Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We went to P.E. We did pushups. We played hot foot. (Will M. and James)

We did my Me Bag! (Grayson)

We ate lunch. (Abby)

We read Huggapotamus. (Will C.) We reviewed what we learned about being a good friend, story characters, problem/solution, and what we can do if we make a friend upset.

We went to the assembly. (Hayden)

We did our bucket filler poem. We put it in our poetry folders. (Caroline)

We had inside recess. (Parker)

We drew Grayson. (Maya)

We went to Mrs. Flanagin’s room for inside recess. (Rylan)

Today in the folder you will find a Math at Home book. This is a resource for you! There is also a Home Links homework book. These are optional homework pages that go with our math curriculum. It is also a resource for you. You will NOT return these pages. We are currently work on Unit 1 and I will let you know when we move on to Unit 2!

Have a wonderful 3 day weekend!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We went to library. We checked out new books. (Aster and Will M.)

We played with math workstations. (Rylan)

We played outside. (Abby)

We did length with papers. (Caroline) For math, each student had to find someone who had a paper with their same length! Then they went around the room trying to find objects that were also the same length. We discussed the words longer and shorter.

We made a hat! (Kent) We compared the books Huggapotamus and The Crayon Box that Talked. We discussed what it means to be a good friend and made a hat to celebrate!

We had snack. (Stella)

We ate lunch. (Maya)

Mrs. Baker came. She talked about being safe. (Kennedy) Mrs. Baker is our school counselor! She will come every other week on Thursday afternoons.

We did Evalynn’s Me Bag. (Azayla)

In the folder you will find a September calendar! I’ve attached it to this email and you can find it on my website.

Have a great night!!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We did art. We did markers. (James)

We had morning meeting. (Aster)

We had recess inside. (Azayla)

We went on the blacktop at lunch recess. (Will M.)

We did my Me Bag today. (Caroline)

We did math. We played Gotcha! Mrs. Hotchkiss tried to trick us when she was counting but we were too good. (Adalynn and Henry) I purposely made mistakes when counting (like double tapping, skipping an object, saying the numbers out of order, etc.) They did a great job noticing the mistakes!

We ate lunch. (Evalynn)

We drew and colored Caroline. (Maya)

We had snack time. (Abby)

We drew ways to fill a bucket and not fill a bucket. (Hayden) When our invisible buckets are full, we are happy; when they are empty, we are sad. It's important to know that we can fill our own bucket and so can others. We can also dip into it. "Bucket fillers" are those who help without being asked, give hugs and compliments, and generally spread their love and good feelings to others.

We read The Crayon Box That Talked. (Will C.)

Have a great night!!

Hi parents!

Here is what we did today!

We went to music today. We did maracas. (Will M.)

We ate lunch. (Caroline and Maya)

We played outside. (Abby)

We did a sort. We sorted bucket fillers and bucket dippers. (James and Evalynn)

We drew Azayla. (Aster)

We did my Me Bag. (Azayla)

We found the word “I” in the Bucket Filler Pledge. (Will C.)

We did pattern block puzzles. (Henry)

Some of your kiddos might be coming home with small prizes this week. Every time a child earns 10 Class Dojo points they are able to pick from my prize basket! They were very excited!

If you ever have small toys or items you are looking to get rid of (happy meal toys, pencils, erasers, bracelets, etc.) send them my way and I will add them to our prize basket! Thanks!!

Have a great night!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We did P.E. We ran around. We played a game where we rolled the ball and tried to hit the other team’s pins. (James and Hayden)

We played outside 3 times. (Abby) We kept it short…it was hot!

We ate Goldfish for my birthday! (Caroline)

We did our fire drill. (Aster)

We drew a picture of Aster. (Maya)

We read Huggapotamus and a bucket filler book. (Rylan) We talked about what it means to be a good friend!

We ate lunch. (Will C.)

We did Aster’s Me Bag. (Adalynn)

We did a little book called “I Can”. (Parker)

We did math workstations. (Stella)

We looked for numbers around the school. (Abby) For math, we went on a numbers walk around the school!

I have already received back some Me Dolls! They look great! Please return these when you can! Thanks!

Make sure to be promoting Grandparent’s/Special Friends day to your student’s grandparents! It is a fun event where they will be making a family tree craft with their grandchild. If your child does not have a grandparent available, then a “special friend” like an aunt, uncle, neighbor, etc. are great as well! Please let me know, if you know for certain, that your child will not have an adult available for the event and I will find one for them! Thanks!!

Have a great night!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We went to library. We checked out new books. (Caroline, Will M., and James)

We played outside. (Maya)

We made a Rainbow Fish. (Grayson) These will be displayed in our hallway!

We ate lunch. There was pizza and tacos. (Abby and Rylan)

We did our math stations. (Aster)

We did our poem. We put it in our poetry folders. (Kent)

We did Alice’s Me Bag. (Hayden)

We played with toys. (Will C.)

LOTS of important information coming home today including a picture day order form! Please make sure to read through the folders this weekend! I put a few optional Rainbow Fish activities if you would like some “homework” for the weekend. This does not have to be returned to school (unless they want to show me their hard work).

There is a ME DOLL family homework activity in the folder for you and your child to complete together when you can get around to it! I will hang this on a classroom bulletin board when they are returned to me! I let the kids pick out their own skin color. I can’t wait to see them!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We made Aiden’s name page. (Will M. and Aster)

We ate lunch. (Rylan)

We played outside. (Kent)

We talked about our words from The Rainbow Fish. (James)

We played with pattern blocks. (Adalynn)

We read a mini book called We Like School. (Hayden)

We had snack. We had an early snack time. (Abby)

We are going to art. (Stella)

We have an assembly after art. (Will C.) Fundraising packets are coming home today!

We learned about math workstations. (Caroline)

Have a great night!!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

In music we tapped on instruments. We played different instruments. We sang songs. (Caroline, Henry, and Will M.)

We played outside. (Abby)

We did my Me Bag. (Adalynn)

We made a name craft by tearing pieces of paper. (Aster)

We drew Adalynn. (Maya)

We talked about sharing with your friends. (Will C.)

We did Adalynn’s name cheer. (Stella)

We played with math tools. (Rylan)

We watched The Rainbow Fish video. (Grayson)

We had snack time. (Aster)

We talked about the word “we”. The poem was Mill Creek Stars. (Kent)

Make sure to be checking Class Dojo for pictures! Have a great night!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We went to the gym. We played a game where we had to throw pretend trash to the other side. We ran around. We skipped. (Adalynn, James, Will M., and Caroline)

It was my Me Bag day! (Abby)

We had lunch and recess. (Hayden)

We played with play-doh. (Aster)

We read The Rainbow Fish. We learned some words like shocked and wise. (Rylan)

We drew a picture of Abby. (Maya)

We played with pattern blocks. (Kent)

We also read the poem “Mill Creek Stars” and talked about our word of the week, “we”.

We added another book to our book boxes called Time for School!

For a fun project, we used cotton swaps to paint our names using a 2 color pattern.

It was a great day!

Important Announcements!!

In the folder you will find a flyer for a Cub Scouts meeting tonight at 6:30 PM in the Mill Creek Cafeteria!  If you have any questions, please contact Aaron Sapp at aaron.sapp@gmail.com. 

Here are a few upcoming dates to remember:

PTA Fundraiser Kickoff is this Thursday, August 23.  Packets for the fundraiser and direct donation forms will go home in Friday folders.

Wagner School Picture Day is Wednesday, September 5 from 8:30 to 11 AM.  Picture packets will go out in Friday folders.

Grandparents'/Special Friends' Day is Friday, September 7.  K-2 will be from 9-10 AM and 3-5 will be from 1:45-2:45 PM.  Flyers will be sent out soon.

Have a great night!!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We ate lunch. (Adalynn)

We went to the playground. (Abby and Will C.)

We went to the media center. We got to get books. (Caroline and Will M.)

At the library we learned about the computers. (Rylan)

We played with snap cubes. (Hayden)

We played with play-doh. (Maya)

We read The Rainbow Fish and talked about sharing. (Kent)

We did Mrs. Hotchkiss’ Me Bag. (Evalynn) Ask your child what they learned about me!

We did a name cheer! (Caroline) Pom pons and all!

We drew Mrs. Hotchkiss. (Parker) Each day we will draw a picture of a friend in our class! By the end of the Me Bags we will have a name book of everyone in our class to take home!

Lots of pictures on Class Dojo! Make sure to check them out! It was a great day!

Have a great night!!

Hi Parents!

Here is what we did today!

We did art. We organized rocks. We put them in order. (Hayden)

We had a puppet craft. (Aster and Parker) We made Chester the Raccoon from The Kissing Hand.

We went to recess. (Will M.)

We ate at lunch. (Abby)

We played The Kissing Hand game. (Henry)

We had snack. (Caroline)

We talked about points. (Evalynn) I started giving Class Dojo points for good behavior. You should be able to click your child’s “report” to view the points given or taken away each day.

We played with play-doh. (Maya)

We read The Kissing Hand. (Adalynn) Make to ask your child about this tonight! This book is about a young raccoon who does not want to go to school. His mother opens his hand and kisses his hand right in the middle of his palm. The kissing hand tingles all the up to his heart! His mother explains to him that every time he thinks of the kissing hand it will warm his heart and remind him that his mother loves him. I told the class that their homework for the weekend is to get a kissing hand from their parents and to give their parents one in return!

We read A Pocket Full of Kisses. (Stella)

In the take home folder you will find a dental screening/fluoride vanish consent form. Please return this in the folder next week if you would like your student to have a FREE dental screening or fluoride varnish at school. Someone dropped theirs at the end of the day so please let me know if you need one!

Have a great weekend!

Hi Parents!

It was a GREAT first day of school! This is our first of many daily emails!

At the end of the day we had a closing meeting. I had the kids tell me (in their own words) what we did today. Here is what they said…

We sat in our chairs and colored. (Will C.) This 1^st day of school coloring is in the Take Home Folder.

We went to music class. We did music sticks. (Kennedy and Will M.)

We played on the playground for a long time. (Caroline and Abby)

We ate snack. (Adalynn)

We made headbands. It says I Rocked The 1st Day of Kindergarten. (James)

We played with play-doh. (Evalynn)

We read some books. The 2nd book we read was about how we get to school. (Rylan) We also did a sorting/graphing activity on the Smartboard where each kid got to share how they were getting home.  We were able to see which group had the most!

We played with toys. (Alice)

We also read Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. We did a lot of practicing of classroom and playground expectations. Ask your child tonight about how we sit on the carpet, line up, walk in the hallway, etc.

The red Take Home Folder is coming home today! Please look this over tonight! Their first homework project (Me Bag) is on the “Return to School” side of the folder. Please let me know if you have any questions about this project! Return this folder in the backpack tomorrow and every school day.

I put lots of pictures on Class Dojo today! Make sure you check it out!

It was a busy day at school so they will probably be very tired tonight! I recommend an early bedtime (especially these first couple weeks)!

Thank you SO much for all the classroom donations of items! I really appreciate it! Thanks for helping our classroom ROCK!

Have a wonderful night!!

Mrs. Vesta Hotchkiss

Mill Creek Kindergarten Teacher

vhotchkiss@cpsk12.org

Twitter: @hotchkissmce

http://mrshotchkisskindergarten.blogspot.com/

Welcome 18-19 Kindergarten Families!!

Hello Kindergarten Families!!

My name is Vesta Hotchkiss and I will use this site to communicate with you on a daily basis! At the end of each day I will have a closing meeting with the Kindergartners. The kids will reflect upon the day by telling about what they learned and what we did at school! I will make a blog post and email the meeting notes to you!

I also use a classroom Twitter (@hotchkissmce) and Class Dojo to communicate with you! I love to post pictures of all the wonderful things we are doing in our classroom! Please follow our classroom Twitter for updates or view the posts on the right hand side of this site! I will post behavior updates and pictures on Class Dojo daily. I will be sending home details on how to sign up!

Check out the LINKS section for great children's educational sites, games, and resources!

Check out the OUR CLASSROOM tab for our daily schedule, Kindergarten Tidbits, our monthly specials schedule, and extra parent resources!

Learn all about me in the ABOUT MRS. HOTCHKISS tab!

Enjoy! Please watch for emails from VHotchkiss@cpsk12.org