Tie dye Letter and Instructions

Dear Parents,

          The school year is coming to an end and we will be celebrating our kindergarten year with some final fun activities.   However, before the end of the year, we would like to do a special project.  Each class will be making tie-dye t-shirts to wear to the end of the year events (PE field day, Craddock visit, and end of the year party).  They will be coordinated so that each class will be wearing a different color.  Therefore, we need your help.

          Please complete the following steps:

1.  Provide one plain white t-shirt.  Please wash and dry it before you begin the next step so that the dye will adhere well to the t-shirt.   Please write your child’s name on the tag.
2. Create a design by wrapping the attached rubber bands around the t-shirt in any pattern.  We have attached some sample ways to tie on the rubber bands.  You may do any of these patterns or choose one of your own.  We will apply the dye at school.
3. Place the t-shirt in a Ziploc bag and then a plastic grocery bag.  Write your child’s name on the outside of the bags and send it to school.

We would like to have all the t-shirts by Wednesday, April 29 if possible.  We will apply the dye at school and then send home the t-shirt that day.  When we send home the tie-dyed t-shirts we will include special washing instructions. 

 

Striped Tie Dye T-shirt

Instructions:

1.    Lay your freshly washed and dried t-shirt on a flat surface.

2.    Starting at the bottom, fold your t-shirt like an accordion (back and forth in a zig-zag motion) then tie the ends together with a rubber band.

Read more at http://www.favecrafts.com/Shirts/Striped-Tie-Dye-T-Shirt#MA7FoZbuOMHXDk1k.99

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Please also visit this website for a tutorial on other ways to fold your t-shirt:

http://www.wikihow.com/Tie-Dye-a-Shirt

 

Step 1:  Place a pre-washed t-shirt on a counter. 

Step 2:  Pick a spot on the shirt and pinch some fabric to place between your fingers.  Some use a fork in place of your hands but that has been known to tear the fabric if you are not careful.

Step 3:Twist your fingers to begin the spiral twirl and begin wrapping the fabric around your pinch. Continue twisting until it resembles the shape of a cinnamon roll. 

Step 4:  Rubber bands are used to hold the fabric together.  Slide the rubber bands under and over the spiral so that the fabric will hold its shape. 

April 14-17 & April 22-25

Important News:

• Please remember to turn in the first blizzard bag on Monday, April 14.  The second blizzard bag will be coming home on Monday, April 14.  Please email us with any questions.

Language Arts, Science and Social Studies
For the next two weeks, our focus is on how to keep our Earth clean.  We will be learning about recycling and ways to take care of our planet.  We will be reading various stories including Recycle It, Where does all the Garbage Go, and Saving our Planet.   We will continue to work on comprehension skills such as main idea, cause and effect and drawing conclusions.

During writing workshop, we will be studying a new genre--narrative writing.  We learned that narrative writing means that we are telling a story.  Narrative writing includes characters, setting, and a beginning, middle and end.  We will be practicing writing in this genre for several weeks.

Word study--Blends

• Week of April 14--cl, fl, cr, fr
• Week of April 21--gl, pl, gr, pr

We are also working on spelling our sight words correctly.  

Math
We have been focusing on fluency with the addition and subtraction facts to 5. You may have seen some timed tests come home. We are practicing completing 10 math facts in one minute.  We will also continue our unit on place value.

Announcements for Coming Events

• Friday, April 4 is Cleveland Indians Day!  We are celebrating the Tribe Home Opener by wearing our Cleveland Indians gear or red, white, and blue!  Baseball season means spring is here!!
• Tuesday, April 8 is class picture day.  We will take a group photo of our class in the morning.  If you would like to order a copy, please send back the order form that came home today.  
• Book orders for Mrs. Gallucci's class are due on Tuesday, April 8.

Have a great week!

March 31-April 11

Important News

• Please remember to send back the "book in a bag" so that your child can continue to practice the skills that they learn in guided reading.  Please remind your child to change their book daily.
• If you get a book in a bag that says "please return tomorrow" it is very important that you send it back to school the next day because it is one of our guided reading books.  Thank you!
• The first Blizzard Bag will be sent home on Monday, March 31.   The second blizzard bag will come home on Monday, April 14.  If you have any questions, please contact us.  We would be happy to help!

Language Arts

• We will be learning about the Earth, Sun and Moon for the next two weeks.  We will be reading many non-fiction books including Earth and Moon and Watching the Night Sky.  Ask your child to share some information that they have learned.   We will also focus on the comprehension skill of comparing and contrasting.
• Word study--We will be working on blends--st, sp, sk, sn

Math

• We have been focusing on fluency with the addition and subtraction facts to 5.  You may have seen some timed tests come home in the last week.  We are practicing completing 10 math facts in one minute. 

Right to Read Week

Monday, March 17--Dress like a character day!  Wear a shirt with a character on it!  You can also dress like a character from your favorite book.
Tuesday, March 18--Wear a shirt with an animal or animal print!  We will enjoy an assembly from the Cleveland Zoo!
Wednesday, March 19--Wear a shirt with words!
Thursday, March 20--Exploring our favorite places day!  Wear a cape today!  Tonight you can enjoy a program called Evening Bedtime Stories with Mr. V in the Miller gymnasium from 7:00-7:30!  Wear your pajamas and bring a towel or blanket.
Friday, March 21--Wear a shirt with numbers on it!

Thank you!  It will be a fun week!

March 10-14 and March 17-21

IMPORTANT NEWS

• Our Spring Music Concert has been scheduled for Friday, May 2 at 2:30
• Please remember to send back the "book in a bag" each day. 
• Please check with your child to see if they still have a working pair of headphones.  Many of the headphones are broken and need replaced.  Thank you!  We use them daily!

RIGHT TO READ WEEK
Right to Read Week is coming up!  March 17-21!  This is a week that we get to celebrate reading in a ton of fun ways.  Look for the information about Right to Read Week that came home last week in the Miller newsletter and on our blog!

LANGUAGE ARTS
For the next two weeks in March, we will be reading the stories Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs.  We will read several  versions of each story and compare and contrast them by discussing the characters, setting and plot.  We are working on L blends (gl, fl, bl...) and R blends (gr, dr, br, fr, pr, tr...)  In word study, we are focusing on the digraphs (th, and wh).

Writing--We are sent home a Heart Map on Friday.  Please help your child complete this activity at home with you.  The students should think of things that they love and know a lot about.  The students will then use the heart maps during writing to help them think of a topic that they can write about.  Please note the students can draw, print out pictures, use stickers, etc. to complete this project.  Thank you!  This week we completed our unit on informational writing and will be focusing on opinion writing for the next two weeks.

MATH
We will continue to work on addition and subtraction.  Please continue to practice the flashcards with your child.  Please use manipulatives (cheerios, cotton balls, goldfish crackers, etc.) if your child is having difficulty with solving the equations.