Week of February 13-16, 2023

Dear Room 108 Families,

We had a great week of school! We have celebrated our friendships, learned new letters, and got to experiment and make Play-Doh! I am so excited to share what we have learned! First, please see these important announcements below.

PARENT UNIVERSITY – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 AND FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Parent University is back in Dearborn Public Schools! The goal is for you and your child/children to attend child-friendly activities that support their early childhood development. There are two days coming up: Friday, February 24 and Friday, March 3. There are four locations to choose from to attend:

Cotter Early Childhood Center
McDonald Elementary
McCollough-Unis Elementary
River Oaks Elementary

Please register in advance with this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJytWlVAZhmAvI8xyRwLjjCLxj1r9X4kCuhAG5SBx_15daig/viewform (If you need help registering, come see me before or after school for help). If you choose to attend both events, please fill out two forms (one for February 24 and one for March 3).

PPAC AT COTTER – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Cotter is hosting their Preschool Parent Advisory Council (PPAC) meeting on Thursday, February 23 at 9:30 AM. This is a great opportunity to learn, discuss, and collaborate with parents and staff about the Dearborn Great Start Readiness Program. These meetings are optional, but are highly encouraged to attend.

If you are interested, please complete the PPAC form by Monday, February 13. If you are interested and did not receive a form, please see me on Monday morning and I will give one to you!

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be here before we know it! Below are the dates for Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Thursday, March 2: NO SCHOOL FOR PRESCHOOL – All day conferences
Thursday, March 9: NO SCHOOL FOR PRESCHOOL – All day conferences
Thursday, March 16: Full day of school – PM conferences (no translation will be available)

The sign up sheet is available now! If you have not signed up yet, please see me to sign up for a conference time. Remind text messages will be sent prior to your child’s conference.

WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT THIS WEEK?

We are almost all done with our letters! This week we focused on letters Ww and Xx and what sounds they make. Our Alphafriends, Willy Worm and Mr. X-Ray helped us learn these letters. We read alphabet books about these letters, as well as played Starfall activities. I encourage you to ask your child about words they learned about that start with these letters.

Click the pictures below to hear words with letters Ww and Xx:

This week the students increased their reading comprehension skills by reading, “Goodnight, Gorilla.” This is a silly book about a Gorilla who is causing mischief at the zoo. This book also has no words! The students practiced making connections to the book. They made comments like:

“We have keys! They drive a car!”
“We have a flashlight. We use it when it’s dark.”
“I went to the zoo! I got to feed a giraffe lettuce.”
“I went to the zoo and I saw a lion like that one!”
“I sleep in my bed when it’s night time.”

The students also increased their art skills by writing about stories that happened in the immediate past. I will be putting their artwork in the hallway soon. Be sure to check it out once it’s up there!

We also practiced our shape skills by playing, “Mystery Box”! The students took turns pulling out items from the Mystery Box. They had to identify the shape and explain how they knew it was that shape. For example:

“The plate is a circle. It is has only curves and no corners.”
“This LEGO is a rectangle. It has four sides and four corners.”

We made Play-Doh and it was SO FUN! The students practiced their experimenting skills by observing the ingredients and making predictions on what would happen if they mixed the ingredients together. They all took turns adding in the ingredients and mixing it up. We are keeping our Play-Doh in our Play-Doh Area for the students to use at Work Time! If you want to make it at home, here are the instructions and ingredients:

3 cup flour (you might need to add a little more)
1/4 cup salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water
Any food coloring
Mix it up!

Next Week at Salina…

Monday, February 20: NO SCHOOL!
Tuesday, February 21: School 8:15 AM-3:00 PM
Wednesday, February 22: School 8:15 AM-3:00 PM
Thursday, February 23: School 8:15 AM-3:00 PM

Fun Weekend Activity Idea!

I really encourage you to try to make Play-Doh at home! This activity is great because it increases their communication, math, and fine motor skills! Your child will love talking about the observations they are making, counting how many scoops of ingredients go in the mixture, and playing in the Play-Doh! If you make it at home, send me pictures on Remind! I’d love to see them!