Volunteering in the Classroom

We are getting into our classroom routines!  Students are writing a little more and would love your help at the writing center during workshop.  They might need help with writing topics or with sounding out words, or just need encouragement to keep trying!
I'd love to have a helper in the room from 9:45 - 11am on Mondays and Fridays.  If one of these times works for you, please email me.  Let me know if you're able to come every week, or need to share a day with another parent and come every other week.  (It is a little less of a commitment for you and you have a "sub" if a conflict comes up in your schedule.)

What's Happening?

• The Fun Run is this Friday!  Kindergarteners should wear blue shirts.  We'll run at 12:10.  Visit www.longfellowfunrun.dojiggy.com to make your online donations.
• The Annual Pumpkin Festival will be held again this year.  Students can decorate a pumpkin and enter it into one of the following categories: Pre-K through 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 4th and 5th, or Family (Decorated by 2 or more family members.)  Pumpkins can be dropped off between 7:45 and 8:00 on Oct 30 or Oct 31st.
• Tuesday, November 26th is Career Day.  Please consider volunteering!  The total time commitment would be about 2 hours, and presenters would share in multiple classrooms.  The tentative time for he event is 8:30 - 10:30 AM.  If you are interested in participating in this wonderful event please fill out the Longfellow Career Day Survey by clicking this link.  We need at least 30 adults to present about their careers, as well as other volunteers to help with the event.  
• Sunrise Study Hall is now open in the library each morning from 7:30-8am.  This is commonly used by older students for reading or finishing up homework before school.  Kindergarteners could look at books or bring a quiet activity.  All students attending will need to stop by the office for a pass before they come up.
• Que pasa?  Senora Lynch's website is http://www.op97.org/lmarinelarena/  Check out what students are doing in Spanish class.  You can find any teacher's website through the Longfellow website.

Opera for the Young

The opera is coming on October 30 to Longfellow School.  This year it will be "The Barber of Seville"  by Gioacchino Rossini, and the Opera for the Young Company of Madison, WI.  The opera is brought to us by our wonderful Longfellow PTO.  This is the 10th opera the PTO has brought to Longfellow, thank you so much!

The Barber of Seville will be set in the 1950"s and Figaro is a biker dude and Rosina, the beautiful young lady will be decked out in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes.   Students are learning the storyline and some of the music in music class.

Halloween

Halloween is two weeks from today!  If your family does not celebrate Halloween, please let me know.  

Students should not wear their costumes to school.  You can bring it in a bag to change into after lunch.  Please be aware no weapons are allowed as part of a costume (toy swords, guns, etc.)

Fingers crossed for good weather!  The school parade starts at 12:45.  All are welcome to watch!

If you would like to help with a class party, email me and I will get volunteers together.  The party will start at noon.  We'll take a break for the parade and art, and continue the party at 2:20.  All are welcome at all or part of the party.  I thought we could get into costumes at noon and do 2-3 games or activities.  After art we could have a Halloween treat.  The district does not allow sugary food for the party, but I have seen some cute, healthy snacks on Pinterest!

Two Computer Programs

On my website here, in the bar to the left, you'll see a picture of a book with a lion on it.  This is a link to our Treasures reading program.  If you would like to work on online activities at home, it is up to you.  Your child may find something he or she likes.  Passwords went home earlier.  The password is a number, a fruit, and a shape.  If you are missing yours, let me know and I will email it to you.

We have also begun Lexia.  We go to the computer lab twice a week to work in this program.  If your child would like to work more at home, it is up to you.  You might ask your child if he or she knows what to do.  The point is for him or her to work independently, but if there is some frustration you can help get them going by clarifying any confusion.

The website is http://www.lexiacore5.com/  The first time you login from a machine, you will need to enter my email address, svietzen@op97.org  Then it will ask for your child's username and password.  Copies of those will be sent home today.  You can also find a link to the program on the district's website.  Go to www.op97.org > Students tab > Lexia Core 5

Passport has begun!

We are into our second week of Passport to Reading.  This is a school-wide program conducted at each grade level.  Kindergartners were divided up by the skill each is working on.  Every four weeks we will reassess and regroup.  Passport to Reading occurs every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:10 - 8:40, so please be especially sure to be on time to school.  Your child may go to another teacher's room.

On Wednesdays, the kindergarten also does Passport to Math.  Right now we are working on counting, number identification, and one-to-one correspondence.  Again, students were grouped according to the practice they may need with these skills, and might work with another teacher.  The groups are fluid to meet students' changing needs.

Fun Run!

The Fun Run is a major fundraiser for the PTO, which provides many wonderful things for Longfellow.  Please consider pledging money.  All children will participate in the run on Friday, October 18.  Kindergartners will run at 12:10 and should wear blue.  We had a kick off pep rally yesterday morning to inform students; flyers are going home today with pledge envelopes.  However, there is mistake in the website address.  Please go to: http://www.longfellowfunrun.dojiggy.com/ instead of the site listed.

B.E.A.R.

The October B.E.A.R. reading calendars went home last week.  If your child reads for 25 minutes, 20 days a month, mark those days and return the calendar to school.  (Kindergarten homework is already to read for 20 minutes a night, so this isn't much more!)  For every calendar returned, your child will receive a bookmark.  If your child completes and returns six out of seven monthly calendars, he or she will receive a book to keep at the end of the year.  If you ever lose a monthly calendar, just find one on the internet to use.

Today blank bookmarks will go home.  These are also optional homework.  Students can design a bookmark to promote reading.  There are two typos on the flyer.  One, the return date is next Tuesday, October 8, not tomorrow.  Also, include your child's grade, as the bookmark says, not his or her age, as the directions say.  Some bookmarks will be chosen to be reprinted and distributed as prizes for returned calendars, mentioned above.