Mrs. Race & Mrs. McCollough's Class

Yikes! The waterworks are starting for me…I can’t believe that the “end” is so close! This year has been such a blessing and I love each of your angels dearly! Thank you for sharing them with us! I’m sure your children have told you that I will “cry like a baby” on the last day of school…they drew a crying face on our calendar! The end of our year brings a lot of fun!

First of all, we will SURPRISE the class with a field trip on Friday. We will go to the Taniguchi Gardens at Zilker. I had originally planned to then have a picnic at the park, but it is pizza day…so, we’ll enjoy a surprise Chinese snack before we go and then come back to school for pizza. Please send a healthy snack with your child…our surprise snack may be more “treat-like”. We will leave school about 9:40ish and return about 11:15ish. Thanks to our drivers/chaperones…Kim, Laura, Janet, Janice, Jennifer F. and Arwen. Please note the following car assignments…
Kim & Kelley
Jay
Evan
Clara
Fiona
Laura & Janice
MC
Cope
Dylan
Lily
Jennifer F. & Janet
Will
Mary
Brady
CeCelia
Arwen & Page
MacKenzie
Clare
Finn
David
Graham
***Remember…this is a surprise! Don’t tell your children, please! They do need to wear their blue school shirts, so just play it off as another spirit day.***

On May 18th, our last day of school, we will go bowling with all the other Pre-K classes. We will leave St. Matthew’s about 9:20. Your children need to wear their school shirts again and rubber soled shoes…they will not change into bowling shoes. After we bowl, we will return to school for our last playground time together. Following playground, we will eat lunch and say goodbye:( (insert crying like a baby here). Our party moms will provide lunch, but please do send a snack.

The children have enjoyed our exploration of China so far…be sure to come in and see our pandas and lanterns. This week we will make dragon puppets. Ms. Bernadette, the storyteller, told us two wonderful Chinese tales on Friday…I wish you could have seen the expressions on the children’s faces…priceless! Needless to say, we were all very entertained!

Please let me know if you have any questions about either of our two trips or any end of year details. I am looking forward to a fabulous week…trying to savor the precious moments with these precious children!

See you tomorrow,
Page

Oh what fun! The bugs have boogied! Thank you all for joining us for our Buggy Boogie Breakfast…we hope you had as much fun as we did! The songs were wonderful and the jokes very entertaining!

Yikes! Our visit with Barker and Baby Dog was very alarming today. Baby Dog was playing with a medicine bottle and we worried that maybe she had swallowed some pills…don’t worry though…the boys and girls reminded her to never put any pills, candy, or liquids in her mouth unless an adult told her they were safe. We gave Barker Mr. Yuck stickers to put on each medicine bottle and cleaner jug, so Baby would know they were dangerous! We are on our second to last letter of the week…Yy. Please have your child complete their Y letter collage and use this next week to get caught up on any letters you have missed along the way. We will assemble our letter collage books week after next! You are welcome to come peruse the letter books if you are unsure of which letters your child may have missed. The books are in the striped bin in the reading nook.

I am looking forward to our conferences this week…your children are AMAZING!!! Please let me know if your schedules have changed, or if your childcare needs have changed. Kelley will be on the playground to play with your child if you have signed up for care between 9-1. You can drop off your Pre-K student there before you head to the room. I will do my best to stay on schedule, but you know how I get to talking:) If it is time for your conference to start, please let me know that you are there and ready.

Tuesday, May 1st is St. Matthew’s Spirit Day and Night at Waterloo on 360. The daytime portion is just for your child to wear their blue school shirt to school. The night portion is for your family to join in a fun night of fellowship with the school community and eat at Waterloo together. Hope to see you there!

May 18th is our last day of school (and as the kids told me today, the day that I will cry like a baby!!!) and all the Pre-K classes will go bowling together…Please mark your calendars and join us if your schedules allow. This is an event though that is not sibling friendly…hopefully those of you with little ones can reserve this morning as a special time with your almost Kindergartener:)

I usually try to squeeze in a field trip to the Botanical Gardens at Zilker, sometimes a surprise for the children, during our China unit, but we are rapidly running out of time. If your schedule would allow you to be a driver/chaperone for a surprise field trip during the week of May 7-11th, please let me know ASAP. I would love to treat the class, but certainly understand that it is a crazy time of year for parents. I would like to make this decision by the end of the week, so get back to me if you are interested.

I am in total denial that we are so close to the end of the year! I am truly going to “cry like a baby” when your precious ones leave me! It has been such a joy and privilege to spend time with each of them throughout this Pre-K adventure together! I know the remainder of our time together will fly by, so let’s help each other to remember to slow down and savor the last few weeks of the magical world of Pre-K!

That is all for now,
Page

We were busy little bees last week studying all things insect! We have a class full of entomologists…I’m sure you have been learning all kinds of bug facts! Then we concluded our week in a special way.
Friday was a wonderful day…such a glorious celebration! It was so much fun to share our Flowering of the Cross celebration with our Very Important People!

This week will be jam-packed with more fun….We are learning all about butterflies this week. Excitement and wonder filled the air in our room today when the children discovered that one of our butterflies emerged from the chrysalis!!! I bet we’ll have another butterfly tomorrow.

Our Buggy Boogie Breakfast is this Friday. Please plan to join us first thing Friday morning for breakfast and then we will entertain you with our Buggy Boogie!

The letter of the week is Xx. Remind your child to look for things that have x anywhere in the word, not just the initial sound, ie: fox, exit, six, etc

Our class pictures will be taken on Thursday…we will not do any messy projects that day since the children will be in their fancy picture clothes:)

That’s all for now,
Page

Happy Easter! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday filled with celebration! Our class sure kicked off the Easter holiday with a joyous party at the Smith’s house. Special thanks to Cynthia, Lorissa, Lauren and Sheila for hosting a great party. Many thanks also to Laura, Janice, Sheila, David, and Kristie for helping to solve our transportation issues! The children enjoyed a delicious lunch and had great fun filling their baskets with eggs and treats.
We will continue to celebrate this week with VIP Day and Flowering of the Cross. It is Friday at 10:15 in our classroom, then Chapel at 11:00, and a reception afterwards in the courtyard. Please help me inform the VIP’s that we will all go to Chapel as a class and sit together. When the service is over, each child is the responsibility of his/her VIP. It would be impossible for us to keep tabs on all 17 children amongst the crowds at the cookie/punch tables:) There is no need for the students to return to the classroom unless they have belongings to gather…dismissal is immediately following the Chapel service. Your child should bring a flower to add to the Cross.
Our letter this week is Ww. The boys and girls are working really hard to earn an invitation to Barker and Baby Dog’s house at the end of the year…we only have 4 more letters!!!
Your children have become experts on plants, flowers, and seeds! This week we will explore the insect world! Stay tuned for all kinds of fun facts on all things buggy!
Thanks for signing up to bring your children for early morning assessments…it is really helpful to be able to reduce the number of assessments I need to complete during our regular school day. Conferences are scheduled for Friday, April 27th, there are a few alternate dates as well. Please sign up on the sign-up sheet posted on our webpage. Kelley will be available to play with your child from 9-1 on the 27th if your conference is scheduled during that time-frame.
Our La Noche class books have been ordered and will arrive in the next week or so…sorry it has taken so long, but I think it is worth the wait! Your little artists put together a wonderful book!
Just a reminder to be sure that you have Friday, April 20th on your calendar! That is the day of our Buggy Boogie Breakfast and we want all of you there to enjoy the show (think musical review)! Invitations will be created this week, but be sure you’ve saved the date! It will start right after drop-off and be over before 10:00.
I think that is all I need to report from our busy hive right now…
See you tomorrow,
Page

I loved seeing so many of you on Saturday! What a great reminder that little hands can make a big difference! Thank you for supporting this community service project and for raising such empathetic and generous children! Kelley and I were so proud of the way your children responded to the idea of helping others and giving of their time and “things”! Mrs. Thurman read a story to our class this week about a family who was given a goat by the Heifer Project…the children were so excited to think about how our money will give a family a cow and some child across the ocean might get to go to school:)

Spring has Sprung in our classroom! We are having a delightful time exploring all things Spring! We have started our explorations with plants…we’ve painted flowers, made all the plant parts out of tissue and pipe cleaners, created dandelion prints, painted with roots and stems and explored all kinds of seeds! This week we will plant lima beans and create wildflower art using shapes.

Our letter this week is Nn. Last week we marveled at the letter Mm. We merrily reunited with Mat Man and ended the week with a little M&M math…always a big hit!

Our Easter party is this week…Cynthia and Finn Smith will be hosting our party at their house. She sent out an e-mail about eggs and I bet your child will need to bring their basket to school on Wednesday. Also, we will dismiss from the Smith’s house, not St. Matthew’s. If your child has an after school activity on Wednesday and you are not planning to attend the party and/or transport your child, please let me know and I can help work out transportation logistics back to school.

Invitations for Flowering of the Cross/VIP Day went home last week. Each of you should have received an invitation for your child to give to their VIP. We are looking forward to this special event. Your child should bring a flower to add to the Cross (please cut the stem to about 6-8″). Also, the VIP’s will come to the room, then we will all go to Chapel together. Once in Chapel, the VIP is responsible for their St. Matthew’s angel. There will be a reception in the courtyard immediately following the service and there is no way to keep the class together:) School is dismissed directly from Chapel/reception.

I will post an early morning assessment sign-up tomorrow. If your schedules permit, please sign up for a time on our bulletin board. It is nearly impossible to squeeze in 17 individual assessments during our regular school day, so this is very helpful. Also, I will post the conference sign-up on our webpage later this week. Our conference day is Friday, April 27th. Childcare will be available from 9-1. I can’t wait to brag on your angels…they are AMAZING!!!

I think that is all for now…isn’t Spring so full of fun!?!

Thanks,
Page

Happy trails to our Cowboy/Texas unit! Our rodeo and trail lunch last Thursday was the perfect way to wrap up our study! Many thanks to our party moms for all of their help with the rodeo and the lunch! It was a great time filled with fun and friendship!

This week we are shifting gears to all things Spring! Over the next four weeks we will be exploring plants, flowers, seeds, Easter, insects, weather, and seasons. Be sure you notice the popcorn bluebonnets hanging in the hall…soon to be replaced by other flowering creations!

Our letter this week is Mm. We helped solve a mystery for Barker Dog this morning…his neighbor, Morris the Monkey, was “borrowing” things without permission. Luckily, the boys and girls solved the mystery, Morris learned a lesson, and Barker found his marbles! I reminded the class today that we are getting close to finishing the alphabet and making our letter books. If your child has skipped some letter collages, they are welcome to bring them in any time, so that their letter book will be complete.

Our Day of Service is this Saturday, March 31st from 10-12…I hope to see many of you there! Our class completed 5 blankets for the Center for Child Protection and they were super proud! Many of you have sent in donations of granola bars, playing cards and books. Thank you so much! You can continue to send in donations all week long. On Saturday, your family will have the opportunity to rotate through different stations and complete hands-on projects that will help to make a difference.

We will celebrate Easter with a class party on Wednesday, April 4th. The details are still being worked out, but it will be held off-campus and we will dismiss from the party location…not St. Matthew’s. All parents are welcome! We will need drivers to transport the children to the party. Stay tuned for details and egg instructions.

Thursday, April 5th is noon dismissal, no school on Friday, April 6th or Monday, April 9th. Flowering of the cross and VIP day is Friday, April 13th.

Our class will be hosting/performing at our first “Buggy Boogie Breakfast” on Friday, April 20th. Please get that date on your calendars…we will plan to start shortly after drop-off. If you are interested/available to help with preparations, please let me know.

Conferences will be April 27th. I would love to schedule several early morning assessments…look at your calendars and see if that might work for your schedule over the next several weeks…I will post a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board outside of our classroom.

Our schedule gives a whole new meaning to the term “busy bees”! I’ll stop here for today. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Page

We have officially kicked off our study of all things cowboy, cowgirl and Texas! Your little buckaroos have been hard at work…be sure to come in and take a look at our boots, cacti, horses and cowpokes. Your children are also busy working on a number book. We are really practicing writing our numbers. This week we will make cows and “brand” them around the campfire, learn all about our state symbols and even start making our very own Texas maps! I hope you have had a chance to begin work on your stick horse project…we would love to have a full corral this week! Be sure you have March 22nd on your calendars…that is our rodeo day and we would LOVE to have you there!

Our class will help tell the Chapel story this Thursday. Please meet us in the Sanctuary about 8:55 to get into our costumes and figure out “roles”.

La Noche was great fun! I loved seeing so many of you there…thanks for supporting our school! I can’t wait for you guys to get the class books!

Our letter this week is Aa…we look forward to our visit with Barker and Baby Dog tomorrow…let’s hope there are no video cameras rolling:)

I loved my surprise half-birthday! Thank you all for the gift card and special thanks to Cynthia and Kristin for the cupcakes, cake balls and tulips! It was such a festive day!
That is all for now…see you tomorrow,
Page

Well, our space shuttles have returned safely to Earth and we have wrapped up our study of space. I hope your astronaut has shared many of the interesting facts they’ve learned about our universe…we were really impressed with their knowledge!!!

Yee-haw! Now it’s time to saddle up and get ready to ride! We kicked off our study of Texas, horses, cows and all things cowboy and cowgirl today! Our corral was full of cowpokes, but we’re short on horses…this is where you guys come in…We all know that every good cowgirl and cowboy needs a horse of their own! You and your child get to make a stick horse at home and then bring it to school to live in our corral. Have fun with this project and be creative…I have some samples already in the corral. You should have received a gold instruction sheet in your child’s bag today, but if you have nay questions or worries feel free to ask! You can bring it in as soon as you finish it…we will enjoy riding them throughout the month of March as we study Texas.

The Pre-K Stick Horse Rodeo and Trail Lunch will be Thursday, March 22nd. Be sure to mark your calendars…this is a rodeo you sure don’t want to miss! If you are a party mom for the trail lunch, please note that this is a change from the original date you signed up for in August. If this poses a schedule conflict for any of you, just let me know and I can fill in where needed. Also, if you are available to help wrangle at the rodeo, we would love your help! I’ll be seeking more detailed help as the event gets closer.

Our letter this week is Kk. Today the children got a chance to meet my friend, Katie the Kitten…Barker and Baby Dog were unsure of befriending a kitten, but quickly learned that kindness is the key to making new friends!

We will have another opportunity to help tell the Chapel story on Thursday, March 8th…join us if your schedule allows!

La Noche is here! I hope to see you all on Friday for a festive night. The children had so much fun last Friday at our La Noche day for kids…Whataburger was a real treat! They all looked so spiffy in their western duds and Mrs. Thurman read us Larry Gets Lost in Texas. We had a fun-filled Friday! I wanted to give a Texas-sized thank you for ordering the class book…it is sure to be a precious keepsake!

Thanks,
Page

Wow! Last week was out of this world fun! We had so much fun learning all about astronauts! Be sure to ask your child who invented juice boxes…we had a great time discovering how astronauts have to package and eat their food in space! The children LOVED making their own astronaut helmets and I’m sure you have enjoyed watching them play in them…I have some very amusing photos! The class also had fun deciding what they would do if they got be an astronaut in space…look for those astronauts in the hallway this week. On Friday, we made a class robot. The children were hopeful it would actually be able to do a job for us, but surprisingly it can’t clean up our classroom toys:) This week we will focus our attention on rockets…get ready to blast off!

Our Valentine party was a smashing success! Love and laughter filled the air! Thanks to our party moms for hosting such a great party!

La Noche is just around the corner and we are super excited! Be sure you have a babysitter lined up for March 2nd! I hope you have all had an opportunity to turn in your order form for a class book. Our book is filled with your little buckaroo’s photos and art work…a true keepsake! As a way to let the children join in the La Noche fun (since the actual event is for adults), the school is organizing a Whataburger meal for the children. You need to turn in your order form and $ by this Wednesday, 2/22…the meal will take place on Friday, 2/24.

Our letter this week is Rr as in rocket! Hopefully, Baby Dog won’t be playing on a rocket this week!

We are looking forward to another super week in Pre-K!
Thanks,
Page

Hello Parents,
Wow! We are becoming Solar System experts! We are having so much fun exploring our universe. I’m sure you have been hearing lots of “college” words and be sure to ask your child to sing our two space songs. Our room is shimmering with stars, moons and constellations. Also, be sure to notice the Solar Systems hanging in the hallway…the children loved the crayon/water color relief process! This week we will shift our focus to actual space explorers…astronauts and robots.
Our stage debut was a huge success! The children loved telling the Chapel story and we are already looking forward to our next performance!
This week we will study the letter Bb. Baby Dog will be beside herself tomorrow because B is certainly her favorite letter:) Please encourage your child to create a letter collage…we have been so impressed by all of the interesting ideas the children come up with…I felt like a star this week when my picture appeared on a couple of P collages!!!
Valentine’s Day is almost here…Please join us on Tuesday from 12ish-1:00 for our class party if your schedules allow. Your child should bring a Valentine card for each of their classmates. You do not need to send a lunch on Tuesday, the party moms will provide a meal at the party.
I NEED your child’s bio! Please, please, please e-mail me one tonight. I am really needing to finalize the book tomorrow and Tuesday, so I really appreciate your help in meeting that deadline. This class book is going to be such a precious keepsake and we want to capture a “snapshot” of each child at this amazing Pre-K stage! Thanks to those of you who have already sent one…they are perfect! I am thrilled that each family will have the opportunity to purchase this special book(s)…you should have received an order form via your child’s backpack last week. If you missed it, just let me know and I can get you another one.
I hope everyone had a great weekend! We are loving the cold weather at our house…my girls were daydreaming of a “snow day” tomorrow…no such luck with sleet:) See you tomorrow!
Thanks,
Page