End of Year Information

WOW!  The last full week of school is here and it is bittersweet.  We have lots of things ahead, so let me know if you have any questions.  

Wednesday
Make sure your child is on time with lots of rest and a good breakfast.  We will take our Language Arts Terra Nova.  Wednesday is also yearbook signing.  

Thursday
On Thursday we have field day.  Students need to be dropped off at Park Road Park.  The Eagle Bus will drop them off there as well.  Students need to wear their field trip shirts to the park.  They are in their backpacks today so they are able to wear them directly to the park.  They also need to wear tennis shoes (no sandals, crocs, etc.).  They need a water bottle as well.  Hats and sunscreen are also recommended.  You are welcome to take your child home for the day after field day is over.  Otherwise we will ride the bus back to school for lunch followed by a lazy the remainder of the afternoon.  =)  Please see the message below from Mr. Chambers regarding field day. 

Friday
We will watch the talent show in the morning.  In the afternoon we will have clubs.  

Monday
We will have a Read-In in the morning and clubs in the afternoon.  Students may bring stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, and wear pajamas.  =) 

Tuesday
We will make homemade ice cream and have clubs.  

Wednesday- LAST DAY =( =( =(
We will enjoy our last day together.  We will have a Red Carpet Party.  We will have our Red Carpet end of Kindergarten party on Wednesday with Mrs. Zagorski's class.  We will be giving all of the kids awards Hollywood style and celebrating the end of Kindergarten.  We would like for all of the kids to dress up for the event, as the movie stars and musicians do for red carpet events.  Dresses, shirts and ties, vests, etc. will make the event feel glamorous and fun for everyone!  Start shopping or picking out an outfit now!  Mrs. Z and I will provide all of the drinks, snacks, and decorations for the event, as we are keeping it a Kindergarten student-only affair.

Important Field Day 2015 Info

Dates:

Thursday June 4th - Lower School Field Day (K-4)

Monday June 8th - Upper School Field Day (5-8)

 

Location:

The location of both Field Days is:

 Park Road Park

Softball Field #4

6220 Park Road

Charlotte, NC 28210

When entering the first entrance to the park (the entrance closest to Tyvola), ballfield #4 is the field in front of you as you come down the road.

 

Drop Off:

All children taking part in field day should be dropped off at the fields at 8:15 am by parents or carpools.  All before-care children will be transported to the fields at 8:15 am by bus. The Eagle bus will drop off students at the park. All children will be transported back to school at the conclusion of field day where they will then eat lunch. Please park in the designated parking lot spaces and walk your child to the bleachers where they will meet their teacher.

 

Important Parking Information:

Anyone driving to the event MUST park in designated areas. Anyone who parks along the roadway inside the park will face being towed.

What students need to bring:

Please ensure that all students wear appropriate clothing for field day including sneakers (no crocs, flip flops, sandals, or boots). Inappropriate footwear might result in students having to sit and watch many of the activities. Students may also want to bring sunglasses, a hat, and wear sunscreen. We are also asking parents to send all students in with a water bottle for the day. We will have numerous water stations set up where students will be able to fill up their water bottles. It would also be a good idea to mark each water bottle with a Sharpie.

 

Donations needed:

We are looking for donations of water bottles, ice, coolers, and popsicles

TONS of Info for This Week & End of School

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing 3-day weekend.  It was wonderful having that extra day to "catch up" and relax with my family.  There are only 12 school days left! =(  Where in the world did the time go?!?!  Because of the short amount of time left our days are PACKED FULL of activities and information.  Earlier today a blog post went up about Terra Novas.  Please read through it and let me know if you have additional question.  Please also read through this blog post so you are up to date on the events and happenings as the year ends.  

*Please return all theme bags and reading folders to school this week so we can begin checking in all items. 

*Keep your eyes out for club selection forms and more information regarding clubs this week in your child's folder. 

*Field Day information is TBD.  I know there has been some information here and there in the school newsletter.  A lot of that information will come in the newsletter so make sure you are reading through them to be up to date on things Mr. Chambers needs help with and information.  Field day will take place at Park Road Park and we will be outside all morning so please keep your eyes peeled for more info. 

*Our class Summer Birthday Party is fast approaching!  An email regarding summer birthday plans and items will go out this week. 

*Move-up Day (now called New Scholars Day) is on Wednesday.  I will be meeting with all of the new students and their parents all day (as I did with you last year!).  So.... the students will be in various classrooms around the school with other teachers doing activities with their classes.  I have set very clear boundaries and expectations with our class.  Please remind your child of appropriate behavior on Wednesday while Mrs. Kang and I are with the new students.

*Thursday we are attending the Riverbanks Zoo field trip.  Please see all important information below...  

• We will be leaving promptly at 7:30.  Students may arrive beginning at 7:15.  
• Please drop your child off at the back entrance of the school where normal drop-off occurs.  We will have one of the assistants at the door or we will prop open the door.  
• We will be returning at 4:00.  We will release students from the back door as well.  Please make sure you are on time and ready to pick up your child.  
• The early arrival and late dismissal mean that your child cannot ride the Eagle Bus at all.  Please make other arrangements. 
• Please make sure your child is wearing tennis shoes (sneakers).  They may also bring a hat.  Please do not send anything else with your child to wear (jackets, sunglasses, sun shades, etc.) as they are easily lost.
• If you would like your child to wear sunscreen you must put it on your child at home.  Mrs. Kang and I are not allowed to apply sunscreen to your children. 
• LUNCHES: Please make sure you pack your child's lunch in the blue container that goes home on Wednesday.  Please also pack 2 labeled snacks separately from lunch.  Morning snacks, afternoon snacks, and lunches will all be stored in different locations so they all need to be separate from one another.  
• I will provide your child a plastic throw away water bottle for the trip so you don't need to pack one for your child.
• You do not need to send backpacks, folders, etc. with your child on this day.   
• If your child is late to school and we have already left for the field trip they will attend school in another classroom and complete work with that class. 
• Chaperones: Right now Eileen and Nandita will be riding the bus to the zoo.  All other chaperones (Kelly, Rebecca, Ranjani, Smita, Brad, Uma, Melissa, Debbie) will need to drive separately and follow the bus or meet us at the zoo.  Please let me know what you choose to do via email.  Your child must ride the bus to the zoo with the class.  However, you are able to sign them out at the zoo and they can ride back with you in your car (if choose).  

Terra Nova Testing

All students will be taking Terra Novas very soon. Many parents have questions about the tests. I am hoping to answer many questions/concerns you have. Please feel free to email me if you have additional concerns or questions after reading below. 

• Your child will be taking the first grade test. 
• The test is a standardized group test with standardized testing procedures. I will be able to read the questions aloud, but otherwise cannot answer questions or deviate from the testing script. 
•  Your child will bubble their answer on a testing booklet.  We will learn about bubbling correctly and Mrs. Kang and I review each child's bubbling before moving on the the next question. 
• We will miss our morning enrichment classes, as those teachers will be proctors for EOG’s the same week. We will still have our afternoon enrichment classes. 
• The tests range from 65-80 mins. depending on the pace of the class in answering questions but include several breaks, snack time, and stopping points. 
• The students will take Math Friday and Reading next Wednesday. 
• You will receive the test results over the summer (hopefully with your child’s final report card). The results will show your individual child’s score as well as their percentile rank compared to those who took the test nation wide. 
• PLEASE make sure your child arrives on time. Tests will begin promptly at 8:30. If your child is tardy to school, they will miss that day’s test and there are no make-up tests. 
• The students are aware of the tests. However, I DO NOT make a big deal out of them and encourage you to do the same. Once the test is over, we will continue our day (recess, centers, etc.) as usual. We will not introduce any new concepts or do much class work at all. Please do not emphasize these tests.  Simply encourage your child to do their best. 
• Make sure they are well-rested, eat a substantial breakfast, and are relaxed. I have told the students that they should also be resting their brains at home. Please do not make them do optional assignments or practice at home-- no test cramming in Kindergarten! =) Letting them play and relax will ease their minds to perform at school. There is no test prep for this test. 
• Relax... they will do GREAT!

Weekly Information

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day! The students worked really hard last week on their cards, portraits, and fabric bowls. They also worked tirelessly on their clay hand prints and were so proud of their efforts and creations!

A lot is going on as we near the end of the school year.  This is a very busy time of year (and I dare say more busy than the beginning of the year)!  Please make sure you are reading the weekly emails, blog posts, and school newsletters.  A lot of the information in the school newsletters is new to me as well because I am not given separate emails or information regarding school wide events.  Therefore, all of the information I have is straight from the newsletter sent out from the school communication department.  If I have additional information, I always post it to the blog or send out an email.  =) 

Also, please realize that we are doing a lot of testing at the end of the year and a lot of meetings are being conducted that are pulling me out of the classroom or my planning times.  I am working diligently to keep up with emails and respond as quickly as possible and I appreciate your patience.  To prevent being backlogged I have been responding as briefly and directly as possible, but please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns. 

Talent Show
We had in-class auditions last week with our 3rd grade buddies to vote on who would move on to the talent show.  We had several amazing acts try out, but Krish, Aubrey, Ben, and Connor will be moving on to the auditions in front of the 8th graders this Friday.  We have not received a schedule of time so please just send any needed supplies to school in the morning.  Our class will also be auditioning with Mrs. Zagorski's class for a group act.  Wish us luck! 

Grandparent's Day
Grandparent's Day is Thursday!  We are so excited to meet all of the grandparents who will be visiting our classroom.  We understand that many grandparents are deceased or live far away and have been having many discussions in class about this.  If your child's grandparents cannot attend they are able to send in a card or email in their folder that I can surprise them with on that day so they have a special message from their loved ones.  Parents are not able to attend in lieu of grandparents.  This is a morning only event that ends at lunch time.  Your child's grandparent is allowed to sign them out for lunch and bring them back afterwards or keep them and have fun for the rest of the day.  We will not plan any new or important learning for the afternoon in case grandparents want to take your child home to spend extra time with them.  

NOTA
NOTA is on Thursday evening from 5-7:30p.m.  Mrs. Holland is sending a hand out in their folder today with information.  Additional information can be found on the school's weekly newsletter.  Your child will be sitting separately from you at the performance, as all of Kindergarten will be sitting together (and all of the other grade levels as well). 

Progress Reports
Progress Reports go home on Friday.  A major component of the social studies grades this quarter were community helper projects.  We explained the projects and went through them step-by-step with your child.  We also provided at least 2 hours (or more) each day for 8 school days for the work to be completed.  Many students had difficulty with this "freedom" and chose not to complete their work.  We are using this project as a learning experience for our animal research projects coming up next.  

Author Chair Event
Our Author Chair event is going to be next Wednesday.  An invitation for the event is going home in your child's folder today.  PLEASE RSVP and let me know if you will be attending and how many people by email or writing a note in your child's folder.  We need to make sure we have enough seats for everyone.  Each and every child has been working SO HARD on their book and the writing process and we'd love to share the event with you!  They are pumped to have you join!  If you are able to bring in donuts, fruit, veggies, juice boxes, coffee, etc. to celebrate, please let me know.  =) 

MRSA Library books are due TOMORROW.  Please return them ASAP. 

Our last Imaginon trip is next Friday.  That will be the last time to return books through the school.  Any books not returned next Friday will have to be returned to your local library. 

Club forms will be coming out soon with more information.  Zoo information TBD as well.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Our calendar for the remainder of the year is below.  There have not been any known changes as of yet.

May 14th- Grandparent's Day and Night of the Arts (NOTA)
May 15th- Talent Show try-outs
May 20th- Author Chair Book Celebration 8:30-10:15 in classroom
May 22nd- LAST Imaginon field trip 9:40-11:15
May 25th- No school- Memorial Day
May 27th- Move-up day
May 28th- Riverbanks Zoo 7:30-4:30
May 29th- Math Terra Nova and Imaginon field trip 1:30-3:00
June 1st- Surprise picnic and Read-In
June 2nd- Summer Birthday Ice Cream Party
June 3rd- Reading Terra Nova and Yearbook Signing
June 4th- K-4 Field Day 
June 5th- Talent Show and Clubs
June 8th- 5-8 Field Day and Clubs
June 9th- Awards, Graduation, and Clubs

June 10th- Last Day of School, Red Carpet Party



         

  

Hiddenite Gem Mine ON MONDAY

Field Trip Next Monday, May 4th
Tomorrow is our field trip to the Hiddenite Gem Mine.  It is FAR AWAY and we will be leaving promptly at 8:30.  If you are late to school, there is a chance your child will miss the trip.  Please try to get here in plenty of time so your child can be unpacked and ready to leave on time.  

Some additional reminders:
*It may be cold and the majority of our trip is outside.  Please send your child to school in warm clothes and layers as applicable to the weather.  We can always take clothes off but we will not have extra clothes if your child is cold. 
*Please make sure your child is wearing pants/jeans and clothes that can get dirty during the trip.  They also need to have on goulashes, tennis shoes, or hiking boots.  
*Your child will not need their backpack, folder, etc. They need to bring a change of clothes, their lunch (packed in the blue container sent home today), and a water bottle.  

Chaperones: Eileen and Nandita will be riding the bus.  Smita, Deepa, and Ranjani will need to drive separately.  Please let me know if you plan to meet us at the trip destination.  

Thanks!