Christmas Play

Our play is just around the corner!!! I am so proud of our cast and crew!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to spend it with family. I'm sure we are all enjoying a much needed break right now. It's a great opportunity to catch up on sleep, work around the house, and maybe even go shopping. You will all be relieved to know that I did not enter the fray on Black Friday. I waited until 11:00, when I was sure the crowd had thinned out, to just go to Lowe's.

When we go back to school, we will be starting the novel Stone Fox. We will be continuing to focus on academic work until just a few days before Christmas Break.

Our Christmas party is scheduled for Thursday Dec. 17, as is the play. We will be having a Christmas brunch and exchanging gifts. Girls need to bring a book for a girl and boys bring one for a boy. This will be a pajama party for our class. Pajamas need to be appropriate for school, and proper footwear is still necessary. In the room students may wear slippers, though. A note will go home very soon with more details.

Mocha

As you have probably heard from your child by now, Mocha will most likely no longer be a part of the upper primary classroom. Three items (a crayon, an eraser, and a plastic cube) appeared in her cage on Friday. Had she eaten any of these items, there could have been serious results. After the first two items were found during the day, the students were told that anything else going in the cage that should not be there would result in Mocha leaving our room. Mr. Jones gave the entire class time to confess to placing those items in the cage; however, no one spoke up. Unfortunately, this means the entire class is going to have to face the consequence of losing our class pet. The family that donated her has expressed interest in taking her back to their home, so she will not be going to the animal shelter. If we receive a confession by 8:00am on Monday, Mocha will stay in the classroom. I apologize to the seven students who have not done anything wrong. I am saddened and disappointed by this situation.

Thank you all for a great party!

I know the kids had at least as much fun as I did on Friday! Congratulations to Kendra for winning the teachers' choice costume award for upper primary. Here is a picture of the whole class in their costumes.









We played lots of games, watched a couple movies, and had wonderful treats. Thank you to everyone who provided snacks for our class!! Here is a video of the three-legged race. It was a close one!

Halloween

A note will go home today about our Halloween celebration. Unlike the younger classes, we will not be leaving PLA on Friday. All of our events will be in the classrooms or on the playground, weather permitting. In order to keep costumes clean and in good repair, we will forgo recess and do organized games instead. This should be a fun day for upper primary and middle classes! :)

Amazin' Acres

Thank you to all of our drivers and helpers on our pumpkin patch field trip last week!! It means so much to us that you took time out of your busy schedule to help make sure our classes had a fun day. I took a couple videos while we were there. I hope they load easily so your whole family can enjoy them.






Our next trip will be to Cane Creek Park on this Friday, October 9. Our class and Ms. Worley's class will leave PLA at 8:30am and return at noon. At the park, we will take a nature walk, observe the pond ecosystem, and have a picnic lunch followed by playtime. Upon returning to school, report cards will be distributed and students may leave for Fall Break. In case of rain, we will dismiss at 10:00am.

Updates--9/27

Fall Break is in two weeks! I know all of you are probably ready for a little rest and relaxation. There will be NO HOMEWORK over the break.

-We will begin the Book It program on October 1. This is through Pizza Hut. Children will earn points by reading one challenge book (a novel) or 5 easy books during the month. Once this goal is completed, they will receive a coupon good for one free personal pan pizza.

-The PLA Jump Rope Team will begin practicing the Friday after Fall Break. Practice is during afternoon recess. To be on the team, students must commit to practice every other Friday.

-PLA Writers will meet in Mrs. Kirby's room on Monday afternoons beginning on October 19. This is a creative writing group open to all ages. Meetings will last from 3:00-4:00. There is no cost to join this club.

-Our Christmas play is already being rehearsed! Auditions for speaking roles will be October 7th and 8th during rehearsal time (11:00-11:30).

-Family Project #2: Totem Poles--Students need to turn this in on Friday, Oct. 2.

-Amazin' Acres is our next field trip. We will be going on this Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9:00am. We will return to school at 2:00pm. Students need $6 (cash) and a packed lunch for this trip. Parents also need to bring $6 and a lunch. Student admission includes a pumpkin. Right now, we only have one driver committed to the trip. We need at least one more to be able to go. I have only received 2 permission slips; please let me know if you need another copy.

-Cane Creek will take place on October 9, the day before Fall Break. We will leave the school at 8:30am, take a nature walk, and have a picnic. Students need to bring a packed lunch and a water bottle. Good walking shoes are required for this trip (no flip flops, high heels, etc.).

-Report cards go home on Friday Oct. 9.

Welcome back!

After an odd week, I'm sure we are all ready to get back into the normal routine. We cleaned the classroom from top to bottom last week, so we should be germ-free now.

*Progress reports need to be signed and returned.

*On Friday (9/18) we will be going to Cane Creek Park for a science/PE trip. We will be walking the trail around the lake and observing ecosystems. A picnic and some free time will follow. All students need to bring a lunch and wear good walking shoes. A personal water bottle is permitted during this field study, but students must be able to carry it themselves.

*Birthdays this week include Hailey in our class and Kyle in Ms. Worley's class.

Labor Day Updates

I hope everyone is enjoying their Monday!

Thank you to all of the chaperones and drivers on the Bowling World field trip. It could not have gone better!! I know all of the kids appreciated the experience.

Progress reports will go home this week. They need to be signed and returned. Averaging grades only reaffirmed my opinion that we have a very intelligent group of learners in the upper rpimary class this year. I truly enjoy teaching them and fielding their great questions.

Happy birthday to Trey (9/5) and Daniel (9/6)!

Our next big field trip has been planned. Permission slips will be sent home soon. All four classes will be going to Amazin' Acres in White County on October 1. We will leave school around 9:00am and return after lunch. I will provide more details when the permission slips are printed.

Mocha

As your child may have mentioned, we have a guinea pig named Mocha living with us. She will need to be cared for on some weekends and breaks this year. I will be sending home a note about this. Please let me know ASAP whether you can help take care of Mocha.

Also, we are collecting money for bowling ($4) and for polo shirts ($17) this week.

Responsibility

Our lifeskill this week is responsibility. Discuss what it looks like and how your child can use it at home to supplement our classroom talks.

Water

Students will no longer be allowed to bring colored water to drink. Plain water is the only thing they will be able to drink during times other than breakfast and lunch.

Lunch

Upper primary/middle classes will be eating lunch at 11:30am each day. Upper primary will receive and extra break in the mornings, as it is certainly difficult for children of those ages to work for that many hours without stopping. :)

First Day Photos

One Week Down

We did it! You all made it through one whole week of your new grade already. That wasn't so hard, was it? :)

I have a lot of pictures to share from the first week. They will start appearing on the blog as soon as I get them loaded onto the computer. We have had so much fun learning and getting to know each other. It really shows in the pictures.

Important information:

*Allergies in our class include peanuts and peanut products. If you are bringing a treat for the whole class, please make sure it is peanut-free. Your children may bring peanut butter sandwiches for themselves. We are practicing washing our hands very well after eating anything with peanuts. We no longer have anyone with dairy protein allergies. Cakes, cookies, etc., are welcome for special events. I look forward to celebrating all of our birthdays with a special afternoon treat.

*Lunch may be moved to 12:00-12:30. We will know for sure on Monday morning. I will provide a morning snack on Monday to help us make it to the late lunch, if that is the case. (I will provide snack every Monday.)

*Folders will come home Monday. Please keep any papers in the left pocket. Folders need to come back to school on Tuesday of each week. Everyone did a great job this week with that!

*Neighborhood maps are due Wednesday. You should have received a score sheet that tells you what I am looking for when I am grading. This project is intended to be an easy A and a lot of fun. Please contact me if you have any questions about it.

*We will be going bowling on September 4th. That is a Friday. I will send information home once we know prices and exact times. Bowling World will determine which block of time will be the best for all of us to come. If you want to join us, you are more than welcome to!


Here's to a great second week!

Personal Best

Thank you, class, for continuing to use your personal best this week. I know we have had many times that we could have easily forgotten our Lifeskills, especially with the varied menu this week. I appreciate your maturity and flexibility that you have used anytime the menu has changed or we have had technical difficulties. As the year goes on, it will all even out.

We will not be using the tire swings on Thursday. Too many people have been upset by being pushed too hard. Three days' worth of warnings have been given, so we are going to take a break. Friday will be another chance to use your personal best with the tire swings.

First Day

Thank you, students, for using your personal best today and for your flexibility. The first day is always full of surprises and changes. As Trey said, "Just go with the flow!" You all did a great job doing just that today. Lunch will be normal tomorrow. :)

I'm sure you parents/grandparents have heard tons of stories from your child this evening. If you have any questions about anything in the Monday folder, talk to me in the morning or call me this evening.

See you all tomorrow!

Grade Level Changes

Due to an enrollment boom this week, 5th grade will now be in Janet Worley's middle school class. I will be teaching grades 3 and 4. The 8th grade students will be working with the high school program, not middle school.

What about TeacherWeb?

I know some of you enjoyed Mrs. Shapton's webpage last year, with its schedule and announcements. I will also be keeping a page like that. It is the web address you received in your back to school letter, and it is also linked on my blog profile. Mrs. Kirby's TeacherWeb will supplement the blog, with updated homework, a calendar, and other longterm information that could get lost on this site as each new entry is posted.

Parent volunteers:
I love to keep families active in the classroom! I will be sending home some information on Monday that you can fill out to let me know your availability. On the first day, try to keep your presence to a minimum, not for me but for your child. I want you to feel welcome to visit your child at school, but upper primary grades are very social; the children will benefit from being given the chance to be alone on day one. Social bonds will be formed that day that will last throughout the year, possibly longer. It is important that your child has the opportunity to separate him/herself from you to become part of the group. You may join us in the cafeteria before school and walk your child into the room at 8:00, but try to move on by 8:30 to let the class get to know one another. If you want to come back and visit at lunchtime, we eat at 11:30.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please call or e-mail me. :)

School Starts Monday August 10

Hello! I hope you have had a wonderful summer vacation. School starts at 8:00am on Monday August 10. We will be having a full day, dismissing at 3:00pm.

Breakfast (served 7:00-7:30):
Peanut butter toast
100% Fruit Juice

Lunch:
Cheeseburger on bun
French fries
Corn
Fresh Fruit
Milk

Students may always bring their own breakfast and/or lunch, but these can only be eaten during specified times. A break will occur at 9:30am, allowing 15 minutes for students to recharge with a healthy snack of fruit, vegetables, or other small item that does not list sugar as one of its first three ingredients. I will provide apple slices on the first day of school.

Feel free to leave a comment to let me know you were here. Check back often for updates from Mrs. Kirby's class.

Welcome

Welcome to Mrs. Kirby's Elementary @ PLA class Blog! Check back often for important announcements, assignment information, and fun things about our class!