Fabric Fun

For the last 10 weeks the Kindergarteners have been studying fabric. We have studied types of fabric, how fabric is made, how fabric is modified, how fabric is used, fabric traditions, and much more. We also used fabric to complete a number of special projects - tie dyed t-shirts, keepsake pillowcases, and fleece blankets. We culminated our Fabric unit with a presentation at Willowwind's annual Community Night. I am beyond proud of your child's handwork. It takes a lot of courage to present to such a large audience. The Cottontails' did an amazing job writing their scripts and reading them aloud while presenting their work. Take a look at all the fun we had throughout the entire unit. More fabric photos can be found in our January, February, and March photo albums. Our work is also on display throughout the classroom and in the GD Space. Take a look and enjoy!

Our Fabric Fun!


Sorting fabric by type


Investigating fabric during Center Time


Making Fabric Collages


Making Fabric People


Making Fabric People


Identifying parts of Fabric - the Woof and Warp


Making Felt Hearts for our Secret Valentines


Our decorated Fabric Bags to hold our Valentine Cards


Making Fleece Blankets


Tie Dyeing T-Shirts


Tie Dye Class Photo at ICPL


Tie Dye Class Photo at Home Ec Workshop


Fabric Collages at Home Ec Workshop


Our Keepsake Pillowcases


Our Keepsake Pillowcases


Community Night - Excited Smiles


Community Night - It's showtime!


Community Night - It's showtime!


Community Night Celebration - Winter Camping - Our reward for our handwork! Way to go Kindergarteners!!!

VIP Day - NEXT Monday, April 1st

VIP Day is upon us. NEXT Monday, April 1, Willowwind families, students and their special VIPs are welcome to Wllowwind for a day of great fun. VIP Day begins with lunch at 11:30 a.m. and includes an extended Group Discussion time until 1:00 p.m. Then, students and their guests will enjoy time in students' classrooms for an hour before heading to the River Church for the Spring Music Program from 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. Does your student have a Very Important Person in mind for this day? Look for invitations to go home midweek. Please RSVP via email and let me know who your child's VIP will be. It could be a grandparent, adult family member, family friend, neighbor, coworker - any one important to your child and your family - the ideas are endless.

In addition, for VIP Day, the Wolf class will be selling a special Monday, VIP Edition Meal from Lone Wolf Cafe. They will be offering meals for students and their VIPs and will be serving Mac 'n' Cheese and Green Beans. The Wolves are excited for this wonderful occasion and hope you are, too.  If you are interested in supporting the Wolf Class trip by purchasing lunch on VIP day, please purchase your meals by Friday, March 29.  The cost is $7 per person.  Meals are sold before school M, Tu, and W or daily after school.  Questions about the meal? Email the Wolves at willowwindlonewolves@gmail.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Looking forward to VIP Day on Monday, April 1st!

Parent Work Day - THIS Saturday, March 30th

Parent Work Day is THIS Saturday, March 30th from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Please come and help us Spring clean. All hands are needed to clean out Winter and welcome Spring. Maybe a little Spring cleaning will help push this Winter weather out of here! If you are interested please use SignUp Genius to sign up for Saturday's Work Day.

Also, check out our website's Calendar tab and the Upcoming Events section on our Welcome pages right sidebar for other Spring events.

Website Updated - Feb/Mar Newsletter & More

Our website has been updated. Check out the latest additions. Below you will also find a few reminders and upcoming events information.

Updates:
~ February / March Newsletter
This newsletter is full of new information. Take a look!

~ February Photo Album
Check out pictures from the month of February. Don't forget you can save these photos for your family's collection by dragging them to your desktop or right clicking and selecting "Save Image As…" or "Add Image to iPhoto Library" for Mac users.


Reminders:
1) Supplies
Please be sure your child is prepared for each school day. It is very important that they have their Take Home Folder, Bunny Bag, and cut Spelling Sort each day. Without these supplies your child cannot best participate in our classroom activities. Help them develop their responsibility by guiding them in preparing their supplies for school each evening or each morning.

2) Lone Wolf Cafe
Lone Wolf Cafe opened last week (opened Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). A number of Cottontails are participating in this yummy event. Single meals ($7.00) are still available for purchase. Each morning and afternoon the Wolves are available in the Entry Way to purchase meal tickets. Your support helps them fund their annual class trip. This year's trip is to an environmental ed camp in Illinois. Thank you for your support. A menu can be found HERE or on the Welcome Page's Right Sidebar.


Upcoming Events:
Sadly, the snow, yet again, had other plans for us on originally scheduled field trip day. We have rescheduled our field trip to Home Ec for Friday, March 8th. Please be sure you leave your child's booster seat. Also, PLEASE NOTE, if you were planning to drive, please reconfirm with me if you can or cannot drive on the 8th.

Community Night - Thursday, March 14th 5:30 - 7:00
Our much anticipated Spring Community Night is quickly approaching. Save the date and plan to attend our special night where you child will be presenting some of our favorite Fabric projects to the Willowwind Community. Due to our growing community, this event will take place at the River Community Church. Please meet there (shortly before 5:30) as we present our projects and listen to our 1-6 grade friends present their exciting Science projects and Science Fair exhibits. We are looking forward to it!

Spring Break and After School Enrichment Classes
Although Session 1 of our After School Enrichment Courses began in February, students can still sign up for Session 2 classes (March 25 - May 4). To learn more and download a registration sheet stop by the Front Desk, or click here.

Willowwind is also excited to host its second annual Spring Break Arts Program during the week of Spring Break (March 18-22). Music and Theater classes are available for all ages. Registration is open and is available on first come, first serve basis. To learn more and download a registration sheet stop but the Front Desk or click here. Links can also be found in the Welcome Page's Right Sidebar.

Please contact Katherine at katherinea@willowwind.org with any questions regarding After School Enrichment Courses or the Spring Break Arts Program.

Postponed Mulch Day
We have postponed Mulch Day until the snow has melted; however, we are still in need of parent helpers. Continue to watch for updated news about this opportunity. To help out, and earn family service hours, visit Sign-Up Genius and locate this opportunity under "Work Days".


Volunteer Opportunities:
Sign ups for other volunteer opportunities (Parent Coffees, Community NIght, etc) are available. Sign-Up Genius events are password protected. To find our events search under our Program Director, Katherine's email, katherinea@willowwind.org. Feel free to contact her, or me, if you forgot Willowwind's password.

Home Ec Workshop RESCHEDULED Field Trip - Friday, March 8th 9:30 - 11:45

February Fun

February was unbelievably busy! Each week the Cottontails were preparing for big events - Authors' Cocoa, Partner Books, Secret Valentine Week, and Dr. Seuss's birthday. We have had so much fun and could feel the love throughout the month. Enjoy some photos from Valentine's Day & Dr. Seuss's birthday below. Our Authors' Cocoa and Partner Books events can be found highlighted in the blog post (We Are Authors) below. More photos can be found in the February 2013 photo album.

Valentine's Day Fun

Preparing our Secret Valentine gift - sewing & stuffing our felt hearts
Thank you Teja (Kaden's Mom) for your help in both our classroom and the Conejitos' classroom.


Preparing our gifts for Mom & Dad - handprint hearts & a Valentine poem


Preparing our Valentine bags - decorating fabric bags to hold our Valentine gifts


Checking our Secret Valentine Mailboxes at the end of the school day.


Playing HEART Bingo - using math facts to find Bingo


Graphing (& eating!) Conversation Hearts


Delivering our class Valentines


Secret Valentine Reveal


Our Class with our Secret Valentine Books


Enjoying our Secret Valentine gifts


Dr. Seuss's Birthday Fun
Happy 109th Birthday Dr. Seuss! What fun way to celebrate a wonderful author's birthday. We are looking forward to learning more about this author who's classic books still rank high with the love of all children. PJ Day was the perfect way to celebrate this silly man's birthday. Take a look at our Book Shelf to see the Dr. Seuss books we have read. As we continue to study Dr. Seuss's books, and his life, I will add more of our books to the Shelf.


Enjoying our Cat in the Hat Parfaits while watching Horton Hears a Who
The Cottontails used the movie to compare the similarities and differences between the book and the movie. Students spent time during the movie whispering to their neighbors "That parts the same." or "Whoa! The part is way different."


Getting cozy during DEAR time.


DEAR Time - Willowwind friends read for 60 minutes.


DEAR Time - Willowwind friends read for 60 minutes.


Kindergarten Cat in the Hats - Look for certificates and photos to go home with your child on Monday.



Even the teachers got in the sprit with cozy pjs and goofy Whoville hair!

Important Upcoming Events

1) ICPL February Field Trip
TOMORROW - Wednesday, February 27th
The Kindergarteners will be traveling to the ICPL TOMORROW. Please be sure your child has their library card.

2) Family Partner Book Share
THIS Thursday, February 28th 1:15-2:00
Thursday is our Family Partner Book Share Day. All Willowwind families are invited to come and read our books together. We have worked hard on this project and we are thrilled to share them with you! If you are not able to going us, our Partner Books are currently on display near the Front Office for your viewing pleasure.

3) Dr. Seuss's Birthday - DEAR DAY / PJ DAY
THIS Friday, March 1st
In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday Willowwind students (like other students all over the world) will Drop Everything And Read. Students are invited to wear pajamas and bring in one cozy item (a pillow, a stuffed animal, a blanket) to cuddle up with while we spend the afternoon reading together. When choosing a cozy item, please help your child make decisions that will allow him or her to be comfortable without being distracted from the goal of reading. THIS Friday's DEAR Day will kick off our Dr. Seuss author study. We can't wait to learn more about Dr. Seuss and use his books and stories to inspire us in our own reading and writing. We will also be celebrating his birthday with a yummy treat and a Dr. Seuss movie (not rated or rated G). Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns about the movies choice.

4) Downtown Iowa City's MidWest One Bank Kids Art Exhibit
THIS Friday, March 1st 5:30 - 8:00
On Friday, downtown Iowa City's MidWest One Bank will open its doors to a local Kids' Art Exhibit. Come, check out your child's submitted art work (will be on display if you submitted a piece to Willowwind), and the art work of other local children. Celebrate the Cottontails' own featured artist, Tai! Congratulations, Tai! Congratulations also go out to Prairie Racerunner, Ginger, and Burrowing Owl, Muriel who were also selected as MidWest One Bank Featured Artists.

5) Volunteer Opportunity: Mulch Day
Saturday, March 2nd 9:00 - ???
Willowwind is in need of parent helpers for our upcoming Mulch Day. This is a great way to earn family service hours. You can visit Sign-Up Genius and locate this opportunity under "Work Days" to RSVP.

6) Home Ec Workshop RESCHEDULED Field Trip
Friday, March 8th 9:30 - 11:45
Sadly, the snow, yet again, had other plans for us on on originally scheduled Home Ecfield trip day. We have rescheduled our field trip to Home Ec for Friday, March 8th. Please be sure you leave your child's booster seat. Also, PLEASE NOTE, if you were planning to drive, please reconfirm with me if you can or cannot drive on the 8th.

7) Community Night
Thursday, March 14th 5:30 - 7:00
Our much anticipated Spring Community Night is quickly approaching. Save the date and plan to attend our special night where your child will present some of our favorite Fabric projects to the Willowwind Community. Due to our growing community, this event will take place at the River Community Church. Please meet there, shortly be fore 5:30, as we present our projects and listen to our 1-6 grade friends present their exciting Science projects and Science Fair exhibits. We are looking forward to it!

We are busy here at Willowwind! PLEASE mark your calendars!

Now Open! - Lone Wolf Diner

It is the beginning of a new year for the Wolves restaurant! As you may know, each year the Wolves sell hot lunch for all Willowwind students. Our class has decided to call this year's business 'Lone Wolf Cafe'. Providing delicious and healthful food from the Cottage and New Pioneer Co-op at good prices for families. We will be serving this lunch on Tuesdays through Thursdays starting TOMORROW Wednesday, February 27th-May 29.  We will be serving the Cottage on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Co-Op on Wednesdays, and will be selling lunch tickets before school on Mondays and Fridays from 8:00-8:30, and after school every day from 3:15-3:45. If unable to purchase at this time, and your child goes to ASP, you can talk to Anna Luria, and she will gladly help you purchase for your child. We will be selling peanut free and limited gluten free meals along with vegetarian options.  

You can get different kinds of tickets based on the kind of lunchtime experience you would like your child to have.
    One Meal: $7.00
    Every Thursday Only: $74.00 (eleven meals)
    Every Tuesday Only: $74.00  (eleven meals)
    Co-op Unlimited (Wednesdays Only): $77.00 ( you get one free meal) (twelve meals)
    Cottage Unlimited (Tuesday and Thursday): $148.00 (you get one free meal)
    Unlimited, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: $225.00 ( you get two meals free) (34 meals)
    You must purchase a day in advance for single meals only. Wednesday, February 27th meals won't be available at this point, due to ordering timing; however, this works for Cottontail families as the Cottontails will be on a field trip during the 27th's lunch hour.

Click HERE to access the Lone Wolf Cafe's menu. You will also find this menu on the right sidebar of our website's Welcome page.

Parents and guests are welcome to pre purchase and join us for our meals. Please let us know if you have any questions at this address willowwindlonewolves@gmail.com. All profits go towards the Wolves' class trip to an environmental education camp in Illinois. We thank you in advance for supporting our class trip. 

Best, 
Lone Wolf Cafe