Kristen Pearce

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, September 17th – PICTURE DAY
Wednesday, September 17th – Parent/Caregiver Meeting in the Classroom 5:00 – 6:00
Friday, September 19th – NO SCHOOL (See the attached flyer about a parent-planned beach day!)

Rain, rain, here to stay?!

Wow, that was a downpour today! A bit unexpected and it arrived exactly when the kiddos were out at recess. A great reminder to get prepared for the upcoming (if not already here, apparently!) rainy season.. Many students were prepared with extra clothes in their backpacks, and others had to just be a little soggy. Please begin to send students with these items:
     ● rainboots – there are still some extras out on the porch that may fit your student if anyone needs some
     ● raincoat  – we will go out in the rain and like to be prepared with raincoats (not umbrellas). Please send students with a raincoat on days with even the slightest chance of rain. They can be kept on their hooks outside with their backpacks.
     ●  change of clothes  – students may keep their clothes in their backpacks OR I have a space in the classroom for a labeled bag of clothes. When they are sent home wet or dirty please send back a fresh set as soon as possible.

Gardening on Fridays

Last week we harvested the beautiful beans students planted last year! We may use them for math counters, or perhaps we will add them to a soup? We look forward to more harvesting, as well as planting our new garden bed with some fall veggies.

Parent / Caregiver Meeting

I hope to see you on Wednesday, September 17th for our meeting…. You’ll hear a little about how we structure the day and about the academic work opportunities and other special activities students have throughout the week. Please come with your questions… I look forward to talking with you all!

Thank you for reading,
*Miss Kristen*

Greetings Families!

Students are continuing to learn and practice our classroom routines which include reading the “map” to see where their group is starting during rotations. Students have now been assigned all of their different groups… “elements”, “sun, moon, stars” and “colors”. I invite you to ask your student tonight what their groups are!

For example – students will typically rotate in their color groups on thursdays for guided art… it’s been fun making art with them this year so far!

Homework

Homework has begun this week!  
I will talk more about this at an upcoming parent meeting, but here are some logistics to know regarding this routine:

● Homework is given Monday through Wednesday
● Homework folders come back to school the day after they are given out (in the case of absences, etc, they come back asap!)
● Spelling lists are given at the beginning of the week and are kept AT HOME (students may have a special spot that works for them; the fridge, the wall, a desk, etc. Sometimes their homework might involve their spelling words and they need to know exactly where to find them, and I also I encourage students to look at them daily)
● The homework routine is mainly about students practicing their responsibility and organization.
● It is the students’ responsibility to be in charge of their homework folder and bring it back to school. You may give reminders, but the ultimate goal is for them to learn to keep track of it.
● If there is no time in the evening or morning for them to get it done, that’s ok! I know families are busy, some days are easier than others to sit down for this task. Just do your best.
● The homework is NOT individualized to each students’ needs.  Some students love it, some dread it. Some students may think it’s easy, some may think it’s challenging and need a lot of help. That’s ok. Help as much as you are able, and remember that the main goal is for them to turn it in. Please let me know if you have questions about how you might help your child at home.

Classroom Support Jobs

If you are able and would like to sign up for a classroom supportjob….
You can sign up for Classroom Support jobs here!

● Towel Team – I’m calling it a team because I ask that your student helps out, because I will often forget to send the basket home on Fridays and they may be better at remembering! 
● Cubby Cleaner – Our cubbies outside get dusty and dirty – a once every other week or so cleaning should keep them nice! I can provide rags and cleaner if this happens right after the school day.
● Water Wizard – Just when the students think the water cooler in our classroom is empty and they can’t fill their water bottle, voila! I grab the other 3-gallon bottle that has been magically and mysteriously filled by our water wizard and fill it up again. I will send home an empty jug with you/your student as needed.

September Life Skill: FRIENDSHIP!

We began talking about our lifeskill of the month today… I look forward to continuing these conversations in the classroom 💛

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

Upcoming Dates:

Monday September 2nd – Labor Day, No School
Early September Date TBD – Parent Meeting

“Fridge” Spelling Words / Homework to begin next week

Students brought home their first spelling lists today!
This week is kind of a practice run, I will give more details about spelling and homework next week!
I’m calling them fridge lists because they are meant for the refrigerator at home (or the special place on the wall in their room, etc – students can decide!)
The spelling patterns / rules are on the lists, and I encourage you to support their learning at home by engaging them with the words on the list when you can.

One Week in the Books!

We’ve officially been in school for 5 days, and students have been working hard learning the routines of our classroom! They will be getting assigned their work groups by the end of the week, and they will rotate through centers and activities during the day with their group. 
Daily rotations include a variety of academic activities, art, gardening, and PLAY. I look forward to telling you more at our parent meeting. Pictured below is our first garden rotation, and students working on their “I AM” statements & illustrations, which will be up on the wall soon!

Extra Clothes

Just a quick reminder that you may send in a gallon-sized ziplock bag of extra clothes (underwear, socks, leggings/shorts). These are for those unexpected emergencies! I have a place to keep them where students can access them in the classroom.

Thank you for reading!
*Miss Kristen*

Hi, I’m Miss Kristen!

This is my 12th year at Village, and I’m excited to begin another school year alongside both familiar faces and new ones. I feel so grateful to be part of such a close-knit community where I get the chance to know all of our students. I enjoy teaching in a multi-age classroom and supporting students in both their academic growth and their social-emotional development. Outside of school, I like singing and making music, hiking, paddling, and swimming in the river… and I have a big sweet spot for ice cream! 

Our first day of school is tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20th

• If arriving early, students may hang their backpack outside the classroom and put their lunch in their cubby, then head out to play on the blacktop.

• I will blow my whistle to gather our class at the start of school – join us if you are able for our all-school morning circle & spiral dance.

• You may pick up your student outside our classroom, otherwise please communicate with me if you would like your student to walk out with someone else (an older sibling, older friend, etc.)

• Sometime this week, at your prerogative, you can send in

Students should bring:

• Backpack, lunchbox, water bottle

• If you think your child may need a change of clothes, please feel free to send extras (underwear, socks, leggings/shorts) in a labeled gallon-sized ziplock bag sometime this week.

Communication

Thank you in advance for respecting the flow of the school day and my time away from school! Here’s what that looks like:

• Please read my Tuesday Newsletters and the Village Friday Bulletin! These are our main modes of communication and contain important details.

• Morning, before school begins, is my time to prepare for the day and is not always a good time to communicate questions or concerns. If you would like to discuss something please send an email first, and we can find a time to meet in person if needed.

• I will check my email mainly before and after school hours. I will not check or respond to emails on the weekends. 

• If there is something that needs to be communicated to me during the school day please call Carolyn or send her a message and she can relay it to me.

Support, Classroom Jobs and Volunteering

We appreciate and need the support from our families during the school year. Support might be on field trips or in the classroom OR behind the scenes:

• Wishlists: I will periodically post a wishlist in my newsletter for items and/or help with tasks.

• Classroom Jobs: Please see next week’s newsletter for a classroom job sign-up. These jobs are regular behind-the-scenes tasks that significantly improve the health and cleanliness of our classroom.

• Volunteering: Volunteering may include driving and/or being a chaperone on a field trip, or leading an activity with students in the classroom. As field trips come up, I will send a request for drivers and chaperones. If you would like to drive/chaperone, please check in with the office to update your driving credentials as soon as possible.

Thank you so much for reading!
Here we go, see you tomorrow! 🤗

*Miss Kristen*