Yurack, Rebekah / Announcements

Tuesday, December 17th

We had a wonderful Christmas party today! The students really had fun! Thank you to Bekah Winslow and RJ Habig for organizing the party and to all who sent in items to make the party a success! Also, thank you to the parents who were able to come and help with our party. Thank you all! You have spoiled me with Christmas gifts. I appreciate each one.

Your child is bringing home your Christmas present today. I hope you enjoy it and treasure it for years to come!

Rest mats will be coming home tomorrow. Please keep them at home until we return in January. Due to half day dismissal Thursday and Friday we will not have rest time.

Monday, December 16th

Please remember that Thursday and Friday, December 19-20, are half days of school. We will be dismissed at 11:30 on these days. Rest mats will not be needed for these days. If you have not filled out the half day Google form, please do so today. Here is the link: Half Day Google Form

Our class party will be tomorrow, December 17th at 8:30 in our classroom. Parents are welcome to join us for the party, no siblings please. Please remember that you will need to sign in at the front office.

Also, please remember to send a snack and water bottle daily with your child. We eat lunch at 10:30 and your child will be hungry by the time we have our afternoon snack. Thank you.

Thursday, December 12th

Please remember that next Thursday and Friday, December 19-20, are half days of school. We will be dismissed at 11:30 on these days. Please complete the half day Google form as soon as possible. Here is the link: Half Day Google Form

Our class party will be on Tuesday, December 17th, at 8:30 in our classroom. Parents are welcome to join us for the party, no siblings please. Please remember that you will need to sign in at the front office.

Monday, December 9th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters Cc and Ff. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Our class holiday party will be on Tuesday, December 17th from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Please mark your calendar for this fun event. Please be on the lookout for an email from Mrs. Winslow! She emailed everyone last week. If you have not seen this email in your inbox, please check your junk or spam folder.

Tomorrow is Grinch Day. Your child may wear green or dress like their favorite Grinch character.

Now that we've finished our DIBELS benchmark assessment and the iReady assessments, we've started our assessments for our 2nd Nine Week Report Cards. Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night and eats a healthy breakfast each morning. If you plan for your child to be absent, please let me know, so I can plan accordingly to assure missed assessments are completed.

Another Flu and Illness Reminder:

If your child has a fever he/she must be fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) before returning to school.

Students must also be free of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.

Do not be tempted to send your child back to school too soon, children with the flu need time for their body to recover.

As you may know, I am pregnant and I am taking extra precautions to protect my health. With cold and flu season upon us, I kindly ask for your cooperation in keeping your child home if they are feeling unwell or showing symptoms of illness, such as coughing, sneezing, or a fever, please. This will not only help ensure the health and safety of everyone, but it will also allow your child to rest and recover fully before returning. I greatly appreciate your understanding and support during this time!

Friday, December 6th

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: December 9-13

Columbia Yearbooks are on sale now through January 27th. They cost $30. The flyer was sent home this week.

Yesterday I sent home an informational note about next week's sight word assessment. Note

We are collecting donations for a Christmas gift for our school's plant manager, four custodians, and five lunchroom workers. If you'd like to donate, we ask that you send cash donations in an envelope labeled "CES Holiday Donations" by December 13th. Thank you!

Please remember to send a coat/jacket each day. We go outside to recess every day if the "feels like temperature" is above 32 degrees.

Tuesday, December 3rd

Please do the DIBELS Practice Packet with your child tonight. This was sent home Thursday before Thanksgiving Break. Your support at home makes a world of difference for your child. Thank you for having your child take a few minutes on five days to read the page of words on Thanksgiving break. Kindergarten takes the Winter Benchmark Assessment for mClass DIBELS tomorrow, Wednesday December 4th. Please make sure your child has adequate sleep and a healthy breakfast before they take this test tomorrow.

Practice #10 came home yesterday. Also, the December Reading Log went home in folders yesterday. If your child completes this reading log they will get 5 Good Time Tickets. Remember if they submit all of the reading logs from 2nd Nine Weeks (October, November, and December), they will earn a special incentive from our reading coach and librarian in January. Happy Reading!
I wanted to give out a few reminders about jackets-

1. We go outside for recess as long as the “feels like” temperature is above 32 degrees. Please pay attention to the weather and send an appropriate jacket.

2. Keep working with your child on zipping his/her jacket until it is mastered and turning the sleeves right side in. Thank you! Many of them have it down pat now, which is very helpful as we transition to and from recess

Thursday, November 21st

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: December 2-6. Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

Today in your child’s folder you will find a flyer about the Reindeer Shop. Our class will be visiting the Reindeer Shop on Monday, December 2nd. If you want your child to have the opportunity to shop for family members, please fill out the envelope with the names of people and the amount of money that your child could spend on each person.

Also, in your child’s folder you will find a DIBELS practice packet for your child to complete over the Thanksgiving break. If your child reads all the words 5 times (once per day) by December 1st, I will give your child TEN Good Time Tickets!!! Please initial and date on the sheet each time your child reads all of the words on this page. You can do this!

Monday, November 18th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning letters Ll, Rr, and Oo (short vowel o). Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Our first workbook from 95% Phonics will go home tomorrow for you to review and keep at home.

Practice sheet #9 went home in folders today. The Practice Sheet is due back on December 2nd. Please take the time to help your child complete all of the activities on this sheet. It will greatly benefit your child’s learning.

Please label your child's jacket with their first and last name. If the jacket is labeled, it will be easier to find it in the lost and found.

Flu and Illness Reminders:

If your child has a fever he/she must be fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) before returning to school.

Students must also be free of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.

Do not be tempted to send your child back to school too soon, children with the flu need time for their body to recover.

Friday, November 15th

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: November 18-22. Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

As the weather starts to gets cooler, please remember we will go outside daily unless it is raining or the wind chill is below 32. Please send your child a jacket/coat to wear when playing outside. Please label jackets with your child’s name. Please allow your child time to practice putting their jacket on and zipping it multiple times. Each child should be able to put their jacket on and zip it independently. Thank you for helping your child learn this life skill!

Helpful weekend to do list:

1. Wash your child's rest mat and return Monday morning.

2. Have your child practice zipping their coat until they can do it independently 3 times in a row.

3. Finish Practice Sheet #8 and return it to school Monday morning inside your child's Blue Daily Folder.

4. Enjoy the weekend!

Tuesday, November 12th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing letters M, D, G, I, S, H, and B. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Thank you to all who returned Practice Sheet #7 today. Practice Sheet #8 is coming home in your child's folder today. Thank you for spending a little time each day on the Practice Sheet. Remember, if your child is having difficulty reading the "Blending Words" on the Word List, please let them practice reading the words daily. The same goes for sight words. If they are having difficulty reading the sight words on the Word List, please practice them daily with flashcards.

Today we began our sorting unit. We are learning how to 1) sort by one attribute, 2) count the amount in each group, 3) sort the groups by amount. We practiced these skills using M &M’s! The children sorted them by color, then they counted how many of each color they had. Finally, they sorted the color groups by amount. We will sort various objects the rest of this week. By the end of this unit, the children should be able to do our 3-step sort for multiple attributes of the same group of objects.

Progress Reports will be coming home in the Report of Learning Folders on Wednesday, November 13th. Please read the progress report, sign it, and return it to school Friday.

Parents, please help me with the following items:
1. Students need to wear velcro or slip on tennis shoes to school each day.

2. Please do not send your child to school in shoes that have laces. Avoid all boots (slip on and laces) and dress shoes.

3. Send a snack with your child daily. Consider setting an alarm on your phone so you remember to put a snack in your child's backpack each day. Last week, there were a few days when I had anywhere from 2-5 kids without a snack. A local church provides snacks for families who do not have the financial means to provide snacks for their children. However, their snacks are not for children who forget their snack or act like they don't have a snack because they don't like the one they brought from home. If you need help from the local church to provide snacks for your child, please let me know, and I will send home the form to get your family signed up.

Thursday, November 7th

Columbia will be hosting our first STEM Day tomorrow. Please click this link for more information: STEM Day

Here is this week’s newsletter: November 12-15. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week to stay informed.

The #1 question this week has been, "Mrs. Yurack, when are we going to do the lesson with the M&Ms?!?" They were happy to hear that we are going to use them Tuesday. Thank you for sending so many to school. If there are any extra packs after we finish the lesson, I plan to put them inside the prize box. If you are out shopping and see small trinkets for the prize box, we'd love to have them for the class.

Our class really enjoyed learning about veterans and going to the Veterans parade today. They will also be illustrating a Veterans poem for their Poetry Notebook. You'll want to check those out with your child when their Poetry Notebook comes home!

Reminder: No School on Monday, November 11th in honor of Veteran's Day.

Monday, November 4th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters Hh and Bb. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Thank you for turning in Practice Sheet #6 today. Practice Sheet #7 is in your child's Daily folder. If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder.

We resumed checking out books from the library today now that the book fair is over.

Columbia will be hosting our first STEM Day on November 8th. Please click this link for more information: STEM Day

Columbia Elementary School will be hosting the following events on November 7th in order to honor Veterans Day! Have your child wear red, white, and blue. You are welcome to make a sign for your child to hold during the parade. Please send it on Thursday morning. We'd love to see any veterans from your family drive thru our parade. Let me know if we should expect to see you.

The eS2S Astro Ambassadors will be handing out thank you cards to families with Veterans during the morning car line! Cars will put their flashers on to signal that they have a Veteran in their family.

There will be a drive-thru parade at CES for our students to honor Veterans from 9:00a.m.-9:20a.m. in the back car line area. Please see the flyer for more information.

Students are encouraged to invite a veteran friend or family member to eat lunch with them on the CES stage on November 9th. Veterans can purchase a lunch at the school for $4.75 or bring their own lunch! Please see the flyer for more information.

No School on Monday, November 11th in honor of Veteran's Day.

Reminder: When looking through your child's Halloween candy, please send 1- 2 packages of the FunSize plain M&Ms in your child's folder for us to use for a math lesson. Thank you!!

Thank you to everyone who has completed the Impact Aid survey. If you have not completed this very important form please do so immediately. The link to the form was on last week’s post.

Friday, November 1st

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: November 4-8. Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

I wanted to express the importance of our students arriving on time each day. When they start their morning at school promptly, it gives them a calm and focused beginning, allowing them to fully engage with the day’s lessons right from the start. Missing those first few minutes can make a real difference, as it often means they're joining us mid-lesson, feeling rushed or struggling to catch up. I know mornings can be challenging, and we appreciate all you do to support your child’s education. By ensuring they arrive on time, you’re helping them build strong habits that set them up for success throughout the day and the year. Thank you so much for your understanding and support in this.

Request: When looking through your child's Halloween candy, please send 1- 2 packages of the FunSize plain M&Ms (please no peanut) in your child's folder for us to use next week for a math lesson. We will be using the candy to learn how to do a 3 step sort. Thank you!!

Reminder: Thank you to everyone who has completed the Impact Aid survey. If you have not completed this very important form please do so immediately. Here is a link to help you find the form: How to fill out impact aid form

Helpful Things To Do:

-Have your child practice buttoning or zipping jacket/coat and practice putting on and taking off the their coat or jacket

- Have your child practice rolling up their rest mat

- Make sure your child has a change of clothes in their backpack

Wednesday, October 30th

The Book Fair is open all this week. It will be open from 7:45-2:15 daily and will close on Friday, November 1st, at 10:45 a.m. Reminder, our class will visit the Book Fair TOMORROW, Thursday, October 31, from 8:15-8:45.

Request: When looking through your child's Halloween candy tomorrow night, please send 1- 2 packages of the FunSize plain M&Ms in your child's folder for us to use next week for a math lesson. We will be using the candy to learn how to do a 3 step sort. Thank you!!

Reminder that students are allowed to wear their costume to school under the following guidelines:

Costumes must be able to be worn to and from school as students will not have time to change.

Costumes must be able to be worn indoors and outdoors, to include PE and Recess.

Appropriate school shoes must be worn with the costume, tennis shoes only.

Please avoid scary, gory, or grotesque costumes.

Please avoid masks and face painting that covers the entire face.

No props should be sent that accompany the costume.

Do not send your child in a one piece costume. This makes using the restroom difficult and requires extra time away from instruction. The costume needs to be one in which the student can go to the restroom independently. Keep in mind your child does not have to wear their actual Halloween costume if you wish to keep it fresh for trick or treating.

Monday, October 28th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are learning the letters Ss and Ii. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities. Practice sheet #6 will be coming home in folders today. The Practice Sheet is due back on November 4th. Please take the time to help your child complete all the activities on this sheet. It will greatly benefit your child’s learning.

Please remember that the October Reading Log is due Thursday, October 31st.

Red Ribbon Week is this week: Please refer to the October 17th post or our schools’ social media platforms for the dress-up days.

The Book Fair will be open all this week. It will be open from 7:45-2:15 daily and will close on Friday, November 1st, at 10:45 a.m. In addition, if you wish to come and shop with your child, the Book Fair will be open during the Trail of Treats tonight from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Reminder, our class will visit the Book Fair on Thursday, October 31, from 8:15-8:45. Please note that the library will be closed for check-outs this week due to the Book Fair. Please keep your child’s book at home until next week. Thank you and happy Book Fair week!

With Halloween excitement in full swing, I wanted to gently remind everyone about the importance of a good night’s sleep for our students, especially during this busy week! We understand how exciting all the activities and festivities are, and we love seeing their enthusiasm. To help them fully enjoy and make the most of both school and Halloween fun, a consistent sleep schedule can be so beneficial. A full night’s rest supports their focus, mood, and energy, which makes their days at school even more enjoyable and productive. This is especially true now, with all the added stimulation and excitement of the season. We appreciate your support in ensuring our students are well-rested and ready for each new day of learning and celebration.

Friendly reminders:

Please empty your child’s Daily Folder every day.

Please return your child’s Practice Sheet every Monday.

Please send your child to school daily with a snack and a bottle of water.

Please make sure your child has a change of clothes in their backpack that is appropriate for the season.

Thursday, October 24th

Click this link to read next week's newsletter: October 28 - November 1 Thank you for reading the newsletter each week.

If you haven't watched the video that I shared in Monday's post, please take time to do that now. Mrs. Hester made it for parents to know how to support your child with Practice #5 and beyond. It is worth your time to watch. Here is the link to the video: Practice Sheet #5 Video

Yesterday, all students who met the Kindergarten independent reading goal for the 1st Nine Weeks received an extra recess from our librarian and reading coach. My class had 9 students at the extra recess. Way to go! Mrs. Nguyen and Mrs. Evans will offer a different incentive for reaching the 2nd Nine Weeks reading goal. Remember, the goal is to read 20 books in October, November, and December. Turn in each month's reading log when it is completed and I will keep them in a safe place. Thank you for reading to your child at home!

Tomorrow is Pajama and Hat Day. This was the incentive for the school reaching $40,000 during the fundraiser. After tomorrow, all of the incentives have been given.

Events happening at Columbia:

FCA Coin Drive - happening through October 31

Trunk or Treat - October 28 from 6:00-7:30

Red Ribbon Week - October 28-November 1

CES Wall of Honor - If your child has a relative who is a Veteran, please fill out this Certificate of Gratitude and include a picture.  We keep our certificates from year to year, so please don’t send pictures that you would need returned.  If possible, copy the photo directly onto the certificate and send the completed form back to school. The certificates will be displayed on the CES Wall of Honor.

Monday, October 21

Practice Sheet #5 is in folders today. Please click this link to watch a video to help you with the new boxes on the practice sheet this week: Practice Sheet #5 Video The video was made for parents to watch so you know what to expect when working with your child on the practice sheet. Your child does not have to watch the video. Thank you Mrs. Hester for making this video!

I need your help getting 100% completion of the Impact Aid survey for our class. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to complete the electronic Impact Aid survey in PowerSchool Parent Portal. (Dr. Nichols sent an email last week with directions.) Please complete this form by October 31. I appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey. Please contact the front office if you have any questions.

Helpful information for NEXT week:

Next Monday is our annual CES Trail of Treats. If you plan to come, please send one bag of candy per child that will be trick-or-treating. See the flyer in last Friday's post for more information.

October 28 - November 1 is Red Ribbon week. There are dress up days each day during Red Ribbon week. They were listed on last Friday's post and a flyer will come home this week with all of the information too.

The Book Fair will be open next week. If you wish to come and shop with your child, the Book Fair will be open during the Trail of Treats. Our class is scheduled to visit the book fair on Thursday, October 31 from 8:15-8:45. If you would like your child to purchase books, you can send money in a labeled envelope inside your child’s daily folder next Wednesday.

Thursday, October 17th

Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: October 21-25 Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I also hope that you and your child are enjoying spending time together as you do the October Challenge. The monthly challenge can be found in the upper right-hand corner of our newsletter.

Please see the attached flyer for information about our school Trail of Treats event. We are collecting bags of candy to distribute at this event. For each child you will be bringing to trick or treat at this event please send in that many bags of candy.

Please see the attached flyer from the Alabama Department of Education. It has some valuable information about our kindergarten reading standards and how to support your child at home.

Heads up: October 28-November 1st is Red Ribbon Week. The following are dress-up days for Red Ribbon week:

Monday- Team Up Against Drugs (Wear your favorite sports jersey or team gear)

Tuesday- Stay on Course, Don’t Flip (students dress like teachers & teachers dress like students)

Wednesday- Work Out Your Choices Wednesday (Wear Workout Clothes)

Thursday- Drugs are Spooky (wear your Halloween costume)

*no scary costumes, no one piece costumes, must wear tennis shoes*

Friday- Follow Your Dreams (Wear Pajamas)

Monday, October 14th

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing the letters Mm, Dd, and Gg. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Coming home today in Daily Folders: Practice #4. If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet #3 today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder. These practice sheets are a valuable resource to help support your child’s learning at home. Please take the time to do these with your child. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Tomorrow is our first field trip. Please review the field trip reminders that were sent home last week. Click here for field trip reminders.

Our FCA is organizing a coin drive to raise much-needed funds for families impacted by the recent hurricanes in neighboring states. The proceeds will be donated to Samaritan's Purse and the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Organization, two wonderful organizations that have been working tirelessly to support those affected by these devastating events. The coin drive will run throughout the month of October, and we are gratefully accepting any spare change or small dollar bills you may be willing to contribute. There will be collection jars in the front office and in one classroom for each grade level, making it easy for students to participate.

Every little bit helps, and together, we can make a meaningful difference for those in need.

Thursday, October 10th

Click this link to view next week’s newsletter: October 14-18. Thank you for taking a moment to read the newsletter each week and stay informed.

**Very Important Information: TOMORROW we will have the Sprinkler Water Party during our recess time at 1:30. Whatever your child wears to school is what they will wear during the party. Make sure they can independently remove these clothes while wet. Please send clothes that they can independently change into after the party. They won’t have much time to change. All 5 Kindergarten classes have a total of 30 minutes to change before dismissal and we have limited bathroom stalls. Time will be of the essence. Also, please send a pair of shoes in the backpack for your child to wear to the water party. Your child still needs to wear their velcro tennis shoes for the school day.

Report of Learning Folders are coming home today with your child’s 1st Nine weeks Report Card. As discussed at Parent Night our grading scale is 4, 3, 2, 1. Your child will not receive a 4 until the standard has been taught to the full depth of the Kindergarten expectations AND your child has shown consistent mastery of the standard. At this time of the year 2s and 3s are extremely common. Another thing we discussed at Parent Night was that Kindergarten teachers system wide have a rubric to follow when assigning a 4, 3, 2 or 1 for a standard. After reading the Report Card, please do two things. First, sign the report card in the address box on the first page. Second, I would like one parent from each family to complete this Google Form.

Trail of Treats will be on October 28th from 6:00-7:30 pm. PTA is asking for candy donations for this event. Donations will also be collected in the carline on October 11th and 18th. Click on this flyer for more information.

Monday, October 7th

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Fall Break! I'm excited about beginning the 2nd Nine weeks.

Please read this week's newsletter: October 7-11

This week in our 95% Phonics Program we are reviewing the letters Tt, Pp, Nn and Aa. Please click this link to find more activities to do with your child: 95% Phonics Activities.

Coming home today in Daily Folders: Practice #3. If you didn’t send in your child’s Practice Sheet #2 today, please send it tomorrow in their blue Daily Folder. These practice sheets are a valuable resource to help support your child’s learning at home. Please take the time to do these with your child. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Reminder - This Wednesday is a half-day of school. Elementary students are dismissed at 11:30. Please fill out the Half Day Google link letting me know of any transportation changes and what your child will do for lunch. I only need one parent to fill out the form. Here is the link: Google Form

Thursday, September 19th
Please click this link to read next week’s newsletter: September 23-27. Thank you for reading the newsletter each week!

Thank you to everyone who has turned in the field trip forms and payment. Both forms and payment are due no later than September 26th.

Next week is the last week of the first quarter. I am continuing to collect data and complete one on one assessments with the students for their first nine weeks report card throughout next week. If you know in advance that your child will be out of school for any day next week, please let me know so that I may adjust my assessment schedule to ensure your child’s first nine weeks assessments are completed.

We are so excited to announce this year's Be a Champion and Read context! Our Columbia students are challenged to read six reading-level appropriate books to qualify for the AEA Grand Prize: Iron Bowl tickets - one winner for each team - for the student and two guests. Each prize includes sideline passes and pre-game activities. Logs for keeping up with reading progress have already been sent home with your child. We are thrilled to make this an exciting month for our readers! These logs must be turned into the library by October 21st. If you have misplaced your log you can print your own out here: Be a Champion! Read!

One way that you can help your child is by learning to independently open items they may have at lunch (milks, chip bags, cheese sticks, etc.). We have a very short time in the lunchroom, our schedule for lunch is from 10:20-10:50. While this may seem to be enough time by the time we go through the lunch line, get settled at the table, then open containers, about 10 minutes has passed. Then we lose another 5 minutes for cleaning up. If your child still struggles with opening the containers then consider changing what you send the lunch item in or open the container enough that your child can finish the process successfully. Please practice opening lunch and snack items with your child throughout the week. The more opportunities they have to do this, the easier it will become! I appreciate your help with this!

Monday, September 16th

Our first Practice Sheet is coming home in folder's today. As you read on the newsletter, please don't do it all at once - a little each day will benefit your child. This is a picture of what to look for in the folder: Practice Sheet Picture. Also, refer back to the letter naming video I shared last week for guidance.

Today, we began our second week of our 95% phonics program. We are focusing on the letters Tt and Pp this week. Here is some more information about this phonics program.

We're studying apples this week in science. Please send an apple to school before Wednesday. Thank you to those who sent in an apple today!

We started Literacy Stations today. We will continue to review the procedures for Literacy Stations in hopes that it will go smoothly in the coming weeks.

Please continue to practice the lunch numbers at home with your child. This makes checking out a new library book easy and speeds up the long line of children buying a school lunch.

No Hassle Fundraiser - The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through Friday. Please consider giving a donation to our school. You can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser.

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their Community Helper picture and sentence. See last Thursday's post for more information.

Thursday, September 12th

Please click this link to read next week’s newsletter: September 16-20 Thank you for reading the newsletter each week!

We're studying apples next week in science. Please send an apple to school on Monday.

Return your child's Red Report of Learning Folder tomorrow. Please sign the progress report before returning.

Community Helper Project - We will be studying Community Helpers the last week of September. I need every parent to email me with two things:
1. A picture of you at work. Whatever your job, whether you are an engineer, accountant, fireman, sales clerk, stay at home mom, or a doctor, I’d like you to send me a picture.
2. A sentence about how your job helps others. Please explain it in a way that 5 and 6-year-olds can understand.
Please email me these two things by September 20th. My email address is rdyurack@madisoncity.k12.al.us I will share your picture and read your sentence to the class during Community Helper Week. Your child will be so proud to have your picture shared with the class. Thank you for participating!

Kindergarten Field Trip - Our first field trip is October 15th. The informational note and permission slip were sent home today. Please send the completed forms and payment at the same time. The forms and payment are due on September 26th. If you mark on the form that an adult plans to join us, please remember that the adult will need to complete a background check. Here is the link: School Background Check

No Hassle Fundraiser - The No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Please consider giving a donation to our school. You can give online by clicking this link: No Hassle Fundraiser. We have 13 students registered! Remember, just by registering, your child gets a coupon for a free kid's meal at Jon Smith Subs. Our class has raised $1,180 for the fundraiser. Wow! Impressive!!

Rock Your School - On September 27th, Columbia Elementary will be participating in Rock Your School. The theme this year is a "Twenties Era" Birthday Party for Columbia. We're going to wear red and black to the birthday party. Between now and then, please help your child learn their birthday. As of last week, only five of my students could tell me the month and day they were born. Please read this informational note about Rock Your School on Friday, September 27th. Thank you for your willingness to help!

Enjoy your weekend!

Monday, September 9th

I have 2 quick videos that I would like you to watch today:
1) The First Nine Weeks Progress Report will be in your child’s backpack on Wednesday. Please watch this video to know what to expect and what I need you to do. It should answer any questions you have about the Report of Learning Folder: Progress Report Video
2) Mrs. Hester made this video about the activities we’ve been doing in class to help with letter identification. Please watch this video to the end. It is 5 minutes. Letter Identification Video

Thank you for watching both videos!!

Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. Here is the link to donate online:  No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs) Any amount you can contribute to the fundraiser is helpful! Whether that is $5, $20, $50 or more, it all adds up to help our school.

Friday, September 6th

Please click this link to read next week's newsletter: September 9-13

Please order a class shirt for your child. Our class color is Violet. We will wear these shirts frequently throughout the year. The deadline to order is Monday at 8:00 am. Please place your order before then by clicking on this link: Order a Class Shirt If you haven't ordered yet because the $10 is a financial hardship, please reach out to me so we can work something out. If you haven't ordered yet because you keep forgetting, please take a moment to order one now. Thank you!

On September 27th, Columbia Elementary will be participating in Rock Your School. The theme this year is a "Twenties Era" Birthday Party for Columbia. We're going to wear red and black to the birthday party. Between now and then, please help your child learn their birthday. As of last week, only five of my students could tell me the month and day they were born. Please read this informational note about Rock Your School on Friday, September 27th. Thank you for your willingness to help!

You'll notice we'll have fewer papers in our Daily Folders starting next week. Our 95% Phonics Program has a workbook that we'll be working out of each day.

Also, next week I need the students to bring their best listening ears because I am teaching the procedures for Literacy Stations. Literacy Station time is when I teach small groups of students while the rest of the class is working with partners on independent practice. It is crucial that they learn and understand the procedures so they can do it independently in the coming weeks.

Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. All of the information you need to know came home in your child’s folder today. Thank you for supporting our school! Here is the link to donate online: No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs). Several students are bringing home their CES sunglasses that they have earned!

Tuesday, September 3rd

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend!

Please look in your child’s folder to find the September Reading Log. Each grade level has an independent reading plan for their students. Kindergarten is slightly different because our students are not independent readers yet. So, as you read to your child, they need to color a leaf on their reading log. Please read all of the details and directions that come home with the reading log in your child’s folder today. The completed reading log is due September 27th. Enjoy cuddling up and reading with your child.

Columbia's No Hassle Fundraiser is happening now through September 20th. Our PTA raises money to support students and teachers. The annual fundraiser is hassle-free! Funds are used to enhance the school, purchase classroom supplies, host school events, and spruce up spaces at the school. All of the information you need to know came home in your child’s folder today. Thank you for supporting our school! Here is the link to donate online: No Hassle Fundraiser (Each student that has a parent register online will receive a free Kids Meal from Jon Smith Subs).

In order to honor Grandparents' Day on Friday, September 6th, we plan to offer the following to our families:

Before lunch, option to visit the library to read a book with their grandchild

Join their grandchild at lunch

It is your responsibility to let me know if there will be a grandparent meeting your child in the library. I will send your child to the library from 10:00 - 10:15, prior to lunch. At 10:15 your child will be sent back to our room to go to the restroom and wash hands. We will meet all grandparents in the lunchroom shortly after!

Please read this informational note about Rock Your School on Friday, September 27th. Thank you for your willingness to help!

Thursday, August 29th

Click this link to read next week’s newsletter: September 2-6. Please take a few minutes to read the newsletter each week. I appreciate you doing your part to keep yourself informed about classroom learning. Please make sure you click on the link to view the newsletter - this post is not the newsletter!

Remember you can order your child a class shirt with this link: class shirts. You will want to be sure to order a shirt for your child because we will wear them often throughout the school year. Please reach out to me if purchasing this shirt is a hardship for your family. We are wearing violet shirts this year! Thank you!

Please remember to send a snack and a refillable water bottle every day with your child. Also, for safety reasons, please do not send glass water bottles or containers to school. I also ask that you empty your child’s blue Daily Folder every day and look over the papers that are in the folder. It helps you to see what your child is learning at school, as well as see important papers that I send home providing information that you need.

Reminders:

Kindergarten will have the opportunity to purchase ice cream every Friday starting next Friday, September 6th. If your child brings lunch and you would like to allow them to purchase the ice cream, please let them know so that they know they should go through the line with the class.

Helpful weekend to do list:

1. Cozy up and enjoy reading your child’s poetry notebook.

2. Wash your child’s rest mat.

3. Have your child practice rolling up and securing their rest mat until they can do it independently 3 times in a row.

4. Use any opportunity you can to help your child learn the names of all uppercase and lowercase letters.

5. Enjoy the long weekend!

Monday, August 26th

Today we started to practice writing our first names with correct formation and orientation to the line. In addition to being able to write their first name correctly, your child needs to know the letters that spell their name. I would like your child to point to each letter in their name one at a time and say the name of that letter. If they can do this easily, fabulous! If they do not know the letters in their name, continue to listen to your child do this several times each day until they can identify the letters in their name.

Throughout the past few weeks we have focused on getting to know each other and learning our rules and procedures. We go over our rules each day to help us continue to learn procedures and expectations. We have made numerous posters that will serve as reminders for our expectations and goals. Having structure and organization in a classroom is essential for a positive, productive learning environment. We have also discussed the importance of doing our best with all our work. You can help your child by encouraging him/her to follow our classroom rules and by giving simple directions to follow independently at home.

Class Shirts:

PURPLE order forms for our class shirts are coming home today in your child’s Blue Daily Folder. You can also order the class shirt online using this link: Class Shirts. Our class will be ordering the Violet shirt. These shirts will be worn frequently throughout the year for field trips, Field Day and special school events. It’s very helpful for all students to have the same shirt, as it allows the teacher to easily count and keep track of everyone.

Important Dates:

- Fall Picture Day is TOMORROW (Tuesday, August 27th). These portraits will be in the school year book.

- Cookies with the Counselors will be on Thursday, August 29th. It will be held in the CES library from 1:30-2:30. You may RSVP using this link.

Reminders:

Send a snack daily with your child. We eat a very early lunch at 10:20 so by snack time, students are usually hungry again.

Please also remember to return your child’s library book to their backpack after reading it each night. Three were left at school today! Students must return their book to receive a new one, and everyone enjoys getting to go to the library for a new book!

Please remember our August Challenge - Fine Motor Skills Please set a timer for no less than 10 minutes each day and give your child opportunities to write letters and numbers with pencil, draw pictures of people with pencil, color pictures with crayons, and cut paper with kid scissors. Sit with your child as they do these activities and provide encouragement as needed. If these activities are difficult for your child, please allow them to also play with playdough, lace beads on a shoelace, and pick up small objects with tweezers. These activities will help your child build the muscles in their fingers which leads to improved handwriting. If you complete this challenge each day of August, please email me at the end of the month to let me know they met the challenge. Your child will receive FOUR Good Time Tickets.

Friday, August 23rd

Thank you so much for attending Parent Night! I look forward to partnering with you to ensure a successful school year for your child. If you were unable to join us, I have the handouts in your child’s folder today, and you can find the slides from the presentation by clicking this link: Kindergarten Parent Night Slides While these slides don’t capture everything shared during our hour and a half meeting, they cover the main topics we discussed.

Transportation Change Requests: We’ve been informed by several parents that the email address for transportation changes is currently not working. For now, please use the following email address for any transportation changes: cesattendance@madisoncity.k12.al.us. Our tech department is working to resolve the issue with the original email address, and we will notify you once it’s fixed. Thank you to the parents who brought this to our attention!

Fall Picture Day:
On Tuesday, August 27, Greg Machen Photography will be at Columbia to take Fall pictures. These will be the pictures used in the school yearbook. In about two weeks, you’ll receive a proof to review and purchase if you’d like. If your child is absent on picture day, don’t worry, a make-up date will be scheduled.

Rest Mats:
Rest mats are also coming home today. After washing the mat, please have your child practice rolling it up independently. We ask that you return the rest mat on Monday.

Poetry Notebooks:
Poetry notebooks are in backpacks today. I hope you enjoy cozying up with your child to read the poems together. Please leave the poems in the notebook and send it back to school on Monday.

A Glance at Next Week:

Reading: Identifying beginning sounds, focusing on Letter Experts for Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, and Uu.

Math: Showing, counting, and writing the numbers 6 and 7.

Monday, August 19th

As you read in the letter about our Behavior Management Plan, we are utilizing Good Time tickets. Your child can save their tickets for incentives or they can enter tickets into the weekly drawing for a chance at the prize box. I would love some help purchasing the items for the prize box. If you would like to help, please visit this link: Wish List for Prize Box items Thank you for your generosity! (You will notice there are other wish list items on this link too. Not all of the items are for the prize box.)

I’m looking forward to meeting with all of you on Thursday at 5:30 in our media center for Kindergarten Parent Night. You will hear from all the kindergarten teachers for about an hour. Then, parents of my students will come to my classroom to hear a little more from me about the specifics of our classroom. It is important that each child has one parent present for the meeting, preferably the parent who works with the child on school work and will be communicating with me.

Last week, our kindergarten students had our library orientation lesson. We learned our way around the library. Today, we returned to the library and had a lesson on how to take care of library books. Your child’s first school library book will come home today! Please return this book tomorrow so we can check out a new book!

Thank you for returning your child’s poetry notebook today. I hope you enjoyed looking at this with your child. Throughout the year we will be adding poems to this notebook. It will be a treasure you will want to keep as you notice the development of your child with his/her drawings.

Please remember our August Challenge - Fine Motor Skills - Please set a timer for no less than 10 minutes each day and give your child opportunities to write letters and numbers with pencil, draw pictures of people with pencil, color pictures with crayons, and cut paper with kid scissors. Sit with your child as they do these activities and provide encouragement as needed. If these activities are difficult for your child, please allow them to also play with playdough, lace beads on a shoelace, and pick up small objects with tweezers. These activities will help your child build the muscles in their fingers which leads to improved handwriting. If you complete this challenge each day of August, please email me at the end of the month to let me know they met the challenge. Your child will receive FOUR Good Time Tickets.

Thursday, August 15th, 2024

Thank you for continuing to participate in our Color Weeks daily colors! We are enjoying learning about colors. We have had fun painting primary and secondary colors this week. Ask your child about mixing colors to make purple, green and orange paint. The kids were excited watching the colors change as we mixed!

Please remember to send a snack and a refillable water bottle every day with your child. Also, for safety reasons, please do not send glass water bottles or containers to school. I also ask that you empty your child’s blue Daily Folder every day and look over the papers that are in the folder. It helps you to see what your child is learning at school, as well as see important papers that I send home providing information that you need.

Important: I’m looking forward to meeting with all of you next Thursday at 5:30 in Columbia’s Media Center. You will hear from all of the kindergarten teachers for about an hour. Then, parents will be dismissed to go to their child’s classroom. It is important that each child have one parent present for the meeting, preferably the parent who works with the child on school work and will be communicating with me.

Poetry notebooks will be in backpacks tomorrow. I hope you enjoy cozying up and reading these with your child. Leave the poems in the notebook and send the notebook back to school on Monday.

Please join Mrs. Sturdivant and Mrs. Bowen for Cookies with the Counselors to learn more about the school counseling program! They will also be providing mental health resources to help your children! It will be held on August 29th from 1:30pm-2:30pm in the CES Library. Cookies will be provided! You may RSVP using this link.

Over the weekend please do the following:

Wash your child’s rest mat.

Have your child practice rolling up and securing their rest mat until they can do it independently 3 times in a row.

Please have your child practice their lunch number on the paper I sent home at Open House.

A glance at next week:

Reading - identifying beginning sounds, Letter Experts for L, M, N, O and P. We are continuing to learn about rhyming words.

Math - comparing groups of objects as equal, greater than, or less than, comparing groups of objects to five, and comparing numerals 0-5

Monday, August 12th, 2024

There was a sea of RED at recess today! The kids looked great! We are looking forward to continuing our colors for the next two weeks. Please see the flyer Kindergarten Color Weeks.

We have had a week and a half of practicing our school and classroom rules. We have begun our good time ticket system. The children love earning these tickets! Also, if your child has had a behavior that interferes with classroom learning or is not keeping self to self, there will be a behavior calendar in his/her folder that will be marked with what behavior needs to be addressed. Please initial the box and leave it in your child’s folder. Small initials in the corner of the box is perfect, please do not make additional markings (smiles/frowns,etc.). We discuss with your child the choices they are making and discuss solutions for changing the behavior. If your child has a marked calendar then your child should be able to explain the choices he/she made. Please encourage your child to follow directions and make good choices. Thank you for your support of good classroom behavior.

Thank you to all who practiced rolling rest mats this weekend. I can tell the students who practiced and they were proud to show me how they could do it! If your child did not practice, please have them practice when mats come home this Friday. Several students need assistance rolling and securing their rest mat.

Friday, August 9th

We've completed our first full week of Kindergarten! It was a fun and busy week! Please read all the following announcements.

Rest Mats - Rest mats were sent home today. After washing the rest mat, let your child practice rolling it up independently. Several students need my help to roll their mat every day which is causing us to be late for recess. Practicing at home will help this improve. Please return the rest mat on Monday. Thank you!

Math Papers - As you've noticed in your child's Daily Folder, we started our Big Ideas Math Curriculum this week. We are learning to count objects and write the number that represents that amount. If you noticed your child had difficulty writing 2, 3, 4 this week, it would be a great idea to work with your child on this at home. Thank you for your support.

Letter Experts - All students will take a turn being a Letter Expert. We started this on Monday. When it is your child's turn, please follow the directions on the note that comes home. You will need to email me a picture that begins with your child's letter sound by 1:00 the day before your child presents to the class.

August Challenge - Fine Motor Skills - Please set a timer for no less than 10 minutes each day and give your child opportunities to write letters and numbers with pencil, draw pictures of people with pencil, color pictures with crayons, and cut paper with kid scissors. Sit with your child as they do these activities and provide encouragement as needed. If these activities are difficult for your child, please allow them to also play with playdough, lace beads on a shoelace, and pick up small objects with tweezers. These activities will help your child build the muscles in their fingers which leads to improved handwriting. If you complete this challenge each day of August, please email me at the end of the month to let me know they met the challenge. Your child will receive FOUR Good Time Tickets.

Kindergarten Color Week - We will be learning about primary and secondary colors beginning on Monday. We would love to have the students wear the color of the day beginning Monday. Click this link for all the details: Kindergarten Color Weeks

Finally, if you haven’t done any of the following, please go ahead and do so:
1. Complete your child's scrapbook page that was sent home at open house.
2. Put a complete change of clothes in your child’s backpack

Wednesday, August 7th

My email has officially changed to rdyurack@madisoncity.k12.al.us . However, I should still receive emails if you send anything to rcduvall@madisoncity.k12.al.us .

We will be learning about primary and secondary colors beginning on Monday. We would love to have the students wear the color of the day beginning Monday. Click this link for all of the details: Kindergarten Color Weeks

Information from CES Drama Club -

CES Drama Club is so excited to present High School Musical Jr for our winter production! Our show will be performed at the Dream Theatre, Feb 28-March 1. All students are welcome to join the chorus. Chorus performs a pre-show concert before each show and then joins the cast for the finale and bows.

Please use this link to sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C4CADA92BAB9-50479034-high

Once you sign up, you will be emailed more information this week. If you have any questions, please email CESdramaclub@gmail.com or dkherwig@madisoncity.k12.al.us .

Monday, August 5th

The students are having a great start to the school year!

Our Kindergarten Parent Night is on Thursday, August 22nd at 5:30. It is important that each child have one parent present for the meeting, preferably the parent who works with the child on school work and will be communicating with me. The meeting is for adults only because it typically is a long meeting. Thank you!

If your child is bringing a lunch box from home, the packed lunch needs to have a drink included. The snack water bottles are not brought to the lunchroom. If you want to send a water bottle for lunch and there is not room inside the lunchbox, your child needs to know that it is for lunch so he/she can put it on the lunchbox shelf. If your child is supposed to purchase a milk, please let them know that this needs to be done at the start of lunch.

PTA is hosting a Back to School Picnic on Thursday night. Click this link to read all the information on the flyer: Back to School Picnic

Friendly Reminders ~
Your child should have a reusable water bottle containing water and one snack for our afternoon snack time. If you want your child to have a choice, please let them make that choice at home before packing it in the backpack. Also, please show your child where their snack is located inside their backpack. Several haven't been able to locate their snack independently.

Your child needs to wear tennis shoes without laces. This means they need to have velcro or slip on.

Please check your child's blue Daily Folder each afternoon and send it to school every day.

If your child is missing any of the school supplies, please send them to school as you get them. Be sure to tell your child to take it out of his/her backpack and give it to me.

Wednesday, July 31st

Thank you for coming to Kindergarten 101 and Open House! Here are the slides from the presentation for you to review: Kindergarten 101

Here's a To Do list to help you prepare for your child's first day:
- Please tell your child if they are buying lunch or if they have a lunchbox. You will want to do this each day because it is a question I will ask the students every morning when we do the lunch count.
- Pack your child's snack separate from lunch. The snack can be in a zipper pocket of the backpack or in a "snack bag." They only need one food item. Examples of a small snack include: a small bag of pretzels, an individual bag of goldfish, an apple, granola bar, etc.
- Send a water bottle. Double check the lid to make sure it is secure before putting it in your child's backpack. Write your child's name on the water bottle.
- Send the red folder that you received at Open House.
- Send any school supplies that you forgot to bring to Open House.
- Have a gallon bag with a change of clothes (see the K101 slides for an example).
I look forward to seeing the girls tomorrow and the boys on Friday! If you are walking your child inside on their first day, please walk them to the gym. I'll meet you there at 7:25.