Random Tidbits

     It is hard to believe that the first quarter has come to an end!  I hope you found the parent-teacher conference sign-up directions in your child's backpack this week.  If you haven't signed up yet, please visit the fairfieldsfuture.org website and choose a convenient time for you to visit with me about your child's progress.  I look forward to talking with you next week!

     By now, you may have noticed lots of little readers coming home each week.  The best way to become a fluent reader is to practice, practice, practice!  I encourage you to find an old shoe box or gallon Ziploc bag to store these readers in.  I suggested to the kids that they keep them next to their beds and choose 2 or 3 to read every night before bed.  It will only take a minute, but will be extremely beneficial!

     One more thing....regarding homework....I hope I am not overwhelming you with the assignments I send home weekly.  Many times, parents ask me how they can help their children at home.  The homework gives you a way to do just that!  It allows you to spend a little focused time with your son or daughter.  It should not be stressful or bothersome, so if it becomes that way, take a little break and return it to school as you have time.  I appreciate any help or support that you give at home!




      

Field Trip Fun!

      It doesn't get much better than a field trip to Jefferson County Park with naturalist Therese Cummiskey!  She is extremely entertaining and so knowledgeable, that we always find ourselves learning without even realizing it!  Tuesday turned out to be a great day to be outside.  It was warm enough that we weren't miserable, but cool enough that we kept things moving.  We spent the majority of time learning about signs of fall and searching for fall colors.  Fun was had by all! 

     I think I'll let the photos (with a few captions speak) for themselves this week!

When we arrived, we explored the nature center....

Therese impressively learned every child's name by magically memorizing his or her face!

We next ventured outdoors to collect fall colors on a palette.

Josh tried his hardest to blow the milkweed off his finger, but it wouldn't budge!

 Mr. Squirrel called to invite us to help him collect some hickory nuts.

 Here's a close-up view!

We kept Therese busy with her nutcracker.

Alex tried a hickory nut!

A Special Presentation on Fire Prevention Week

       We were honored to be surprised by the Fairfield Fire Department this week!  At the Fire Prevention assembly, Fire Chief Scott Vaughan presented each child with a citizenship certificate and thanked us for calling in the fire that we spotted.  The kids were so cute....as Mr. Vaughan was telling the story, you could hear their little voices exclaiming, "That was us!"  They were pretty proud.
     I would like to take this opportunity to thank the true heroes...the men and women who fight fires every day.

"We Saved the Day!"

     KR is in the news!  I hope you've had a chance to hear from your child all about our big day on Tuesday, but if you haven't heard, see the front page of Wednesday's Fairfield Ledger!
     Part of our math curriculum suggests a neighborhood walk.  As you walk, you are to search for numbers on houses, street signs, and license plates.  The kids then record their findings on a clipboard.  We had so much fun writing our numbers, but we ended up finding something very unexpected.....we found a house on fire!
     I was so proud of my students because they knew that we should call 911.  They waited calmly and patiently while Mrs. Price and I sought help.  We walked back to the playground out of harm's way, but excitedly watched as the emergency vehicles pulled up to begin fighting the fire.  We all felt good that we could help a stranger in need.  I think it was a "real world" lesson that will stick with them always!
     Although our math lesson got a little sidetracked, the pictures below show how hard the students worked prior to all of the excitement.

We even found numbers on our clothes!