December



Newsletter for December 2017 = Important Dates & Reminders = Please have your child wear their gym shoes to school on their gym days.
 * [[image:tenpenny/dont_forget.jpg width="73" height="67" align="left"]]Gym Class**
 * Tuesday and Friday**

Be sure to email your top 3 choices- include **bag numbers** in your email please.
 * Literacy Bag Checkout week**
 * Monday, December 4th - Friday, December 8th**

4K Gingerbread House Building
 * Friday December 15th. At S.F.B. North Church. 12:45- 3:00.**
 * Parent & child activity and Christmas song program.**
 * Please refer to the Gingerbread House Building note for all details and**
 * use this [|Sign-Up Genius] link to donate building supplies.**


 * Last day of 4K for 2017- Wednesday, December 20th**
 * WEAR PAJAMAS/COMFY CLOTHES AND SLIPPERS!**
 * No School- Christmas Break-**
 * December 21st - January 1st.**
 * School Resumes- Tuesday, January 2nd.**


 * Happy Birthday To You...**
 * Aaron- 12th, Mrs. Tenpenny- 12th, Elsa- 13th, Jesus- 25th, Greta- 27th**

**Important Future Dates.** The following dates are coming up and we thought you may want some advanced notice. More details will follow closer to the event.
 * Boys Basketball game at 3 PM on Saturday January 27th **
 * St. Francis Borgia Gym- The 3K/4K/5K classes will sing the National Anthem before the game.**
 * Then all are invited to attend the Spaghetti Dinner, in the S.F.B. North Church Hall**

= From The Teacher's Desk = Happy December Everyone!! With only a few short weeks of school this month, the 4K room will be as busy as the "North Pole". We are really looking forward to spending time with all 4K families at our BIG event- the 4K Gingerbread House Building and Christmas song program. During the first week of December the children will be making their own advent wreath. Our hope is that they find a special place to display their wreath and use it to count down the weeks until Christmas, just as we are in the classroom and at church on Sundays. Mrs. Gallogly and I would like to wish you and your family a very merry and blessed Christmas! Enjoy the magic of Christmas with your children and the peace of the Christmas break! The following is the format for my newsletters each month. Each important area is hi-lighted, with the individual skills we will focus on listed below. Our classroom theme for this month is "The true meaning of Christmas". = = = Literacy =
 * Using listening skills to identify rhymes, repetitive language, and patterns of language.
 * Answer questions about a story to demonstrate understanding
 * Sequencing story cards and retelling it.
 * 4K: Practice with identification, the sounds and writing the letters- H, K, L, U.

= Math =
 * Rote counting practice
 * Identifying numbers and representing them with a quantity
 * using unicubes to measure items
 * Following 2-3 step directions
 * Using spacial skills to identify matching tops for boxes and wrapping gifts

= Science =
 * Use our sense of smell to sort and match Christmas scents
 * Discover it is helpful to work as a team and share what we discover
 * Use past experiences and observations to make predictions
 * Discover that tools can help us to gather information

= Religion =
 * Preparing for and celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus.
 * Learning about Advent, making our own Advent Wreaths
 * Practice prayers
 * Learning about the TRUE meaning of Christmas

= Fine Motor Skills =
 * Using different materials/activities to strengthen our fine motor skills, such as:
 * Using different Handwriting Without Tears materials to practice making letters.
 * Using screwdrivers, hammers and wrenches.
 * Drawing different shapes to create a picture.