January 2017
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Happy New Year! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season. We had a fun and exciting first
half of the school year, and are looking forward to an equally fun and exciting second half of the school
year!
You can keep your child's folder at home because he/she will receive a new folder to use for the
second half of the year when we return.
On Wednesday, January 4 your child will bring home a calendar for the month of January. He/she
will be making one for each of the remaining months of our school year. Please put it in a visible place
and encourage him/her to trace the numeral that corresponds to the date. You can use the calendar
to reinforce the days of the week, the name of the month and numerals. Also you can discuss words
such as today, tomorrow and yesterday.
On Friday, January 6 we will have a Sharing Day. Your child may choose one item to show and tell
about that is special to them. It may or may not have to do with a gift given or received. We will do
this during first circle and the items will go home the same day. Please put your child's name on the
item and do not send in anything that is breakable.
There is no school on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.
We are doing well at recognizing our initials and middle names. Starting on Wednesday, January
18, we will begin recognizing our birthdays on the carpet.
Our Mid-Winter break is scheduled for Monday, February 20-Friday, February 24. We will be
holding parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday, February 21 and Thursday, February 23. You will
receive an email within the next few weeks for you to sign-up for your conference slot on our
Shutterfly Site. We ask that you arrange child care so that your child does not accompany you to the
conference.
Please be aware of our snow closing/delay policy as stated in your handbook. If the EASD is closed,
we are closed. If the district has a delay, our schedule will be modified to 10:00am-12:00noon. If the
district is open and we decide to close, you will be notified. Look for notifications sent via Student
Announce or on our Facebook page. Snow days will be made up during our mid-winter break, holiday
breaks, or at the end of our school year.
Our themes for January are:
Jan 2: No School
Jan. 4: A New Year & Month-We will talk about how there are 12 months in a year, what the months
are, and that our new year is 2017.
Jan. 6: Sharing Day-We will show and tell our holiday memories.
Jan. 9: Snow/Winter-We will review the seasons & identify the season we are in. We will discuss
what the weather is like, activities we like to do in the snow, and create our very own
snowstorm.
Jan. 11 & 13: Winter Clothes -We will identify clothes that we wear in winter. On Friday, January 13
your child can wear his/her favorite hat to school.
Jan. 16: NO SCHOOL
Jan. 18: Animals in Winter-We will talk about what hibernation, migration, and adaptation
means. We will discover which animals hibernate, migrate & adapt.
Jan 20: Polar Bears -We will learn that these bears do not hibernate, their physical characteristics,
where they live, and what they eat.
Jan. 23: Penguins-We will learn where penguins live, their physical characteristics, the different
types of penguins, and what they eat. We will participate in activities created by the
Pennsylvania "One Book, Every Young Child" program from the Lancaster County Libraries for
the book, If You Were a Penguin.
Jan. 25: Opposite Day-In honor of Opposite Day, we will talk about and identify opposites.
Jan. 27: Winter Picnic-To culminate our winter theme, we will be going upstairs to have a picnic lunch
that the students help prepare.
Jan. 30: Dinosaurs-Listen for your child to share big concepts like prehistoric, extinction, carnivore,
herbivore, and paleontologist.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jennifer Schramm & Ms. Cindy Myers
January Activities You Can Do With Your Child
*Together with your child, write down special events on a calendar. Look at it each week to talk about
when they are happening. Use words like yesterday, tomorrow, or next week.
*Bring in 3 snowballs from outside and put them in three separate bowls. Put one in the refrigerator,
one in the freezer and one on the kitchen table. Watch what happens and talk about which one melts
or freezes faster.
*Ask your child to draw a picture and tell you a story about it. Write down the child's words at the
bottom of the picture.
*Give your child choices when you ask for help with chores. "Would you like to help fold socks, put
them away, or carry the clothes basket?"
*Practice with your child buttoning and zipping his/her coat.