Ms. Laura

End of Year Party and Graduation

Please make sure all thirds wear their field trip shirts today!  We are leaving right at 9:00.  They must have that permission slip with the waiver also!!







I can't believe the year is almost over!  Just a few reminders and updates...

Tomorrow is another half day for conferences.  I am in conferences all day tomorrow and mornings and afternoons throughout the week.  If you haven't been able to set up a time, email me and we can make other arrangements.  There has been a lot of issues with parents and the sign ups on Teacherweb.  I am looking into another program that won't allow accidental over-writes. 

Tuesday is the third grade skate party.  They were sent home with a bright yellow permission slip last Thursday.  They MUST have this sheet to go - it has a waiver for liability on it.  I cannot take phone call permissions or notes - it must be that yellow sheet. 
They will leave first thing Tuesday so please make sure your thirds are on time.

The ice cream social is Friday - if you have not purchased a ceramic bowl, there is still time.  The cost is $10 and benefits the ceramics class.  We will have some sort of 'end of the year/third grade graduation' party on Wed. the 22nd.  The last day of school is the 24th and it is an all school half day - no circle.

Shadow Day is Monday, May 20th.  We will have the new first graders in our classroom and our thirds will visit their new classrooms at the Cheryl campus. 


















Conferences start Friday.  Please bring your child - they will be directing the conferences.  There are still some that have not signed up.  Please check the website and let me know if you need other arrangements.
Friday and Monday are half days - no pizza - all day contracts only.




Conference sign up is up...it's a little confusing - basically all day Friday and Monday and then 8:00 throughout the week and 3:00 (except Monday).

I have a strange request.  We have new curtains in the classrooms BUT they need to be ironed and hemmed.  Does anyone have a talent for this sort of thing? Please let me know :)

Tomorrow we will have a "No pajama, pajama day" - the children can bring slippers, a small pillow, small blanket, and books of their choice.  I did say they can bring books that are not their reading level but must be approved by mom or dad.  I will be doing Dibels (reading assessments) and the children will be having a read-a-thon. 

Please no pajamas - I explained to the children my reasoning behind this (other than it just being a bit strange to wear pajamas to school) if we have a lockdown or a situation in which we have to be out of the classroom for a length of time (who knows, this happened with the gas leak a while back), the children would be in fuzzy jammies outside when it's 95 degrees.  Just not a good idea.  They should bring slippers and wear shoes.  No toys, other than a pillow pet or similar (I keep having to remind them that toys are NOT allowed at school).

I will put the conference schedule up as soon as I can - by this weekend for sure....promise!  Thanks to all of you who helped during testing week. The children really do enjoy this week (go figure!)

The year is winding down fast - Vylet's mom is getting ready for one more art project and then the children will create portfolios to bring their artwork home in.  No Artist tea this year due to crazy construction, lack of space, and absolutely no idea which areas of the school will be open and available at any time:)  It will be so worth it in the end...

Monday begins AIMS testing week.  The children are mostly very excited about this (believe it or not!)  There are a few who are worried.  If your child is one of those, please stress the importance of doing his or her best but not on the actual outcome of the tests.  I would encourage everyone when the scores are mailed in the summer to NOT share these with your child.  The second grade test is a listening and following directions test (yes, that is what I said:)  It does not necessarily show what the child knows but rather if he can pay attention to the teacher-read questions and find the answer - oh, and they have to be able to fill in a bubble with a pencil - which we did practice.

All seconds and thirds were given a practice test to take home.  Whether or not they finish it is optional - I will leave that up to you.  The second grade test doesn't have questions - they have to be made up.  The AIMS has two parts, math and reading.  We went over both in class.  I did tell the thirds that the actual test isn't as hard as the practice test - because it isn't. 

We will have breakfast next week, Monday through Thursday starting just after 8:00.  We will begin testing at 9:00.  The writing portion of the test is on Monday for all three grades.  Tuesday the seconds and thirds will alternate between tests and the firsts will go to the Imax in the morning.  After lunch, seconds and thirds alternate between tests again and firsts will have ceramics and PE. 

On Wednesday, We will have breakfast at 8:00 and test at 9:00.  Seconds and thirds will alternate between tests and the firsts will go to the Railroad park in the morning.  The seconds will be done testing on Wednesday and will go to the Imax on Thursday. 

If all goes well, we will be done by Thursday around lunch time.  These are NOT timed tests so I do have to give children as much time as they need to finish - which makes it hard to plan or stick to a schedule but we will try!

Please make sure that ALL seconds and thirds are at school and on time next week!  This is VERY important. 

Have a relaxing weekend!

Oh and seconds will also have a field trip during AIMS testing week, probably on Thursday!

This week we will be doing some 'test prep' (very minimal -mostly practicing filling in a bubble:) Please sign up to bring a breakfast item for next week (AIMS) if you haven't.  We also need a few more items for the auction basket.  These are due April 17th.  The children will work on a table that will be auctioned off at the auction during art masterpiece on Tuesday - thanks Denise!!

We would love to have some parents volunteer to help chaperone first grade field trips during AIMS week.  We will try to have them do as much academic work as possible but need to have them safe, happy, and COOL during the week when seconds and thirds are testing.  We are looking forward to an IMAX movie on Tuesday and a trip to the Railroad Park in Scottsdale on Wednesday and even a trip to a local park for a field day type of adventure. If you would like to help, please let me know so I can forward your info to Megan who is managing all of this:)

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Presentations are going very well.  The children are looking forward to Thursday's Tour of Projects and Luncheon!  We will have the parking lot so no worries there:)  We will begin the tour at 11:00 and start having lunch around 11:45. 

Please check the sign up for items to bring. 

Friday is a half-day - all day contracts only NO PIZZA. 

Several parents have informed me that they had their child signed up for presentations but then went back and someone else put their child's name in that spot.  Please be very careful when signing up.  I'm sure it's just an accident but it's a bit unnerving for parents to assume they have a time and then find out later they don't.  Most people don't check the sign up again after they've already signed up.

Sooo - in light of this happening, I am opening up spots on Thursday April 4th prior to the luncheon (hopefully we'll have a luncheon). The children need about an hour to set up and visit each others presentations prior to parents coming so I have to limit that day to four.

Most of you have heard by now that starting Monday we will no longer have a playground for many weeks.  All six of the E1 Teachers have gotten together and come up with a plan (we'll try Monday:)

The children will choose each morning whether they want to go to the playground (pre-primary) or to the ODE (Lura, Jen, and June's) for activities.  They cannot change their mind once they choose but can do something different the next day.  We need to have the proper staff in place to make this happen, hence the need for them to 'sign up' each day.  Hopefully this will work:)

Starting Monday there is no morning recess.  Children who are not in circle will be dropped off as usual and they will go directly to their classrooms between 8:00 and 8:30.

Presentations begin  Monday.  Please try to have your child arrive on time so they do not disrupt the 8:30 presentation.   There are many open spots left on Monday, Tuesday, and one on Wednesday.  Lots of the children said their parent told them they were signed up but are not on my list.  Please double check the sign up and let me know if you need other arrangements.  The luncheon is scheduled for the 4th but we may not have half of the parking lot so I may need to re-think how that will work.  I will keep you posted - thank you for your continued support, patience, and flexibility during this year of great change!

Thank you to those of you who have donated money for the classroom.  It is greatly appreciated!  I am still looking into getting a retractable awning for ODE (Margo has to approve it and also put them on the other ODEs on 28th st.)  I am also looking into an interactive white board like the Now Board - if anyone has experience with writing grants, please let me know.  The classroom is beautiful and we are all loving the extra space that we have (no tripping all over each other:)