March is coming in like a lion for sure this year!  We can only hope that it goes out like a lamb in a few weeks.  There are so many exciting things happening in the K5 classroom and here at St. Joe's!

The K4 and K5 classes have been studying Dr. Seuss this last week and will continue on into next week as well.  We are getting really good at rhyming words and word families.  We've read "The Cat in the Hat", "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back", and "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish".  Next week we'll read "The Lorax" and make trufulla trees.

I've sent home the last of the Book It! calendars for the kids.  This is your last opportunity to earn that free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.  Please return your February calendar so I can send home the coupon.

March 1st-March 21st is our Box Tops for Education contest.  Please clip all those little tags off your packaging and turn them into school.  Ask your relatives to help save them too!  The winning class wins a prize. 

Next Tuesday, March 4th, is our Mardi Gras celebration, sponsored by Student Council.  After lunch, all the kids will be in the cafeteria playing different types of carnival games.  Some snacks and drink will be available for purchase.  (We're looking for water bottle donations if you're interested.) 

The students should bring in CHANGE (NOT dollar bills) to play the games.  Each game is $0.25-$0.50.  All money collected will go toward a purchase of the Student Council's choice.  This event will take place the entire afternoon on Tuesday.  The K5 booth is a bowling game.  If there is a parent that would like to come and help out in our booth with me, let me know.  Also, if you'd like to come and help our students out during Mardi Gras, feel free.

On Monday, March 17th, we will have our St. Patrick's Day party in the afternoon.  Thank you to the following parents:

Napkins- Jennie Radmer
Treat- Angie O'Boyle
Plates- Jennie Radmer
Craft- Amanda Brosnan

We could still use a healthy snack and game for the party.  If you'd like to help us out with that, please let me know.

As you all know, this is the time of year when those pesky leprechauns come around and cause lots of trouble!  We REALLY want to catch one and ask them why they do the things they do!  I would like each student to create a leprechaun trap and bring it in to school by Friday, March 14th.  This way, the traps will be here over the weekend when those leprechauns will be snooping around.  :)  We'll be talking about this some more during class.  I just wanted to give you all a "heads up".

Some other notes......

Our snack provider for next week 3/3-3/7 is Autumn.

We are in need of some playdoh.  If anyone is willing to make some for us and send it in, that would be much appreciated!

Have a nice weekend everyone.  :)

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching!  We will have our party Friday afternoon from 1-2 pm.  The kids can dress in valentine outfits or wear red, pink, purple, etc.  We will be making bags for our valentines here in class.

Don't forget that Monday is 100 DAY!!!!!  The kids can come to school dressed like they're 100 years old.  (This is not mandatory.)  Please send in the small snack bag of 100 items to mix together, and another bag of 100 small items for our math time.

There are definitely some fun things headed our way!

It has been a very "colorful" time here in K4/K5 science class.  We are working on our color unit, focusing on primary and secondary colors.  Ask your child which colors are which, and how we go about making those secondary colors.

Our lessons had us creating our own color wheel, making a color book and doing a few different experiments with color.  The classes mixed 2 primary colors in some shaving cream to create a new color.  It was fun to watch their faces as the colors changed.

We also did an experiment with colored water.  The primary colors absorbed into the paper towel and transferred into empty cups and created secondary colors.  Ask your student for more details about how this actually worked.  It was pretty cool!!

Our Valentine's Day party is next week Friday.  Your child can bring in valentines for our classmates.  (There are 18 students in our class.)  Thank you again for those who are helping out!