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Dear Parents and Friends of the Honeybees,

 It is not too early to start looking for tennies now! In the past, people have had good luck getting CANVAS TENNIES at the following haute couture shoe emporia:

♦TARGET
♦SEARS
♦LAND’S END
♦L.L. BEAN
♦NORDSTROM
♦J.C. PENNEY

Dress for the Weather

Please help us by making sure that your Honeybee has a coat, hat or hood, mittens, socks and boots. We know that the kids sometimes resist these things, especially a coat. We won’t let them go out without proper clothing for the weather and the kids, given the choice, would much rather wear their own things from home rather than the ones we provide. If you don’t want to argue with your child about wearing a coat, make it clear that you are in charge and just bring the coat into the classroom with you. We will take it from there.

And speaking of clothing—will you please take a look at your Honeybee’s supply of extra clothing in the blue zip-lock bag in his or her cubby. Make sure that there are pants or leggings, a long-sleeved shirt, socks and undies. Also, would you check at home and see if you have any clothing belonging to the Honeybees—we seem to have run out of extras and really don’t want to go out and buy more. Thanks for checking!

Problem-solving Tools

Woodshop

Jennifer spent a morning meeting introducing some of the hand-tools the children will use in the shop. Yes, shop has finally begun and the children already are quite clear about their shop days: Ovals on Tuesdays; Dots on Wednesdays; and Raindrops on Thursdays. If you want to know which is your Bee’s shop day, check the list outside the classroom door or in various places about the classroom.

We also made some changes to the Blue/Green lists for specials. We did this a couple of times in the fall and will, no doubt, do it again before the end of the year. We explain to the kids that we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to get to know everyone else well before the end of the year.

Family Books

You have probably noticed the big book press on Allen’s table. We have started to apply the colorful five-family book designs that we made in the fall to the covers of our Family Books. The glue is very gooey—hard to manage, but the kids are doing a great job. They especially love putting their books in the press and turning the big wheel “with all their might.”

Take Aparts

“Take Aparts” is also a new addition to the classroom. We have the tools, the goggles, and some old machinery to take apart—an old VCR and a few other things. We will sort the nuts, bolts, wires, bit and pieces that come out of these machines and then later on we will build our own machines. This activity provides lots of opportunity for visual/spatial problem solving, cooperation, and small motor practice with the tools. It’s fun for everyone. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP: If you have any old machines that you could donate, we’d love to have ‘em. The things that work best are things with moving parts, motors, etc. Things that run on a printed circuit are not so interesting. In the past cast-offs that have worked well have been: manual typewriters, VCRs, record players, electric mixers, electric screw drivers, alarm clocks, and the like. Oh, we had a small chain-saw once that was terrific fun.

Books

Last week we read a story called Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, written and illustrated by Evaline Ness. It is a somewhat complex story (but we’ve found none better to get at the topic) that provides a good lesson about telling the truth (real) and not telling the truth (moonshine). Most important, it helps children to distinguish between telling “nonsense” (good moonshine) and lying in a way that can be hurtful or even dangerous (bad moonshine). We will be using the terms “real” and “moonshine” with the children in the classroom. Here are some important questions to ASK YOUR HONEYBEE. Who was Sam? How did her father earn a living? Did Sam have a mother? What was Sam’s special friend’s name? What “bad” moonshine did Sam tell Thomas? Did Sam really have a baby kangaroo and a mermaid mother? What happened to Bangs, the cat? What did Sam give to her friend Thomas at the end of the story? MOST IMPORTANT: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “REAL” AND “MOONSHINE?"

And to help celebrate Allen’s birthday, she read There Are No Polar Bears Here by Catherine Simpson and illustrated by Joanne Snook. ASK YOUR HONEYBEE what kind of berries Kerry had that attracted the polar bear. This story is from Newfoundland, so the berries are partridge berries. What did Kerry say each time she saw the bear? Jumpins! How did Kerry finally prove to her little island community that there really was a polar bear?

  
BIG NEWS! 

Have a great week!

Allen, Chenoa, & Rebecca

PFA General Meeting with Kathie Masarie, M.D.

Raising our Daughters and Sons: It Really Does Take a Village

a talk by Kathy Masarie, M.D., author of Raising our Daughters and Raising our Sons

“We live in a culture that pulls families in different directions, sometimes towards influences we do not value. Plus family alone isn’t enough. Kids need to feel like their community cares about and values them, have connections to other adults, be empowered by volunteer opportunities, be inspired to learn, make good choices in friendships… all of these are built outside the family. In this seminar, learn about the evidence-based programs on how parents can create a thriving family. You’ll learn how all of us can build the connections within our neighborhoods, schools, and families to create a healthy network of support for our kids to become strong, resilient, capable, responsible, and caring young adults.”

Minimalist Art Show

January 12 – February 22
Cabell Center foyer