Early Start Edition

  Parent Teacher Conferences  -  Children in Early Start class don’t receive grades.  We monitor their progress, but our primary concentration is practicing behaviors beneficial to learning.  In other words, we are learning to learn.  We strive to make school fun so your child learns that school is enjoyable.                                                               If you would like a Parent-Teacher conference there won’t be grades to discuss, but if you would like to come in and talk about your child, please complete the attached form and return it in your child’s backpack. 
We have been studying D this week and talked about dogs, ducks and dinosaurs.  We put dots on D’s and ate doughnuts!   We danced with Dora the Explorer and also learned to make a number 3.  Around the tree and around the tree, that’s the way we make a 3.  Have your child demonstrate making a number 3 for you.  Last week we learned C and how to make a c sound.  We ate crackers and cake and we made cow puppets, calico cats and clown faces.  We were cowboys and crawled like caterpillars.   We learned that an oval is called an ellipse when you are a big kid.  This week we learned about a diamond and found out the big kid word for that is rhombus. 
Please send your money for the pumpkin patch field trip no later than Monday, October 20.  If you send a check, make it out to Seal Elementary.  The office will collect the funds and write a check to the Pumpkin patch for our group.
We will have a Halloween party in our room on Thursday, October 30 and your children can wear their costumes that day.  Also, if you would like them to participate in the Halloween parade on Friday afternoon, bring them to our classroom on Friday, October 31st at 1:45 and we will accompany them in the parade.  The parade usually lasts about 30 minutes and the children can be picked up in our room after the parade ends. 
Parent Tips:  Taken from Calendar of Home Activities, Curriculum Associates, Inc.
 Make a game out of doing directions.  Say, “Jump up two times and then clap your hands three times.”  Help your child by counting aloud with him or her. 
 Do some simple exercises together.  Example: Lie flat, lift both legs high, count to here and put your legs down.  Repeat three or four times.
 Blow up a balloon.  Toss the balloon in the air, and see if your child can catch the balloon before it hits the ground.
 Take a walk with your child.  Make up some silly steps to do together.  Examples: Take two large steps and three tiny steps, counting 1, 2; 1 ,2, 3;  1,2, etc. as you go.
 Play Simon Says” with your child.  Take turns being Simon.  Try to use the words, over, under, behind, above, etc.  Examples:  Simon says, “Put your hand behind your knee.” “Put your hand above your head.”

Mrs. Zimmerman home phone – 747-2238 School phone number – 747-3350