Kilgore's Kindergarten Communicator

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)

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. ❤

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!

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!

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!

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

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