Trunk or Treat!

The playground was too wet to play on this morning so we went for an umbrella walk to explore the 4th/5th grade playground and the track. We saw an entire flock of geese stop to rest and eat before flying south for the winter!

The rain stopped just in time and the children had a fabulous time Trunk or Treating in front of the school. Sending a huge thank you to the PTA for organizing this event for the whole school. 😁

Field Trip Fun!

Our first field trip of the school year was a success! Thank you so much to all the parents who came and explored the walking trails with us.

PTA Trunk or Treat- October 31st

Henry Ford Elementary PTA will be holding a Trunk or Treat event in the school parking lot for all students during the school day on Monday, October 31st. Only parents who signed up to sponsor a treat car will be allowed to attend. I Promise I will take pictures for everyone!

Children can choose to wear a costume or orange/black clothing to school on October 31st, and will walk from car to car in the parking lot with their teachers to collect treats and goodies to bring home. Children are not required to wear a costume, if you are not comfortable with this event you may choose to have your child not participate.

All treats the children eat will be put in the backpacks to be opened at home, I let all the children know we will not be eating any of the candy/treats during the school day.

If your child would like to wear a costume to school please make sure that…

• They wear it to school in the morning, we will not have time to change before the event begins.
• They can take it off to use the bathroom by themselves. (Teachers cannot go into the bathroom stall with children to help)
• No masks
• No weapons

A Look Ahead…

Welcome to our class blog!

This is where I will share class information, important dates, and photos of what we are working on in our classroom. I try to post two times a month, but it might be more or less depending on school vacations, etc.

Colds, Allergies, and Attendance

October is here and with it comes colder weather, colds, and allergies! There has been a lot of runny noses and coughing in our classroom the past few weeks. Please have your children practice blowing their noses by themselves at home as well as coughing into their elbow. This will help your child to feel more comfortable as well as keep germs from spreading to other children in the classroom.

If you think your child has an illness that is more than a regular cold or allergies, please keep them home so they can rest, and return to school when they feel better. If your child is going to be out sick, please message me on remind so that I can put their absence in as excused. If a child is out sick for 3 or more days a doctors note is required before they can return to school.

To return to school children need to be fever free without medicine (tylenol, motrin, etc) for 24 hours.

Field Trip!

Our first field trip of the year will be Monday, October 24th. Parents and children will drive together and meet at the U of M – Environmental Interpretive Center by 9:20am. DO NOT come to school first! Teachers will meet parents and children at the Environmental Center at 9:20am. Children must be accompanied by a parent or adult and siblings cannot attend.

Parking

Parking is FREE is available on the 3rd floor of the visitor parking structure.

• Enter the U of M- Dearborn North Entrance off of Evergreen Road, and stay in the far right lane to go straight.
• Continue going straight back until you see the U of M sign that says visitor parking.
• Turn right onto the street with the parking structure and park on level 3.
• After parking, walk down the stairs and back to the road you drove in on and walk to your right. Keep walking down the sidewalk until you come to the Environmental Interpretive center. Teachers will be outfront to meet you!

Clothes

This is an OUTDOOR field trip, so please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes! We will be taking a nature walk through the woods to see plants, animals, birds, etc. that live around our community!

Some ideas of clothes you and your child might need:

• Jacket
• hat
• Gloves
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Boots

PTO Trunk or Treat- Monday, October 31st

Henry Ford Elementary PTA will be holding a Trunk or Treat event in the school parking lot for all students during the school day on Monday, October 31st. Preschool classrooms will be participating this year! I will be sending home more information next week, but for your planning purposes here is a brief overview:

Children can choose to wear a costume or orange/black clothing to school on October 31st, and will walk from car to car in the parking lot with their teachers to collect treats and goodies to bring home. Children are not required to wear a costume, if you are not comfortable with this event you may choose to have your child not participate.

If your child would like to wear a costume to school please make sure that…

• They wear it to school in the morning, we will not have time to change before the event begins.
• They can take it off to use the bathroom by themselves. (Teachers cannot go into the bathroom stall with children to help)
• No masks
• No weapons

Parent Teacher Conferences – November 7, 10, & 16th

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held in our classroom on November 7, 10, & 16th and will last about 45 minutes. Children do not need to attend with parents. Please click the link below to choose the conference date & time that works best for you!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4BA5A82DA2FD0-mrs3

A look into our Classroom…

So many things have been going on in our classroom these past few weeks it has been difficult to get pictures of it all! The children are working hard on being comfortable at school and learning the daily routine.

Greenfield Village

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our field trip to Greenfield Village! We couldn’t have asked for a more sunny and beautiful day. It was wonderful to see families walking around, enjoying the village, and learning a little bit about our country’s history. Finishing the day with Frozen Custard was an extra special treat!

No School For Prek- May 16th and 17th

Don’t forget: There will be no school for GSRP Preschool Monday, May 16th and Tuesday, May 17th. Teachers will be at Cotter registering incoming preschool children for next year.

School/Home Visits

We will have our end of the year conference/wrap up meeting in our classroom on Wednesday, June 8th and Thursday, June 9th. There will be no school for children this day. One parent and One child will attend together, and appointments will last about 45 minutes. Appointment Reminders will be going home in child folders in the next two weeks. I will have the appointment schedule available at drop off and pick up next week for any families who did not make an appointment with me at spring conferences.

A Look Ahead…

There are 5 weeks left of school, so we are in the home stretch to summer vacation! Please make sure to check the calendar each week to stay informed of special events and schedules.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see everyone on Wednesday morning!

Mrs. Stortini

Eid Mubarak! No School May 2nd-3rd

Eid Mubarak to everyone who is celebrating this weekend! Enjoy the time with your families, and we will see everyone back at school on Wednesday, May 4th.

Greenfield Village Field Trip

Thursday, May 12th will be the preschool field trip to Greenfield Village!

Permission slips will be sent home in your child’s folder on Tuesday, May 4th and are due back to Mrs. Stortini by Tuesday, May 10th. All children must be accompanied by an adult to attend this field trip. If your child will not be attending they would stay home from school on this day.

Transportation: Parents will drive their cars to event and meet teachers at the Greenfield Village entrance.

Cost of Field Trip: FREE for preschooler and parent!

Extra family members (5yrs+) $10 each (cash only to Mrs. Stortini)

Children 4 and under are free.

Duration of Field Trip: We will meet at the Greenfield Village gates at 9:30am and depart at 3:00pm.

Lunch: Families may request a meal from school for their preschool student, pack a lunch from home, or purchase food at Greenfield Village. If you would like the school to provide lunch for your child please make sure to check the box on the field trip permission slip before turning it in so I can have an accurate count for the cafeteria.

This is a really fun day, and a great opportunity to spend quality time with your preschooler! I look forward to spending the day at Greenfield Village with you and are children. 🙂

Have a great Weekend!

Mrs. Stortini

Preschool Applications for the 2022-2023 School Year

Children who will be 4 years old by December 1, 2022 are eligible to attend preschool next year. Henry Ford families can pick up applications in the school office or call Cotter Early Childhood Center at (313) 827-6150 for more information.

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. We will be talking about the growth we have seen in your child since we last met in November, as well as talking about what to expect for next year. Conferences will be in our room #111 at Henry Ford. I will be sending out appointment reminders next week on remind and in your child’s folder.

A Look Ahead…

Our schedule next week will be different due to conferences. Children will have a full day of school Monday, a half day of school on Tuesday, and then no school for the rest of the week. We will return to our regular schedule on Monday, April 18th.

Mrs. Stortini out on Monday

I will not be at school on Monday, April 11th because my father is having knee surgery. Please make sure that the person who is picking your child up from school has their driver’s license or state ID with them, as the substitute will not know families by sight. I will be back at school on Tuesday, April 12th.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Stortini

Spring Break

Dearborn Public Schools will be closed Monday, March 28th- Friday, April 1st. Enjoy the week off with your families and I will see everyone back at school on Monday, April 4th!

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences will be held at Henry Ford in our classroom #111 on April 12, 13, and 14th. Please review the appointments and choose the times that best works for your family. Conferences will take about 45 minutes and children do not need to attend with parents. Ms. Chalhoub will be joining us for conferences and able to translate for all appointment times unless otherwise noted on the sign-up sheet.

Please click the link below to sign up for a parent teacher conference appointment.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4BA5A82DA2FD0-stortini

A Look Ahead…

Have a great spring break!

~Mrs. Stortini

Parent/Child Meeting- Thursday, March 17th

Our parent/child meeting will be in-person this month, yay! There will be two, 45 minute meeting times to choose from. This is NOT a normal day of school. One adult and One child will come to our classroom and participate in activities together. Once the meeting is over children and adults will go home together. This month we will be celebrating the end of March is Reading Month with literacy activities as well as playing bingo for books!

Click the link below to choose a meeting time that works best for your family. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, March 17th!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4BA5A82DA2FD0-mrs2

Kindergarten Round-Up – Tuesday, March 22nd

Mark you calendars!

Kindergarten Round-up for Henry Ford Elementary will be held in-person on March 22, 2:30-3:30pm. This meeting is for all families who have a child entering Kindergarten during the 2022-2023 school year.

For more information please visit the school website or contact the school office.

Henry Ford Elementary, 313-827-4700

Guest Readers

A huge thank you to Dr. Chochol – Executive Director of Student Achievement for visiting our classroom and performing a dynamic read aloud of the story Mousetronaut by Astronaut Mark Kelly!

After listening to the story, the children discussed their favorite parts of the plot and what was happening with the main character Meteor the Mouse! He loved floating back and forth and upside down in zero gravity, so many children chose to take an upside down picture of their drawing.

This Week in our Classroom

We have been focusing on geometry and the study of shapes over the past few weeks. The children used popsicle sticks and playdoh to make shape sculptures, as well as pattern blocks and playdoh to create their own shape pizzas. When the pizzas were done children practiced counting, one to one correspondence, and writing skills by making a list of the ingredients and toppings they used on their pizza.

The rain doesn’t stop us! Even though it was too wet to play on the playground, we took our science lesson outside and explored our school grounds after a rain storm one day. During work time children made observations through the classroom window about puddles growing in the rain, how the color of the ground was changing, and the number of people they saw walking along the sidewalk. When the rain stopped, we put jackets and boots on to see the changes up close. One child noticed the clouds were still gray and was worried it might start to rain again. We discussed this concern as a class and one child suggested we could share umbrellas to make sure everyone stayed dry!

Wacky Wednesday is a classroom favorite every year! Many children choose to wear wacky clothes like two different shoes, crazy hair, and wild color combinations. During the day we made wacky faces, built wacky buildings, and did some wacky dancing!

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences

Mark your Calendars!

Spring Parent Teachers conferences for GSRP Preschool will be held April 12, 13, and 14th. A sign-up sheet will be available at the parent meeting on March 17th.

A Look Ahead…

Have a great weekend!

-Mrs. Stortini

Virtual Day- March 1st

Tuesday, March 1st will be a virtual day for all students pre-k through 12th grade. Below you will find our schedule for the day. Preschool students will be logging into zoom once in the morning and once in the afternoon for live lessons. I will need to take attendance on this day so it is important you and your child come to both meetings to be marked present. There will be activities for your child to complete during the remainder of the day, materials for these activities will be sent home in child backpacks on Monday, February 28th.

Materials for Virtual Day

Virtual day materials will be sent home Monday in your child’s blue book bag. Please keep these materials safe until Tuesday. All materials (blue book bags, story books, homework assignment, and check list) need to be returned to school on Wednesday.

Virtual Schedule

Below you will find your child’s virtual schedule for the day. Click the link next to each item to join the zoom meetings or watch a video with directions for how to complete the activity. If you have any questions please message me on remind or email me at stortij@dearbornschools.org.

	Message Board رسالة المجلس JOIN US LIVE AT 9:30 AM! Join Zoom Meeting:  https://dearbornschools-org.zoom.us/j/85348893448?pwd=Y0hrbWNKcTlZbXR2YkFoUFp3SzNxZz09 Kids: Bring 1 item (fav toy, food, etc.) with you to our Zoom to show the class!
Activity with my Grown Up	10:00 a.m.        Letter + Number Sorting Help your child cut up the letters + numbers, and then they can sort + glue them into the correct categories.  Click the link below for directions on how to complete the activity: https://youtu.be/kXGuLCkGfPI  They will bring this with them to our pm zoom!   one!
	10:20 a.m.     Planning Time التخطيط:  Grown ups: Ask your child- What will you play with today? What might you do? How will you do it? Kids: Draw a picture of two things you plan to do today without electronics! Click the link below for directions on how to complete the planning time activity. https://youtu.be/7NJYrAvib54
	10:30 a.m.     Work Time: لعب الاختيار الحر You will play without electronics for at least one hour or more! Use your toys to pretend play, build, create. Have Fun!  11:30 a.m.      Clean Up Time: نظف Be sure to put away all the toys and supplies you used during work time!
	11:40 a.m.       Recall Time تذكر Adults: Ask your child- What did you do during work (play) time? What materials or toys did you use? How did you use the materials/toys? What did you do 1st, next, then, finally?  Kids: Roll your die and talk with your grown up about what you did during work time. We know you were very busy working! Click the link below for direction on howe to complete the recall time activity: https://youtu.be/YzctD9SwHVY
	11:45 a.m.  Story Time وقت القصة   and      Lunch Guest Reader JJ – Every Little Thing https://youtu.be/FRaLyEDnyy8 Dr. Seuss ABC https://video.link/w/oIcdd
	12:20 p.m.     Rest time         وقت الراحة
	1:30 p.m.      Outside Time في الهواء الطلق Put on your coat and go outside to PLAY; Ride your bike, play in your back yard, go for a WALK! If you cannot go outside, click the link below for a fun and active number game! https://youtu.be/m7qM5nOsQUs
	1:45 p.m.  Music and Movement Song: 5 Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2jnqUyxck0 Movement:  Pop See Ko https://youtu.be/OPLWyZMRNn0
	2:20 p.m. Use Restroom and get ready for Zoom time with your teacher! 2:30 – 3:10 p.m.   Large Group Time     وقت المجموعة الكبيرة      Zoom with your Teacher     https://dearbornschools-org.zoom.us/j/85348893448?pwd=Y0hrbWNKcTlZbXR2YkFoUFp3SzNxZz09 Bring back your activity from the morning to share with everyone

When:

Thursday, February 17th at 9:00am, 9:430am, and 10:00am. This is NOT a regular day of school!

Where:

On Zoom! Click the link at the bottom of the post at your scheduled time to join the meeting from a computer, tablet, or smart phone. Each meeting will be about 30 minutes long, and will be a parent-child shared activity led by the teachers. When your meeting is finished your child is done for the day.

Materials:

Meeting materials were sent home Tuesday in child backpacks. Please keep them in a safe place until the meeting so your child is ready to learn! Materials need to be returned to school on Wednesday, February 23rd when we return from winter break.

Meeting Times and Zoom Link:

Click the link below to access the zoom meeting at your child’s assigned time:

https://dearbornschools-org.zoom.us/j/85348893448?pwd=Y0hrbWNKcTlZbXR2YkFoUFp3SzNxZz09

Looking forward to seeing everyone virtually tomorrow!

(remember, there is no in person school tomorrow for our classroom.)

~Mrs. Stortini