I hope that everyone had a restful and relaxing weekend.  This week will be an exciting one with a great field trip scheduled and the literacy parade on Friday!  We have 10 volunteers for out trip on Wednesday.  If you volunteered we ask that you please contribute $8 if possible.  I am also requesting that parents bring a sack lunch for themselves in lieu of making purchases at the Children’s Farm.  The literacy Parade is scheduled for Friday at 1:30 pm.  Parents are welcome to come and help children change into costumes before the parade and accompany the children as we parade around the school.  Please have your <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">child</span></strong> bring their costume to school and the book that inspired the costume.  Remember this is a Literacy Parade and costumes should connect to a character from a book!  We will also have a small celebration after the parade.  Children are encouraged to bring in snacks, juice or treats to share.  A few other notes for the week:
<ul>
	<li>I will not be in school tomorrow.  It will be the first day that students have a substitute this year.  Please remind your child to follow classroom rules and procedures.  Also, inquire about your child’s day!</li>
	<li>Please see that your child is on time to school each day and lining up outside at the classroom number.  I pick the students up at 8:55 am.</li>
	<li>Please support Ray School by purchasing a Ray School t-shirt for your child.  Wear your Ray School shirt on Fridays!</li>
	<li>Please pay the class fee of $85 if you have not already.</li>
	<li>Our field trip is scheduled for this Wednesday.  Please email me if you have questions- <a href="mailto:hahall@cps.edu">hahall@cps.edu</a>.  Send a sack lunch in a <strong>disposable sack</strong> with your child’s name on it.</li>
	<li>I am sending home the Mystery Reader calendar for November.  Please record your name on the days that you are available.  I will send home a list of confirmed Mystery Readers in next week’s overview.</li>
	<li>Please send in boxes of tissue and disinfectant wipes if you are able.</li>
	<li>Thank you to Nina’s father for being our Mystery Reader last week.  He read a great trickster tale that the kids really enjoyed!</li>
	<li>Please return your child’s signed progress report ASAP.</li>
</ul>
This week we will continue to work on the routines for Reading Workshop.  The students are now practicing four of the five areas- Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing and Word Work.  I will start working with small groups of students this week.  Next week I would like to have parents begin to read aloud to small groups of students from 9:20-10:50 am.  If you would like to volunteer please send me a note or email with the specific days you are available.  In writing this week we will continue to work on narrative writing and tools used for writing.  In phonics we will practice adding s to words to make them plural.  We will practice summarizing using the chapter book “Stuart Little”.  We will also read several Halloween books- “Bat’s Big Game” ,”I Know an Old Teacher”, “Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins” and “Goodnight Goon”.  In math we will work more on penny and nickel counting and exchanging, as well as practicing addition and subtraction number stories.  In science we will learn more about liquids and their properties.  In art we will do crayon resist water colors.  Have a great week!