Hello PreKPals Families!

We are gearing up for another exciting week in PreK! This week, we are going to focus on Health and Safety. We have some cool science experiments to do this week about GERMS! We are trying to get into the habit of good handwashing, and of using hand sanitizer (or “Hanitizer” as most PreKPals call it) when we sneeze or cough. We’ve had lots of sniffles and snotties going on in our room and we are practicing sneezing and coughing into our elbow instead of our hands so we don’t spread our germs.

Officer Katie (our School Resource Officer (SRO) and a Tuscaloosa Police Officer) is going to talk to us on Tuesday about being safe. She has a cool book to read to us! We will also practice our fire, tornado and intruder (we call these quiet drills.) Everyday in our classroom, we practice our Daily Commitments as part of being safe. They are:

• I will use watching eyes.
• I will use listening ears.
• I will use gentle hands and feet.
• I will use kind words.
• I will use walking feet indoors.

Each PreKPal moves his/her photo from “Home” to “School” as a symbol of these Commitments. It is my job, and Ms. Hoffman’s job, to keep the PreKPals safe and to help them learn. Their job as a student, is to help us all stay safe. We say this pledge everyday as a reminder.

On Tuesday, we will also have STEM class with Ms. Christian! This week, we are going to make a bridge for our counting bears.

I am going through all of the beginning of the year paperwork, and will be sending reminders and second sets for those who are missing forms.

Tuesday night is PTA Open House at RQES. Since we already had our PreK only orientation meeting, this will be your opportunity to visit in the classrooms of your other students. We will NOT have a meeting for PreK, but our classroom will be open for you to pop in if desired after the PTA meeting. Please make sure your children sit with you during the meeting and are not running all round the multipurpose room. You will get parent volunteer hours for attending. We will leave sign in sheets in the front lobby. Just sign in under Jenne’. Make sure to list all adults who attend because that adds to your parent volunteer hours!

Don’t forget to decorate your child’s circle with pictures and items that he/she loves. We are adding these to our PreK Family Tree! These are due Tuesday as well.

Did you know we have a class Facebook Page? You can find us at RQ PreKPals#1. Just ask to join.

As promised, here’s the directions to last week’s science experiment. Many of our PreKPals wanted to try this at home.

Magic Milk (https:littlebinsforlittlehands.com/magic-milk-a-classic-science-experiment-for-kids/)

Get your 5 snacks packed in a big ziplock bag (Please do NOT pack snacks inside the lunchbox). Find your water bottle (with a valve) and fill it up. Grab your nap mat. Put your Bear Binder in your backpack and you will be all ready for the week!

Ms. Hoffman and I cannot wait to see you bright and early in the morning!

Have an awesome week! Alicia

Hey PreKPals Families!

Sorry to be late to the blog. This weekend was slammed packed and I honestly just feel like I have had a minute to breathe. In fact, I was just in the middle of the great closet clean out when I remembered to do the blog post. Whew!

This week we are going to continue learning about our friends in PreK. We are going to work on writing our names, and will learn about everyone’s family. One way you can help is to return your child’s All About Me bag tomorrow. We will do a few of these per day to learn about our friends. You will also be getting a big circle with your child’s name on it. Please use this to tell us all about your child. Decorate the front side only. These will go on our Family Tree in our classroom.

We will have an exciting time of new adventures this week! Monday, Dr. Dennis, our OSR PreK Coach, will be with us to see how we are learning and growing in PreK. On Tuesday, we will have a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) class with Mrs. Christian. We are super excited about that! On Wednesday, we will go to the library with Mrs. Pilsch for our first story time! In a few weeks, we will be able to check out a library book and bring it home! So many fun things to do!

Get your 5 snacks packed in a big ziplock bag (Please do NOT pack snacks inside the lunchbox). Find your water bottle (with a valve) and fill it up. Grab your nap mat. Put your Bear Binder in your backpack and you will be all ready for the week!

Ms. Hoffman and I cannot wait to see you bright and early in the morning!

Have an awesome week! Alicia

Hello PreKPals and Families-

This is our class blog! Every Sunday night (by about 8 pm) you will get a Class Dojo message with a link to the weekly blog. We will use this blog as our “class newspaper”. You will want to click the link each week and learn all about what is happening in PreK! All announcements and reminders will be listed here so that you can access important dates and times  whenever you need to.

We had a great beginning last week! Girl Day, Boy Day and Everyone Day went pretty smoothly! Ms. Hoffman and I were so excited to get to have everyone all together for learning and fun! We know our first full week will be the same!

Reminders and important information-

• Please, please, please complete the ASQ online questionnaire TODAY. Everyone must have a completed ASQ. This is a requirement of the PreK Program. The link is:
• Region 3 English: https://www.asqonline.com/family/989e7
• Spanish: https://www.asqonline.com/family/cbc71c
  
• We have 100% of families signed up for Class Dojo! Yay! We will use Class Dojo as our primary way to communicate with you. You also do not want to miss the pictures of your child.
• Take home binders are FULL of information and forms that need to be completed. (Sorry for all the forms. Everything is required.) Please complete the forms and return to school ASAP. The take home binder is our communication binder. This binder needs to come to school with your child daily. We check them daily. All notes and money should be put in the zipper pocket. Please do NOT store school supplies or toys in the zipper pocket.
• At dismissal, please continue to line up in front of the school at 2:20. Look for “Mrs. Jenne” on the door.  Line up at this door. This will help me find you quickly and dismiss your child in a timely fashion. We are still learning everyone’s faces so help us out by saying your child’s first and last name (we have a Sutton in every class!)
• Remember to send a snack with your child everyday. Also, water bottles go home daily. Return water bottles full every day. For snack we ONLY drink water. NO juice or milk please. Remember that all water bottles MUST have a valve to prevent spills. NO OPEN POUR tops allowed.
• If your child has a change in the way they will dismiss in the afternoon, please contact me through email or Class Dojo. You do not need to call the office UNLESS you do not receive a reply from me. We only need a note from you if your child’s regular means of dismissal is changing.  (For example, If your child is a car rider every day, we don’t need a weekly note. If your child is a daily car rider and is going to go to extended day on Tuesday, we would need a note.)
• Please do not send fruit cups for snack. The juice spills everywhere and we are trying to prevent ants in our classroom. Fruit cups are fine for lunch. Fruit pouches that have a twist top are fine.
• Beginning on Monday (8-12-19) and every day thereafter, please drop your child off in the Multipurpose Room in the morning. We will walk down as a class. 
• We will begin classroom jobs and small groups this week.  We are excited to continue learning more about our friends and practicing reading our names this week.
  Thank you for trusting us with your children!