Jessica Porter

April Newsletter

April Newsletter

 

                   It is so hard to believe that April has flown by.  After Spring Break the children came back ready to learn and eager to finish.  We have been working hard and are looking forward to the fun things May will bring.  The children have been doing a great job with their writing and reading.  I am very impressed at how well they can write a story.  Please continue to work on these skills and especially over the summer.  At the end of the year you will receive a letter showing exactly what reading level your child is on.  This will help you to choose books that are appropriate for your child. 

          In math we have been working very hard on number sense and adding and subtracting numbers.  Your children are doing so well with combining and taking away. We have been using a lot of hands on activities to model problems concretely, before seeing them in abstract form.  The children love doing this and really feel “grown” up when they are adding and subtracting.  I have sent home a couple of activities that the children made with pieces to combine and take away. Please use these with your child.  They really enjoy them and it will be a great benefit. 

          In science, social studies and health we have been focusing on different topics such as animals and their babies, our country, the leaders and symbols of the country.  We have also been focusing on personal health, accident prevention and who to go to if we have a problem.  Always encourage your child to share about their day and what we have learned.  The children love it, and it is a great way to reinforce the knowledge learned.   

          As the year comes to a close so does the excitement.  Please encourage your child to be on their best behavior and understand that we must still learn.  There are plenty of fun activities coming up in May.  On the 6^th of May we will field day, on the 11^th the Bee man is coming to our school, on the 15^th we will have an in school field trip called Whales Tales and on May 20^th at 12:15 we will have our end of the year party.  Thank you all for the continued support and encouragement.  It is a pleasure having your children and you as my parents.    

 

Please return library books no later than next Thursday, April 7^th. 

    

 

January Newsletter

January Newsletter

 

 

Dear Parents, 

 

Our new year has started off with a bang.  I hope that you all had a nice relaxing holiday break.  It was tough to get back into the routine, but we are moving at full speed now.  This time of year is a very busy and exciting time.  The school year is half over and the children are growing in every way.  Everyday the children are truly amazing me with what they have learned. 

We have excellent readers and writers.  Please continue to encourage your children at home to read and write.  Now is the time of year when the children really like to read to you.  Introducing new and exciting books is a great way to encourage the reading fun.  Please encourage fluency and comprehension.  This would be a tremendous help.  In math we are focusing on money, measurement and beginning to add and subtract.  Your children love the hands on activities that we continue to do in math almost daily.  Edible math is a very popular choice.   In Social Studies and Health we will be discussing dental health, Presidents and the U

S.

symbols during the month of February.  We will also be doing Groundhog’s Day activities and discussing day and night.          

In February we have some very exciting things coming our way.  Groundhog’s Day is the 2^nd and of course the 14^th is Valentine’s Day.  We will be making something for the children to collect their Valentine cards in.  We encourage the children to bring Valentine’s Day cards for their friends.  Please make sure that your child brings enough for everyone in the class.  We would hate to have hurt feelings.  If you plan to send in Valentine’s please send them with your child by the 12^th of February.  There is no school on the 16^th.  February 4^th is early release. 

Thank you for all of your help, support and wonderful conferences.  I really enjoyed getting to meet with each one of you and discuss what wonderful children you have.  You have all been so wonderful and have made this year so far very pleasant.  I will be sad to see the children go in a few months.  For those next few months we will continue to grow and learn to become bright and strong first graders. 

 

Thank you,

 

    Jessica Porter

 

P.S.  We will be using coins a lot in the coming months in math.  If you could please send in any coins with your child we would really appreciate it.  We are also in desperate need for tissues.  This is the runny nose time of year. 

 

Important Dates:

February 4^th Early Release

February 12^th Valentine’s should be brought in by today. 

February 16^th No school President’s day and student holiday 

 

October Newsletter

October Newsletter

            It is hard to believe that another month has gone by.  We have been so busy learning and growing each day that time just flies, before we know it the holiday season will be here.  I would like to thank all of you for coming to our zoo phonics performance.  The children worked really hard and did a fantastic job with their performance.  We are now working on spelling and writing words.  It amazes me everyday how eager the children are to spell words, sound things out, read and write.  They are really enjoying their phonics time and soaring through.  It won’t be long before we have excellent readers and writers on our hands.  Just please remember to keep reading with your child at home.  That is so important, and I truly believe that before long most of them will be reading to you.  Math has also been an amazing success with the children.  We will be really focusing on estimating and simple math problems.  If you have any items that you would like to send in for our estimating jar that would be greatly appreciated.  The children love seeing what goes in the estimating jar each week. 

            Thank you for all of the help and support you have given us so far this year.  Our center helpers, room parents, and parent volunteers are wonderful.  Last week was fantastic with fall centers and the pumpkin patch.  The children loved it.  You are the best!  Mystery reader continues to be a huge success and we look forward to it each week.  Thank you to Dana Nooney for putting it all together.  Thank you again everyone.  I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful group of children and parents.  You all make my job the best that there is. 

Thank you again,

                        Jessica Porter

Upcoming Dates:

No School November 4th Teacher workday ELECTION DAY

Tuesday November 18, 2008 we have an in school field trip Polly Pilgrim. 

Thursday November 13, 2008 is our science day. 

November 24-28 Thanksgiving Holiday       

September Newsletter

September Newsletter

Dear Parents,

            What a great month we have had.  We have been very busy learning and preparing new things everyday.  Our big focus this month has been on zoo phonics.  As I am sure most of you know your children are so excited to be putting on a performance for you.  We practice everyday, and the children are doing great.  They are also very excited about dressing up and seeing each others costumes. In math this month we have been focusing a lot on numbers and number words, patterns and sorting.  The children are doing wonderful with these math lessons.  I try to prepare unique lessons so that each child can and will learn and also enjoy learning.  Our zoo phonics has provided a great opportunity for us to learn all about living and nonliving things.  Along with this science unit, we have been discussing self and family. 

            During the month of October we will continue to work on patterns, sorting and numbers in math.  We will be focusing on personal health and hygiene as well as important facts about ourselves and family in social studies.  In Social Studies we will also be discussing Columbus Day, now, long ago, past, present and future.  If you could send in a picture of your child as a baby and now that would be wonderful.  We will be making past, present and future books with these pictures.  The children are beginning to sound out words and spell their own words.  I will continue to encourage this.  The children are very proud of themselves when they learn new words.  Please practice letter and sight word recognition with them at home.  They will also from time to time be bringing books home to read with you at night.  When your child reads a book to you if you will send me a quick email or note and I will add a penny to their pocket. This is a great incentive to practice reading skills.  This can also be done with the sight word list and letters.  Thank you for your help in advance. 

            I would really appreciate it if you could please help at home by reading to you child nightly and working on handwriting.  We are still struggling on forming letters and spacing them. Again, we love parent volunteers and classroom support.  Thanks to everyone for all you do both at home and at school.  A special thanks to our mystery readers to come in the future.  The children and I both love it and look forward to it.  Remember it can be anyone who would like to come (grandparent, aunt, uncle).              

            Sincerely,   

        Jessica Porter

Important Dates: 

October 9^th is our Zoo Phonics Performance at 8:30

October 15^th is Early Release   The children are dismissed at 12:15

Our fall centers will be October 31^st from 12 to 1:15. 

Our pumpkin patch field trip is currently scheduled for October 30^th

August Newsletter

Dear Parents,

            We have had a wonderful first week and a half of school.  I feel very fortunate to already have such a wonderful class.  Your children are such a joy.  They are all sweet, polite and very bright kindergarteners.  I look forward to the months to come together.

            With our year off to such a wonderful start and the rules and routines down we will soon begin our positive reward system.  This system is not only to reinforce good and positive behavior but to help the children with money.  Money is an important standard for kindergarteners to know.  This year we will be working on identifying the coins and their value and making fair trade between coins.  As a part of our behavior system the children will have the opportunity to earn pennies in a pocket.  When they have earned five pennies they may trade them for one nickel, as the year progresses we will trade ten pennies for a dime.  Once the children have earned their five pennies, this will increase as the year goes on; they will have the opportunity to purchase items from a treasure chest or save the money.  This provides the child with a sense of buying things for money and saving money.  The treasure chest items will be small items, i.e. colorful pencils, erasers, notepads.  If you would like to donate any items for our treasure chest or coins it would be greatly appreciated.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 

            Just a few reminders to think about for next couple of weeks:

            There is no school Monday, September 1, 2008 for Labor Day. 

Open house is next Tuesday September 2, 2008.  At 6:00 we will have a brief meeting in the cafeteria for kindergarten parents to discuss the report card.  We will then have a short PTSA meeting and come back to the classroom.  I will be asking for parent volunteers and room moms/dads if anyone is interested.  I will also have a class directory for you to take with you on that night.  I look forward to seeing all of you.

Please remember that it is a must to wear tennis shoes on the days that we have P.E.  If the children do not have tennis shoes on it can lead to accidents that we don’t want to happen.  Thank you for your help with this. 

Please remember that if you have not returned all of your child’s paperwork that was sent home at sneak a peek and in the COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT folder to please do so as soon as possible.   

Picture Day is going to be September 10^th.  I will send out a reminder and the necessary information later.   

Again I look forward to seeing all of you on September 2^nd, and it has been a pleasure this week and a half.  You all have wonderful children who are going to make this a great year to always remember. 

   Thank you,

            Jessica Porter

Welcome Friends

Welcome Friends! 

         

My name is Jessica Porter, and I am thrilled to be welcoming you to Bullard Elementary school.  This will be my third year at Bullard as a Kindergarten teacher.  I graduated with my bachelors in early childhood education from Kennesaw State University. After student teaching here at Bullard in Kindergarten I was fortunate enough to be offered the position to work with your children.  Being a teacher has always been my dream.  I look forward to pursuing my dream and watching your child grow.  We are very fortunate to have Brenda Rich as our paraprofessional this year.  Brenda has subbed at Bullard, and worked with me the last two years. She is equally as excited to meet you and your child. 

            Kindergarten is a magical year where children grow academically, socially, and emotionally, and I feel blessed to be with them everyday to watch them grow with my own eyes.  Please stay involved this year in your child’s education.  I will send home a monthly newsletter detailing what is happening in our classroom.  As the school year progresses I will also post news about our classroom, sample works and ideas and ways that you could help at home on the school blog under my name.  I love parent volunteers.  Starting in September I will be asking for any volunteers that would like to come and work in small group during our center time.  Please let me know if you are interested. 

            I am always available to speak with you.  Please contact me by leaving a message at school, emailing me, or writing a note and sending it in your child’s folder.  Email is generally the best form of contact.  I will do my very best to get back to you as soon as possible.  I am very excited to start our year here at Bullard elementary school and getting to know you and your child.  We will have a wonderful year full of learning and fun. 

  Jessica Porter 

Jessica.Porter@cobbk12.org

   

School Phone: 678-594-8720