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All about Mrs. Kelley

I feel so happy to say I have loved my last 38 years of teaching! Each grade level I've taught in the past (1st-5th) has been filled with wonderful experiences and happy memories, but I have to admit I am over the moon loving Transitional Kindergarten! This will by my tenth year working with TKers. Their enthusiasm for life, as well as their eagerness to soak up all the new things around them, make them a joy to be with each day! I am one very lucky teacher!

A little about myself:
After teaching a few years out of state, I moved to California in 1989, and besides two years teaching in Indonesia, I've been so happy to call Grass Valley home. Education is a family thing, because my husband, Tom, is a school counselor. I have three grown children (Brian, Kyle and Kaity) who have fond memories of the years they spent at Alta Sierra School!  We love the mountains and being at the ocean as well. Time away from school usually takes us one place or the other. In the winter I love snowboarding, and during the summer time camping and finding trails to walk are some of my favorite things!
 

Posts

TK Week of March 3rd-7th

Hello Parents!
I wanted to sent out a quick reminder that I won't be in the classroom tomorrow or Monday, but I'll be looking forward to being with our TKers again on Tuesday.
 
Dr. Suess Week - We've had so much fun in TK this week celebrating Dr. Suess. We've read lots of fun books, thought a lot about rhymes, and today we had green eggs! The consensus was - DELICIOUS!
 
Sierra Harvest - Because of Sierra Harvest, we are so lucky to be able to taste garden fresh (often new to TK) fruits, vegetables, and herbs each month. This week we got to taste fresh spearmint. We decided to let our spearmint seep in some boiling water, along with a little bit of sugar, to make a fabulous drink. We ended up with lots of thumbs-up after tasting it, and many of our TKers were hoping moms and dads could make it at home too!
 
Kao Kangaroo - Your cutie has been working on the letter K this week ("Hello Smile, Ribbit, Kick-in, Slide-out). Extra practice with a cookie sheet and a little salt (or maybe some pudding!) is a fun way to get some extra letter practice.
 
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, March 28th - Professional Development Day for Teachers (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of snowy weather or lack of power at school)
Friday, April 25th - 6:00pm Denim and Diamonds (Parents Night Out Fundraiser)
Thursday, May 15th - Alta Sierra's Open House
Tuesday, May 20th - TK Field Trip to the Zoo!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of snowy weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

TK Week of February 24th-28th

Happy Friday!
 
We've had another fun week in TK! As skills have been increasing, the art table has become a favorite place to be. All those fabulous pieces of process art that have been coming home represent lots of planning, problem solving, and increasing fine motor skills - lots to be celebrated!
 
Robbie Rabbit's R - With blue skies and sunny weather in the forecast tomorrow, Saturday might be a great day to make some chalk capital R's outside (and then let the rain wash them away on Sunday). It might also be fun to go on a /r/ sound hunt together with your cutie.
 
One More/One Less - We've still been spending time with more and less this week, and our TKers are becoming experts!
 
Dr. Suess Week - I wanted to remind everyone that TK will be celebrating Dr. Suess all of next week:
Monday - Wear crazy socks ( Fox in Socks)
Tuesday - Wear a silly hat (Cat in the Hat)
Wednesday - Wear mismatched or backwards clothes (Wacky Wednesday)
Thursday - Wear yellow or green (Green Eggs and Ham)
Friday - Bring a small stuffed animal to school (If I Ran the Zoo)
 
Mrs. Kelley Gone Friday, March 7th and Monday, March 10th) - I wanted you to know that I will be traveling out of state for my sister's celebration of life, but that I will be back in the classroom on Tuesday, March 11th.
 
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend together!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, March 28th - Professional Development Day for Teachers (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of snowy weather or lack of power at school)
Friday, April 25th - 6:00pm Denim and Diamonds (Parents Night Out Fundraiser)
Thursday, May 15th - Alta Sierra's Open House
Tuesday, May 20th - TK Field Trip to the Zoo!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of snowy weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

TK Week of February 17th-21st

We've had another wonderful week in TK!
 
Bubba Bear's B - Your TKer will be able to make you some awesome B's, and I bet together you'll be able to think of lots of beginning /b/ words.
 
1 More/1 Less  - We've been thinking of one more and one less this week. To reinforce this important concept, you could have fun with your cutie this week by showing a number on your fingers and asking what one more would be. Add one more and see. Now put that original number on your fingers again and ask what one less would be. Take away one and see. Let your TKer show a number on his/her fingers and ask you.
 
Our Social/Emotional Lesson - Feeling Frustrated - We spent a lot of time this week talking, reading, and singing about what to do if you're feeling frustrated. Belly breaths and talking to a grown-up you trust can really help. We also talked a lot about how learning/trying new things can be frustrating, but how important it is to keep trying. TKers can do hard things!
 
Your TKer Knows Mrs. Kelley Will be Gone on Monday - Friday afternoon we talked about how I'll be gone on Monday because of a meeting, but that Mrs. Percey, Mrs. Newman, and Miss Angela will be there. I can't wait to see them all again Tuesday morning.
 
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, March 28th - Teacher Professional Development Day (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Friday, April 25th - 6:00pm Denim and Diamonds (Parents Night Out Fundraiser)
Thursday, May 15th - Alta Sierra's Open House
Tuesday, May 20th - TK Field Trip to the Zoo!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss 3-4 days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

Two Things From TK

Hello Parents,
With Friday being a holiday, Mrs. Alonso was really nice and said we could come see her at library time tomorrow (Thursday) to turn in our library books and pick out a new one.
 
Please have your TKer put their library book in their backpack tonight, so they can pick out a fun new book tomorrow.
 
Also look for homework folders in your cutie's backpack tonight. That way you can have your TKer return them to the blue bucket tomorrow morning, and  they don't have to stay with you until Tuesday. (Reminder - no school on Friday and Monday, because of our President's Day Weekend.)
 
Thank you for your help!

TK Week of February 3rd-7th

Social/Emotional Learning - We've been thinking how we can care for and help our friends (and family). Using the parent link that went home in our Thursday folder is a great way to continue to help your little TKer develop this important skill.
 
DeeDee Dear's D - This week we've been focusing on the letter D ("Hello smile, ribbit, big curve down). Be sure to ask your cutie to show you some D's, and see together how many /d/ words you both can come up with .
 
Valentines Day - I wanted to remind everyone that we will be celebrating this fun day on Thursday, because we won't be at school on Friday (or the following Monday - Presidents' Day Weekend).
 
Valentine bags are painted and ready to be filled with Valentines! If your TKer's Valentines are ready, they can come to school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and even Thursday. If you bring your cutie to school in the morning, we'd love your help putting Valentines in bags - thanks so much!
 
Wish List - TK is low on one of their favorite things - Playdoh! If you are able to help donate a container or two of this fabulous fine motor developmental fun we really appreciate it!
 
I hope everyone enjoys the sunshine this weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Thursday, February 13th - TK's Valentines Day!
Friday, February 14th - Monday, February 17th - President's Weekend (no school)
Friday, March 28th - Teacher Professional Development Day (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, May 15th - Alta Sierra's Open House
Tuesday, May 20th - TK Field Trip to the Zoo!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss 3-4 days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

TK Week of January 27th-31st

NAMES ON COATS, Please - With cold mornings that have quickly gotten warmer this week, lots of coats were left outside. So, I was hoping that you could make sure your cutie's name is in the inside of her/his jacket(s). That way it's easier for coats to make it back to our classroom if they do get left outside.
 
Holiday Cheer Program - For those of you who ordered a digital copy of our TK Holiday Program, I found out the video was sent to your email around Wednesday from Rattler Pit.  If you ordered a DVD/BluRay, they arrived in my box this afternoon. I can give it (them) to you Monday morning. IF YOU DIDN'T ORDER, AND WOULD LIKE TO NOW, YOU STILL CAN. Just let me know.
 
Darn, No Assembly! - We were very excited to go to our first assembly today, but the presenter never came. We're hoping all is well with him, and that we get to see him soon.
 
Valentines Day - TK will be celebrating this special day on THURSDAY, February 13th. A purple note in yesterday's folder has our class names for Valentines, as well as a short note to clarify when we hope Valentines come to school.
 
100th Day - The highlight of TK this week was our 100th Day! It was filled with counting out 100 delicious snacks, hopping and jumping to 100, building with 100 cups, and dotting 100 "gumballs" in our 100th Day gumball machine. And, on top of that we got to parade through 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade in our fabulous 100 Days of TK hat!
Attributes - One of TK's favorite games this week as Attribute Train. It was fun watching them pick something to go on the end of the shape train, and then explain the one, two, or three attributes those shapes share. They picked out those attributes like pros!
 
Letter J - Jelly Jellyfish's J has been our focus this week. On a rainy weekend it might be fun to create a salt tray (or a pudding tray - yum!) to practice some TK J's. (L,F,E,T,I,H,C,O,Q,G,S would also be great!)
 
I hope everyone stays dry and has a wonderful weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31TH - FAMILY NIGHT IN THE MPR 6-8PM - EYES IN THE NIGHT (Science Night About Nocturnal Animals)
Thursday, February 13th - TK's Valentines Day!
Friday, February 14th - Monday, February 17th - President's Weekend (no school)
Friday, March 28th - Teacher Professional Development Day (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, May 15th - Alta Sierra's Open House!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss 3-4 days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

TK Weeks of January 6th-17th

It feels like these last two weeks back in TK have sped by. Everyone seemed to quickly settle back into routine and enjoy being back with friends.
 
ZooPhonics - Although we still think about our ZooPhonic friends and the sounds they make, these last two weeks we started emphasizing the names of the letters with these friends and the sounds they share.
 
Q (Queenie Quail) and G (Gordo Gorilla) - Have your cutie show you how to make these two letters. (If needed, remind your cutie that they both start with magic C). Then together you could brainstorm words that begin with these sounds.
 
Attributes - We learned a new game called Attribute Train! The idea is noticing what attributes (characteristics) two things share. This would be fun to play together at home. How are your couch and kitchen chair the same? How are they different? (This is actually a very important beginning math skill, plus it's fun to think about!)
 
Martin Luther King Jr. - We have been thinking a lot about Martin L. King Jr. this week! We're glad he was able to help make good changes - even when it was hard - and that he did it with kindness and love. REMEMINDER - WE WON'T BE AT SCHOOL ON MONDAY (1/20) IN HONOR OF HIM.
 
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Monday, January 20th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31TH - FAMILY NIGHT IN THE MPR 6-8PM - EYES IN THE NIGHT (Science Night About Nocturnal Animals)
Thursday, February 13th - TK's Valentines Day!
Friday, February 14th - Monday, February 17th - President's Weekend (no school)
Friday, March 28th - Teacher Professional Development Day (no school)
Monday - Friday, April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)
Monday, April 21st - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day (no school)
Tuesday, May 27th - Emergency Day (no school IF we haven't needed to miss a day because of poor weather or lack of power at school)
Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of TK (unless we miss 3-4 days of school because of poor weather or lack of power at school - then the last day would be Friday, June 6th or Monday, June 9th)

TK Pajama Day, Library and Pink Puffy Jacket?

Hello Parents,
Yay! I wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow is pajama day AND library day!
 
A pink, puffy jacket has gone missing, so I was just checking to see if it accidentally ended up in the wrong backpack. If you happen to see it, thanks for sending it back to school.
 
Thanks so much!

TK is looking for a Friday Volunteer

Hello Parents,
I am hoping someone is able to help us during Friday group time. It would be from 8:30am to about 9:40am. It is Pajama Day, so you wouldn't even have to get dressed! Let me know if that works for you. Thanks so much!

TK Week of December 9th-13th

This has been a very busy week in TK! Your cutie has been using lots of fine motor skills painting, cutting, gluing, designing, and glittering his/her little heart out.
 
Brown Paper Grocery Bags Needed - If you have an extra bag or two at home that you can donate to the class that would be great. We will be using them to bring home some adorable holiday art and an extra special present to put under the tree from your little TKer.
 
Classroom Food Donations and Our Donation Day Parade - I want to give a huge thank you to those who were able to put non-perishable foods (cans and boxes) in our classroom box that get to go to our local food bank next Thursday.
 
That happens to be Donation Day, a long standing Nevada County tradition dating back to the Cornish mining days. On Thursday, each child will get to hold a can/item of food as we walk together down the ramp to multi-purpose room to place into big boxes that will be taken up to fill the storerooms of our local food bank.
 
If you'd still like to donate you definitely can on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning.
 
WHITE NOTE GOING HOME TODAY! - A white note didn't get to us in time for Thursday Folders, so they are in your cutie's backpack right now. It's a form asking if you'd like to order a DVD, Blu-Ray, or digital copy of our upcoming TK Holiday Cheer Performance. They are always adorable and fun to look back on.
 
TK's Holiday Cheer Program - Our program is only four days away!
Tuesday, December 17th @6:00pm in the MPR.
Reminders:  
*Please be there at LEAST 5 MINUTES EARLY (our program is only about 15 minutes long)
*TKers get to wear their HOLIDAY BEST
*PLEASE BRING AN APPETIZER OR DESSERT TO SHARE FOR A FAMILY SOCIAL AFTER OUR 15 MINUTE PROGRAM.
 
Spirit Week Next Week - Please look at the "dates to remember" below to see what we'll be wearing each day next week.
 
I hope everyone has a really nice weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 16th - Wear a Holiday Hat Day
December 17th - Wear Holiday Colors Day
 
December 17th - Holiday Cheer TK Christmas Performance (6:00pm)
 
December 18th - Wear a Holiday Sweater Day
December 19th - Crazy/Holiday Hair Day
December 20th - Wear PJ's to School Day
December 23rd-January 3rd - Winter Break (no school)
January 20th - Martin L. King Day (no school)
February 14th-17th - President's Weekend (no school)
April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)

TK Weeks of Nov. 28th-29th and Dec. 2nd-6th

TK Friendship Feast - The morning was filled with cutting fruit for our friendship salad and making butter. Then after a Thanksgiving story on our screen (just enough time for teachers to get everything ready), it was time for our special feast. The best word to describe it is ADORABLE! It was so much fun seeing our TKers sitting around our big Thanksgiving table in their festive turkey hats, listening to what each one is thankful for, and then eating their delicious fruit salad, popcorn, corn muffins with their very own butter, and pumpkin pie with LOTS of whipped cream!
 
TK's Holiday Cheer Program - Our program is only eleven days away!
Tuesday, December 17th @6:00pm in the MPR.
Reminders:  
*Please be there at LEAST 5 MINUTES EARLY (our program is only about 15 minutes long)
*TKers get to wear their HOLIDAY BEST
*PLEASE BRING AN APPETIZER OR DESSERT TO SHARE FOR A FAMILY SOCIAL AFTER OUR 15 MINUTE PROGRAM.
 
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 16th - Wear a Holiday Hat Day
December 17th - Wear Holiday Colors Day
December 18th - Wear a Holiday Sweater Day
December 19th - Crazy/Holiday Hair Day
December 20th - Wear PJ's to School Day
December 17th - Holiday Cheer TK Christmas Performance (6:00pm)
December 23rd-January 3rd - Winter Break (no school)
January 20th - Martin L. King Day (no school)
February 14th-17th - President's Weekend (no school)
April 14th-18th - Spring Break (no school)

TK Week of November 18th-22nd

Hello Parents!
TK has been busy this week learning about Thanksgiving and getting ready for our special feast next week.
 
Letter U - We practiced how to make the letter U ("Hello smile, big line down, turn, up") and spent time listening for U and Umber Umbrella Bird's sound at the beginning of words.
 
Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thank you everyone for taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me this week. I feel so lucky to be able to be part of your TKer's learning journey this year.
 
TK's Friendship Feast - Thank you to all of you who are bringing supplies/food for our special TK event this Tuesday. You're very appreciated! Please have your TKer bring one piece of their favorite fruit on Monday, so we can cut it up and share it in our friendship fruit salad on Tuesday.
Also - A snack isn't needed on Tuesday, since we will be sharing our fruit salad, corn muffins, pumpkin pie, and popcorn that day.
 
TK's Holiday Cheer Program - Since my next post won't be until December 6th, I wanted to remind you to mark your calendar for Tuesday, December 17th @6:00pm in the MPR.
Reminders:  
Please be there at least 5 minutes early (only about 15 minutes long)
TKers get to wear their holiday best
Please bring a dessert or appetizer to share for a family social afterward.
 
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and dry!
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
November 26th - TK's Friendship Feast
November 27th-29th - Thanksgiving Break (no school)
December 17th - Holiday Cheer TK Christmas Performance (6:00pm)
December 23rd-January 3rd - Winter Break (no school)

TK Week of November 12th-15th

We had another wonderful week in TK!
 
Letter I - Lizzy Lizard's I was our letter and sound of the week. Extra practice at home (along with L,F,E,H, and T) making letters and thinking of sounds together is fun to do and great reinforcement of the skills your cutie is learning.
 
Patterns - Your TKer was introduced to AB patterns this week. At school everyone had fun creating their own AB pattern with our classroom color cubes, but AB patterns can be found at home too! Get creative with your cutie to see what can be found (i.e. - Cherrio, Kix, Cherrio, Kix/ fork, spoon, fork, spoon). 
 
TK's Holiday Cheer Program - We're continuing to learn new songs and poems for our December 17th program at 6:00pm in the multi-purpose room. Be sure to mark your calendar! (Relatives and friends are definitely invited!)
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
**November 18th-22nd - Parent/Teacher Conference Week
November 27th-29th - Thanksgiving Break (no school)
December 17th - Holiday Cheer TK Christmas Performance (6:00pm)
December 23rd-January 3rd - Winter Break (no school)

One Last Call - Can a Parent/Grandparent Help Us Tomorrow Morning?

We are still looking for a parent or grandparent who can help us tomorrow morning from 8:45-9:45. If you can, please email me at [email protected]
Thank you so much!

TK Voluteers Needed for Some of Our Group Times

Hello Parents,
We have a group time station from 8:00-9:45am without a parent volunteer on some of our upcoming Thursdays: 11/14, 11/21, and 12/5.
 
If you can help us for one, two, or three of these group times, please let me know as soon as possible. Replying won't work, but you can email me at [email protected]
 
Thank you so much!

Family Time
Family Time!
My husband, Tom
My husband, Tom
Brian
Brian
Kyle
Kyle
Kaity
Kaity