​We are now in the month of May and the kids are enjoying the nice weather and seeing all the flowering plants growing around the school and
the flowers on the trees. 

Last month we learned about flowers. The kids got the chance to make books with pictures of different types of flowers as well as books of the parts of the flower. They also dissected a flower and made a collage out of the parts. Students used paper to make a flower garden by gluing down flowers, stems and cut paper to make grass. They also got to plant either nasturtium, sunflower or daisy seeds. 

During the month of April, Eric Ode visited the school to perform an Earth Day concert. The kids also got the chance to be in their own concert: The Spring Showcase. I was so glad to see so many Rojo students there. They did a great job!

At the end of April, we held Student-Led visits where the students showed you their classroom and some of their favorite works. I was so glad to see that everyone was able to come. The kids really enjoyed having you come.

​After the passing of our old classroom pet, Chocolate, we gained two baby guinea pigs as pets. The kids voted on the names and came up with Brownie and Licorice.

This month we will be learning about ladybugs. We will be learning about the parts of the ladybug and the lifecycle of the ladybug. We will bring ladybug larva into the classroom and watch them grow into ladybugs. 

I can’t believe that we only have three months of school left. I have enjoyed watching the kids grow and change!

In March, the kids enjoyed listening to books written and illustrated by Eric Carle. We read The Hungry Caterpillar; The Very Busy Spider; Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?; Do You Want To Be My Friend; The Secret Birthday Message; The Grouchy Ladybug; The Foolish Turtle; A House For Hermit Crab; The Very Quiet Cricket; Draw Me A Star; Today Is Monday; My Apron; The Very Clumsy Click Beetle; Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and Mister Seahorse.

We discussed the lifecycle of the butterfly after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the kids made a book about the lifecycle. We also discussed the different types of webs that spiders make and how a spider makes his web and why. The kids made a craft with Ms. Michelle based on the art of Eric Carle. They took tissue paper and painted on it. They then cut shapes out of the tissue paper and glued them onto the paper to make animals. Some of the animals that the kids made included: spiders, ladybugs, dolphins, rabbits and foxes. They had fun!

This month we will be learning about different types of flowers. The kids will discover the names of the parts of the flower and their functions. They will also learn the names of some common flowers. The kids will dissect different types of flowers to see the insides of the flower, as well as how they are alike and how they are different, They will get the chance to plant flower seeds and watch them grow. We will also talk about how flowers get pollinated by different types of insects.

On the 21st of April, the kids will perform in the Spring Showcase, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. I hope to see everyone there!


At the end of April, student-led visits will occur. I will send out more information as the day approaches. 

Happy February!

I was so glad that everyone could come to the Parent-Teacher conferences. I enjoyed talking about all the progress that your children have made over the first half of the year. 

Last month we focused on learning about the weather. The kids learned the names of some clouds: cirrus, cumulus and nimbostratus, and completed a craft in which they made a chart of the different clouds using paint and cotton balls.

​We also created a chart of different types of weather: sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy and made a mark for each day we had that type of weather. The kids got to make their own weather chart where they can put an arrow on the weather of the day. We also completed some experiments to assist the children in understanding how it rains. By putting a bowl of ice over a jar full of hot water, condensation formed under the bowl and started to rain showing the water cycle. 

This month we will be focusing on friendship and peace education. We will be talking about how we can be a good friend and classmate. We will also be talking about how to problem solve with our friends. The kids and I will be discussing the Zones of Regulation and how to talk about them. We will also be learning about some of the people who lead others in their quest for peace.

On February 14th, we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. The kids will pass out Valentines to their friends, which they are already excited about.

We will also be talking about Chinese New Year which falls on February 16th this year. 

Mid-Winter Break is the 15th, 16th and 19th of February. I hope everyone has a great time off. 

​I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break and a Happy New Year! It has been really great to see everyone again and see how much the kids have grown over the break. I have enjoyed hearing about some of the things they did over break.

This month we will be studying the weather. The kids will be learning about the different kinds of weather that we have here in the Pacific Northwest. We will create a chart and mark down the different number of sunny, rainy, cloudy and windy days that we have here. They will learn what causes it to rain and the different types of clouds that we can see in the sky. We will also talk about the temperature and use a thermometer to measure the temperature. We will do some wind and water experiments as well.

January 15th is Martin Luther King Jr Day or MLK Day. There will be no school or childcare available on that day. We will be discussing MLK Day and do a project to promote peace.

At the end of the month we will send out the Mid-Year Progress Reports and will discuss them at conferences during the first week of February. I will put up sign-ups for conferences on Bloomz next week. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there and discussing your child’s progress.

I can’t believe that it is already November. Soon it will be December and then 2018. This year is going by so fast!

This month we have been learning about the human body. We have learned the names of the parts of our body by singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as well as The Hokey Pokey. The kids helped even helped me label the parts of my body. The students worked with their five different senses: taste, smell, sound, touch and sight. They tasted different types of food, smelled spices including cloves and cardamon, touched things in our mystery bag and pointed to the area they heard a sound come from. The students also learned about the organs in our body, and their functions: the heart, lungs, stomach, brain and liver. They even got the chance to try out a stethoscope and listen to their heart beat. 

In October we also spent time learning about the pumpkin. The kids learned about the lifecycle of the pumpkin as well as the parts of the pumpkin and their functions. We ended our study on pumpkins by cleaning out and carving pumpkins for Halloween.

In November we will continue to learn more about our bodies. We will focus on digestion and learning about the skeleton. The students will also learn about the different food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy, and why it is important to eat foods from each group. We will have discussions about where the different foods come from and how they get to us. The students will learn that we eat different parts of plants: the root, stem, leaf, flower and seed.

​The students will also complete different cooking projects during the month of November. On Tuesday November 21st the kids will hold a Thanksgiving feast that they will assist in preparing themselves. More information will be coming out as the day gets closer. 

I have enjoyed getting to know your kids this first month of the school year.
 
In the month of September, we have been working on getting to know each other and the classroom. The students have been exploring the classroom, getting reacquainted with their friends and meeting new friends.

We have been working on learning the rules of the classroom: using indoor voices and walking feet, using kind words and keeping our hands to ourselves. The students have been introduced to the Zones of Regulation, a way of identifying emotions as colors that we will continue to use throughout the year. We have also started our specialists: Music with Ms. Amy, Art with Ms. Michelle, and Spanish with Mr. Shawn.
 
In the month of October, we will be learning about the human body. The students will learn the names of the different parts of the body, about some of the organs of the body and about the skeleton. They will have a chance to trace their body on a piece of paper and label the parts. The students will learn the names of the important bones. They will also explore their senses by feeling, tasting and smelling different things. We will also be learning about the parts of the pumpkin and the lifecycle of the pumpkin to get ready to carve our pumpkin for Halloween. 
 
I can't wait to see everyone at HarvestFest later this month!

​

Dear Parents,

I can't believe that the year is almost over. It has been filled with songs, Spanish, books, animals, visits from fire trucks an dump trucks, and laughter. I have enjoyed watching your children grow physically, socially and academically.

Last month we finished up our bird unit and started on our mammal unit. The children had fun visiting the ducks and the chickens, discussing the difference between their feet, beaks and feathers. The kids got a chance to touch replicas of bird feet, naming the types of feet and determining what they are used for. The kids also had the opportunity to use tools that are like different bird beaks to try to pick up the different types of food that birds eat. They also got the opportunity to look at a real bird's nest that was made out of mud, twigs and twine, as well as examine owl pellets from a barn owl to see what the birds eat. 

This month we are finishing our unit on mammals. We have visited the goats and rabbits, discussing the difference between types of mammals. We discussed how carnivores and herbivores have different types of teeth and how different types of mammals have different ears, fur, and feet. We will look at a mammal skeleton: examining the different types of bones. We will be conducting science experiments during the last week of school.

Our last day of June 23rd. School is a half-day, you can pick up your child at noon that day. Extended day students can stay for the afternoon. We will be having a party in the classroom that morning. I will send out more information about the last day as it comes closer. 

During the last week of school please send in a paper or reusable bag, with your child's name on it, so I can bag up all of your child's clothes and shoes to send them home.

​I have enjoyed getting to know and being with your children all year. For those of you will not be returning next year, I wish you and your child all the best and I will miss you. I hope you come and visit. For those of you who are returning, I will see you in September.

Dear Parents,

I can't believe it is already May! This school year is almost over. I have really enjoyed getting to know your children over this year and watching them grow and mature. 

Last month we finished out reptile and dinosaur unit. We also started working on our bird unit. We visited the birds that are found on our campus: the chickens and ducks. We discussed the different beaks and feet that those birds have. We then looked at other types of bird feet that are found on ostriches, hawks, songbirds, herons and woodpeckers. The kids enjoyed the opportunity to touch replicas of the feet. They also used tools similar to bird beaks to pick up different types of food. 

This month we are finishing our unit on birds. Having discussed the beaks and feet of different birds, we will now look at different types of nests. One of our students brought in owl pellets and we will dissect them. We will also start our unit on mammals. We will discuss different types of mammals: big cats, horses and cows, wolves and dogs, etc. We will see how they are different and alike.

This month we have also been discussing our feelings and how to deal with them appropriately. I have introduced the children to two puppets, Tina the turtle and Paulie the parrot, to give the kids words and ideas to use. We are also working on other types of grace and courtesy such as being respectful of other's works and using inside voices and walking feet. We will continue to discuss these types of ideas for the rest of the school year.

I want to remind everyone that May 26th is an inservice day and school will be closed that day. May 29th is Memorial Day and school will be closed that day as well.