Paw Prints š¾ January 2024
The Newsletter of Auburn Early Education Center
Dear AEEC Families,
Happy New Year!! As we ring in the New Year, it is an exciting time to reflect on our accomplishments and set goals for the remainder of the year. One of our schoolwide goals this year is to increase the volume, stamina, and mastery of studentsā writing skills. The students and teachers have put forth tremendous effort during the first semester to meet this goal. Teachers participated in professional development with Patty McGee, worked in vertical teams, collaborated with grade levels, participated in coaching cycles, and so much more. The evidence of growth is seen in the student work. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a childās face light up as they read aloud a story they have written. I canāt wait to see writing skills continue to improve throughout the second semester!
We have so many exciting opportunities happening in the new year. Please see the events listed under important dates so that you donāt miss a thing. I would like to point out one special event, AEECās Multicultural Fair. It will be held on February 1, 2024, from 5:30-7:00pm. This event highlights AEEC families from around the world. We will unite and explore our unique cultures and history. Bringing communities together to experience diverse perspectives will enhance awareness and critical thinking about social issues such as cultural differences, customs, and traditions. It is our hope and mission to educate and unite various international communities.
We invite you to participate in this event by creating a display to share about your family's culture and/or by bringing your family to explore the displays. Each participant will have a table to showcase their family history and country of origin. Participants are encouraged to wear your traditional dress, share food, clothing, music, crafts, and more. We would love to have as many countries represented as possible. There will also be food trucks at this event; therefore, grab a bite to eat before heading home. This will be a great opportunity to fellowship with one another.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lammons
Curriculum News
Letās make learning at home fun! The more fun children have while learning, the more they learn. Here are some āTogether Timeā activities (as I like to call them) that you may enjoy at home.
Ā· Give your children a chance to read words, pictures, or imitate reading to you from magazines, books, and newspapers. Designate a special place for books and magazines.
Ā· Make a "booklet" with your children by helping them cut out magazine pictures and paste them on paper--a "house book" or "animal book." Write a story to go with it!
Ā· Tell a story or read a book to your children at bedtime.
Ā· After you've finished reading, ask your children to tell you all they remember about the story.
Ā· Encourage your children to make up and tell stories or repeat a story you have read.
Ā· Give mealtime a math infusion. Do your kids like to help in the kitchen? Meal prep is the perfect time to get children counting, measuring, estimating, comparing, and recognizing shapes. Ask your child to measure and count cups of ingredients, count how many plates and utensils are needed for the whole family, and figure out who has more or less mashed potatoes. So many learning opportunities!
Ā· Create a dedicated writing center. To make writing/prewriting activities inviting to young children, designate a table or desk as your homeās āwriting center.ā Fill it with open-ended materials that invite exploration and experimentation. Offer kids blank paper in different colors, a small dry erase board, markers, crayons, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, hole punches, and envelopes. Kids who have a variety of materials on hand will be more likely to initiate self-directed writing projects.
Hopefully some of these āTogether Timeā activities will help make learning at home so much fun!
Marlee Clifton, NBCT
Instructional Coach
Title 1 News
I would like to share with you a link that will give you recommendations for a variety of literacy apps. The link will have recommendations by topic: phonics, comprehension, social skills, etc. Please click on the topic of your choice to check out all of the literacy apps that are recommended to help your child improve in that particular area.
Please let me know if you have any questions! Happy January
Link: https://www.readingrockets.org/literacyapps
Always Choose Kindness,
Dr. Dorman
Counselor News
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Our word of the month for January is CREATIVITY. With a new year comes new opportunities to be creative in lots of ways. Also, in January we will be learning about setting goals for ourselves. Remember- if you can believe it, you can achieve it!
Love,
Mrs. Handley
AEEC School Counselor
Nurse News
Happy New Year! Please do not send medication in your childās backpack. See handbook or contact me for any clarification. Please also remember to include a seasonally appropriate change of clothes for your student! Here are some fun tips to help keep us all happy and healthy!
MyPlate Snack Tips for Parents
Snacks can help children get the nutrients needed to grow and maintain a healthy weight. Prepare single-serving snacks for younger children to help them get just enough to satisfy their hunger. Let older kids make their own snacks by keeping healthy foods in the kitchen. Visit the children's section of ChooseMyPlate to help you and your kids select a satisfying snack.
Thank you,
Nurse Haley
Media Center News
In Library Media classes, we participated in the Hour of Code, November 27 through December 8th. The Hour of Code is a national computer science movement where students use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to create codes that move robots through mazes and challenges. Another activity that promotes collaboration and problem-solving skills to figure out puzzles and riddles is BreakoutEDU. The breakout students participated in during library media classes was called Elf.
Mark your calendars because our spring book fair is right around the corner, January 29th - February 2nd. Here are 5 benefits of reading: aids in stress reduction and relaxation, improves concentration and memory, expands vocabulary, strengthens writing skills, enhances knowledge, and increases creativity and imagination. So, give your brain a good workout and read! āReading makes your world BIG.ā
Sartain, Kara
AEEC Media Specialist ~ Technology Coordinator
Apple Teacher
Music and Art News
Music:
This month in Music we will be exploring important musical concepts of pitch (high and low), tempo (fast and slow), and dynamics (loud and soft). We are distinguishing between beat vs. rhythm and having fun reading rhythms using body percussion and classroom instruments. 2nd grade will also add crescendo, decrescendo, and the half and whole notes to their repertoire. We are discovering all the different instruments of the orchestra, and we LOVE using puppets to make music! Kindergarten has been working hard to prepare for their upcoming showcase, Pajama Party, on February 7. We canāt wait to share it with you!
-Mrs. Schiller
Art:
Thank you for all the wonderful and thoughtful gifts. It is a joy to work with your child(ren) each day. In Kindergarten, we will learn about Paul Klee and create a piece of art inspired by him. In first grade, we will have a fine arts collaboration with music centered around the book āGiarffes Canāt Danceā. In second grade, we will learn about Iris Scott and how to add movement to our art. If you haven't ordered a yearbook, they are on sale for $40 at
If you have any pictures from school events, feel free to email them to me at amkuhlman@auburnschools.org.
Anne Marie Kuhlman | Art Teacher
PTO News
Hello AEEC Families,
Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season with your families! We are looking forward to a bright 2024 this year. Stay up to date with upcoming happenings by logging onto our website at www.aeecpto.com or by following us on Instagram @auburnearlyed_pto or by joining our Facebook group AEEC PTO 2023-2024.
PTO was happy to welcome teachers back to school by providing snacks during their Staff Development Day on January 3rd. Thank you teachers and staff for working so hard to prepare for the return of our students! Donations for teacher snacks come from our hospitality fund as well as our yearly fundraiser. It's because of your generosity that we are able to provide treats throughout the school year! Later this month, we will begin setting up for our Spring Book Fair that will run from January 29th through February 2nd. Please be on the lookout for ways to sign up to volunteer to work a shift during this week if you are able!
Mary Lawrence Gibson
AEEC PTO
Important Dates for AEEC
January 4: Students Return/3rd Nine Weeks Begin
January 8: Checklists Go Home
January 15: Martin Luther King Holiday, No School
January 23: 100th Day of School
January 29 - February 2: Book Fair
February 1: Multicultural Fair 5:30-7:00pm *General PTO Meeting at 5:20pm
February 7: Kindergarten Performance 9:00am in the Tiger's Den *Doors open at 8:40am.