I hope you all had a wonderful Winter Break!  I am still hopeful we will see a big snow at least once this winter.  If we do get snow, I plan to take the kids sleigh riding on the playground hill.  If you have a sled you could share with us for a day or so, that would be so appreciated.

             December was a busy month at school.  We spent a lot of time preparing for the Festival of Light and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  Holiday Happenings was so smooth and fun this year! Thank you for your help in making all of our school events successful.  We made so many fun crafts in the classroom as well. The kids really enjoyed making things to take home to you.  

             Moving into January, we will be working on money and time telling skills.  These are fun to teach together since counting by fives, grouping, and looking with a careful eye are necessary for both.  For the culmination of our studies this month, we will take a trip to the bakery and each child will get to make a purchase of a single item and then count out their change to pay for that item.  I will send out the date for that trip as soon as I get a concrete time from the bakery.  Parents are welcome to attend this quick trip.

We will also be studying Martin Luther King Jr and why our school chooses to take a day on in place of a day off. In the past, students have attended the march downtown. If weather permits, we will make signs and attend. It is a quick event - perfect for the kids to get a sense of what we have been studying in a bigger sense. I am always blown away by the thoughtfulness the students show during this unit of study. They feel deeply and strongly about civil rights and our conversations remind me how much they feel and take in the world around them.

             The best part about coming back to school from Winter Break has been seeing how much the kids have grown with fresh eyes.  Having a little time off helped me to step back and say, “Wow!” when we returned to the classroom.  Each day students are reading to me and to each other, writing more and more, and maturing before my eyes.  It is truly the joy of my life to see this growth and I was reminded of that walking back into the classroom last Thursday.  Happy New Year, I know I am looking forward to the rest of our year together!

Love,

Ms. Caroline

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