Happy Halloween!

 Halloween Party
Happy Halloween! The class Halloween party will be tomorrow, Friday, October 29, from 2:25 - 3:25. Since Halloween does not fall on a school day, Purdy Elementary students are not dressing up in costume this year, and there will be no school masquerade parade. However, we can look forward to costumes and parades next year!  Please join us for our fun Halloween party! Thank you to those of you who have already volunteered to help.

Monday, November 1st is Picture Day. This picture opportunity is for individual photos. Please send in the order envelope with money enclosed if you are interested in purchasing photos. Class pictures will be taken in the spring.

Spider Cider Party

Remember, we are celebrating our spider unit with a Spider Cider party on Friday, November 5th at 2:30.  As we continue to read Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, the children are learning more about spiders, comparing character traits, making mental images, and discovering lots of new vocabulary words.  They love the story!  Ask your child how many parts a spider's leg has . . . seven!  They share the femur, patella, and tibia with humans! 

Manatee Memoirs Night~

Don't miss it!  Students will be sharing their narrative memoirs on Thursday, November 4th at 6:30 in the Manatee classroom.  The Red Group has been busy adding details to their writing.  The Blue Group has been focusing on creating a mental image for the reader/audience.  Please come and listen to these fantastic memories from the perspectives of children.

Parent Conferences

Conferences are coming up next month.  Please return the sign--up sheet sent home today as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Veteran's Day Assembly
Our Veteran's Day Assembly will take place on the afternoon of November 10, 2010. We welcome pictures of family member veterans. Please email either Mrs. Perine or Mrs. Angus with digital photos, or have your child bring in a hard copy. Thank you!

Pete the Cat - "I Love My White Shoes"

Pete the Cat "I Love My White Shoes" from wandaangus on Vimeo.





Our students love Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes, by Eric Litwin.  You can find this book at Amazon.com, and you can listen and download the song sung by the author here.  This video is one example of many groups that gather on the carpet every morning during free reading time to read and sing the lyrics of what has become our favorite book. 
We received an email from Eric Litwin on Vimeo: Eric Litwin commented on your video "Pete the Cat "I Love My White Shoes"":
"Meow Dudes! I really enjoyed hearing you read and sing. You guys are crazy fun. Pete the Cat asked me to tell you "meow, meow, meow". I am delighted you like my little story. Mr. Eric Litwin (Author of Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes)"
In honor of Pete's white shoes (which turn red, blue and brown from stepping in berries and mud), we will wear white shoes to school on Wednesday, October 20th.  
Wednesday White Shoe Day! 

The Manatees are learning about spiders! We have leaned that there are over 30,000 different kinds of spiders. We know that they have fangs that inject venom to kill their prey, 8 legs, and two body parts. Spiders are arachnids (eight legged creatures) and they create webs with strong silk from glands in their abdomen. We're reading all kinds of spider books . . . nonfiction and fiction. We have walked outside to observe busy spiders spinning webs and wrapping their prey in silk for a future snack. Next week we will have a spider in an enclosed habitat for students to observe in the classroom. We're hoping to get a glimpe of the every-day activities of our arachnid friend.
We will also be reading aloud the classic book, Charlotte's Web, by E.B White.
Finally, to celebrate our spider friends in the book Miss Spider's Tea Party, by David Kirk, we will have a Spider Cider party on Friday, November 5th at 2:30.

Manatee Memoirs Night~

Don't miss it!  Students will be sharing their narrative memoirs on Thursday, November 4th at 6:30 in the Manatee classroom.  Red group students have been busy working on including details in their writing.  The blue group has been focused on creating a mental image for the reader/audience.  Please come and listen to these fantastic memories from the perspective of children.

Go-Home Book Bags

This Thursday your child will bring home a Go-Home Book Bag.  Labeled ziploc bags will contain 4 "just-right" books for your child to keep at home for a week.  The books are chosen by your child from their appropriate reading level. The purpose of these books is for your child to have just-right books to read at home.  Please keep the books until the following Thursday, listen to your child read them to you several times, and praise them for their efforts.  Thank you!

Fall is in the Air!

Thank you to all our volunteers that have signed up and started working in the classroom this week.  We appreciate your help! 

Fall Festival! 
The Fall Festival is one of our biggest events of the year at Purdy Elementary.  The kids always love it, and have fond memories from years gone by.  This year our Fall Festival is on Friday, October 22nd from 5:00 to 9:00.  Please consider attending this event, and also volunteering one hour of your time to help the Manatee Class with their event game.  Mrs. Perine and Mrs. Angus will be in attendance to support the event.  We still need seven or eight more adults to help out.  Please contact Tonya Danosky if you are willing to help at danosky@hotmail.com.  Thanks for your generosity!

October is Responsibility month at Purdy Elementary.  We are singing, talking and writing about the many ways to be responsibility at school and at home.  Children who are observed acting resonsibly by another student or adult at school are given a Panther Paw, which is then hung in the commons for all to see.   If your child is caught being responsible at home you can send in a note and we will  complete a responsibility paw for your student. 

This month the Manatees wrote about being responsible at home and at school.  Their writing will be on display on the main bulletin board in the hallway as you enter the school.  Please take the time to read these small, but profound statements written by small, but profound children.   

Self-Manager Badges will be introduced this week.  These badges are a way of acknowledging students that are consistently responsible, make good choices, follow the Golden Rule, and exhibit self control.  Self-Managers do not receive behavior warnings or checks.  They also return their homework on time every week.  Manatees with Self-Manager badges have the priveledge of walking to lunch independently, using the restroom without asking,  being chosen for responsible tasks, or excused first for special activities.  Students that lose badges from behavior checks or detentions have the opportunity to regain their badge after a two week period.  Lost badges will not be replaced.  Ask your child about Self-Manager badges!

Happy Halloween!  The class Halloween party will be on Friday, October 29, from 2:25 - 3:25.  Since Halloween does not fall on a school day, Purdy Elementary students are not dressing up in costume this year, and there will be no school masquerade parade.  However, we can look forward to costumes and parades next year!
Please join us for our fun Halloween party!  If you would like to volunteer to help out, please call Tonya Danosky at 853-1867, or email at danosky@hotmail.com.   Thanks for your support!

Dance Mat Typing is a new interactive key board program from the BBC.   It's entertaining, simple to use and it's free! The narrator has a hilarious English dialect. The kids love it so much they ask to stay in at recess to practice!  Notice the new icon on the right side bar of the blog for easy access.  Enjoy!
Also . . . please note the new RAZ Kids icon and the Xtra Math logo on the side bar.  Your children are familiar with these images, and will be able to independently work from the blog if you choose to place it on your desk top for simple retrieval.  Enjoy!