tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19966137390262087982024-03-13T22:36:31.197-07:00By Green EyesMs. Callejas' Kindergarten ClassMs. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-65647279802231281152015-09-06T21:35:00.002-07:002015-09-10T06:01:06.916-07:00The end is the beginning...I have spent the past seven and a half years at New Berlin Elementary teaching over 175 kindergarten students and having an impact on many others through tutoring, afterschool programs, extracurricular events, and more. Truthfully though, the greatest impact was not from me to them, but from them to me. I learned how to be patient when I had no patience left, to smile when I wanted to cry, to hug and comfort when I needed space, to stir a passion for learning when the odds were overwhelming, to appreciate a child's humor even when the joke had been recited dozens of times, to be a parent to children who didn't see much of their own, to be worthy of these sponge-like minds who put all their trust in me, to teach self-confidence and humility in the shadow of my own insecurities, to light a spark of bravery for trying new things without the worry of failure, to rejoice in small accomplishments because they are the basis for big ones, and to treat all my students with love and respect so that even on a bad day, they never questioned how much they were truly cared for within our classroom family. <br />
I will miss all these things and more, but it is time for me to say goodbye to teaching at New Berlin. The end of this road, however, is just the beginning of another and I am excited to see where it may lead. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey thus far! <br />
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In response to some emails, phone calls, and questions I have already received, here is a little more information about what is coming next... <br />
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- Private Tutoring: If you or someone you know has a child in need of a tutor, I just so happen to know this teacher... :-) Seriously though, I offer flexible, one-on-one and small group tutoring for reading, writing, and math. Just contact me for more information!<br />
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- After School Care: Need an afternoon to run errands or just some quiet time here and there? I am available one or two afternoons a week to pick up your child, or children, from school and take care of them for a few hours. This can be done with or without academic tutoring as well. <br />
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- Music: This is the biggest reason I have decided to take a break from education. We constantly tell our children to never give up on their dreams and, yet, many of us as adults never fully committed to going after our own. I don't intend to make that mistake and have to look back 20 years from now and think, "what if?" So, I am going to see where my voice and my passion for music will take me! Currently my acoustic duo, Dust to Dust, is already playing at several venues around Jacksonville and St. Augustine as well as providing live entertainment for weddings, parties, corporate events, and more. Over the summer, our first single, La Luna, also released on iTunes, Amazon, etc... If you'd like more information about coming out to one of our performances or how you can support us as independent artists, just go to <a href="http://www.bygreeneyes.com/">www.bygreeneyes.com</a> :-) <br />
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- Art: Painting has long been a pastime I thoroughly enjoyed but rarely had adequate time for. I am hoping that my break from the classroom will allow me a few extra hours to apply myself to the canvas. The artwork will be available for sale and the proceeds will go towards furthering my goals as a musician. You can see the most current artwork for sale at the bygreeneyes.com website. <br />
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Thank you again for all the support and encouragement I have received both in and out of the classroom. I hope the 2015-2016 school year is a huge success! Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-72216306543627536192015-06-09T10:08:00.000-07:002015-06-09T10:08:01.707-07:00Goodbye Kindergarten!I truthfully feel like it was just a few weeks ago that I was writing my welcome to school message and now, here we are at the end! I hope each of you had a great experience with New Berlin and with your child's first year in school in my kindergarten classroom. I know the students made lots of wonderful memories and hopefully you were able to share with them, if not during the year, then with the slide show each of the students took home in their summer goody bag. <br />
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If your child was absent on Friday when report cards went home, remember you can stop by the office during their summer hours to pick up your child's report card. I will be here for post planning until Tuesday afternoon, so if there were any last comments, questions, or concerns you had, please feel free to drop by my classroom.<br />
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I have enjoyed being your child's teacher and I hope each of you has a wonderful, safe, and fun-filled summer break. Don't forget to keep practicing sight words, math facts, reading, and writing with your child to make sure they are just as ready for first grade (if not more so!). <br />
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If your child is having Callejas withdrawal (it's a thing, hehehe), or you just want to get out and try something new, please come visit me at any one of my summer locations including Blue Bamboo (serving dinner during evenings except on weekends), the Corner Bistro (providing live music on the first and last Thursday of every month - <a href="http://www.bygreeneyes.com/">www.bygreeneyes.com</a>), and, of course, the beach! <br />
I also provide summer tutoring and babysitting, so please keep me in mind if you need an afternoon to get errands done or night out with friends! :-) <br />
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Happy Summer Break!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-84157178015145758812015-05-26T19:41:00.001-07:002015-05-26T19:45:54.358-07:00Staying Busy!Even though we're down to the last few weeks of school, we are staying busy in room 123. Click on the links below to take a look at some of the things we've been doing as we countdown our last few days of kindergarten. <br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6153362837333106737?authkey=CNLE0p_Yh8X09QE" target="_blank">Safety Day</a><br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6153370450538374497?authkey=CJvpuqnMj5Cnaw" target="_blank">Zoo Field Trip</a><br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6153375277503180913?authkey=CMqEiungi5rX_gE" target="_blank">Field Day</a><br />
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Hope to see you at our classroom party on Tuesday, June 2nd! We will be at Sheffield Park from 9-11am and then back in the classroom around 11:30am for our pizza party - complete with ice cream sundaes and a special surprise. <br />
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Don't forget that Friday, June 5th, is the last day of school and dismissal begins at 11:30am. Report cards will be sent home in agendas. Students who are absent from school that Friday can come pick up their report cards from the front office the following week.<br />
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Have a wonderful summer and remember to stay safe! :-)Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-35340196299359072772015-05-15T13:00:00.001-07:002015-05-26T19:42:40.047-07:00Literacy WeekWe had so much fun celebrating our love of reading this week! Our two favorite activities were our buddy readers and the character parade. The 3rd grade buddy readers came to our class on Wednesday and brought their favorite books to read to us. Then they helped each of my students design some pretty awesome bookmarks showcasing some of their favorite things, like the adventures of Spiderman, beautiful ocean mermaids, colorful rainbows, hundreds of hearts, and imaginary worlds where ice cream truck-boats float around the ocean and give sweet treats to all the colorful fish! What imaginations we have in room 123 :-)<br />
Today was the school wide character parade. Hundreds of students dressed up as their favorite book characters and showcased their outfits by marching around the bus loop while the rest of the students and staff cheered them on. We saw characters like the Cat in the Hat, Harry Potter, Elsa, Snow White, Batman, Farmer Brown, and many, many more! My little band of princesses and mermaids joined the procession and happily waved to all their friends as we marched around the loop. Reading is just so magical!<br />
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Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-44413888612850552362015-05-08T13:15:00.000-07:002015-05-08T13:15:15.041-07:00Feelin' the Love!
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">To
each of my wonderful students, parents, and families,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Thank
you SO much for all the things you have done over this past week for Teacher
Appreciation. I have been bombarded with love and I feel so blessed to have had
the privilege of teaching these students during kindergarten! The flowers,
balloons, chocolates, Starbucks gift cards, candles, popcorn, Bundt cakes,
pictures, bath goodies, thank you cards, and hand-written letters, have
overflowed on my desk and I am so, very grateful for the many ways in which I
have been remembered and appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">It
will be a bittersweet moment to watch these lovely students as they finish up
their kindergarten year in just a few weeks. I am so proud of the gains that
each of them has made and I look forward to seeing them flourish and continue
to grow as they move onto the next chapter of their schooling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Your
support at home has been vital to their education and I thank you for all you
have done and all you continue to do to support your child’s learning, both in
the classroom and at home. You guys rock!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">~Ms. Callejas~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-41568877866481327482015-04-26T19:03:00.001-07:002015-04-26T19:08:21.491-07:00SPLAT! We are always learning in room 123 and these past few weeks were extra fun! We have been learning about onomatopoeia (sound words) and found a great source of supporting literature in the Splat the Cat series by Rob Scotton. During our author study, we not only learned interesting facts about Mr. Scotton, but also had the chance to read many of his stories in class. We discovered a fun website where we could learn more about him and the books he writes (<a href="http://www.robscotton.com/">www.robscotton.com</a>) and stumbled upon his email address. The students were excited to write a class email to Mr. Scotton and even more excited when he wrote us back (you can read the full email at the bottom of this post). One of his responses prompted us to come up with our own ideas for new Splat books and the students drew cover pages for our imaginary books. Titles like "Splat and the Bad Hair Day", "Splat Meets Batman", "Splat the Ballerina", and "Splat Stays Home" were just a few of their brilliant story ideas.<br />
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We also celebrated Earth Day all week by learning about ways we can help protect the earth and participating in fun art projects to show our love for our planet. We wrapped things up on Friday by making an edible earth activity complete with 'dirt' and 'worms'. Sometimes learning can be so tasty! <br />
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Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our UNF intern, Ms. Fridkis, on Friday. She did a great job learning how to balance the many roles of the teacher and the students and I were sad to see her go. Thank you to all the parents who sent in items for her first year survival kit. She was very surprised and grateful. Ms. Fridkis won't be far as she will be taking on a long term substitute position in 3rd grade for the remainder of the year. So our goodbye was more like a see-ya-later! :-)<br />
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Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6142148508082637361?authkey=CObQpOGt4ujKUw" target="_blank">here</a> to see more pictures of our adventures last week. <br />
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As we countdown the last 29 days of school, please continue to practice with your child daily. There will be quite a few assessments that test their knowledge of sight words, math facts, reading, writing, etc... for information they've learned throughout the year. Your support is so important and greatly appreciated. <br />
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Dear Heather and the wonderfully curious students at New Berlin Elementary, it's very good of you to write to me and thank you for all your clever and thoughtful questions and comments. I've replied below in CAPITAL LETTERS. </div>
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Ps, this doesn't mean I'm shouting :)</div>
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PPS. Don't ever stop being curious. </div>
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Ok everyone. shout out after three; 1...2...3...reading rocks! Yay!</div>
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Rob Scotton</div>
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<br /> On 21 Apr 2015, at 15:33, Callejas, Heather A. <<a href="https://webmail.duvalschools.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=mGIchBU8AkWjvNuhsNPmBJF5ZssfVNII9zYeKtBI-Pp7V5wOXfKX3zxgLGN5XT75W67GPeJTKxE.&URL=mailto%3acallejash%40duvalschools.org" target="_blank">callejash@duvalschools.org</a>> wrote:<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">Dear Rob Scotton, <div>
<br />Our kindergarten class is doing an author study on YOU!! :-)</div>
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THAT IS SO COOL!</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
My students have some things they want to ask you and tell you. If you have time to write us back, we would really, really appreciate it. </div>
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I'LL DO MY BEST...<br />
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Jayden says she likes that you write funny stories.</div>
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THANKS JAYDEN, I'M GLAD YOU THINK THE STORIES ARE FUNNY. <br />
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ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO LAUGH...DO YOU HAVE A JOKE YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Corbyn likes that you write fiction stories that are not real.</div>
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THANKS CORBYN, WRITING STORIES ABOUT TALKING ANIMALS AND IMAGINED WORLDS IS THE BEST. WHAT STORIES DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Keith woud like to know, "How do you make Splat the Cat books?"</div>
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HI KEITH, I WRITE A STORY ABOUT SPLAT AND THEN PAINT MANY PICTURES OF SPLAT AND THEN ASK MY WONDERFUL PUBLISHER TO DO THE HARD PART AND MAKE THE BOOK. AND THEY DO! BRILLIANT! DO YOU HAVE MANY BOOKS AT HOME?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Samantha says that she really likes your pictures.</div>
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THANKS SAMANTHA. I ENJOY PAINTING THEM. HAVE YOU PAINTED ANY PICTURES OF SPLAT?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Lea would like to know, "How old are you?"</div>
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UH-HO...OVER 21...I HAD A PET DINOSAUR WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. <div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
William would like to know, "Why do you write all your books silly and stuff?"</div>
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Hmm, WILLIAM...BECAUSE SILLY AND STUFF MAKES ME SMILE. DOES SILLY AND STUFF MAKE YOU SMILE ALSO? 😃<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Ian says that he likes to read your books.</div>
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THANKS IAN, BE SURE TO TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS! OH, AND DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A NEW CLASSMATE FOR SPLAT? <div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Zayne would like to know, "How do you write your name?"</div>
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THATS A TOUGH QUESTION. AND I USUALLY GET IT WRONG. BUT LETS SEE...WITH AN 'R' AND AN 'O' AND A 'B' AND A S-C-O-T-T-O-N. MY SPELLING'S GETTING BETTER, BUT IT TAKES LOTS OF PRACTICE. CAN YOU SPELL YOUR NAME BACKWARDS?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Sadie would like to know, "How do you write your stuff so neatly?"</div>
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HI SADIE, I'M AFRAID I DON'T WRITE NEATLY. I BET YOUR HANDWRITING IS REALLY NEAT THOUGH...IS IT?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Zariah likes how you do your funny pictures.</div>
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THANKS ZARIAH, DRAWING AND PAINTING FUNNY THINGS IS HUGE FUN...WHATS THE FUNNIEST THING YOUVE EVER PAINTED...OR WRITTEN ABOUT?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Mason likes your books.</div>
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THANKS MASON. WHICH BOOK IS YOUR FAVORITE? AND WHICH OF SPLATS FRIEND'S ARE YOU MOST LIKE?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Eva would like to know, "How do you make your books?"</div>
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HELLO EVA. I WRITE THE STORIES AND PAINT THE PICTURES AND THEN HARPER COLLINS, MY PUBLISHER, MAKES THE BOOK. I THINK ITS MAGIC!<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Josiah would like to know, "Why do you make so many crazy books?"</div>
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HI JOSIAH. BECAUSE CRAZY BOOKS ARE GOOD FUN AND THEY MAKE ME LAUGH. AND I DONT THINK I'D ENJOY WRITING ABOUT SPLAT IF THE STORIES DIDNT MAKE ME LAUGH. HAVE YOU GOT A GOOD IDEA FOR A STORY?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Brooks says that his favorite book you wrote is "Fishy Tales". </div>
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I LOVE THAT STORY TOO, BROOKE...AND AQUARIUMS! HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO AN AQUARIUM AND SEEN A SEA HORSE? A SHARK? AN OCTOPUS? A CLOWN FISH?<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Hollie says that she loves your funny books.</div>
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THANKS HOLLY...I'M HAPPY THAT YOU ENJOY MY BOOKS. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD DRAW A REALLY PRETTY DRESS FOR KITTEN?</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
We have more students in our classroom but we are running out of time. </div>
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TO ALL MY FRIENDS AT NEW BERLIN ELEMENTARY...</div>
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A BIG HI FROM SPLAT AND SEYMOUR AND OF COURSE ME, ROB. </div>
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HAPPY READING EVERYONE!<div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><div>
Thank you for reading our email. Thank you for writing such wonderful books.</div>
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A PLEASURE TALKING WITH YOU ALL AND SHARING SOME SPLAT CHIT CHAT. <div style="margin: 14pt 30pt;">
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Have a great day!</div>
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HAVE A GREAT DAY ALSO! ;-)</div>
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Rob</div>
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<span style="color: teal; font-family: Kristen ITC;">Heather Callejas</span></div>
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<span style="color: teal; font-family: Kristen ITC;">Kindergarten Teacher</span></div>
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<span style="color: teal; font-family: Kristen ITC;">New Berlin Elementary</span></div>
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<a href="https://webmail.duvalschools.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=mGIchBU8AkWjvNuhsNPmBJF5ZssfVNII9zYeKtBI-Pp7V5wOXfKX3zxgLGN5XT75W67GPeJTKxE.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fcallejas123.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Kristen ITC;">http://callejas123.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-27498029251628808302015-04-02T08:58:00.000-07:002015-04-02T08:58:03.454-07:00Egg-cellent!Yesterday the students found themselves immersed in the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss as we watched his stories come to life during our field trip to JCA. From pants with no one inside them to a speck of dust on a clover that contained a world that only Horton the elephant could hear, the students experienced a taste of some of Dr. Suess' most wonderful tales! <br />
As if that wasn't already enough fun, we then headed over to Sheffield Park for an egg-cellent time hunting eggs with our friends and playing on the elaborate playground. It was a beautiful, sunny day but quite hot and we arrived back in the classroom exhausted and ready for some down time.<br />
"Horton Hears a Who" was the perfect remedy and we finished our day with snacks and a wonderful retelling of the classic Dr. Seuss tale. <br />
Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6133168896589114897?authkey=CJiszZGO3P7uWw" target="_blank">here</a> to take a look at some of the fun we had!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-90705174466450856532015-03-05T11:13:00.001-08:002015-03-05T11:13:52.481-08:00I DO Like Green Eggs and Ham! "I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-Am!"<br /><br /> In memory of a fabulous author, we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with an unforgettable experience of <u>Green Eggs and Ham</u>.<br /> After we read the story, the students talked with each other about whether or not they thought green eggs and ham would be something they would like to eat. Most of the students thought that they would end up liking it, since the characters in the book liked it so much. They were surprised to find out they would get the chance to see if their predictions about eating green eggs and ham were true!<br /> Check out these pictures, I think you will see that this class can say, "I DO like green eggs and ham! I do like them Sam-I-Am!".<br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5987001303879454801?authkey=CI20mp-r7o383gE" target="_blank"></a><br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6122831211278190369?authkey=CLrvgZ7xqoDvlwE" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss 14-15</a><br />
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**The 'ham' used in our eggs was a vegetarian product and contained no actual meat.Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-26809103089149229532015-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:002015-02-20T08:55:18.761-08:00MOSHLast week the students enjoyed a new field trip to MOSH, the Museum of Science and History in downtown Jacksonville. Though our trip started off with some complications with the buses and lunch, we were able to get things back in order and enjoy the new things at the museum. The students learned how their bodies work, explored treasures from sunken ships, experienced hurricane wind forces, traveled through time to see how Jacksonville has changed over the years, participated in an exhibit about the five senses, and more!<br />
One of their favorite parts of the trip was the scientist who showed us a homemade rocket and made jet like sounds in a bottle. Check it out!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxvJ3UBXEaMtwFOrap4T_lwcrcHDaYYDaNKG0eSWFbEHzyd4VlOq-WqsdFmNuRFLIIJngi3KAa1RSesHbZEg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6117929614728870497?authkey=CMfSu6Dh-uy_Sg" target="_blank">here</a> to see some pictures from our fun trip!<br />
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Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-35779545431984329692015-02-04T07:05:00.002-08:002015-02-04T07:05:46.132-08:00100th Day & Math FactsOur class has been very busy these past few weeks as we finished up the 2nd quarter and made our way into the 3rd quarter and the second half of the school year.<br />
<br /> We celebrated our 100th day of school this past Monday, the highlight of which was making our snack bags of 100 treats. The students used their math skills to practice counting by 10's as they filled their bags up with 10 different treats. Of course the day wouldn't have been complete if we didn't get to eat some of our snack when we were done! <br /><br /> The students have also been getting to know our newest classroom addition, Ms. Fridkis, an intern from the University of North Florida. She will be with us for the next few months as she completes her last step before graduation and a move into a classroom of her own.<br /><br /> The next few weeks will be just as busy as the last few. So be sure to keep up to date with our classroom events and practice, practice, practice at home with your child! Don't forget to click on the kindergarten website link at the top of the page to access weekly homework, monthly newsletters, math facts flash cards, sight word lists, and more!<br /><br /> Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6112005752625698849?authkey=CIbu5drcvdzcJA" target="_blank">here</a> to see what we've been up to in room 123!<br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5981946972853218273?authkey=CNaR1PGphKvz5wE"></a>Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-77666913452308629192015-01-04T13:54:00.002-08:002015-01-04T13:54:38.628-08:00Happy New Year!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy New Year!! I hope each of you had a relaxing and joy filled winter break!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before the
break, our class celebrated with a fabulous winter party. The kids had a
great time making ornaments, holiday picture frames, beaded candy
canes, reindeer food, and an edible snowman in class. Our special pizza
lunch was delicious and everyone had a great time finding out who their
secret Santa was as they participated in the gift exchange. Thank you so
much to all the parents and family members who came out to help and
enjoy the special day with us!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would also
like to say thank you so much for all the kind cards and sweet Christmas
gifts you sent in for me. I feel so blessed to have such thoughtful students
and supportive families! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We will be wrapping up our second quarter in
just a few weeks. Please help your child prepare for the many upcoming
assessments by practicing basic concepts with them daily. Don’t forget
to keep an eye out for emails and test reminders so you can help your
child do his or her best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click the link below to see our Christmas pictures and how much fun we had during our winter celebration!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6100605946357232001?authkey=CIT6isbwnpy77AE" target="_blank">Winter Celebration Pictures</a> </span><br />
Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-80479702164273401442014-12-12T13:29:00.002-08:002014-12-12T13:32:30.947-08:00Home LearningLooking for some fun ways to help your child practice their reading and math skills at home?<br />
Check out these great websites!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.education.com/games/reading/kindergarten/"><span style="color: #660000;">http://www.education.com/games/reading/kindergarten/</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.starfall.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">http://www.starfall.com/</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.readinga-z.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">www.readinga-z.com</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mes-english.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">http://mes-english.com/</span></a></div>
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Don't forget to have your child access iReady reading and math lessons from home as well.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://learn.i-ready.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">https://learn.i-ready.com/</span></a></div>
Just remember, they need to complete these lessons independently, without help from a parent or sibling! Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-16095947668821139162014-11-25T11:57:00.002-08:002014-11-25T11:57:18.431-08:00Turkeys and Thank Yous!As the autumn leaves continue to change, so do the students in my
classroom. We've only been in school for 68 days, yet these 'speed racers' have learned so much! With Thanksgiving just a few days
away, we've been participating in several turkey related activities.<br />
Yesterday was no exception as the students were read to by a real author.
His name is Chris Francis and he lives in Canada. Through video, the
students listened as Chris read us one of his books titled, <u>Mr. Pancake Turkey</u>.
It was a great book and inspirational to my class since we just wrapped
up Narrative Writing where we learned all about the elements of a good
story. It was so nice of Chris to take the time to share the story with
our class! You can check out more of Chris' work at
http://www.francisart.com/<br />
We also decided to try a bit of turkey drawing ourselves and use our pictures for functional writing. Check out these super gobblers by clicking <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6085733019035237057?authkey=CMKgypKG076nMw" target="_blank">here</a>! <br />
<br />
Thank you so much to all the families who came to visit with us today!
The students really enjoyed sharing pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving cards, and our video with you.
Our class does have much to be thankful for and if you weren't able to
join us this afternoon, you can still check out the video below. I hope each one of you has a safe, relaxing, and
enjoyable break. Happy Thanksgiving!!<br />
<br />
Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6085681122598150833?authkey=CIy81sCS1ZrkBw" target="_blank">here</a> to see the video of things we're thankful for!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-5054357180357382232014-11-14T09:28:00.001-08:002014-11-14T09:28:11.147-08:003D Shapes
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Early
next week the students will be having a shape recognition test over the
following six 3D shapes: sphere, cylinder, cube, cone, rectangular prism, pyramid</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though we have been discussing these in class, several
of the students could use a little more practice remembering the names. Please
work with them daily so they will be ready for the upcoming test.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Later next week the students will again be assessed on the 3D shapes. This time, the
test will cover the shape attributes. They will need to answer questions like:
which 3D shapes can be stacked, which 3D shapes can roll, which 3D shapes have
flat surfaces shaped like 2D shapes (the sphere is tricky because it looks like
a circle on paper, but in reality, it has no flat surface shaped like a
circle), etc…?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://www.schooltube.com/video/12838222f695a5ba7626/3D%20Shapes%20I%20Know%20(song%20for%20kids)" target="_blank">here</a> to practice the 3D shapes I know song with your child!<br />
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Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-86067665917288424392014-11-11T17:48:00.002-08:002014-11-11T17:48:40.869-08:00Diamond D RanchThursday was our first field trip of the 2014-2015 school year. The students excitedly boarded the bus, dressed in their new, grey shirts, bursting with anticipation. Diamond D Ranch held many surprises and adventures for the students. One of the top activities was a wagon ride into the cow pasture where the students fed the cows and felt their long, rough, slobbery tongues. Throughout the day we fed goats, took care of a pony, had fun on the bouncy houses, went on a barrel ride, took a lunch break, rode horses, and fed some very hungry fish. The students were exhausted after the long day and the bus ride back to school was quiet as most of the students drifted off to sleep. <br />
Thanks to all the chaperones who came to help keep our class safe and enjoyed the fun day with us!<br />
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Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6080490099559951633?authkey=CN6lkovTg8fo7QE" target="_blank">here</a> to see more pictures of our fun field trip!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-63416058446884909892014-11-02T10:03:00.003-08:002014-11-02T10:05:45.979-08:00Fall is in the Air!We have been very busy these past few weeks with all kinds of events, from the school's Literacy night to our classroom Fall Festival, and we are excited to share some of these moments with you!<br />
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Let's start by taking a look at Olaf the Pumpkin which won first place during Literacy Night! A huge thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Jarrett for helping our class win this fun project!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jjdtbJmowBo/VFZrN7tf_CI/AAAAAAAACzg/lpdciU9Ih2o/s1600/Olaf%2BPumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jjdtbJmowBo/VFZrN7tf_CI/AAAAAAAACzg/lpdciU9Ih2o/s1600/Olaf%2BPumpkin.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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Next we wanted to show you some of the fun things we do during math centers time. The students get to rotate to a different math center each day of the week. Sometimes the center activities cover concepts we are currently learning, other times they help us review things we've learned in the past, and occasionally the centers challenge the students by giving them problems to solve and ideas to process that we have not spent much time learning as a group. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG0oRfXnUJw/VFZtXpSpqII/AAAAAAAAC2c/KTYQiCTcX2s/s1600/DSCN4291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG0oRfXnUJw/VFZtXpSpqII/AAAAAAAAC2c/KTYQiCTcX2s/s1600/DSCN4291.JPG" height="320" width="277" /></a></div>
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Another thing we want to share with you is a fun storyboard activity we did in Reading with The Three Billy Goats Gruff. After reading the story as a class and answering questions about the characters, setting, and plot, we set out to make a storyboard that would help us as we retell the story at home with our families. The students loved using the little Billy Goats and walking them across the bridge on their papers as they retold the story!<br />
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The students have also been excited about science as we spend more time diving into the process of science and learning about things like hypothesis, experiments, and conclusions. As we learn more about what scientists do, the students take a larger role during science so that they become the leaders of the experiment, the generators of the ideas, and the masterminds behind completing projects and finding answers to our greatest kindergarten science questions! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJScZXfnj-0/VFZuhvLSv7I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/OyiBkd-cveU/s1600/DSCN4317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJScZXfnj-0/VFZuhvLSv7I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/OyiBkd-cveU/s1600/DSCN4317.JPG" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6077161957680046209?authkey=COPY_br48Y6vMg" target="_blank">here</a> to see more pictures of our math centers, reading, and science projects!<br />
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Finally, we were so excited to have some of our parents come in as volunteers and help us with our Fall Festival. The students rotated through four different stations and had the opportunity to make an edible turkey craft (who knew turkey's could taste so sweet?), create a silly pumpkin with crazy hair and a painted face, make an owl with big, googly eyes and long, silent wings, and practice their sight words while they colored a fall picture complete with pumpkins and the cutest kittens. <br />
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Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6077167453033537249?authkey=CJ2EvLX07fKEuQE" target="_blank">here</a> to see more pictures of our Fall Festival!<br />
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We have many more events coming up and we can't wait to share them with you too! Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-87875352510579777742014-09-12T15:11:00.002-07:002014-09-12T15:11:36.153-07:00Wonderful WritingToday we read a story by Ursula Dubosarsky called <u>Rex</u>. In the story, students get to take turns taking home a class pet - a chameleon named Rex. Each student in the story does something different with Rex, like taking him to the movies or the pool, and each student in the story has to write about what they did with Rex on the evening they brought him home. The story ends with a question, "What would you do if you took Rex home for a night?"<br />
So, we used our imaginations and shared ideas of what we would do with Rex. Then we went to our seats to write about it. Take a look at what wonderful writing is beginning to happen in our classroom!<br />
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Brooks wrote that he would take Rex to the pond. He used phonetic spelling to describe where they would go and he is beginning to add details to his picture so that it matches his writing, like drawing the pond with the murky color that he sees when he looks at it at home. <br />
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Keith liked the teacher's idea of taking Rex to the beach, so he practiced writing by copying what he saw and remembered from the teacher's example. Then he worked on a picture that showed him and Rex on the sand. <br />
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Josiah said that he would take Rex with him to LegoWorld. He used phonetic spelling, sight words, and spacing between his words while working independently. He then began to draw a picture that told more about what would happen using details with his shapes and colors. <br />
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Hollie wrote that she would take Rex with her to play at the park. She used phonetic spelling, like 'prc' and included details in her picture that would tell about where she and Rex played at the park.<br />
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Zayne used his imagination to draw about where he would take Rex. He also included letter strings to tell his story and is beginning to add sight words and some beginning sounds to his writing.<br />
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All of these students are at various stages in the writing process but are each doing their very best! We will continue to work on wonderful writing and soon you will see your child becoming a master at storytelling! :-)Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-87775640381568931892014-08-24T19:25:00.001-07:002014-08-24T19:25:29.851-07:00Week one, already done!This first week of school has zipped right by! Our class has 18 wonderful students who are learning so much about how to be responsible
kindergarteners and how to have fun while still following the rules.
Please take some time to talk with your child and have him or her share
our classroom rules with you. The more they talk about them at home, the
more likely they are to remember them at school.<br />
We began practicing our color coded behavior chart this week as well.
Starting Monday, the students' behavior will be recorded from the chart
daily and will make up a percentage of their conduct grade.<br />
<br />Thank you to everyone who has sent in supplies, offered to help out in
the classroom, and continues to check and sign the agenda daily. You are an awesome pit crew! :-)<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6051321057009439841?authkey=CIfoo5XJsobwrgE" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see a few pictures of our race team working hard during the first week of school. Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-25996325500278106402014-08-17T20:17:00.000-07:002014-08-17T20:17:08.114-07:00Welcome to Kindergarten!Hello and welcome to my classroom blog! I hope each of you had a fantastic summer.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that another school year is already beginning. Your children are going to set out on a journey that will forever change who they are. From practicing in the classroom to racing around the playground with imaginations running wild. We will take risks, work hard, try new things, and (of course), have fun! :-)<br /><br />See you soon! Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-23507661176683238802014-06-03T12:46:00.001-07:002014-06-03T12:46:39.956-07:00Goodbye Kindergarten!Today our class celebrated the end of the year with a rock star color party. Our day was filled with so much fun. We took pictures, painted, listened to books read by celebrities, had extra recess time, played board games that the students brought in, ate chicken nuggets, and had an ice cream sundae party with our families while we watched a slideshow of the school year! *whew* You can view pictures of our party <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6020788790936525105?authkey=CMbagbv7yrO6YQ" target="_blank">by clicking here!</a><br />
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If you were unable to join us today, check out the slideshow on DVD that each student took home with them in their summer gift bag today! :-)<br />
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Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to making this year a success. From helping with classroom supplies to working with your children at home, you have helped turn these kindergarteners into first graders! I hope each and everyone of you has a relaxing and fun-filled summer vacation! Remember, the last day of school is Friday, June 6th, and dismissal is at 11:30am. Goodbye Kindergarten - Hello Summer!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-47987112668086720612014-05-02T14:33:00.000-07:002014-05-02T14:33:37.209-07:00Yummy Owls!Today the students took to functional writing by creating a yummy snack! After learning how to make a "yummy owl", the students went back to their seats to practice what they learned. When their owls were complete, they had to write about how it was made, making sure to use the transition words first, next, then, and last. The best part about this writing? It was so yummy! <br />
Challenge your children at home to practice using their creativity to make things out of food, write about what they did, then eat it! It's a fun and delicious way to practice writing. <br />
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To see more pictures <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6008941394395988737?authkey=CNji67mwwoWGTQ" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
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Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-39626429878791180772014-04-17T09:53:00.001-07:002014-04-17T09:56:58.228-07:00Egg-stra Fun!Today our class went on a short field trip to Sheffield Regional Park, located just a little walk away next to New Berlin. The students were eager to get there because they were very excited about getting started with math! That's right, math! Yes, it may have been disguised as a fun filled Easter egg hunt, but this trip was all about showing off math skills. :-)<br />
At the park, the students were given instructions about our egg hunt. They had to find 15 eggs, and not just any 15, but the 15 eggs with their name on them. There were also a few extra smiley eggs, hidden a little more for whoever was able to find them first, and 1 shiny golden egg that was the hardest to find and gave one student a trip to the classroom store to get whatever they want! The students had a great time running around, searching for their eggs, and helping their friends find others. The golden egg was hidden up in a tree branch and the students ran by it several times before it was found. We practiced our counting and adding over and over as each one of the students checked their bag to see how many eggs they had and how many more they needed to reach 15.<br />
When all the eggs were found, the students played a hula-hoop relay to see which group could get the hoop all the way around the circle first. They loved this game and were very excited to cheer each other on. The wind stopped us from having a spoon and egg relay, so we decided to have a hula-hoop-off instead. The kids came up two at a time and showed off their skills to see who could hula hoop the longest. We've got some talented hula-hoopers!<br />
Before we headed back to the school, the students had some free play time and they ran around cheering with their friends and letting their imaginations run wild. <br />
Thank you for sending in so many eggs and helping to make this trip egg-stra fun!<br />
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Click <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/6003301746448257873?authkey=CLTWpdefiuXC6QE" target="_blank">here </a>for more pictures of our egg hunt.Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-39928239291059262222014-04-07T07:01:00.002-07:002014-04-07T07:01:18.582-07:00Marvelous MarchWe are now officially in our last quarter of the 2013-2014 school year! It's amazing to see how much the students have grown and are continuing to grow - both physically and academically. Some of these little guys are going to be taller than me in a few years!<br />
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March was a busy month for us. The students enjoyed a long spring break and came back with marvelous stories of all the fun adventures they had while away. We practiced hard for our kindergarten PTA performance where the students melted our hearts with their cute little bunny ears and precious renditions of spring songs. One of their favorites was the "dip the egg" song. Check out pictures of these talented spring singers from our <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5999542205809237249?authkey=CL20v_zn04aOEQ" target="_blank">Kindergarten PTA Performance here.</a><br />
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The last day of the month was a fantastic adventure to the nature center at the Amelia Island Plantation. The students spent the day learning about reptiles, sea turtles, and beach life. We started our day with a presentation about reptiles and learned the differences between turtles and tortoises and reptiles and mammals. We even got to meet and pet quite a few of these critters. One of their favorite things to pet was the luscious and soft fur of Speckles the rabbit. The students were also very brave as they felt the scales of the corn snake! <br />
Shortly before lunch, two curious and hungry ducks made their way over to our tables and hung out with us for the rest of the afternoon. We also had visits from a few squirrels, birds, and a great blue heron.<br />
After lunch we walked down to the beautiful sandy shores of the beach where the students participated in a scavenger hunt for things like shells, shark's teeth, sea stars, and coral pieces. While at the beach, we were visited by a small group of dolphins who waved at us with their fins as they swam by! You can see more of our adventure to <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5999542526586830481?authkey=CJimjMaw47Gk-QE" target="_blank">Amelia Island by clicking here.</a><br />
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As we move into these last few months of school, I encourage you to keep practicing with your child at home. The goal is for students to be reading at an independent level E by the time they leave kindergarten. This requires them to have mastered all of the sight words we have introduced as well as be able to apply concepts like word families, silent e, bossy r, the king of -ing, long vowel teams, and y as a vowel to their reading. If you'd like some examples of level E books to see where your child measures up, check out <a href="http://www.readinga-z.com/">http://www.readinga-z.com/</a>. As always, thank you for all you do to support your child and this classroom!Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-75699185853419889672014-03-04T10:30:00.002-08:002014-03-04T10:30:50.144-08:00I DO Like Green Eggs and Ham!"I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-Am!"<br /><br /> In memory of a fabulous author, we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with an unforgettable experience of <u>Green Eggs and Ham</u>.<br /> After we read the story, the students talked with each other about whether or not they thought green eggs and ham would be something they would like to eat. Most of the students thought that they would end up liking it, since the characters in the book liked it so much. They were surprised to find out they would get the chance to see if their predictions about eating green eggs and ham were true!<br /> Check out these pictures, I think you will see that this class can say, "I DO like green eggs and ham! I do like them Sam-I-Am!".<br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5987001303879454801?authkey=CI20mp-r7o383gE" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss 2014</a>Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1996613739026208798.post-87282198735047055102014-02-18T19:53:00.000-08:002014-02-18T19:53:22.866-08:00100th Day & ValentinesOur class has been very busy these past few weeks!<br />
We celebrated our 100th day of school with a class party, the highlight of which was making our snack bags of 100 treats. The students used their math skills to practice counting by 10's as they filled their bags up with 10 different treats. Of course the day wouldn't have been complete if we didn't get to eat our snack when we were done! <br />
Last week we celebrated love and friendship on Valentine's day, giving each other treats and notes to show how much we care.<br />
The students have also been getting to know our newest classroom addition, Ms. Broughton, an intern from Florida State College at Jacksonville. She will be with us for the next few months as she completes her last step before graduation and a move into a classroom of her own.<br />
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The next few weeks will be just as busy as the last few. So be sure to keep up to date with our classroom events and practice, practice, practice at home with your child! :-) <br />
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Click the link below to see what we've been up to in room 123!<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5981946972853218273?authkey=CNaR1PGphKvz5wE">https://plus.google.com/photos/114885866962776930630/albums/5981946972853218273?authkey=CNaR1PGphKvz5wE</a>Ms. Callejashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168426068009097243noreply@blogger.com0