Phoebe's August School Happenings

Phoebe has adjusted well to being at school all day.  She is in Kindergarten this year, and really likes her teacher.  She has a few friends in her class this year that she knew from last year and enjoys sitting by them in the classroom and playing with them at recess.  She has speech twice a week, and will continue to work toward reaching and exceeding her speech goals on her IEP with the speech teacher this year.

Do you get to have a snack at school?  What kinds of snacks do you eat?
Phoebe:  Yes.  Sugar popcorn, Goldfish, sugar Goldfish, fruit snacks, Granola Bars, On the first day my teacher gave everyone of Kindergarten a Popsicle.

Who do you like to play with at recess?  What do you like to do at recess?
Phoebe:  Lydia, Emma, Jade, and Lila.  Teeter-Totter, Merry-Go-Round.  It goes super fast.  The monkey bars.  I play on the swings.  I played on the rock wall.  I climbed all the way up there and there was a little hole and I got off of it and it was scary.

You have taken your lunch everyday to school so far in your lunchbox.  What kinds of food do you like to pack to eat for lunch?
Phoebe:  Yogurt covered raisins, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, jello, squeeze applesauces, crackers, juice bags, and water.

You had to bring a large/beach towel to school with your school supplies.  What do you use the towel for during the school day?
Phoebe:  After lunch I lay on it and take a rest with everybody.  Sometimes people fall asleep.  When they are still sleeping we read books and eat a snack.

What have you been practicing/learning in math?
Phoebe:  Numbers and counting.

What do you do on the nursery rhyme papers (below)?
Phoebe:  We color the pictures.  We have to look for certain things... letters and words.

What are the specials that you get to go to with your class?
Phoebe:  P.E., computers, music room, and library.

Tell me about the "Red Plate" reward.
Phoebe:  If you get on blue or purple you get to use the red plate from school to eat dinner.

How does your teacher reward/give consequences for good/bad behavior at school?
Phoebe:  Everybody has a clip with their name on it.  Everybody starts on green.  Some kids have to move their stick down and they have to move their stick up.  If you move down to yellow, orange, and red you get in trouble.  If you move up to blue or purple Mrs. ______  be's happy!

Below is Phoebe's August calendar that she brought home every  night from school in August.  A parent must initial it each night and send it back to school in the morning.  This is a good communication tool between the teachers and the parents.  Each school day, at the end of the day, Phoebe gets to color the square with the color that her clip/clothespin has moved to and is still on at the end of the day.  She has stayed on green 8 days and moved up to blue 7 days so far.

What are your favorite things about Kindergarten so far?
Phoebe:  Recess, cutting, and P.E. and computers.  That is the one's that I really really like.

Sarah's August School Happenings

Sarah had a good first month of school.  She is in 3rd grade this year and has lots of friends in her class.   She likes her teacher and enjoys reading, recess, being with friends, and doing her best on her schoolwork

What was something memorable that you did on the first day of school?
Sarah:  I picked out a pretty outfit and you guys took me to school.  We did a color sheet.

What have you been doing in Math?
Sarah:  Weights and measurement.  Time and number stories.  And we are doing multiplying.

What is something that was challenging for you during the first month of school?
Sarah:  In computer lab we had to take tests on the computer to see what math and reading groups we would be in.

How does your teacher reward/give consequences for good and bad behavior this year?
Sarah:  We pull sticks.  We each start with 3 popsicle sticks.  And if you are bad you pull a stick.  And if you pull all of yours that's really bad.  You might have to go to the Principal's office or call your mom and dad.  If you do something really good then you get to go to the Principal's office and sign your name on "Good Behavior" board and go to the pizza party.  I haven't had to pull any sticks.

Tell me about the "Red Plate" reward.
Sarah:  Every student at school got to bring a red plate home.  We all get to keep them.  So if you do something good at school, then you tell your parents and you get to use the red plate that night to eat at home.

What is your favorite thing about 3rd grade so far?
Sarah:  Reading, recess, lunch, PE, music, Noon Fitness, and in 3rd grade it's faster.  Time flies better.  First you do 2 pages of your worksheet then you go to specials.  Then you have math, and then language.  Then Noon Fitness.  Then lunch.  Then reading.  And, then recess.  Then MIRP.  And then go home.

On His Birthday

Silas's birthday was on a Saturday in August.  We were home from Colorado then, and decided to have a fun family day.  We started by going to the zoo that morning.

The Lions and the Gorillas were both up by the glass viewing areas and made it fun to see them up close and get a real feel for how big they actually are.

Some of Silas's favorite animals to look at the zoo each time we go are the Elephants, Hippos, Turtles, and Flamingos.

He also LOVES to look at the ducks and the fish.  I do believe he will be more and more like his Daddy as he grows up.  Maybe a little hunter and fisherman in the making.

Later that day we headed to the community pool for a swim.  It was a very hot day and there were lots of people at the pool.  All three kids had a good time swimming, jumping in, and going down the big blue slide.

Back at home Silas requested pizza for his birthday dinner and a big cookie cake.  After eating dinner we let him open his birthday gifts from us and the package that came in the mail from Grandma Sharon.  (Below) Silas with Phoebe and his gifts from her...

(Below) Silas with Sarah and his gifts from her...

He also got a few more Disney Planes and Cars from us, the Disney Planes movie, and some clothes.  He was very excited when he opened his new rescue truck and helicopter from Grandma Sharon!  He could hardly wait for Daddy to get them out of the boxes!  He especially loves the helicopter.  Thanks Grandma Sharon!!!

All three kids liked the cookie cake, and the icing on the cookie cake.

Happy 3rd birthday, Silas Paul!

Happy Birthday to YOU!