Community Helpers

This week the children enjoyed learning about what a doctor's job is in our community.
Thank you Dr. S. for sharing your knowledge with our children.
The students also enjoyed learning about the holiday of Christmas.

Dr. S. is an ICU doctor

Learning about Christmas

Holiday Centers

Today was such a fin and exciting day in Rainbow Valley. The children enjoyed rotating through their centers.  They also loved having their parents join them.
Thank you to all of the volunteers. You sure know how to make learning fun!

Visitors

I am really looking forward to having all of our kindergarten families tomorrow for holiday centers. Please sign in at the front desk and as always have your i.d. Ready. Please make sure you go directly to our room. When leaving you must sign out. You are all very good about this, but it never hurts to be reminded.
Also, a big thank you to Mrs. P. for coming in to teach us about Kwanza last week.

Kudos and Some Important Information

Thank you to Mrs. P., Mrs. T., Mrs. J., and Mrs. R. for sending in goodies for our school store. There is still time to send in more items.  :) The children are working hard at earning money each new day.

On Monday we are having our kindergarten holiday centers.  Parents are welcome! 9:40am in room 11.

Due on Wednesday the 19th. Career Project

We really enjoyed learning about the job of a farmer this week. He taught us through song and story all about farming.  You can also visit him this Saturday at the Old Beach Farmers Market behind Croc's from 9-12. He has lots of great items!

Rewards

It is that time of year...
Our reward bin is running dry.  If you can, please send in small treats for the reward bin. 
We are also in need of treats for our school store which the children are earning money for each new day.
Thanks so much!

Learning so many new concepts

During the last few weeks we have been focusing on our writing strategies.
Begin your sentence with an uppercase letter
Finger space
Sound out your words (many of our kindergarten friends should be doing beginning sounds, some are doing begining and ending sounds, and a few are even adding medial sounds)
Puncuation at the end of a sentence
Pictures match your words
3 star coloring

Please provide opportunities for your child to be writing in a journal at home.

Reminder!!! DUE DECEMBER 19th- Career Project

SPIRIT NIGHTS

We hope you can join us at our JBD spirit nights!
Our December Spirit Night is at Chick-Fil-A this Tuesday from 5pm to 7pm. Ashlee will be there from 5pm-6pm and I will be there fro 6pm to 7pm. We will have extra JBD Chick-Fil-A flyers. YOU MUST have these for our school to get credit.

Our January Spirit Night will be at YNOT Tuesday, January 15th from 5pm to 9pm. Dine in or carry out!

Thank you for your continued support

Sharing Holiday Celebrations

Today we had Mrs. P. share with us the story of Hanukkah.
The children enjoyed hearing a story called Hoppy Hanukkah by Linda Glaser.

Community Helpers

Today we had the opportunity to have Mrs. P. in to talk to us about being a Navy Sailor and a nurse. 
Thank you again Mrs. P.! You made learning about Community Helpers fun!

Navy Sailor/Nurse

Classroom Events

Mark your calendars!!!
Toys For Tots Drive December 3rd -7th. Please bring in a new toy if you can.
Wear your holiday colors blue, yellow, white, red, and  green. Friday, December 14th
P.J. Day December 21st. Yes, that's right! Wear your pajamas to school. No, slippers  nightgowns, or bath robes. Normal school shoes must be worn.
No blankets or toys.

Happenings...

Today the children began earning their "play money" for being good citizens. At the end of the unit we will have a class store where they can spend their money.
We need your help. If possible, please send in small fun erasers, small bouncy balls, small toys, lolly pops, stickers (cut up five per bag), small containers of Playdough. Any small treats kids enjoy. No chocolate please. All of the supplies need to come in within the next two weeks.
Thank you to Olivia's Mom for donating today!!
 
If you haven't had a chance to check out this months book order please do.
The order has some amazing titles that our kindergarten friends would love to add to their at home libraries.
It is our goal to have the orders to you by the 21st.  So get those orders back to us! :)

Reading Is Fun!

Our Rainbow Valley friends are doing a really nice job learning about characters, setting, problem, and solution in stories.
We have also been focusing on retelling a story using details from the beginning, middle, and end.
Please practice this skill at home when you are reading.

We use the retelling down the yellow brick road technique!

Working with a partner to retell Roise's Walk.



Learning about the attributes of fiction and non-fiction



Need and Wants

We will begin a unit in Language Arts/Social Studies about community helpers and economy. 
Beginning next week the children will be earning money for being good citizens. At the end of the unit we will have a class store where they can spend their money.  
We need your help. If possible, please send in small fun erasers, small bouncy balls, small toys, lolly pops, stickers (cut up five per bag), small containers of Playdough. Any small treats kids enjoy. No chocolate please. All of the supplies need to come in within the next two weeks. 
Thanks sooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!

Tumble Books

Dear John B. Dey Elementary Parents!

The school system subscribes to TumbleBooks! You and your child can access it from home! It’s unlimited, and it’s FREE for you!
TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of e-books. They are a great way to encourage tech-savvy kids to enjoy reading!
We hope that you will get the chance to check out the collection with your child! Below is all the information you’ll need to access the collection:

Website: www.tumblebooklibrary.com

Username: vbschools

Password: books
TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated, talking picture books. There are over 130 picture books! There are language learning books, audio books, teacher resources, and exciting games, quizzes, and book report outlines!


Happy Tumbling everyone!

We are so thankful...

November Learning

Today we enjoyed observing our fall tree.  They discovered that it had changed so much since we observed it in September. 
Today we also enjoyed a lesson about Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali,[note 1] popularly known as the "festival of lights," is primarily a five day Hindu festival[1] which starts on Dhanteras, celebrated on thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha (dark fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Ashwin and ends on Bhaubeej, celebrated on second lunar day of Shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar month Kartik. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is an official holiday in India,[2] Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BCE.[3][4] Arya Samajists, celebrate this day as Death Anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. They also celebrate this day as Shardiya Nav-Shasyeshti.
Dr. Siriman was so kind to teach a fabulous lesson to our class.  Happy New Year to our Indian friends. :)

A traditional dress usually made by a grandmother

Thanksgiving Live

On Tuesday, November 20th @ 9:45 we will be having a Thanksgiving play in our classroom, room 11. Please arrive 5 minutes ahead of time as we will begin at promptly 9:45.


We look forward to sharing the Thanksgiving Story with you.

United States Symbols

We have been learning all about the United States Symbols.
Ask your child about the flag, the bald eagle, The Pledge Of Allegiance,the job of the president, and the White House.
Today we learned about the Presidents of the United States both past and present.
We talked about what it means to be a leader.
I asked the children to turn and talk and share if they would like to be president why or why not?

"Would you like to be president?"

Book Order

Just a reminder...
This month the book order is due on Thursday, Nov. 15th. there are many awesome titles in the order and the prices are super!! 
We will be sending one more order home before the holidays. This is a great opportunity to order some holiday gifts at very reasonable prices. 
Please remember you can send in a check made payable to Scholastic Book Clubs, a money
order, or you can order online.

Veterans Day

We have school on Monday, November 12th. WE ARE OPEN!!!! :)
As per Mrs. Williamston, please note the following Day Cares are closed on Monday, November 12th in observance of the Veteran’s Day Holiday.


Eastern Shore Chapel - Closed

Broad Bay Manor -Closed

Bayside Christian Church-Closed

Ft Story Youth Services - Closed

Holy Family Day School - Closed

November Needs

Parents:
We are in need of the following items:
Large Post-it Note Chart Paper (Post-it actually makes the charts)
Empty cereal box fronts and backs ( please cut them out :)

We really need a parent volunteer to come in one or two days between Monday the 12th and Monday the 19th to sharpen pencils. Or if you would rather sharpen at home I can send home the pencils and the sharpeners.

Please send me an E-mail if you can help.
Thanks!

Thanksgiving Live

On Tuesday, November 20th @ 9:45 we will be having a Thanksgiving play in our classroom. Please arrive 5 minutes ahead of time as we will begin at promptly 9:45.
We look forward to sharing the Thanksgiving Story with you.

Pumpkin Poem

The Five Senses Science Lab

Today the children enjoyed learning more about the five sense through hands on fun! Thank you to all of our parent volunteers!!!!!

Open House

Thank you!

Thank you to our parent volunteers who helped to make our Fall Centers fun and exciting for our Kindergarten Friends.
 

Picture Day!

Smile! Tomorrow is picture day!
Did you send in your form?
Please remember to send it in tomorrow.

Show Your School Spirit

On October 26th it is Wear Pink Day to show your support for a cure for cancer.
On October 31st it is Black and Orange Day to celebrate Fall.

Wordly Wise

Words, words everywhere!
The children are learning more and more words each new day.
Currently, it is important that your child can read the following words:
a
can
I
like
see
the 
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
purple
black
brown
 A great way to test your child's knowledge of these words would be to have them find them while they are reading and or create flashcards with these words on them to use as practice.
If you make flashcards always include the word in a short sentence.
For example,
see would be on one card  and on the other card or on the back of the card I see cats.

Sorting

The children enjoyed a hands on lesson today about sorting with our gifted resource teacher.  They sorted shapes in a variety of ways using a two part Venn Diagram.
Some children were ready to try a three part Venn Diagram. Sorting is a fun activity that can easily be done at home.  We have taught the children that objects can be sorted by shape, color, number of sides,and size.  Ask your child to sort for you! :)

Parent Connection

Taming the Spirited Child (Parent Program)


Do your children present a special challenge? Maybe you have a child who resists your every request? Some kids seem to be born more curious, adventurous, powerful, persistent and sensitive, what Dr. Michael Popkin abbreviates as CAPPS. With humor, emotion and practical wisdom, Dr. Popkin will present strategies for raising challenging children without breaking their spirits. He will help parents recognize the characteristics of a spirited child, how taming is as much about building a relationship as setting limits, the dynamics of power and how to handle anger and practical, nonviolent discipline for spirited kids. This FREE parent workshop is sponsored by Parent Connection and Kohl's Cares Family Forum.

Date: Monday, October 15
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Location: Larkspur Middle School, Auditorium
4696 Princess Anne Road
Virginia Beach, VA

Eileen M. Cox
Director
Communications and Community Engagement
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
757.263.1313
vbschools.com

SPIRIT NIGHTS

Do you want to meet some of the other Rainbow Valley families, allow your kids to hang out with some of their school friends, raise money for literacy and technology?
Well, we hope to see you at our up coming spirit nights.

Thursday, October 11th 5-8 Tropical Smoothie at Marina Shores



Tuesday, October 23rd 3-8 Tini's at Marina Shores

Volunteering Makes Learning Fun!

Rainbow Valley Parents,
You will be asked by our wonderful room parents to volunteer in many different ways in our classroom this year. In order to make these special events wonderful and full of learning we need you! Please let our room parents know how and when you can help. If you can join us in the classroom great! If you can't, we still need you! Please let our room parents know if you can help with classroom things at home. Such as cutting, stapling, coloring, typing etc... 
Again, our partnership is what makes our classroom a community filled with a love of learning. 
Thank you!!!! I look forward to seeing your name on our volunteer list.

A week of learning...

It is hard to believe we have just finished the first week of October. 
Our kindergarten friends are learning and growing each new day.
For the last few weeks we have really been focusing on learning our color words and the words a,I,see,the.
Please find opportunities for your child to practice these words as often as possible in and out of print.
We have also spend a good deal of time learning about schema.  A paper explaining schema went home to each family today. Please help your child to practice activating and building his or her schema everytime you read.

Reflections Contest

Congratulations to Olivia for being the first student in our class to submit a Reflections Contest Entry! Way to go!
The Reflection Contest is a great way for your child to espress his or her creativity.
Not sure what the contest is?
Contact Kim Fisher
kdfisher@cox.net

SCHEDULE

Here is our weekly schedule of specialist:
Monday: Library 9:00-9:30
Tuesday: Mystery Reader 8:25-8:45
Gifted 9:00-9:30
Wednesday: Music 9:00-9:30
PE9:50-10:25
Thursday: PE 9:50-10:25
Friday: Every other week Guidance 9:00-9:30 and Lab: 9:00-9:40

Practice...

Thank you to everyone who sent in your child's name information. We are going to begin sharing them next week. :)
Next week in small group we are going to begin working on letters. Please make sure that you are reviewing identifying uppercase letters, then, lowercase letters (Not together), last  letter sounds. Once your child has learned all his or her letter sounds they are ready for word families (at,an,am etc...)
In math we are working on number identification, number writing 0-9, and 1 to 1 counting.

Names and Colors, Colors and Names!

Thank you to everyone who has already sent in the story of your child's name. They are due no later than Friday, September 28th. 
We are working on learning to identify the letters in our names, how to correctly write the letters the school way, and today we worked on sorting letters in our names and letters that are not in our names.  The students enjoyed counting the letters in their names after reading a great story about a name Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. We graphed the letters in our names.  The largest numbers of letters in a name was eight and the smallest was two. 

This week we are learning about colors. We are learning how to spell and identify color words. 
We have read Pete The Cat I Love My White Shoes & Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Ask your child about these stories and please practice color words.

Here is a cute site to check out the story of Pete the Cat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUubMSfIs-U&feature=relmfu



Exploring Our Summer Tree

We have started our unit on the seasons and how things change over time.
Today we went outside and observed the summer tree.
Ask your child to tell you about their observations.



Talking about the parts of a tree.



Recording our observations

SPIRIT NIGHTS!

Please mark your calendars and join us for the following SPIRIT NIGHTS.

Tuesday, September 25th ALL DAY at Chill on Great Neck Rd.




Thursday, October 11th 5-8 Tropical Smoothie at Marina Shores



Tuesday, October 23rd 3-8 Tini's at Marina Shores

Terrific Thursday!

Today our kindergarten friends visited the computer lab for the first time. Ask your child about their nursery rhyme project. They will be on display in our hallway. 
Our normal computer lab time is every other week on Friday. Due to the 4th graders testing we have to reschedule. The children also missed snack. I am sorry about this.

This week we have also been learning about counting backwards from 20-0.  Please practice this at home as often as possible.