First Week of School

WELCOME

Welcome to Pre-K at Little House Academy!

I look forward to teaching your child. We have many, many fun things planned this year.

Please help us with two things:

*Please read through each of the items under "On This Blog" on the right hand side of the page.

* Please subscribe to this blog so you can receive an email when we make updates.

If you would like to view photos from last year's class, please click on Older Posts below.

We look forward to a great year! Please let us know if you have any questions whatsoever.

Ms. Michelle & Ms. Crystal

Cody Bear

Cody Bear made it home with just about everyone this year. If the slideshow is hard to read, try clicking on the picture and it will come up on Picasa where it is a little larger. Enjoy!

Down By The Bay

If your child didn't drive you nuts this week singing "Down By The Bay," rejoice! We have sung it no fewer than 482 times. We discovered that we could create more rhyming verses. In fact, the song may never end.

Several children drew or cut out pictures to go along with our new rhymes. We have a moose kissing a goose, a tomato kissing a potato, a pot with polka-dots, and a dinosaur going out the door.

Above is a photo of our rhyming pictures and below is a video of a group singing during Center Time. I know you'll want to play it over and over.

CODY BEAR

Cody Bear is our room mascot and will be going home with a special child every Friday. He can go everywhere your child goes, and we are hoping you will write down his adventures in the journal he will bring with him.

When you return Cody Bear on Monday, we will read all about his weekend to our class.

Here's a link to check out Cody's adventures during the 2008-2009 school year:


http://iloveprek.blogspot.com/2009/03/cody-bear.html

First Days of School

Free Books

Thanks to the The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, each month, until age 5, a new book will be mailed directly to the registered child's home address.

The organization is currently in Baldwin, Butts, Calhoun, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Chattooga, Clarke, Colquitt, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, Dougherty, Effingham, Elbert, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Glynn, Grady, Greene, Habersham, Hancock, Haralson, Hart, Harris, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Mitchell, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Seminole, Stephens, Taliaferro, Telfair, Thomas, Towns, Walker, Warren and White counties.

For more information:

Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy
P.O. Box 1327
Madison, GA 30650

info@ferstfoundation.com

1-888-565-0177

Shoes

HINT, HINT

Your child will run, jump, climb, and possibly fly this year. Please help your child enjoy each day by making sure his or her shoes fit and stay tied. (We LOVE slip-on shoes or the ones with Velcro or loops rather than the ones that come untied all day.)

Remember, flip flops are prohibited by Little House Academy, and sandals often eat wood chips and rocks on the playground. Again, shoes that cover the whole foot and slip on or secure with Velcro or loops are highly recommended.

Wish List

REGULAR NEEDS:

• Bandaids - basic size, inexpensive brand is ok
• Bathroom cups - 2 or 3 oz - paper or plastic; no larger, please
• Batteries (AA & AAA) - we go through these by the ton!
• Clear plastic drink bottles with lids; please rinse and remove labels.
• Food color - red, yellow, blue, and green
• Glue sticks
• Ink - Lexmark #24 (color; do not need black)
• Markers - dry erase (Expo) low odor; basic colors; no fancy smells or designs

• Paper plates - small or large
• Personal pencil sharpener for jumbo pencils (about $1.69 @ staples)
• Potting soil - 1 small bag
• Pretzels or goldfish for snack (please no crackers, cookies, or sweets)
• Rubber bands
• Sand - 1 large bag
• Sharpie fine point markers - dark colors
• Underwear - new, boys or girls, pre-k size
• Wet wipes - travel size -
• Wet wipes - large container (60-100 count) We use 20-40 a day!
• Zip-top bags – any size, any brand; clear, no designs please!

PROJECT NEEDS:

• Beans, rice, unpopped popcorn, dry corn, bird seed, cotton balls, macaroni, or any dry item that can be used in our sensory table. We eventually need 15-20 pounds but several families bringing small bags is good, too.
• Craft items like pipe cleaners, foam shapes and letters, tissue paper, small paper plates, buttons, pom-pom, cotton balls, etc.
• Clear plastic wide-mouth jars with lids (e.g., peanut butter); please wash and remove paper.
• New or used books that we can keep for our room. Even torn books can be used for pictures. We are especially looking for several copies of these books:
  
  * Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss
  * Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss
  * Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin Jr.
• Large outdoor storage cabinet or bin. The more space we have for storage, the more fun we can have playing outside!

Tardies/Absences

Our class hours are 8:30-3:00 everyday. Ms. Crystal and I prepare exciting learning opportunities during those 6.5 hours. We want your child there for every minute.

Whenever your child is late or has to leave early, please complete the form on the bulletin board outside our room.

If your child is tardy, picked up early, or absent, please send a written note. Do not expect Ms. Crystal or I to remember your excuse; it needs to be in writing for the file or the tardy/ absence/ early pick-up will be unexcused.

If your child is frequently absent, tardy, or picked up early, you may be asked to leave the Pre-K program (per Georgia state guidelines). Other children are waiting to enroll.

PLEASE BE KIND
We understand traffic, oversleeping, morning rush, sickness, and doctor appointments. When you fill out the tardy/early pick-up form, you are not being fined or going to jail. You are simply asked to record the time you arrive (or leave early ) for safety reasons, for us to meet state requirements, and as a gentle reminder that school attendance is important.

So, when you arrive and our classroom door is closed, please complete a slip hanging on the bulletin board and turn it in with a smile.