More communication with calendars

Monthly calendars
I still send home monthly calendars with information about daily specials, Late Start days, No school days, field trips, assessment weeks, what our theme may be and whatever may be necessary.  I used to add student birthdays but that was too much in each square.

I  literally cut and tape because I have not found a calendar that can fill and list all that I put on.  I have a master page of "October" calendar items and update and copy year after year.  Habits are tough to break.  It's just what I do.

Calendar Skills
I want the families/children to hang the calendar in a place at home that they will look at every day.  
The first skills:

• "Cross out the old day and circle the new day."  We literally say this during calendar time at school the first month.
• Making an X is developmentally a challenge for some at the beginning of the year.  PRACTICE corner to opposite corner.
•  Look at the numbers.  Point to the numbers.
• Count the numbers beginning at 1.
•  Tell what number to circle.
• Moving left to right and row by row.

Each month, the calendar will have a new skill to add to doing as we increase our calendar work at school.
"Cross out yesterday and circle today."
What number comes after, next?
Point to the words of the days of the week at the top.
Count how many Mondays this month.
Count how many weeks in the month.
How many full weeks.
What is the first day of the week this month.
How many days in the month.
What is the second Friday date.
What days do we go to gym? music? art?
 
This is a good way for the children to speak clearly with information to their families when they practice at home.  

On the bottom of the calendar I put a list of upcoming dates and if there are any extra supplies that we may need.  We are always collecting soup labels (labels for education) and box tops (box tops for education).  We have a once a year all school system collection contest of poptabs so I remind the families to start saving now.

I have notes about learning how to tie at home.  Reminders to practice zipping and buttoning and putting on snow clothes so they can do it themselves at school.

And I always end with:

The more you practice (right)

The better they get!

Hand in hand

we grow!