Do you believe that we are at the 36th Day of School!!!

Dear K-207 Families,

We had a great trip to Green Meadows Farm on Friday! Thanks to all the parents and babysitters who joined us! We saw so many different types of animals and enjoyed the hayride so much.

I hope you and your children enjoyed Halloween this past weekend. I attended the Park Slope Halloween Parade on Saturday night and as the children always say: “It was AWESOME.”

Also on Saturday, as part of Community Board 6 – of which I am a member – I went on a 4-hour tour of all the playgrounds/parks in the Park Slope/Windsor Terrace/Red Hook/Dumbo areas. I got a lot of ideas that we can use for new trips with our class. It was very exciting to see the work being done – and the work that needs to be done - to our playgrounds throughout Brooklyn. On this trip, we also went to the Red Hook farm where volunteers work a “real” farm to get fresh produce. I was surprised that a farm like this is in our own backyard. I would like to take a trip with our class and the other Kindergarten classes to see this farm.

I hope to see many of you this Friday for Parents As Enrichment Partners. At the PAEP, you will have a chance to read, and comment on the children’s published stories from our most recent Personal Narratives Unit in Writing Workshop!

Here is the news for this week:

Report Cards & Conferences

Report Cards will be sent home next Monday. As you may know, kindergarteners get narrative reports for this first marking period.

Parent Teacher conferences will be held next Tuesday, November 10th from 1-3pm and from 5:30 – 8pm.
Please be sure to return the preference sheet so I can schedule your conference.

• School closures & ½ Day: There is no school tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4th as it is a Professional Development Day for faculty and Election Day. Please be sure to vote! Next Tuesday, November 10th will be a ½ day for children to allow time for Parent Teacher Conferences. Next Wednesday, November 11th school is closed for Veteran’s Day.

• Walk to the Park
Stay tuned! I would like to take the children on a walk to Prospect Park to collect more leaves for our Writing like Scientists Unit of study. I will confirm the day based on when parents are able to volunteer.

• Book Fair visit scheduled for this Thursday: The school’s Scholastic Book Fair is opening this week in the MMR. Our class will likely be visiting the school book fair this Thursday. (If there is any change I’ll let you know. I scheduled our visit 9:50. If you would like your child to be able to make any purchases at the Book Fair, please send money in a sealed envelope with your child’s name written on the outside. A flyer was sent home in your child’s homework folder that shows some of the books that will be for sale. If there are specific titles you want your child to purchase, please write them down on the envelope you send in. Also, I discourage the purchase of the toys and trinkets for sale. I would like the children to only purchase book since all children cannot afford “toys.” It really tends to be a problem. If your child wants to purchase toys, please feel free to come back with your child after school since the fair will be going on at that time also.

Please note: I find the Book Fair is both exciting and challenging for kindergarteners, as some children’s families are able to send in spending money and others are not. In an effort to ensure a harmonious excursion for the whole class, I will accept donations from families who would like to contribute some spending money for children in the class whose families may not be in a financial position to send in spending money at the moment.

As for how much you send in for your child, while it’s great that Scholastic is offering quality books at decent prices, it is difficult when the range of money children come with, is excessively wide. For that reason, though it truly is up to you, I recommend sending in $5 to a maximum of $10 for your child for our class trip to the book fair. If you want spend more, you and your child can always stop by the book fair afterschool.

Mark Your Calendars
o Tonight, Monday, November 2nd is Parents’ Night Out, sponsored by the PTA.
o Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day. School is closed for Professional Development.
o This Friday, November 6th is our next Parents As Enrichment Partners. Parents and friends are invited into the classroom at 8:55 or so, and you will be welcome to stay until about 9:20 to allow us sufficient time to transition for Ms. Rosen who begins Science at 9:30. You will have a chance to read the children’s published story from our most recent Personal Narratives Unit in Writing Workshop!
o Next Tuesday, November 10th is a ½ day. We will dismiss at 12noon. Conferences begin at 1pm.
o Next, Wednesday, November 11th. School is closed for Veteran’s Day.

PLEASE NOTE: Gym has been changed from Tuesday morning at 8:40 to Thursdays at 1:20. Children should have sneakers on at that time. Science with Ms Rosen is now scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8:40. Ms. Rosen will be picking the children up at that time from the schoolyard.

Thank you! I also want to thank my wonderful families for inviting me (and my husband) to the Parents Night Out. We really appreciate it and look forward to seeing you there.

As always, if you have any questions you can email, leave a message for me by calling the main office, or send me a note in your child’s homework folder.

Thank you all for your support.

Sincerely,
Ms. Graham