Home-School Connection Newsletter- October

            Welcome autumn! As September turns into October and leaves change their colors, we are becoming enthusiastic students.  We have spent a lot of time getting to know each other and developing friendships.  We have also learned a lot of new routines and rules.  Now this will help us learn all year!

• This month we will begin our All About Me Unit! We are so excited to learn more about each other and what makes each of us unique! This unit will include topics such as: What makes me important and unique? What Feelings do I have and why? What makes my class important and unique? And What makes my family important and unique? We will be asking you to send in a photo of your family for Our Class Families Book. We will discuss the people in our families and things we like to do together.
• To develop literacy skills, we will begin to work on identifying letters (especially those in our own name) and the sounds they make. We will focus on a different letter each week. Homework will be sent home to support this learning. Please work on this activity with your child and review the letter frequently. The goal is that your child can name the letter by the end of the week.
• In math, children are working on counting and making groups up to 5, as well as identifying these digits.  We will continue to identify similarities and differences between objects, people, stories, and situations.  Taking note of similarities in objects will help us sort items into groups. 
• Since fall has begun, we will begin exploring the natural world around us. Students will compare the different types of trees we see around the school as well as the ones in the books we will be reading.  Feel free to send in interesting leaves or other tree parts you find for our Science center.  It will be exciting to learn about how trees grow, what animals make their homes in trees, and which foods come from trees. 

• On October 21, we will be hosting our first In-Class Trip, Staten Island Museum’s Animal Homes: Who Lives There. Children will learn about the specific adaptations plants and animals make to survive and thrive. This will be for students only due to time and space.
• On October 31 (Halloween Day), we will have a class celebration with parents invitied! More information will follow soon.
• We will be starting MYSTERY READER October 14. You will be able to sign up for available dates during dismissal time!
• Please also see this month’s Family Connection Project!             

1. A FULL SIZE backpack of their choosing
2. A folder to be used for correspondence between parents and teachers
3. One weather appropriate change of clothing stored in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag to be kept in the child’s backpack.
4. One standard sized crib sheet and a SMALL, LIGHTWEIGHT crib blanket  (These items will be stored at school so it is essential that they are not too big/bulky. We will send these home on Fridays to be washed and returned on Monday.)
5. 1 package of baby wipes
6. 1 box of tissues

• 1 pack of playdough
• 1 small pack of 1 gallon ziplock bags