Mrs. Wetschka's Kindergarten

NewsFlash Content:

<div>12/3<br />
<br />
We celebrated Laci's half birthday-thank you for the cupcakes!  I made a mistake in assigning Laci a half birthday day-I'm not used to being in school in June!  So, we will celebrate again in June.  It was my fault, so it wasn't fair to take this day away from her.  The kicker-the school did the same thing!!  She was on the office birthday calendar for a half birthday and the kitchen's birthday cupcake calendar.  So, at least I was in good company!!  <img src="/Controls/DHtmlEditor/Images/emsmile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"  alt="" /><br />
<br />
Mrs. Bachman did a lesson with the children today on having disagreements and resolving them with eye-to-eyes.  She did a packet with them on peace making skills and I-care rules.  She really worked with the kids on understanding that they are responsible for their actions and words!<br />
<br />
We began learning about St. Nicholas today and will continue on Monday.  His feast day is on Sunday.  There is a page from your child's religion book in his/her folder.<br />
<br />
12/2<br />
<br />
Last reminder that book orders are due tomorrow.  This is our last order before Christmas.  Here is the ordering information:<br />
<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/bookclubs">www.scholastic.com/bookclubs</a> <br />
<strong>User Name: mrswetschka1st<br />
Password: StWenc<br />
<br />
</strong>We have started making Native American dream catchers with parent volunteers.  Thank you Mrs. Reiland and Mrs. Pexa for getting us started.  We had read the book <u>Dreamcatcher</u> (about an Ojibwe baby) awhile ago.  <br />
<br />
We are making a book that will help us review the seasons and months of the year.  It's taking a little longer than I anticipated, but I hope to send it home soon!<br />
<br />
We had our first practice for our Nativity play.  It went very well for our first time!  There are some children that have not practiced their lines at all-please help her child practice until they know them quite well.  Then just a practice from time to time will do!  Mrs. Pavek helped children practice their lines this afternoon-thank you!<br />
<br />
We started learning about magnets.  If you have any magnets at home that your child can experiment with, I know they will enjoy it!  Talk to him or her about what he/she notices!<br />
<br />
12/1<br />
<br />
Wow-December!  I keep reminding myself to take deep breaths and that there are still almost 4 weeks until Christmas.  I am teaching the children what Advent is really about-I think I need to listen to my lessons!<br />
<br />
In your child's folder there is a red certificate for a free movie rental from Coborns.  This is the final prize from Marathon.  I was supposed to send it home on Wednesday after the wrap-up assembly and I totally spaced it off as my focus was on the Thanksgiving celebration.  Sorry about that!<br />
<br />
We are reading 2 books during our morning meeting time during these weeks of Advent.  The first is called <u>My Very Own Christmas Prayer Book-An Alphabet of Prayers for All the Days of Advent</u>.  Today's prayer was on birthdays and got us thinking about the focus of Christmas being on Jesus' birthday.  The second book is <u>Advent Story Book-24 Stories to Share Before Christmas</u>.  This book follows Benjamin Bear through Advent as each night he opens a window on his Advent calendar.  Mother bear always has a story to share about the picture in the window that leads us on a journey to Bethlehem with another little bear.  Today we learned about a special star that little bear feels compelled to follow.  <br />
<br />
---------<br />
11/30<br />
<br />
I went home with a migraine at the end of the day on Wednesday that did not let up until Saturday night.  I never got a chance to finish my post from Wednesday.  I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
I can't believe that we have started the season of Advent!  We spent a great deal of time on our religion lesson about Advent this morning.  I had forgotten what a difficult concept Advent is for little ones!  You will find a page from the religion book in your child's folder today.  One side is the student page and the other is a parent letter for you.  There is also a paper advent wreath that I have encouraged the children to put on display in their room, folding up one candle on each Sunday of Advent.<br />
<br />
We had our first school wide Advent prayer service this morning.  It was beautiful to look out and see the entire student body (Pre-K through 8th grade) gathered together before the Advent wreath to light the first candle, learn about the meaning and pray and sing together!<br />
<br />
On Sunday, after the 10:30 Mass, St. Nicholas will be visiting the preschool room for Donut Hole Sunday.  If you have preschool age children at home, please consider joining with other families of young children for conversation and fellowship!<br />
<br />
Please remember that book orders are due on Thursday (by the end of the night) if you are ordering.  Books make EXCELLENT Christmas gifts!!!  <img src="/Controls/DHtmlEditor/Images/emwink.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br />
<br />
<br />
11/25<br />
<br />
Many thanks go out to all of the parents who donated supplies and time to help make our Thanksgiving celebration a success.  I think the kindergarteners and preschoolers had a good time.  It was fun to see them working together!<br />
<br />
Thanks to Mrs. Pauly for helping us with 2 turkey projects today.<br />
<br />
<br />
11/24<br />
<br />
I have absolutely no idea why, (because I usually hate it), but I really, really want to see some snow!  I guess that is reflected in my new webpage design!  <img src="/Controls/DHtmlEditor/Images/face23.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br />
<br />
The calendar and wish list pages have also been updated.<br />
<br />
We did a lot of work in our poetry notebooks today reviewing sight words and identifying rhyming words.  We learned how to highlight words as well!<br />
<br />
Mrs. Stavos led the children in creating an Ojibwe cradleboard craft project while Mrs. Friedges and I helped.  Thank you to both!  Mrs. Stavos created the project and had already done it with her class, so I wanted the expert to lead the children!<br />
<br />
<br />
11/23<br />
<br />
The December book orders are due on Thursday, December 3.  The online ordering page will close that night and I will actual send the order in on Friday the 4th.  That should allow plenty of time for arrival before vacation.  There is a deal this month for online orders:  Spend $10 on books from one catalog and receive a free book from the same catalog ($5 or less).  Here is the ordering information:<br />
<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/bookclubs">www.scholastic.com/bookclubs</a> <br />
<strong>User Name: mrswetschka1st<br />
Password: StWenc<br />
<strong><br />
</strong></strong>You are always welcome to send in paper orders if you are more comfortable with that method!  Just make checks payable to SWS and Sherry will write one check to cover the whole order.<br />
<br />
I finished the Halloween and applesauce photo pages last week.<br />
<br />
A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Logelin and Mrs. Malecha, as well as Mrs. Smisek, for helping us with 2 BIG craft projects: Mickey Mouse and a turkey.  The children were SO excited to take a project home the day we made it.  <br />
<br />
We played a strategy math game today called "Turkeys in the Barn".  The children play with a partner.  They start with 12 turkeys in the barn.  On each turn, each child must take 1, 2 or 3 turkeys from the barn.  The goal is to be the person to take the last turkey from the barn (it can be taken by itself or as part of a group of 2 or 3).  It was interesting to hear their hypothesis of how the game worked (one child thought that the person that goes first will always win, but we quickly discovered that wasn't true!).  We played this game in first grade except we used pennies as counters and it didn't have a "cute" title.  You could play it home as well!<br />
<br />
Thank you for all of the food donations for the peace center.  We will carry them up during Mass on Wednesday.  Every child will be able to carry an item, even if they didn't bring one in.  There are plenty to go around.<br />
<br />
I sent an email out letting you know that the children are encouraged to wear their marathon t-shirts on Wednesday for the Marathon wrap-up assembly.<br />
<br />
Also, on Wednesday your child does NOT need to bring a snack.  We will have a snack with our preschool friends at the end of our Thanksgiving celebration (popcorn and Native American fry bread).<br />
<br />
You will be getting a letter tomorrow about our classroom participation in the "Adopt-A-Family" program.<br />
<br />
11/18</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We had the same visiting priest for Mass today.  He had a good message about God being with us when we are afraid.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thank you to Mrs. Olson for helping us during phonics today.<br />
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We read the book <u>Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal-A Tale of Tattletales</u>.  We have been having some issues with tattling lately and I am hoping this book helped us understand the appropriate times to get adult help (usually when something or someone is being hurt or when they have tried to solve their problems but they can't).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We did our November writing and cutting samples.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>For math we did an M & M graphing activity.  We also tried our hands at making tally marks.  It went pretty well for a first attempt!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I am working on updating the photo pages.  You will find them at the bottom of the links.<br />
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>11/17</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I am sending home scripts for our Kindergarten Nativity play.  We will perform this on Wednesday, December 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the church.  Your child will be able to leave with you after the play.  Parts for the play were assigned by drawing sticks.  Your child will need your help in memorizing his/her lines.  If there is NOT a script in your child's folder it means that s/he does NOT have a speaking part.  There are a few children that are animals that do not speak.<br />
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Some highlights from our day yesterday:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In religion we continued our respect for life unit by discussing adoption.  We read 2 stories to go with this lesson:  <u>A Mother for Choco</u> (About a bird looking for a mother-she goes to various animals that she sees are similar to her in one way, but each of those mothers points out how they are different.  She finally ends up being adopted by a bear who loves her just how she is and has adopted several other animals.) and <u>Happy Adoption Day</u> (which is the lyrics of a song put in book form).<br />
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>During our reader's workshop I read the book <u>The Littlest Matryoshka</u> (a matryoshka is a nesting doll).  I discovered this book last year during our diversity study on Russia.  We looked at 2 very different matryoshka dolls.  Today Curtis brought in one to show us.  If you have any at home, I have invited the children to bring them in and show them to the class if they would like (they do not have to wait for the sharing bag, they can just bring them in).<br />
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We also read the big book <u>The Mitten</u> by Jan Brett.  Later this week we will read a different version of the story by Alvin Tresselt and then do a comparison of the two stories. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Today we read the birthday cakes the children made with you as a follow up to the story <u>On The Day You Were Born</u>.  I hope to display them on the bulletin board outside our classroom.  If you haven't sent yours back yet, you can still do so!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Mrs. Pexa helped the children paint their hands to make a handprint turkey.  We'll be adding the details another day.  Thank you Mrs. Pexa!  As I was setting up for this, I discovered that paint bottles can explode.  Yes, explode.  Since last May, I have experienced many "firsts" in my teaching career.  And I must say, they haven't been pleasant!  I also discovered that paint from an exploding bottle travels very far.  Now, I'm hoping that I discover tonight that it WILL come out of light colored clothing!  <img src="/Controls/DHtmlEditor/Images/emcrook.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /></div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If I ever do not thank you in my newsflash for helping in the classroom, please know that you are very much appreciated!!!  I could not do my job without all of the wonderful parent support!</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>After reading <u>Feeling Thankful</u>, we started working on a paper listing the things that we are thankful for.</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Have a great night!
</div>
<div>
</div>

Email From Name:

From Email Address:

noreply@TeacherWeb.com

The from email address is set to improve delivery rates to your subscribers.

Customer replies will go to your email address.

ReplyTo Email:

Your site's registered email address.

Email Subject:

Email/Text Message:

characters remaining.

Manage Options
Manage Subscribers