Welcome to PreK!

We are so excited for the new school year & to meet our students and their families!

The first day of school is Thursday 9/5/19. Parents will be remaining with their children for a "Welcome to PreK" orientation. All students are scheduled to attend from 10:15-11:45.

On Friday, 9/6/19, the student's will attend for their 1st day without parents. The day will be split up into 2 sessions. Please refer to your Welcome Letter for your child's scheduled time.

On Monday, 9/9/19, all students will remain in school for the full day session (8:00-2:20).

We are looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday!!

PreK 116

January News!

Happy New Year & Welcome Back! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday & vacation. Thank you for your extreme generosity throughout the holiday season!

Our next unit of study in PreK - “Where We Live”, will run through 1/31/20. The children will be exploring what the characteristics of neighborhoods are (the types of homes, businesses, community workers and animals we can find where we live.). We are asking you to send in a picture of the outside of your house so the children can compare and contrast the different types of homes. Please send in the photo by Monday 1/13/20

We will be continuing with our Fundations Program. As a reminder, the letters in this program are not taught in order; rather they are introduced according to the way we write the letters. Similar letter configurations are taught at the same time (tall letters, curved letters, straight letters). The program starts with all of the lowercase letters & then the uppercase ones. This month we will be working on: n, m, l, u, c, o, a, g, d, s. If you would like to work with your child to reinforce these letters it would be very helpful.

This month, we are asking you to decorate Snowmen to be displayed on the outside Bulletin Board. More information will be sent home in a separate letter.

We will be continuing to invite family members into the classroom for our “Special Story Time Reader”. If you would like to read your favorite book (or your child’s favorite book) to our class, sign up for one of the available slots. The signup sheet is posted on Sign -Up -Genius; select a day to join in our classroom fun! We will be allowing 1 person every Monday & Friday throughout the next few months (if Monday or Fridays do not work for you, we will select a day that does). Our Special Visitors will be invited in for the last part of class (1:45).

Our “In-Class Trips” will continue this month with another visit from Ms. Sarah (the Dongan Hills librarian) on 1/8/20 and a visit from The Nature Company on 1/14/20. As part of our “Where we Live” unit; a member of the Nature Company will be coming into our classroom with live animals to talk about different types of animals that live in our communities.

Our next PreK Family Day will take place 1/31/20. This will be a “Center-Time Fun” day. Families members will be invited into the classroom, from 1:00-2:00, to join in Center Time with the students & have an opportunity to be a part of their learning through play! As a reminder, it is the school policy that siblings do not attend classroom events & cell phones should not be used during classroom visits.

Our PreK will be having an ECCERS evaluation on Wednesday 1/15/20. This is State evaluation that is conducted every 2 years. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if highly effective practices are being used in the PreK classroom. The evaluator will be in the classroom from approximately 7:30-12:00. One of the components he/she will be looking for is proper cleanliness. Please be sure your child washing his/her hands with soap (turn off water with paper towel) after coming in to the classroom in the morning & that your child’s backpack & jacket is pushed all the way inside the cubbies (& is not extending out past the plastic cube) to ensure we do not lose any points. Thank you for your support.

We have had many students out sick last month & have been frequently cleaning all surfaces to stop the spread of germs. In doing so, we have used up all of our supplies of cleaning products. In order to ensure the health & safety of the children, we are asking every family to donated another 2 packs baby wipes, 2 packs of disincentive wipes and 2 rolls of paper towels. We are sorry for this inconvenience and expense; however, we will not be able to maintain this level of sanitary conditions without these supplies. Thank you so much for your continued support & help!

IMPORTANT: The Kindergarten Application Process is open. All PreK students must complete and submit the application by the due date 1/21/20. Go on line at www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/kindergarten.com Opens in a new browser tab for additional information.

School Closed:

Martin Luther King Jr Day 1/20/20

Important Dates:

PTA Meeting 1/8/20 @ 6:30 p.m.

College Awareness Day – Wear Your College Gear 1/10/20

PreK ECCERS Evaluation 1/15/20

Kindergarten Applications Due 1/21/20

PreK Family Day 1/31/20 @ 1:00 p.m.

Family Night (Talent Night) 1/31/20 @ 7:00 p.m.

Book Clubs:

Orders Due by 1/15

Class Activation Code for On Line Orders: MWVZK

Book for our Unit

The Big Orange Splot by: Kathleen W. Zoehfeld

House for Hermit Crab by: Eric Carle

Iggy Peck, Architect by: Andres Beaty

The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by: Mark Teague

Block City by: Robert Louis Stevenson

Corduroy by: Don Freeman

Little Elliot by: Mike Curato (Also used in unit 2)

Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by: Eugene Trivizas & Helen Oxenbury

The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by: Mark Teague

Over and Under the Snow by: Kate Messner

Building a House by: Byron Barton

The Village of Round and Square Houses by: Ann Grifalconi

Two Homes by: Claire Masurel

The Mitten by: Jan Brett

The Three Little Pigs by: James Marshall

Home Around the World by: Dona Herweck Rice

City and Country by: Jody Jensen Shaffer

City Shapes by: Diane Murray

Neighborhood Helpers by: Jennifer Gillis

Inside a Zoo in the City by: Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Inside a Barn in the Country by: Alyssa Satin Capucilli

People in your Neighborhood by:Jeffrey Moss

Matthew and Tilly by: Rebecca C. Jones

Animal Habitats - Story Folder

The Three Bears - Story Folder

My Noisy House - Story Folder

Fundations Letters: n, m, l, u, c, o, a, g, d, s

Classroom Donations Needed:

We are in desperate need of Baby Wipes, Disinfected Wipes and paper towels! If every family could donate 2 packs of each, we should have enough until the end of the year.

Please message us through ClassDojo or contact Ms. Aiello at Opens in a new browser tab LAiello2@schools.nyc.gov Opens in a new browser tab with any questions or feel free to speak with us at arrival and dismissal! We look forward to an exciting month ahead! We would like to wish you all of the best for the New Year! Thank you all for everything you do for our class!

Thank you for your assistance!

Ms. Aiello, Ms. K & Ms. Georgina

PreK 116

December News

Happy Holidays! This is a very exciting time of the year for young children & we will try to enrich their learning and exploring with some fun activities for the season. We have decided to change our Month Unit Schedule and make our next unit of study in PreK - “Holidays and Traditions”, which will run through 12/21/18. The children will be exploring the different holidays people celebrate during this time of the year & how family is an important part of season. We will not explore any religious aspects of the holidays; instead we will concentrate on the celebrations and family traditions.

This month will begin our Fundations Program; were the students will learn to identify and write the letters and learn the corresponding sounds & words for each letter. The children will continue with Fundations for the next few school years. This program is designed to be introduced in PreK & build upon their knowledge through the older grades. The letters in this program are not taught in order; rather they are introduced according to the way we write the letters. Similar letter configurations are taught at the same time (tall letters, curved letters, straight letters). The program starts with all of the lowercase letters & then the uppercase ones. This month we will be working on: t, b, f, n, m. If you would like to work with your child to reinforce these letters it would be very helpful.

We will be continuing to invite family members into the classroom for “Bring a Special Person to PreK””. There are plenty of dates available; we hope to have you join us! There is a signup sheet posted on the door for you to select a day to join in our classroom fun! We will be allowing 1 person per session throughout the unit. You may select the time you would like to join us.

Our “In-Class Trips” will continue this month with a visit from Music for Many on 12/21/18; this

will be a Holiday Song and Dance Celebration; if any parent is interested in attending please let me know. As always, a slip will be coming home for you to fill out and submit with a $5.00 payment

On December 20^th, we will be holding our next PreK Family Day! We will be participating in creating gingerbread houses; followed by a small class celebration. The celebration will take place from 8:30-10:00. A letter will be sent home from the Class Parents with additional information. Once again, I must remind you, due to school policy, siblings are NOT allowed to attend this event and parents should not be texting or calling on their cell phones during this event. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The children have been doing a great job with trying to put on their own coats independently and zippering; we would appreciate if you would continue to work on these skills at home. Also, please remember to send in mittens (not gloves); the gloves take too long to put on, even for the children who can put them on independently. By sending in mittens, it dramatically speeds up our process before going outside and at dismissal. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.

Book for this Unit:

The Gingerbread Boy by:Dandi

Gregory’s Shadow by: Don Freeman

The Night Before Hanukkah by: Natasha Wing

Jingle Bugs by: Simon & Schuster

My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz

The Night Before Hanukkah by Natasha Wing

The Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing

My First Chanukah by Tomie dePaola

Light the Lights by Margaret Moorman

Fundations Letters: t, b, f, n, m

School Closed: Winter Recess 12/24-1/2/19 (school resumes on Wednesday 1/2/19)

Important Dates:

Holiday Fair 12/5-6

Pajama Day 12/7

Picture Re-Take Day 12/10

PTA Meeting 12/12 @ 6:30

Family Night 12/14 @ 7:00 p.m. (Holiday Craft Night)

PreK Family Day 12/20 @ 8:30

In Class Program – Music for Many 12/21 @ 10:00

Ugly Sweater Day 12/21

Classroom Donations Needed: Baby Wipes, Disinfective Wipes, Paper Towels

Book Clubs: Orders Due by 12/10 (Class Activation Code for On Line Orders: MWVZK)

Please contact Ms. Aiello at LAiello2@schools.nyc.gov Opens in a new browser tab or message me through ClassDojo with any questions or feel free to speak with us at arrival and dismissal! We look forward to an exciting month ahead! We would like to wish you and your family, a very happy & healthy holiday season & all of the best for the New Year! Thank you all for everything you do for our class!

Thank you for your assistance!

Ms. Aiello & Ms. K

PreK 116

October News!

Can you believe we finished our 1^st month of PreK already? This has been a very exciting month for us and your children, learning about school, friends, independence and routine! We are so proud of all they have accomplished so far.

I hope you are all enjoying the ClassDojo app. We will be posting pictures of activities throughout our day to better connect you to your child’s learning experiences. This is a great way for you to gain a little insight as to what transpires throughout our day in PreK. It will also give you topics to discuss with your child at the end of the day. Student’s work will be posted to their portfolios and parent can privately email me with any questions. We have also linked all of our cluster teachers, so they may post to our page & keep you informed! Remember, only people with the access code can view our page & only parents will have access to their own child’s portfolio & messages. More than 1 parent can sign up using the same access code; please let me know if you need me to resend the code.

We would like to thank Ms. Chyorny (Ethan’s Mom) & Ms. Sheshi (Briana’s Mom) for volunteering to be our Class Parents this year. We look forward to working together to make this a memorable year for all of our students & families! If you have not completed the Class Directory Form, please do so immediately; the class parents would like to get the list printed out and distributed.

Welcome to our next unit of study in PreK! The new unit of study is “All About Us”! This unit will run through 11/1/19. The children will be exploring likenesses/differences with one another, learning about their individuality and place within the school community, learning about their school environment and how each of them is special & learning more about each of their friends. Below, we have provided a list of some of the books we will be using during this unit. It would be a great way to connect school with home by reading a few of these stories with your child. In addition, we will also be exploring the season of Fall, Columbus Day and Halloween.

We have many special events planned for this month. The children will begin their first school/home connections by bringing home an “All About Me Bag”. This will consist of a child

being selected each day to take home the bag. We ask for you and your child to complete the

activities together & return it to school the next day. There are instructions inside the bag for you to follow. The finished projects will be displayed in the classroom for the entire year.

We are also asking each child to bring in a photograph of himself/herself doing something they love (playing in the park, going to dance school, playing baseball, swimming, eating ice cream, etc.) so we can display it on our “All About Us” board. Please send in photo by Monday 10/7/19.

We will be inviting family members into the classroom for “Bring a Special Person to School Day”. There will be a sign-up sheet posted on the door for you to select a day to join in our classroom fun! We will be running this activity through the month of November to give every parent an opportunity to participate. We will be allowing 1 person per session throughout the event. You may come and spend some time in our classroom to learn what a typical day of PreK is like. We look forward to having you join us during our day.

Our “In-Class Trips” will begin this month with a visit from Ms. Sarah; the librarian from the Dongan Hills Library. The date of this event will be on Wednesday 10/2.

We are excited to be holding our 1st Family Day this month! On Thursday 10/31, we will be participating in pumpkin carving with the children and having a small class celebration, from 8:40-10:00. Parents, or other adults, are invited to attend. It is school policy that siblings and younger children are no allowed to attend these events. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please keep in mind, these events are designed for you to spend quality time with your child in the classroom. Younger children can become disruptive and take attention away from the PreK students; we want to optimize your time and attention during these activities. There will also be a school-wide March of Dimes walk; the time of that event will be announced later on in month.

Each month we will be enclosing a “Skills by the Month” sheet to give you some ideas to help strengthen math, reading & everyday skills at home. We hope you find these tips helpful.

Please also remember all jackets, sweaters, blankets, lunchboxes, backpacks must be labeled with your child’s name. All blankets must also be sent into school in a LARGE bag labeled with your child’s name on the outside. The bag should be large enough for your child to get the blanket inside. The fitted crib sheets are very difficult for the students to get on their cots. If you child needs a sheet to lay on, we are requesting it be a flat shhet.

Book for this Unit:

This Way to PreK by: Richele Bartkowiak

Body Talk In Rhyme by: Sharon McDonald

Hands and Fingers by: Pam Schiller

Here are My Hands by: Bill Martin Jr & John Archambault

Two Eyes, A Nose and a Mouth by: Roberta Intrater

We’re Different, We’re the Same by: Bobbi Jane Kates

All About You by: Catherine and Laurence Anholt

Chrysanthemum by: Kevin Henkes

I Like Myself by: Karen Beaumont

Be Who You Are by: Todd Parr

Friendshapes by: Rosenthal & Lichtenheld

The Feelings Book by: Todd Parr

Shubert is a Star by: Dr. Becky Bailey

The Little Red Hen by: Byron Barton

I like School - Story Folder

The Family Book by: Todd Parr

School Closed:

Rosh Hashanah 10/1

Yom Kippur 10/9

Columbus Day 10/14

Important Dates:

PTA Meeting 10/16 @ 6:30 p.m.

Fall Festival 10/5 @ 12:00-5:00

Breast Cancer Walk 10/20 @ 9:30 (Father Capodanno Blvd)

Picture Day (PreK-3) 10/21

Wear Red (For Red Ribbon Week) 10/23

Parent Workshop on Vaping 10/24 @ 9:00

PreK Family Day (Pumpkin Carving) 10/31 @ 8:40-10:00

March of Dimes Walk 10/31 (Time TBA)

Classroom Donations Needed:

Please send in Baby Wipes, Disinfecting Wipes, Paper Towels & Snack Donation if you have not yet submitted these items.

Book Clubs:

Orders Due by 10/15 - Class Activation Code for On Line Orders: MWVZK

Please contact Ms. Aiello at LAiello2@schools.nyc.gov Opens in a new browser tab , message me at ClassDojo with any questions or feel free to speak with us at arrival and dismissal! We look forward to an exciting month ahead!

Thank you!

Ms. Aiello & Ms. K.

PreK 116

ClassDojo

Our class is excited to be using ClassDojo for all class correspondences and updates. Please visit our ClassDojo page for all the latest information on our class at: www.classdojo.com Opens in a new browser tab Opens in a new browser tab

* Please note: Our ClassDojo page is a private webpage and only people with an access code will be able to view our posts. Parents/Guardians -Please contact me at LAiello2@schools.nyc.gov Opens in a new browser tab if you lost/misplaced your code.