October is here and promises to be a very busy month.
Our unit this month is My Family, My Community. We will be working with families and talking about what it means to be a family, the variety of family members, and how each family is special. We will start to look at Community Helpers; people who help our families. We will also be doing Fall and Halloween art activities, songs, and finger plays.

• Our Letters this month are Dd, Ee, and Hh.
• In Math we be working with sorting and counting.
• For Science we will continue to work with colors.
• Our Composer this month is Strauss.
• In the Media Center we will read and act out Fall and Halloween stories and rhymes.
• In Spanish this month we will work with greetings, simple phrases, and “grande” (big) as it applies to pumpkins.
• In Music we will work on rhythm, rhyme, and movement using rhythm sticks, scarves, and music.
• Our Community Service Project this month is “Soles for Love”. We will be collecting shoes for children, men, and women to send to El Salvador with a missionary family.
• Our Fundraiser is Claire’s Gourmet.

We will go on our first field trip to the pumpkin patch, take a Fall Nature Walk to Baker Park, and hopefully have a visit from a Fire Company. There will be permission sheets to sign in the classroom for all of these activities. Our field trip to Summers’ Farm Pumpkin Patch will be on Monday October 21st (http://summersfarm.com). All parents and siblings are encouraged to go with us on our trip to the pumpkin patch, there is a fee (I think $6.95) for each parent and sibling that is over two years of age. On Monday October 21st please go directly to Summers Farm, park, and meet me at the entrance to Summers Farm before 9:15 am.

Some dates to remember in October are:

Monday October 7th
• Volunteer Orientation and Parent Coffee – 9:15am and 12:45pm
Monday October 14th
• Fire Company Visit
Monday October 21st
• Field Trip: Summers’ Farm Pumpkin Patch
Wednesday October 30th
• Halloween Celebration (do not dress in costume)

Friday November 1st
• Fall Nature Walk to Baker Park
• Classroom Gallery Walk (at the end of our morning)
Monday November 4th
• No School – In-Service Day

For snack please remember to bring water, milk, or 100% juice to drink. Please DO NOT bring juice boxes as they take more time and the children squeeze them and juice squirts everywhere. Please remember to bring cups and napkins.
All our days at school are very busy. We would love to have you volunteer; the more hands we have the more we can get done, however, you must have attended one of Mrs. Lockard’s Parent Volunteer Orientation sessions. I will post a Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet on our board in the hall to remind you, but you do not need to sign-up on the sheet. If you find you have a morning free, please come join us at school.
 
Reminders to Parents:
• If you brought shorts as a change of clothes for your child you may want to think of exchanging them for something a little warmer
• Don’t forget to bring in pictures for our class photo album
• To hear about your child’s day, please gather on the patio beside the playground on Mondays and in the hall outside the classroom on Wednesdays and Fridays about 5 minutes before dismissal. We will have a “Gallery Walk” through our classroom at the end of each month to show parents what we have been doing.
• Please remember to stop in the restroom with your child on the way into school to use the potty and wash hands
• When it is your child’s turn to be “Star of the Week” they may choose a day to bring something from home to share with the class (Show and Tell)
Some ideas of activities to augment the units we will be working with at school this month are:
We are going to be working with making sets and families this month.
• A fun Math and Language Arts activity might be to collect pictures of the family members and have your child sort them into age groups (sets of babies, children, adults, grandparents). Then ask your child to tell you a few words about each picture or group.
• Talk about some of the things your family does together.
We are going to be working with Community Helpers and having a visit from a Fire Department so you might:
• Read a book with your child about Community Helpers or different jobs people can do and talk about the pictures as you read.
• When finished, talk with your child about the jobs of the adults they know.
• Next, ask your child what job they would like to do when they grow up.
• Tell your child that you want to play pretend, and show them some items you have collected such as a marker and notepad, apron, plastic fire hat, play stethoscope, play money, etc.
• Talk about ways some of the items can be used and have fun playing with the objects.
• When you’re out and about (walking or in the car) talk about the things you see in your neighborhood.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at school or at home, text my cell phone, or send me an Email. My home phone number is 301-662-1653 and my cell number is 301-788-2103. I try to check my Email early each morning; my Email address is ecjachowski@comcast.net.

Mrs. J’s MWF Star/Event Calendar

October – My Family, My Community

Sep 30 – Star* Lucas

30 – Monday – In-Service – No School
Oct 2 – Wednesday
• Snack: Cheddar popcorn & raisins
Oct 4 – Friday
• Snack: Cinnamon graham crackers & applesauce cups

Oct 7 – Star* Mara

7 – Monday
• Snack: Oat bars & 7 bananas
• Volunteer Orientation and Parent Coffee – 9:15am and 12:45pm
9 – Wednesday
• Snack: Tortilla chips & salsa
11 – Friday
• Snack: Teddy Grahams & fruit of choice

Oct 14 – Star* Lily

14 – Monday
• Snack: Fig bars & baby carrots
16 – Wednesday
• Snack: Pretzels & apple slices
18 – Friday
• Snack: Yogurt cups & orange sections/smiles

Oct 21 – Star* Joshua

21 – Monday
• FIELD TRIP: Summers’ Farm Pumpkin Patch
23 – Wednesday
• Snack: Parmesan pasta & grapes
25 – Friday
• Snack: Fruit snacks & 7 bananas

Oct 28 – Star* Nicholas

28 – Monday
• Snack: Strawberry Newtons & carrots
30 – Wednesday Halloween Celebration
• Snack: See sign-up sheet
1 – Friday
• Snack: 13 Cheese sticks & Pirate’s Booty
• Nature Walk: Baker Park
• Classroom Gallery Walk (at the end of our morning)
========================================

Nov 4 – Star* Ashlyn

4 – Monday – In-Service – No School
6 – Wednesday
• Snack: Goldfish & applesauce cups
8 – Friday
• Snack: Yogurt cups & Nilla Wafers

* On the first day of the week your child is “Star” please bring a gallon of water and a half gallon of 100% juice or milk, cups, napkins, and anything else needed to serve snack. You may also bring all the snacks listed on the first day and we will store them in the classroom.