Words from Walsh December, 2020
Staying connected with Walsh School
Greetings from Principal Martin
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Thank you to all our parents who were able to connect with their teachers during our parent/teacher conferences last month. We hope you found those conversations beneficial and helpful. Being our first conferences ever conducted remotely, I hope they were a positive experience. Please know that we welcome feedback in order to improve our efforts to keep parents and teachers connected and working towards one goal, the success of every student. Communication between parents and teachers is more essential than ever in order to strengthen the foundation that our students need to succeed in their educational journey. Please let me know if I can help answer any of your questions or concerns.
Moving forward towards a new year, we will continue to celebrate our students' successes. In kindergarten, we have started cheering those students who can count to 100! You will see your child recognized with a spirit stick and a special 'I can count to 100' bracelet. Our B.E.E. award program is in full swing for all our students and I'm proud to say that many have already been nominated. I am excited to celebrate more students this month!
This month, may each of you realize the gifts you are giving your children on a daily basis, the unselfish sacrifices and efforts you are offering them in times that test our endurance. It is a season of thanksgiving and recognition...and I appreciate not only our parents, but our dedicated teachers and staff. May you all have the happiest moments of celebration and I look forward to seeing you in January...2021! ~ Teresa Martin
Messages from our Holiday Cheermeisters
Important Dates in December
Mark Your Calendars
3 – Kindergarten Hybrid Classes Only - Supply Pick-Up 1:00-3:00pm (No Squires/No Beckmann)
11 - Spirit Day - Polar Express Day (railroad, elves or pajamas!)
15 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00 pm
17 - All 1st Grade and Kindergarten REMOTE only - Supply Pick-Up 1:00-3:00pm
18 - Spirit Day - Holiday Colors
29 - Yearbooks Go On Sale. Check Out the Flyer in Our Virtual Backpack!
21-January 4 - Winter Break - No Classes (Classes Resume Tuesday 1/5/21 ~ remember to check that your IPads are fully charged)
Remember to call the office by 9:00 a.m. if your child will be absent.
Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ~ 815-838-7858 www.d92.org
Bake Some Love ~ Our Teachers' Favorites May Inspire You...
Gluten Free Oreo Balls (Ms. Beckmann)
Pizzelle Cookies (Mrs. Romeo)
Ginger Cookies (Mrs. Lenz)
A Note from the Nurse
I hope you have fun baking those special treats this holiday season! Our newsletter is filled with great ideas, but don't forget your fruits and vegetables. Of course the best thing to keep in mind is physical exercise. Mr. Wallace may keep you busy during your PE time, but try and get outside for a nice hike or walk around the block, too. Remember to wear a hat, gloves and a warm coat as the weather is starting to look more like winter. Have a wonderful winter break and I hope to see you soon!
Strawberry Linzer Cookie (Mrs. Squires)
No Bake Peanut Butter Logs (Mrs. Martin only makes these at Christmas time)
Raspberry Almond Thumbprint (Ms. Hebel)
P.E. News by Mr. Wallace
Try and enjoy your families over the holidays, try and use any nice day to get out and take a walk, stop and talk to a neighbor. To quote my favorite movie of all time this holiday season "no man is a failure who has friends."
Kindergarten News
Thank you to all the kindergarten families who attended our recent Parent/Teacher Conferences! We appreciate you meeting with us virtually to discuss your child's progress and the goals for the year.
We will be finishing our Schoolwide Fiction Unit. We have learned about what fiction is and the various types of fiction (ex: traditional tales, fairy tales, and realistic fiction). We worked on retelling a story, focusing on what happened first, next, then and last. We identified the characters, setting, problem, and solution of the texts we read and are read.
Our Fundations work will be finishing up lowercase letters and starting on capital letters. We will be learning to print these letters with the correct formation while using the correct lines. We will be working on decoding words with a CVC (consonant vowel consonant) pattern like: cat, leg, pig, dot, and tub. Our new sight words will be come, little, we, like, and have. We will continue to practice our writing skills with the first letter of the sentence as a capital, spaces between the words, and using punctuation at the end of the sentence.
The Bridges Math skills we will be working on will include:
· counting to 100 by 1's and 10's
· counting to 100 by 1's and 10's from any given starting number
· counting, adding and subtracting objects
· understanding doubles
· identifying numbers 0-10 in different ways (numerals, ten frames, dots, etc.)
All of us in kindergarten, wish all of you, Happy Holidays!
First Grade News
We will be as busy as the elves this December!
Reading:
We will complete our Schoolwide Non-Fiction Unit of Study. In our Non-Fiction Unit, we have learned the elements of non-fiction and how non-fiction is different from other genres. We have explored the various types of non-fiction texts. Students have been introduced to many nonfiction reference books and literary nonfiction books. You might want to take a look at the books you have in your home and determine with your child if they are nonfiction reference books or literary nonfiction books.
We will continue to work on reading with accuracy and fluency. Please continue to have your child read and review comprehension of text with you during baggie book time at home. The only way to increase fluency is through practice.
Writing:
We will be working on writing (opinion, informational and narrative pieces) utilizing a graphic organizer. Students will practice writing more detailed sentences to help their readers visualize and understand their writing. They will support their detail sentences with examples/descriptions.
Math:
We will also complete Unit 3 in our Bridges math series. Unit 3 focuses on adding, subtracting, counting and comparing numbers. Students are encouraged to master math facts and fact strategies for single-digit addition and subtraction facts.
We will begin Unit 4 in our math series. Unit 4 focuses on the number line. Students will locate numbers on the line, use their reasoning skills and number sense to determine unknown values that correspond to empty boxes and explore addition and subtraction.
The first-grade teachers wish you and your family a very safe and wonderful holiday season!
Early Childhood and Community Preschool News
We will be as busy as the elves at the North Pole this December! The early childhood classes continue to work very hard this year. December is a magical time of year for our littlest learners. In December, we will enjoy a unit on gingerbread and read many different versions of this classic fairytale. We will work on the letters H and I, numbers 1-10, and a shape-color review. Thanks to all of our parents who are so wonderful! Happy Holidays from everyone in the early childhood program!
Music News by Mrs. Moan
What a month of music-making in our Walsh homes! Happy Thanksgiving to my Walsh Family!
Kindergarten: The students brought “The Farmer in the Dell”, a classic song to life. One at a time, we added a wife, child, nurse, dog, cat, rat and cheese! We also acted out a picture book, Barnyard Dance. “Stomp your feet, clap your hands. Everybody ready for a barnyard dance!” We raked leaves into piles, then threw and kicked them all over the music room. We also learned that leaves can fall down to the ground (music goes down by step) or leaves can fly back up into the air on a windy day (music goes up by step). Students were able to show if the music went down or up with voice maps and pipe cleaners. Mr. Turkey made an appearance at the end of the month. He did not want to be eaten, so he decided to run away!
Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey, run away, run away. If you are not careful, you will be a mouthful, on Thanksgiving Day, on Thanksgiving Day. (to the melody of Frere Jacques)
In December, the kindergarteners will begin learning about different cultures and holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. We will also study the story of “The Nutcracker” and listen and move to the music composed by Tchaikovsky.
1st Grade: The students have been hard at work practicing rhythm using ta, ti-ti and rest. We enjoyed our study of Veterans Day, and loved singing “This Land is Your Land” together. We even learned some sign language to go along with the lyrics. We will be learning about sound effects and Foley artists next month. Your first grader will be using a special cup during music class, for rhythms and pattern practice. Please look for that in your Walsh supplies. We are looking forward to an introduction/review to the Tchaikovsky ballet and story, “The Nutcracker” in December. We will also be learning some holiday favorites, like “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”!
Italian Christmas Cookies (Mrs. Kim Smith)
Cornflake Wreath Cookies (Mrs. Bruecks)
Gluten Free Butter Spritz Cookie
Art News by Mrs. Deckinga
In December, both the kindergarten and first grade classes will be working on winter themed projects. My kindergarten friends will be using construction paper and their cutting skills, as we make these cute snowmen looking up in a snowy sky. My first grade friends will be drawing steaming cups of hot cocoa. We'll learn how to draw elliptical shapes, and then use crayon and watercolor paint to add different patterns to our tables and walls.
Nutella "Yo-Yo" Sandwich Cookie (suggestion for Mrs. Egelhoff)
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie (Mrs. Cirillo's Go-to Cookie)
Kolaczki (no matter how you spell it, they are delicious!
PICTURE DAY UPDATE
Please know that our photographers will be following safety precautions and guidelines when lining up students and taking photos. Please follow their directions to ensure a safe, timely and frown-free experience.
All students will be photographed for our yearbook and their school IDs (except those who are on our do not photo list; these people have been personally contacted). If you are unable to attend our picture day, there will be a retake day on March 15th.
January 26th*
In-Person PreK and Kgtn students - will be photographed during the morning while at school.
Remote Learning PreK and Kgtn students - photographers will be available between 1:00-3:00pm, please use Door 1 and follow staff instructions.
January 27th*
In-Person 1st grade students - will be photographed during the morning while at school.
Remote Learning 1st grade students - photographers will be available between 1:00-3:00pm, please use Door 1 and follow staff instructions.
Click here to order a picture packet of your child. Use the ID Code: EVT92KMHW
(remember there will be no class composites available this year, just individual photos)
*updates/changes will be sent home by the mass communication system if necessary
Yearbooks for 2020/2021 are on Sale!
The window will close on March 1, 2021. Regular yearbooks will be $20 each (Walsh, Reed and Ludwig are all included in one book, the Junior High has a separate book) and hardcover yearbooks are $26 this year. This is a dollar more than last year due to the company's increased processing costs.
There are just a few books for sale from last year (2019/20) and can be purchased for $25 through the office. First come, first serve with full payment upon receipt.