Weekly Update 10.24.21

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Halloween Week!

This week, we will be celebrating Halloween in the classroom. We will listen to Halloween books and make some spooky Halloween crafts. If your child has a fun halloween themed shirt, we can't wait to see it this week!

Cold Weather is Coming!

Our mornings have been pretty chilly on the Robinson Playground, however we are still going outside daily. Please be sure to send your children to school with outwear appropriate for the weather IN THE MORNING. I know that most days the weather warms up by the time the children are getting out of school. However, we are going outside for snack and recess at 10:00. It is always easier to take layers off if needed.

The Very Hungry Kindergarteners!

Your kiddos have been so hungry! Most are finishing their snacks and saying that they are still hungry! When in doubt, please pack an extra one or two things in their lunchboxes each day. 

ALICE

Beginning the week of October 25th, our students will be reviewing the district’s safety protocol “A.L.I.C.E.” that deals with the unlikely event of an intruder in our school.  A.L.I.C.E. stands for ALERT, LOCKDOWN, INFORM, COUNTER, EVACUATE.  Over the past seven years, all WPS staff members have been trained on the A.L.I.C.E. protocols, and the drill has taken place across grades K-12.

In order to prepare our students, children will read and discuss the book “I’m Not Scared…I’m Prepared”, by Julia Cook, with their teacher. This book provides an overview of the different protocols, stresses the importance of school safety, and helps to strengthen the trust between students and adults in the event of a school emergency.  Age appropriate discussions, procedures, and evacuation routes will be covered in individual classes. 

Nationally, we have all witnessed too many senseless school tragedies. As a result, we are doing all that we can to ensure that we are prepared. The Westford Public Schools District Safety Team has been trained by Massachusetts State Officials.  These Massachusetts State Officials have done a remarkable job training not only school personnel, but also town of Westford employees.  Our safety procedures have been agreed upon and supported by the Chief of Police, the Town Manager and the Superintendent of Schools.

Should you have any specific questions regarding the A.L.I.C.E. safety protocol, please contact us.

Picture Day Retakes

will be November 4. For any further questions, please contact the photography company directly. Barksdale Photography

Book Orders

Thank you to everyone that has ordered books this month. I have submitted the order and will send the books home with your child as soon as they arrive. The scholastic site is reporting shipping delays. I will let you know about an updates I receive. Keep your eyes open for another order form to go out in November. Our classroom link is always active. You may place an order at any time and it will arrive when I submit for that month. https://orders.scholastic.com/H9Z6C 

Classroom Parties

We will have 3 "parties" in our class this year. The Harvest Party will be 10/29, The Holiday Party will be 12/23, and the Valentine's Party will be 2/14. These parties will include fun themed crafts. 

*I am hoping for donations of $5/child to cover the cost of the parties. it is my goal to have an extra fun craft or activity at each of these events. Any help that I can get to offset the costs of the extra materials will be greatly appreciated. *

Harvest Party

On October 29, we will celebrate the upcoming holiday with some fun fall games and crafts to end the school day. Please send your child to school with a extra special snack on this day. During the party, we will all have time to enjoy a treat from home.

Please send your child to school with a costume to change into (no masks or weapons please). We will not wear our costumes all day, but in Kindergarten tradition, we will parading through the school in our costumes at some point in the day.

Power Words

Our goal is that we can read and spell all 25 words by the end of the year. I will post these words on our google classroom page for your reference. 

We have added the power words at and in to our word wall this week.

Next week, we will start practicing SEE

Handwriting

We have finished learning the Frog Jump Capital letters. All of these letters are formed by making a big line down, then "frog jumping" back up to the start to form the rest of the letter. We will start our "Starting Corner Capitals" this week.

Math

This coming week we will work on Geometry and Counting. Specifically, at the end of the week I hope students will be able to:

*Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size. 

*Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things 

                      

Classroom Citizens : This week, we will discuss courage, respect, and rules. We will deepen the conversation later in the week as we discuss why we need to be responsible, what that looks like, and what the consequences are when we are not responsible. 

Weather

This week we will think about what keeps the earth warm, and how people stay cool when it is warm.

iPads

We got to use iPads this week during our table time! The children were introduced to our math games in Dreambox, Phonics games in Lexia, and online reading books in Raz Kids!

*If your child does not have headphones at school yet, please send them in this week. It is hard for children to concentrate when the volume of their ipad is competing with the person next to them. *

Volunteers

Although I am not sure exactly what our schedule will be, I know that the first step will be for you to fill out a CORI form (background check) at the front office with Mrs. Beliveau. Once CORIs are approved, I will begin to schedule volunteer times. If you are at all interested in volunteering in our classroom this year, please come to the school and fill out a CORI form. This does need to be done in-person with a valid photo ID. Thank you to those of you that have already reached out to let me know that you. have been approved. 

Home-Work

If your child does get work sent home, please know that this is in no way a punishment. This is an opportunity for you to see what your child is working on at school, and support them in completing assignments. Work may not be completed because of an absence, time out of the classroom with another teacher, a bit of distraction from classmates, or a challenging task. Please simply help your child complete the assignments and return them to school when you can. 

IMPORTANT DATES BELOW

Date	Event
October 29, 2021	Harvest Classroom Parties
November 4, 2021	Picture Retake
November 4, 2021	PTO Meeting
November 10, 2021	SPIRIT DAY-Sports Day
November 11, 2021	No School - Veterans Day
November 12, 2021	Community Meeting
November 17, 2021	Harvest Hustle
November 18, 2021	Harvest Hustle (rain date)
November 22, 2021	No School - Parent Teacher Conference
November 23, 2021	2 Hour Delay to School - Parent Teacher Conferences
November 24, 2021	Early Release Day - 12:20 p.m.
November 25 and November 26, 2021	No School - Thanksgiving Break

Thank you for sharing your kiddos with me everyday!!