Feb. 20 - 24 19/02/2012
 
Hello everyone.  I went looking for some extra socks for kids this weekend and had trouble finding red and brown.  So I went to $ Giant and purchased each child a pair of brightly coloured gloves that will work just fine.  Don't spend any more time worrying about getting socks.

This week at a glance:

Monday:  It's 100  day!  Also, we have been going to the computer lab.  The kids can now open up 3  programs on their own.  The next step is teaching them how to log on with their  student usernames and password.  It boggles my mind when I think how things have  changed since I went to kindergarten!  These kids are learning so much, so  fast.

Tuesday:  We will  continue our frog study in the library.  Thanks for getting those books back on  time.

Wednesday: We will  be continuing to practice our 2 songs for Read Around the Planet (RAP) all week  long.

Thursday:  We're  going live to Texas!  The children have been practicing hard and look really cute.  They sound great too!

Friday:  This is an in-service day for teachers - no school  for kids.  I am facilitating a round table discussion for kindergarten
teachers  so I'm pretty excited about that. 

P.S.  I have heard back from almost everyone re: the email listserv.  Let me know if you have not received the email and I will gladly re-enter you address.

The children have been really excited to visit starfall.com both in the classroom and the computer lab.  If you have not had a chance to view this site, I have posted a live link on the links page of the blog. 

Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to the snacks for Valentine's Day.  Red and pink bread heart-shaped sandwiches, fruit and veg trays, dips, individual fruit cups, popcorn, juice  boxes, meat, cheese, dip, cookies, cupcakes, plates, cups, napkins - believe me - we ate for 2 days!  Thanks again for your generosity.

TTFN or as Christopher Robin would say - "Ta ta for now!"

 
Feb. 15, 2012 15/02/2012
 
Feb. 15, 2012

Hello again!

Mrs. Hyslop and Mrs.
Stokes classes are videoconferencing with 2 classes to do a short performance
and ask questions about our host classes’ communities and schools. 
The project is called Read Around the Planet (RAP for short) and has had  international success.  Mrs. Hyslop’s class is connecting with a class in Calgary. 
Mrs. Stokes’ class is connecting with a class in
Texas.
We are performing Pete the Cat – I Love My White Shoes.  We need your child to bring a pair of solid coloured socks in one
of the following colours: white, red, blue or brown.
We will draw noses and whiskers with black eyeliner  pencils.  Please let us know if
your child is allergic to eye pencils. 
Also, if you like, could you rig a pair of kitty ears? 
 You could cut ears out of  paper or fabric and tape or sew them to a hair band. 
If this is not possible, no problem.
Thanks for your help in making this project
successful

 Cheers.
Ms. Stokes and Mrs. Hyslop

 
Feb. 13 - 17 12/02/2012
 
Feb. 14 - gymnastics
Dear FamiliesI am excited to be taking the children up to the Kamloops Gymnastics Club.  (Please see the permission form).  We are going with our grade 4 buddy group.  We will go by bus.

Please return the forms, signed, with your child’s name filled in at the bottom.  It helps the office staff if you include your permission form and payment in one envelope or small ziplock bag.

Also – we are trying to solve a mystery.  We are missing a library book called ‘Panda’.  Could you please have a look around your homes and cars to see if your child took it home by accident.

I have posted this notice on the blog as well.

Thanks.  Cheers.  Sheila Stokes


 Hello Everyone – Happy
Valentine’s Day!  The kids are
really excited about our Tuesday celebration.  Thank you very much to those of you who
sent in cereal boxes. Now each
child will have their own unique holder. 
Here are a couple of important upcoming
 events:

 Tuesday – Valentine’s
exchange and afternoon party. 
Healthy snack and drink donations would be
  great.


Thursday – Young
People’s Concert at the Sagebrush. 
This time we will be watching
ballet.

Monday, Feb. 20th 
  We are celebrating
the 100thday of
school.  We will try to read 100
  books, hook together 100 unifix cubes and so forth. 
This is a great time for the children to bring in a project they have
made with you at home.  Some ideas
might be 100 pennies, 100 pieces of cereal glued in rows of 10, 100 toothpicks
arranged and glued in groups of 5, 100 pieces of lego arranged in a
construction, etc.  The sky is the
limit and you can let your imagination run with this. 
We will share our projects with the class so it
would be great if each child could have something to  share.

Some people have had trouble signing in to the blog.  If you encounter difficulties, go in
through the Parkcrest homepage by going to parkcrest.sd73.bc.ca. 
Scroll down and on the left you will find individual teacher’s blog
spots.  Just click on my name and
you will go directly there.   Sometimes it works to use a different
  browser.  I have checked this
address and successfully found the blog at http://stokesnotes.weebly.com

I would really love it if I could keep you informed through
the blog to prevent have to send paper
notices.

Enjoy your week. 
Cheers.  Sheila Stokes  

 
January 9 - 13 08/01/2012
 
    Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you are all happy to get back to a routine again.  I know I am.  This week I am starting the homereading program.  Your child will bring home a book every evening.  Please spend 10 or 15 minutes reading with your child.  Research has proven that it makes a difference to your child's success.  Here are some things you might do:
    *take a picture walk - look at all the pictures first
    *choose some simple words and create rhymes
    *have your child re-tell the story

    This week:
    *please make sure your child has gym shoes at school.  Some of the girl's shoes are causing them a bit of a problem in the gym.  Also, it is getting muddy out there and the kids are tracking in a lot of dirt.

    *on Thursday we are going to the Young People's Concert at the Sagebrush Theatre.

    *take a moment to look at some of the websites I have included on the 'links' page.

    Enjoy your week.  Cheers.  Sheila

 
Dec.12 - 16 11/12/2011
 
Oh my goodness!  I can hardly believe that we have arrived at this festive time of year so soon!

First of all, the children performed beautifully on Friday.  They were justifiably proud of themselves - and I could not believe how much they have grown in just 3 1/2 months of school.

Thank you for sending them so well prepared with their smiling faces and outfits. 

The main task this week will be to maintain a calm atmosphere in the classroom.  The children are already super excited about the upcoming holiday.  I want to send them home happy at the end of the week. Having the performance last week was part of the strategy.

We will have pretty much the same routines as usual with only a few minor additions for the season.  

Here is the week at a glance:

Monday: We are finishing another special Christmas project with our buddy class.

Tuesday:  Please send along your child's library books.

Wednesday:  We will be having a very regular day.

Thursday:  Cookie day!  I have had parents volunteer to send cookie dough and some to come and bake with us.  Please send me an email confirmation.  I would like to make enough cookies to share with our buddies and to nibble on ourselves.

Friday:  We will be gathering our art work, doing some regular work, and sharing a movie with our other kindergarten friends.  We're watching the Polar Express.  I don't know how many times I have seen that movie but it is still one of my all time favourites!
  
As my parent group, I want you all to feel that we have the opportunity for open communication.  Please send me an email or call me at lunch or after school if you have any questions or concerns.  sstokes@sd73.bc.ca is where you can reach me.  I am always available after school for a chat with a couple days notice.

Have a great holiday season and I look forward to seeing all the children in 2012!









 

 
First Post! 05/12/2011
 
Then past two weeks have been busy as we prepare for our Christmas program.

Location:  Gym
Date:  Friday, Dec. 9
Time:  8:45
Theme:  Christmas songs and hockey
Costumes:  
  • black or orange T-shirts turned inside out to hide logos
  • hockey jersey only if you have one
  • combed hair, clean faces and big smiles

In the next two weeks we will be having a lot of fun creating Christmas crafts.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, I would love for the children to bake ginger crinkles.  I have booked the kindergarten kitchen for the morning.  Please let me know if you can bring a batch of cookie dough and come and help us bake.  You may wish to just send along a batch of dough.  All help is appreciated.

Here's the recipe:
2/3 c vegetable oil
1 c white sugar
1 egg
1/4 c fancy molasses
1 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each baking powder and soda
1/2 tsp salt
Whisk oil with sugar.  Whisk in egg until smooth.  Whisk in molasses.  In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Pour in wet ingredients and stir until moist dough forms.  
Using a tablespoon, form dough into individual balls.  Roll each in sugar.  Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet.  375 degrees 12 minutes or until flattened, cracked and browned all over. Let cool completely.