We Need Jars!

Please have your child bring in a small jar to class for a project we will be doing. Larger than a baby food jar, but not as big as a pickle jar. I'm thinking about 4-6 inches tall would be perfect, but we can work with whatever you have. If you have the lid, send it in, but you don't have to have it in order for us to use the jar. Thanks for your help! If you happen to have a few laying around, feel free to send in a couple.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser Pick-Up

If you haven't picked up your cookie dough and products from the fundraiser please do so tomorrow, Tuesday April 28th from 3:00-5:30. Thanks for your participation! Don't forget that PTC Basket Bingo is this Friday. Last call for donations for our Green Galore basket. Thanks for all of your help! Our basket is looking awesome!

School Beautification Day

Today to help celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day MES kids paired up to help clean up our school. Our class worked with Miss Accuardi's class to pull weeds in the front of the school. Truth be told though, I'm not sure if we helped or made it worse. ;-) But, we tried. Then our class went to the area right outside our classroom door to pull more weeds, and make a flower bed to plant some seeds. We raked and added some dirt, planted seeds and watered the flower bed. We'll see if anything comes up. It was a lot of fun and the kids worked hard!

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! We had a fun day doing all sorts of projects about the earth. We started the day making a model of the different layers of the earth, which are the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. We also talked a lot about things that we can do to help keep the earth healthy and clean. Thank you for sending back your "Healthy Earth Pledges." The tree is almost complete, so we'll be sure to add pictures later. We even got to make earth crayons out of old blue and green crayons. Make sure that at home you are doing everything you can to set a good example of how to help the earth. Here are a few easy things you can do that our class came up with:
1. Recycle plastic, glass, aluminum and paper whenever possible. Don't forget to return those pop cans and plastic bottles!
2. Use re-usable water bottles instead of the plastic disposable ones whenever possible.
3. Use reusable grocery bags, or reuse the plastic ones instead of getting new ones every time.
4. Turn of your lights and water whenever you aren't using them.
5. If you unplug things such as microwaves, computers, TVs, toasters, blenders, etc. when they aren't in use, you can save over 5% on you electricity bill, and save energy.
6. Walk, don't drive when you can, or try to group your trips into the least amount of driving possible.
7. Spread the word!!! Tell others about things that they can do. We only have one chance to help keep our planet a safe and healthy place to be, for all of these kiddos and their futures.

Cookie Dough Pick-Up is today!

Please come and pick-up your cookie dough today at MES from 4:00-6:30. We'd also love to have you stay for our PTC meeting at 6:30. We hope to see you tonight!

Enjoy the Sunshine!

My goodness, you can tell the sun is out and shining today! This class was crazy! We had a very loud, disruptive class today, which is very unusual for this bunch of kids. I know that kids tend to go nuts when the sun is shining, and they are cooped up inside, so please make sure the kiddos get plenty of time to play tonight. And please have a conversation with your kids about still making responsible choice for school and their behavior. I can't tell you how many times I heard "He pulled my hair!" or "He pinched me!" or "She kicked me!" today. Tomorrow we will be practicing getting along and keeping our hands to ourselves. ;-) Have a good afternoon in the sunshine! Don't forget the sunscreen!

Friday Notes

• We finished our unit on weather today. We made a very cool book today which we will be turning into a movie. For a look at our inspiration, take a look at this website.
• Thanks for those who participated in our fundraiser! Products will be delivered to MES on Tuesday, and can be picked up then from 4:00-6:30.
  
• Please, please, please, PLEASE send in your recipes! I've only received about 4, and we need them starting next week.
• If you haven't paid your snack fee, please do so ASAP. I'm about a week from being out of snack, and I only have about $10 for the rest of the year.
• If you're child will be going to work with you on "Take Your Child To Work Day" next week, please let me know asap.
• Have a good weekend, and enjoy the sunshine!!! Don't forget your sunscreen!
  

Happy Easter!

I hope that everyone had a great Easter! I meant to get these pictures up last week, but ran out of time. We made some really cute projects for Easter. We learned a fun poem, and did a lot of writing about the Easter Bunny. Hopefully he was good to the first graders!

Fundraiser Ends Monday!

Don't forget that the fundraiser ends on Monday. Hopefully everyone has had a chance to sell at least a few items from the catalog. Our PTC fund is quite low, so this is an important fundraiser for our school. Please have the kids return the fundraiser packets on Monday, with money included. Thanks for all of your help and support!

Volunteers Needed

If anyone has any time in the next few days, or in the next week, I'd love to have some parent help. I have a few projects that need help, and specifically I need a parent next Tuesday (April 14th) From about 1:00-3:00. Let me know if you can help out! Thanks to those who have already volunteered!

Reminders

• Make sure you are selling cookie dough this week. Kids only have a few days left, and packets have to be back on Monday April 13th.
• Please make sure to send in your family recipe. Some of the kids may have had some confusion whether they needed to bring in the actual food. We don't need you to make the recipe, just send in the written copy. We need these by April 17th please. Thanks for your help.
• Book orders are due April 24th.
• Please continue to send in your donations for our Green Galore basket. We still need a few more things to add. I have added a few things as well. Please get those in by April 24th.

Fundraiser Starts Today!

Today begins our PTC Cookie Dough Fundraiser. Packets went out today and included order forms, a parent letter, catalog and the prize brochure. The class discussed who is ok to sell to (no strangers), and how to be polite. Our PTC fund is getting pretty low, and with budgets the way that they are, our PTC may be needed more than ever. Please try to take some time to try and sell some products to family, friends, and coworkers. The food in the catalog is wonderful, and it can be a huge money-maker for the PTC. The top selling class, and the top participating class get a reward, so sell, sell, sell! Thanks for all of your help! And make sure to check out what's going on at MES on our new big screen in the front hall. PTC purchased that, and made it possible for staff to share what we're doing here with kids. The fundraiser will run from April 3rd through APril 13th, with products being delivered on April 21st. Have a great weekend!

April Newsletter

Here is our April newsletter. It came home today, along with a bunch of other stuff. Please make sure you go through backpacks tonight. Have a great weekend!

Our New Reading Library

Here are a few pictures of our new library/reading area. You can definitely tell this is new to our class because the kids flock there! We are still working on actually getting reading done there, and not just socializing. I'm sure we'll enjoy our cozy, and special place to read. Do you have someplace special and cozy at home to read? This can really help to motivate kids to read.

Vote for Ben!

My son is in a cutest baby contest at Emily Andrews Portrait Design. Click HERE to vote for him! He is Picture #1. Thanks for your help!

Water Cycle Song

Here is the rough cut from our Water Cycle Song. Thanks for all your help with learning the song. I will be adding some things to it, and you will soon be able to see it on the tv in the front hall of our school. The kids really did a great job, and they all know the water cycle!

Hello April!

Welcome back! We have had a great time returning to school after spring break. I'm actually quite impressed with how well the kids have done after such a big break. A few things to remind you about:
1. Don't forget out PTC Basket BINGO theme of GREEN. We have had a few great donations, but still need much, much more! Thanks to those who have already donated.
2. Snack notices went home today. We have a negative snack balance, and not enough snack to get through the remainder of the year. If you get one, please make sure to send in your snack money asap!
3. We have a wonderful new library/reading area! I am still looking for donations of bean bags, or even someone to make them if I supply the materials. Let me know if you can help!
4. Please make sure you are checking backpacks every day. It will be a busy spring, so make sure you keep up! ;-)