Snow Gear Update

There is a slight change in information from my newsletter yesterday.  Mrs. DeCarolis is on outside recess duty, and would like me to ask that all children come prepared for recess with snow boots (i.e. water resistant, not dress boots like Uggs), snow pants, a winter weight coat, as well as hat and mittens.  Effective immediately, they will not be able to leave the blacktop unless they have all of the proper gear.  Again, anyone who might need help outfitting your child, since they certainly do grow out of this stuff from year to year, please let me know and I will see if the school has anything available.  Thanks for your help!  We hate seeing children disappointed that they don't get to join their friends in the snow, so I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. Also, as an FYI, beginning tomorrow our class will spend our morning recess inside throughout the snowy months, since it takes too long to get ready in our gear for a quick 10-15 minute break. 

Report Cards

Please remember to return the white report card envelopes and the green info cards to me as soon as possible.  We will reuse the same card and envelope for all four quarters of first grade.  Thank you to those of you who have already signed and sent your child's report card back!

Friends of CPS "Classroom Parent"

The new Friends of CPS group is seeking parent volunteers to take on the role of "Classroom Parent" for our class.  As I understand it, the job would essentially be acting as a liason between Friend of CPS and me, going to the Friends of CPS meetings and sharing info, and helping to coordinate other parent volunteers for activities involving our class as the need arises during the year.  A note from the Friends of CPS will be coming home tomorrow.  Please let me or the Friends of CPS contact Jennifer Landry (jalandry22@yahoo.com) know if this role is something you might be interested in.  Thank you!

Halloween Candy Sorting Activity

Here is a fun math activity that you can try at home this week with all of that Halloween candy.  Sorting by attributes is an important math skill, and candy has lots of attributes:  flavor, color, size, shape, etc.  Have your child look into their candy bag, and just start sorting!  They might start by sorting the candy they like into one pile and candy they don't like into another.  You could then try a new three-way sort, such as piles of chocolate candy, sour candy, and sweet candy.  Encourage kids to create their own ways to sort as well!  Feel free to post how your child sorted their candy.  Pictures would also be a great way to share ideas!  Have fun!