Tuesday, October 11, 2011
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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