May 23, 2014

Dear Fish Families:

Thanks so much to the parent chaperones who helped us at the Music Hall this week. The children seemed to enjoy the plays!

We had an awesome field day today! The "Fish" loved many of the stations and the 5th grade helpers were AMAZING!

Up-Coming Events: 

• No School- 5/26 Memorial Day
• Grandparent Luncheon-Monday, 6/2
• Last Day of K- 6/11 at 9:30. This date is earlier than the rest of SMS to allow time to screen in-coming kindergarten students. Please save the date because you are invited in for a celebration at 9:30 a.m. Dismissal will be by 11:00. If this is a problem for your family, please let me know!

Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday weekend,

Kristen

Newsletter 5/16

Dear Fish Families:

The Stratham Teachers' Association would like to invite all of our amazing parent volunteers to an appreciation morning meeting on Thursday, May 22. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 8:10 in the library. At 8:45 there will be a whole school morning meeting in the gym where each grade level will sing a song or recite a poem thanking you for all you do. Hope you can make it!

Here is a glimpse of our week and the busy weeks to come:

Readers' Workshop: The children are building lots of theories about Eric Carle as an author and illustrator. We are filling out and using a synthesis chart as week read his many books. We continue to read independently and in partnerships.  

Writers' Workshop:  The children have been busy writing "All About" books these past 2 weeks. Next week they will be picking an animal or insect to write about for their published "All About" book. These books will include roughly 4 facts about the animal/insect. 

Math: We have been composing and decomposing numbers this week. The children practiced taking a larger number and adding on. We also played some adding and subtracting games.  

Visual Arts:  We have been exploring painting techniques inspired by Eric Carle. We made grouchy ladybugs and wrote speech bubbles about what makes us grouchy.

Song of the Week:  Head to Toe Dance by Literacy in Motion

Book of the Week:  From Head to Toe  by Eric Carle

Donation Requests:

• Band aids for our dramatic play hospital

Up-Coming Events:

• Music Hall Field Trip- 5/21
• Volunteer Appreciation Morning Meeting- 5/22 
• No School- 5/26 Memorial Day
• Kindergarten Field Day- 5/23 *We welcome parent help on field day. Let me know if you are interested in helping out!
• Grandparent Luncheon-Monday, 6/2
• Last Day of K- 6/11 at 9:30. This date is earlier than the rest of SMS to allow time to screen in-coming kindergarten students. Please save the date because you are invited in for a celebration at 9:30 a.m. Dismissal will be by 11:00. If this is a problem for your family, please let me know!

Fondly,

Kristen

May 2, 2014

Fish Families:

Our first Full Wednesday was a success. The children seemed to enjoy the extra time in class. These 3:00 Wednesdays will continue until the end of the year, except for the already scheduled early release days. 

I would like to welcome Carter Sygowski to the fish class! 

Here is a glimpse of our week and the busy weeks to come:

Literacy: We have begun an "All About" non-fiction writing unit. I have been reading many "All About" books and modeling how to write one. Your children know lots of things and are excited to put their knowledge to paper. During Readers' Workshop, we began our author study. We will be studying Eric Carle and his style of illustrating and writing. The children are beginning to develop theories about him. If you have any Eric Carle books at home that you can send it for independent reading time, we would love it! 

Math: The children have been working on subtraction this week. We played games reinforcing addition and subtraction symbols. We also played POP for Numbers which reinforced 2 digit numbers and the concept of fewest/most. 

Up-Coming Events:

• Early Release- 5/14
• Music Hall Field Trip- 5/21 *Last call for chaperones! Let me know if you are interested.
• May Day/Wellness Walk- 5/7 (Weather Permitting.) You are welcome to join us. We will meet in front of the school at 1:20. We plan to walk with our 5th grade buddies as well.
• No School- 5/26
• Kindergarten Field Day- 5/23 *We welcome parent help on field day. Let me know if you are interested in helping out!
• Grandparent Luncheon-Monday, 6/2
• Last Day of K- 6/11 at 9:30. This date is earlier than the rest of SMS to allow time to screen in-coming kindergarten students. Please save the date because you are invited in for a celebration at 9:30 a.m. Dismissal will be by 11:00. If this is a problem for your family, please let me know!

Fondly,

Kristen