Week of May 9-13th

I wanted to type up an end of the year info. post so everyone knows all that’s going on at the busy end of the year.

The kids have been doing a great job on their Kids Teach lessons! It’s fun to see them take the responsibility to plan and be prepared and then teach the lesson. Looking forward to the rest of them!

We are now learning about ocean animals and will be writing a fact book. This is a great skill that forces the kids to really listen for details and facts about animals and then be able to write good sentences about them. They really have to pay attention and listen for the details that make that animal different from other ocean animals. Be sure to have your child share it with you when it comes home!

I am sending summer packets home today with those that requested them. Please glance through them and if you have questions, let me know. I am also sending a few things home with everyone, that I might send today too, including a Summer Stem book, some math bump games, and a reading sheet. Just some things I thought all the kids would enjoy. It’s important to keep up their kinder skills and to review before first grade so that they’re ready to start first grade off in a strong way! The district also has an online site with activities. To access level up learning, go to the olatheschools.org page, click academics, summer lesson options, and level up learning. You’ll find all kinds of activities there and on many different levels.

The kids have also learned to use pebblego.com which is a great informational site. Go to pebblego.com and enter the log in beepg and password olathe.

If you ordered a yearbook, they usually come the last week, we sign them and then send them home. I will be sending a big bag home of all their things the last week, so it will probably be in there, depending when they come and when we sign them. If your child didn’t order one, we’ll have an autograph page they can use.

Next week is a spirit week before our last assembly: 5/16 tourist day, 5/17 neon/bright 5/18 wear clothes backwards day 5/19 field day 5/20 summer/Hawaiian

Thursday, May 19th will be field day. We will be outside almost all day. If it rains, it will be on the 20th. If your child needs sunscreen, put it on them before they come to school. They can bring more to reapply, but they cannot share and have to put it on themselves. They can wear a hat and sunglasses if needed. Girls should not wear spaghetti strap shirts. Have them wear shorts and tennis shoes and bring a water bottle with their name on it.

I-Pads will be due on the 19th. You must return the I-Pad, cover and cube and cord that it came with. Please make sure you have the one it came with. You cannot return just any cord/cube. The district will charge you if you don’t send back the one they sent home fyi.

The last week of school, we’ll be doing some fun camping theme activities. Please have them bring a flashlight on Monday 5/23 if they have one.

Grade cards will be posted online by the end of the week of the 23rd.

The last day of school will be Wed. 5/25 and we get out at noon that day. And yes, I will explain to them that doesn’t mean they go to first grade on Thursday as most think! ha!

There will be a few more emails from me, but wanted to get you all the due dates and end of the year info. Have a great day and let me know if you have questions.

Just a reminder that I’ll be gone on Friday, so if any plans change, please call the office.

I have SO enjoyed getting to know your kids this year. Thanks for sharing them with me!

Week of May 2nd-6th

Can you even believe it’s MAY? Hard to imagine they’re closer to first graders now! This is the time of year where I love to see how far they’ve come and how much they’ve grown and learned. And part of me, is sad to move them on when I just got them where I want them to be! They’ve gotten so independent and know the structure and routine and we get lots more done now!

We are learning about insects. I put the pictures on Seesaw. They are now officially entomologists and can tell you all about insects! Be sure to ask them, they should have lots to share!

We are working with pattern blocks and shapes. Yesterday, I had two people make a shape behind a folder and then they had to give directions to the partners to recreate the shape without looking. It was pretty tricky but a lot of them figured it out! Today we worked on filling in large shapes with smaller shapes to fit and finding different ways to compose the shapes.

We start Kids Teach lessons next week. Please don’t forget to have the lessons approved so that we are not having kids do the same lessons! Also, remember they can NOT teach something we’ve already learned about! We are doing Ocean animals next, so please don’t pick one of those. They should bring their materials/poster to school on the day they are teaching. I talked to them a lot about it today and they’re very excited!

Thank you all again for the wonderful teacher appreciation week. Lots of nice notes, drinks, gift cards, flowers etc made it a great week. Thank you for sharing your children with me. I do enjoy them!

I will remind you, but we will be turning I-pads in the week of the 20th. Please make sure you have the cube and cord that you were given from the school. You cannot turn in just any old cube or cord, it has to be the one that came with the I-pad. I’m giving you plenty of time to hunt it down! We will still be using them, so please continue to make sure they’re charged daily.

ONE LAST CALL: for summer review packets. I will start working on those on Monday, so you need to let me know this weekend if you want one if you haven’t already.

I hope you all have a Happy Mother’s Day! The kids are bringing home a gift for you today. They are also bringing home some artwork. I would encourage you to take a pic of them with their community helper that they want to be when they grown up. You might want it someday when they graduate and take on that job!!

Speaking of, I will not be here next Friday. My son is graduating from KU and we have a super busy weekend with graduation, walking the Hill, and multiple senior events/dinners. He accepted a job after his internship last summer with King’s Hawaiian and will be moving to Chicago this summer. I’m super proud of him and excited for what’s ahead but will sure miss him! We raised both our kids to go do big things and they are. I’m trying to look at it as I have more places to go visit, but I do miss them a lot!

I hope you have a great weekend!