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.