Columbia Elementary School

• Thursday, December 5th

  Click this link to read next week's newsletter: December 9-13 

  Columbia Yearbooks are on sale now through January 27th. They cost $30. The flyer is in folders today.

  Please check folders today for an informational note about next week's sight word assessment. Note

  We are collecting donations for a Christmas gift for our school's plant manager, four custodians, and five lunchroom workers. If you'd like to donate, we ask that you send cash donations in an envelope labeled "CES Holiday Donations" by December 13th. Thank you!

  Please remember to send a coat/jacket each day. We go outside to recess every day if the "feels like temperature" is above 32 degrees. 

• Monday, December 2nd

  Please do the DIBELS Practice Packet with your child tonight and tomorrow. Your support at home makes a world of difference for your child. Thank you for having your child take a few minutes on five days to read the page of words on Thanksgiving break. 

  Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Our district is allowing all students to wear pajamas to school tomorrow for Giving Tuesday. They are requesting each student give $2.00 to participate. The funds will be used to help students in need pay for field trips, yearbooks, student fees, etc. Please read the flyer: Giving Tuesday

  Our class goes to the Reindeer Shop on Tuesday. If you want them to participate, please send the provided envelope tomorrow. Please write the names of the people and budget your child is supposed to use at the Reindeer Shop. Thank you.

  Practice #10 is in folders today. Also, the December Reading Log went home in folders today. If your child completes this reading log they will get 5 Good Time Tickets. Remember if they submit all of the reading logs from 2nd Nine Weeks (October, November, and December), they will earn a special incentive from our reading coach and librarian in January. Happy Reading! 

  I wanted to give out a few reminders about jackets-

  1.   We go outside for recess as long as the “feels like” temperature is above 32 degrees. Please pay attention to the weather and send an appropriate jacket.

  2.   Keep working with your child on zipping his/her jacket until it is mastered. Thank you! Many of them have it down pat now, which is very helpful as we transition to and from recess.

Thursday, November 21st

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: December 2-6.  Thank you for reading the newsletter each week. 

Today in your child’s folder you will find a flyer about the Reindeer Shop. Our class will be visiting the Reindeer Shop on Tuesday December 3rd at 12:25. If you want your child to have the opportunity to shop for family members please fill out the envelope with the names of people and the amount of money that your child could spend for each person. 

Also, in your child’s folder you will find a DIBELS practice packet for your child to complete over the Thanksgiving break.

If your child reads all the words 5 times (once per day) by December 1st, I will give your child TEN Good Time Tickets!!! Please initial and date on the sheet each time your child reads all of the words on this page. You can do this! :)

Monday, November 18th

• This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning letters Ll, Rr, and Oo (short vowel o). Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. 

• Our first workbook from 95% Phonics will go home tomorrow for you to review and keep at home.

• Practice sheet #9 will be coming home in folders today.  The Practice Sheet is due back on December 2nd. Please take the time to help your child complete all of the activities on this sheet.  It will greatly benefit your child’s learning.

Flu and Illness Reminders: 

1. If your child has a fever he/she must be fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) before returning to school. 

2. Students must also be free of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school. 

3. Do not be tempted to send your child back to school too soon, children with the flu need time for their body to recover.

Please label your child's jacket with their first and last name. If the jacket is labeled, it will be easier to find it in the lost and found and return it to you. 

• Friday, November 15th

  Click this link to read next week's newsletter: November 18-22.  Thank you for reading the newsletter each week. 

  As the weather starts to gets cooler, please remember we will go outside daily unless it is raining or the wind chill is below 32. Please send your child a jacket/coat to wear when playing outside. Please label jackets with your child’s name. Please allow your child time to practice putting their jacket on and zipping it multiple times. Each child should be able to put their jacket on and zip it independently. Thank you for helping your child learn this life skill!

  Helpful weekend to do list:

  1. Wash your child's rest mat and return Monday morning.

  2. Have your child practice zipping their coat until they can do it independently 3 times in a row.

  3. Finish Practice Sheet #8 and return it to school Monday morning inside your child's Blue Daily Folder.

  4. Enjoy the weekend!

• Tuesday, November 12th

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing letters M,D, G, I, S, H, and B. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

  Thank you to all who returned Practice Sheet #7 today. Practice Sheet #8 is coming home in your child's folder today. Thank you for spending a little time each day on the Practice Sheet. Remember, if your child is having difficulty reading the "Blending Words" on the Word List, please let them practice reading the words daily. The same goes for sight words. If they are having difficulty reading the sight words on the Word List, please practice them daily with flashcards.

  Today we began our sorting unit. We are learning how to 1) sort by one attribute, 2) count the amount in each group, 3) sort the groups by amount. We practiced these skills using M &M’s!  The children sorted them by color, then they counted how many of each color they had. Finally, they sorted the color groups by amount. We will sort various objects the rest of this week. By the end of this unit, the children should be able to do our 3-step sort for multiple attributes of the same group of objects.

  Progress Reports will be coming home in the Report of Learning Folders on Wednesday, November 13th.  Please read the progress report, sign it, and return it to school Friday.

  Parents, please help me with the following items:

  1. Students need to wear velcro or slip on tennis shoes to school each day.

  2. Please do not send your child to school in shoes that have laces. Avoid all boots (slip on and laces) and dress shoes.

  3. Send a snack with your child daily. Consider setting an alarm on your phone so you remember to put a snack in your child's backpack each day. Last week, there were a few days when I had anywhere from 2-5 kids without a snack. A local church provides snacks for families who do not have the financial means to provide snacks for their children. However, their snacks are not for children who forget their snack or act like they don't have a snack because they don't like the one they brought from home. If you need help from the local church to provide snacks for your child, please let me know, and I will send home the form to get your family signed up.

• Thursday, November 7th 

  Columbia will be hosting our first STEM Day tomorrow. Please click this link for more information: STEM Day

  Here is this week’s newsletter: November 12-15. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week to stay informed. 

  The #1 question this week has been, "Miss Courtney, when are we going to do the lesson with the M&Ms?!?" They were happy to hear that we are going to use them Tuesday. Thank you for sending some to school. If you forgot, please send a pack or two by Tuesday.

  Our class really enjoyed learning about veterans and going to the Veterans parade today. 

  Reminder: No School on Monday, November 11th in honor of Veteran's Day.

• Monday, November 4th 

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters Hh and Bb. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. 

  Thank you for turning in Practice Sheet #6 today. Practice Sheet #7 is in your child's Daily folder. Here is a link to it, if you are having a difficult time telling what the picture is: Practice #7 If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder. 

  We resumed checking out books from the library today now that the book fair is over. 

  Columbia will be hosting STEM Day on November 8th. Please click this link for more information: STEM Day

  Columbia Elementary School will be hosting the following events on November 7th in order to honor Veterans Day! Have your child wear red, white, and blue. You are welcome to make a sign for your child to hold during the parade. Please send it on Thursday morning. We'd love to see any veterans from your family drive thru our parade. Let me know if we should expect to see you. 

  • The eS2S Astro Ambassadors will be handing out thank you cards to families with Veterans during the morning car line! Cars will put their flashers on to signal that they have a Veteran in their family.

  • There will be a drive-thru parade at CES for our students to honor Veterans from 9:00a.m.-9:20a.m. in the back car line area. Please see the flyer for more information.

  • Students are encouraged to invite a veteran friend or family member to eat lunch with them on the CES stage on November 9th. Veterans can purchase a lunch at the school for $4.75 or bring their own lunch! Please see the flyer for more information.

  • No School on Monday, November 11th in honor of Veteran's Day.

  Reminder: When looking through your child's Halloween candy, please send 1- 2 packages of the FunSize plain M&Ms in your child's folder for us to use for a math lesson. Thank you!! 

• Friday, November 1st

  Click this link to read next week's newsletter: November 4-8.  Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

  I wanted to express the importance of our students arriving on time each day. When they start their morning at school promptly, it gives them a calm and focused beginning, allowing them to fully engage with the day’s lessons right from the start. Missing those first few minutes can make a real difference, as it often means they're joining us mid-lesson, feeling rushed or struggling to catch up. I know mornings can be challenging, and we appreciate all you do to support your child’s education. By ensuring they arrive on time, you’re helping them build strong habits that set them up for success throughout the day and the year. Thank you so much for your understanding and support in this.  

  Request: When looking through your child's Halloween candy, please send 1- 2 packages of the FunSize plain M&Ms (please no peanut) in your child's folder for us to use next week for a math lesson. We will be using the candy to learn how to do a 3 step sort. Thank you!!

  Reminder: Thank you to everyone who has completed the Impact Aid survey. If you have not completed this very important form please do so immediately.  Here is a link to help you find the form: How to fill out impact aid form

  Helpful Things To Do: 

  - Have your child practice putting on their jacket, zipping their jacket, and taking off their jacket independently. If you do it for your child every time you are together, then they won't know how to do it when they are at school without you. Thank you for letting them practice so they can become independent. 

  - Have your child practice rolling up their rest mat.

  - Make sure your child has a change of clothes in their backpack. It would be helpful for the outfit to be appropriate for the season. 

• Wednesday, October 30th

  Request: When looking through your child's Halloween candy tomorrow night, please send 1- 2 packages of the Fun Size plain M&Ms in your child's folder for us to use next week for a math lesson. We will be using the candy to learn how to do a 3-step sort. Thank you!! 

  Reminder that students are allowed to wear their costume to school under the following guidelines:

   - Costumes must be able to be worn to and from school as students will not have time to change.

   - Costumes must be able to be worn indoors and outdoors, to include PE and Recess. 

   - Appropriate school shoes must be worn with the costume, tennis shoes only.

   - Please avoid scary, gory, or grotesque costumes.

   - Please avoid masks and face painting that covers the entire face.

   - No props should be sent that accompany the costume.

  Do not send your child in a one piece costume. This makes using the restroom difficult and requires extra time away from instruction. The costume needs to be one in which the student can go to the restroom independently.  Keep in mind your child does not have to wear their actual Halloween costume if you wish to keep it fresh for trick or treating. Please make sure the change of clothes in the book bag is seasonally appropriate. The students have been warned that if their behavior gets out of control they will be sent to the restroom to change into regular clothes. 

• Monday, October 28th

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters Ss and Ii. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.  Practice sheet #6 will be coming home in folders today.  The Practice Sheet is due back on November 4th. Please take the time to help your child complete all the activities on this sheet.  It will greatly benefit your child’s learning.

  Please remember that the October Reading Log is due Thursday, October 31st.

  Red Ribbon Week is this week: Please refer to the October 17th post or our schools’ social media platforms for the dress-up days.

  The Book Fair will be open all this week. It will be open from 7:45-2:15 daily and will close on Friday, November 1st, at 10:45 a.m.  In addition, if you wish to come and shop with your child, the Book Fair will be open during the Trail of Treats tonight from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  Reminder, our class will visit the Book Fair on Tuesday, October 29, from 8:15-8:45. Please note that the library will be closed for check-outs this week due to the Book Fair. Please keep your child’s book at home until next week. Thank you and happy Book Fair week!

  With Halloween excitement in full swing, I wanted to gently remind everyone about the importance of a good night’s sleep for our students, especially during this busy week! We understand how exciting all the activities and festivities are, and we love seeing their enthusiasm. To help them fully enjoy and make the most of both school and Halloween fun, a consistent sleep schedule can be so beneficial. A full night’s rest supports their focus, mood, and energy, which makes their days at school even more enjoyable and productive. This is especially true now, with all the added stimulation and excitement of the season. We appreciate your support in ensuring our students are well-rested and ready for each new day of learning and celebration.

  Friendly reminders:

  • Please empty your child’s Daily Folder every day.

  • Please return your child’s Practice Sheet every Monday. 

  • Please send your child to school daily with a snack and a bottle of water. 

  • Please make sure your child has a change of clothes in their backpack that is appropriate for the season.

• Thursday, October 24th

  Click this link to read next week's newsletter: October 28 - November 1 Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

  If you haven't watched the video that I shared in Monday's post, please take time to do that now. I made it for parents to know how to support your child with Practice #5 and beyond. It is worth your time to watch. Here is the link to the video: Practice Sheet #5 Video 

  Yesterday, all students who met the Kindergarten independent reading goal for the 1st Nine Weeks received an extra recess from our librarian and reading coach. My class had 6 students at the extra recess. Mrs. Nguyen and Mrs. Evans will offer a different incentive for reaching the 2nd Nine Weeks reading goal. Remember, the goal is to read 20 books in October, November, and December. Turn in each month's reading log when it is completed and I will keep them in a safe place. Thank you for reading to your child at home! 

  Tomorrow is Pajama and Hat Day. This was the incentive for the school reaching $40,000 during the fundraiser. After tomorrow, all of the incentives have been given. 

  Events happening at Columbia:

  FCA Coin Drive - happening through October 31

  Trunk or Treat - October 28 from 6:00-7:30 

  Red Ribbon Week - October 28-November 1

  CES Wall of Honor -  If your child has a relative who is a Veteran, please fill out this Certificate of Gratitude and include a picture.  We keep our certificates from year to year, so please don’t send pictures that you would need returned.  If possible, copy the photo directly onto the certificate and send the completed form back to school. The certificates will be displayed on the CES Wall of Honor. 

• Monday, October 21

  Practice Sheet #5 is in folders today. Please click this link to watch a video to help you with the new boxes on the practice sheet this week: Practice Sheet #5 Video The video was made for parents to watch so you know what to expect when working with your child on the practice sheet. Your child does not have to watch the video. 

  I need your help getting 100% completion of the Impact Aid survey for our class. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to complete the electronic Impact Aid survey in PowerSchool Parent Portal. (Dr. Nichols sent an email last week with directions.) Please complete this form by October 31. I appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey. Mrs. Hester had it finished in less than 3 minutes for both of her children. Please contact the front office if you have any questions. 

  Reminder - Columbia's FCA is collecting coins for hurricane victims. Send in a bag of coins or a few dollars to go in the jar. See post from last Monday for the specifics. Thank you! 

  Helpful information for NEXT week:

  Next Monday is our annual CES Trail of Treats. If you plan to come, please send one bag of candy per child that will be trick-or-treating. See the flyer in last Friday's post for more information.

  October 28 - November 1 is Red Ribbon week. There are dress up days each day during Red Ribbon week. They were listed on last Friday's post and a flyer will come home this week with all of the information too. 

  The Book Fair will be open next week. If you wish to come and shop with your child, the Book Fair will be open during the Trail of Treats. Our class is scheduled to visit the book fair on Tuesday, October 29 from 8:15-8:45. If you would like your child to purchase books, you can send money in a labeled envelope inside your child’s daily folder next Tuesday.

Thursday, October 17th

Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: October 21-25 Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I also hope that you and your child are enjoying spending time together as you do the October Challenge. The monthly challenge can be found in the upper right-hand corner of our newsletter.

Please see the attached flyer for information about our school Trail of Treats event. We are collecting bags of candy to distribute at this event. For each child you will be bringing to trick or treat at this event please send in that many bags of candy.

Please see the attached flyer from the Alabama Department of Education. It has some valuable information about our kindergarten reading standards and how to support your child at home.

October 28-November 1st is Red Ribbon Week. The following are dress-up days Red Ribbon Week:

Monday- Team Up Against Drugs (Wear your favorite sports jersey or team gear)

Tuesday- Stay on Course, Don’t Flip (students dress like teachers & teachers dress like students)

Wednesday- Work Out Your Choices Wednesday (Wear Workout Clothes)

Thursday- Drugs are Spooky (wear your Halloween costume)

*no scary costumes, no one piece costumes, must wear tennis shoes*

Friday- Follow Your Dreams (Wear Pajamas)

Monday, October 14th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing the letters Mm, Dd, and Gg. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. 

Coming home today in Daily Folders:  Practice #4.  If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet #3 today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder.  These practice sheets are a valuable resource to help support your child’s learning at home. Please take the time to do these with your child.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Tomorrow is our first field trip. Please review the field trip reminders that were sent home last week. Click here for field trip reminders.

Our FCA is organizing a coin drive to raise much-needed funds for families impacted by the recent hurricanes in neighboring states. The proceeds will be donated to Samaritan's Purse and the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Organization, two wonderful organizations that have been working tirelessly to support those affected by these devastating events. The coin drive will run throughout the month of October, and we are gratefully accepting any spare change or small dollar bills you may be willing to contribute. There will be collection jars in the front office and in one classroom for each grade level, making it easy for students to participate.

Every little bit helps, and together, we can make a meaningful difference for those in need.

• Thursday, October 10th 

  Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: October 14-18. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week and stay informed. 

  **Very Important Information: TOMORROW we will have the Sprinkler Water Party during our recess time at 1:30. Whatever your child wears to school is what they will wear during the party. Make sure they can independently remove these clothes while wet.  Please send clothes that they can independently change into after the party. They won’t have much time to change. All 5 Kindergarten classes have a total of 30 minutes to change before dismissal and we have limited bathroom stalls. Time will be of the essence. Also, please send a pair of shoes in the backpack for your child to wear to the water party. Your child still needs to wear their velcro tennis shoes for the school day.

  Report of Learning Folders are coming home today with your child’s 1st Nine weeks Report Card. As discussed at Parent Night our grading scale is 4, 3, 2, 1. Your child will not receive a 4 until the standard has been taught to the full depth of the Kindergarten expectations AND your child has shown consistent mastery of the standard. At this time of the year 2s and 3s are extremely common. Another thing we discussed at Parent Night was that Kindergarten teachers system wide have a rubric to follow when assigning a 4, 3, 2 or 1 for a standard. After reading the Report Card, please do two things. First, sign the report card in the address box on the first page. Second, I would like one parent from each family to complete this Google Form.

  Trail of Treats will be on October 28th from 6:00-7:30 pm. PTA is asking for candy donations for this event. Donations will also be collected in the carline on October 11th and 18th. Click on this flyer for more information.

• Monday, October 7th
  

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing the letters Tt, Pp, Nn and Aa. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

  Practice #3 is coming home in folders today. If you didn’t send your child’s Practice #2 today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder.  These practice sheets are a valuable resource to help support your child’s learning at home. Please take the time to do these with your child.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

  Reminder: Wednesday is a half day of school. We will dismiss at 11:30.  If you did not complete the Google Form that was in yesterday’s post, please do so now. Thank you!

• Sunday, October 6th 

  I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Fall Break! I'm excited about beginning the 2nd Nine weeks tomorrow.

  Please read this week's newsletter: October 7-11

  Reminder: This Wednesday is a half-day of school. Elementary students are dismissed at 11:30. *Please note this is a different time from normal half days. Please fill out the Half Day Google link letting me know of any transportation changes and what your child will do for lunch. I only need one parent to fill out the form. Here is the link: Half Day Google Form

• Thursday, September 19th

  Please click this link to read next week’s newsletter: September 23-27. Thank you for reading the newsletter each week!

  Please email me a picture of you at work and include a Kindergarten-friendly sentence that describes what you do. The full description of this project was in last Thursday's post. Please go back and read the information. I'd like a picture and sentence for both parents. Thank you for doing this by tomorrow afternoon.

  Thank you to everyone who has turned in the field trip forms and payment. Both forms and payment are due no later than September 26th. 

  Our September reading logs are due on September 27th. Thank you for reading to your child each evening. The benefits of reading to your child far exceed the prize they will receive next Friday for completing the log. 

  Next week is the last week of the first quarter. I am continuing to collect data and complete one on one assessments with the students for their first nine weeks report card throughout next week. If you know in advance that your child will be out of school for any day next week, please let me know so that I may adjust my assessment schedule to ensure your child’s first nine weeks assessments are completed. 

  We are so excited to announce this year's Be a Champion and Read contest! Our Columbia students are challenged to read six appropriate books to qualify for the AEA Grand Prize: Iron Bowl tickets - one winner for each team - for the student and two guests. Each prize includes sideline passes and pre-game activities. Logs for keeping up with reading progress will be sent home with your child tomorrow. We are thrilled to make this an exciting month for our readers! These logs must be turned into the library by October 21st.

  One way that you can help your child is by helping them learn to independently open items they may have at lunch (milks, chip bags, cheese sticks, etc.).  We have a very short time in the lunchroom, our schedule for lunch is from 10:20-10:50. While this may seem to be enough time by the time we go through the lunch line, get settled at the table, then open containers, about 10 minutes has passed. Then we lose another 5 minutes for cleaning up. If your child still struggles with opening the containers then consider changing what you send the lunch item in or open the container enough that your child can finish the process successfully. Please practice opening lunch and snack items with your child throughout the week. The more opportunities they have to do this, the easier it will become! I appreciate your help with this!

• Monday, September 16th

  Our first Practice Sheet is coming home in folder's today. As you read on the newsletter, please don't do it all at once - a little each day will benefit your child. Also, your child needs to write with a pencil. (Please let me know if you need me to send a pencil home for your child to do the Practice Sheet.) This is a picture of what to look for in the folder: Practice Sheet Picture. Also, refer back to the letter identification video I shared last week for guidance about helping your child learn the names of the letters.

  Today, we began our second week of our 95% phonics program. We are focusing on the letters Tt and Pp this week.  Here is some more information about this phonics program. 

  We're studying apples this week in science. Please send an apple to school by tomorrow. Thank you to those who sent in an apple today!

  The students were so excited about our first day of Literacy Stations. We will continue to review the procedures for Literacy Stations in hopes that it will go smoothly in the coming weeks.

  Please continue to practice the lunch numbers at home with your child. This makes checking out a new library book easy and speeds up the long line of children buying a school lunch.

  No Hassle Fundraiser - The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening through Friday. Please consider giving a donation to our school. You can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser. Mrs. Bolden has asked every student to participate, even if they want to do that by sending $1 to school in an envelope labeled with "Fundraiser."

  Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their Community Helper picture and sentence. See last Thursday's post for more information. I need these by Friday please. 

• Thursday, September 12th

  Please click this link to read next week’s newsletter: September 16-20 Thank you for reading the newsletter each week! 

  We're studying apples next week in science. Please send an apple to school on Monday.

  Return your child's Red Report of Learning Folder tomorrow. Please sign the progress report before returning. 

  Community Helper Project - We will be studying Community Helpers the last week of September. I need every parent to email me with two things:
  1. A picture of you at work. Whatever your job, whether you are an engineer, accountant, fireman, sales clerk, stay at home mom, or a doctor, I’d like you to send me a picture.
  2. A sentence about how your job helps others. Please explain it in a way that 5 and 6-year-olds can understand.
  Please email me these two things by September 20th. My email address is acourtney@madisoncity.k12.al.us I will share your picture and read your sentence to the class during Community Helper Week. Your child will be so proud to have your picture shared with the class. Thank you for participating!

  Kindergarten Field Trip - Our first field trip is October 15th. The informational note and permission slip were sent home today. Please send the completed forms and payment at the same time. The forms and payment are due on September 26th. If you mark on the form that an adult plans to join us, please remember that the adult will need to complete a background check. Here is the link: School Background Check

  No Hassle Fundraiser - The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Please consider giving a donation to our school. You can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser We've had 7 students register. Remember, just by registering, your child gets a coupon for a free kid's meal at Jon Smith Subs. Our class has raised $150 for the fundraiser. Wow!

  Enjoy your weekend! 

• Monday, September 9th

  Mrs. Hester has made 2 quick videos that I would like you to watch today:
  1) The First Nine Weeks Progress Report will be in your child’s backpack on Wednesday. Please watch this video to know what to expect and what I need you to do. It should answer any questions you have about the Report of Learning Folder: Progress Report Video 
  2) She also made a video about the activities we’ve been doing in class to help with letter identification. Please watch this video to the end. It is 5 minutes. Letter Identification Video 

  Thank you for watching both videos!!

  Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. Here is the link to donate online:  No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs) Any amount you can contribute to the fundraiser is helpful! Whether that is $5, $20, $50 or more, it all adds up to help our school. 

• Friday, September 6th

  Please click this link to read next week's newsletter: September 9-13

  Please order a class shirt for your child. Our class color is Red. We will wear these shirts frequently throughout the year. The deadline to order is Monday at 8:00 am. Please place your order before then by clicking on this link: Order a Class Shirt If you haven't ordered yet because the $10 is a financial hardship, please reach out to me so we can work something out. If you haven't ordered yet because you keep forgetting, please take a moment to order one now. Thank you!

  On September 27th, Columbia Elementary will be participating in Rock Your School. The theme this year is a "Twenties Era" Birthday Party for Columbia. We're going to wear red and black to the birthday party. Between now and then, please help your child learn their birthday. As of last week, only four of my students could tell me the month and day they were born. There are a few items that would be fun to have for Rock Your School that I've added to a wish list. If you'd like to donate any items, click this link: Rock Your School Wish List 

  You'll notice we'll have fewer papers in our Daily Folders starting next week. Our 95% Phonics Program has a workbook that we'll be working out of each day.

  Also, next week I need the students to bring their best listening ears because I am teaching the procedures for Literacy Stations. Literacy Station time is when I teach small groups of students while the rest of the class is working with partners on independent practice. It is crucial that they learn and understand the procedures so they can do it independently in the coming weeks. 

  Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. All of the information you need to know came home in your child’s folder today. Thank you for supporting our school!  Here is the link to donate online: No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs)

• Tuesday, September 3rd

  I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend!

  Please look in your child’s folder tomorrow to find the September Reading Log. Each grade level has an independent reading plan for their students. Kindergarten is slightly different because our students are not independent readers yet. So, as you read to your child, they need to color a leaf on their reading log. Please read all of the details and directions that come home with the reading log in your child’s folder today. The completed reading log is due September 27th. Enjoy cuddling up and reading with your child.

  Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. All of the information you need to know came home in your child’s folder today. Thank you for supporting our school!  Here is the link to donate online: No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs)

  Friday is Grandparent's Day. Grandparents are welcome to join us for lunch. We are not able to read with grandparents after lunch since that is our PE time. We can send students to the library to read with a grandparent at 10:00. You must email me by Thursday afternoon if a grandparent will be joining us for reading in the library. If you don't email me, then I won't know to send your child to the library.

Thursday, August 29th

Here is next week’s newsletter: September 2-6. Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I appreciate you doing your part to keep yourself informed about classroom learning.

Remember you can order your child a class shirt at this link: Class shirts.  You will want to be sure to order a shirt for your child because we will wear them often throughout the school year. Please reach out to me if purchasing this shirt is a

hardship for your family. Thank you!

Please remember to send a snack and a refillable water bottle every day with your child. Also, for safety reasons, please do not send glass water bottles or containers to school.  I also ask that you empty your child’s blue Daily Folder every day and look over the papers that are in the folder.  It helps you to see what your child is learning at school, as well as see important papers that I send home providing information that you need. 

Reminders: 

Kindergarten will have the opportunity to purchase ice cream every Friday starting next Friday, September 6th.  If your child brings lunch and you would like to allow them to purchase the ice cream, please let them know so that they know they should go through the line with the class. 

Helpful weekend to do list:

1. Cozy up and enjoy reading your child’s poetry notebook.

2. Wash your child’s rest mat.

3. Have your child practice rolling up and securing their rest mat until they can do it

independently 3 times in a row.

4. Enjoy the long weekend!