Dates to Remember:
November 20, Thursday: Book Orders Due
November 26-30: Thanksgiving Vacation
December 18: Christmas Sing
December 22-January 2: Christmas Break

A big THANK YOU to the room moms and volunteers who helped with our Halloween parties. And another big THANK YOU for those volunteers in our classroom each day. We appreciate your time and help.

Book Orders are due this Thursday, November 20 th . There are some wonderful books that would make great, inexpensive holiday gifts. If you are ordering books for Christmas, just attach a note to your order and I will call you when the books come in. Please make sure to add the totals carefully. You can make out one check to Scholastic Books.

We have PE most every Monday. We exercise, learn basic large motor skills, practice good sportsmanship, and we play some fun movement games. Please send your child with appropriate footwear for PE activities.

The TAKE HOME READING PROGRAM has begun for Kindergarten. One of the goals of THR is to foster a love for reading. For Levels AA, A, and B, the book can be read TO the child, then WITH the child (together with a parent), and lastly BY the child alone. This is the TO, WITH & BY method. For levels C and above, the book is intended to be read by the child with little or no help. Ask some comprehension questions: What was your favorite part? Was there a lesson to be learned? Did the book remind you of anything? In class, your child working is reading more difficult books during guided reading. I will monitor your child's progress and adjust the THR levels accordingly.

We sing a lot of SONGS in Kindergarten. This month we are learning: Over the River and Through the Woods, Thanks A Lot, Mr. Turkey, and some other fun songs.

Thanks for all of your support at home with your student's TASK CARDS . I've made notes where students need extra help in certain areas. I have seen absolutely fabulous PROGRESS in the students' overall learning.

Our wonderful Student Teacher is Mrs. Evans. She comes to us from BYU and is very prepared and talented in teaching the children. She will be in our classroom through December 12 th .

CURRICULUM areas of Study:
(to name a few)
Recognizing & Writing Alphabet Letters
Recognizing & Writing Letter Sounds
Correct letter formation
Spaces between words
Sight/High Frequency Words
Sound spelling
Syllables
Rhyming Words
Correct pencil grip
Counting and Recording
More/Less
Seasons & Holidays: Fall & Thanksgiving
Families
Foods
Cleanliness
Native Americans

Remember to send your child dressed appropriately for the weather since we all go outside for RECESS . If it's too cold, too wet, or too windy for me, we stay inside for recess. It also helps to write your child's name in his/her coat. (Kindergarten children frequently cannot remember which coat/jacket belongs to them.)

Please feel free to contact me about any concerns or questions you may have.
E-mail me at vrichey@alpine.k12.ut.us
Remember to type “the parent of [child's name]” in the subject line. This helps your e-mail actually get to me and not be placed into SPAM. The school phone number is 796-3141, and I am usually at school from 8:15 AM to 3:45 PM. I check my messages when I get to school, and after each class session.

Thank you to those parents who call and excuse your child's absence. I do get your messages and I am able to excuse the child's absence on the computer attendance. FYI: Unexcused absences = truancy. You will be contacted by phone or letter to verify your child's excessive unexcused absences. Therefore, please call in or send a note when your child is absent for any reason.

November POEM :
“Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,” says the bird.
“Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,” says the bird.
Mr. Turkey gobble gobbles.
And his feet go wobble wobble.
“Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble,” says the bird.

(Sung to: “If you're happy and you know it.”)