Classroom News/Elf on Shelf

November Events:

No School November 30

(Parent/Teacher Conference Day)

December Events:

Elf On The Shelf

In the month of December, many families are visited by the Elf on the Shelf.  Our classroom was hoping to be visited by an elf as well.  Please let me know if you do not feel comfortable with this elf visiting our classroom.

Holiday Performance

Save the Date: Friday, December 15 at 10:45  

More information will follow with details of this event.

Fire fighter Visit

We had a visit from Burlington Firefighter Paul and Rob.  They talked to us about fire safety and talked about their equipment they wear and equipment they have on their truck.  

Thank you so much for visiting us!!

Pajama Drive at the BECC ( Deadline is December 7th)

The 9th-Annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive

Dear Parents,

It’s time for the annual Scholastic Reading Club Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive benefitting Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and books to children in need—especially those living in group homes, shelters, foster care, and orphanages.  

Since 2009, caring classrooms across the country have risen to the challenge and donated nearly 400,000 pairs of new pajamas. The Scholastic Reading Club has more than matched those numbers with nearly 700,000 new books donated directly to Pajama Program headquarters, where they are then distributed across the country by Pajama Program.

Our school wants to be part of this drive so that we can help make a better bedtime for these children. Together we can help the Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive reach even more kids with pj’s and books.

If you and your child are able to participate, please have your child bring in a new pair of pajamas to school by___December 7, 2017.

Here are some simple guidelines for the pajamas:

• Pajamas must be brand-new.
• Pajamas in all sizes are needed—from newborn to adult.
• Pajamas must be in complete sets or nightgowns.
• Pajamas in children’s sizes must be manufactured as pajamas—this ensures that they are flame-retardant and safe.

Thank you for helping us share the gift of a good night’s sleep and a sweet bedtime story.

The BECC Staff

If you have any questions please contact, Katie Roofe at roofe@bpsk12.org

PS: You can find out more about the drive and the program at: scholastic.com/pjdrive

Family Traditions Week 3 and 4 (Nov.20-24) (Nov.27-Dec.1)

November 20-24

Week 3

Books This Week:

Yoko's Paper Cranes

A Carp for Kimiko

Concept For This Week:

What is culture?

What is part of your culture?

How is your culture different from other cultures?-Japanese Culture

Small Groups This Week:

Journal writing- We will be writing in our journals about celebrations we share with our families.
Turkey Subitize- We will be subitizing(meaning count with our eyes without touching to know how many) by placing the correct turkey feathers on the turkeys
Turkey Patterns- We will be using dot stickers to create patterns on turkeys

Carp/Doll Patterning- We will extend or create patterns using dolls and carps around our cover of our book.

Centers

Art Table:playdough birthday cakes

Block Area:blocks

Sensory Table: colored rice

Book Area: books about families

Easel:Max and Ruby birthday cakes

Writing Table: lists for the grocery store

Dramatic Play: birthday party

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

November 27-December 1

(Reminder:No school December 30)

Week 4

Books This Week:

A Carp for Kimoko

Night Tree

Concept For This Week:

What are family traditions?

What are your family traditions?

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Uu and Cc)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Oo and Qq)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them in our papers.  

Small Groups This Week:

Paper Carps- We will use fine motor skills to create paper fish (carps) just like Kimoko wanted in our unit book

Pine Cones to put outside to feed the birds. Using Crisco and bird seed we will create a tasty treat for birds outside our classroom.We will then sit on a blanket and sing songs. (This is what the family did in the story Night Tree)

Night Tree Math book-We will identify numbers then write them. Then cut and glue the right number of animals to the trees.

Centers

Art Table:painting trees

Block Area:blocks

Sensory Table: Alphabet Soup(using soup spoons we will scoop letters out of the water and put them in a soup bowl)

Book Area: books about families

Easel:night tree bingo dobbers

Writing Table: HWT strips for writing

Dramatic Play: grocery store

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

Science: tree branches without leaves and pine branches with needles

Family Tradition Unit Weeks 1 and 2 (Nov6-8 and Nov13-17)

No School
Nov. 9 Teacher Professional Development Day
Nov. 10 Veteran's Day

Family Traditions Week 1

Books This Week:

Apples and Pumpkins

Full, Full, Full of Love

Concept Questions For This Week:

-What is a family?

-Who are the people in your family?

-Begin discussion of family tree project

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Uu and Cc)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Small Groups This Week:

Uppercase Letter Pumpkin Game- We will be playing a letter game by putting our hands in a pumpkin.  We will labeling the letter or identifying the letter we pull out. Then we will record the letter we find on the paper.

Fine Motor/Math Appleseed Activity- Using special hole punches to develop our “alligator finger” muscles, we will be punching out apple seeds.  We will then play a number game to count and glue to correct number of seeds in our apple.  

Pumpkin Sequence- We will color then sequence the order of how to make a jack-o-lantern.  In the story Apples and Pumpkins the family picks a pumpkin then creates a jack-o-lantern as a family tradition

Pumpkin sorting- We will put real pumpkins in size order, then cut and glue a set of pumpkins to put them in order from smallest to biggest and/or biggest to smallest

Centers

Art Table: Pumpkin Pie Playdough Bakery

Block Area:blocks pumpkins to make rows

Sensory Table:water and fish (like in the story Full, Full of Love)

Book Area: books about families

Easel: pumpkins and orange and green paints

Writing Table: family words to copy

Dramatic Play: Setting a table- We will discuss how the family in the unit book "set the table" for a feast.  Then we will cut and glue pictures, a cup, and a napkin to show how to set a proper table.

Puzzles and Manipulatives: puzzles

Science Table: Tally sheets for activity of gerbils

Family Traditions Week 2

Books This Week:

Bunny Cakes

Full, Full, Full of Love

Concept Questions For This Week:

What traditions do families have?

Do different families have different traditions?

What traditions do you have with your family?

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Uu and Cc)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Small Groups This Week:

Pumpkin and Vine Math Books- First we will draw vines on each page of our books. Then we will use 1:1 correspondence to place the correct number of pumpkins(our thumbprints) on each page. We will focus on numbers 6-10.

Max and Ruby Geometric Houses- After reading Bunny Cakes, we will create a house for Max and Ruby.  Each house will consist of various shapes(square, circle, oval, rectangle, triangle) We will color, cut and glue. It can be tricky to cut different shapes so this is good practice.

Memory Game- Using vocabulary from unit books, we will play a memory game. Then we will discuss which vocabulary comes from which book.

Max Cover Puzzle- We will cut and then assemble a 9 piece puzzle. It will be the cover of our Bunny Cakes book.

Top the Pie Number Game- Using a number cube with targeted numbers on it, we will roll the cube and scoop “whipped cream” (cotton balls) with ice cream scooper to put on our pumpkin pies.  

Writing Grocery Lists- We will be creating grocery lists by tracing and writing letters for the items Max bought at the grocery store.  We will also be drawing pictures to match our words.  

Centers

Art Table:create family trees with our arms and hands with paints

Block Area:blocks pumpkins to make rows

Sensory Table:water  and fishes swimming( like in Full, Full, Full of Love)

Book Area: books about families

Easel: pumpkins and orange and green paints

Writing Table: family words to copy

Dramatic Play:Setting the table/Birthday Party

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

Science Table: Gerbils