Unity 

I dreamed I stood in a studio and watched two sculptors there, 
The clay they used was a young child's mind and they fashioned it with care. 
One a teacher, the tools he used were books and music and art, 
One a parent with guiding hands and a gentle, loving heart. 
Day after day the teacher toiled with a touch that was deft and sure, 
While the parent labored by his side and polished to smooth it pure. 
And when at last their task was done, they were proud of what they had wrought, 
For the things they had molded into the child could neither be sold nor bought. 
And each agreed he would have failed if he had worked alone, 
For behind the parent stood the school, and behind the teacher the home. 

-Author Unknown

This poem, by an unknown author, beautifully uses words to describe the importance of the relationship between parents and teachers.  As new teachers to Graland, and new Denver residents, Meaghan and I cannot thank you enough for welcoming us both with smiles, care and entrusting us with your most precious items, your children.  We feel like we have been handed a gift each morning as your children come into the room, greet us, follow the routine, say please and thank you, share and work to do their best.  

Important Dates and Information: (Many important dates are also on the Graland Website master calendar so please make sure to also check that out)

-September 10 - Back To School Night 

-September 12 - Scholastic Book Orders Due (They can either be handed into me or you can order the books online.  If you order online is does help save me some time and is quite easy to set up.)

-September 18 - West K Picture Day!  

Notes:

-Please remember to send your child each day with a filled water bottle.  We do have a water fountain in the room for when students forget and to refill their bottle but the individual water bottles save time in our day.

-If your child has a birthday coming up please send me an email to schedule a time to come in and read a favorite book to celebrate their special day.

-We continue to work in the classroom on the Graland Guidelines - Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Honest and Be Respectful.  Point out to your children at home when they are demonstrating some of these guidelines!

-"Pinch and flip" - Ask your children what it means and looks like! (they pinch the pencil, with the point facing them, and flip it into the hammock part of their hand, in order to have correct pencil grip.

Next Week:

Next week we will continue to build upon the strategies and routines already learned in the classroom.  We will take each routine and add another step as we scaffold the processes for our students.  For example, when getting ready for Writing Workshop the boys and girls will learn how authors get their materials and get themselves ready to write before joining at the rug for the mini lesson.  By scaffolding, we are also purposefully building their stamina in each part of our day.

We will also work more on building our fine motor muscles.  We will do several cutting activities and begin an exciting confetti project!  The West K kids will work to glue small pieces of confetti into their name which is in bubble letters.  

Our first meeting with our buddies will take place next week!  Each D day we will meet with our 4th grade buddies.  On Tuesday afternoon we will venture to Mrs. Ross' 4th grade classroom to do our first activity.  

Enjoy your weekend and we look forward to seeing you at Back To School Night!  

Handy Helper, Sam, helping to set our tables for lunch

An authentic, "How do you spell Graland?" moment between Logan and Lexi.

Aiden and Claire independently reading.

Time to partner read!  Aiden and Sophie sharing a favorite book.

Great book conversations shared between Jack and Bianca.

Brady and Dylan loving their silly story.

Piggie and Gerald love Anna and Claire.

Kaden and Lola each chose their favorite book to read.

Sophie and Maxi both chose a Mo Willems book.

What is happening here, Logan and Lexi?

Day 1:  Order the cups, put the correct amount of buttons in the cups.

Determining how to organize the cups in the small space was an activity by itself!

Sam worked hard to count out the buttons.

Ariana decided to sort the colors while adding to her cups.

The triangle table loved having math conversations during our activity.

Dylan double checked her work.

Sophia did too!

Jack had a good strategy of counting before adding his buttons to the cups.

Anna loved exploring the pattern block templates during our morning choice time.

Brady and his missing tooth did too!

Partner reading day 2. 

Maxi and Sophie remembered that partners share their books by having 1 book in the middle and the other partners book somewhere where it won't distract them.

Dylan and Brady learned what happened when the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate so much.

Aiden and Sophia enthralled in their reading.

Big smiles from Claire and Anna.

Oh The Places all of the Kindergartners will go!

Kendall and Aluinn finding the humor in their story.

Day 2:  Roll small balls of Play dough and put them into the numbered cups.

The hardworking West K Kiddos!

Maxi used his fine motor muscles to make sure his Play Dough balls were smooth.