Miss Ashley Paluch

May 24, 2012

Hi all! Today in Pre-K 3 we had a lot of fun playing the "Color Zones" Game.  Each friend found 5 items of a particular color scattered around the room and we had a whole rainbow of items at the end!  Today we also talked about sequences.  We discussed activities we do in the morning, afternoon, and night.  Then we colored pictures of those activities.  Ask your kiddos what they colored!!

Parent Reminders:
*There is no school on Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday.
*There will be no hot lunches served for the rest of the school year.  Please remember to pack your child a cold lunch.  Our last week for pizza Fridays is next week so remember your money for Wednesday!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Miss Ashley

May 23, 2012

Happy Wednesday!  Thank you to all of my friends that made my birthday so special today.  All of the hugs, smiles, "Happy Birthday's", cards, and gifts overwhelmed me with happiness and joy today.  I feel so blessed to be a part of your child's lives!

Parent Reminders:
*Yearbooks are available  to be picked up starting tomorrow at 12:00pm.
*I will be out of town this Friday, so Ms. Gladys and Ms. Emma will be working together in the classroom.

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

May 21, 2012

Hi all! Today in Pre-K 3 we started working on the letter Z...the last letter that we have to learn this year!  My friends shared their letter bags and we read special stories about Z on starfall.com.  Ms. Emma reviewed counting from 0-5 in Spanish, and the children did a great job! For math, my friends started working on sequencing. We learned the steps of putting our shoes on....and we experimented with our own shoes at circle time.  So if anyone comes home with an inside-out sock, you know why! :)

Parent Reminders:
*This is the last week for hot lunches.  We will be having pizza Friday this Friday and the following Friday, but hot lunch in the cafeteria will finish after this week.

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

May 14, 2012

Happy Monday! Today in Pre-K 3, we loved coloring in pictures of words that start with the letter Q.  My friends enjoyed making very colorful designs on their quilts.  During circle time, we shared our letter Q bags, and we also discussed the concepts of heavy and light.  We had a heavy basket filled with cubes and a light basket filled with only air.  At their tables, friends shared objects and tested out the weights of all the mystery objects to discover which were heavy and light.  Today, Ms. Emma reviewed the color orange (naranja) with the class, and they colored in carrots (zanahorias), crayons (crayola), pumpkin (calabasas) and oranges (naranjas).

Parent Reminders:
*Tonight is Open House from 5:30pm-6:30pm.  You are welcome to visit our classroom for a fun sunflower craft.  You are also welcome to visit Ms. Maggie's room for a meet-and-greet for Pre-K 4! Hope to see you this evening.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

May 10, 2012

Hi all! Today in Pre-K 3 we had a lot of fun with our letter X.  My friends hopped along a letter X on the floor, they glued toothpicks down to capital and lowercase x's, and they made their very own x-ray page! At school today, we talked a lot about being kind to one another in the classroom and how happy it makes us when our friends say nice things to us.  We all promised to use kind words to everyone we meet. :)

Parent Reminders:
*There is an open house on Monday, May 14th.  Please come to meet your teacher for the next year.  The older grades (1-8) will be displaying their science projects that they have created, so feel free to check those out as well!
*Next week we begin work on the letter q. :)

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

May 7, 2012

Happy Monday! Today we began our study of the letter X.  We made an X with our arms, and we shared our letter X bags.  We had a special visitor in the class today from 2nd grade! Ms. Cornelia shared a special book and a video with our class...it was a lot of fun! Ms. Emma reviewed all of the Spanish words that we know, our Spanish numbers, and our Spanish colors. 

Parent Reminders:
*There is a 1:00pm dismissal on Wednesday!

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

May 2, 2012

Happy Wednesday! Today in Pre-K 3 we enjoyed becoming the letter Y! Everyone made their body like a y and said "ya,ya,ya". It was wonderful!  We also sorted our toys according to yellow and not-yellow.  We found ten of each.  At PE today, we tried tennis with Ms. Rachael.  It was a bit tricky, so we think we will stick to the fun relay games until next year.  :) 

Parent Reminders:
*I still have a few group photos in the classroom.  If you ordered a class picture, please let me know!

See you tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

April 30, 2012

Hello to all! Today in Pre-K 3, we started our rainy week with the letter Y.  My friends shared letter bags at circle time, colored in objects that start with the letter, and traced capital Y's during centers.  Today we also spent some time matching letter sounds with items that have the same beginning letter sound.  My friends did really well! During snack we celebrated our friend Olivia's birthday with delicious cupcakes. Ms Emma also started work on a special treat to show our mommys in a couple of weeks. :)

Parent Reminders:
*If you are able to come to Mrs. Paula's baby shower this Saturday, please let me know ASAP.  I know the invite said regrets only, but I would love to get a stronger idea of how many wonderful ladies to expect.  Thanks if you have already let me know. :)

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

April 27, 2012

Happy Friday! Today was a very fun day in Pre-K 3! We went to mass this morning, and two friends from our class went up front to receive treats for their birthdays!  In the classroom, we learned about our church friends, and we also practiced reading and writing the letter P.  After recess time, we had pizza lunch and a cupcake birthday party with our friend Tommy.  Thank you to Tommy and Ms. Hilary for the delicious treats!

Parent Reminders:
*The Mariner March is on Saturday!! Please come and join the fun!!  We still need cases of water and gatorade for the race.
*Next week we are learning the letter Y! I can't wait to see all of the objects that come to school in our letter bags. :)

Have an awesome weekend,
Miss Ashley

April 26, 2012

Happy Thursday! Today in Pre-K 3 we learned about good manners and bad manners.  We read a story called "Please" and talked about all the times during the day when we should use that special word.  We also discussed the spatial words up and down.  We stood up, sat down, stood up, sat down...my friends got quite tired! :)

Parent Reminders:

*I sent a shower invite home on Monday for Ms. Paula.  Thank you to those of you who have R.S.V.P'd.  Please let me know if you are able to come by Monday, April 30th! I hope all of the moms can come and celebrate with us!!

*The Mariner March is on Saturday.  Please sign up to participate! There is a great kid's Fun Run for the Pre-K children to enjoy.  Also, cases of water are still needed!

Have a great night,

Miss Ashley

April 23, 2012

Happy Monday! Today we began work on the letter P.  My friends and I read a story about a little girl's birthday party.  In the story, they made PARTY HATS, so we made our own! Also today, we traced capital P.  During centers, we worked on letter flash cards and explored the magnet toys.

Parent Reminders:
*Today the children are coming home with their Mariner March t-shirts.  They can wear these all week to advertise the event this Saturday.  Please register for the event and remember to bring in the cases of water.  The class with the most registrations for the March wins a class pizza party!!

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

April 19, 2012

Tomorrow is Water Fun Day! Please come dressed in bathing suits (with towels) and bring an extra set of clothes.  The water fun begins at 10:00am after church.  Thanks to those who are bringing special treats to share.  We can't wait for the wet and wild fun!!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

April 17, 2012

Happy Tuesday! Today in Pre-K 3 we loved working on letter J and exploring spatial-relationship words for math.  At circle time, we jumped from j to j that we colored yesterday.  Then, Ms. Ashley described words like "on top, under, over, in front, beside, in, out, etc". We played a game where I hid a red ball and my friends described where it was.  It was great fun!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is a 1:00pm dismissal.
*We have water fun day on Friday.  Please send your child with a bathing suit under his/her outfit and an extra set of clothes.  We will be playing with sprinklers, pools, water balloons, and water paints from 10:00am till lunch time!

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

April 16, 2012

Hi all! Today was a great day in Pre-K 3! This morning, we started sharing our letter J bags.  My friends brought in wonderful items that start with the letter J.  We practiced writing a capital J, and we did a lot of great number work today! During circle time, my friends and I also talked about how to help save the earth.  We read I Can Save the Earth and discussed how turning lights off and recycling helps to keep God's beautiful nature alive and well.  :)

Parent Reminders:
*I sent a note home today about water fun day on Friday. Please read!
*Mariner March is coming up on April 28th.  Each family is asked to donate a case of water for the event.  Please drop it off in the teacher's lounge!
*Wednesday is a 1:00pm dismissal.

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

April 13, 2012

Happy Friday! Today in Pre-K 3, we read Where the Wild Things Are.  We  discussed how Max created "wild things" and a foreign land inside of his imagination.  Then, we used our imaginations to create our own "wild things".  They look quite wonderful!  At circle time, we played "Waiter, Waiter".  Everyone took turns being the waiter and ordering foods that start with the letter W.  We all used our manners and said please and thank you!

Parent Reminders:
*There is a 1:00pm dismissal next Wednesday.  After care is available.
*Water Fun Day is on Friday.  Please sign up to bring treats to share!
*Our letter next week is J.  If there are any empty or unused jars at home, your child is welcome to share it with the class for a measuring activity.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Miss Ashley

April 11, 2012

Today was a Wonderful W day in Pre-K 3! My friends created many interesting crafts with their "w knowledge".  We read Alice the Fairy by David Shannon.  In the story, a little girl talked about all of the special powers she could perform with her wand.  We all shared stories of what we would do if we had our own wands, and then we made wands!  My friends also created word wagons with pictures of items that start with W.  At PE today, Miss Rachael played relay games; everyone enjoyed PE time!

Parent Reminders:
*We had a 1:00pm dismissal next Wednesday.
*Please sign up to participate or volunteer at the 5K March on April 28th!
*FYI: Next week we are working on the letter J.  If you have an empty jar that you would like to donate for a measuring activity, please bring it to school this week! Thanks!

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

April 10, 2012

Hi all! Happy Tuesday! Today in Pre-K 3, we continued to explore the letter W.  My friends shared their letter bags during circle time.  We also are working on the number 10.  My friends completed a number 10 worksheet and a lowercase w worksheet.  During centers, the class made W's out of playdoh, and they also practiced the alphabet derby game!

Parent Reminders:
**Please sign up to volunteer or participate in the Mariner 5k March!  Check out the website for more information. marinersmarch5k.com
**Tuesday folder notes come home today. Please check information about upcoming 1:00pm dismissal on April  18th.  Also, where it says "field day", we will be having a water fun day in the Pre-K.  Please keep an eye out for notes on that...I will be sending more information home soon!

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

April 5, 2012

Today we had a wonderful Easter fun day!  This morning, my friends colored in pictures of bunnies, eggs, and chicks. At circle time, we played many exciting Easter games.  First, we sang "Who Stole the Egg from the Easter Basket" as each friend found a hidden egg in the classroom.  Then, we imagined ourselves as bunny rabbits and created our very own bunny trail in the classroom.  We stopped to munch on carrots along the journey!  At centers time, we did a straw-painting of an easter egg.  Each friend put paint on their paper, then Ms. Emma sprayed it with water, and they blew through the straw to make a neat design!  We estimated how many eggs were in Ms. Ashley's easter basket, and then we counted to see who was right. During our lunchtime party, we all watched Charlie Brown's Easter movie as we ate wonderful pizza and sweet treats that friends brought to share.  After a quick rest time, we ventured out to the playground to find easter eggs with our names on them.  Overall, it was a wonderful day!

Parent Reminders:
*No school tomorrow.

I wish you all a blessed and happy Easter.  See you on Monday,
Miss Ashley

**EASTER BASKET PARTY TONIGHT FROM 5:30-7:00 IN OUR CLASSROOM. COME AND DECORATE A BASKET WITH YOUR CHILD!!**

April 3, 2012
Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3. My friends made mosaic crosses in honor of Jesus and the cross. They did a wonderful job! We also learned about lowercase e today. My friends practiced tracing the letter and also identifying words that begin with the letter E sound.  We made playdoh E's as well! This morning after circle time, we learned how to play the bunny match-up game.  Partners took turns flipping over bunny cards to try to find a match.  It was a great lesson in taking turns and teamwork!

Parent Reminders:
*There is no school on Friday.  Hot lunch will not be served on Thursday. Instead, the pizza money will go towards a Pizza Hut lunch on Thursday!
*Report cards went home today. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. We can set up a conference for after-school.

Hope to see you this evening,
Miss Ashley

April 2, 2012

Happy April to all!  Today in Pre-K 3, we began working with the letter E.  My friends did a wonderful job of tracing capital E during centers time.  Today, we also read a book about animals balancing apples on top of their heads.  We counted all the way up to ten!  Then, each friend counted a cup of beans at their table and wrote that number down.  Great counting, friends!

Parent Reminders:
*We have our Easter basket craft night TOMORROW from 5:30pm- 7:00pm!! We will be decorating Easter baskets in our classroom, and will be great fun.  Please join us!
*We have no school on Friday.
*This Thursday, we will be doing a lot of neat Easter crafts in the classroom! If you would like to bring an Easter treat to share with the class (snack item or a goody-bag item, please feel free to do so!)
*Report cards go home tomorrow.  You will receive a school report card as well as a more detailed report tailored to the learning we have done in the classroom.  If you have any questions or would like to request a conference, please let me know and we can set up a time after school!

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

March 28, 2012

Today was a wonderful day during P.E.  Ms. Rachael was very impressed by how well Pre-K 3 listened and participated during their relay races! In the classroom, a friend brought a book to share that I read for the class.  In Corduroy, we learned all about a bear and how he found a friend.  We each shared ways that we help and take care of friends that we love.

Parent Reminders:
*Today I sent home the snack schedule for April.  Please check to see when your day is!

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

March 27, 2012

Hi all! Today in Pre-K 3, we reviewed the letter U.  Also, my friends and I learned a new song called Baby Beluga. It was stuck in our heads all day long! :) This morning, my friends had fun with free coloring time.  Then, we worked on left and right.  Every friend was able to show me their right foot and their left foot, and then they colored in a picture of a ballerina's left foot and right foot. 

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due tomorrow.
*I am sending home letter flash cards home with a few students today. Please bring back all materials tomorrow!
*Tuesday folder notes come home today. Please check out the new information going on around school!
*Just a head's-up ---- we did not study a new letter this week. It is our review week.  Tomorrow's homework will be a review of the letters from the last section.  Next week we are excited to learn about the letter E!!

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

March 26, 2012

Welcome back everyone! Today was a wonderful day in Pre-K 3. My friends and I were so happy to see each other again and share stories of all the fun we had last week! At circle time, we picked our new jobs for the week and worked on the number 9.  This is a review week for our letters, so we practiced tracing the letter K and identifying words that begin with that sound.  At centers, I reviewed alphabet letter flashcards with everyone.  I can tell that many friends are getting really good with letter recognition, and that is wonderful!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due on Wednesday. PE is on Wednesday.
*If I send/ sent home the alphabet letter adventure with your child, please return ALL ITEMS the next day at school so that another child can use it the next time.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

March 14, 2012

Happy Wednesday! Today my friends had PE time with Ms. Christine.  They did parachute games and a teamwork activity where each friend had to pass pom poms to eachother until they got to the basket.  At circle time today, we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  We talked about how the caterpillar ate fruits and Vegetables.  Each friend then practiced scissor skills by cutting out vegetable pictures and making his/her own garden.  Our vegetable garden is outside the classroom...check it out!

Parent Reminders:
*There is a PTSA meeting TONIGHT at 5:30pm in the cafeteria. Please attend.
*Friday is a tag day (green colors for St. Patrick's Day). Friday is also a 1:00pm dismissal...no after care.
*Please check out the Mariners 5k March website for information on sponsoring, volunteering, or participating. THE CLASSROOM THAT GETS THE MOST REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS WINS A SPECIAL PRIZE :)  Website: www.marinersmarch5k.com

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

March 13, 2012

Hi everyone! Today in Pre-K 3, we worked on the number six and our letter V!  During circle time, my friends shared letter bags.  We made playdoh V's, and we also explored identifying different letters with our playdoh.  At centers, my friends traced number 6 with Ms. Emma; they also traced lowercase v and colored in vegetables with Ms. Ashley.  We had a wonderful recess on this sunny day, and we all enjoyed our lunch in the cafeteria!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due tomorrow. 
*Friday is a 1:00pm dismissal, and next week is Spring break.
*This Friday will be a tag day for St. Patrick's Day.  Pay 50 cents, and your kiddo can wear Irish green!!
*Tonight I am sending home the first batch of alphabet letter cards.  5 students will receive the cards today. If they are in your backpack, please complete at least 3 activities and return ALL MATERIALS TOMORROW.
*Mariners 5K March is coming up soon.  If you are interested in participating, volunteering, or sponsoring, please visit marinersmarch5k.com for more information!!!!

See you tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

March 12, 2012

Happy Monday! Today in Pre-K 3, we started exploring the letter V.  My friends and I learned that if we hold up the number 2, it looks like a V. How fun! At circle time, friends shared their letter bags.  We also found six sets of objects that had six items. My friends went to their seats and colored in a set of six stars.  Ms. Emma helped in the classroom today, and she shared a fun Spanish class.  Because of the rainy weather, our friend Colin shared his Peter Cottontail movie.  We enjoyed our trip to the movies, but we are crossing our fingers for a sunny day tomorrow.

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money due on Wednesday.

See you tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

March 9, 2012

Hi all! Today was a nice Friday in Pre-K 3.  My friends and I reviewed our alphabet letters during centers.  Ms. Ashley did alphabet letter flash cards while other friends played an alphabet game and traced A-Z with dry erase markers. Next week we will begin our study of letter V, so please have fun searching for items that start with V. :)

Parent Reminders:
*Next week, I will begin sending home letter flash cards for home practice.  I sent a letter home in today's folder describing the activities. On Tuesdays or Thursdays you will have the flash cards in your child's backpack, so please keep your eyes open!
*Next Friday is the last day of school before Spring Break! :) It is a 1:00pm dismissal, and aftercare is NOT available.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Miss Ashley

March 7, 2012

Happy Wednesday! Today in Pre-K 3, we worked on the letter K.  This morning, my friends made the letter K with playdoh.  Today we also decorated the letter K with Kleenex.  It was a very soft and enjoyable craft.  My friends also continued an animal finger puppet activity from yesterday.  We are making 10 finger puppet animals to cover all 10 of our fingers!

Parent Reminders:
*A heads up for next week:  Friday, March 16th is the last day before spring break.  We have a 1:00pm dismissal and NO aftercare is available.
*When working on your Wednesday homework with your child, please encourage them to write the letters on their own while you supervise and encourage them.  Some students appear to be struggling along completely on their own while others have perfect (mommy, daddy, and big brother/sister) handwriting.  This is their chance to practice with your guidance, so please take advantage of it! :)

Have a wonderful night,
Miss Ashley

March 5, 2012

Today was a nice day in Pre-K 3! My friends starting learning about the letter K.  Many shared keys, kites, and kittens in their letter bags! During circle time, Ms. Ashley went fishing for letters. Each of the students had fish with a letter on it, and I caught each one.  We also practiced our letter 5 today.  We counted 5 green crayons, 5 red bears, 5 black cubes, and 5 orange squares.  Each child colored in a set of 5 hearts, and they also did a #5 worksheet during centers.

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due on Wednesday.
*There is no PE this Wednesday due to ITBS testing for the older students.

See you all on Tuesday,
Miss Ashley

March 2, 2012

Happy "Read Across America" Day!!  Pre-K 3 had a wonderful and exciting day today! We celebrated the reading day and also kept on working with our letter N's.  This morning, my friends traced the letter N and n.  Each friend got a sticker next to the best Capital N!  At circle time, I read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.  In the story the cat has a red wooden box where he keeps his fun items.  Each friend in the class went to his/her seat after the story and drew pictures of the fun items they would put in their red box.  There were scooters, kitty cats, spiderman toys, and much more.  During centers, my friends made letter N books. They also created their own hat for cat and the hat.  At recess, we played a fun bean-bag-toss game using our hats.  Everyone loved it!

Parent Reminders:
*Next week we discuss letter K.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Miss Ashley

March 1, 2012

Happy Thursday! Today in Pre-K 3, my friends made capital N's with their playdoh.  Many friends tried to say "I can't", so we had a talk about how my friends are very talented.  We can do anything we put our minds to...many friends were able to make their N's after that! At centers time, my friends were introduced to an alphabet- number game.  We are working on recognizing our alphabet letters and numbers 1-10.

Parent Reminders:
*No mass tomorrow.
*Next week we are learning letter K.
*I am strongly encouraging letter recognition activities at home to reinforce the skills we work on at school. Starting next week, I will be sending home alphabet flash cards to be reviewed with mommy and/or daddy and then returned to school the next day.  Keep your eyes peeled for the flash cards!
*Tomorrow is NEA's National Reading Day! We will be doing Dr. Seuss activities in the classroom.  If you have a favorite Dr. Seuss your child would like to share, please bring it to school.

See you tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

February 28, 2012

Hi all! Today we had a fun day in Pre-K 3.  This morning, my friends made AB patterns with our unifix cubes.  When a friend made a pattern correctly, he traded his colors with another friend to make a new pattern.  I saw great sharing!  At circle time, we shared our letter bags.  We also sang some songs from the beginning of the school year (bumblebee song, walk on joe, and 5 green and speckled frogs).  We talked about the difference between noon and night.  My friends drew pictures and wrote words describing the activities we do during the day.  They are hanging on the front windows of the classroom!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money due tomorrow.
*There is no mass this Friday.
*The March snack schedule came home in your child's folder today.

See you in the morning,
Miss Ashley

February 27, 2012

Happy Monday! Today in Pre-K 3 we started studying the letter N.  We colored in objects that start with the letter.  At circle time, my friends and I worked on the whole alphabet.  Someone came into the classroom over the weekend and hid Ms. Ashley's letters, so my friends helped to find the missing letters for me!  (The G is still missing, so we have to keep our eyes peeled for that one!). Today we had a fire drill.  My friends were a little talkative and slow in getting out of the building, so we practiced a few more times in the classroom afterwards.  We learned that during emergencies we need to zip our lips and move quickly to safety!  During centers, we differentiated between pictures that start with the letter n and pictures that do not. My friends also traced capital N!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due by Wednesday.  We have PE on Wednesday.
*If any parents have any pictures on your cameras that you have taken during the school year, please email those to me (apaluch23@gmail.com) when you get a chance.  I am building our yearbook memory pages, and I know you all take wonderful photos!

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

***FISH FRY IS TOMORROW! PLEASE BAKE A DESSERT! WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE 6:30-8:30 TIME SLOT!!***

February 23, 2012

Today was a nice day in Pre-K 3! This morning, my friends traced lowercase h, traced h's on a helicopter page, and practiced writing their names.  Each friend also made his/her own letter h book with pictures of hearts, hands, hats, and horses.  During centers, my friends found rectangles and triangles on a page and practiced identifying the beginning sound "h" by coloring only the pictures that started with "ha,ha, ha...like house".

Parent Reminders:
*Mass is tomorrow.  Please arrive early!*
*Tomorrow is pizza day.  If your child did not get pizza, please pack a lunch.  Also, please remember to bring drinks for your child and any extra snacks that they might need.

See you tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

February 22, 2012

Hi all! Happy Ash Wednesday. :) Today in Pre-K 3, we started the day by making our Lenten promises.  Each friend thought of something special he/she could do to be a better helper at home or at the classroom.  The class made a wonderful chain of promises that is now hanging in the classroom.  We all went to mass and received ashes today.  At circle time, my friends sang the sharing song to remind us of the kind behavior that we should have in the classroom!

Parent Reminders:
****Fish Fry on Friday - we need volunteers! We also need each family to bake!!****

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

February 21, 2012

Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3! My friends started the day by coloring in items that start with the letter H.  At circle time, we shared our h bags, and we sang our shapes Hokey Pokey song.  Because we did such a great job following directions, my friends and I were able to read stories about the letter H on Starfall.com while we got ready for morning snack.  Our friend Mia turned 4 today, and she shared a delicious Disney Princess cake with the class.  Thanks Mia!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.  We will be going to mass at 9:00am, so there is no PE.
*Please sign up to volunteer for the Fish Fry THIS FRIDAY! Our class also needs to bring desserts for the event, so please bake.  :)

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

February 16, 2012

Happy Thursday! Today in Pre-K 3, we played the "quiet game" all day to see if we could earn cookies at the end of the day.  This morning, we heard that "Elvis was in the building" so we practiced being quiet in the bathroom during emergencies.  My friends did an amazing job, and we all earned our cookies for doing so well!  At circle time, Pre-K 3 shared their letter C bags.  We also looked at six shapes.  Each friend colored and cut out a circle, triangle, star, heart, hexagon, and square.  Then they posted it on our new shape poster.  They did a wonderful job!! 

Parent Reminders:
*Mass is tomorrow.  Please arrive before 8am.
*No school on Monday. It is President's Day.
*We will be running the Fish Fry on Friday, February 24th. Please sign up to volunteer on the sheet in the classroom!

Have a wonderful evening,
Miss Ashley

February 13, 2012

Hi all!  Today in Pre-K 3, we started our study of the letter C.  At circle time, we said our colors as if we were "cats".  It was great fun!  We are continuing our study of shapes in math.  Today, my friends colored and cut out triangles and glued them onto another piece of paper.  Check them out...they are hanging on the artwork board!  We talked about how tomorrow is a special day of love, Valentines Day.  During centers, my friends decorated their valentines bag so they have somewhere to stuff all of their valentines tomorrow!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is a tag day! If you bring 50cents, your child can come out of uniform in Valentine's Day colors!
*Tomorrow is our Valentine's Day party.  Please bring your child's valentines to share with the class. If you volunteered to come and help, we will be doing crafts at 11:00am! Lunch is right after, and then we will have an afternoon of recess. With lots of sugar at lunch, nap time is not in our schedule. :)

See all of my Valentines tomorrow,
Miss Ashley

February 9, 2012

Happy Thursday!  Today in Pre-K 3, we continued our fun study of the letter U.  This morning, my friends made fun playdoh creations.  After that, they traced capital U and lowercase u.  We love to say... "u says uh, uh, uh, like umbrella!".  At circle time, we finished sharing our letter u bags.  We are excited to find items that start with C for next week! At centers today, we traced u in the sand, we practiced scissor skills, we went hunting through books for the letter u, and we differentiated between U and u with a coloring exercise.  Pre-K 3 even noticed during our religion lesson today that the smile in our smiley faces looks like a u.  What an observant bunch of friends. :)

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow we have mass.  Please arrive before 8:00am.
*Our Valentines celebration is on Tuesday. Please get all of your valentines ready. :)

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

***1:00  PM DISMISSAL ON WEDNESDAY****

February 7, 2012

Hi all! Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3.  We started off the day by coloring in pictures that looked the same.  At circle time today, my friends shared their letter "u" bag.  Many friends brought in pictures of umbrellas and unicorns!  After circle time, my friends learned the "umbrella man" song.  We did centers in the classroom; we made the capital U, we traced the outline of our shapes with strings, we went on a book hunt for the letter u, and we continued work on identifying the same pictures.  Becuase of all the rain, we had indoor recess. Each friend chose their favorite center to do....lots of friends played kitchen and cars.  As a class, we explored Word World on pbskids.org!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is 1:00pm dismissal. Pizza money is due tomorrow.
*I am sending home a note today about our Valentines Day party on next Tuesday. Please read and return if you are able to donate your time or food!

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

February 6, 2012

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!  I want to say thank you to all of the parents that volunteered and donated desserts for the Rock and Roast this past weekend.  It was a wonderful event, and your help made it run smoothly.  (I am especially grateful that the rain decided to wait until Sunday).  Today in Pre-K 3, we began working on the letter U.  My friends colored in pictures that start with the letter U.  We switched our seats this morning.  When my friends moved to their new seats, they made artwork with their table friends.  At circle time, we shared the artwork that we had made...we had Rapunzel, Spiderman, fireworks, and many more imaginative creations.

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due on Wednesday.
*Valentine's Day is coming up next week.  We are going to be exchanging Valentines during the class and having a little party during lunch and the afternoon.  Please keep an eye out for Valentines that you and your child can hand out to classmates (We have 20 in the class).  Also, if you would like to volunteer to help with crafts during our Valentine's Day party, please let me know!

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

February 1, 2012

Happy February! Today, Pre-K 3 enjoyed celebrating student appreciation day.  Each friend had a special talk with Ms. Ashley about all of his/her favorite things, and they made a book about it! We had PE time with Ms. Rachael today; my friends did dancing movement games to music.  At MISS today, it was random dance day.  Music came on over the intercom a few times, and we got to stand outside of the classroom and dance with the school...how fun!

Parent Reminders:
*There is a Rock and Roast Parent Volunteer Meeting at 5:00pm in the cafeteria tonight. Please attend!
*Tomorrow is school spirit day: students can wear  blue, white, and gold.
*Remember family photos by Friday please.

See you later,
Miss Ashley

****Note: There will be no hot lunch on Wednesdays due to a shortage in parent volunteers.  Please pack a cold lunch for your child on Wednesdays!!****

January 31, 2012

Hi all! Today, Pre-K 3 reviewed the letter G.  MY friends and I colored in pictures of a girl; we used two different colors for capital G and lowercase g.  During circle time this morning, we practiced gross motor skills by maneuvering our way around shapes that were taped on the carpet! We used our hands to help decorate Pre-K 3's Catholic Schools Week banner that will be posted in the gym during the Rock and Roast event.  It looks awesome!

Parent Reminders:
**Tonight is literary night.  Please come to the classroom from 5:30pm-6:30pm with your favorite animal stories and a snack to share.  Pre-K 3 kiddos can come dressed up as their favorite animals.
**Tomorrow is mix and match day at school.
**Tomorrow there is a meeting for Rock and Roast volunteers.  Please check the school's main web page for specific time and location information.
**Please bring in family photos for Friday!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

January 30, 2012

Hi parents! Happy Monday...and happy twin day! The Pre-K 3 class looked wonderful today as they dressed up as twins with their classmates.  Tomorrow is PAJAMA DAY! So send your kiddo in comfy pjs for school.  Tomorrow is also our literary evening.  From 5:30pm to 6:30pm, we will be reading animal books in the classroom.  The students can come dressed up as their favorite barnyard animals, and mommys and daddys can bring in their favorite animal books from home to read to the children.  If you plan on attending, please bring a snack to share!

Today in Pre-K 3, we reviewed the last 4 letters that we have learned as a class.  We traced O,G,L, and B.  At circle time, we showed all we know about our shapes by singing the Shape Hokey Pokey...it was great fun!  During centers time, my friends played shape bingo, practiced scissor skills, built Mr. Potato Heads, and completed a Bb page with Ms. Ashley.  I was very proud of how well we are getting the hang of swtiching between our centers and staying on task the whole time. Way to go, Pre-K 3!

Parent Reminders:
*Pajama day tomorrow at school.  Literary evening 5:30-6:30 - animal theme
*Pizza money is due by Wednesday.
*Please turn in family pictures as soon as you have them for our project on Friday!
*Please email any pictures that you have taken of the class at our special events to me (apaluch23@gmail.com). I am beginning work on compiling our yearbook photos, and I know you parents have taken some amazing shots!

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

January 25, 2012

Today was an awesome Winter Fun Day! Thank you to all of the parents for donating supplies and your time for the event.  Pre-K 3 loved all of our snowy activities.  We made playdoh snowmen, drove cars in shaving cream, decorated snowy snacks, went ice fishing, had snowball fights, ate snowcones, saw snow fall, and so much more! It was a long morning, and some friends felt a little bit tired after all of the activities.  For that reason, we spent a little time in the classroom relaxing with PBS kids on the television before our naptime today.  All of my friends that come home with a sticker on their hands were quiet, good listeners during our afternoon time. :)

Parent Reminders:
*Next week is Catholic Schools Week.  Monday is twin day, where students can dress as a twin with a classmate. If you haven't done so already, find a friend in the classroom and decide on a cool outfit to wear on Monday.

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

January 24, 2012

Hi all! Today in Pre-K 3, we learned how to write #3 and capital B.  We noticed that capital B looks like the #3, just with an extra line down! During centers, my friends went on a hunt for the letter B in books, they colored butterflies with brown, blue, and black crayons, and they made B in our sand trays.

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is our Winter Fun Day! If you volunteered to bring in supplies, please have them here tomorrow morning!
*Tomorrow is the last day to pay for pizza on Friday.

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

January 23, 2012

Happy Monday!  I hope all of you had a lovely weekend, and I want to say thank you to all of the parents that volunteered at the Italian Dinner on Saturday!! Today in Pre-K 3, we started learning about the letter B.  My friends colored in pictures of objects that start with B, and they drew a square around their favorite one.  At circle time, my friends roared like bears as they told Ms. Ashley their colors; then Ms. Ashley became a bear and ate up all of the shapes that my friends were holding.  It was great fun! After circle time, Pre-K 3 practiced counting skills by matching the ladybug spots to the correct flower.  We had a special treat along with snack today of potstickers and fried rice with shrimp.  Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, and Ms. Kangli (Levi's mom) was very generous to bring in a feast and write a special letter describing the celebration! Thank you sooo much. :) We even learned how to say numbers 1-10 in Chinese as we colored in number cards.  See if you and your child can practice them together tonight!

Parent Reminders:
*We have winter fun day on Wednesday morning.  Please check the sign-up form to see what supplies still need to be donated for the games.  We hope to have all supplies collected by tomorrow afternoon.
*Pizza money is due by Wednesday!

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley
January 19, 2012

Happy Thursday!  This morning, Pre-K 3 worked on tracing lowercase "l".  We noticed that it looks just like the number 1...how neat! At circle time, my friends shared their letter bags.  Then, we played an imagination game.  We moved around the room pretending to swim in a lake, fly like a ladybug, fall like a leaf, roar like a lion, roll like a log, and so much more! The children really enjoyed the game.  At religion, we learned all about baby Jesus' birthday.  Mary and Joseph had to go on a trip to Bethlehem, and all of my friends loved telling me about trips that they have been on with their families.

Parent Reminders:
*Meeting today at 3:00pm for Rock and Roast.
*If you volunteered to help serve at the Italian dinner this Saturday, you need to be at the school from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.  Please show up a little before 5:00pm to figure out what your job will be!  I believe that the dinner is taking place on the lawn area outside of the cafeteria.
*Please volunteer to help at Rock and Roast! The sign-up sheet is on the door to our classroom.
*During the week of Catholic Schools week, we will have a literary night on Tuesday from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.  The students can come dressed as their favorite barnyard animal.  Any families that plan on attending, please bring your favorite barnyard book to read to the class!!!

Hope to see you all at 3 today,
Miss Ashley

January 18, 2012

Hi all! This morning, Pre-K 3 enjoyed time with playdoh.  My friends worked together to build a farmyard puzzle and an ABC floor puzzle; it was great teamwork practice.  During centers time, we imagined ourselves as bakers, farmers, lego builders, and families.  A few friends were introduced to computer time; those that behave well during the day will get special computer time on PBS word-building programs.

Parent Reminders:
***Please sign up to volunteer as a server for the Knights of Columbus dinner this Saturday (5-6pm).  We need at least 5 more volunteers!
***Tomorrow is the parent meeting for the Rock and Roast at 3:00pm.  Please attend!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

January 17, 2012
Happy Tuesday!  I hope everyone had a restful holiday weekend! Today in Pre-K 3, we started studying the letter L.  This morning, we colored pictures of items that start with the letter.  When we walked over to circle time, my friends chose to walk like a leaf, a llama, or a lion.  It was great fun!!  The class learned a lazy lizard song, and they did a fun art project where they glued a broken lizard back together.  Many friends shared their letter L bag, and many will share as the week continues on.

Parent Reminders:
*There is a meeting this Thursday at 3:00pm in our classroom for the Rock and Roast.  Our class is in charge of the decorations and set-up, so please attend this Thursday to discuss ideas! There is a volunteer sign-up sheet on the classroom door for the day of the event, but a lot of work must take place before then!!!
*Please volunteer for the Knights of Columbus dinner.  The sign-up sheet is also on the classroom door.

Have a nice night,
Miss Ashley

FYI: Catholic Schools Week is January 29- February 4.  Special events will go on each day.
   Monday- Students can dress as a twin with a classmate
   Tuesday- From 5:30-6:30pm, we will have a literary evening in the classroom where your child can dress as his/her favorite story character.
   Wednesday- Students wear mix and match outfits.
   Thursday- Students dress in school spirit colors (blue, white, and gold)
   Friday- Parent Appreciation Day - you can come to school for lunch. Students can wear their favorite socks and hats
   Saturday- Rock and Roast from 2:00pm - 9:00pm!!!

January 12, 2012

Happy Thursday! Today, Pre-K 3 had a great day!  This morning, we worked on the concepts of same and different by coloring in the pictures that were the same.  At circle time, my friends shared the letter G bag, and then we did a fun gross-motor game.  We pretended we were horses, and we had to jump over a gate and not fall into the mud pit.  Each time we made it over, the mud pit got bigger and bigger.  Jackson was the winner...he can jump REALLY far!! :) At religion time today, we talked about all of the ways that we take care of our bodies.  We read a story about a boy who takes care of his body by brushing his teeth.  God made us special, so we have to take care of ourselves! Next, we made a classroom mural celebrating how God made our smiles.  It will be hanging out in the hallway soon!!

Parent Reminders:
*No school Monday.
*The Rock n Roast fundraiser is fast-approaching.  The Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classrooms are in charge of decorating and cleaning up during and after the event.  There is a volunteer sign-up sheet on our classroom door for the day of the event.  Please sign up! I will also be sending a letter home soon asking for a Decorating committee!! We will be meeting sometime next week (I will let you know which day for sure on Tuesday) to discuss the theme and type of decorations we will need for the event.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come to the meeting and share your ideas!!!!  It is a great way to get in your volunteer hours for the year!
*The Knights of Columbus Dinner is on Saturday, January 21, 2012.  Pre-K 3 parents are in charge of serving the meal during the 5pm-6pm time slot.  Please volunteer!!!

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley

PTSA MEETING TONIGHT AT 5:30 IN THE CAFETERIA!!!

January 11, 2012

Today, my friends had a fun sharing day!  This morning, we colored in pictures of bears sharing.  We had to share crayons with the friends at our table to get the coloring finished! Later at circle time, we sang a sharing song as we took turns passing around Mr. Monkey.  Sharing with our classmates made everyone so happy, especially Miss Ashley.  We had PE with Ms. Rachael today.  The class got to be different animals during her lesson, and it was great fun! For centers time, Pre-K 3 did lowercase g writing practice, they colored grapes, they practiced making lowercase g in sand, and they went on a "g" hunt in our library books!

Parent Reminders:
*There will be no school on Monday.
*PTSA meeting is tonight at 5:30 in the cafeteria. Please attend.

Hope to see you all this evening,
Miss Ashley

January 10, 2012

Hi all! Happy Tuesday! Today in Pre-K 3 we had loads of fun.  This morning, my friends practiced scissor skills and imaginative skills with playdoh! They enjoyed cutting out shapes, making different animals, and imagining worms as they rolled the playdoh out.  At circle time, we started sharing our letter G bags.  Then we worked on our counting skills.  My friends each got a card with a number (1-10) on it, and they had to make a bead necklace with that many beads on it!  Today was Elishka's birthday, so we enjoyed yummy cake and a party outside.  At the centers room, we did writing practice for Capital G, and we colored in a picture of a "Girl". 

Parent Reminders:
*PTSA meeting Wednesday at 5:30pm in the cafeteria.  Please attend!!!

God bless,
Miss Ashley

January 9, 2012

Happy New Year!!  Welcome back, friends.  I was so excited to see all of my Pre-k 3 friends at school today.  Everyone adjusted very well after being home with mommy and daddy over the holidays! Today we started learning about the letter G.  My friends colored in pictures of words that start with the letter, then we read a story about G and made a list together of all of the "g" words we found there.  A new friend, Leyla, joined our class today! To make her feel at home in the classroom, we read I Love You All Day Long, a story that reminds us of how much our family loves us even when we are away from them.  At Spanish time today, Miss Emma worked on numbers from 0 to 5.  We learned a song about the "Great Green G" that all of the class loved!

Parent Reminders:
*The usual...remember that PE day is Wednesday so wear PE shirts.  Pizza money for Friday is also due on Wednesday.

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley


Way to go Pre- K 3 at the Christmas performance last night!!!

December 20, 2011

Happy Tuesday! Today, Pre-K 3 colored in a nativity scene with Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus! They did a wonderful job of making their coloring look nice just like Miss Ashley's.  At circle time, my friends finished sharing their letter "o" bags.  We did a worksheet where we drew a line from the monkey to the banana.  This is enforcing an early reading principle of scanning from left to write across the page.  My friends and I had story time today as well.  We read the letter "o" book and found so many things that start with the letter "o".  We also read The Penguin Who Wanted to be Different.  In the story, our penguin friend go to be Santa's special helper on the sleigh. What a treat! At centers time, my friends and I made oval wreaths and worked on writing lowercase o.

Parent Reminders:

*Tomorrow is our Christmas party. We will be having our meal around 11:45pm and enjoying the celebration until 1:00pm!! We have a 1:00pm dismissal tomorrow. There will be no after-care.

*There is a tag day tomorrow.  Bring in 50 cents, and your child can wear Christmas colors!!

Have a nice evening,

Miss Ashley

December 19, 2011

Today was a fun day for Pre-K 3! This morning, we started our day coloring in pictures of items that start with the letter O.  Each friend chose his favorite picture and a put a circle around it.  At circle time, my friends practiced counting with seashells from the ocean.  We counted how many shells our classmates had when we only had one shell and when we had two shells each.  Then, we went to our seats and practiced writing the number 2.  It is a tricky number, so we are going to need some time to practice that one! At centers time, we did floor puzzles again while some friends worked on writing capital O and following lines from left to right.  Miss Ashley was very proud of how well my friends did their centers and how focused they were on their writing work! We had our final all-school practice for our Christmas performance this morning.  I can tell my friends practiced..we sang nice and loud today! We are ready to share our song with mommy and daddy tonight!!

Can't wait to see you this evening!

Miss Ashley

December 16, 2011

Happy Friday!  This morning, the Pre-K 3 practiced walking to the church and singing for the Christmas Performance!  There were many shy friends, but most were very well-behaved and excited to sing Rudolph for the rest of the school.  With a little more practice singing over the weekend and another rehearsal next Monday, hopefully our singing jitters will disappear for the big night! :)  With Mrs. Paula, the Pre-K 3 did a very impressive job of walking in a straight line (with hands resting nicely behind their backs) around school today.  Mrs. Harris was very impressed, and gave compliments to our friends.  Way to go, Pre-K 3!!

Parent Reminders:
*The sign-up sheets for t-shirt size and the Wednesday lunch are still posted.  Please sign up if you have not already.
*Today I am sending home a Christmas letter practice packet.  Please help your child to complete the packet over Christmas break! Your child loves to practice letters, and he/she can't wait to practice with mommy and daddy at home.
*A letter is coming home today about the Christmas performance.  Please review the letter and let me know if you have any questions.  Mrs. Harris recommends that if the Pre-K 3 parents arrive early, you can sit in the front rows of the church.  After we sing the first song, we can lead your child to you right in the front!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Miss Ashley

December 15, 2011

Hi all! Today, Pre-K 3 loved exploring floor puzzles this morning.  Each table worked together to build a puzzle, and then we went on a walking tour to see all of our wonderful creations.  How fun!  We had religion time today, and we learned about how God made people.  We learned a new song about how God made me, God made you, and God loves us all so much!! 

Parent Reminders:
*There is a sign-up sheet on the door for our Christmas lunch.  Please sign up!
*There is also a sheet on the door for your child's t-shirt size.  Please fill that out, so that we can know sizes for future events!
*Our Christmas performance is on Monday night at 6:00pm in the church.  I am asking that all families meet in the classroom between 5:00pm and 5:30pm that evening.  That way, we can put our t-shirts on, practice our song, and all walk over to the church together around 5:45pm.  We are the first performance of the evening, and you are welcome to leave right after ours or stay for the entire performance.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

December 14, 2011

Happy Wednesday! My friends had loads of fun with playdoh this morning.  They practiced cutting and forming shapes with so many different colors.  We also reviewed the letter "f" and practiced beginning sounds of words.  At PE, Pre-K 3 had so much fun doing free play with Ms. Rachael.  They did relay games, played on scooters, kicked soccer balls, and so much more.  After PE, we practiced lining up and singing our song for the Christmas performance on Monday.  We are so excited to sing for our mommys and daddys!!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza lunch on Friday is free for everyone!!
*I made a sign-up sheet for our Christmas lunch next Wednesday! Please sign up to bring in food, drink, or supplies for that day.
*PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE singing Rudolph at home. :)

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

December 13, 2011

Hi all! Happy Tuesday! Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3.  We reviewed the letter D.  This morning, we made finger puppet ducks.  We had them dive, dance, dip their beaks, and dream with us.  Today we had two special parent helpers that made our special shirts for the Christmas performance.  They look wonderful, and we cannot say thank you enough for all of the help.  My friends and I had free-color time where we got to color pictures of our favorite people and favorite things.  I saw a lot of mommys and daddys being drawn!! :)

Parent Reminders:

*The Christmas performance is on Monday at 6:00pm. Please keep that evening free.

*THERE IS NO 1:00PM DISMISSAL THIS WEDNESDAY. We have a regular 2:30pm dismissal.

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

December 7, 2011

Today we were exctied to have a visitor in Pre-K 3! Ms. Natalie (Henry's mommy) spent time with us this morning, and she helped us to color beautiful Christmas trees. Thanks, Ms. Natalie!!  We had PE today, and Ms. Rachael played parachute with us.  Also, we took our class picture today.  My friends did a wonderful job of smiling for the photographers!!

Parent Reminders:
**TOMORROW IS OUR FIELD TRIP.  WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL AT 8:05AM, SO PLEASE ARRIVE AT SCHOOL ON TIME!!  WE HAVE TO BE AT THE KEY WEST AIRPORT BY 8:30AM***
Those parents volunteering, please bring a camera if you have it to take pictures of our wonderful time with Santa.  :)

*Craft night is  tomorrow from  5:00pm to 7:00pm in our classroom.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

December 6, 2011

Today in Pre-K 3 we had an exciting morning.  The 8th graders helped us to plant seeds in the garden outside.  We planted vegetables and flowers, and we are very excited to water them and watch them grow.  This morning, I read Tails to my friends, and we learned about all of the different animals and what their tails look like.  During centers time, some friends had writing time to make capital R with Ms. Emma and Ms. Ashley. It is a tricky letter, so we will need a little time to perfect writing it!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is PICTURE RETAKE DAY! Please wear NORMAL UNIFORM, not PE uniform. Tomorrow is the last day to pay for pizza on Friday.
*Report cards come home today.  If you would like to have a conference with me, please sign up on the sheet next to the door at pick-up time.  I am available this afternoon, Thursday afternoon, and Friday afternoon.
*Please remember to bring in a white t-shirt by Friday.

Enjoy your evening,
Miss Ashley

December 5, 2011

Happy Monday!  Today in Pre-K 3 we talked about the good behavior we need to have because we have a special trip to see Santa Claus on Thursday.  We came up with a great list of behaviors to have in the classroom, and we are going to work to do those all week!  This morning, we colored things that start with the letter R.  My friends did a great job of coloring in the lines...they have come so far this year already.  Ms. Emma taught spanish today....we colored in pictures of different animals.  At centers time, my friends did writing practice with our numbers.  Each child practiced writing the number one and showing Ms. Ashley number one on his/her finger!

Parent Reminders:
*The book fair is this week.  Please check it out in the library after school to see if you find any great books for your child.
*Today I am sending home the school's permission slip for our trip on Thursday.  Please fill out all of the information.  If you have a post-it note on your form, please bring in the $4 tomorrow.
*Today I am also sending home a letter asking for a white t-shirt.  We are going to decorate the shirts for our Christmas performance, and I ask that you bring a shirt in for your child by this Friday!
*Tomorrow report cards go home.  If you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child's report card,  I will have a form next to the sign-out sheet starting today. 
*Our family craft night is on Thursday from 5:00pm- 7:00pm.  Please plan on stopping by if you are available!

(Wow...lots of parent reminders today!)

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley

December 1, 2011

December is here!  Today was a chilly Key West day, and many of my friends were thankful to have sweaters for snack and recess outside. On these chillier days, please remember to bring a sweater to school so that we do not catch a cold during outside play!  This morning at circle time, we shared our letter D bags.  We also worked on the concept of more, fewer, and same with bear caves at circle time.  It was great fun!  For religion today, we talked about how to take care of God's beautiful nature.  It is our job to pick up trash and keep all of the land and creatures clean. 

Parent Reminders:

*Please remember to turn in trolley money for the field trip next Thursday.

*Tomorrow is a mass day.  Please arrive to school on time.

*The book fair starts tomorrow!!

Have a blessed evening,
Miss Ashley

November 30, 2011

Happy Wednesday!  Today, we had PE in the morning.  Ms. Rachael tried to teach my friends how to catch and throw a bean bag, but many friends were not good listeners. Not many fishies were given for good behavior today...we need to turn our listening ears on!!  We had snack and recess outside this morning.  Afterwards, we did centers time in the classroom.  My friends traced "d" in sand with their fingers, they fished for lowercase and capital D, they traced lowercase d, and they drove cars over blocks in the shape of d.  We love our letter this week!

Parent Reminders:
*Field trip is on December 8th. The parent volunteers coming are:  Mrs. Black, Mrs. Saylor, Mrs. Tomasulo, Mrs. Futch, and Mrs. Winn.  Thanks for volunteering!! Our trip is from 8:30am to 10:45am at the airport, so please be here right at 8:00am to load the trolleys!!
*Family craft night is 5-7pm on December 8th in the classroom! Please join us for Christmas crafts.

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley

November 29, 2011

Hi all!  Today was a great Tuesday in Pre-K 3! This morning, my friends read books at their tables.  Two friends thought their stories were awesome, so Miss Ashley read them aloud to the whole class (Dopey's Bedtime and Hop on Pop).  At circle time, we started sharing our letter D bags.  We got to drive cars around D on the carpet and we practiced saying "start at the top, go down, pick up, start at the top, give it a belly)  :) During centers time, we did individual writing time with Miss Ashley and drove our pencils across the page to make a D.

Parent Reminders
*Tomorrow is PE.  Tomorrow is the last day to turn in pizza money for Friday.
*Our north pole field trip is on December 8th.  Please return $4 per child in a marked envelope before then.  Our trip is at 8:30am on the 8th, so please plan ahead to be right on time to school that day!!
*We are planning an open house family Christmas craft night on December 8th as well.  If you are interested in making a craft with your child, please keep 5pm-7pm free that evening.  We will have snacks and art in Pre-K 3!!

Have a wonderful evening,
Miss Ashley

November 17, 2011

Today was a happy Thursday in Pre-K 3!  This morning at circle time, we read a story called Celebrating Thanksgiving.  We learned that the pilgrims were thankful for friends, family, and food just like we are today!  We learned a new math rhyme about balloons today. This relates to the concepts of more, fewer, and same.  Ask your kiddo if he/she can say the balloon rhyme...they loved it!  At centers time, we did writing work for capital F, lowercase F, Thanksgiving story books, and "fishing for f".  My fishermans used their fishing pole to find the fish with F and f on it. 

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is 1:00pm dismissal.
*Tomorrow is a FREE TAG DAY.  Students may come out of uniform in fall or pilgrim colors.
*Our letter for when we come back from Thanksgiving will be D.
*Tomorrow we will be doing Thanksgiving activities.  A parent volunteered to bring in cookies to go along with our pizza lunch.  We should be set for a great day of fun!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

November 16, 2011

Hi all! Today, Pre-K 3 had a fun day with Ms. Rachael in PE.  They played the wolf game and the tag game and did amazingly well! She was very, very proud of our class.  At circle time, we read the story Franklin Says Sorry.  We talked about how sometimes we do things that are not kind to our friends, family, or teachers, and we should say sorry just like Franklin does.  Because we had PE today, many friends did not have that much time to color in our pictures of Franklin.  Don't be alarmed if they come home looking empty...it's extra coloring practice for with mommy and daddy.  :)

Parent Reminders:
*Friday is a 1:00pm dismissal.
*On Friday, our class will be doing activities to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, but there is no "party" planned.  If you would like to bring in fruit or a special drink for our morning snack time that you think is "fallish" please let me know! Otherwise, Mrs. Paula and I have our turkey activities set for the day.

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

November  15, 2011

Happy Tuesday! Today in Pre-K 3 we had a fun learning experience with baby animals and their mommies.  We practiced our one-to-one correspondence by matching a baby animal with its mommy.  Each friend had to make the noise of their animal and find a friend making the same noise.  We had a barnyard of horses, cows, and ducks this morning! Also today, we started decorating a Thanksgiving surprise for mommy and daddy!  We had snack outside this morning...what a special treat!

Parent Reminders:
*Pizza money is due tomorrow.
*1:00pm dismissal on Friday.

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

November 14, 2011

Hi all! Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3.  It took us a little while to get back into the swing of things after our long holiday weekend, but we enjoyed our day together.  This morning, many friends shared their letter bags for the letter F.  We have so many fire engines hanging on our classroom walls!!  At literacy, we read a book about the letter F and listed all of the words that we found...soo many!  Miss Emma did another fun project at Spanish time today with colored glitter! 

Parent Reminders:

*Friday is a 1:00pm dismissal.

*Pizza money for Friday is due on Wednesday.

*Please remember to re-stock extra clothes in the cubby if your child comes home with dirties.

Have a wonderful evening,

Miss Ashley

November 10, 2011

Happy Thursday!  We started our day coloring in a picture for Veteran's Day.  At circle time, we talked about how tomorrow is a day that we celebrate all of the people that protect us and our country!  Also at circle time, we sang "baa, baa black sheep" and took turns giving bags of wool to friends.  We learned that if we have 3 bags of wool and 4 friends, 1 friend will be left without wool!  After snack time, we had religion time together.  We talked about all of the things in nature that God made. Then we colored in our religion pamphlet.

Parent Reminders:
*No school tomorrow for Veteran's Day!
*Next week, we are studying the letter F.  Please bring in your letter bag on Monday!!
*VIRTUS class is tonight at 6pm in the library.  Please attend so that you can volunteer in the classroom.

Have a wonderful long weekend with your munchkin,
Miss Ashley

November 9, 2011

We started our day placing bears into their egg carton homes.  The children did a great job of counting one bear for each place to strengthen the concept of one-to-one correspondence!  At circle time, one of my friends led the rest of the class in singing our "Day's of the Week" song.  He did a wonderful job, and each day a new friend will be able to do the same thing.  Our class had PE today, and then we had snack and recess.  At our art time, we glued ice cubes (marshmallows) onto an igloo.  Each friend READ the sentence on the bottom of the page! Yay for us readers!!  Centers time was great fun, and the children practiced writing the lowercase i with Miss Ashley and Mrs. Paula!

Parent Reminders:
*No school on Friday!
*Tomorrow night is the VIRTUS class for parent volunteers.  Please attend if you can!!  Mrs. Harris would like for each parent to participate in the VIRTUS class.  Additionally, please fill out a parent volunteer form for the office.
*Tomorrow is the Pre-K 3 Tag Day.  Bring in 50 cents, and you can wear red, white, and blue!
*Please participate in the Food Drive for Thanksgiving. Tuesday folders included a paper outlining food items for donation.  The hungry of Key West would be truly grateful for your donations this Thanksgiving!!

Happy Wednesday,
Miss Ashley

November 8, 2011

Happy Tuesday! Today we celebrated birthdays for two of our friends in Pre-K 3! We had a lot of yummy treats, and we are so thankful to God and our friends for providing us with the food!  At circle time, we continued sharing our letter I bags.  For math, we used egg cartons and beans to work on the concept of one-to-one correspondence.  Each bean got a home in one of the empty egg spaces!  In the centers room today, we played in the teepee and the Thanksgiving story time area.  It was great fun! Many of my friends did an awesome job of tracing I's with Miss Ashley while we were in the centers room as well!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is a 1:00pm dismissal! No school on Friday!
*Pre-K 3 has a tag day on Thursday.  Children may dress in red, white, and blue if they bring in 50 cents.  All proceds go to help our classroom!!!

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

November 7, 2011

Today we started studying the letter I!  This morning at circle time, several friends shared their I Bag.  Before snack time, we practiced making the letter I by driving cars over blocks in the shape of an I.  We learned that I says "iii, like igloo and III, like ice cream".  After recess, we read the I book to find more words that start with our letter. For Spanish today, Miss Emma used different colored glitter to decorate stars.  Each child said the name of the color they wanted in Spanish and glued that glitter onto the stars.  The art looks so wonderful!!

Parent Reminders:
*Please make sure to replenish the extra clothes in your child's cubby after he/she has dirty clothes sent home.
*Wednesday we have a 1:00pm dismissal!!!
*No school on Friday for Veteran's Day.

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

November 3, 2011

Happy Thursday! This morning in Pre-K 3, we practiced our reading skills by holding our books up-right and scanning our pages left to right.  After that , we worked together as a class to grasp our pencils with our crab pinchers!  We used pencils to trace capital T on our papers.  In math time, my friends and I glued a macaroni AB pattern on paper!  After snack and a fun recess time, Pre-K 3 had centers time in the classroom.  Miss Ashley and Mrs. Paula worked one-on-one with friends to trace the letter S and the letter M. It is hard work, but the kiddos are very concentrated in their efforts.  With practice at home and school, I know that we will master our alphabet!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow we have mass.  Please drop off before 8:00am!!
*Our letter for next week is I.  The letter bag is coming home today.
*Pictures are in!! Please check your child's folder for the pictures you ordered.

Good evening,
Miss Ashley

November 2, 2011

This morning in Pre-K 3 we practiced our AAB pattern by making pattern necklaces at our tables.  At circle time, we decided to make a new pattern on our calendar days (red, red, yellow).  Everyone told Miss Ashley the pattern before sitting down at their seats.  My friends and I went to PE with Miss Rachael today.  They reviewed the relay races that they did last time!  We ate snack, and then we visited with our Pre-K 4 friends on the playground.  Many friends enjoyed rolling around on the grass today (sorry for any grass stains!).  We had a special treat of watching an ant program on TV before we ate our lunch in the classroom.  Overall, it was a nice day in Pre-K 3!

Parent Reminders:
*When it is your turn to bring snack, please bring in plates and silverware if possible.  We are running low in our classroom stock!

Good evening,
Miss Ashley


November 1, 2011

Happy November! This morning, Pre-K 3 went to an all-school mass to celebrate All Saints Day.  Fathern John told a wonderful story about how our roosters are like saints, and the class really loved it!  At  circle time today, we made an AAB pattern as a class.  Before each friend put his name card up, he showed Miss Ashley "rollercoaster, rollercoaster, hands over your mouth". After snack and recess, we visited the Centers Room.  We practiced writing the letter S!

Parent Reminders:
*Today I am sending home a "save the date" for a field trip on December 8th.  A field trip form will be coming home later on.
*Please keep an eye on the new snack schedule for November.  On your day, please bring in food, drink, plates, and cups. Thanks!
*We are reviewing letter A,M,T,and S this week.  If you would like to have a bonding moment with your munchkin, please practice writing those letters together!!

Have a blessed evening,
Miss Ashley

October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween! Today, Pre-K 3 had Halloween fun in our classroom.  This morning at circle time, we read Where's My Mummy?. Then, we made bat and pumpkin masks at our seats.  After snack time today, we played on the playground with our Pre-K 4 friends.  Next, we had Halloween centers time.  The children rotated between the "pumpkin toss" game where we tossed orange and black balloons into a Halloween bucket, Halloween story time where we read fall books, and ghost craft center where each child made his own spooky ghost!  At Spanish today, Miss Emma worked on saying numbers in Spanish!

Parent Reminders:
*This week is a review of the letters we have learned so far (A,M,T,S).  I will send the letter bag home on Friday for our new letter next week.

Happy trick-or-treating!!
Miss Ashley

October 27, 2011

Hi all!  Pre-K 3 started the day coloring in pictures of what a witch might use.  We are taking turns sharing our coloring today and tomorrow during circle time! At circle time today, we read the "s" book and found many words that start with the letter S.  We also had our special Virtus lesson on staying safe around adults we do not know.  We learned that Jesus loves us, and our families love us.  We have public parts (like head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth, nose), and we also have private parts that our bathing suits cover.  Those parts are special just for us, and if an adult we do not know tries to touch those we need to do 3 things.  We say, "no!", we run away, and then we tell mommy and daddy what happened.  At recess today, the boys had fun kicking around the soccer ball!

Parent reminders:
****TOMORROW IS OUR HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION!  PLEASE DRESS THE CHILDREN IN COSTUME!!! WE WILL WEAR OUR COSTUMES TO MASS, AND DURING THE DAY WE WILL VISIT THE HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL SET UP BY THE OLDER CLASSES.  DISMISSAL IS AT 1:00PM****

Have a boo-tiful evening,
Miss Ashley

October 26, 2011

Pumpkin patch + Pre-K 3 = Success!!!

We had a great time at the pumpkin patch today! Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who came along (and brought wagons)! We truly would not have been able to do it without you! This morning we colored matching pumpkin faces.  After a speedy quick circle time, we went to PE with Ms. Rachael.  She had the children do relay teams where they carried bean bag "parrots" on their shoulders. Our walk to the pumpkin patch was sunny and warm, but the children were troopers!  We listened to a Halloween story, took pictures by the big black horse, and did crafts at a table.  Each friend is coming home with a special pumpkin to remember the wonderful day!  Pizza lunch went wonderfully in the classroom....we were very hungry after all of that walking!!

Parent Reminders:
*Please remember to sign your child out each day on the clipboard by the door (it sits on the stove).
*A heads-up for Friday....children may come to school in costume.  We will go to mass, parade around by the church in our costumes, and then come back to the classroom.  After snack, Pre-K 3 will visit the  carnival in the Gymnasium set up by the middle school students.  We get to visit different booths until we return to the classroom for lunch!
After lunch, it's time to go home.  Friday is a 1:00pm dismissal day!!

Happy Wednesday,
Miss Ashley
October 25, 2011

Hi everyone! Today was a nice day in Pre-K 3.  We colored in our "s for sandwich" paper this morning.  Many friends shared their letter bags today, and they were so wonderful! We learned the "Silly Slippery Snake" song today, sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It".  The class really enjoyed it!  After recess, we spent time in the centers room.  It is decorated with pumpkins, spiders, and ghosts, so we loved visiting today!

Reminders:
****Tomorrow is the field trip.  Please pay attention to the weather for tomorrow.  We will be walking over around 10:30 to the MARC House, so if your child will need a sweater, please pack one.
*For all parent volunteers, the office asks that you fill out the parent volunteer form to the best of your ability.  It is coming home in your child's folder today.
*I am sending home an "opt out" form in the yellow folder.  We are going to be doing a "kid friendly" lesson about safe touching in the classroom on Thursday, as per the Virtus Program.  If you DO NOT want your child to participate in the lesson, please fill out the form and return it by Thursday.

Have a wonderful evening! Can't wait for the pumpkin fun tomorrow!!
Miss Ashley

October 24, 2011

Happy Monday! Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3!  This morning we practiced making patterns at our seats.  Miss Ashley was very impressed with the "big bear, small bear" pattern.  During math, we also learned the "Open, Shut Them" song that is a movement pattern.  At circle time, we started sharing items from our letter "s" bag.  The children really love being able to share what they found with mommy and daddy at home.  Ms. Emma came for Spanish class today.  She read a story in Spanish to the class. 

Parent Reminders:
*Field trip is on Wednesday.  If you would like your child to have pizza, please bring in $1.  Also, if you would like your child to be able to buy a pumpkin, please bring in a marked enveloped (with child's name, and pumpkin money written on it) for tomorrow.
*Thank you to all the parents that came to the classroom at 2:30 to pick up the children.  We are excited to have the safer (and cooler option) of staying in the classroom at the end of the day. Parents may come to the classroom at 2:30 for pick up and please always SIGN OUT your child on our clipboard near the door.

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley

NOTE: FIELD TRIP WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH!!! IF YOU CAN STILL VOLUNTEER ON WEDNESDAY, PLEASE WRITE  A NOTE ON TOP OF THE FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP FORM!

October 21, 2011

Happy Friday! The Pre-K 3 class did a great job this morning at church.  Most friends sat quietly and participated during all parts of the mass, and Miss Ashley was so proud.  At circle time, we discussed our classroom promise and how we are going to stay safe, respectful, and responsible in the classroom.  All of the children in the class are our friends, and we are going to listen, follow directions, and have positive attitudes during the day!  Our friend, Oliver, turns 4 on Sunday.  He brought in a special birthday treat to share at snack time.  If your child comes home with orange or purple marks, trust that those are signs of a well-enjoyed birthday treat! (We tried to stay as clean as possible, but sometimes cupcakes are a bit messy).  After our snack, we enjoyed the beautiful weather on the playground and visited the centers room for dramatic play. 

Parent Reminders:

*Our field trip is going to be at the MARC house on WEDNESDAY!!!!  A permission slip is coming home today.  Please fill out all 3 forms and return them to school on Monday.  Your child may not attend if we do not have the field trip forms.

*Remember that we do have school on Friday, October 28th.  Please dress your child in costume.  We will be celebrating the day with crafts in our room, a school parade around the church, and also visiting a carnival set up by the older students at school.

Enjoy your weekend,
Miss Ashley

October 20, 2011

Happy Thursday! Today in Pre-K 3, we continued studying the letter T.  At circle time, we shared items from our letter T bag.  We also practiced saying our colors, shapes, and numbers.  This weather has left us all a little bit goofy, so we spent this morning remembering how to be quiet and listen to the teacher's directions.  On our way to recess, we walked like tigers, ate tomatoes, and talked on the telephone. We had great fun practicing our letter T!

Parent Reminders:
*There is a note coming home today about school on Friday, October 28th.  Due to our rain day yesterday, children will have school on October 28th.  We will dress in costume and have our Halloween celebrations on that day, and the children will be dismissed at 1:00pm!
*Our field trip is coming up next Tuesday.  We will be going to the Mark House in Key West due to some complications with bussing up to Big Pine Key.  If you are able to volunteer that day, we would all love to have you with us!
*Mass is tomorrow.  Please come early.
* We have started to have some issues in the classroom with outside toys being brought to school.  If your child has a toy that is necessary for nap time, that is the only one allowed in the classroom.  Otherwise, please keep all other toys at home to avoid distractions during the school day.

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

October 19, 2011

School is cancelled today!!!!

Enjoy your day off,
Miss Ashley

October 18, 2011

What a Tuesday in Pre-K 3!  My friends had a lot of energy, and everyone seemed to have a case of the sillies today.  Miss Ashley hopes that tomorrow everyone will have their listening ears turned on so that we can have a happier learning day!  In circle time today, we started to share our letter T bag.  Many friends brought in a lot of items, and we loved saying what each of them were.  During literacy time, we read a story about the letter T, and then we went to our seats and traced a capital T and a lowercase t.  After that, we tried to draw pictures of some of the items we know start with that letter. What fun!

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is PE day and the last day to pay for Pizza Friday.

Have a nice evening,
Miss Ashley

October 17, 2011

Happy Monday!  What a rainy day!  I was very surprised and happy to see that so many friends made it safely to school during this very rainy day.  This morning, we reviewed the letter M from last week.  At circle time, we practiced making patterns together.  The class formed a circle where one friend stood up, and the next friend sat down.  After that, we made a pattern with happy face and sad face.  The class did a really great job!  For indoor recess, we were able to play with farm animals, read books, drive cars, play dolls, and practice lacing beads on a string.  The children really enjoyed having so many options to choose from, and they did very well together.  We also read a story in religion about how Kim's mom loved her.  She took care of her by asking her to always walk across the street with a grown-up.  All of my Pre-K 3 friends shared ways that our moms and dads show that they care for us too.  Overall, we had a great day!!

Stay dry,
Miss Ashley

October 11, 2011

Happy Picture Day!  Pre-K 3 looked so darling for our pictures this morning.  For my friends that were not here today, they will be taking picture re-takes in December, so don't worry!  After picture time, we had circle time in the classroom.  We learned about the letter M, and a few friends shared items from their "M" bags.  At music time, we sang the "muffin man" song together!  Also today, we read a book about the letter M and my letter detectives helped me to find all of the new words that start with M on each page.  We did a great job!!

Parent Reminders:
*Thank you for bringing in the toilet paper rolls.  Now we can do our craft tomorrow! :)
*Tuesday folders come home today.  Please empty out the folders and return them tomorrow.
* Tomorrow is a 1:00pm dismissal.
*On Friday, October 28, we DO NOT have school.  However, aftercare will be available for $20 a day.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

October 10, 2011

Happy Columbus Day!!  This morning, my friends and I learned all about Christopher Columbus.  We colored in a picture of our explorer friend on his ship.  At circle time, we read a story about how Columbus found new types of food when he went on his adventures.  One of the foods he found was a pumpkin!  We watched a power point show about the three ships that Columbus used (the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria).  Pre-K 3 traced their hands to make the ships, and they put three "t"s to stand for each ship.  The ships look wonderful! When we were walking to recess, we practiced singing a new song "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Woo!" 

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is picture day!! Please dress in school uniform.  Our pictures are at 8:30am, so hopefully we stay clean until then.  :)
*Wednesday is a 1:00pm dismissal.  After care is available if needed.

Have a wonderful evening,
Miss Ashley

October 6, 2011

Today was a sunny Thursday!  At circle time this morning, we continued sharing our letter A bags.  Today, I sent home the letter M bag that we will use for next week.  Please bring that back to school on Monday, October 10th (yes...we have school on Columbus Day).  For math today, my friends made AB pattern necklaces with beads at their spots.  Everyone did a great job!  We had outdoor recess time with Pre-K 4, and the Pre-K 3 class played a fun game of "keep the ball safe" with Miss Ashley and the soccer ball.  For religion today, we heard the bible story of how the Good Shepherd searched for his sheep to keep it safe.  We traced a line of how the shepherd can find his sheep!

Reminders:
*Please bring in picture day forms for picture day on Tuesday, October 11th!
*Tomorrow is mass day.  Please arrive by 8:00am!!!

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley



October 4, 2011

Today was a fun day in Pre-K 3!  This morning, we practiced making AB patterns with our attribute blocks.  At circle time, all of my friends copied a pattern Miss Ashley made (clap hands, tap head).  It was so much fun!! A few more friends shared their letter A bags, and we read a book to learn even more words that start with the letter A.  We made a long list of all of the words that we found!  Each child traced a capital letter "A" and a lowercase "a".  Then, they drew pictures of all of the things we know start with "a".  Today we visited the centers room.  On our walk over, we chomped our teeth like alligators, put our arms out like airplanes, and marched like ants!

Reminders:
*PE is tomorrow. Please wear PE shirts.
*Tomorrow is the last day to turn in pizza money for Friday.
*Today I am sending home a note about a field trip to the pumpkin patch on October 25th.  This is not the official permission slip, but please read it and return the form as soon as possible!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

October 3, 2011

Happy Monday!! Today was a fun, fun day!  This morning at circle time, a few of my friends shared their "letter bag". We brought in apples, ants, astronauts, art, and so much more!  We are studying A all week!  During snack today, we watched a "world animal" video that our friend Maris brought to school.  We walked like parrots to recess today just like parrots walk with their arms down.  Miss Ashley was so proud of how my friends played at recess today.  They were being kind to one another, and they made friends with the Pre-K 4 class. Ms. Emma taught Spanish class for our Pre-K 3 friends today.  They continued to work on the color yellow (amarillo)! 

Parent Reminders:
*If you would like your pet blessed, please bring it to school on Tuesday at 2:30pm.
*We have school on Monday, October 10!

Have a lovely evening,
Miss Ashley

September 29, 2011

Today was a very energetic day in Pre-K 3!  All of our friends were at school today, and we were glad to see that everyone is getting over their colds.  :) In circle time, we said our color names with bear voices.  Many of the children had some pretty scary bear voices...great job!  During religion today, we read a story about Carlos and his grandpa going to the park together.  We learned that each person has a special name; Carlos and his grandpa had the same name because they were loved so much!  All of Pre-K 3 learned a new prayer called "I am Special".  After recess, we walked in a line (WITHOUT OUR ROPE!!) singing the song on our way back to the classroom.  Way to go, friends!!!

Reminders:
*Tomorrow is Mass. Please arrive on time.
* Tomorrow I will be sending home an activity to do with your child over the weekend.  Please check the yellow take home folder!!


Thanks,
Miss Ashley

September 28, 2011

Happy Wednesday! Today in Pre-K 3, we practiced our Strawberry Shortcake  at circle time.  We also played a silent math game where my friends had to show me on their fingers the number that I was thinking of.  The children that participated did a great job! At PE, Ms. Rachael played a game using a noise-making instrument. The class really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, several friends did not have good listening ears on during PE; those friends did not earn fish for the Good Samaritan awards on Friday.  For art today, we all talked about how special we are.  God loves us and our families love us so much; they gave us special names to show how much they care.  We made a mural of our faces and names that will be hanging outside of our classroom very soon!! 

Reminders:
*There is a pet blessing at 2:30pm.  We invite all families in the school to bring pets to school at 2:30pm to be blessed in the courtyard.
*Next week, we start our study of the alphabet.  On Friday, I will be sending home an activity to do for Monday.  Please check the yellow folder every day...especially Friday! :)

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

September 27, 2011

Happy Tuesday! Our meteorologist friend at circle time told us that it was a sunny day, and we were so excited!! This morning, we practiced driving our crayons straight across the page.  At math time, my friends helped me to sort big blocks, medium blocks, and small blocks.  We all went back to our seats and colored in large red rectangles, medium blue rectangles, and small yellow rectangles.  Many children were great listeners and followed Miss Ashley's directions the whole time! We went outside for recess today, and the Pre-K 3 class spotted so many iguanas around the grounds.  They were fun to see!  In centers room, I opened up the alphabet puzzle center.  So many friends were excited to play in that center, and we cannot wait to start learning our alphabet next week. 

Parent Reminders:
*Tomorrow is PE day.  Please wear PE shirts.
*Tomorrow is the last day that you can order pizza for Friday.  Please bring in $1 per slice in the morning.  The office calls in the order by 9:00am!

God bless,
Miss Ashley

September 26, 2011

What a rainy Monday! Even though it rained all day, the Pre-K 3 had a great day of learning in the classroom! At circle time today, we learned a new song to help us remember the month in which we were born.  We are going to continue to practice singing Strawberry Shortcake all week, and I know that my friends will do a great job singing.  At indoor recess, all of the children helped to clean up when we were finished.  Miss Ashley set a timer (for 6 minutes), and everyone earned a raffle ticket because they finished cleaning by the time it went off.  Next time, we are going to clean up in five minutes...what a challenge!  In math time today, we played circle hunters. We sorted our circles according to what size they were.  One friend left the area while Miss Ashley and the rest of the class moved the circles into the wrong group.  When she came back, the circle hunter fixed all of our sortings so that they were correct again.  It was great fun!

Parent Reminders:
*Please remember to bring in Box Tops that you have at home.  Our school earns 10 cents for each top that you bring!!
*If you purchased a hot lunch card for your child and only want your child to use it on certain days, please let Miss Ashley or Mrs. Paula know on the morning your child will eat lunch so that we can include him in the day's lunch count.

Have a great evening!  Hopefully this rain stops so we don't have to swim to school  tomorrow. :)
~Miss Ashley

September 23, 2011

Happy Friday!  This morning, the Pre-K 3 class traced a sheep and colored it in because we are all of God's sheep.  At mass, all of my friends did a wonderful job of sitting quietly in their seats.  I was so proud!! At circle time today, we continued practicing our color names.  Each child got to say a color name, and then we looked at our friends' outfits to see if they had the color on their clothes.  It was great fun! At recess, Pre-K 3 got to play on our playground with the brand new mulch! Gravel is out, and cushy mulch is in!!  My friends visited the centers room today, and then they ate pizza lunch inside of the classroom.  Our nap time was a little hectic because some friends are still learning to be quiet and lay still during our rest time, but with time we will get it right! :) 

Reminders:
***Special thank you to all of the parents who came to the PTSA meeting.  Pre-K 3 had the best attendance!!! :) ***

Enjoy your weekend with your munchkins!!
~Miss Ashley

September 22, 2011

Today was a fun day! We started the morning making delicious playdoh pancakes.  At circle time, 5 more friends shared some of their favorite things.  We like skateboards, mommy, daddy, horses, and so much more! For math time, my friends helped me to sort big bears and small bears into two different hoops.  We found 10 big bears and six small bears!  Because it was a gloomy morning, my friends and I had recess inside the classroom. Everyone did a great job of cleaning up their toys.  We are going to work on cleaning up even quicker next time! We read The Peace Book by Todd Parr today and talked about all of the ways we are peaceful with eachother.  Then, we read a bible story about how Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  We have so many helpers in our lives that are like shepherds to us! Pre-K 3 is so grateful for everyone who loves and cares for us.  :)

Reminders:
*Tomorrow is a school tag day.  If you bring in 50 cents, your child may dress out of uniform.  The theme for the day is fall colors!
*Pizza day is tomorrow.  If you would like to join your child for lunch, please feel free to come to the classroom at 12:00pm.
*Blankets and pillows go home tomorrow. Please wash them for next week!

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

September 21, 2011

Happy PE Wednesday! The Pre-K 3 class went to PE with Ms. Rachel today, and everyone earned a fish for being good listeners.  In circle time, we hopped 21 times for the 21 days in September so far....how tiring!  At story time today, Miss Ashley read Hey, Little Ant to all of the children.  We loved hearing about how the little ant had a family just like we do, even though he is small.  We were able to talk about how ants are small and humans are big, but we are all wonderful.  In art, we glued down ants with big and small grass on paper. All of the artwork looks great! Today was an international day of peace, so we all made crosses to show how we love everyone just like Jesus loves us.

Reminders:
*PTSA meeting tonight at 5:30pm in the cafteria!!!

Have a lovely evening (hope to see you at the meeting),
Miss Ashley

September 20, 2011

Today was a full day in Pre-K 3!  This morning, my friends practiced tracing circles to prepare us for writing letters soon! Many friends did a great job of listening to Miss Ashley's directions to trace each circle (start at the top, go around, and stop!) At circle time, five of the children shared pictures of our favorite things.  We used our public voice so that all of our friends could hear us describe our drawings!  For math today, we read Mice Squeak, We Speak by Tomie DePaola.  We learned about the concept of big and small while we made animal sounds.  It was great fun!!  After reading the story, we worked on following directions while Miss Ashley helped us to circle small pictures and color big pictures on our worksheet. 

Reminders:
*Tomorrow is the PTSA meeting at 5:30 in the cafeteria.  Baby sitting is available for $3.00 per hour.
*Tuesday folders come home today.  Also, the snack schedule for next month is coming home today in the yellow folder.  Please check the schedule to see when it is your day.  All 20 of our friends are here now, so please bring enough for 20. :)
*Tomorrow is an International Day of Peace.  We will be coloring crosses and discussing how to be peaceful today! Miss Ashley cannot wait!

God bless,
Miss Ashley

September 19, 2011

Happy Monday! Today was a great day in Pre-K 3! Zoe had her birthday today, and we all sang happy birthday during circle time.  We also met our new friend, Levi, today.  Levi did a great job getting to know all of his friends, and the Pre-K 3 class welcomed him so kindly! This morning, all of my friends made a shape pie.  They glued down cirlces, triangles, and rectangles to their pie tins while we listended to our blueberry pie song. Check out our Artwork wall to see the wonderfully delicious pies that everyone made.  In Spanish with Ms. Emma, the children learned how to said bird (pajaro) and ball (pelota).  They loved coloring in their pictures!!

Reminders:
**PTSA meeting this Wednesday at 5:30pm in the cafeteria.  Please attend!!

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

September 16, 2011

Pre-K 3 is thankful for Fridays!  Today, we went to mass and learned about how much Jesus loves us and all of his friends.  Many from Pre-K 3 were very good listeners at mass and earned raffle tickets in the classroom "winning behavior" jar!  At circle time today, we showed our numbers on our fingers, and we read our colors using a mouse voice and a bear voice.  How silly, but fun! In the afternoon, our class listened to our "Blueberry Pie" song.  For each pie, my friends and I pointed out the colors we saw in the classroom that matched.

Have a wonderful weekend!  We will see you on Monday (and our special friend Zoe has a birthday on Monday, so we cannot wait to celebrate that special day with her!!)

~Miss Ashley

September 15, 2011

Happy Thursday!  Pre-K 3 started the day by coloring circles on their worksheets.  They did a great job letting Miss Ashley know that circles are round, and circles help cars and bicycles to move fast.  In circle time, my friends played the "shape hunt game".  Each child had the chance to go hunting for a shape and sort it into the net that was "round" or the net that was "not round".  We have an awesome bunch of hunters in the class!  Today, we listened to a story of how teachers welcome children into the classroom.  Just like Jesus loves us, our teachers and our friends love us too.  Each child drew a picture of a few of his favorite things that he loves, and we are going to share those in circle time for the next couple of days!

Reminders:
*Tomorrow is mass.  You may sit at the back of the church while your child sits with the class, or you may have your child sit with you at the back.  Please arrive at school by 8am!
*Tomorrow is a school Tag Day.  If your child would like to dress out of uniform for the day, you can bring a 50 cent donation for the school.  The theme for tomorrow is Red, White, and Blue!

Have a wonderful evening,

Miss Ashley 

IMPORTANT PARENT REMINDER:
It has recently come to my attention that one or more parents have concerns within the classroom.  I would like to inform all parents that I have an open door policy in Pre-K 3.  If you ever have any questions or concerns about your child or the daily activities in our room, please feel free to set up a conference with me for the end of the school day.  I am available at 3:00pm to address any questions or concerns you have.  In the yellow take home folder, you may place notes for me as well.  The important notes side is designated for notes from school and notes from home.  Please feel free to write me a note, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.  The beginning of the year is going great in Pre-K 3.  All of the students are getting used to the routine in the classroom, and everyone is adjusting at his own pace.  If there is anything you feel I can do to improve that adjustment for your child, do not hesitate to ask for an afternoon conference with Miss Ashley.  Thank you for keeping the lines of communication open! 


September 14, 2011

Today was an energy-filled day in Pre-K 3! At circle time, we all practiced showing the nuumbers 1 through 10 on our fingers.  Everyone did an awesome job.  At PE, the children played duck-duck goose with Ms. Rachel.  Many of the friends earned a FISH ticket from Ms. Rachel, and that means that they were being good listeners with great attitudes!  The rainy day kept us from going out for recess, and we ate our lunches in the classroom.  All of my friends went home with a lot of pent-up energy to enjoy the rest of the day with mommy and daddy!

Have a great night,
Miss Ashley


September 13, 2011

Happy Tuesday!  Today, Pre-K 3 practiced sorting blocks during their morning independent work.  Many friends did a great job of following Miss Ashley's directions to sort for one color on the plate and put all of the rest on the table.  Great job with colors, Pre-K 3!  During literacy, the children practiced reading their names.  Then, they drove their crayons across a piece of scrap paper to work on writing horitzontal lines.  We all saw Father John when we went to morning recess on the playground.  All of Pre-K 3 gave Father John big waves to show that we love him! We spent time in the center room; there is a new pet turtle in the centers room that we all loved to watch!  As a group, we sorted shapes at circle time together.  We learned how to sort a round object versus a non-round object!!  Today was a great day!

Reminders:
*Tuesday folders go home today.  Please clean out yellow folders and Tuesday folder, and reutrn both tomorrow.
*Wednesday, September 21st,is the first PTSA meeting at 5:30pm in the cafeteria.  Please attend if you can!
**************1:00pm dismissal tomorrow**************
Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley


September 12, 2011

Happy Monday!  Pre-K 3 made playdoh pancakes this morning! My friends were able to make 1 pancake, 3 pancakes, and 5 pancakes.  We learned about classroom jobs this morning! Each week, a new friend will be line leader, plant waterer, meteorologist, grounds crew, and teacher assistant.  We practiced doing classroom jobs, and we are excited to continue practicing for the rest of the week.  Today we had our first Spanish class with Ms. Emma.  She talked about the colors in Spanish, and the Pre-K 3 friends colored in a casa (house) with different colored crayons.  We are going to work hard to keep good listening ears on when different teachers are in the classroom! 

Reminders:
*Pizza money for Friday is due by Wednesday. You may turn it in any time before then.

September 9, 2011

Happy Friday!  Today the Pre-K 3 did a great job at mass! Many friends earned raffle tickets for the classroom "winning behavior" jar because of their great behavior in the church.  This morning, we colored in leaflets and talked about how Jesus loves all children.  The children brought home their leaflets, and they have a special prayer on the back page that you can read as a family at home!  Also this morning, Pre-K 3 made fishies on craft sticks to go with our "back to school" song that we listen to at music time.  Today, many of us enjoyed eating pizza in the classroom.  If your child would like to have pizza on Fridays, please remember to bring $1 per slice on the Wednesday of that week! 

Reminders:
*Nap blankets went home today.  Please wash them and return them for nap on Monday.
*Superstar stickers for the week are inside of the yellow folder.  Please check your child's folder and discuss the successes of the stickers he/she got. 

Have a wonderful weekend!
~Miss Ashley

September 8, 2011

Today was a very happy Thursday in Pre-K 3!  This morning, we made pancakes with play doh to work on our fine motor skills.  After that, all of my Pre-K 3 friends got to practice visiting the library center.  All of my friends did a great job of walking to the center, picking a book, and reading it quietly in one of the rainbow chairs.  After circle time, we learned the Bumblebee Song.  Everyone learned the words and the hand motions so quickly!
                     Bumblebee Song
            I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee
            Won't my mommy be so proud of me
            I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee
            Ouch! It stung me

            I'm smushing up my baby bumble bee
            Won't my mommy be so proud of me
            I'm smushing up my baby bumble bee
            It's all over me!

            I'm wiping off my baby bumble bee
            Won't my mommy be so proud of me
            I'm wiping off my baby bumble bee
            Look! All clean!

Also this morning, our class made a handprint mural that looks awesome! We listen to stories of God's love each week, and this mural shows that Jesus loves all of his children.  Our handprints are so special. Tomorrow we will be coloring our religion leaflet that shares how Jesus loves us all.  :)

Reminders:
*Tomorrow is mass.  Please drop off early.
*Tomorrow is pizza day.  We are eating lunch in the classroom.  If you would like to join your child, you make pick him/her up in the classroom and eat anywhere on the grounds.
*Please remember to bring the yellow folder to school each day so that Miss Ashley can send home important papers.

Have a wonderful evening,
Miss Ashley

September 7, 2011

Happy Wednesday!  Pre-K 3 went to PE today.  Ms. Rachel said they did a great job listening and following directions while they sang "The Mulberry Bush".  In our class, we created a shared story during our literacy time.  Miss Ashley drew a picture of an iguana, and we learned how we can write a whole story about our drawings.  The students had so many great ideas about what our iguana did in the story! Thanks for the help, friends. :) My friends and I had a much better day eating in the cafeteria today.  We walked to our seats, ate our lunch, and all said thank you to the cafeteria helpers for our yummy lunch!  In centers time, we learned how to play at the kitchen center and block center in our classroom.  Everyone is so helpful when we sing our "Clean Up" song. 

Reminders:
*Please encourage your child to use the bathroom when he/she comes in during the morning.  Many friends are asking to go during circle time right away, and we need all of our friends to participate.
*In the classroom, sometimes my friends need several reminders to have good listening ears and follow directions.  I have a "thinking chair" that your child may visit during the day.  In the "thinking chair" I ask your child to tell me the choice he/she made and I help him/her to come up with a better choice that would follow our classroom promise.  We are working on all friends making the best choices in the classroom and at home every day!

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

September 6, 2011

Welcome back, Pre-K 3! I hope you all enjoyed your first long weekend of the school year.  The Pre-K 3 class did a great job of remembering how to come in to school and begin the day after the long weekend.  Miss Ashley was very impressed! This morning at circle time, we reviewed our classroom promise.  We all promised to walk safely in the classroom, share our toys, be good listeners, and come to school happy to learn.  This week in math, we are working on sorting colors.  Each of my friends got a square color to hold up in the air as Miss Ashley read a poem.  We all did great!  Also, we practiced reading our names together during literacy.  To get ready to write our names, we did a worksheet to practice writing horizontal lines.  For the lines, we drive our crayon across the paper "vrooom" just like the bus on the top is driving from the left to the right.  We visited the centers room again today and got to play with the kitchen, blocks, and cars.  My friends did a great job sharing!!

Reminders:
*Hot lunch has started.  If you would like to purchase a lunch card, please turn in a check to the office or to Miss Ashley.
*Tomorrow is PE. Please dress your child in his PE tshirt.
*Tuesday folders are coming home today.  Please empty out all of the papers, sign the Tuesday folder, and return the yellow folder and Tuesday folder to school tomorrow.

Thanks,
Miss Ashley

September 2, 2011

Happy Friday!! The Pre-K 3 did a good job in mass this morning.  We had fewer wiggle worms than last week, and Miss Ashley caught many of our friends responding to Father John's questions during the mass.  At circle time today, we sang our hello song, put our names on the board, talked about the weather, and said today's date.  Next week we are going to start introducing classroom jobs into the mix.  How exciting!  Today, your child's blanket was sent home.  Please wash the blanket and return it to school on Tuesday for our afternoon nap time. 

Reminders:
*There is no school on Monday because of Labor Day.  We will see your smiling faces on Tuesday.


Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!
God bless,
Miss Ashley

September 1, 2011

Today was a great day in Pre-K!  This morning, we talked about how we heard the thunderstorms last night.  It was wet outside, so we could not have morning recess outside.  Instead, the class built towers with our brick blocks and wooden blocks in the classroom.  Everyone had great fun!  At circle time, we only hopped once for the first day of September. Today at story time we started to read What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? We tried to guess about the different animals we saw, and we can't wait to talk about how they are alike and how they are different tomorrow!  At music time, the class learned the "Back to School Song".  We practiced singing the chorus together.

This afternoon, my friends needed some reminders on how to be good listeners.  Many of us did not lay quietly on our mats at nap time, and we are going to be working on that as the school year goes on. Practice makes perfect!

Parent Reminders:
*Mass is tomorrow at 8am.  Please drop your child off early.  If you would like to come to mass, you may sit at the back of the church or with our class at the front.


August 31, 2011

Happy Wednesday, parents!  Pre-K 3 had an awesome day!  This morning all of my friends used the roller to make playdoh pancakes.  Working on our fine motor skills is going to help us so much when we start writing our letters and numbers!  After playdoh, we had circle time together.  All of our friends were here today, so everyone had a chance to put their picture and name up on the board.  Also, we got quite tired after hopping 31 days for August 31 (especially Miss Ashley).  Thank you so much for dressing your children in their PE shirts.  The class had a great time with Ms. Rachel in PE.  They sat on special mats in a circle and passed a bean bag around to say their names.  Today the class worked with glue sticks for the first time.  Each child created a piece of art that had some materials that were the same and others that were different.  The students were able to tell Miss Ashley what was the same and what was different.  Look for the projects to be hung up on our Artwork wall in the room.  They look great!

Reminders:
*Please remember to always have an extra set of clothes in the room if your child has an accident.
*If your child does not have a backpack yet, please bring one!



August 30, 2011

Another day, another fun time!  This morning in circle time, Pre-K 3 got to do 30 hops to represent the number of days in August that have already passed.  We are going to be very tired out tomorrow when we have to hop 31 times!  Also in circle time, we learned about the "Guess Who is Here Today Board".  Each one of our friends has a picture with our name on it.  When we are here, we get to put our picture on the board.  Everyone did a great job of recognizing all of their classmates!!  Today, Pre-K 3 got to visit the centers room for the first time.  There, Miss Ashley taught the children how to play in the kitchen and nursery area.  We are all very excited because over the school year we will learn how to play in the other areas as well.  The class did a great job at nap time.  Nearly everyone took a nap, even those friends that had told Miss Ashley that they weren't sleepy. :) 

Reminders:
*Today, the Tuesday folder comes home.  I placed the yellow take home folder inside of the Tuesday folder.  Please sign the Tuesday folder, take all papers out of the yellow folder, and return both to school tomorrow.

*Tomorrow is PE.  Please have your children wear their PE shirts and gym shoes to school tomorrow!

Have a great evening,
Miss Ashley

August 29, 2011

Today was a great Monday in Pre-K 3! The children did a great job of remembering how to start the school day.  They put their lunch boxes away, hung their back packs up, and made many interesting designs with play doh at their seats.  Thank you so much to all of the families for completing the family project.  At circle time, 5 of our friends stood up and shared their wonderful creation.  We all loved getting to know the parents, pets, siblings, and favorite cartoon characters of our classmates!  This morning we also practiced singing our days of the week song.  Pre-K 3 is a musical class; we are all learning the songs so quickly. In the afternoon, many of the children fell asleep for nap from 1:15- 2:15.  Everyone else did a wonderful job of resting quietly on their mats.

Parents, if possible could you please remind your children of the importance of keeping their shoes on at naptime.  I know that it is more comfortable to take our shoes off because we do that at home, but it is important to have shoes on at all times in case an emergency arrives.  Mrs. Paula, Miss Ashley, and the sisters have been reminding the children each day.  We would appreciate if you could as well. Thanks!

Also, today your child should have brought home the yellow take home folder for the first time.  Inside, there is a letter describing how it works.  Also, on the back side your child has name-writing practice and a drawing that you can take out and keep at home.  Please return the yellow folder to school every day! 

God bless,
Miss Ashley


August 26, 2011

Today was Pre-K 3's first school mass!  All of my friends did a great job of sitting on their bottoms and listening quietly to Father John's homily.  Miss Ashley and Mrs. Paula were so proud!  Also today, we added on to our circle time routine.  We talked about the months of the year, we learned a song about the days of the week, and we counted out how many days we have had in August so far!  The day's of the week song is sung to the tune of the Adam's Family:
                         Days of the week (clap, clap)
                         Days of the week (clap, clap)
                         Days of the week, days of the week, days of the week (clap, clap)
                         There's Sunday and there's Monday
                          There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday
                          There's Thursday and there's Friday
                           And then there's Saturday
                           Days of the week (clap, clap)
                           Days of the week (clap, clap)
                            Days of the week, days of the week, days of the week (clap, clap)

Today, Mrs. Paula also played the "Five Little Monkeys" game with the children.  They did a great job identifying how many monkeys we had left after Mr. Alligator came around and "ate them". :)  All of my friends colored beautiful drawings to take home to their family, and then spent the end of the day eating lunch and playing outside.  Overall, we had a great Friday.

Notes for next week:
*Next week, the yellow take home folder will begin coming home.  Please make sure that your child has a backpack to put the folder in each day.
*Next week, we start the 2:30pm dismissal.  Students will be napping from 1:15pm- 2:15pm, so hopefully we send home well-rested children to mommy and daddy. :)

Have a great weekend!
~Miss Ashley
 

August 25, 2011

My Pre-K 3 friends had a full day of learning today!  The morning was a little sad because some of us missed our mommys, but those frowns soon turned upside down when we started coloring pictures of bears.  Each friend got to stand up and share his coloring with the class at circle time.  Every student showed his picture and told his friends all of the different colors that he used.  The artwork is now hanging on our classroom wall for our mommys and daddys to see!  After circle time, we had snack and went to recess outside.  Pre-K 3 is doing a great job of walking outside using the rope.  We all have great fun chanting "1,2,3, March" as we walk together! At recess, we played with bubbles, trucks, and some friends from Ms. Maggie's Pre-K 4 classroom.  Also today, Pre-K 3 visited the church.  We practiced sitting in our seats and doing the sign of the cross.  Tomorrow, our class gets to go to school mass for the first time.  Everyone is so excited!

A few notes from Miss Ashley:

* Friday morning we have mass that starts at 8:00am.  Please make sure to drop your child off as early as possible so we can walk together to mass on time.

*Please turn in any remaining school pledge or parent contracts as soon as possible.

* If you have not turned in a copy of your child's birth certificate, baptismal certificate, current physical, shot records (blue form), or a copy of your child's social security card, please do so as soon as possible.  You may turn the papers into me or to Miss Cindy in the office.

* Next week, the parent snack rotation will begin.  Tomorrow I will be sending home a copy of the schedule for the rest of August and September.  The Friday before your scheduled snack day, your child will bring home the "Pre-K 3 Snack Bag".  Please bring enough snack for the entire class in the snack bag on your designated week.

Thank you for your cooperation with everything!

August 24, 2011

Today was a wonderful 2nd day of school in Pre-K 3!  Fewer tears and many more smiles today.  :)  We started out the day working on our fine motor skills with playdoh.  Our friends cut out shapes and made food with the playdoh.  Also, we practiced walking around the new school today! We visited the PE teacher, Miss Rachel, and played "What Time Is It, Wolf?".  Also, we came up with our classroom promised at circle time.  We will all be safe by walking in the classroom and using our materials properly.  We promise to be respectful by turning our listening ears on and sharing our toys with our friends.  Finally, we promise to be responsible by coming to school prepared and having a happy attitude all day! At the end of the day, we read I'm Not Going to School Today and discovered that the boy in the story does a lot of the same activities at his school as we do at ours.  The class really enjoyed the story!

A few reminders....
   *If you have not turned in your emergency contact card, parent pledge, after school care form, internet agreement, or parent pledge yet, please do so TOMORROW.  I need to give the papers to the office by Friday morning.
    *I will begin sending home yellow take home folders starting next week.  These will serve as a source of communication between family and school.  If you ever have any notes that need to get to the teacher or I have notes for you, they can be placed in the folder.  Also, each child will have a chart for positive behavior.  Please encourage your child to BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, AND BE RESPONSIBLE at school because he can earn stickers in his folder.  Look out for the yellow folder starting next week! :)




August 23, 2011

Hi Parents!

Today was a great first day!  The Pre-K 3 class had a great time getting to know all of the friends in the class and all of the areas in our room.  We played a fun game that taught us how to come to the circle time rug and sit "criss cross apple sauce" with our hands in our lap.  Each child had a chance to show the class how to do it the right way, and we all gave a round of applause.  During circle time, we read The Kissing Hand  and talked about how our mommys and daddys love us.  We each got a sticker to remind us of mommy and daddy's love while we are at school.  We colored a picture with our name on it too!

Pre-K 3 is a great bunch of singers! We sang many songs together today.  As a group we learned how to sing "Hello, Hello, Hello" so that we can greet our friends at circle time.
   
  "Hello, Hello, Hello" (sung to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It)
               Hello, hello, hello,
               Hi to you!
               Hello, hello, hello,
               Hi to you!
               I'm so glad you came today;
               We will learn and work and play,
               Oh, hello, hello, hello,
               Hi to you!

Please practice this song at home with your child!

We are excited for school tomorrow.  Please remember that school starts at 8:00am.  You may walk your child to the classroom starting at 7:45am, and I will come to greet the children at the orange cones at 7:45am as well.  To ease the chaos in the morning, the children will have an activity at their tables to work on right away.  After putting away the backpack and lunch, please encourage your child to sit at his table.  Then you can say your good byes, and our day will begin!

If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks,
Miss Ashley




I am so excited for the school year to start!  Pre-K 3 Open House is on Monday, August 22, 2011.  You may come at 9:00am or 10:30am to meet the teacher! Please bring a completed classroom community survey with you.

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 23rd.  There will be 1:00pm dismissal for the whole week!