for a map of our entire Kindergarten year.
~ Updated September and October Photo Pages
~ A functioning Calendar tab
Handwriting Without Tears Link
We continue to enjoy our handwriting time as we are perfecting our fine motor skills and our printing skills. I recently received a wonderful email from Handwriting Without Tears detailing proper pencil grip. Pencil grip is an important part of our handwriting lessons. Awkward pencil grips can cause fatigue, cramping, and even pain. This problem can be prevented as the foundation starts with general upper body strength and fine motor skill activities, a big part of handwriting time.
The link below details the four steps to teach proper pencil grip. Our Cottontails are practice the tripod grip. I encourage you to continue to help your Cottontail use the tripod drop.
Handwriting Without Tears Pencil Grip Article
The link below details the four steps to teach proper pencil grip. Our Cottontails are practice the tripod grip. I encourage you to continue to help your Cottontail use the tripod drop.
Handwriting Without Tears Pencil Grip Article
Is It Really October?!?
October is here, but it definitely doesn't feel like it. Mother Nature is working with us; providing warm, beautiful days as we enjoy our time outside. Monday's field trip to Wilson's was a ton of fun. Although the trees were bare and apples were tough to find, we enjoyed our time in the orchard walking amongst the trees, playing in the creek, and running across the wooden footbridge. The "alligators" and "dinosaurs" floating in the pond were scary, but fun to create stories about their adventures at Wilson's. The map that took us back to the hidden apples was fun to read, and the orange pumpkins amongst the little bluestem were beautiful.
Monday's weather was warm and perfect. The sun was shining, the Cottontails giggling, the leaves rustling as they quickly turn beautiful shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. We manage to find a basketful of apples to bring back to Willowwind to share, eat, and bake with. Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was our visit with Wilson's apple expert as she explained the differences between various apples. We used our sense of taste, touch, and sight to describe each apple variety. We noticed that some apples are red, some yellow, some green, some soft, some crisp, some crunchy. It was fun to taste test the apples. We were amazed that apples range in flavor - some were sweet, some were tart, some were sour. We couldn't decide on a collective favorite; therefore, we agreed that they were all our favorites. Next week, we are eager to dissect a few of our Wilson's apple to further see the parts within an apple. Check out our photo page for fun Wilson's pictures.
Our apple discussions continue at school as we use the changing of seasons to understand the year long cycle of an apple tree. We have identified the varying parts of an apple tree and its apple blossoms. The Cottontails were amazed at the honey bees' large part in creating apples. It has been truly amazing to see how nature works together to create one of our favorite fruits. Our apple conversations even continue through our snack time when Lucas shared with the class, "Yes! I have a Golden Delicious for snack!".
The fall colors are in full bloom and we are in awe of their vibrancy. The pop of colors has been the perfect way to inquire deeper into answering our big question, why do leaves change colors? It is neat to discover and learn that those hues are always within the leaves, masked by the green chlorophyll. With the cooler weather and shorter days the chlorophyll dies off leaving an array of fall colors to enjoy. At the start of Fall, we made predictions - what color would we see first. We were surprised to watch various shades burst at the same time. Our favorites are, by far, the leaves with a mix of color.
Our math block has become a favorite time of day. Each morning I hear chimes from many friends asking if we will have math today. Each morning my answer is yes and their response is always an enthusiastic squeal of delight. For two weeks, we have been focusing on the numbers 1 - 5 and the concepts of "same" and "different" by exploring common attributes and finding matches and differences. Upon our return from Wilson's Apple Orchard, Maggie and Rayne were walking into school together. Rayne noticed that their booster seats were "the same", so Rayne and Maggie proceeded to find all matches between their booster seats.
We are growing leaps and bounds within Literacy. We recently finished our chapter book read aloud The Wind in the Willows. Students enjoyed making predictions about the coming events through reviewing the pictures prior to reading. Using pictures as a tool to reading is a great way to encourage the emergent reading we are beginning to see. Look for new Book Bag books to go home next week as our guided reading groups will begin new books. Our reading confidence also grows through our focus on initial consonant sounds. This week we used play dough to practice our spelling patterns. I am thrilled with how quickly our Cottontails are recognizing letter sounds. When asked to identify the beginning sound in gate the class promptly rolled out the letter g. In doing so, one friend yelled out, "O M G! Gate starts with g!" Yes, friend, you are so right! As we focus on consonant sounds we continue to spend handwriting time printing our letters of the week. We use hands-on materials to improve our fine motor skills. Last week, we used our wood letter pieces to create a new friend, Mat Man. Ask your Cottontail about Mat Man.
I'm in need of a parent volunteer to make new play dough for our classroom. We are eager to continue our letter study with play dough. This is a great volunteer opportunity that can be done for home. I have a great recipe you can use. Let me know if you are interested.
Don't forget! Run for the Schools is THIS Sunday, October 9th. Come support our Willowwind runners or become a Willowwind runner yourself. You can sign up to run through the morning of the race.
I am away until Tuesday. I received a wonderful email from Ms. Christine. She sent a great report saying the Cottontails are enjoying their time. These reports make it so much easier to be away. You enjoy your weekend.
Monday's weather was warm and perfect. The sun was shining, the Cottontails giggling, the leaves rustling as they quickly turn beautiful shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. We manage to find a basketful of apples to bring back to Willowwind to share, eat, and bake with. Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was our visit with Wilson's apple expert as she explained the differences between various apples. We used our sense of taste, touch, and sight to describe each apple variety. We noticed that some apples are red, some yellow, some green, some soft, some crisp, some crunchy. It was fun to taste test the apples. We were amazed that apples range in flavor - some were sweet, some were tart, some were sour. We couldn't decide on a collective favorite; therefore, we agreed that they were all our favorites. Next week, we are eager to dissect a few of our Wilson's apple to further see the parts within an apple. Check out our photo page for fun Wilson's pictures.
Our apple discussions continue at school as we use the changing of seasons to understand the year long cycle of an apple tree. We have identified the varying parts of an apple tree and its apple blossoms. The Cottontails were amazed at the honey bees' large part in creating apples. It has been truly amazing to see how nature works together to create one of our favorite fruits. Our apple conversations even continue through our snack time when Lucas shared with the class, "Yes! I have a Golden Delicious for snack!".
The fall colors are in full bloom and we are in awe of their vibrancy. The pop of colors has been the perfect way to inquire deeper into answering our big question, why do leaves change colors? It is neat to discover and learn that those hues are always within the leaves, masked by the green chlorophyll. With the cooler weather and shorter days the chlorophyll dies off leaving an array of fall colors to enjoy. At the start of Fall, we made predictions - what color would we see first. We were surprised to watch various shades burst at the same time. Our favorites are, by far, the leaves with a mix of color.
Our math block has become a favorite time of day. Each morning I hear chimes from many friends asking if we will have math today. Each morning my answer is yes and their response is always an enthusiastic squeal of delight. For two weeks, we have been focusing on the numbers 1 - 5 and the concepts of "same" and "different" by exploring common attributes and finding matches and differences. Upon our return from Wilson's Apple Orchard, Maggie and Rayne were walking into school together. Rayne noticed that their booster seats were "the same", so Rayne and Maggie proceeded to find all matches between their booster seats.
We are growing leaps and bounds within Literacy. We recently finished our chapter book read aloud The Wind in the Willows. Students enjoyed making predictions about the coming events through reviewing the pictures prior to reading. Using pictures as a tool to reading is a great way to encourage the emergent reading we are beginning to see. Look for new Book Bag books to go home next week as our guided reading groups will begin new books. Our reading confidence also grows through our focus on initial consonant sounds. This week we used play dough to practice our spelling patterns. I am thrilled with how quickly our Cottontails are recognizing letter sounds. When asked to identify the beginning sound in gate the class promptly rolled out the letter g. In doing so, one friend yelled out, "O M G! Gate starts with g!" Yes, friend, you are so right! As we focus on consonant sounds we continue to spend handwriting time printing our letters of the week. We use hands-on materials to improve our fine motor skills. Last week, we used our wood letter pieces to create a new friend, Mat Man. Ask your Cottontail about Mat Man.
I'm in need of a parent volunteer to make new play dough for our classroom. We are eager to continue our letter study with play dough. This is a great volunteer opportunity that can be done for home. I have a great recipe you can use. Let me know if you are interested.
Don't forget! Run for the Schools is THIS Sunday, October 9th. Come support our Willowwind runners or become a Willowwind runner yourself. You can sign up to run through the morning of the race.
I am away until Tuesday. I received a wonderful email from Ms. Christine. She sent a great report saying the Cottontails are enjoying their time. These reports make it so much easier to be away. You enjoy your weekend.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Flu Clinic CORRECTION
The VNA Flu Clinic is actually tomorrow, Wednesday, from 3-5 PM. Any child over the age of 6 months can get a flu shot. The FluMist can be given to anyone that is healthy, not pregnant, and between the ages of 2-49. They also provide pneumonia vaccines if you are interested.
The cost of the flu shot is $24, $30 for the FluMist, and $67 for Pneumonia vaccine, you may write a check or bring cash for those amounts. You may also turn it into insurance for billing, you may call the 800 number on the back of your card to see if your insurance covers flu shots from a VNA clinic.
The cost of the flu shot is $24, $30 for the FluMist, and $67 for Pneumonia vaccine, you may write a check or bring cash for those amounts. You may also turn it into insurance for billing, you may call the 800 number on the back of your card to see if your insurance covers flu shots from a VNA clinic.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Important Dates Coming Up
I wanted to send out a quick reminder about a few last minute events that I encourage your family to participate in. In addition, take a look at the Welcome page's right side bar and our website's Calendar tab for more information. Let me know if you have any questions! ~Michelle
TOMORROW Oct 4 - First TUESDAY Parent Coffee 8:30 - 9:30
Join us as the Kindergarten class is the focus of this month's Parent Coffee. Come share your experiences with other interested families.
Oct 5 - Flu Clinic 3:00 - 5:00
Any child over the age of 6 months can get a flu shot. The FluMist can be given to anyone that is healthy, not pregnant, and between the ages of 2-49. They also provide pneumonia vaccines if you are interested. The cost of the flu shot is $24, $30 for the FluMist, and $67 for Pneumonia vaccine, you may write a check or bring cash for those amounts. You may also turn it into insurance for billing, you may call the 800 number on the back of your card to see if your insurance covers flu shots from a VNA clinic.
Oct 5 - Hike It / Bike It to School Day
Hike or bike from home or meet us at the Eastside HyVee at 7:45 to hike or bike together. Be a part of this wonderful nationwide event.
Oct 9 - Run for the Schools
Festivities begin at 8:00 in Downtown Iowa City. Run for Willowwind or cheer on our participants
TOMORROW Oct 4 - First TUESDAY Parent Coffee 8:30 - 9:30
Join us as the Kindergarten class is the focus of this month's Parent Coffee. Come share your experiences with other interested families.
Oct 5 - Flu Clinic 3:00 - 5:00
Any child over the age of 6 months can get a flu shot. The FluMist can be given to anyone that is healthy, not pregnant, and between the ages of 2-49. They also provide pneumonia vaccines if you are interested. The cost of the flu shot is $24, $30 for the FluMist, and $67 for Pneumonia vaccine, you may write a check or bring cash for those amounts. You may also turn it into insurance for billing, you may call the 800 number on the back of your card to see if your insurance covers flu shots from a VNA clinic.
Oct 5 - Hike It / Bike It to School Day
Hike or bike from home or meet us at the Eastside HyVee at 7:45 to hike or bike together. Be a part of this wonderful nationwide event.
Oct 9 - Run for the Schools
Festivities begin at 8:00 in Downtown Iowa City. Run for Willowwind or cheer on our participants
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