April 24, 2012
A note from Mrs. Horn…
I am sure your Kinderpup has told you all about our new classroom pets! Last week, we introduced our goldfish and guppies to our classroom. This week, we are learning all about redworms and night crawlers. We also have chicken and guinea hen eggs in our incubator. Very exciting!
As you know, we are in the Derby Festival season. Next week, we will celebrate the Kentucky Derby on May 2nd by making Derby floats and hats. Please send the following items in with your child on Monday or Tuesday next week: a shoe box covered in plain or wrapping paper (this will be the base of their float), and items to decorate their float and hat. Some ideas for decorations are stickers, fake flowers, feathers, and ribbons. Be creative!
The final book fair of the year is here. Our “official” shopping day is Friday, April 27th. Come eat lunch at 11:27 on the 27th with your child and visit the book fair afterwards. This event was very popular with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members last year . . . and it helped Harmony have its most successful book fair ever. We’re hoping for a repeat performance with this year’s fair! Invitations were sent home last week. If you cannot participate on the 27th, but would like your child to shop, they can bring money any day this week, and I will make sure that they shop that day. Please send money in a bag or envelope with your child’s name on it. If you have any specific shopping directions for your child, be sure to include that with the money.
Harmony Elementary’s annual trip to The Louisville Zoo will be Friday, May 3rd. We plan to leave school around 9:15a.m. Upon arriving at the zoo, we will split into chaperone-led groups. Groups will have the opportunity to take a self-guided trip through the zoo and have a picnic lunch. We will depart from the zoo around 1:15p.m. and return to school by 2p.m. Field Trip permission slips and fees are due April 25th. This is a community event and we encourage all parents to attend. There is no limit to the number of chaperones we can have for this trip, so anyone who signs up will be able to attend. To be an official chaperone you must have a current background check and have completed Harmony’s confidentiality training. If you would like to bring younger siblings you are welcome too but cannot be an official chaperone (you will be considered a tag-a-long with your child’s group).
Each student needs to:
- Wear weather appropriate clothing (don’t forget to wear our class T-shirt)! Also, please wear tennis shoes, and hats or sunglasses are acceptable.
- Apply sunscreen before school.
- Pack a snack, a disposable water bottle, and sack lunch. A disposable camera will be allowed.
- NO MONEY. To be fair to everyone, we (teachers, chaperones, and students) will not make any purchases on this trip.
Information for chaperones:
- Meet inside the front gates in front of the restrooms to the right no later than 10:00am to get your child/group and as well as an itinerary.
- Please bring a backpack to carry children’s lunches and water bottles.
- You may not make any purchases for any students (including your own) or allow them to spend any money. This includes food, rides, gifts, etc.
- Meet us back at the same spot (near first aid, zoo membership area) near the front entrance promptly at 1:00. We have to be loaded on the buses by 1:15pm.
- Please e-mail me your cell phone number. This is a safety measure that will allow us to have access to every student since we will be touring the zoo in small groups.
Important Dates this Month:
April 27th: Eat Lunch with Someone you Love/ Book Fair at 11:27-11:53
April 27th: Earth Day Activities
May 2nd: Derby activities, and last day for volunteers
May 3rd: Zoo Field Trip
May 4th: No School
May 7th-15th: State Testing (Volunteers are not permitted in classrooms and families may not eat lunch in the cafeteria)
May 18th: Last Day of School
What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
We are going to read several fairy tales and practice retelling the stories.
Writing Workshop
We are writing small moments focusing on adding details, using dialogue, and focusing on the most important part.
Word Study
This week, we will explore short and long I (-ice, -ide, -ine) We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: red, orange, yellow. Have your child sing you the songs for these words.
Math
Students will learn about the tricky teens.
Social Studies
Students will observe the structures and behavior of redworms and night crawlers. We will compare how redworms and night crawlers are alike and different. We will learn all animals deserve respect and gentle care.
Reminders
*Send in a healthy snack and water bottle every day.
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night.
Related Arts Schedule
Monday-Wednesday: Music
Thursday-Friday: PE
