Wow! It is the middle of October already! We have been very busy in Kindergarten. We have been learning about fire safety and fire prevention. On Friday, we practiced “Stop, Drop, and Roll”, in case our clothes ever catch on fire. We also learned about how to get out of a smokey room safely. “Stay low and go!” We practiced crawling out of the classroom and touching the door to feel if it is hot. If a door is hot, never open it! There may be fire on the other side! We also practiced walking to our designated meeting spot at school, where we line up for fire drills. This week morning meeting is focused on telling about what we have learned! I took pictures of the students in their fire helmets and in a jacket I borrowed from Ms. Lachi. I will post them in a slide show once I have all the students photographed.

In this weeks homework, I included information and family activities regarding fire safety. I hope these are useful for your family. Fire is so unexpected and we all need to be prepared.

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for your patience as I dealt with the passing of my mother. I am now getting back to the “normal”, whatever that is!

Hello Parents,

Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 5:30 will be our back to school night. This is a great opportunity to get to know me better, see the classroom, learn about what we are doing and ask questions!

I will also share important information about the instructional extended day schedule and the opportunity the students have to go to the Wings program this year. Mrs. Mountain and I will continue to have a staggered schedule, with Early Birds and Night Owls, so we can focus on hands-on math concepts more directly.

I look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening!

Diana Whitaker

Wow! It is hard to believe it is time to start school again. The beginning of the year is always an exciting time! I’m excited about meeting my new class TOMORROW!

Here is a little bit of background information about myself. Besides being a teacher, I am also a wife, mom and student. My husband and I have been married 19 years. We have four sons, ages 7, 10, 13, and 16. They keep me very busy when I’m not at school. I am a graduate student and am working toward my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for English as a Second Language. It has been a rewarding experience and I look forward to graduating in April!

The first week of school is all about bonding and settling in. Our focus will be on developing a class community. Developing a sense of community helps the children feel safe and comfortable which has a great impact on learning!

I will be posting updates frequently on this blog so check back often for classroom news!

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Diana Whitaker

It is so hard to believe that this is the last week!

Tomorrow is our certificate presentation. This is always a special day for me. I really enjoy recognizing the special qualities of all of my students. This year I might make it through without crying but those who know me well will say, “Not a chance.” It’s such a special, meaningful day.

Thursday we will write letters to the incoming Kindergarten students and then make predictions about what we expect to learn in first grade!

Have a great summer everyone! Take a fabulous adventure. READ!!!!!!!!

Love,

Mrs. Whitaker

What a busy week ahead. Our book this week is Mrs. Wishy Washy. We will act out the story and sequence pictures. We will write about Mrs. Wishy Washy as well.

Mark your calendar for June 11 at 9:30. We will present our certificates and memory books.

June 12 is the last day of school. We will complete end of the year activites, including drawing and writing notes for next year’s Kindergarten class.