Valentine's Party

On Friday, February 12, we will be having our Valentine's Day Party.  We will be celebrating at 2:15.  Students are welcomed to bring in Valentines, but please make sure they bring one for everyone.  They may begin bringing in Valentine cards on Wednesday, February 10th.

A class list is included on the February letter/calendar going home in Friday folders this week (1/29).

We will be having ice cream sundaes as a part of our celebration.  A sign up sheet for this will be posted outside our classroom door.  Please contact Mrs. Kahler if you are interested in volunteering at the party or helping with supplies for the sundaes.  Thank you!!

Planetarium

On Thursday, January 21, our class went to the Chemeketa Planetarium.  We had a wonderful time watching the night sky.  It was really neat to see what we have been learning about come to life right before our eyes!  Be sure to ask your child about what he/she learned and his/her favorite parts.

Thanks to the volunteers that came to help make the trip possible!

The Planetarium has shows on Friday nights at 7:30 PM.  From Jan. 8 - March 12 the show title is Islands in the Sky.  Adult tickets are $4.00 and children's tickets are $3.00.  Tickets gone on sale for that night's performance at 7:15 PM. 

For more information check out their website: http://www.chemek.cc.or.us/collegelife/planetarium 
or call the information line 503.399.5200

Homework & Classroom Needs

I just wanted to clear up one thing related to homework. Occasionally on the School-Home Links pages the instructions will say something like "read a nonfiction book sent home by your teacher" or something related to a book sent home by me. In all these cases please use a book you already have at home - I will not be sending books home specifically to be used with homework. Your child may use a library book or any other book from home.
As always if you have questions regarding homework please don't hesitate to email or call me. Thanks!

As for classroom needs, several parents have checked in and asked if we need anything for our class and I have not been able to think of anything. Today I had a brainstorm and have listed a few of the items in this email.

1) Wipes --we use these to clean our hands before snack. We had a Costco pack and that worked wonderfully, but any amount will help.

2) Snack - thanks to those of you that have sent it in regularly. If everyone sends in snack about once a month we should be fine. You may send it in at anytime. Please plan for 25 students.

The final item is more of a wish list item.

3) Walkmans - we listen to books on tape during literacy time and the students use Walkmans to do this. I had to have several but they have gotten worn out with years of use. A couple have bit the dust in the last few weeks.

I used to be able to buy them at Walmart for around $5.00 but they have been difficult to find lately. Anyway - I did look online to see if Walmart had them and they do have them for around $9.00, but I believe they are available only online. I will even take used walkmans if you happen to have any you are not using that haven't been donated to Goodwill yet. :-)

I don't need anything fancy - just the simple old walkman that plays cassette tapes and takes AA batteries. If you are able to find one and can help in that way - thank you!!

Thanks so much!!

Space

We are well into our science unit on space. The students have been enjoying reading books about the planets, learning new space vocabulary, and chants related to space facts.

The two words we have been working on lately are orbit, the path of an object around another, and astronomer, a person who studies stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and all other heavenly bodies.

As we learn about the planets in our solar system we have discussed how Pluto is now considered a "dwarf planet", so we have had to adjust some of our songs and chants to reflect eight planets instead of nine. We have also discussed how it is important to learn about Pluto even if it isn't a planet since it is an object in our solar system.

Here is the text of one of our chants - ask your child to read/chant it to you:

Planets Here, Planets There

Planets here, planets there
Nine (eight) planets everywhere!

Close planet - speeding (Mercury)
Bright planet - steaming (Venus)
Watery planet - living (Earth)

Still more planets don't you know!

Red planet - rusting (Mars)
Stormy planet - swirling (Jupiter)
Ringed planet - spinning (Saturn)

There are more planets yet to go!

Green planet - tilting (Uranus)
Blue planet - icing (Neptune)
Tiny planet - freezing (Pluto)

Planets in our Solar System
Planets in the Milky Way
Planets in the Galaxy
Planets in the Universe
Planets here, planets there,

Nine (eight) planets everywhere!
Planets! Planets! Planets!

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a very fun, restful, and relaxing break! I enjoyed my time off and I feel excited to be getting back into the swing of things.



The students have come back to school motivated and I have been very impressed with how quickly they have settled back into a routine. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for learning!


I apologize that you do not already have the January newsletter - those last few weeks before break snuck up on me quickly. I am just finishing up the newsletter/calendar and it will be coming home this Friday, Jan.8.