Thursday
May 17
2nd grade parents meet with new 3rd grade teacher 5pm
Friday
May 18
Spirit/Pizza Day
3rd to Fort Nisqually
Monday - Thursday
May 21-24
4/5 to Islandwood
Tuesday
May 22
Kindergarten Lemonade
(Class of 07-08)
5pm
Monday
May 28
NO SCHOOL
Memorial Day
Wednesday
June 13
Graduation and Spirit Awards Grades 1-5
Thursday
June 14
Last Day of School
Noon Dismissal
May 17, 2007
Spring Fling Cancelled
Go Outside and Play!
2nd Grade Teacher Hired
Botany in Preschool
Update for Roster
Motherfolk, Sunday May 20
Spring Fling Cancelled
Spring Fling will be cancelled this year. It’s been an incredibly busy time with classes taking field trips, 4th and 5th graders going to Islandwood, and presentations; also, our music teacher, Cathy, has decided to take some personal time. We hope to have her back by the end of the year.
Go Outside & Play!
By Donna Jornin, PE Teacher
When was the last time you played hide & go seek outside? Red light, green light or capture the flag? Do you remember walking to school? Back in the day, 50% of us did; a recent report found only 15% of school children walk, while most are driven in private cars. With the longer daylight hours, May is a great month to take it outside & play. Get up a half hour earlier, park at Westwood Village & enjoy an adventure walk to school or have a picnic breakfast. Try taking just one day off a week from the TV; walk after dinner or shoot some hoops. It’s the best time to hear what happened in your child’s day & be a role model for a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
What do you call a fish with two knees? A two-knee fish!!
Joke of the day in the first grade P.E. class. Our cool down, calm down moments at the end of each P.E. class always include a few giggles. It’s a time to listen respectfully to others as well as have a moment in the spotlight. Recently we’ve been emphasizing ways to be a good sport, first talking about examples of how it looks & what it might sound like, then putting it into action during an activity. Last week our focus was on “put-ups.” They sound like “great kick” & it might look like a high five. When we cool down in our circle, I’ll ask the class if they gave or received a “put-up” & what it was. And everyone agrees they feel pretty good to give & to get!
2nd Grade Teacher Hired
By Jo Ann Yockey, Head of School
I am delighted that we will welcome Kathleen Thompson as our second grade teacher. Kathleen earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and then returned to earn her Masters in Education in Instructional and Curricular Studies with a focus on literacy and technology. She has five years experience and is teaching third grade at John Hummel Elementary in Las Vegas.
Botany in the Preschool
By Nancy Levine, Preschool Teacher
We can all picture the image of our own small children planting a little seed, watering it every day and the joy on their faces when that seed actually sprouts. That in itself is a great lesson in patience, and the wonderful results one can achieve after caring and nurturing something smaller than ourselves. The Pre-S/Pre-K class has done just that. We saved the seeds from our classroom pumpkin last fall, and last week, each child had the opportunity to plant four of those seeds. Today we discovered something was beginning to happen under the soil. “They’re popping up,” was the phrase repeated throughout the group, as we observed several green shoots poking their heads up out from the soil. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that each child’s dream of their own home-grown pumpkin comes true next Halloween.
In an attempt to expand their curiosity while strengthening their knowledge, I decided to have the group test the theory that all plants need sun and water, in order to grow. We began with three seemingly identical marigold plants. We listed all their similarities as well as any differences. Items on the first list include, “they all have 2 yellow flowers” while the second list notes, “one of the pots is smaller than the other ones.” Then we placed one plant in the closet, where it will receive water but no sunlight; one plant in the window, where it will receive light but no water; and the third plant will receive both light and water. We hope to compare the plants and look for changes in the weeks to come. Who knew that a simple lesson on plants and flowers could “grow” into something much bigger!
Update for Roster
The Smith Family has a new address. Please change your roster to this address:
3323 SW Seola Lane, Seattle 98146
Motherfolk
Sunday,
May 20
Did you sign-up for the Motherfolk performance at the auction this year? It’s this Sunday, May 20, 7pm at Kenyon Hall. If you still want to attend, you can buy tickets at the door!