Merry Christmas!

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our Christmas concert last night!  The kids did a great job and had a fun time!!

Being that this is our last few days before Christmas Break, here are some last minute reminders:
Class Christmas Party - This will be on Thursday, December 19 in the afternoon.  Each child should bring in a $3-$5 gift.  The girls should bring a gift for a girl, and boys for a boy.  Please be sure to put a to/from tag on it that says either "to a boy, from ____" or "to a girl, from ____".

We will also be making a class trail mix again.  If your child could bring in 1 cup of something that would be tasty in a trail mix, that would be great!  The students had a great time with this for our Thanksgiving party, and wanted to do it again.

Also, if your child would like to wear an "ugly" (or beautiful) Christmas sweater to school on this day, they may!  We're having an "ugly" Christmas sweater theme for our party this year.

Friday, December 20 - will be our last day of school before Christmas break.  We will have gym first thing in the morning (this is our class' normal gym day, so please be sure your child has gym shoes) followed by our elementary Christmas sing-a-long at 9:00.  We will also be doing some 2nd grade Christmas rotation activities in the afternoon.

First Day Back  - Our frist day of school after Christmas Break will be Monday, January 6, 2014.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!!
See you in 2014!!

Mrs. Rozeveld

November Book Order Reminder

On the book order that was sent home this month, I did have today, November 22, noted as the due date.  I have not yet sent in this order.  If there is something that you would like to order for Christmas, there is still time.  Also, I probably will not send home a December or January order form, but all of these things are available online using our classroom code - DWNVD.

Included in this order are my Christmas gifts for the students, so I will need to have this finalized by the end of November, but I can wait until the end of next week if anyone would like to still get anything in before Christmas.  Just enter the order online, or send in the order form and payment before Thanksgiving Break.  If anything is for Christmas and you do not want your child to see it, please let me know and we can make other arrangements to get it home.

Thanks so much!!

Reminders & Up and Comings

I just have to say that I cannot even believe that it's already Thanksgiving next week and that Christmas Break is only aobut 3 1/2 weeks away!!  I don't know where this time has gone, but we have been working so hard!!

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out for conferences!  We really appreciate your flexibility in schedules to squeeze our 15 minute meetings in! :) 

New Pick-Up/Drop-Off Procedure

Our new process started Monday, November 18th. There have been some bumps and changes.  We're doing our best to work all of the bugs out, but for the most part things are going well!  Thank you so much for complying with our new rules!!  I know that changes are not always fun or easy, but these changes are put in place for the safety of all of our students and to ease some of the congestion in our hallway.  Here are some of the main changes:

• Morning Drop-Off: Please drop your child off at the school doors.  There is no need to walk them to their classroom.  Earliest drop off time is now 7:40 am and class begins at 8:05am.
• End of the day: All students that are being picked up at the end of the day will need to bepicked up in the elementary cafeteria.  Students will no longer be walking to the office, waiting by their locker or their classroom, or even waiting outside the bus doors.  There are just too many people in our hallway all going in different directions and it is becoming a safety concern. 
• The doors at the south side of the elementary cafeteria near the dumpsters will be unlocked for parents to enter, sign out their child, and then exit the building.

If you have any questions regarding these procedures at all, please feel free to give us a call.  Thank you for your help and support in this matter.

Kids Night Out!

Your child brought home a flyer with an admission ticket on it for our Kids Night Out! fundraiser this year.  This will be an elementary fundraiser to help purchase books for our classroom libraries.  It will take place on Friday, December 6^th from 5-7pm.  We will be serving pizza for supper, participating in planned activities such as open gym, art, board games, and finishing out the evening with a movie and popcorn.  If your child(ren) is planning to attend, please send in your ticket & money by next week Monday, November 25.  We will accept tickets as late as Wednesday, November 27.  Most staff will be present and we're so excited to spend a fun night with the kids!! 

Christmas Program

This year our K-4 Christmas program will be on Monday, December 16 at 7pm.  Your child should plan to arrive at 6:45 in the Multi-Purpose room dressed in their Sunday best--Please no jeans!  There will be more information to follow. 

Dates to Remember

TThursday & Friday, November 28 & 29 – No School Thanksgiving Break

o Friday, December 6 – Kids Night Out 5-7pm

 Monday, December 16 - Delayed Start

Monday, December 16 - K-4 Christmas Program 7pm (More information to follow)

 Thursday, December 19 - 2nd Grade Santa's Workshop & Classroom Christmas Parties

 Friday, December 20 - K-4 Sing-a-long, Pajama Day, Last day before Christmas Break

 December 23-January 3 - Christmas Break

November Up & Comings

Happy November!!  We've made it to the end of the first marking period already; I don't even know where this time has gone!! 

Report Cards will be in your child’s back pack TODAY!  Please look for them. Also included in the envelope are some of your child's assessments, unit tests, etc. for you to look over if you would like.  All documents in the envelope are yours to keep, but please return the envelope to school for the next quarter's report card.

Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held next week Thursday, November 14, from 1-7pm.  Your note and time went home with your child yesterday.  Please check for this note, look it over, complete the form and return it to school as soon as possible.  If there is anyone who is not able to make their time, we need to be able to make arrangements for them in a timely manner.

New Pick-Up/Drop-Off Procedure

Included in the envelope with your report card is a bright yellow piece of paper with our new student pick up and drop off procedure information that will begin on Monday, November 18th. These changes are put in place for the safety of all of our students and to ease some of the congestion in our hallway.  Here are some of the main changes:

• Morning Drop-Off: Please drop your child off at the school doors.  There is no need to walk them to their classroom.  Earliest drop off time is now 7:40 am and class begins at 8:05am.
• End of the day: All students that are being picked up at the end of the day will need to be picked up in the elementary cafeteria.  Students will no longer be walking to the office, waiting by their locker or their classroom, or even waiting outside the bus doors.  There are just too many people in our hallway all going in different directions and it is becoming a safety concern. 
• The doors at the south side of the elementary cafeteria near the dumpsters will be unlocked for parents to enter, sign out their child, and then exit the building.

Please see the yellow note for more information.  If you have any questions regarding these procedures at all, please feel free to give us a call.  Thank you for your help and support in this matter.

Kids Night Out!

This year the elementary staff is so excited to be inviting your child(ren) to a Kids Night Out!  This will be an elementary fundraiser to help purchase books for our classroom libraries.  This will take place on Friday, December 6^th from 5-7pm.  We will be serving supper, participating in planned activities such as open gym, art, board games, and finishing out the evening with a movie and popcorn.  More details will be sent home soon.

Dates to Remember

o   Thursday, November 14 – No School for students; Parent/Teacher Conferences from 1-7pm.

o   Friday, November 15 – No School – Deer Day!

o   Thursday & Friday, November 28 & 29 – No School Thanksgiving Break

o   Friday, December 6 – Kids Night Out 5-7pm

Halloween Schedule of Events

Halloween is next week Thursday!!  We have a fun-filled day packed full of Halloweenish activities! We do have to take care of a small amount of business in the morning first for about 30 minutes, though.

8:15 - Sparkle & Spelling Test
8:30 - Read to Self time
9:00-11:00 - 2nd Grade Halloween Rotations

• Mrs. Wimmler - Halloween Literacy
• Mrs. VanderVelde - Halloween Games
• Mrs. Taylor - Halloween craftivity
• Mrs. Rozeveld - The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

11:10-11:45 - Lunch

11:45-12:30 - Halloween Math

12:30 - 1:00 - Costumes & Halloween Fun Pack

1:00 - 4th Grade Wax Museum & School Halloween Parade

1:45ish - Classroom Party, Snacks, video, games, 

2:30 - All School Recess

2:55 - Dismissal

You are welcomed to join us for any of the afternoon activities!!! Because of the fact that there will be a movie showing in my classroom for the morning rotations, I really won't need parent help for that, though.

Thanks!

Dig Pink

The JV/Varsity Volleyball Teams would like to invite our McBain Families to our Dig Pink Volleyball Match on October 29th at 6pm against Pine River. All proceeds from the game go toward our fundraising efforts for breast cancer screening at Mercy Hospital. There will also be a bake sale and Dig Pink T-Shirts for sale that evening. T-Shirts are also available in the athletic office.

This Week (Oct. 21-15)

This week we will also be having a Math Test and a Reading Skills Test.  Because of Delayed Start, both will be on Wednesday--Reading in the morning and Math in the afternoon.

We will be working through a Math Study Guide that will come home with your child on Tuesday afternoon.  Please take a few minutes to go over this with your child and practice these skills.

We will be working through the Reading Test in parts.  The students will have the test to read through, without a pencil, on Tuesday so that they can be familiar with the texts.  They will then receive the same test back on Wednesday to read again and complete the test.  For this reason, I will not be sending a reading study guide home.

Thanks for your support this week!!! (And every other week, too)

Reminders & Up and Comings

Title 1 Family Night
Our Family Reading Night was so fun!!!  Thank you to all who were able to come out and enjoy some good food and math and reading activities with us!  If you were not able to come, I still have your child's login cards for Everydaymathonline.com and Raz-Kids.com and I will be sending those home.

Delayed Start
Our October delayed start day is tomorrow, October 21.  School will begin at 10:00am.

Halloween
Halloween is quickly approaching--next week!!  We will be doing our annual Halloween parade through the school and, weather permitting, around town for a short ways.  The 2nd grade will be doing a set of Halloween rotations in the morning.  This will run sort of the same way as our Johnny Appleseed day did.  The students will rotate through the 2nd grade classrooms and do something Halloweenish in each room.  In our classroom we will be watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, so it's looking like I won't really need parent help for that part, but if you'd like to join us for the parade, you are welcome.  There will be more information on time next week.  

**Please send your child to school in regular clothes that day.  They will have time to change into their costumes right after lunch, prior to our parade.  Also, if they have any face paint that they would like to use, please send only what they are able to apply themselves as I will not have enough time to paint 25 faces.  If they have weapons of any kind (even if they're completely plastic) DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL. Please save that part for trick-or-treating at night.  Thanks for your help with this!! 

And since we're already in our costumes, we will also be enjoying some treats in the afternoon.  Because Halloween is such a 'candy and sweets' holiday, I would like to keep this part sort of low key.  I'm thinking apple slices with carmel dip and a trail mix.  If you would be willing to help with some of the ingredients, that would be great!  

1 bag of apples - sliced (peeled if you want to, but you don't have to)
2 containers of carmel dip
1 bag of candy corn
1 bag of pumpkin candies
2 boxes of Chex cereal
1 bag of pretzels
1 bag of mini marshmallows

I will also be sending home a note to see who is able to help.

Parent/Teacher Conferences
Conferences will be on Thursday, November 14th this year.  Our office staff will be working on the schedule and we will do our best to schedule sibling conferences as closely as we can.  As soon as the schedule is made we will get that information out to you.

For Your Calendar

November 1 - No School; Teacher Professional Development
November 14 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (more information to follow)
November 15 - No School; Deer Day!! :)
November 18 - Delayed Start
November 24-25 - No School Thanksgiving Break

Reminders and Up & Comings

Reading Folders & Home Links
Thank you, thank you for reading with your child each night!!  I just get so excited when I check their folders each day!!  Just a reminder to take 5-10 minutes to read through their take home book with them and mark your initials on the date.  Keep up the great work!

Home Links, too!  Almost everyone has been very faithful about completing and returning their Home Links.  Even more faithful than I have been in sending them home...sorry for the multiples sometimes.  Thank you for your time and effort to work with your child at home and help them to practice their skills.

Title 1 Family Night
Family Night will be next week Thursday, October 17th from 5:30-7pm.  Invitations were sent home.  If you have sent yours back either to me or with a sibling, thank you.  If not, please remember to RSVP so that we know how many to plan on for supper.  Supper will be pasta and will be served from 5:30-6pm.  Then classroom activities will be from 6-7pm.

Delayed Start
The October delayed start day is Monday, October 21.  School will start at 10:00am.

Halloween
Halloween is quickly approaching!!  We will be doing our annual Halloween parade through the school and, weather permitting, around town for a short ways.  Instead of a class party, the 2nd graders will be doing a set of Halloween rotations.  This will run sort of the same way as our Johnny Appleseed day did.  The students will rotate through the 2nd grade classrooms and do something Halloweenish in each room.  In our classroom we will be watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, so it's looking like I won't really need parent help for that part, but if you'd like to join us for the parade, there will be more information to follow.

Have a great week!!

Reading Folders & Book it!

Tomorrow is October 1, and you know what that means....Book it!! and reading folders! :)

Starting tomorrow, your child will begin bringing home a reading folder every night.  They will switch their take home book each day so that they are bringing home a new book each night.  Please take 15 minutes or so to sit and read with your child each night; this is so important to their 2nd grade reading success!!

In their folder will also be a calendar for you and them to track their reading times.  Each student's goal is to read 15-20 minutes per night 4-5 nights per week.  If they reach this goal in a month, they will receive a coupon from Pizza Hut for a FREE personal pan pizza.  As your child colors in the days that they read, I ask that you would initial each box too.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's education!!  We appreciate you!

Book It!

October also begins our Book It! Program with Pizza Hut.  With this, we will begin taking home our reading folders.  Please remember to read with your child each night and sign their calendar.  If they reach their goal of 15-20 minutes of reading each night for 4-5 nights each week in a month, they will receive a coupon for a FREE personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!!

Our Week Ahead

Thank You!! 
We had a fantastic time at Klackle Orchards yesterday!!!  The weather was beautiful and the students were able to get the full experience.  They were able to pick their own apples and pumpkin, we learned how apples are grown, we also got to taste test the apples, fresh cider and fresh donuts!!  What a great day!  Thanks so much to all of the parents who were able to come along as well!


In Your Child's Folder Today:
In your child's folder today is quite a bit of mail! They have their October lunch menu, a baggie to label and bring in Box Tops in, and various other pieces for you to check out. The most important one is the stapled papers about concussions.  There is a new state mandate that each child in our school has a concussion form signed in their permanent school file.  Please take time to read this important information and warning signs.  Please also be sure to sign the back of this form and send it back to school with your child on Monday.  Thanks!

Next Week (September 30-October 4)
DIBELS - This week begins our DIBELS assessing for the elementary students.  Please make sure that your child gets enough rest and a good breakfast each day!  Also, please make sure that they are at school on time and ready to learn.  Our school day starts at 8:03am.  Thanks for your support!!

Johnny Appleseed Day - Even though Johnny's birthday was yesterday, September26, we're going to be celebrating it on Friday, October 4, with some fun apple activities.  We will be rotating through the 4 2nd grade classrooms learning a little about Johnny and how he grew up, doing some activities, and having a fun snack!  If there are any parents who are able to help for a couple hours, that would be great.  We will be doing this from 9-11am, and I would like to have about 2-3 more parents to help.  Please send me an email or leave me a voice mail (231-825-8330 x1574) if you are available.

Progress Reports - I cannot believe that next week Friday also marks the 1/2 way point in our first 9 weeks already!  This year is going to go by way to quickly!  That being said, your child's progress report for these first few weeks will be coming home with them on Friday in their folders.



Looking Ahead
Friday, October 4 - Johnny Appleseed Day
Thursday, October 17 - Family Reading/Math Night (more information to come)
Monday, October 21 - Delayed Start
Thursday, October 31 - Halloween Parade and Party
Friday, November 1 - No School

Book Order Reminder

Just a quick reminder that book orders were due today.  It is my fault for not sending a physical note home as a reminder, so if you would still like to order, feel free to put in an online order yet this weekend.  You may also send in an order yet on Monday.  I will wait until Monday after school to send in the completed order.  If you have questions about how to order online, please send me and email, and I will help you through it.  Our classroom code is DWNVD.

Thanks!!
Mrs. Rozeveld

Back In The Swing of Things

We had a fantastic first week back last week!!  We spent some time getting to know each other and our classroom.  We also got ourselves organized for a fun and productive year in 2nd grade.

This week we are going to begin getting into a classroom routine.  We have our first spelling list that will come home today.  We are continuing to work through our first math lessons as well as our first reading unit.

Gym times have changed some, but the days remain the same.  Please be sure that your child wears their tennis shoes on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Mileage Club will start up next week.  Thank you to those of you who were able to volunteer.  If you did not sign up on the night of the open house, and would still like to, please let me know.  Mrs. Kelley is working hard to find enough volunteers to make this program a success again this year.

I will be working with the students this week to get our STAR binders put together.  Each day they will be expected to take this to school and home from school.  This has some reading, math, and spelling activity ideas for practice at home.  There is also a class list and class information.  They will be marking their calendar each day with the color that their clip was on for the day as well.  Please be sure to put any important information for me in the pocket folder that will be in the back of the STAR binder.  We will work hard to establish a routine so that the students are able to use their binders correctly on their own.  Please ask them questions about it and help them to keep it organized at home too.

We will be having a field trip on Thursday, September 26 to Klackle Orchard.  We are waiting for final approval from the administration, and when we receive that there will be more information to follow.  i just wanted to give a heads up because some parents need as much time as possible to take a day off from work if you would like to come along.

Thanks for the love and support you show your children and our classroom!  Please continue to support them in their education every day!!

Mrs. Rozeveld

Book Orders

I sent our first book orders for this school year home today!!  I took a few minutes to browse through them with the students and point out some books and ways to choose books if they are able to purchase any.  I would like to send in the order by September 30th because our classroom gets rewarded if we can meet that deadline.  Please have these orders back to me or entered online by Friday, September 20.

If you are interested in ordering online our classroom you can go to the Scholastic Reading Club website: (https://clubs2.scholastic.com) and either sign in or sign up to create a free account.  The code for our classroom is DWNVD, and you will need this to login and ensure that your child's order gets credited and delivered to our classroom.  Also, there is a bonus to you and our classroom if you order online.  When you order online you will receive a coupon for $5 to spend in the next book order!!  Our classroom will also receive $3 to spend on books for our classroom library!

If ordering online does not work for you or is something that you are not comfortable with, no problem.  Please just send in the order with your payment (either cash or a check made payable to Scholastic) and I'll get it taken care of for you.  Thanks for your help and support in your child's reading education!!

Mrs. Rozeveld

Welcome Back!!!

Hello my new friends!!
I just have to tell you that it was so exciting to meet all of you who came to the open house Wednesday afternoon!  I cannot wait to see everyone again on our first day of school on Tuesday!

Some of you brought in some or all of your school supplies the day of the open house and I have kept them safe for you.  Others of you were planning to bring them the first day/week of school, and that is so great too!

Just a note: we do have P.E. class on Tuesday (the first day of school), so please, please remember to wear or bring your tennis shoes on the first day. 

Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!  Enjoy some relaxation and fun time with your families.  I will be visiting my own family down in the Grand Rapids area, but I will be back and ready for you on Tuesday morning!

See you all then!
Mrs. Rozeveld

A Few Last Things...

Track & Field Day
Track & Field Day will be on Wednesday, June 3.  If it is raining, there will not be a make-up date.  Please make sure that your child has weather appropriate clothing that day: pants/shorts, t-shirt/sweat shirt - depending on the weather, and also be sure that they have tennis shoes on please.

End of the Year Birthday Schedule
A few of the students have summer birthdays that have not yet been celebrated.  Here is the schedule for those who still need to celebrate with us:

Friday, May 31 - Marryn & Mackenzie
Monday, June 3 - Cody
Tuesday, June 4 - Azyah & Rosemary

Book Orders
I have submitted the last book order for the year.  The books should arrive by Monday, June 3 so those who ordered will have them by summer! :)

Last Day of School
Our last day of school is Friday, June 7.  For our last day of school, I thought it would be fun for the students to take in one of their favorite games from home.  We will be relaxing in the afternoon and spending time teaching our friends how to play some of our favorite games.  Please be sure that these games are appropriate for school.  They will take them home that afternoon as well.

End of the Year Reminders

Hero Field Trip
This Friday, May 10, those students who have heros are going to be on the Hero Fieldtrip to Adventure Island for the day.  If you have not sent in your permission slip, please do so by tomorrow or Friday!  The rest of us will have some fun activities to do for the day! :)

Fun to be Fit
Friday, May 24, is our annual McBain Fun to be Fit day!  This whole event will take place up at the track.  We will then be meeting back in our classroom for water and snacks after the race.  Notes were sent home on Tuesday asking for volunteers to send in water and cookies for our snack after the race.  If you are willing to do this, please send that slip back to me as soon as possible so I know if anymore are needed.  Thank you to those who volunteered to send these items in.  If you would like to join our class for th race, you are more than welcome!  We would love some friends to run/walk with!

Book Orders
I will be sending home the last book order for the school year this week.  There are 4 magazines to choose from (May and June), or if you order online, you have several others to choose from as well.  Please return these to me by Friday, May 24 so that I have time to submit the order and have the books delivered before school is out. 

3rd Grade Bookstore

On Tuesday, April 16^th, the 3^rd graders will be holding their annual book sale again this year!  The students will have the opportunity to purchase gently used books at a good price.  All books will be priced from $0.25 - $2.00.  Our class’s time to shop is at 12:15pm, right after lunch recess.  If this is something that you and/or your child are interested in, please be sure to send some money with them on or before Tuesday. 

Also a reminder that Mileage Club does begin again on Monday (weather permitting).  Mrs. Kelley is still looking for some parent volunteers to help out with this as well.  If you’re interested and available even just 1 day a week, you will be greatly appreciated!  Please let me or Mrs. Kelley know if this will work out for you! 

Thank you for your help and support!!