Columbia Elementary School

• Monday, December 4th 

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

  Now that we've finished our DIBELS benchmark assessment and the iReady assessments, we've started our assessments for our 2nd Nine Week Report Cards. Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night and eats a healthy breakfast each morning. If you plan for your child to be absent, please let me know, so I can plan accordingly to assure missed assessments are completed.

  Tomorrow is Tree Topper Tuesday. Your child may wear their favorite festive hat or headwear. 

  We are so excited to go on our school-wide field trip to James Clemens to see our drama club present Finding Nemo Jr. next month! Field trip forms have been sent home. The cost of the field trip is $3.  Please send in field trip forms and money back to school by Friday, December 15th. Thank you!

  I wanted to give 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.

November 30, 2023

Here is next week’s newsletter: December 4-8. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week and stay informed. 

I am proud of the students and their hard work today on the iReady assessments. We will take the DIBELS assessments tomorrow, December 1st. 

We will begin assessments for the Second Nine Weeks Report Card next week.  These assessments are completed one on one and take quite a bit of time. If your child has a planned absence between now and the end of the semester, please let me know so I can adjust my assessment plan. Thank you for supporting classroom learning at home! Your time makes a difference!

As you know Columbia Elementary is a special place. Our custodians, CNP staff, and our plant manager work tirelessly behind the scenes to make our school a wonderful learning environment. As a school, we want to bless our custodial staff, CNP, and plant manager with something extra for Christmas and the holidays. If you would like to be part of this school-wide gift,  please send any donations in the form of cash only in a sealed envelope labeled: CES Holiday Donations. Please send in no later than Dec 8th.

Our class holiday party will be on Monday, December 18th from 8:15 - 9:15 a.m. Please mark your calendar for this fun event. If you are interested in volunteering to help, there will be a sign-up genius available soon. 

Tomorrow will be our first dress-up day for December. Students are allowed to wear pajamas, but no one-piece pajamas are allowed. This makes restroom time for your child difficult. Also, please remember that students are only allowed to wear tennis shoes to school. This is for the safety of your child while playing in the gym and on the playground equipment.

November 27, 2023

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

Semester Assessments - Tomorrow we will start taking our iReady Math assessments. After that, we will take our iReady Reading assessment. On Friday, the students will take their DIBELS benchmark assessment. Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night and eats a healthy breakfast each morning. Thank you for your support. 

Coming home today in your child’s Blue Daily Folder is a permission slip for our field trip to see our CES Drama Club’s performance of Finding Nemo, Jr. The field trip will be Friday, January 26th and cost $3 for the bus fee.  All forms and money are due by Friday, December 15th.   

For the month of December we will have several dress-up days for the students and staff.  These dress-up days will be on Tuesdays and Fridays, beginning with this Friday, December 1st. Click the link to see how students can dress up and the dates: “CES Happy Holidaze”.

In our school cafeteria we have a holiday tree on display. Mrs. Bolden announced today that any student who would like to send in an inexpensive ornament that represents their family, we will add it to the tree. Please make sure that it is labeled somewhere with your child's name.

Sunday, November 26th

I hope everyone had a restful break and wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Please click this link to read this week's newsletter: November 27th - December 1st. This is a big week for our Kindergarten students. They will take their mid-year benchmark tests for iReady and DIBELS.  A good night's rest and healthy breakfast will help your child perform their best. (Read the Important Information box at the bottom of the newsletter for the dates.) Thank you for your support.

Please send Practice Sheet #8 tomorrow. Practice Sheet #9 will come home in your child's folder tomorrow. Thank you for spending time each day on the Practice Sheet. 

If your child has completed the November challenge, please send an email or note in your child's folder to let me know. Your child will earn 2 Good Time Tickets for completing the monthly challenge.

As winter is approaching, 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. Please remember that I try my best to help your child build independence. I remind the students that it is their responsibility to keep up with their personal items. You can help your child by ensuring that their name is in every item they bring to school, including coats/jackets.  

3. Please teach your child how to zip their jacket and allow practice time until your child is comfortable doing it. Thank you

• Monday, November 13th

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters l, r, and short o. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. Tomorrow you will find your child’s second paper pencil test on the skills taught in 95% phonics in your child’s folder. We will take unit tests throughout the school year to monitor phonological awareness skills and phonics skills. 

  Mrs. Hester made a quick video about your child’s 95 Phonics workbook that will be coming home tomorrow. Click here to watch the video. Thank you for your support!

  Today we began our sorting unit. We are learning how to 1) sort by attributes, 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. 

  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. 

  Progress Reports will be coming home in the Report of Learning Folders on Wednesday, November 15th.  Please read it, sign it and return it to school on Friday, November 17th. 

  Parents, please help me with the following items: 

  1) Students need to wear velcro or slip on tennis shoes to school each day. Please do not send your child in shoes that have laces, winter slip on boots, lace-up boots, or dress shoes. These are not allowed at school.

  2) Please also refrain from letting your child bring toys, jewelry, watches, purses, and Pokeman cards to school. These items are can be distracting during learning times and need to be kept at home.

• Thursday, November 9th 

   

  Here is next week’s newsletter: November 13-17. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week to stay informed. 

  Next week we will begin our math lessons on sorting. We will be using the snack size bags of M & M's you sent in on Monday. Thank you for sending so many to school. If there are any extra packs after we finish the lesson, I plan to put them inside the prize box that we use for our weekly drawings. If you are out shopping this weekend and see small trinkets for the prize box, we'd like for you to get them for the class.

  Our class really enjoyed learning about veterans and going to the Veterans parade today. They also illustrated a Veterans song and poem for their Poetry Notebook. You'll want to check those out with your child.

  Helpful Weekend To Do List:

  1. Wash your child’s rest mat and return on 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 #7 and return it to school on Monday morning inside your child’s Blue Daily Folder. 

  4. If you haven't already done so, please watch the video that I shared on Monday. Click this link: Sentences on Practice Sheet

  Enjoy the long weekend!

   

   
•  

• Monday, November 6th

  At this time, I met with all of the parents that requested a parent-teacher conference on the form that was shared in October. I sent home the conference forms today for the remaining families. If you have any questions about anything on your child's conference form, please let me know.

  Mrs. Hester made a quick video about this week's Practice Sheet. It is less than 2 minutes: Click here to watch the video. Thank you for your support!

  Reminder: Our school’s Veterans Parade is scheduled for Thursday morning from 9:00-9:30. Please have your child wear red, white and blue. Also, if your child would like to make a sign to hold during the parade, please make it at home and send it to school with your child on Thursday morning. Send me an email if you or a family member is driving in the parade so we know how to look for you. 

• Thursday, November 2nd

  Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: November 6-9

  Columbia will be hosting our first 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 9th 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.-9:30a.m. in the back carline 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.

  • Reminder - No School on Friday, November 10th in honor of Veteran's Day.

  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. 

   

   
•  

• Monday, October 30th

  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. You will also notice your child’s first paper pencil test on the skills taught in 95% phonics in your child’s folder. We will take unit tests throughout the school year to monitor phonological awareness skills and phonics skills.

  Thank you for turning in Practice Sheet #5 today. Practice Sheet #6 is in your child's Daily folder.  Please review the video from last week if you need help with the phoneme segmentation section. If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder. 

  We will resume checking out books from the library tomorrow now that the book fair is over. 

  Request: 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 later in November for a math lesson. Thank you!! 

  Thank you to everyone who has completed the Impact Aid survey. If you have not completed this very important form please do so immediately. The link to the form was on last week’s post. 

  The weather has gotten colder. We will go outside at 1:35 each day if the “feels like” temperature is 32 or above. That means you must send your child to school in weather appropriate clothing. As a reminder, please practice putting on and taking off jackets along with zipping the zippers. It takes time for me to zip 16 zippers or pull out the sleeves so that your child can put their coat/jacket on before playing outside. Please write your child’s name on the inside of their jacket. As a reminder, we wear velcro or slip on tennis shoes every day. No rain boots or fuzzy boots at school. 

  Friendly reminders:

  Please empty your child’s Daily Folder every day.

  Please send your child to school 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 26th

  Click this link to read next week’s newsletter: October 30-November 3 .  Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter each week. 

  Tomorrow is Pajama Day. Pajamas must be school appropriate. Your child should be able to use the bathroom independently in the pajamas, so no onesie pajamas. We will wear tennis shoes with our pajamas. No slippers, please. 

  I am looking forward to seeing my students at the Trail of Treats tomorrow! It begins at 6:00 pm. If you plan on coming, it is not too late to donate a bag of candy. 

  Here is the 2nd Nine Weeks STEM Newsletter from Mrs. Vandiver. Click this link to read: STEM Newsletter

  Wall of Honor - Do you have a Veteran in your family that you'd like to honor?  Fill out this certificate of gratitude and print a picture to attach to it. Send the certificate with a picture attached in your child's Daily Folder. We will laminate it and hang it on the Wall of Honor. Click here to print the  Certificate of Gratitude

  If you haven't completed the Impact Aid form in the Power School Parent Portal, please do so today. If you have questions contact the office. Here is the link with directions: How to Complete Impact Aid

• Monday, October 23rd

  Thank you for turning in Practice Sheet #4 today. I loved listening to my students do a wonderful job reading the words! Practice Sheet #5 is in folders today. Please click this link to see a quick guide on how to help your child with phoneme segmentation: Understand Phoneme Segmentation (Please watch all of this video. It is less than 2 minutes. Thank you!)

  This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning how to write the letters Ss and Ii with correct formation and we're learning to read words with these sounds. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. 

  Thank you for sending the balls today! If you forgot to send a ball today with your child, please send a small one tomorrow that will fit in your child's backpack. Thank you.

  Red Ribbon Week is this week. Wear a team jersey or shirt tomorrow as we Team Up Against Drugs.

  We go to the Book Fair on Wednesday at 8:15. If you want your child to purchase books, you can send money in a labeled envelope or plan on joining us in the library. The library is closed for checkouts during Book Fair week. This means students will not be able to check out a library book again until October 31st. 

  Please make sure the change of clothes in your child's backpack is appropriate for the season. Double check for underwear, pants, shirt, socks, and a bag to use with the soiled clothes. Thank you!

Friday, October 20th

• Friday, October 20th

  Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: October 23-27 Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. On Monday, we will begin our Science unit on Balls and Ramps. There is a special item that we'd like all students to bring on Monday. Please read the important information box in the newsletter for details. 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.

  The Book Fair will be open this coming Tuesday, October 24th. It will be open from 7:40-2:15 daily and will close on Monday, October 30th. Our class is scheduled to visit the Book Fair on Wednesday, October 25th, from 8:15-8:45 am.  If you would like for your child to purchase books, you can send money in a marked envelope or Ziploc bag with your child's name and my name, inside your child’s daily folder. In addition, if you wish to come and shop with your child, the Book Fair will be open during the Trail of Treats on Friday, October 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

  Next week, we will be collecting items for Veterans in local nursing homes. Please click this flyer to learn more about the items we are collecting. There will be a box at the front entrance of the school to place donated items.

  October 23-27th is also Red Ribbon Week. The following are dress-up days for next week:

  Monday- CES is RED-y for Red Ribbon Week (Wear Red and/ or CES Spiritwear)

  Tuesday- Team Up Against Drugs (Wear Your Favorite Sports Jersey or Team Gear)

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

  Thursday- Your Future is Magical (Dress as Your Favorite Disney Character)

  Friday- Follow Your Dreams (Wear Pajamas)

  On Monday, I forgot to share the weekly family note from our phonics program. Sorry this is late, but I hope you still find it helpful. Here is the link: 95% Phonics Activities for Families.

   

• Wednesday, October 18th

  Wow! What an awesome Field Trip we had to Gullion Farms! The children really enjoyed petting the animals, milking the cow, the pony ride, gathering eggs, the picnic lunch, picking a pumpkin, the giant slide, the zipline, the horse drawn carriage, and the corn crib! I was very proud of the children as they were all so well behaved. We really had a great day! Thank you to our chaperones, our pumpkin parent, and to all of the parents who joined us at the farm! It wouldn’t have been successful without all of your help! I will add pictures to Seesaw soon!

  Next Friday night will be our Trail of Treats at 6:00. If your family is attending, please send in anunopened bag of candy for each child participating. Thank you! 

  We are running low on items for our Prize Box for our Good Time Ticket weekly drawing. The prizes can be any trinket items you find at the store. I would appreciate any donations for the prize box throughout the school year. Thank you!

• Monday, October 16th

  Today, the students learned about fire safety from Madison City Firefighters. The students learned all about firefighters, ways to stay safe during a fire, and they even got to walk inside the fire truck! I added pictures to your child's Seesaw Digital Portfolio. 

  I checked Practice Sheet #3 today and have sent home Practice Sheet #4.  If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder. Thank you. 

  If an adult from your family is meeting our class at Gullion Farms on October 18th, please email me if you plan to take your child with you at the end of the field trip. You'll need to check them out from me. Please email me by 2:00 on Tuesday to let me know. Thank you!  If you misplaced the important field trip notes that were in folders on Friday, you can read it by clicking this link: Important Field Trip Note

  Our class shirts were delivered to school today. I will keep your child’s shirt at school to put on the morning of the field trip. All other shirts ordered for other family members are coming home in your child’s backpack today. 

  Please remember that winter boots are not acceptable school shoes. Students need to wear velcro or slip on tennis shoes with socks. Thank you! 

  Also, as the weather is changing and children are wearing jackets to school, I have a request that will really help us in class. Please have your child practice buttoning/zipping their jacket until they can do this independently. The students button/zip their jacket to their chair every morning when we arrive and then they zip it on themselves when we go out for recess, and again at the end of the day. You can see it is important for students to be able to complete this life skill independently. Thank you for your support at home.

Friday, October 13th

Here is the link to next week’s newsletter: October 16-20.  Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter each week. 

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.

We have completed the 1st 9 weeks individual reading plan. I am proud to announce that our class met the necessary goal! 

We had a wonderful teacher appreciation lunch today provided by PTA.  If you contributed to this luncheon, thank you so much!  We all enjoyed this delicious meal!

Monday, October 9th

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. 

Coming home today in Daily Folders:  Practice #3.  If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet #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 this with your child.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

If an adult from your family is meeting our class at Gullion Farms on October 18th, please email me with the number of adults and the names of the adults. (Siblings are not allowed to join us on field trips.) Please remember to email me after reading today’s post. Thank you!  

Friendly reminder: Wednesday is a half day of school. We will dismiss at 11:30.  If you haven’t already filled out the Google Form that I included in yesterday’s post, please do so now. Thank you!

Trail of treats is coming up on Oct. 27 6-7:30.

Candy donations will be accepted 10/9-10/20. Online donations can be made at this link:   https://columbia.memberhub.com/store/items/929169 .

• Sunday, October 8th 

  I hope you had a relaxing Fall Break with your family! 

  Here is this week's newsletter: October 9-13 Please take a moment to read the newsletter each week. I didn't receive a note from any family about completing the September Challenge. The September Challenge is my favorite because it is so important for children. If your family did the September Challenge and forgot to send a note on Friday, you can still send it tomorrow. If your family didn't give it a try, I encourage you to do so in October. 

  Wednesday is a half day of school. We dismiss at 11:30. I need each family to complete this form so I know about lunch and your child's transportation: Half Day Form. Please complete the form by Monday. Thank you!

  Please return your child's rest mat, poetry notebook, and Practice #2 in your child's blue folder tomorrow. Thank you!

• Monday, September 25th 

  Thank you to all who returned Practice Sheet #1 today. If you forgot to return it today, please send it in your child’s Daily Folder tomorrow. Practice Sheet #2 is coming home in folders today. Please remember that your child needs to complete this in pencil. 

  The students did well last week in our first week of Literacy Stations. Literacy Stations is an important time in our day for students to complete group/partner work reinforcing our reading skills, while I teach differentiated small group lessons.  I look forward to seeing the students grow with independence, cooperatively working with others, and producing quality work while working in stations.  You will see their work from Literacy Stations coming home soon!

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

  We reached three goals with the school No Hassle fundraiser. YAY! We will celebrate this by having a pajama day, glow party, and a popsicle party! We will keep you informed of when the reward days will be! Thank you all so much for your support during this fundraiser! 

  We started our unit on Community Helpers today. It is not too late to submit your picture and sentence to share with the class. Please see last week’s post for more details. 

  Thank you to everyone who has turned in the permission slips and money for our farm field trip in October. The forms and money are due September 29th. I am still missing money and forms from a few families. 

  Please read this informational note about Rock Your School on Friday, September 29th. If you are available to help decorate the hallway and prepare items for the Rock Your School event, please use this link to sign up. We need volunteers that can come without children at 4:00 on Thursday, September 28th. You will need to bring a ladder that can reach the ceiling tiles.  Thank you for your willingness to help!

  The proof of your child's school picture is in folders today. It has information on how to order pictures. 

• Thursday, September 21st 

  Here is next week’s newsletter: September 25-29 

  Thank you to everyone who has turned in the field trip forms and payment. Both forms and payment are due no later than September 29th. 

  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. 

  Community Helper Project:

  We will be studying Community Helpers next week. 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 as soon as possible. My email address is jmassengale@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!

  Tomorrow is the last day of the No Hassle Fundraiser! Please consider giving a donation to our school. Send it in the envelope that was provided. Or, you can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser.

• Monday, September 18th
  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. This is a picture of what to look for in the folder: Practice Sheet Picture. Also, refer back to the letter naming video I shared last week for guidance.

  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. 

  The students were so excited about our first day of Literacy Stations. It went well for the first day!

  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 now through September 22nd. Please consider giving a donation to our school. Send it in the envelope that was provided. Or, you can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser.

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

• Thursday, September 14th 

  Here is next week's newsletter: September 18-22

  Your child's progress report is in their backpack. It is not too late to watch the videos that were posted on Monday. Watch to the end of both videos and you'll know what to do. Thank you for keeping yourself informed. 

  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 21st. My email address is jmassengale@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 18th. 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 29th.

  No Hassle Fundraiser - The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 22nd. Please consider giving a donation to our school. Send it in the envelope that was provided. Or, you can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser.

  Enjoy your weekend! 

• Monday, September 11th 

  I have 2 quick videos that I would like you to watch today:

  The First Nine Weeks Progress Report will be in your child’s backpack on Thursday. 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

  Mrs. Hester made this video about the activities we’ve been doing in class to help with letter identification. Please watch this video to the end. It is only 5 minutes. Letter Identification Video

  Thank you for watching both videos!! 

  Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 22nd. 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. You can use the envelope that was sent home last week to make a donation or you can donate online. Here is the link: Donate to the Fundraiser

• Friday, September 8th

  Here is next week’s newsletter: September 11-15. Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I appreciate you doing your part to keep yourself informed about classroom learning.

  As you know, for the last several weeks we have been going over the letters of the alphabet with our letter experts. During this time we talk about what the letter looks like, the sound it makes, how to write it on the lines with correct letter formation, and how to recognize its sound at the beginning of words. If your child still does not know all of their letters automatically, a great way you can help them is by using flashcards with the letters not in alphabetical order.  Another great tool to use with your child is the website Starfall.  Here is the link to the website with the letter blocks that helps your child with the sound the letters make. 

  We are doing our best to learn how to use our bodies with all of these new spaces and friends! This means that sometimes we need reminders about personal space and to keep our hands to ourselves. Kindergarten is all about learning how to communicate with our words and our bodies - with our families, teachers, and peers! Please encourage your child to use their words to express themselves, and remind them that if they need help, they should tell a grown-up right away!

  You have probably noticed our math worksheets where students are learning to write the numerals correctly on the lines.  If you see where I have written the number correctly next to your child’s, please help them with this one on one at home.  

  As you will read in our newsletter, another way that you can help your child is by learning to open items that are sent in the lunchbox independently.  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 container then consider changing what you send the lunch item in or open the container enough that your child can finish the process successfully. I appreciate your help with this! 

  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

• Tuesday, September 5th

  I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! 

  We will finish learning our letters with our Letter Experts this week along with continuing sorting words/pictures based on the beginning sound.  You have probably also noticed our math worksheets where students are learning to write the numerals correctly on the lines.  If you see where I have written the number correctly next to  your child’s please help them with this one on one at home.  

  Please remember to send a snack daily with your child. I keep a few extra, however those are for students experiencing food insecurity.  We eat a very early lunch at 10:20 so by snack time students are usually hungry again. 

  Please also remember to return your child’s library book to their backpack after reading it each night. Students must return their book to receive a new one, and everyone enjoys getting to go to the library for a new book!

• Thursday, August 31st

  Here is next week’s newsletter: September 4-8. Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I appreciate you doing your part to keep yourself informed about classroom learning.

  Yearbook order forms came home today, in your child's daily folder. The cost is $35. If you would like to order a yearbook, the form and payment are due by December 15th.

  No Hassle Fundraiser -  The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening from September 8th through September 22nd. An information page was sent home in your child's folder today. Please consider giving a donation to our school. Send money in the envelope that PTA provided. Or, you can give online by clicking this link: Member Hub.

  When your child comes to school each day, please make sure your child:

  1. Has a water bottle filled with water and ice

  2. Has the blue Daily Folder inside his/her backpack

  3. Has their library book

  4. Is wearing velcro or slip-on shoes

  Thank you!!!

  Weekend To Do List:

  1. Practice your lunch number! This is used to check out new library books.

  2. Remove papers from the daily folder. 

  3. Let your child practice rolling up their rest mat.

  4. Send rest mats back on Tuesday.

  5. Enjoy the LONG weekend!