Bad News...

Due to the flu scare, the carnival and our Crowes Nest field trip have been canceled. As soon as I find out about possible rescheduling, I will let you know about money and refunds.

We Are Germ Busters!

If you've been watching the news at all, you're probably a little worried about the current flu scare. Although we haven't seen any evidence of this flu at Patsy Sommer or RRISD, we are being extra careful. We are washing our hands several times a day--especially before we eat. We are also using a lot of hand sanitizer (don't worry--we have plenty!)

I also took this opportunity to review germs and hand-washing habits with the kids. Here's what we're learning:

We reviewed the correct way to wash our hands.

• We get our paper towel ready before we begin, so we don't have to touch the paper towel dispenser once our hands are clean.
• We get one squirt of soap and a little water (but we turn the water off while we're scrubbing so we don't waste it!)
• We scrub...scrub...and scrub some more. We remember to scrub all parts of our hands--front, back, and in between fingers. We have a fun little song we can sing, so we know exactly how long to scrub for (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat--Sing it twice).
  

Wash, wash, wash your hands,

Wash the dirt away.

Scrub 'em...Rinse 'em...Shake them dry,

Germs go down the drain.

• We rinse and shake.
• We turn the water off with our elbow (so our clean hand doesn't touch the dirty faucet).
• We dry off!
• We wash our hands after using the bathroom, after sneezing or coughing into them, after blowing our nose, and before we eat.
  

We also reviewed what do do when we sneeze or cough...we cover our mouths with our elbows! That way we do not spread our germs with our hands!

We can also use a tissue. We always wash our hands after using a tissue.

Even bears...

A Fun Hand Washing Video to watch

Your children ate plants today...

And they loved them! (Well, most of them did).

We ate roots (carrots), stems (celery), flowers (broccoli), and seeds (pumpkin and sunflower)--with a little ranch dressing for dipping.

The biggest hit was probably the edamame--so if you're looking for a healthy snack, you should pick up a bag (I got the frozen kind from Central Market).

Who knew they would love veggies and dip so much!

E-I-E-I-O

Our Field Trip to Crowe's Nest Farm is this Monday, May 4! So much to see and do--cows, horses, ostriches, snakes, turtles, prairie dogs, chickens, hens, lizards, and so much more...

Please remember:

1. Have your child wear comfortable shoes--we'll be doing a lot of walking.


2. Dress for the weather. It will probably be hot, but this is Texas, so who really knows. (Just checked the forecast--30% chance of rain! Let's hope for a nice sunny day!)


3. Don't forget to pack a lunch (if you didn't order one from the cafeteria). Please do not pack glass, and leave the lunchboxes at home (we want all disposable).


4. Please let me know if you plan on attending! Anyone can come, whether your an "approved" volunteer or not!

It's Carnival Time!

The First Annual Pasty Sommer Spring Carnival is this Saturday, May 4 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. It sounds like it's going to be so much fun! There will be inflatables, human hampster balls, laser tag, a rock-climbing wall, a dunking tank, lots of games and food, and much, much more! Please visit the school website for more information and ticket information. I hope to see everyone there!




We need volunteers to work in our booth! The kindergarten team is in charge of the Bean bag Toss. If you plan on attending the carnival, please help us by signing up to work a shift at our booth. It will be a lot of fun! You can even do a 30 minute shift! If you can volunteer, please contact Kristi Isaacs: kristidisaacs@austin.rr.com . Thanks!

Learning to Read...

We are reading... a lot!
The kids are really enjoying reading. I think we're creating lifelong readers!




Here's a few things we do in Reading Workshop when our work is done.

We write books...
We play games...

and we do puzzles!