Yay for Disney

A few weeks ago, Miss Bergan asked students, as their writing prompt during journal time, to write a letter to their favorite Disney character. (Previously Miss Bergan had found on Pinterest, and researched, that if you write a letter to the Disney characters that they will write you a letter back!)
Students went crazy and worked so hard on having nice handwriting, periods at the end of their sentences, spaces between their words, and many more editing techniques to have a wonderful letter to send to their Disney friend. Miss Bergan didn't tell them that there was the potential for a return letter
Today, when we came into work there was a large manilla envelope waiting for us in our mailbox down in the faculty lounge

"Holy COW! Is that what I think it is?!?!"

(we did this little dance of joy around the lunch table while

our principal watched from a distance and chuckled to himself LOL)

Maria RIPPED open the envelope and was greeted with this:

 

which had inside.....

our letter :-)

Hi PA Pals!

Oh boy, thanks for all the swell letters. It was so nice of you to think of me and my pals. Minne & I were busy talking about how lucky we are to have such special friends like you! Gosh, I hope you are having a great time at school...I bet you are learning some really exciting things. The gang & I are looking forward to seeing you here real soon!

Your Pal,

Mickey Mouse

HOW FREAKIN' COOL IS THIS?!?!?!?!

(honestly, I think Miss Bergan & I may be more excited than the kids! hahaha)

but wait there's more...........

We opened up another envelope and found 24 (one for each, with 2 extra) personal postcards

I definitely think this is something I am going to start doing every year

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's on its Way

It is our last day of school before Easter break and our classroom has been full of holiday activities. This morning we dyed Easter eggs during morming literacy centers. The kids had a bunch of fun & I don't think we got "too awful" messy! haha

our finished product

Class Dojo

Our classroom has begun using a classroom behavior management program /software that will help us keep track of behaviors (positive & negative)

I have included an introductionary video (the little monster avatars are so darn cute!) to help explain how students earn points (for positive behavior) or get points taken away (for negative behavior)

****pay NO attention to the end of the video, kindergarteners are too young to

have their own access codes to this system****

Our positive behavior(ways to EARN points):

hard work

helping others

manners

on task

participation

quiet

sharing

teamwork

clean up

follows rules

nice friend

Our negative behavior (points will be TAKEN AWAY):

calling out

not listening

off task

pulls ticket

running

not sharing

tattle tale

doesn't keep hands to self

not a nice friend

not following rules

An informational paper will come home in your child's folder stating how you can sign up to receive a weekly report of your child's behavior in school. (Please return bottom portion of paper to inform us if you are signing up for weekly reports to be emailed to you)

Just visit Class Dojo, enter in your parent code, then enter your name, email, & create a password.

Let us know if you have any questions about this new process. I hope it will be beneficial to everyone :-)

PBS KIDS Lab | Virtual Pre-K | Shapes: At Home

Our math coach, Mrs. Cindy Campbell shared a youtube channel with us:

PBS KIDS Lab {Virtual Pre-K} Shapes: At Home

I spent some time this morning checking out some of the math videos and I found one on shapes (the unit we just finished in math last week)
I really like how the video guides you to specific questions that you can ask your children about videos
"What shape would you like to make?"
"How many sides does that shape have?"
"Are a square's sides equal?"
Our classroom has also been talking about 3D shapes (i.e. cyclinders, spheres, cones & cubes). While you are mixing together the ingredients to make the playdough, you can talk about the shapes of the containers or your child can possibly make a cube or sphere out of the playdough

If you need a recipe to make the playdough, check it out

I hope you enjoy the video and encourage you to check out other PBS KIDS Lab videos :-)