Hello Families,

It feels so long with the Thanksgiving Break since we have passed but I wanted to reach out and give you a quick look at what we are doing here in class, all the while preparing for Christmas! I do want you to know how very, very thankful I am for all of you and for sharing your very bright Sugar Plums with me! I have a wonderful job! Don't tell them I am working hard to keep them healthy and happy as we count down the days! They are happy and healthy!

THIS FRIDAY: 12:00 Dismissal. $1 Free Dress "Christmas Clothes" and our "Elves Workshop" Crafting Day!

Daily: We are working on reading, writing, math skills, religion, story time and our school program. We are also working in winter/weather and olden days here in the USA. We continue with mass, PE, Art, Life Lab all as scheduled.

Homework: There will be no official homework until we return from Christmas BUT this is prime time to practice those PrePrimer Sight Words, Read Bedtime Stories, Count Cookies, Candies For Patterns, Crafts/Small Motor Skills and Share Reading.

Library: Please return all books before break. I also encourage you to go to the Public Library over vacation! They have a ton of programming for families!

Religion: We are talking Advent and Nativity Stories! We will also talk about December Saints and lots and lots of practicing for the Christmas Program to share the Good News! We have mass twice next week! In January the kids will begin our actual Religion text that will come home to you as a small packet each week. Why did I wait? They needed to learn to track and read some first!

ELA: The kids are becoming pros at 2 and 3 letter words. If you were out on vacation or sick in November I would encourage you to look up on YouTube: Little Fox Word Families Stories. We covered the entire set of short videos, which is about 20. The kids used white boards to write the words out and then find them during the short closed captioned stories. Sight Words, Rhyming and Word Families are the springboard into reading this January and February! We are using closed captioning on familiar Christmas Songs to find 2 and 3 letter words!

Math: We completed our Level A Textbook and I have been supplementing with the Level A Activity Book. I will send home that activity book and you may use it as review, for travel or toss it. Right Now I am circling back to patterns and counting with a Christmas Theme. Patterns and Coding will help with both reading skills and counting to 100 by 1's, 5's, 10's which we will celebrate in January with our "100th Day of School."

Social Studies: With Thanksgiving and Christmas is a great time to talk about life here in the USA in the past. We look to traditions of olden days with our Natives, then Pilgrims and we make a jump to communities similar to "Little House." This will help in January and February when we celebrate different heros in the USA.

Science: The season is changing to winter and we will talk about the water cycle, signs of winter and winter animals. Ms. Lenz is a little crazy about checking the weather for snow!

Art: We are almost daily doing directed draw or small crafts.

Naps: Napping will conclude after Christmas Break unless we have a wet January. If January is cold and wet, we may hang on a bit longer. Most of the kids do not nap and we will transition to resting at our seats while listening to classic kids literature like "Winnie The Pooh" or story time from SAG Screen Actors Guild.

Uniform Needs: It is a good time to refresh clothing. If you cannot get uniform sweatpants from the MaryMart, we have permission from Sister Carmen to wear traditional navy sweatpants. We would like the kids clean and warm for winter months ahead.

Christmas Program: All Kinder will be angels. We will need to wear white school polo, black pants and black school shoes.

All My Best,

Ms. Lenz