Our Visit With Santa Claus

The kindergartners were lucky enough to have Santa visit our classroom on Wednesday! They really enjoyed sitting on his lap and telling them what they would like for Christmas. I hope you enjoy this video. ** I had some trouble with the sound, so you may want to turn down the sound and enjoy the video. **

A Visit from Santa

Winter Program

Winter Program

Pajama Day

Kindergartners will be able to wear their pajamas to school tomorrow, 12/22/11. Remember that we will still play outside, so send appropriate footwear and outerwear. Thank you!

What We Plan to Do Over Our Break ...

Payton will play.
Keyara will settle down.
Brendon will open presents.
Lily will go to grandpa's.
Ty will relax.
Bridgit will relax and watch TV.
Cambree will go to Jordan.
Niah will see ice skaters.
Christian will go to dad's.
Brock will see his brother.
Christopher will lay there and watch TV.
Seth will go ice skating.
Harmoni will go fishing.
Cora will go to the pool.
Owen will go sledding.
Amara will go sledding.
Toby will play with his gifts.
Dalelynn will go to grandpa's.
Mataya will stay at grandma and grandpa's.
Ryan will go to the beach.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Where Would Rudolph Guide You?

"Home," said Toby
"Paris," said Lily.
"England," said Payton.
"Jordan," said Cambree.
"Gillette," said Christopher.
"Santa's sleigh," said Mataya.
"To my dog," said Alexa.
"Vegas," said Brock.
"The North Pole," said Ryan.
"To deliver presents," said Brendon.
"Grandma's house," said Keyara.
"New York," said Ty.
"Santa's sleigh," said Hunter.
"The North Pole," said Niah.
"The North Pole," said Dalelynn.
"Las Vegas," said Cora.
"The forest," said Harmoni.
"The sky," said Bridgit.
"Las Vegas," said Owen.
"Paradise City," said Amara.

Star of the Week

Student of the Month

Our Student of the Month will enjoy a McDonald's lunch with Mrs. McCall next week. Congratulations and great work!

Glow Party

Thanks to Mrs. Wheeler for the cool bracelets. We had a "glow party" to celebrate earning 20 WOW! slips in the lunchroom. The kids look forward to earning this again.

Online Safety Presentation

January 5, 2012 from 5:30-6:30. Lewis & Clark Auditorium.

Food Drive Winners!

Mrs. Piltz' class won the food drive! Thanks to everyone who donated food for the Beartooth Food Drive. We will get a popcorn party sometime soon. The kids are so excited!

Pajama Day

On Thursday, December 22nd we will have a pajama day at school, and the kindergartners will watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer after reading the storybook. This should be a fun day! Mrs. Wheeler also sent out an email asking for parents who would be willing to bring juice or make Rice Krispie Treats for a snack. If you are able to help, please email her at nmwheeler@hotmail.com Thank you!

Food Drive Ends 12/16/11

Tomorrow is the last day of the Food Drive. Thanks to everyone who has generously sent in food for this cause. The class with the most donated food wins a popcorn party!

What is Santa Doing to Get Ready for Christmas?

Today we discussed what Santa is doing to get ready for Christmas, and wrote about his preparations. The kids think that he is probably wrapping presents, feeding his reindeer, and loading his sleigh. We also made some shape Christmas trees and wrote sentences about our trees using descriptive words.

Star of the Week

Beary Great Day!

This morning we were the class who brought the most food for the Food Bank, so we got to spend the day with Mrs. McCall's big teddy bear. The class loved having him in our room! Thanks to everyone who is bringing in food for our Food Drive.

A gift

Payton was kind enough to purchase a Christmas present for everyone in our class. If your child shows you a little "gift" that they got at school today, that is who it is from. A big thank you to Payton for her kindness.

Also, any kids who did not bring money to shop at Santa's Workshop were allowed the opportunity to pick out one item for themselves yesterday. So if your child came home with a stuffed teddy bear, that is why. :) Thank you to PTA!

Reindeer Facts & Video

Today we learned about reindeer and wrote facts that we learned in our journals. The kindergartners particularly enjoyed this video from National Geographic Kids.

Family Fun Night

Tonight is Family Fun Night at school from 6:30-7:30. Please join us for cookies, cocoa, ornament-making and a visit from Santa Claus! PTA is co-sponsoring the event and will be drawing for door prizes. It should be a fun evening! Thanks to Albertson's, Perkins and PTA for their help.

Santa's Workshop

We visited Santa's Workshop this morning. The students who purchased presents had a fun time shopping! I am trying to get some of the gifts wrapped. If your child shopped, but doesn't bring any gifts home today, it is because we are planning on wrapping them tomorrow in class. If your child purchased several gifts, we only wrapped presents for people living in the home (mom, dad, sister, brother, etc). I am hoping that you can wrap the rest at home - we have limited amount of bags, and it takes a while to get this done, so thank you for your understanding.

If you did not shop, but still would like to, please send money and a list to school with your child by Thursday and we will make arrangements for them to shop. Thank you!

Glue Sticks

We are in need of glue sticks. If you can send some in, it would be appreciated! Thank you.

Yummy Gingerbread Men!

Gingerbread Cookies

We had such a fun time decorating and eating our gingerbread men today. What a wonderful way to end our week. A HUGE THANK YOU to Amara's dad for baking the gingerbread men. The kids absolutely loved them!

Book It!

November reading logs were due yesterday. If you turned one in, your child's pizza certificate will be sent home today. Be sure to check their backpacks!

December reading logs went home in your child's red folder yesterday. They will be due January 2nd. Thanks for participating!

Santa's Workshop

Our class will be visiting Santa's Workshop on December 6th. A note about Santa's Workshop and a shopping list were sent home in your child's red folder yesterday. If you choose to participate, write who you would like your child to buy presents for on the list, and send $1.50 per gift. This is a fun opportunity for your kids to do their own Christmas shopping. Please send lists and money to school by Tuesday the 6th.

If you are available to help, contact Mrs. Sherner at shernert@billingsschools.org. She often needs help setting up, taking down, and managing the Santa's Workshop area throughout the week. Thank you!

Cookie Decorating

Just a reminder that tomorrow we will be decorating gingerbread man cookies in class. If you have any items on hand that we could use for decorating, I would appreciate it if you could send them in. Thanks for your help!

Oops!

I have an extra December Snack Calendar and December Book It log, which means someone didn't get them in your red folder. :( If you are missing these items, please let me know!

"You Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

The kindergartners did a great job on their at-home project of decorating gingerbread men. If you have not yet returned your decorated gingerbread man, please return to school so it can be displayed. I hope you had fun with this project!

Star of the Week

Gingerbread Cookie Decorations

On Friday the 2nd we will be decorating gingerbread man cookies. If you have any "supplies" laying around that we could use, it would be greatly appreciated. Please send in frosting, sprinkles, red hots, raisins, licorice twists, etc. to decorate our gingerbread boys (or girls) with. Please remember no nuts.

A big thank you to Amara's parents for baking the gingerbread cookies!

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Friendship Feast

Thank you to everyone who contributed, and the parents who were able to come help us. We had a wonderful feast! Enjoy your holiday!

Turkey Dinner Song

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gingerbread Men

When we return from our Thanksgiving holiday, we will be reading stories about gingerbread men. In your child's red folder there is a gingerbread man to decorate at home and return to school to display. I hope this will be a fun family project over the long weekend!

Friendship Feast

Tomorrow, 11/22/11, is our Friendship Feast. Everyone was assigned an item to bring for our soup lunch. If you have not already sent in your item, please send it by tomorrow. Thank you!

Rosie's Walk

This is a wonderful story that our field practicum student, Ms. Faber, read the students last week. It's a great story for learning word about directionality.

Rosie's Walk Video

Santa's Workshop

On December 6th, our class will shop in "Santa's Workshop." A shopping list will be sent home with your child. If you choose to participate, please return the shopping list and money (each gift is $1.50) by December 6th. The kids really love picking out their own gifts for their family and friends! This is a fun event provided by PTA.

Pumpkin Pie Song

Book It!

We are participating in the Pizza Hut Book It! program to encourage reading at home. Please turn in your November reading logs by the end of the month for a free personal pan pizza certificate. December logs will go home next week.

Thankful Week

Thank you to the parents who were able to join us for our Thankful Week lunch. The kindergartners loved reading and eating lunch with you!

Star of the Week

Pumpkin Pie

Friendship Feast

On Tuesday, November 22, all 3 Kindergarten classes are planning tohave a Friendship Feast. This is an early out day. We will be dismissed at noon. School lunch will not be served this day. Our feast of taco soup, cornbread, and a dessert will be our lunch instead.

All members of our class will bring an ingredient for our feast. We will combine all of the ingredients to make the taco soup. A few of our classmates will be assigned to bring taco soup ingredients. cornbread, dessert, or drinks. If you are unable to contribute, please let me know.

Please bring your ingredient for the Friendship Feast by Tuesday, November 22.

Our Room Moms, Nancy Wheeler and Chandra Richards, are planning to contact any interested parents in helping us to set-up, serve, and/or clean up. Volunteers are needed between 10:00 and 12:00. If you have not been contacted by email to volunteer, please let me know you are interested in volunteering. Also, let me know if you would like to share your email address with Nancy and Chandra for future volunteer opportunities.

A note will be sent home on 11/11/11 asking you to bring a specific item. Thanks for your help during this fun event!

Scary Faces

Today we read "The Little Scarecrow Boy" by Margaret Wise Brown, and in the story the little scarecrow boy practices making fierce faces to scare away crows. After the story, we practiced our fiercest faces.

Internet Safety

Today Mrs. Meyer, our school counselor, talked to the kindergartners about internet safety. They watched some great videos and she shared a website that you might be interested in: www.netsmartzkids.org.

We are thankful for ...

If I Had Been a Pilgrim ...

Last week we read a non-fiction story about pilgrims, and learned about their lives in America. Then we did an art project with our 3rd grade buddies, and wrote about what we would have done if we were pilgrims. Some of the students said they would build their own houses, make their own bread, and hunt for their own food.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to parent-teacher conferences. I really enjoyed talking with you about your wonderful children. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at piltzt@billingsschools.org or 281.6356.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Purple Song

The White Song

The Black Song

Star of the Week

Dental Hygiene

Thank you to Christopher's Aunt Sandy McCaffrey from Jim Patterson's dental office for speaking to our kindergartners about dental hygiene, and bringing great goodie bags!

Pumpkin Centers

Today we had fun participating in different Halloween and pumpkin-themed centers. Thank you to the parents who came in to help: Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Richards, Mr. Mills-Low, Mrs. Copper and Mrs. Kimball. THANK YOU!

Pumpkin Pie Playdough Recipe

Today we made pumpkins with homemade pumpkin pie playdough. If you want to make some at home, it's really easy:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. water
1 tsp. vegetable oil
food coloring
1 can pumpkin pie spice

Star of the Week

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

We used a pancake mix. Make the mix as directed, and add 1/4 c. canned pumpkin, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and a 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Cook pancakes as you normally would. Serve with syrup or whipped cream. Yum!

Star of the Week

Pumpkin Pancakes yum!

Today we made pumpkin pancakes and the class loved them! I will post an easy recipe.

Room Moms

A big thank you to Nancy Wheeler and Chandra Richards for agreeing to be Room Moms in our classroom. If you are contacted by either of these ladies, it's because I've asked for their help in getting your help. :) Thanks for all of your support!

Stations on Halloween

On Halloween day, Monday the 31st, we will rotate through several fun stations. This will include things such as pumpkin measuring, painting, a math game, etc. We would love parents to help monitor these stations, or to help by bringing a snack or a "favor" for kids to take home at the end of the day. If you can help, please contact Mrs. Piltz at piltzt@billingsschools.org or Nancy Wheeler at nmwheeler@hotmail.com by 10/27/11.

Stations:
We need 4-5 parents to help. Thanks to those of you who have already volunteered!
Snack:
Parents who would be willing to bake pumpkin muffins or cookies for snack would be greatly appreciated.
Favors:
Anything you would like to contribute as a "favor" for the end of the day.

Thanks for your help!

Book It!

Our class will be participating in Pizza Hut's Book It! reading incentive program. More information will be coming home soon. Please encourage your kindergartner to participate!

Big Pumpkin

Here is the song from one of our favorite books, Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman. Enjoy!

Eating our Bannock

Making Bannock

Today Ms. Faber read the story I Can't Have Bannock But the Beaver has a Dam" by Bernelda Wheeler. After the students read the book, about an American Indian family making traditional bread (bannock), the students helped Ms. Faber make bannock and then tried it. Many of them enjoyed it!

The Orange Song

The Green Song

The Brown Song

Our trip to J and K Farms Pumpkin Patch

Star of the Week

October 10-14th