I DO like green eggs and ham!

"I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-Am!"

In memory of a fabulous author, we spent last week reading books by Dr. Seuss. On Friday, March the 1st, the students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with all kinds of fun events. Students wrote about our favorite part of Cat in the Hat during writer's workshop, painted the cat in the hat during skills block, sorted and counted colored gold fish after reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish during math, and got to experience their own version of Green Eggs and Ham during reader's workshop.
After we read the story, the students talked with their partners 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!
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!".

 

Our class store is also a huge success. The students are quickly learning that sometimes it's better to wait and save their money in order to get something they really want. Some students are also learning that their behavior needs to continue to improve so that they don't have to "pay" the teacher for their bad choices, but rather they can get "paid" by the teacher for their great choices!
Thank you to all the parents and families who have sent in donations to help with the class store. Your support is truly appreciated!

Reflex Math

Don't forget to check out www.reflexmath.com!
It is a great website where students can build fast and effortless recall of math facts through fun, learning games. Students brought their login information home last week along with a detailed letter explaining more about the program. If you need another copy, just send an email or a note letting me know.
Please remember that the students do need to complete the activities by themselves for optimal learning and they should not share their login information with their siblings or friends.
Happy learning!

JCA & Valentine's Day

The students came to school this morning with a double dose of excitement! Not only were we going to see Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but we were also going to be able to celebrate Valentine's Day with all of our friends.
After our bus ride to JCA, the students found themselves immersed in an exciting, energetic version of the classic Goldilocks tale. They danced and squealed and laughed along with the characters as they watched Goldilocks learn the importance of telling the truth and using good manners. Lunch flew by and soon we were back on the bus and headed to class.
Once back inside, the students created a name place and colored a sweet Valentine's picture. Then all the boys put theirs on one side of the carpet and the girls put theirs on the other side of the carpet. I passed out my bags and modeled how to carefully put one on each student's name place. The students were so generous with each other and everyone brought goodies to share with their friends. After all the students finished passing out their treats, there were 19 mountains of love on the carpet! The students used large bags to store their Valentines and even had the chance to choose one of their Valentine's to eat before dismissal.
I also had a mountain of love on my desk and the students wanted me to open and show them all the things they had brought. When that was finished, everyone got a Valentine's day teacher hug and then headed home! What a Happy Valentine's Day!

100th Day & the Sweetheart Dance

On Monday, February 4, the students celebrated their 100th day of kindergarten! Though I was out of the country, the students were able to participate in several fun activities that I left for them with Mrs. Smith. They created 100th day name patterns, read about the 100 baked goods in The Wolf's Chicken Stew, made a 100th day bag filled with 100 treats, and watched a fun learning video about the silent e (just to name a few)!
Then, on Thursday, February 7, many of the students stayed after school to have fun at the Sweetheart Dance. The students danced with friends, bought snacks and drink goodies, and had a great time laughing and playing.

Seeing in 3D!

Your superheroes have entered the world of 3D shapes. From cones to pyramids, we are learning about the way things around us are made up of solid figures (3D shapes) that have a variety of attributes. Three dimensional shape names can often be tricky. Practice these shapes daily with your child by pointing to common household objects and having your child name the 3D shape it looks like and why. For example, you might show them a can of soup. They would say it looks like a cylinder because it has 2 flat surfaces (or faces) shaped like circles.
You can also play the following sing-along video with your child to help him or her remember some of the most common 3D shapes:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/12838222f695a5ba7626/

The websites below also have some great games that help students learn both 2D and 3D shape names. Some of the activities are a little advanced and may require an older sibling or an adult to help out from time to time. Have fun!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/3d_shapes/play/

School Survey

As we approach the end of the 2nd 9 weeks, please take some time to let me know how you feel your child is doing and what you think he or she still needs to work on. Your feedback is always important!

Mrs. Reese would also like your feedback to help with our school survey. Please read the following letter and help us out by clicking the link to participate in the survey. Thank you!

This year New Berlin Elementary will be renewing our school accreditation.  What is accreditation? Accreditation is the process that schools go through to make sure they are meeting the standards as outlined by the Southern Association of Colleges and School Improvement.  In an effort to improve our practices here at NBE the district is requiring each school to conduct a parent survey as part of this process. We value your opinion and ask that your take the time to complete this survey. The web survey will be available until February 15, 2013.

In order to complete the survey, please go to:

http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/4081823

Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated.

Please Note:  If you prefer to have a paper copy of the survey, please return the bottom portion of this letter to your child’s teacher, and one will be provided for you.  Please submit your request by Thursday, January 17.

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Philip Mobley at mobleyp@duvalschools.org or (904)390-2016/ (904) 759-6553.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Wanda Reese

Principal

Christmas Fun!

Here are a few pictures from our class Christmas Party and the school's Polar Express night. The kids had a great time making ornaments, holiday picture frames, beaded candy canes, reindeer food, and an edible snowman in class. Our special hotdog 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! 
  

  
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 and I hope each of you had a relaxing and fun-filled holiday break! 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 test reminders in the agenda so you can help your child do his or her best.