Winter Time

Brrrrr! There's no looking back now. The blustery winds have started blowing and the first snow has fallen. Although nothing has accumulated yet, the cold feeling of winter has set in. You can help ensure your child is prepared for cold weather recess by sending them to school with a winter coat, gloves, stocking hat and any other winter clothing you want. When the snow sticks around, you'll want to be sure to outfit your munchkin in snow pants and boots, along with the normal winter garb. Snow and ice also mean wetness so its a good idea to send an extra pair of socks for your child to keep in their locker. Please help out by making sure your child is bundled appropriately for the winter weather! (It would also be a great idea to teach your little one the responsibility of bundling up on their own. I will of course be there to make sure everything is ship-shape.)

This Wednesday, December 9 students will be attending a Ballet Legere performance of Peter Tchaikovksy's Nutcracker Ballet at the Chodl Theatre located in Cicero. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to see one of the most famous holiday classics. It's also a terrific way to incorporate manners and etiquette into our every day lives. For the performance, children are asked to "dress up" by wearing ballet appropriate attire. Please reinforce with your child the importance of manners and etiquette as we will be learning about them this week. Here is a little preview of the "Russian Dance" from Nutcracker ballet. The music is infamously recognizable and forever timeless.



This time of year seems to always become very busy with all kinds of holiday hubbub and seasonal changes and decorations. Student in Room 108 will be reading, writing and learning about many of the more common holiday celebrations while being encouraged to respect the traditions and beliefs of other people and cultures. One of the most important aspects of this season is showing compassion for others and respecting traditions other families observe. Hopefully you can find time to discuss meanings of the holiday season with your child and help them understand how fortunate they are to have such wonderful opportunities as an American child.

Thanks for reading, dress warmly, and I will see you on the blacktop!

Gobble, Gobble

After a very eventful five days of learning and experience, Thanksgiving week is upon us and that means only two days of school this week for Room 108. Monday will function like a regular academic school day, with our usual schedule of learning routines capped off by a festive activity with our fourth grade buddies. Tuesday will be more of a Thanksgiving infused academic day with an emphasis on social learning and group work.

Students in Room 108 have been working with our fourth grade buddies every Monday for quite awhile now and most of our activities have been inspired by holidays or seasonal awareness. Fourth graders are helpful in a variety of ways. The expectation for fourth graders is that they will model positive "Mustang Motto" behavior, assist first graders with reading and writing, while also encouraging hard work and effort. Many first graders have had one or two buddies for most of the year but partnerships will get shuffled around as the school year continues.

Speaking of the "Mustang Motto," Tuesday will be the all-school celebration for positive behavior. The entire school will celebrate another month of outstanding behavior by doing the "Cha-Cha Slide." To help get into our school spirit children and staff are asked to sport "Mann Wear" to school.

With a short week there will be no spelling words or library checkout time. If you want new library books, or forgot to return books last week, your child can bring them in on Monday or Tuesday to get some new ones for the long weekend. Children will also have a Thanksgiving Fun Packet to work on over the break. This packet is not required to be completed or returned to school, it is just something fun to work and a simple way to keep thinking skills sharp over the turkey break.

For those of you traveling this holiday, I hope your travels are smooth and safe. No matter what your Turkey Day plans, I hope they are full of family, friends and plenty of food. I think we all have plenty to be thankful for and I hope everyone shares their grateful thoughts with those closest to you. I am especially thankful for everyone involved in the first grade experience and all the outstanding support in the learning process. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!