Before the Holiday Break

Hi all!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Only 7 full days left in the second quarter! AR tests for the second quarter will need to be taken by Monday, Dec. 15.

Our Holiday Party will be a day long celebration to supplement our history unit on the colonial period in Virginia. This will take place on Friday, Dec. 12. The children are encouraged to wear clothing reminiscent of the time period. Boys can wear their pants tucked into white socks to simulate breeches, and the girls can wear a skirt and blouse with a white cap. There is a wealth of information on colonial dress available online on the Colonial Williamsburg website at http://history.org/History/clothing. Be creative, that’s part of the fun. Keep your eyes open for an email from Karen O’Donnell and Chris Repp who are planning the celebration for us.

We will be holding our second Book Swap on Monday, Dec. 15. The children are encouraged to bring in up to five previously read books that they are willing to swap.

Your child should be practicing their recorder each night as part of their homework routine. They will be playing a selection for the Holiday Program on Dec. 16, and some children are not practicing as much as they really should.

Speaking of the Holiday Program, the schedule for that day has changed slightly from previous years. The program will begin at 10:15 and the children will be dismissed from the classroom following its completion. This should be around 11:00. Please make sure your child dresses up for the occasion.

I will be sending home a letter introducing the Invention Convention later next week. This will give the children the Holiday Break to brainstorm numerous ideas for their final invention. The date for our Invention Convention will be Friday, February 20.

Monday Folders will be sent home Tuesday of next week because I will be out both Friday and Monday. The children continue to do very well, but they must continue to focus on their school work until the holiday break begins. We will have tests up until Friday, Dec. 12 that will go towards their second quarter grades. This is our shortest quarter of the year which does not give us any time to waste. Thank you for your help with thisJ.

Upcoming Tests:

Friday, Dec. 5: Word Study Tests
Thursday, Dec. 11: Wordly Wise Test
History Quiz
Friday, Dec. 12: Word Study Tests

I will also be collecting their science folders to assess their electricity lab write-ups we have done so far in class. This will constitute a test grade. We will finish up our study of electrical circuits when we come back from the holiday break.

That’s all for now!
Kim Bushman