New Faces...

We will have some new faces in the classroom in the upcoming week! In addition to Mrs. Duncan, we will have two more student teachers joining us from March 29 to the end of the school year. Mrs. Duncan will be with us through the end of April. Ms. Sizler and Ms. Hildebrand will be in our classroom on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Ms. Sizler will join the AM class and Ms. Hildebrand will join the PM class. These two students are in their junior yeat at the University of Cincinnati and are majoring in Early Childhood Education. They will be designing various lessons for small and whole group. Ms. Sizler and Ms. Hildebrand will not be taking over full teaching responsibilities, but will conduct various lessons. Just like Mrs. Duncan, I will be reviewing their lessons and will be in the room with them while they are teaching. I will be helping and providing feedback. I am looking forward to working with these students and having them help your children!

Library, Here We Come...

Since this is the beginning of the 4th quarter, it means our special area has changed. We finished Music last week with Mrs. White and this week we will begin going to Library with Mrs. Vastine! The children will go on Tuesday morning and Friday afternoon! This is a change for the PM children. We typically have our special areas on Tuesdays, but we have changed this to Friday! Your child will be able to check out a book from the Library for one week. If they bring it back on their Library day, they will be able to check out another one. I recommend to keep the book inside their book bag unless you are reading it. This helps keep the book in a safe place!

Class Collections...

We are collecting aluminum and cans this week for our math and science lesson. We will be sorting, counting, and graphing the various items brought in for our project. We will also discuss recycling and the importance of doing something to help the earth. If you can send in any aluminum or cans for our project, this would be fantastic. I appreciate all of your help!

Counting On...

This week we played "WAR!" The children were practicing the idea of counting on from a larger number. This is such a great way to help children begin the idea of counting on and the beginning of addition. The children draw two cards and then decide which card is bigger. We slap the card and say the number aloud. We then count on from the respective number while touching the other card. The child who has the largest number wins the cards. You could modify the game to the person with the lowest number wins the cards. This allows the children to practice numbers larger and smaller. I noticed some of the children able to look at 2 and 3 and add quickly and say "5." It was such a fantastic day watching the children learn and grow through the use of this game! You may want to try it at home...I would love to know what you all think...

Out of the Building...

I just want to let everyone know I will be out of the building tomorrow! Mrs. Null will be our guest teacher. Mrs. Duncan (our student teacher) will be here as well teaching the class! I know the children will do a fantastic job! I look forward to seeing the kids on Monday.

Word Search Fun...

As I think back to my childhood one of my favorite things to do was word searches and I continue to love them. This is a great inexpensive way to help your child learn. This activity also can be used for all levels of children. Children who may not be able to read all the of the bigger words can use this as a way to find letters and groups of letters; whereas, the children who can read most of the words can look for the whole words in the puzzles. This activity is great for siblings to do together and for you to do with your children. There are many word search books you can purchase at the grocery store or book store. You can also find them on the internet for FREE! We have completed some in the classroom and the children LOVE them! Enjoy...

Field Trip...

We are currently planning our annual trip to the Cincinnati Children's Museum on April 30. We would love to have chaperones join us for this fantastic trip. The children are able to explore scientifically and experiment with many various objects and items. This a great hands-on experience for the children; however, if you wish to join us you will need to be fingerprinted! This is extremely important and is for the safety of all children. You will want to have your fingerprints taken at the West Clermont Board of Education Office (located on Aicholtz Road, behind Biggs). This is free of charge. It can take a couple of weeks to process; therefore, it is my recommendation for you to have your fingerprints completed early! If you want until the week of or the week before the field trip, they may not be cleared in time. We are looking forward to this trip. We will be sending out more information in the upcoming weeks!