100th Day of School!

This Thursday, February 3 is our 100th Day of School! We will celebrate in school with all things 100. If you have a collection of 100 things, you may bring it in this week. (Please make sure it is small enough to fit in your backpack.) In the past, students have brought in 100 pennies, 100 Legos, 100 stickers, 100 gumballs - whatever you have!

We have also created a Voice Thread project. I have posted students' writing on a separate website and recorded students reading their writing. Use the link at the left. You can also comment, either in writing or by audio or video recording, depending on your computer's capabilities. Students love to hear themselves and see who has commented on their work. Please feel free to pass the link on to family and friends, near and far, so they can comment, too!

(A few of our students need a little more time on the work or have been out sick, but as soon as it's done, I'll post it. Check back later!)

This Week at School

• Check out the Lost and Found table outside the office. There is a TON of stuff! Items will be donated to Good Will at the end of the week.
  
• Support the PTO and Longfellow by shopping at the Book Fair. It's in the PKP hallway until Friday.
• Thursday and Friday are half days. Students will be dismissed at 11am.

Bears Day!

Tomorrow Longfellow will celebrate Bears Day! Wear your Chicago Bears football gear to cheer on our hometown team. We're hoping for a win on Sunday in what may be bigger than the Superbowl for these two teams.
Through an unusual set of circumstances, the Packers are my #2 team, so if you're a Green Bay fan, you can, of course, wear your Packer gear. :)

Sleep Tight!

Like last year, The Wellness Committee is planning to celebrate various wellness themes each month, starting with this month. This month’s Nourish to Flourish themes are sleep and a healthy breakfast. Did you know most kindergarteners need 10-12 hours of sleep each night? To celebrate these themes, there will be a school-wide Pajama Day next Friday, January 28^th. Also on that day, students can bring in healthy breakfast food to eat at school. Be sure to bring any utensils you may need.

Food Service Survey

District 97 has created a brief online survey parents/guardians and students can use to provide feedback about our food service program. The survey features questions about a variety of topics, including the quality of the menu and overall satisfaction with the program. Links to the survey can be accessed off of our webpage at http://www.op97.org/longfellow/index.html Print versions of both surveys are also available. The deadline for completing the survey is January 26, 2011. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about our food service program, and for your continued support of District 97.

Scholastic Book Orders

I sent home book order forms today. If you would like to order, please submit it by Wednesday, January 26. You can send in the form with a check payable to Scholastic, OR there is a new way: you can order online. You will need our Class Activation Code: G8Q66.

• SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the “Register” button in the “First Time Here?” section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code G8Q66. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.
  
  
• SELECT the books you’d like to order—choose from thousands of titles—many more than in our monthly flyers.
  
  
• SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child’s books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Mathathon

If you've signed up for the Mathathon, don't forget money is due by the end of the month. You can also turn it in any time before that.

Tardies

Mrs. Dolezal and Mr. LeDeaux have asked all teachers to remind parents to have students at school on time. If students don't walk into the building with our line, they are considered late. Please go around to the front door, stop in the office, and pick up a tardy pass. Attendance is done online, so very often, I've already marked a tardy student absent before they walk in the door.

On the flip side of this, please do NOT drop children off on the playground before 7:45. There is no supervision before that time. If students are eating breakfast, they may go to the mini-gym beginning at 7:15.

Mark Your Calendar!

Our Spring Arts Fiesta will be Wednesday, February 23 at 8:15am. We hope this makes it easier for more parents to plan and just go into work a little later than usual. (Note: this date is just for our class and Ms. Mulsoff's.) The music and Spanish teachers are eager to give you a glimpse into their kindergarten lessons. You can check out Mrs. Wiese's blog at http://d97longmus.blogspot.com/

MLK Health Challenge

Check out the Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Health Challenge, a free event hosted at OPRF
on Monday, January 17 from 9:15 – 2:00. This exciting event is a day filled with fun activities, and the chance to win cool prizes like bikes and basketballs.
We have no school next Monday in honor of Dr. King's birthday.

In-School Field Trip

Our kindergarten classes are having an in-school field trip; the field trip is coming to us. On Tuesday, February 8th, we will be hosting High Touch, High Tech, a company that provides hands-on science activities and experiments for kids. Our class will participate in a one-hour long session called “Weather or Not.” The workshop will have no impact on our lunch schedule. The cost is $4.50 per student. Please send the money in an envelope or baggie marked with your child’s name by Tuesday, January 18.