PK4 Newsletter- Week 8

What a Week Full of Pets!

The Blessing of the Pets did not disappoint and was the absolute perfect launch for our new pet project! We kicked things off by sharing what we already know about pets and what we are still curious to learn—and we already have some wonderfully knowledgeable kiddos who were able to provide answers to their classmates' questions! Most of our questions centered around what pets feel like and how they move. Using pictures from the Blessing of the Pets, we practiced tallying to find out which pet was most common at our school, and dogs were the clear leader. We also brought math into our pet theme by sorting animals into those that are and are not pets (which sparked a lively classroom debate about whether or not a mouse counts as a pet!), as well as sorting them by their body coverings like fur, scales, feathers, and smooth skin. In addition to all our animal learning, we welcomed Ms. Sanborn to class as she shared a wonderful lesson with us about emotions!

Calling All Pet Experts!

As we dive deeper into our pet project, we would love to hear from our families! Please let us know if you have any veterinarian, shelter, pet trainer, or other pet-related profession contacts. We would love to explore ways to bring these experts or experiences into our learning!

Important Notes & Reminders for Next Week

• Firefighter Visit (Tuesday, October 13): Please note that the firefighters are visiting us on Tuesday, October 13, which is sooner than originally listed on the calendar! We are so excited to welcome them and ask all about fire dogs—especially why Dalmatians are so often seen at the firehouse.

• Library Books: Ms. Hawkins wanted to let everyone know that we will not be checking out new books this coming week. Book check-out will resume the week of October 19!

• Reminder: There is no school on Monday, so we look forward to seeing everyone bright and early on Tuesday!

We hope you all have a wonderful and restful weekend!

As we wrap up this nine weeks, we will take time to review and celebrate all the skills our little learners have been practicing! From counting and sorting to recognizing shapes and patterns, the children have grown so much. Ask your child to show you how they count or spot shapes around the house—you might be amazed at what they notice! Thank you for supporting their learning journey at home.

ELAR Focus for Next Week:

Our classroom pet project is still going strong, and next week our PK4 learners will continue to step into the role of young scientists! We will keep engaging in close observation and practicing how to use rich, descriptive language as we talk about our pets. When you chat with your child next week, ask them what new details they are observing and encourage them to use descriptive words like soft, fuzzy, slow, or wiggly to share their thoughts!

List of Important Events

Oct 12- School Holiday

Oct 13- Alamo Heights Fire Fighters Visit! ***incorrectly noted as 10/20 on folder calendar

Week of October 19- Ms. Pikla's Class Acolyting

• Monday, 10/19-- Alba, Alice, Aliya, Amelie, August, Blake
• Tuesday, 10/20-- Carolina, Charlotte, Chloe, Conrad, Franny, Jameson
• Thursday, 10/22-- Margaret, Nora, Palmer, Rory, Wells

Oct. 23 Sprit Dress Day AND Fall Family Fling, 5-7pm

Oct. 28- Individual and Class Pictures

Oct. 30- PK4 Door Dads!!

Oct. 30- Halloween on the Hilltop (8-8:30am)

Oct. 30 PK4 Class Party (2-2:30pm)