Parent Survey & MORE!

Principal Shepler has sent out an email with a link to this year's Parent Survey. PLEASE complete it ASAP (click on the words "Parent Survey" to complete now). It must be finished by Friday, May 25th. We appreciate all parent input. A dinosaur coloring page was sent home today for your child to color any way they choose. When you’ve finished the survey have them bring it in with your signature so they can add it to our dinosaur rumpus. We’re beginning our study of dinosaurs as we prepare for our June 7th field trip to the Dinosaur Museum.

This Thursday is Movie Night from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Our last one for the year.  It is $10.00 for each student and pre-sale has begun! We’re showing “Rango” and as usual, students get all the popcorn they can eat.  

Next Thursday, May 31st is our K-1 Performance at 5:00.  Everyone is working hard to bring you the best show possible. Please have your child (children) in the classroom by 4:30. They should wear blue, white, or green solid T-shirts if possible with dark pants, jeans, or leggings.  The performance should last about 30 minutes. I look forward to seeing all of you.

PLEASE work on sight word lists with your child. 1st graders must have mastered lists 1-10 and Kindergartners must have mastered lists 1-5, by June 1st.

http://sycamoreacademyfreshmanblog.blogspot.com/

Thank You,

Mrs. Spits 

Movie Night Date Change

ATTENTION PARENTS!

"Rango" Movie night has been rescheduled to Thursday, May 24. Pre - sale for tickets will continue until then. Same time, same movie! View earlier posts for details.

Thank you,

Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, & Ms. Jones

Dental Hygienist and Firefighter Visits

Hello Parents!


Last week our students were able to get tips on dental hygiene from a parent who works in a dentist office! We learned what foods to eat to keep our chompers healthy and how to brush in small circles. The student's had fun and there were a lot of laughs.

This week we had firefighters from CalFire's station 75 visit Sycamore's K-1 They talked to us about fire safety and let us play with their gear. Each student got the opportunity to man the water hose! It was very exciting and an unforgettable experience.

We have been having a great time planning these visits for our students! Next week is military & police week.


Thank You,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, & Ms. Jones


***Upcoming Important Date***


May 31st at 5:00 pm - K-1 Performance

May Movie Night!

It's that time again! We will be hosting our fourth movie night on Thursday, May 17th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

We will be serving popcorn and lemonade. Students may wear their pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal. The cost will be $10.00 and pre-sale begins Monday, May 7th. 

Since we have been learning about different habitats and how animals adapt to their environment, we will be screening "Rango". 

Rango is a pet chameleon always on the lookout for action and adventure, except the fake kind, where he directs it and acts in it. After a car accident, he winds up in an old western town called Dirt. What this town needs the most is water, but they also need a hero and a sheriff. The thirsty Rango instantly takes on the role of both and selfishly agrees to take on the case of their missing water.

California Life Science Standard 2

2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different kinds of environ­ ments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places.

b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants need light.

c. Students know animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use plants or even other animals for shelter and nesting.

Thank you for your support.

The K-1 Team

Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones

WANTED: Book Fair Volunteers

Hello Parents!


We have our Spring Book Fair on Wednesday, May 2. We would really appreciate parent volunteers to help out each class and work at the Book Fair which will be upstairs. Here are the scheduled times for each class.


Mrs. Jones's class 8:45 to 9:15


Mrs. Carhart's class 9:20 to 9:50


Mrs. Spits's class  9:55 to 10:25


If you would like to commit to coming with us there is a sign-up list posted on your child's classroom window.


Thank you in advance,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, & Mrs. Jones


P.S. 


PTC needs more parents! If you would like to be involved please attend the next meeting at 5:00 in room 103 the first Thursday of every month.

Thank You Mailman Manny!

Today our students were able to visit with a real-life mailman! Mr. Gutierrez came in to talk to the students about his job and why he is important in our community. 


Wooohoooo!

Our Race Car Driver Visit

On Tuesday, the father of one of our student's came in to teach all of K - 1 about what a race car driver does. He created a Power Point with pictures of his cars and of past races. The students were able to try on his helmet, gloves, and other gear. They really enjoyed getting to see his race car! They even got to hear how loud a race car engine really is. 

The Thompson family has donated 100 tickets to see a race at the Perris Auto Speedway. If you are interested in receiving some tickets for your family please email your child's teacher ASAP. They will be "first come, first serve". In the email please include how many family members you have so we can save your tickets.

A special thanks to the Thompson family!


Thank you,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones

K-1 Happenings for the Spring

Hello Parents!


The third trimester is upon us and we have great things planned for our K - 1 students. 


English Language Arts and Social Studies
We kicked off the beginning of our community unit on Tuesday by having a nurse visit all of K - 1. She shared photos and stories about her recent trip to Africa, where she worked in clinics, delivered babies, and remodeled a preschool! Our students learned how washing their hands will help stop the spread of germs and if they have to cough or sneeze to do it in their elbow, please. The nurse gave the students plenty of time to ask questions and share some stories. All of the children throughly enjoyed learning about doctors and nurses this past week. We plan to study one or two community helpers every week for 10 consecutive weeks. 


Below is a list of the selected community helpers and the dates we will be learning about them. 


March 13 - 16   Doctors and Nurses
March 19 - 23   Race Car Drivers and Veterinarians
March 26 - 30   Musicians

April 09 - 13   Teachers
April 16 - 20   Postal Workers
April 23 - 27   Dentists
April 30 - May 4   Firefighters
May 7 - 11   Police and Military
May 14 - 18    Librarians
May 21 - 25   Paleontologists 


Although students will be learning about many additional community helpers, the professions listed will serve as the focus for the week. We hope that being aware of what your child is learning during English Language Arts and Social studies will help spark some creative homework ideas. Also, please do continue to work on sight word recognition and reading every night.


Math

Ms. Carhart's Math Class:
This trimester the student will be introduced to addition. They are learning how to add single digit numbers using counters.
Ms. Jones's Math Class:
Ms. Jones's class will continue to learn about time. Students will work on telling time to the nearest hour and half hour.
Mrs. Spits's Math Class:
This trimester the students will also be continuing to learn about time. Students will work on telling time to the nearest hour and half hour. Students will also be working on solving subtraction problems with digits 1-20 and commit them to memory.


Science
We are constructing 3D habitats! This trimester we will be focusing on the study of life science. As students learn about plants, insects, and animals they will be adding elements to their classroom biome. Mrs. Spits's class will be working on a desert, Ms. Carhart's class will construct a rainforest, and Ms. Jones's class will build an artic scene. 
In 8 weeks we will select student experts from each class to present and describe their class biome to the other students. We are excited to get our projects started this upcoming week!


Art
We are currently studying Miro's abstract art and will begin our final product next week. In April we will be learning about the amazing Rembrandt and his classic portraits and use of lighting. 




We are excited about a new trimester!


Thank you for all do,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones

Need a pair of fantastic tutors? WE'VE GOT THEM!

We are happy to announce that Ms. Jones's son and daughter will now be tutoring in room 102 on Mondays and Wednesdays! 


AJ and Sisi will be tutoring Kindergartners from 1:00 to 2:00 and 1st graders from 3:30 to 4:30.


They charge $15.00 an hour. A steal for great tutoring from a couple of very experienced college students!


If you have any questions please feel free to contact your child's homeroom teacher.


Thank you,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones


P.S. Report cards will be going home on Friday!

Science Showcase & SCORE Awards

Science Showcase
Our whole-school Science Showcase is Tuesday, February 28th at 6:00 pm. Each K-1 class completed a science experiment to display. We are very proud of our results and hope you can come support our little scientists in the making!


Our Student Leadership team will be serving a pizza dinner starting at 5:00 pm. Order forms have been sent home with students. The profits from sales will help fund Sycamore's 6th grade end of the year trip.


Menu on the order form (green half-sheet sent home last week):

Pizza $1
Water $ 1
Cookie $ .50
Capri Sun $ .50


SCORE Awards
Our next SCORE Award assembly will be held on Friday, March 2nd at 9:00 am. Your child's teacher will contact you if he/she will be receiving an award.


Thank You,


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones

March Movie Night!

It's that time again! We will be hosting our third movie night on Thursday, March 1st, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

We will be serving popcorn and lemonade. Students may wear their pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal. The cost will be $10.00 and pre-sale begins Monday, February 27th. 

The night will begin with a story. We will be reading the original folklore, "Rapunzel". After the story we will be screening Disney's "Tangled". Our goal is for students to have a fun night with their peers, while recognizing that folklore stories have evolved over time.

California Social Science Standard 1.4

Students compare and contrast everyday life in different times and places around the world and recognize that some aspects of people, places, and things change over time while others stay the same.

3. Recognize similarities and differences of earlier generations in such areas as work (inside and outside the home), dress, manners, stories, games, and festivals, drawing from biographies, oral histories, and folklore.

Thank you for your support.

The K-1 Team

Mrs. Spits, Ms. Carhart, and Ms. Jones

Our Schedule for the 100th day of school!

8:30 - 9:20 am   

100th Day Olympics

9:20 - 9:40 am

Story Time

9:40 - 10:30 am     

100th Day Hat Making

10:30 - 11:30 am    

K-1 Lunch and PE

11:30 - 12:30 pm   

100 Year Old Me Portraits and 100th Day Trail Mix Activity

12:30 - 1:00 pm     

Valentine Cards Distribution & 100th Day Snack

We would LOVE to have parent volunteers to help out. Please email your child's teacher if you would like to join the fun! 

Students may bring in Valentine cards to hand out to their friends. Valentine treats are also okay. Capri Suns would be greatly appreciated!

Thank You,

The K-1 Team

Mrs. Spits, Ms. Jones, and Ms. Carhart

February Newsletter

Hello Parents,


February 14th (Valentine's Day) will mark the 100th day of the school year! The K-1 team has many hands-on activities planned for this special day. To begin the 100th day of school celebration we have sent home a Chef Special in a small brown sack (if your child's sack did not make it home please let us know ASAP). With your help, your child is to collect 100 like items to paste around the brown sack. Light items that will not weigh down the sack are recommended. For example: sequence, beads, popcorn kernels, cheerios, buttons, beans, stickers, etc. This assignment is due on Tuesday, February 14th.


Students are also welcome to bring in a snack for our 100th day trail mix. The Chef Special has a list of the ingredients that would help make our trail mix delicious! For instance, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, gummy bears, raisins, fruit loops, banana chips, etc.We will be counting our 100 treats during school. You do not need to put them into baggies.


Being that it will also be Valentine's Day, students may bring in cards to pass out to their classmates and place in their 100th day bags! If you are planning to bring in a snack please sign-up on your teacher's door starting February 7th. Juice boxes, plates, and napkins are always encouraged.


Homework Menus


Lastly, we would like to provide a bit more homework ideas. We understand that the homework menu is a bit difficult at first; however, it is not meant to be tedious. A lot of the students are forgetting to complete one thing from EVERY part of the menu.


Here is an example that shows how multiple areas of the menu could be connected to a single task:


Going on a hike. 

• The student may draw a picture to show that they went on a hike with mom or dad to complete the health and wellness portion of the menu. 
• The drawing will also count as the child's art assignment for the week. 
• Recording what time you started and ended the hike OR estimating how may steps the hike will take can be math.
• If the student collects different leaves on the hike and places them in a plastic baggie to share with the class it may count as their science homework. 
• Writing a poem or a few sentences about the experience can be the child's language arts homework for the week.

That takes care of art, health and wellness, science, and language arts homework! 


If your students is involved in after school activities such as gymnastics, dance, soccer, tutoring, etc. PLEASE remind him/her to include a drawing or explanation of the activity in his/her homework folder. If you have any questions about the homework menu please do not be afraid to email.


Thank you for all that you do,


The K-1 Team


Mrs. Spits, Ms. Jones, and Ms. Carhart


P.S.


There will be a K-1 February Movie Night Fundraiser! Details for the event will be posted SOON.

January Movie Night!

The K-1 team is pleased to announce that we will be hosting our second movie night on Thursday, January 26th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The first movie night was a success! Parents were able to enjoy some peace and quiet while we entertained their children. 

We are excited to give our students who were not able to attend the December movie night, an opportunity to enjoy a great movie and popcorn with their peers. Students may wear their pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animal. The cost will be $10.00 and pre-sale begins Monday. 

As you know, we are currently studying transportation. To enrich student learning we will be screening "Cars". We will also be breaking a "Cars" pinata!  We are hoping for another great turnout. 

Thank you for your support.

The K-1 Team

Ms. Jones, Mrs. Spits, and Ms. Carhart

P.S.

K-1 needs your emptied and rinsed plastic, gallon containers. We are estimating how many gallon jugs it will take to build an igloo and then constructing one big enough to use as a reading center. Please bring them into each teacher.

Welcome to our Freshman Team blog!

Dear K-1 Parents,

We hope to create a new entry on our blog at least once a month. Our goal is to inform you of what is going on in your child’s classroom. For each subject we have included a simple "Homework Idea" to help you and your child complete the homework menus that are due every Tuesday.

MATH

We are currently beginning to study coin recognition and coin value. Homework Idea: 1st - Clip yummy food ads and practice calculating what coins you will need to make the purchase. K - Draw each coin and write the numerical value next to your picture. We are also studying shape recognition. Homework Idea: Find and draw all of the spheres you can find around your house.

SCIENCE

We are beginning a unit on weather. Homework Idea: Record the weather for the entire week by creating a small drawing everyday.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Many first grade students have completed all 10 of the K - 1 sight word lists and are moving onto 2nd grade lists! Woohoo. Kindergarteners don't be discouraged. All students should  practice their sight word list daily. Homework Idea: Make colorful flashcards or 'Rainbow Write' your sight words! If your child has completed sight word lists 1-10 please continue to review them and encourage nightly storybook reading. Students who have completed lists 1-10 will also start practicing SuperSpeed 1000.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We are continuing our unit on transportation, as well as learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Homework Idea: Draw a picture of 5 different means of transportation you would see in your neighborhood (car, bike, truck, fire engine, etc.)

Don't forget to complete the PE and ART homework sections on your menu!

SCORE Goals

Has your child been working on his/her SCORE goals? Our first SCORE goal awards will be given out on Friday, February 3rd at 9:00 am. Please be sure to arrive on time. If your child is receiving a score award your child's teacher will be emailing you or sending a note home prior to the event.

Popcorn Fundraiser

Popcorn will be sold every Friday during snack time for $.50 per bag. If your child would like to purchase popcorn just send him/her with change on Fridays! Exact change will be greatly appreciated.


This is a great way to reward your child for his/her hard work on learning the value of coins and calculating them.  See if he/she can independently count out the .50 cents he/she will need to buy a bag of popcorn!  You can change up the coins available each week to give your child an extra challenge.

Help us keep our classroom clean!

We work hard to keep our classrooms tidy but would love to have a few more helping hands. If you are willing to come in on Fridays after school for a few minutes to help clean your child's classroom, please contact their teacher. We need help wiping down surfaces and vacuuming. This will help prevent the spread of germs this flu season.

Thank You,

The K-1 Team

Ms. Jones, Mrs. Spits, and Ms. Carhart

P.S. 

There will be a K-1 January Movie Night Fundraiser! Our Polar Express night was a hit and we would like to give more students the opportunity to experience a movie night with their classmates. Details for the event will be posted SOON.