BUSY WEEK!!! Tons of Info!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend with their loved ones.  I hope all of the moms also enjoyed our loving cards and homemade candles made with recycled wax during Earth Day celebrations.  

Saturday's school was our last makeup day due to snow days from the winter.  However, if you read the email sent from Mr. Yodice last week, we will have to make up the day that we lost due to the power outage.  At this point, we do not know when that will be.  As soon as it is known, I will pass the information on to you.

Extra-Curricular Activities this Week:
1) Tuesday (5/13) - All students that are trying out for the Talent Show this year will need to present their pieces in our classroom.  We are only allowed to send four acts to the tryouts on May 14th.  Tomorrow, please send your child to school with their music on CD and/or props that they will need for the tryouts on the 14th.  We will have a preliminary vote within the class on Monday choosing only four acts to go to tryouts on the 14th.  If your child does not bring their materials or I have not received permission from you for them to try out (via note or email), I'm sorry, but he/she will not be able to be voted upon by our class to move on.

2) Wednesday (5/14) - The four acts that we voted upon in class will attend the talent show tryouts on this day.  They will present their act in front of 8th graders who run the talent show as well as Ms. Hinkelman. From that point, only 2 acts will be chosen to attend the talent show on May 30th. The two chosen will attend the talent show on the 30th while the rest of us will watch the show from the audience.

3) Thursday (5/15) - Upper level Night of the Arts.  For those of you new to our school, we hold a Night of the Arts evening.  During this time, select art pieces from each student will be displayed throughout the school for purchase (you received an email from Ms. Tans regarding this).  All monies will go to the arts department.  During this time, we will also see performances from each grade level.  This year's focus will be on the music department where as in the past, each enrichment class has been portrayed through the entire night.  It is a great time to see what is going on within our enrichment classes.  On Thursday night, we will not be performing.  So you are not required to attend this night.  This is just a reminder for those in our class that have older siblings.

4) Friday (5/16) - Lower Level Night of the Arts. This is our night. From 4:30-5:00 pm, art pieces will be displayed for purchase.  At 5:00 pm, we will begin the show.  All of kindergarten will be partaking in a performance directed by Mrs. Love.  They will be singing a couple of songs.  Please make sure that your child is dressed nicely this night.  Nothing specific, just "Sunday best."
This day is also Grandparents' Day.  This is such an exciting day for our kids!  This event will take place from 9-11:30 am.  The schedule of events:

* 9:00am-9:15am: Grandparents greeted at entrance, and pick up name tags and folders. They will go to common area to get refreshments/food and find seats.

* 9:15am-9:30am: Introductions

* 9:30am – 10:15am: Dr. Morris introduces performances – K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders

* 10:15am – 10:20am: Children leave class to pick up grandparents in common area. 

* 10:20am -11:15am: Grandparents will do a lesson/activity alongside their grandchild – lesson to be decided by teacher; observe/participate in enrichment classes if applicable; allow time for grandparents to view student work, meet friends and teachers, etc.

* 11:15am – lunch starts – grandparents exit

Other Important Information:

• A clubs form was sent home in your child's folder today.  Please read through it with your child, fill it out, sign it, and return it to school.  If a form is not returned back to school a club will be chosen for your child at random. 
• This week will be the last week your child will be able to check out books from the MRSA Library.  All books are due back on May 21st. 
• Please return all theme bags back to school after Memorial Day (or sooner) so we can begin getting them ready for next year.  
• Today in work sent home with your child there is a fractions paper and a writing assignment about how crayons are made.  First grade is right around the corner and we have been preparing the students for the increasingly hard work and assignments by requiring them to add pertinent details to their writing and apply knowledge and skills to assignments (without direct explanations).  Please do not be alarmed if your child scored poorly on these assignments.  One assignment is not going to "make or break" their grade.  This is the time to encourage your child to always do their personal best, and foster independence of skills and higher-order thinking through discussions. 

Important Dates that are Coming Up:
I may have left some dates out but here is an overview of the end of the year and what we have going on.  BUSY BUSY!!!

• Next week we will begin TERRA NOVA testing.  More information will come on that.  =)
• May 23: 8:45-10:15   **Author Share to read stories we have created
• May 26: No School, Memorial Day
• May 28: Move-Up Day for incoming K students
• May 29: Discovery Place field trip   ***Note date change
• May 30: Talent Show for those selected (announcement TBD)
• June 4: Last Imaginon Library Trip
• June 5: Summer B-day Ice Cream Celebration
• June 6: Yearbook Signing
• June 9: Upper Level Field Day & Clubs 12-3pm
• June 10: Our Field Day & Clubs 12-3pm
• June 11: 1/2 day, Awards Day, Kindergarten Celebration (More info TBD)
• June 12: 1/2 day, Graduation, Clubs
• June 13: 1/2 day, Last day of school