9-25 Ray's Ramblings

Ray’s Ramblings
September 25, 2008

Dear Parents,

Lots of important things coming up at the Village! Read carefully!

Picture Day will be Friday, October 3. We are scheduled to have our pictures made at 10:30 and at 2:30. Remember, pictures are to be prepaid. If you have not sent in your payment and need another picture order envelope, please let me know and I’ll send another home.

IMMUNIZATION DEADLINE: The date for turning in immunization records has passed. I have a number of students who have not turned in a current immunization form. These names have been given to me by the office. You will be receiving notices very shortly (if not with this letter). Your child will not be able to return to school without a current immunization form. If you know you are one of these students, please make an appointment with your physician as soon as possible.

LIBRARY BOOKS: The computer in the library was down yesterday, therefore, we are unable to send library books home this week. We are keeping them in the classroom since we have no records of check-out. Next week we should be up and running as normal.

FIRE SAFETY: This week, the specials teachers have had lots of exciting activities surrounding fire safety. Next week, we will follow this up in the classroom.

HANDWRITING: Please continue to work on the letters we have been practicing in class. We have covered:
• the “c” family: c, o, a, d, g, q
• the “down” family: l, i, j, t, f
• the “slant” family: v, w, x, y, k
• the “bounce” or “trampoline” letters: r, n, m, h, p, b
Next week, we will spend time reviewing these letters. As you practice them at home, remember to have your child say the name of the letter as they write. Letters ALWAYS start at the top and come down.
I have had questions about how we are learning all letters at one time, yet the homework packet is taking the letters in order. Please use these letters as a chance to practice the handwriting. Remember, I did not design this packet. It is the best overall packet for ‘across the board’ practice at multiple academic levels. You are always free to do activities NOT in the homework packet. Additional practice in handwriting or kidwriting practice would be great!
VOCABULARY WORDS and ABCs: I gave everyone a copy of the popcorn words. I am sending ABC flash cards home today. As your child brings home the little independent reading books, find the vocabulary words that are found in that particular book. Work with them on these words. Get two paper lunch bags. Label one: “Words I know” and the other one “Words I need to Know”. As you work on the words, put them in the “I know” bag. The next night, add the words from the next book. Review the words from the night before. If they remember them, keep them in the “I know” bag. Continue this through the year and they will quickly build a sight word vocabulary! (Do the same with letters!) I have checked all children on capital and lowercase letter recognition. I am very pleased that almost half of the class already knows all the letters! If your child does not know the letters, please be working on these nightly. We will be targeting letter sounds and letter sound assessment next week.

FIELD TRIP TO PUMPKIN PATCH: Thank you for all the quick responses with the permission slips and payment. Remember, if you are willing to pay for a child who is unable to pay, please note that on the permission slip or send a note (if you’ve already sent the slip in.) Any adults planning to accompany the class on the trip MUST be registered as a volunteer in the Family Resource Center.
Be reading upcoming school newsletters for upcoming activities in October. We have a Book Fair coming soon, as well as one of our most popular Family Fun Nights of the year – the Hoedown!!!
Thank you to all my WONDERFUL volunteers! I depend on you to help with the independent book check-out. I am fortunate enough to have enough volunteers so that we can check out books every night of the week. As far as I know, I am the only classroom at the Village who is able to do this! Your children will benefit greatly from this program!!

Book Orders

Book orders are in the mail!!! I am so impressed. I just turned in what is probably the biggest book order in my entire 26 years of teaching. You guys are awesome. This is truly a good thing - not because you're big spenders, but because you recognize a tremendous bargain and are interested in your child's education! I am very pleased with the number of students who ordered one or both of the sight word sets that I recommended. These are excelent books and will really help your child learn to read!

Thank you for participating in our Scholastic Book Clubs! I will send the October Book orders home at the end of this month!

News News News!!!

I sent a very big packet home with your child today. Lots of important things for you to read and some to respond to! I'm sending the first book orders home today. Please read the directions carefully. If you wish to order online by credit card, there are advantages. There are more selections online. I have placed two other club orders on the website. If you are reading this, you have access to internet! I seem to have a much more technologically savvy group of parents than ever before. Online you will find the CLICK order - it's full of Nintendo DS games, Wii games, and computer software, all at very reasonable prices!

Sally Foster Fundraiser packets went home today. Do your best to collect orders help raise money for our technology at the Village.

Read the newsletter carefully.

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!!!

All the Color Word Songs

Color Word Songs

by Frog Street Press



RED

(Tune; ARE YOU SLEEPING?)



R-E-D, red.

R-E-D, red.

I can spell red

I can spell red.

Fire trucks are red,

Stop signs are red, too.

R-E-D,

R-E-D.
BLUE

(Tune: THE FARMER IN THE DELL)



B-L-U-E SPELLS BLUE

B-L-U-E SPELLS BLUE

HI-HO DID YOU KNOW

B-L-U-E SPELLS BLUE?



THE BIG SKY IS BLUE

THE OCEAN IS TOO

HI-HO DID YOU KNOW

B-L-U-E SPELLS BLUE?



ORANGE

(Tune: THE WHEELS ON THE BUS)



O-R-A-N-G-E,

O-R-A-N-G-E,

O-R-A-N-G-E

ORANGE IS WHAT THAT SPELLS



JACK-O-LANTERNS ARE ALWAYS ORANGE

CARROTS ARE ALWAYS ORANGE

ORANGES ARE ALWAYS ORANGE

O-R-A-N-G-------E!
WHITE

(Tune: LITTLE BROWN JUG)



W-H-I-T-E

THAT SPELLS WHITE, SING WITH ME

MILK IS WHITE, AND SO IS GLUE

GHOSTS ARE WHITE

AND THEY SAY BOO!



W-H-I-T-E

THAT SPELLS WHITE, SING WITH ME

THE CLOUDS ABOVE, THE SNOW BELOW

SANTA’S BEARD, HO, HO, HO!



PINK

(Tune: JINGLE BELLS)



COTTON CANDY, FAT PINK PIGS,

GIRLS WITH SOCKS AND BOWS

P-I-N-K, P-I-N-K THAT IS HOW IT GOES

BUBBLE GUM, VALENTINES

THESE ARE ALL PINK TOO

PINK ICING AND PINK BALLOONS

WE CAN SPELL CAN YOU?



COTTON CANDY, FAT PINK PIGS,

GIRLS WITH SOCKS AND BOWS

P-I-N-K, P-I-N-K THAT IS HOW IT GOES

BUBBLE GUM, VALENTINES

THESE ARE ALL PINK TOO

PINK ICING AND PINK BALLOONS

WE CAN SPELL CAN YOU?
BLACK



B-L-A-C-K, SPELLS BLACK

B-L-A-C-K, SPELLS BLACK

FLYING BATS ARE BLACK

SCARY CATS ARE BLACK

JELLY BEANS ARE BLACK

I LIKE BLACK.



B-L-A-C-K, SPELLS BLACK

B-L-A-C-K, SPELLS BLACK

SUNDAY SHOES ARE BLACK

SANTA’S BOOTS ARE BLACK

B-L-A-C-K SPELLS BLACK.



BROWN

(Tune: BINGO)



THERE IS A COLOR WE ALL KNOW.

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS?

B-R-O-W-N.

B-R-O-W-N.

B-R-O-W-N.

THAT’S HOW YOU SPELL BROWN.



TEDDY BEARS AND SQUIRRELS ARE BROWN.

AUTUMN LEAVES ARE TOO.

CHOCOLATE CANDY IS ALWAYS BROWN.

CHOCOLATE CAKE IS ALWAYS BROWN.

CHOCOLATE MILK IS ALWAYS BROWN.

I LIKE BROWN, DON’T YOU?
PURPLE



P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE, PURPLE

P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE’S WHAT THAT SPELLS

PURPLE GRAPES ON THE VINE

PURPLE KOOL-AID'S FINE

P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE’S WHAT THAT SPELLS



P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE, PURPLE

P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE’S WHAT THAT SPELLS

PURPLE GRAPES ON THE VINE

PURPLE KOOL-AID'S FINE

P-U-R-P-L-E, PURPLE’S WHAT THAT SPELLS



GREEN

(ROW, ROW ROW YOUR BOAT)



G-R-E-E-N, G-R-E-E-N

I KNOW HOW TO SPELL GREEN, G-R-E-E-N

CATERPILLARS ARE GREEN

AND GRASSHOPPERS, TOO

I KNOW HOW TO SPELL GREEN, G-R-E-E-N
YELLOW

(IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT)



Y-E-L-L-O-W SPELLS YELLOW.

Y-E-L-L-O-W SPELLS YELLOW.

LIKE THE EARLY MORNING SUN

WHEN THE DAY HAS JUST BEGUN.

Y-E-L-L-O-W SPELLS YELLOW.



DAFFODILS AND BABY DUCKS ARE YELLOW.

LEMONADE AND SCRAMBLED EGGS ARE YELLOW.

I LIKE THE SMILEY FACE THAT’S YELLOW.

HE IS SUCH A HAPPY FELLOW.

Y-E-L-L-O-W SPELLS YELLOW.

Number Rhymes

Straight line down
Then you’re done.
That’s the way
To make a one!

Around and back
On the railroad track.
Two! Two!
Two! Two!

Around a tree,
Around a tree,
That’s the way
To make a three!

Down and over,
Down once more,
That’s the way
To make a four!

Straight line down,
Then around,
Hat on top
And five’s a clown!

A stick and a hoop
Do the tricks
That’s the way
To make a six!

Across the sky
And down from heaven
That’s the way
To make a seven!

Make an ‘S’
Do not wait
Come back up
And that’s an eight!

A hoop and a line
That’s a nine!

Straight line down
Then around with a grin
That’s the way
To make a ten!

Color Word Songs

RED

r-e-d, red r-e-d, red
I can spell red!
I can spell red!

Firetrucks are red!
Stop signs are red, too!

R-e-d r-e-d

(tune of Frere Jaques or Are You Sleeping)



BLUE

B-l-u-e spells blue!
B-l-u-e spells blue!
High ho! Did you know?
B-l-u-e spells blue!

The big sky is blue
The ocean is, too!
High ho!, Did you know?
B-l-u-e spells blue!

(tune of A Hunting we will go!)

8-21-2008 Newsletter

Ray’s Ramblings
August 21, 2008

Dear Parents,

This is the first official copy of Ray’s Ramblings, my weekly newsletter. I will be sending it home every Thursday. This way, if anything needs a response, you can send it back to me on Friday in your child’s take-home folder.

FORMS – I am sending home a notice of any forms that have not been returned to me. Please send these back as soon as possible. Even if you feel the form does not apply to you, just check the box that tells me that, sign and return. We have to have these forms on file.

Upcoming Fundraiser!!

Each year the technology team helps organize a fundraiser to keep our school on the cutting edge by purchasing new technology for the students and teachers. Once again we will be selling Sally Foster gift-wrap and products. This year we are excited to announce we will earn a 50% profit. Look for packets to come home on Friday August 29. The sale will end on September 12th, and the merchandise should arrive around November 19th for pick up on Family Fun Night. We will let you know more later. Thanks for your support.

Box Tops for Education

We are collecting the Box Tops coupons off General Mills products. Go to this website to see a complete list of items bearing these coupons. http://www.boxtops4education.com/Downloads/Global/products.pdf

Assessment

We are still getting to know each other and things are going well! The kids are already getting comfortable and learning our routines and rules. I hope you are hearing about these at home. I have been giving my initial assessment called the Early Literacy Assessment. This gives me a baseline on where we need to begin in our reading groups. I already have some children bringing in homework. I will be giving you the first homework packet at the Parent Orientation night and going over how to use it. Until that time, I would like everyone to practice writing their name. We encourage using an initial capital letter and the rest lowercase. Many of the children are still using all capital letters. Please help them with this. We have already learned the correct way to form the numbers 1-7 (8 tomorrow). I am sending home a sheet with the rhymes we use to form these numerals. Practice these at home as well. We have also learned the color word songs for red and blue. I’m sending home a song sheet. Please create a folder or a binder to keep my handouts at home for reference. I’ll be sending things home regularly. I will also post them on my blog and on my website.

http://www.clray.blogspot.com/
www.carlaray.net

I am sending home a handwriting guide. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! Please take the time to really look at this guide to see the CORRECT formation of letters. This is what I will be teaching. With our very limited time in a half day session, I depend on you to spend time at home reinforcing school work. Every letter should begin at the TOP and come to the bottom. We NEVER start at the bottom and go up. If your child has already developed these bad habits, please help me break them!

Parent Orientation Night (September 11, 2008)

At Open House, I had a sign-up sheet for the parent orientation night. I really need at least one parent represented at this meeting. I will be going over our handwriting and demonstrating many other things you will need to know in order to help your child at home. We will be going over kindergarten curriculum and expectations and the kindergarten report card. Those of you who were unable to come to Open House night or who did not sign up, I need a note telling me which session you would like to attend. This night is for parents only. Please make childcare plans. Each session is only 30 minutes long. Sessions are: 4:30-5:00, 5:15-5:45; 6:00-6:30; 6:45 – 7:15. If you have not signed up, I am sending a reminder home today. Please send in your choice for sessions.


Parent Orientation Night:

Child’s Name: ________________________________

Parent(s) attending: __________________________________________

Please put me down for the following session:

_____ 4:30 – 5:00

_____ 5:15 – 5:45

_____ 6:00 – 6:30

_____ 6:45 – 7:15