MCGHEE'S MESSAGES
JAN 4- JAN 8
IMPORTANT DATES AND INFORMATION
Jan 15 Early release 12:30
Feb 5 Counselors Day-let show her some love with treats, cards and small gifts of thanks
Feb 15 Student holiday (teachers work)
Feb 17 Spring pictures and whole class picture
Feb 19 PTA Skate night (my favorite!!)
Mar 7-11 Spring Break
Mar 14-17 and 21-24 Second grade swim lessons (I'll let you know our days and times soon)
Mar 25 Good Friday- no school
Mar 29-30 4th grade STAAR writing test
April 1 Early release 12:30
April 1 Starfest 5:00
It was a great week back to school. We jumped right back into the routine! The kids were so sweet sharing all of their fun from over the holidays. Lots of good family time, my favorite! This week will feel short due to the early release and then the next week having Monday off. Better enjoy these little breaks now because there aren't too many of them.
A big thank you to Mrs. Thomason being our mystery reader. The kids loved the stories and were just hilarious when Froggy gets a kiss! We enjoyed the chocolate kisses too!
It seemed like the Donuts with Dad WATCH DOG meeting went well. Lots and lots of dads! One father that is new to our school this year commented on how well run and efficient the morning was. Good job PTA!
Please take time to have your child pull out their bathing suit and try it on. We will be needing them soon and they aren't easy to find this time of year. No swim shirts on the boys are allowed and the girls suits must be modest. Just wanted to give you a heads up. I have been the mom scrambling to find a suit for their daughter at the last minute and it was not a happy memory. You will also want to make sure they have good, comfortable goggles. They do provide some, but getting them to fit right and feel good can be very time consuming, so having a good fitting pair of their own is a huge help. I know this seems like a long way off, but it will sneak up on us all. So take my advice and do it now.
I am going to start the Whole 30 eating plan for the next 30 days (my whole family is). So if your cherub says I'm a little crabby it could be that I'm going through sugar and carb withdrawals. :) No grains, dairy, sugar or processed food for 30 days. So say a little prayer for my family as we try to reprogram our brains and our bodies and make better choices.
Just an FYI, if it the real feel temperature outside is above 34' we will be going outside. Please be sure your child has a coat, jacket, gloves, hat or whatever they need to be comfortable outside. I have a big laundry basket for them to keep their winter wears in. You might consider using a gallon size bag and placing a cheap pair of gloves and beanie hat in it, label it with their name and send it to school to stay through out the winter. We try to go out as much as possible quite honestly because they need it and so do I! It is cool and can be a little windy at the top of the hill. I would say a good rule of thumb is to assume we are going out and have them prepared-don't guess and guess wrong- your baby will be cold and miserable! I try to send them to the lost and found to borrow a jacket if they don't have one. So send them ready for outdoor play. Thanks!
Have a great week! Stay warm!
April McGhee
WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING
Science-We are learning all about rocks, how they are formed and the different types. We learned about the ring of fire in the Pacific Ocean and all of the volcanoes. The kids are loving this unit.
Language Arts- We read a nonfiction story about jelly fish. We also worked on new year goals, a word for the new year to inspire us and reflecting on 2015. We are going to start reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as our first novel study as a class. They enjoyed the holiday books clubs with all of 2nd grade and they have loved Mrs. Smith in 5th grade sharing her book club program with us. Now we will bring it into our own classroom. We will begin this novel together and then it will lead us into working in small groups on other books. So many books, so little time!