September+19,+2008

This week, the morning air indicates that cooler weather may be just around the corner. I am hoping for some Indian summer days so the temperatures stay warm for a while longer. We spent lots of time outdoors this week, knowing that there will be rainy and wet days ahead. Those days are hard because there is no outdoor time and so we enjoy our time outside while we can.

We released the last of our monarchs this week and sent them off to Mexico. I hope to have pictures of all our butterflies up on the blog posted by Sunday. We hoped to watch the last butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. We waited patiently all morning but while the children were at art, it silently broke out of the shell, unfolded its wings and was hanging, upside down when the children returned. Fortunately, I caught the process on video and will try to post that on the blog as well.

Our first field trip is this week – Thursday, September 25. We are going apple picking at Appleview Orchard in Pittsfield. We will leave school around 9:30 and return to school for lunch. The cost of the trip is $6.00. In addition to picking a small bag of apples, children will go on a hayride, see a cider press demonstration, enjoy a soft serve ice cream before returning to school. We will travel in private cars to the orchard and I need volunteers to assist with the driving. Please indicate on the permission slip if you will assist and how many children you can transport. I count on your help and organize children in groups based on my parent volunteers. I would like to have 2 adults in each car. By state law, each child must be in a booster seat when riding in a car. Please make arrangements to have a seat a school for the trip. I have a few extras in case a child arrives without one. Please let me know if you would like to use one of mine. We may return to school after our scheduled lunchtime, so please send your child with a lunch from home on Thursday. We will all eat in our classroom when we return from the trip. The permission slip for this trip is in your child’s folder. Please sign it and return it to school by Tuesday so I know if I have enough volunteers for the trip. Send in the $6.00 for the trip at the same time.

=****Kindergarten News****=