It's Winter Break!

Hi Parents,

I'm writing today to wish you a happy, healthy, joyful Winter Break, and to pass along wishes for the happiest of holidays.  I will send along a weekly update at the beginning of January with classroom information for the first week of the new year.  

I'd also like to offer my sincerest thanks for the treats and gift cards so many of you sent.  I am humbled by your kindness and generosity.  :)

Enjoy the time off!  May you rest, recharge, and relax.  May you connect with your family and loved ones.  May your pants with buttons fit in January.  :)

Many Blessings,

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!

What a fun week!  We have been reading gingerbread stories all week.  I call out, "Gingerbread break!" The kids drop everything, scramble to their dot on the story carpet, and we read one of the 16 (!) versions of The Gingerbread Man story we've discovered.  Thank you to those of you who allowed your child to bring a gingerbread book to add to our tally.  We watched a couple of videos about how gingerbread houses are made too.

The Willard band visited this week and we enjoyed a holiday concert.  We have started a secret project for the moms and dads and I even hung some lights in our classroom.  

Meantime, it's about to be my favorite week of the entire school year!  The anticipation for Christmas and Winter Break is in the air, people are in a festive mood, and everyone is even kinder than normal.  We have some fun events planned next week to mark the Holiday, and will be finishing up some of our academic units too.  Please hang in there and read this entire message.  :)

Gingerbread House Supplies:
As a culminating activity to our unit on gingerbread stories, we will make gingerbread houses on Wednesday. I sent a note home in last week's Thursday folder requesting supplies for this project.  I am asking each student to bring 2 items from our supply list, and I highlighted the items I am requesting from your child on the letter I sent last week.  If you have not already sent them, please send the supplies no later than Monday. 

Coins for Our Money Unit:
I sent a note home in last week's Thursday folder requesting coins for our upcoming Money unit.  We will be starting this unit when we return from Winter Break. I would like the kids to have real coins available to count, and am requesting that you send the coins to school no later than Thursday, December 20th. 

Polar Express Movie Party:
Next week, we will read and explore the holiday classic The Polar Express.  As a special treat, Thursday will be a pajama and movie day!  Students are welcome to wear pajamas to school.  I will offer hot chocolate to drink too.  I will make the hot chocolate with water only, without marshmallows, and I will offer a candy cane on the side.  I sent home a gold Polar Express "movie ticket" in yesterday's Thursday folder.  This is your child's permission form so he/she may watch the movie and enjoy the hot chocolate.  Please kindly sign and return the ticket as soon as possible and no later than Wednesday.    

Winter Break Reading Log:

I sent home a Winter Break Reading Challenge in your child's Thursday folder yesterday. If you have any questions about this reading incentive, please email me.  It is not required but I highly encourage your child to discover some fun, new ways to read over the break!

Holiday Travel:

If you are traveling over the Holidays, and your child will be absent from school, please kindly notify the school in advance.  You can send a message or note to me, which I will forward to the office.  You may also submit your notification to the office directly by using the "online absence excuse", which is found on the Pinebrook home page.  The link to the Pinebrook home page is HERE.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will read the Holiday Classic The Polar Express, and review many of the good reader strategies we have learned this year, such as predicting, retelling, making connections, and story mapping.  
• Math:  We will finish our measurement unit.  
• Writing:  We will continue our All About Books.   
• Science / Social Studies:  We will finish our Holidays Around the World and Economics units at our World Market on Tuesday afternoon.  

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!  The World Market is Tuesday, we decorate gingerbread houses on Wednesday, and Thursday morning we watch The Polar Express. Thursday ends with our school-wide Holiday Sing-a-long.  The entire staff and all the students pile into the gym. We sing Holiday songs from the many faith and cultural traditions represented at Pinebrook while the teachers and staff all take turns leading the songs.  Seriously....I CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN MYSELF.  I am 44 years old, but at this time of year, I am a 6 year old.  It's one reason why YOUR children are "MY PEOPLE"!  (It's also the reason I am typing in so many CAPITAL letters.  #calmitdownjenna)

Have a great weekend!  I am looking forward to time with friends, wrapping gifts, and some Christmas cooking.  Savey's last day at Cox Farms is tomorrow; thank you to the many of you who have asked about him, and even stopped by to see him!  That boy can drive me bananas at home (ask the kids), but I sure am proud of the person he is when he steps into the world. 💛  

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,

I'm writing to you from home today!  Every year, I take a personal day at Christmastime.  I keep my boys home from school (shh!) and we bake all day long. We make all the cookies I used to bake with my own mom.  We listen to John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas album (don't laugh!) because my mother played it all the time during the Holidays, and especially when baking. My boys have no memories of my mom, so this is one of my favorite days of the year because I am able to connect them to my memories of her.  💜  I hope you have a special Holiday ritual in your family too.  :)

Holiday Shop:

We previewed the items for sale at the Pinebrook Holiday Shop yesterday. Students may purchase items next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.  If your child is purchasing Holiday Shop items, please kindly use the envelope I sent home yesterday to send his/her list and money next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Students who bring money may shop during our recess time.  Please remember there is no obligation to buy.  If you'd like to shop with your child, the Holiday Shop will be open Monday night from 5:30-8:00 pm.  The 5th Grade will be hosting its annual Pancake Breakfast-for-Dinner fundraiser, so come for dinner (breakfast?) too.  :)

Gingerbread House Supplies:

As a culminating activity to our unit on gingerbread stories, we will make gingerbread houses. Please see yesterday's Thursday folder for a note requesting supplies for this project.  I am asking each student to bring 2 items from our supply list, and I highlighted the items I am requesting from your child on the letter I sent yesterday.  Please send the supplies no later than Monday, December 17th.  If you are available to help with our project on December 19th at 1:30, please return the slip at the bottom of the form. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Gingerbread Homework Project:
I sent home an optional homework project in yesterday's Thursday folder.  It's a little activity whereby you and your child may decorate a gingerbread person together.  I will display any decorated and returned gingerbread people in the hall outside our classroom.

Coins for Our Money Unit:
Please check yesterday's Thursday folder for a letter requesting coins for our upcoming Money unit.  We will be starting this unit when we return from Winter Break. I would like the kids to have real coins available to count, and am requesting that you send the coins to school no later than Thursday, December 20th. 

Early Emergency Dismissal Forms:

Our office is asking all families to complete and/or update your child's early emergency dismissal form.  This is the form that tells us how your child goes home in the event of an early dismissal due to inclement weather or some other emergency. If you have not completed this form in the last 2 weeks, please complete it by clicking HERE.

Interim Progress Reports:
Interim progress reports (commonly called "interims") will go home Wednesday, December 12th.  A friendly reminder that I do not send an interim home for every child.  If I send one for your student, you will receive it via email at the email address on file in your ParentVue account.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will read various gingerbread stories and compare and contrast the elements of each.
• Writing:  We will begin our nonfiction book writing unit.  We will write "All About" books, which are books "all about" a topic on which we are experts.  
• Math:  We will continue our measurement unit.  We will talk about length, weight, volume, and temperature.  We will measure with standard and nonstandard units. We will learn about tools used for measurement.
• Social Studies:  We will finish our Holidays Around the World rotations and begin to prepare for our World Market on December 18th.

There's a lot happening as we head into Winter Break!  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback about anything written here.

I hope you enjoy the weekend!  I miss the kids when I don't see them.  I am grateful for a day with Savey and Jonah, but I miss my firsties when I'm away.