December Notes

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  II Corinthians 9:15

Christmas Program:  Our Christmas program is scheduled for Thursday, December 19th at 7:00 pm.  Please let us know as soon as possible if your child will not be participating.  Costume information will be coming home soon. The program will be at school, and refreshments will follow.

December Field Trip:  We will be going to Out of This World on Friday, December 20th.  This field trip is for ALL Little Lambs, even though it is on a Friday.  We are scheduled to leave school at 9:00 and to return by noon.  We will eat a pizza lunch there.  All children are required to wear socks for the field trip.  In addition, long pants and long sleeved shirts are suggested to avoid scrapes.  There is a waiver in the classroom for parents to sign; children without a signed waiver will be unable to accompany us on the field trip.  For this field trip, parents are offered the opportunity to meet us at Out of This World, rather than at school.  If you would like to do that, please speak with a teacher.    

Christmas Break:  The Christmas holiday begins on Monday, December 23rd, and school will resume on Monday, January 6th.

Christmas Center:  The children are now busy at work and play in our Christmas role play area, wrapping “gifts” and reading books and singing songs.  If you have any extra Christmas gift wrap/tags/bows that you would like to donate, we will happily accept them.  Thank you!

Classroom Notes:  Thank you so much for taking time to join us for our harvest celebration and the children's performance.  We were so impressed with how they all did!  It was a VERY successful first performance for the year. Here are some of the activities and studies we enjoyed the past month:

Science:  We had a fabulous time in November studying leaves and fall changes.  The children made beautiful leaf rubbings, and the Kindergarten class made the crayon-resist leaf paintings that are displayed in the classroom.  The Kindergarten students can tell you some information about chlorophyll and how the leaves change colors.  We also introduced and refined the idea of living/non-living.  The children learned that plants, animals and people are living; everything else is non-living.  We are now finishing up our bird study, looking extensively at owls and cardinals. They're really amazing animals!  As we conclude this study, the class will be choosing a rescued bird to sponsor at the Audubon Society.  Stay tuned to see which bird they choose!

Language/Literacy:  We began a study of opposites, with many books and puzzles.  The Kindergarten class began making a book of opposites that should be on display soon.  In addition, children are making huge individual strides in both English acquisition and literacy skills.  Half of our students are reading independently at some level now, with several more who are very close.  Our younger students have been introduced to all of the phonetic sounds and are working with these as they are ready to do so.  This is a remarkably capable group of learners this year!  

Math:  In extending and continuing our odd/even study, we have started to work on skip counting by 2's and 5's.  We continue to work with the class as a whole on the concept of place value, and children are working individually as they are ready for this concept.  We are tracking the number of completed school days as we look forward to celebrating our 100th day of school in a few months.  

Music: In addition to preparing for both the harvest and Christmas performances, the children have been enjoying listening to Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals."  This was a generous gift from Charisse Wu's family, and we have loved every minute of it!  We have also spent time working with our classroom percussion instruments and are learning how to make music with our set of bells.

Other:  We have spent the past month working on several health and hygiene topics, including fire safety, dental health and the importance of sleep.  Thank you to the Briscoe family for letting us borrow some Duplo blocks for our teeth-flossing lesson!


Inclement Weather:  In the event of inclement weather, Little Lambs will follow Beaverton School District’s closures.  If BSD opens late or closes, we will be closed as well.

Parenting Thought:  'Tis the season to be careful!  This time of year brings with it many hazards along with the fun and joy.  Here are a few safety tips to consider:

*When heading out to a large event (tree lighting, concert, shopping, etc.), tuck a business card or piece of paper with your cell phone number on it in your child’s pocket.  Be sure your child knows that it is there in case you become separated.  For younger children or those who may not remember the card, consider writing your cell number on their arm with a Sharpie.

*Once the number is tucked away, use your cell phone to take a few pictures of your child in whatever he or she will be wearing while you’re out.  Take one with a coat on and one with it off.  If you become separated, you can instantly show authorities exactly what your child looks like and what he or she is wearing. 

*Teach your child this important rule:  if you become separated, your child should sit down immediately and not move.  If the child stays still in one place, it is much easier for an adult to find him or her.  If another adult approaches to help, your child should give the adult the card with your cell number to call, but should still stay sitting right where he or she is until you arrive.