​As you know, Mrs. Farber's Friends and Team Awesome amalgamated our Mother's Day and Father's Day events into one event- Family Day. Team Awesome would like to invite our important family members (2 or 3 but be warned, it will be squishy) to our classroom on the morning of Friday, Feb. 28 from 8:30- 9:00. We would like to serve a small snack and juice and show off our burgeoning reading skills to our family members. We are looking forward to a bit of one-on-one time with our important people to show them how much we love them. And don't worry about tidying up afterwards- ​we'll take care of everything.

It is the time of year when the Kindergarten students are gaining in independence seemingly by the second. They are comfortable around the school and in the school yard, they know our classroom routines and what to expect each day, they usually follow the parameters set for them and call out those who do not and they often leave parents hanging at the door waiting for a last kiss or good-bye before leaving. To further encourage Team Awesome's burgeoning independence I am encouraging you, their parents and caregivers, to begin saying your morning good-byes at the end of the hall or at the outside door and allowing the children to get themselves organized and into our class on their own. I have no doubts that each one will be successful and come away with an enhanced sense of pride and achievement in their ability to do what they know needs to be done in the mornings. ​

• ​Tuesdays are our library day so please send back books for exchange.​​
• Wednesday, Feb. 26 is Pink Shirt Day and students are encouraged to wear a pink shirt in support of the anti-bullying message. Rather than focus on the 'anti-bullying' message which can be misinterpreted by small children, Team Awesome will be celebrating 'Kindness Week' and continue to focus on ways we can be kind.
• We will have a morning assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to introduce Pink Shirt Day.
• Mrs. Farber and I no longer observe Mother's or Father's Day in our classrooms for a variety of reasons but have a Family Day celebration instead. We will be inviting some of our family members to join us from 8:30-9:00 the morning of Friday, Feb. 28. More info to come tomorrow.
• There is a PAC sponsored hot dog lunch on Friday, March 6.
• Friday, March 6 is a Fresh Air Friday. Please dress your child to spend the afternoon at the river.
• Sunday, March 8 we will move our clocks one hour ahead for Daylight Savings time.
• Wednesday, March 11 Mrs. Bernice Jensen will be joining us for some drumming lessons.
• Expect report cards in backpacks on Friday, March 13.
• ​Spring break runs from Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 22. School will resume Monday, March 23.
• I have either seen you to go over your child's results for the second term assessments or sent them home with your child. If you have further questions or concerns please let me know so we can discuss them.
• There will be no Family Projects for March due to the break but April's will come home early.
• Don't forget to download any of the pictures or videos you love that I share with you via Google Photos onto your own devices so you will always have them.
• The February sight words are: come, did, have, get, love, of, said, very, will, yes. Please feel free to practice them at home. We will practice them regularly in class.
• BEST monthly newsletter can be found here.

Go forth and Be Awesome! 

Before lunch on Wednesday two weeks ago we took a walk outside to look for signs of winter (there weren't many left!). We used our senses to see, hear, smell and feel signs of winter and then compared them to the signs of fall we had seen. Although the children were willing to eat some snow/ ice to taste winter Mrs. Farber and I assured them it wasn't necessary. I consider myself lucky to be reminded by the children on a daily basis how much joy there is in little things. They were all so thrilled to look at snow and describe how cold it was, to stomp on the ice and think about whether it was soft or hard, to run their hands over the ice and snow and to stand still for a minute to listen to what winter smells and sounds like. They were enthusiastic to be outside and breathing the cool air into their lungs and looking to see if it made clouds as we breathed it out. The next time you're outside, just for a second, appreciate some signs of winter and capture a bit of the pleasure we felt just being outdoors last week.

• The Cookie Grams got lost in the mountain of boxes and bags this afternoon and did not get handed out. They are in ziplock baggies so will be distributed on Tuesday. I am SO SO sorry!
• ​Tuesdays are our library day so please send back books for exchange.​​
• Monday, Feb. 17 is Family Day. Enjoy your extra day with Team Awesome!
• Tuesday, Feb. 18 is our 100th day of school. YAY! We will be celebrating with Mrs. Farber's Friends and doing activities that revolve around the number 100 for most of the week.
• ​Friday, Feb. 21 is Fresh Air Friday. Please dress your child for the weather.
• Wednesday, Feb. 26 is Pink Shirt Day and students are encouraged to wear a pink shirt in support of the anti-bullying message. Rather than focus on the 'anti-bullying' message which can be misinterpreted by small children, Team Awesome will be celebrating 'Kindness Week' and continue to focus on ways we can be kind.
• We will have a morning assembly on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to introduce Pink Shirt Day.
• Mrs. Farber and I no longer observe Mother's or Father's Day in our classrooms for a variety of reasons but have a Family Day celebration instead. We will be inviting some of our family members to join us from 8:30-9:00 the morning of Friday, Feb. 28.

• We are required to have an informal report in February and if I haven't already, I will try to catch you at either drop off or pick up to go over your child's academic progress. If I am unable to meet with you I will send them home and we can correspond or arrange to meet if needed.​
• There will be no Family Projects for March due to the break but April's will come home early.
• Don't forget to download any of the pictures or videos you love that I share with you via Google Photos onto your own devices so you will always have them.
• The February sight words are: come, did, have, get, love, of, said, very, will, yes. Please feel free to practice them at home. We will practice them regularly in class.
• BEST monthly newsletter can be found here.

Go forth and Enjoy Family Day!