Home - Mrs. Stokes-Holtrop

2/11/2010

February 10, 2010

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

The Kindergarten weeks sure are flying by! Please be sure to have your child's Valentine cards turned in by Friday morning. If they are finished already, please send them in as we will start passing out on Thursday. Also, because we will be focusing on manners, I am asking that you send your child in their most wonderful "Valentine Outfits". We will be practicing being polite while enjoying our holiday treats, so having the kids dressed for the part would be wonderful. (And a great class photo opportunity!)Thank you to those of you sending in donations to make this day special for our little ones.

Pizza Gallery Field Trip

Our Field trip to Pizza Gallery is on Feb 17th. Please be sure to send your child dressed in their class t-shirt and tennis shoes. Remember that they will not need a lunch on this day.

Dr. Suess Day!!

Our magnificent Media Specialist, Mrs. Kuhblank is planning yet another amazing experience for our kids. On Tuesday, March 2^nd, we will be celebrating Dr. Suess' birthday in the most special kind of way! There will be games, costumes, and of course, plenty of reading taking place! We are in need of volunteers for this special day. If you are interested, please sign up on the bulletin board outside of the library. There is more information located there.

Piggy Bank Pageant

Located under Class Documents on the website, you will find a flyer about the "Piggy Bank Pageant" that we are participating in. We have been learning about money over the past few weeks and this would be a great way for you to reinforce these skills at home. Please check it out and send in those Piggy Banks!

March Home-to-School Project

Also in the class documents, you will find the March project to create with your child. Have fun! And as always, no food attached to the projects, please. J

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1/26/2010

The Turtle Times

Hello Parents J

Thank you to all that contributed/came out for our awesome 100^th Day Celebration!! It was definitely a memorable one- hopefully I convinced the kids that there is school after the 100^th day and they'll be ready to return tomorrow! 100 is pretty much as high as it goes in kindergarten, so they were a little shocked when I told them 1^st grade is still a little ways away. J

Already quickly approaching is Valentines Day…we will be making boxes to hold all of the cards and goodies that the children receive. If you could please send in an empty cereal box for your child to use, it would be appreciated. We will be passing out cards to each other, and I am attaching the class list so that you can start working on them at home, if you choose to do this with your child. If you decide to create cards, please send in enough for the entire class- as we certainly don't want any hurt feelings, especially since we will be celebrating friendship in the classroom. This is a great handwriting activity to do with your child, so if at all possible, please have them write their friend's (and their own names) on the cards. We'll help decipher as they pass out. J

As we will be focusing on friendship, I like to keep Valentines Day as a special "class family" day where we practice manners and politeness with our friends. You are welcome to send in any special treats on Friday, Feb 12^th for us to enjoy, and I will be asking for a few donations to help with some of the activities we will be doing. Thank you for always contributing items that help make our Kindergarten days special.

Our class list is as follows:

Emma

Alyssa

Aaron

Tyana

Micah

Cameron

Caroline

Delaney

Jensen

Kaylee

Bianca

Joshua

Joseph

Isabella

Annie

Keliyah

(Sadly, we are down to 16 students as our friends Colin and Sophia moved away. L)

Have fun creating these cards with your child- this is always such a special day in Kindergarten.

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1/14/2010

The Turtle Times

January 14, 2010

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

Welcome to 2010! I cannot believe how quickly it arrived! We are very close to celebrating our 100^th day of Kindergarten!

100^th Day Celebration

The 100^th Day of Kindergarten is a very special day at Manatee! We have lots of fun activities planned as well as a visit from our very famous ZERO THE HERO! Mrs. Sicoli will be emailing regarding supplies and volunteers that are needed to make this day a special one. Thanks for all of your help in advance! Please be sure to send your child in their class t-shirt and comfortable tennis shoes. They will be doing A LOT of physical activity that day. Weather permitting, we will be spending most of the day outside- please take that into consideration when the day arrives. J

Awards Ceremony

Our Awards Ceremony for this grading period will be held on January 21^st at 8:15. If your child is receiving an award at this time, they will bring home an invitation. Every child will have the opportunity to be recognized this year. If they are not recognized at this ceremony, they will be at one of the next few.

Walk-A-Thon

The Manatee Elementary Walk-A-Thon will be hold on Jan 21^st. (If weather creates an issue, it will be held Fri, Jan 22^nd.) Your child is bringing home a collection envelope with all the information needed.

Parent Teacher Conference Night

If you would like to schedule a conference with me for this night, please send me a quick email and I will give you a few choices of time slots available. The conference night is scheduled for Jan 26^th from 5-7pm.

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12/8/2009

The Turtle Times

December 9, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

Hello Parents! Below is the list of Holiday Events that will be going on next week. Please read through them to learn about the fun we'll be having!

*Mon 12/14 We have several very exciting guests coming to visit. Feel free to send your little one in their holiday gear as they will be photographed. If it is a really nice outfit, please send in a change of clothes/shoes so they can still participate in all Kindergarten activities without getting those outfits messy.

*Tues 12/15- I typically do this just with the children but felt like we could extend the FUN to parents this year! You are invited to come to the classroom at 10:15am to decorate a Kindergarten Style Gingerbread House with your child. I am sorry for the late notice, but it is a last minute idea for me to extend the invitation to parents. Hopefully you can make arrangements to stop in for this special treat Please limit this to a 2 parent/guest maximum per child. We simply don't have enough room so many caring friends!

*Wed 12/16 Please send your Kindergartener to school in their PAJAMAS! They will also be allowed to bring 2 "comfy" items- such as a pillow, blanket, or stuffed animal. Please be sure these items are marked with their names so we know who to send them home with. We will also be enjoying holiday treats on this day if you would like to send items in for the children to enjoy.

*Thurs 12/17 I will be leaving at 11:30 to fly to Iowa for Christmas with my in-laws. Remember that we will have early dismissal the last 3 days of school before break. (Wed-Fri- they leave an hour early.)

*Fri 12/18 We will have a guest teacher and will be enjoying holiday crafts and fun in the classroom while Mrs. Holtrop is away 

I have attached the Caring Fund document to the website- the kids should be excited about this project! It is such a great way to teach about the true meaning behind the holidays. J

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11/13/2009

The Turtle Times

November 13, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Kindergarten Feast is coming soon!!!!

Please be sure to get your Thanksgiving Feast form sent in ASAP. We need to get a count for food. Please remember, our class is being asked to bring in a prepared dessert to share with the crowd. Ideas would be brownies, pie, cake, etc. Please put the dessert in a disposable container with a serving utensil. If you are able to help set-up/clean-up, it would be most appreciated-please indicate that on the form as well. Forms are due back by MONDAY Nov 16^th.

*This is just a reminder that we have several parents who have younger siblings and were planning on bringing them to the feast. Unfortunately, the request is that no siblings are brought to the K feast since this is a special activity for the Kindergarten student. We understand that sometimes, child care is a problem and if this is the case, then maybe one parent can stay home and do a special activity with the younger sibling while the other parent comes for the feast. Our goal as a kindergarten team is for a parent to come and really focus their full attention on their kindergartener so we are requesting that if this is the case, then only one parent come and the other parent can stay home with the sibling. That way, the kindergartener feels special and your attention is fully on them for their special event. The feast should only last about an hour so hopefully, there is a neighbor, church friend, or other person that could watch the sibling for just a short time. The problem is if we make an exception for one, then we have to open it up to everyone and in the past, this has not only become a problem but it has taken away from the full attention being on the K student. I hope this somewhat helpful in planning for your child's special day.

Scholastic Book Order

I apologize that the Scholastic website was not accepting online orders. I thought that the catalogs were loaded until January. I have tried to correct this problem, but apparently the site is experiencing difficulties. If you would like to make any Christmas purchases, just send in the hard copy and we can get the order in and back in plenty of time to enjoy them throughout the month of December. The due date to make this happen will be Tuesday, November 24^th.

"Vacation Work"

Please know that it is school wide policy for the teachers not to provide missed work in advance in the event of a family vacation. The work will be ready and available to take home upon the student's return. Thanks for your understanding.

OT Tip of the Month

There are 7 lower case 'Magic C' letters, a, c, d, g, p, q and s. These 7 lower case letters all begin with the 'Magic C.' 'Magic C' turns into an "a", with one long line. 'Magic C' into a d, one long line and so on. The 'Magic C' cuing helps the student's to start the letters at the top, decrease segmentation and reversals. Carol A. Schweitzer, COTA/L

Have a fabulous week!! J

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11/3/2009

The Turtle Times

November 3, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

Our year sure is flying by! Already time to start working on our Kindergarten Feast! Be sure to look out for details about this annual Manatee Elementary tradition. We are not sure which date will be our feast date, but it will be either the 23^rd or 24^th. Details to follow.

Snacks

Please be sure you are sending your child a healthy snack to eat during snack time. Fruits and vegetables always provide us with a "teachable moment" about healthy choices. I do not allow the children to eat chips or cookies during this time as I feel it will impede their focus rather than improve it during the 90 minute reading block. Thanks for your help in this matter.

Conscious Discipline

The next Conscious Discipline course will be held at the Cocoa BCC campus on 11/18 at 6:45pm.

Scholastic Book Orders

I will be sending home the December Scholastic Order Sheet this Friday so that you may look over it. If you would like to make any Christmas purchases, we can get the order in and back in plenty of time to enjoy them throughout the month of December. The due date to make this happen will be Tuesday, November 24^th.

Field Trip Chaperones

If you would like to chaperone for a field trip, please send me an email ASAP. I have a running list of parents who would like to chaperone and will use that list to select the chaperones for the next field trip. If you have already sent me the email, you are on the list.

"Vacation Work"

Please know that it is school wide policy for the teachers not to provide missed work in advance in the event of a family vacation. The work will be ready and available to take home upon the student's return. Thanks for your understanding.

Festival of Trees

Manatee will be entering a tree into the "Festival of Trees" to raise money for charities. Please check our website for the document regarding this event. We are asking Manatee Families to make a small contribution to the tree.

Have a fabulous week!! J

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10/12/2009

The Turtle Times

October 12, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

Thanks so much to ALL of you who showed up to Kindergarten Campfire Check-out. It was an amazing thing to see all of our families there sharing that special time with your Kindergarteners and instilling the love of reading at such a young age. Mrs. Kuhblank really went all out in creating that special night for our children (she really gave us K teachers a break!)- if you would like to send a thank you email, her email address is kuhblank.tricia@brevardschools.org. I know she would love to hear feedback for future years. J

Book Fair

Our Fall Book Fair is approaching quickly and we are getting ready and organized! We are in need of some "excited" volunteers to help kids throughout the week. Please visit the Media Center to sign up on our Book Fair Volunteer Sign up Sheet or email Mrs. Kuhblank @ Kuhblank.tricia@brevardschools.org Our class will be visiting the book fair on October 22 from 11:00-11:30. If you would like to plan so that you can assist your child in making purchases, please feel free to do so.

Sally Foster Fundraiser

Thanks for your help with our Sally Foster Fundraiser. Please send in the completed envelopes with your child.

Fall Festival

Mrs. Sicoli will be asking for donations for our Fall Festival soon. I just cant thank you enough for how supportive you are in donating items.

Scholastic Book Orders

Thanks to those of you who ordered! I will get the order in so we receive those books asap!

Writing Wall of Fame

Our Writing Wall of Famer for this week is Isabella! Isabella's work will be featured on the walls of the cafeteria this week.

Pumpkin Day!

On Thursday, October 22^nd we will celebrate pumpkin day by discovering all the wonderful science experiments that pumpkins have to offer. To add to this excitement, I am asking that you complete an "at home" pumpkin activity with your child. Please check the website for a document about this special project!

Mr. Al Field Trip

Don't forget (as if your Kindergartener would possibly let you!) that we will be going to the Mr. Al concert on Friday, October 23^rd. Please send your child in with a ziplock bagged lunch that day, with their name labeled across the front. Our t-shirts should be here any moment now, so they will be wearing those on that day!

Student Drop-Off

Please remember that parents are expected to leave Kindergarteners at the door when dropping off in the morning. I know sometimes there are issues that you need to discuss with me-(child feeling sick, etc) should this be the case, please call the front office and let them know it is important that you speak to me, they will put you through. If you have something to drop off, please go to the office and get a yellow visitor's badge. The "powers that be" have noticed the amount of K parents coming down the hallway and have asked us to pass on the reminder. Thanks for your help. J

Harvest Hoe Down!

It's that time of year again to come join us for a fun evening at our Harvest Hoe Down! The big day is on Friday, October 23rd from 5:30-7:30. The book fair will be open from 5:00-7:00. Admission is FREE, but parental supervision is required! We will enjoy music by Timmy Vee (107.1 DJ), Viera Pizza, and other yummy snacks will be for sale! Also, Snip-its will be on-site if you want to get a cool hair design! Don't forget to dress up in your favorite duds and cowboy hat and come have some fun!

*I will be out on October 13-15 at "Teacher School" to complete my certification in Glasser Quality School Training/Choice Theory. I will be checking my email throughout the day should you need to contact me.

Have a fabulous week!! J

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10/6/2009

The Turtle Times

October 6, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

TOMORROW is the Kindergarten Campfire Check-Out! I hope to see everyone there! Our class will go to the library first, and then switch to the cafeteria at 6:00. Thanks to those of you who have donated materials for our fun! Cant wait to see those pajamas!!

Book Fair

Our Fall Book Fair is approaching quickly and we are getting ready and organized! We are in need of some "excited" volunteers to help kids throughout the week. Please visit the Media Center to sign up on our Book Fair Volunteer Sign up Sheet or email Mrs. Kuhblank @ Kuhblank.tricia@brevardschools.org Our class will be visiting the book fair on October 22 from 11:00-11:30. If you would like to plan so that you can assist your child in making purchases, please feel free to do so.

Sally Foster Fundraiser

Yesterday a packet was sent home with information about our next school-wide fundraiser- please take a look at the items and send in the envelopes. I know it's a quick turn around from our last fundraiser, but it will help raise money we can use throughout the school year. Thanks for your help!

Fall Festival

If you would like to volunteer in the classroom for our Fall Festival Day (just like the Johnny Appleseed Day) please send me a quick email. Your help in working with the children at a station will be needed from 9:15-12:00. We will only need 4 helpers, so the first 4 to respond will be put on "the list". J

Scholastic Book Orders

I sent home the latest Scholastic Book Order packet on Friday. If you would like to send in an order, please do so by Monday, October 12^th so that I can send in the order and we can receive the Halloween books in time! I have put in the new catalog numbers on the Scholastic website as well- if you would like to do an online order. We receive a free book every time an order is submitted online!

Homework Packets

I have sent home a stapled packet of some of the workbook pages that we didn't complete in class, but pertain to the skills we have worked on. You are welcome to complete these at home with your child at the pace you feel necessary.

Writing Wall of Fame

Our Writing Wall of Famer for this week is Bianca! Bianca's work will be featured on the walls of the cafeteria this week.

Pumpkin Day!

On Thursday, October 22^nd we will celebrate pumpkin day by discovering all the wonderful science experiments that pumpkins have to offer. To add to this excitement, I am asking that you complete an "at home" pumpkin activity with your child. Please check the website for a document about this special project!

Mr. Al Field Trip

Don't forget (as if your Kindergartener would possibly let you!) that we will be going to the Mr. Al concert on Friday, October 23^rd. Please send your child in with a ziplock bagged lunch that day, with their name labeled across the front. Our t-shirts should be here any moment now, so they will be wearing those on that day!

Student Drop-Off

Please remember that parents are expected to leave Kindergarteners at the door when dropping off in the morning. I know sometimes there are issues that you need to discuss with me-(child feeling sick, etc) should this be the case, please call the front office and let them know it is important that you speak to me, they will put you through. If you have something to drop off, please go to the office and get a yellow visitor's badge. The "powers that be" have noticed the amount of K parents coming down the hallway and have asked us to pass on the reminder. Thanks for your help. J

Wish List

I am updating our Wish List- thanks SO MUCH for all of your donations! You all are THE BEST!!

*I will be out on October 13-15 at "Teacher School" to complete my certification in Glasser Quality School Training/Choice Theory. I will be checking my email throughout the day should you need to contact me.

Have a fabulous week!! J

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9/28/2009

The Turtle Times

September 28, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

I apologize that the Friday Folders weren't sent home on Friday- they are in your child's backpack today. Johnny Appleseed Day was a great success, thank you SO MUCH to all of you for your donations of materials! We are so lucky to have such giving parents, it sure will help out with all of the fun things we can do in Kindergarten!!

Military Form

There is an important form in your child's folder today. Please fill it out and send it in ASAP. The class set is due to the office by Thursday, so the sooner the better. Thanks for your help in getting them in quick!

Conscious Discipline Classes

I went to the 1^st in the series of courses on Conscious Discipline and felt it was well worth it. It was tough to lengthen my day with a class at night, but I left with information I started using with the kids the very next day. I would highly recommend attending some of these workshops. The next one is THIS THURSDAY at the Melbourne BCC campus. It is focusing on the topic of composure.

Bully Presentation

The school is hosting a presentation about the new Bullying and Harassment policy that has been adopted this year. There is a flier attached to the website.

Scholastic Book Orders

Thank you so much for all of the Scholastic orders! I was able to purchase a set of reading pointers for the classroom with some of the points accrued. It should be arriving at any moment now!

Homework Packets

I have sent home a stapled packet of some of the workbook pages that we didn't complete in class, but pertain to the skills we have worked on. You are welcome to complete these at home with your child at the pace you feel necessary.

Kindergarten Campfire Check-Out!

Please check your child's folder for an important invitation for our First Annual Kindergarten Campfire Check-Out! It will be a GREAT time! I look forward to seeing all of you there! (The invitation is also posted on the website, just in case J)

Home to School Activity

I am also attaching the directions to our latest Home to School activity for you to complete at home with your child. Please be sure to cut out the traced doll and send back to school by October 5^th. Have fun!

Writing Wall of Fame

Our Writing Wall of Famer for this week is Colin West! Colin's work will be featured on the walls of the cafeteria this week. Our previous WWOF friends have been: Keliyah Brothers, Joseph Shipman and Jensen Schmidt. Congrats to all of our fabulous writers!

Have a fabulous week!! J

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9/15/2009

The Turtle Times

The Turtle Times

September 15, 2009

Mrs. Holtrop's

The Turtle Times

Your child came home today with a very important form. Please, fill out the form and return it ASAP- but no later than FRIDAY, Sept 18^th. Thanks for your help with this.

Conscious Discipline Classes

I went to the 1^st in the series of courses on Conscious Discipline and felt it was well worth it. It was tough to lengthen my day with a class at night, but I left with information I started using with the kids the very next day. I would highly recommend attending some of these workshops.

Friday Folders

I apologize for not having the Friday Folders fully loaded last week. We were having so much fun cooking our Monkey Malts, the day flew by! The work will come home this week. Thank you for your understanding of the extremely BUSY Kindergarten day we have.

Scholastic Book Orders

The last day to put in a Scholastic Book Order will be Friday, Sept. 18^th. Thank you to those of you who have ordered online. If you still would like to place an order online, here is the information you will need:

User Name: MrsHoltropsClass

Password: Manatee

Remember, every time you order online, we receive a FREE BOOK!

WISH LIST

Please look in the "Links" section of our website to find items that we could use in the classroom. Thank you so much for your generosity!

Food for Thought

Thank you to those of you who have sent in items for the Food Drive. Please continue to send in until Friday.

Entertainment Books

Thank you to all of you who submitted orders for the Entertainment Books. If you have not yet sent the info in, please do so ASAP.

Pop Tops Collection

Manatee collects Pop Tops for the Ronald McDonald house. If you start collecting at home, simply send them in with your child and we'll add them to our class can. To get you going, here is a list of how much money they earn:

1 inch = 1 pop tab	80 tabs = 1 ounce
1 foot = 12 pop tabs	1, 280 tabs = 16 ounces
1 meter = 40 pop tabs	1, 280 tabs = 1 pound	= $.60
1 lb = 1,280 pop tabs	12,800 tabs = 10 pounds	= $6.00
1 km = 40,000 pop tabs	128,000 tabs = 100 pounds	= $60.00
1 mile = 63,360 pop tabs	1,280,000 tabs = 1,000 pounds	= $600.00

Why collect only the tabs?

The aluminum tabs are smaller and cleaner than collecting cans; tabs can make a big impact when collected in numbers. They are also easier for the Houses to handle when receiving large volumes. Lastly, our pop tabs collection does not interfere with other can recycling programs that we highly recommend pop tab collectors support by collecting their cans as well as the tabs.

Week of 9/15-9/18

Letter/Sound of the Week: A

Sight Word: the

Math Concept: Measurable Features- length, weight, height

Have a fabulous week!! J

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Mrs. Stokes-Holtrop

Mrs. Stokes-Holtrop

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