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On Thursday, December 20th, we watched The Polar Express. I love to hear the kids tell me that they have seen the movie before and that it's going to be the same. Not in Mrs. Kilgore's class!

I start with asking the kids if they have tickets to ride my train...they always have puzzled looks on their faces! They are so excited to get the ticket! When the conductor asks for their tickets to punch them, I pause the movie and punch their tickets with my hole punch! Mrs. Kilgore isn't as handy with a hole punch as the character in the movie, but it works! When the kids settle in and think the fun is over, the conductor asks if "anyone is in need of refreshment" and I say, "well, are you?!" The kids give me that puzzled look again and when the song begins about hot chocolate, I start passing out the cups of cocoa. They love it and I love making the event more than just wearing pajamas to school! When the movie is over, I pass out large jingle bells like in the movie and the tag says, "BELIEVE". They love the fact that they can hear the bell!! However, this year, poor Evan's bell didn't have a ball inside and wouldn't ring. He neighbor said, "Evan doesn't believe in Santa, his bell isn't ringing!!" Hehe!

On Wednesday, December 19th, Ms. Henderson came back to visit the Cubs and bring them a special ornament that she made for them. They loved the gift! The Cubs are blessed with 2 wonderful student teachers this school year who love them like their own!!



For a Seuss fanatic like myself, of course my favorite Christmas book is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! We dedicate a whole day to Grinchish activities! The iPad app read us the story, we watched the cartoon version and even made our own Grinches!! I love wearing my Grinch t-shirt and carrying my stuffed Grinch around with me all day.

This year, I had a student ask me something that I have never been asked before. "Why do you like the Grinch? He's mean!" I had to think a minute. Yes, he's mean in the beginning, but he has a change of heart and becomes a different Grinch. I like to think that we can all learn the lesson that he learned..."What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!”





On Friday, December 14th, we learned about Christmas in Mexico. We learned how to say Merry Christmas in Spanish and read The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie DePaola. The Legend says that a little girl wanted to give a gift to the baby Jesus but didn't have anything to give. She grabs a clump of green leaves by the church door and presents them to the baby Jesus in the manger. The leaves at the tip of the weeds magically turn a bright red and her gift becomes a beautiful offering.

To remind us of the story, we made our own poinsettia flowers and hung them from the ceiling of our classroom.

Feliz Navidad!

Sorry moms and dads! I'm afraid that my Cubs have acquired some expensive taste this year. I have 3 students who wrote to Santa for iPads! I don't know WHERE they get it from?!?!?

This Week 
Reading/Language Arts: Letter: Rr
Sight Words: with, she, me, did, be
Math: Numbers 11-15
Social Studies: Holiday Customs (beginning Christmas Around the World unit)


Next Week 
Reading/Language Arts: Letter: Review
Sight Words: Review
Math: Numbers 11-15
Social Studies: Holiday Customs (beginning Christmas Around the World unit)


Classroom Notes
  • On Friday, December 21st, we will have a Domino's Pizza lunch after our Christmas Party. Please send $2 for your child to enjoy pizza with the class! The money was due today! :)
  • Polar Express day is Thursday, December 20th - Your child may wear pajamas! Please send them in school appropriate shoes since we will have recess and PE this day.
  •  There will be no homework next week!
Snack Reminder 
We will use leftover snack this week!

Dates to Remember

Dec. 20 - Polar Express Day (Students may wear Pajamas to school!)
Dec. 20 - Progress Reports go home
Dec. 21 - Christmas Party! Early Release at Noon
Dec. 22-Jan. 6 - NO SCHOOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Jan. 7 - BaCk To ScHoOl!
Jan. 11 - "Dining with Dad" at 11:00 in the CES Cafeteria
 

Yesterday, we flew to Ukraine (on Google Earth) and learned about their Christmas customs and celebrations. We learned about a local folk tale about a poor woman who could not afford to decorate her tree for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, a spider that lived in her tree spun a web around her tree. In the morning, the sun shone through the window and the web glistened, decorating her tree. To remember, the people of Ukraine hang a spider web ornament on the tree.




On Monday, we used Google Earth to fly to Germany and learn about the Christmas Tree.

Martin Luther was walking through the forest one Christmas Eve and as he gazed through the tops of the trees, the stars sparked through the branches. To recreate this, he cut down a tree and put it in his home and decorated it with candles.

We didn't use candles on our trees, but silver glitter looks great! Notice our paint "brushes"? They're cedar tree branches!

Tonight was the Kindergarten Christmas program. I was so happy to see 17 of my Cubs on stage performing! They all looked so cute dressed up for the occasion and they did a fabulous job singing and dancing! I am so proud to be their teacher.

Today, the NED Show came to CES! We learned that the acronym NED stands for:

Never give up!
Encourage others!
Do your best!


The entire program was presented with a yoyo! To help fund this program, they sell special NED yoyos!! They are available for purchase until Friday and I will send home another order from home tomorrow. Learn more about the program here!


Congrats to the 2nd 6 Weeks Awards winners!

Perfect Attendance!

Poor Cazden slept through the whole thing...





To kick off our Christmas Around the World unit, Sinter Klass from the Netherlands came to see us after he visited the Dutch children on December 5th! We put our shoes out for him and he came to bring us treats! Good thing his helper, Zwarte Piet, didn't leave us switches!

Joshua and Jeremiah, excited to leave their shoes!

Greenlee finds a pencil, eraser and candy in her shoe!

 

Tripp enjoying his treats!


On Friday, I was feeding the turtles their shrimp when I looked over and there was Pancake,
stuck between the rock and the glass!


The goofball thought that he could reach a piece of shrimp that had fallen back there...


I am happy to report that I grabbed his shell and yanked him out!

Recently, we took a field trip to the Northeast Texas Children's Museum herein Commerce. Commerce ISD is blessed to have this educational resource in our own community!

We learned about our heart rate...

About farming...

About the way water moves...

While Mrs. Kilgore rode her horse! :)

Check out the slideshow above for more pictures from the field trip!

This Week 
Reading/Language Arts: Letter: Bb & Nn
Sight Words: with, she, me, did, be
Math: Graphing
Science: Water


Next Week 
Reading/Language Arts: Letter: Rr
Sight Words: with, she, me, did, be
Math: Numbers 11-15
Social Studies: Holiday Customs (beginning Christmas Around the World unit)


Classroom Notes 
  • On Wednesday, December 12th, we will take our Christmas class picture. Please send your child in a red, green or white uniform shirt!
  • On Friday, December 21st, we will have a Domino's pizza lunch after our Christmas Party. Please send $2 for your child to enjoy pizza with the class! I will need the money by NEXT Friday, December 14th so that I know how much pizza to order.
  • If you would like to help with the Christmas Party, our Room Mom, Amanda Turner, sent home a letter last week asking for help with the special activities and supplies needed. Please let me know if you would like to help and lost your letter. Thanks! 
  • Please check your child's backpack for classroom "contraband" as we are having problems with toys and jewelry in the classroom. The only things that are needed at school are a backpack, folder, library book, jacket and maybe a lunch box. Everything else should be left at home. Jewelry is okay as long as your child is able to wear it without playing with it for removing it. Thanks for your help!
  • The Kindergarten Christmas Program is Tuesday night at 6:00 in the cafeteria. Please have your child here by 5:45. They need to wear either a red, green or white uniforms shirt or anything dressier they have that is Christmas-y colors. Please, no T-shirts.
Snack Reminder 
Monday: Kiera
Tuesday: Kimberly
Wednesday: Matt
Thursday: Michael
Friday: Sonya

Dates to Remember

Dec. 10 - NED Program
Dec. 11 - Kindergarten Christmas Program - 6:00 in the CES Cafeteria
Dec. 12 - Kilgore class Christmas picture (wear red, green or white uniform shirts)
Dec. 18 - Polar Express Day (Students may wear Pajamas to school!)
Dec. 20 - Progress Reports go home
Dec. 21 - Christmas Party! Early Release at Noon
Dec. 22-Jan. 6 - NO SCHOOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Jan. 7 - BaCk To ScHoOl!
Jan. 11 - "Dining with Dad" at 11:00 in the CES Cafeteria