It is hard to believe that we are on the verge of our Christmas break. The school year is flying by and we are having fun and learning so much in kindergarten!
It was fun to watch the children perform in the Christmas musical performance. They did a great job and looked so cute in their chef's hats! The field trip to the snow village was awesome and the children loved viewing the intricate creation by the Drummonds. They are a dear couple and we are fortunate that they choose to share their home with us. We will write a class thank you note on Monday.
We will continue to work with the letter "Hh" this week and the word wall words, "in" and "big". We will add two holiday poems to our poetry binders and the children will add another phonics reader to their book boxes. A journal entry about Christmas will take place and we will interactively write sentences about actions and activities for the various seasons.
Tuesday is Gingerbread House day and I am looking forward to seeing the magnificent masterpieces you create with the children. Remember to bring 1 package of graham crackers, 1 can of frosting in a Ziplock bag with 2 tsp. of cream of tartar mixed in, a plastic knife, and various candies to decorate your child's house. If you are unable to attend, send the supplies with your child and I will pair him or her with another parent to help with construction. I will provide the base and milk carton frames.
Math ~ We will continue to work with estimation and numbers on a calendar.
Art ~ The children will create a torn tissue paper ornament craft.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I hope that your time with family and friends is filled with love and many blessings! See you in 2011.
December 13th ~ 17th
Our letter this week is "Hh" and we will begin working with the words "in" and "big". As we read stories, we will focus on cause and effect and the author's purpose or intent. Our word wall is growing and the complete list of words is as follows:
am, big, blue, but, can, do, go, have,
I, in, is, it, like, not, red, the, yellow
Math ~ We will continue to work with the teen numbers, as well as estimation and the numbers on a calendar. We spend time at our classroom calendar each day and focus on the days of the week, months of the year, date on the calendar, the number of days we have been in school, place value, and the weather for the day.
We are continuing to work on our Shapes of Christmas book, as well as adding poems to our poetry binders and phonics readers to our book boxes.
Remember the Christmas Music Program this Thursday at 8:45 for kindergarten. The children should wear nice clothes for the program.
Our field trip to the snow village is this Friday - the 17th and I have received permission slips from all the children. Thank you for returning them promptly! I would love to have 1-2 parent volunteers join us on the field trip. This is a walking field trip and we will leave the school at about 8:30 a.m. and return by 10:00 a.m. If you are interested in joining us, send me a quick email. If I have more than 2 folks who are interested, I will choose those who respond 1st. Please make sure your child has appropriate footwear for the walk.
Next Tuesday - December 21st at 1:00 p.m. is Gingerbread House day!!! You will need to provide graham crackers for your child (you will only need one package from the box), a can of frosting transferred to a Ziploc bag ~ with about 2 tsp. cream of tartar added (homemade frosting works fine too), a plastic knife is a good idea, and a variety of candies for decorating your masterpiece. These are fairly small creations, so you will not need large volumes of candy. I will provide the milk carton frames and the base to build your house on. At this point, it looks like we will have at least 15 adults to facilitate this project. It really is a blast and I'm looking forward to the fun!!
Have a great week!!
am, big, blue, but, can, do, go, have,
I, in, is, it, like, not, red, the, yellow
Math ~ We will continue to work with the teen numbers, as well as estimation and the numbers on a calendar. We spend time at our classroom calendar each day and focus on the days of the week, months of the year, date on the calendar, the number of days we have been in school, place value, and the weather for the day.
We are continuing to work on our Shapes of Christmas book, as well as adding poems to our poetry binders and phonics readers to our book boxes.
Remember the Christmas Music Program this Thursday at 8:45 for kindergarten. The children should wear nice clothes for the program.
Our field trip to the snow village is this Friday - the 17th and I have received permission slips from all the children. Thank you for returning them promptly! I would love to have 1-2 parent volunteers join us on the field trip. This is a walking field trip and we will leave the school at about 8:30 a.m. and return by 10:00 a.m. If you are interested in joining us, send me a quick email. If I have more than 2 folks who are interested, I will choose those who respond 1st. Please make sure your child has appropriate footwear for the walk.
Next Tuesday - December 21st at 1:00 p.m. is Gingerbread House day!!! You will need to provide graham crackers for your child (you will only need one package from the box), a can of frosting transferred to a Ziploc bag ~ with about 2 tsp. cream of tartar added (homemade frosting works fine too), a plastic knife is a good idea, and a variety of candies for decorating your masterpiece. These are fairly small creations, so you will not need large volumes of candy. I will provide the milk carton frames and the base to build your house on. At this point, it looks like we will have at least 15 adults to facilitate this project. It really is a blast and I'm looking forward to the fun!!
Have a great week!!
December 6th ~ 10th
Our letter this week is "Pp" and we will work with proper letter formation and the sounds that this letter makes. When writing with your child, encourage him or her to begin the letter at the top and not the bottom. We work very hard to instill proper letter formation into the muscle memory and incorrect letter formation can be difficult to correct. I will introduce the words "do" and "not" in anticipation of adding them to our word wall. The children amaze me daily with their reading and writing ability and you should be very proud of your child's progress! We will add three poems to our poetry binders this week, a phonics decodable book to the book boxes, and we will add another entry to our journals. We will discuss cause and effect in stories and we will search magazines for pictures that begin with the letter "Pp".
If you happen to have old kid's magazines around the house, we'd love to take them off your hands. You can send them with your child if you no longer need them. National Geographic Kids, Zoo Books, etc. have great photos that are appropriate for kindergarten.
Math ~ We are continuing to work with the teen numbers. Games and activities to reinforce number sense and place value are a part of every day in kindergarten.
Art ~ We will begin working on a book project called "Shapes of Christmas". The book contains projects that the kids will complete for circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond (rhombus), and oval. Each child will bring his or her book home before Christmas and it is a fun keepsake from our year in kindergarten.
Show and Tell ~ I did forget to put the bags in the Wednesday Watch last week . . . but they are in there this week!
Snow Village Field Trip ~ The permission slips are also in the Wednesday Watch this week. Please complete and return the form as quickly as possible. If I do not have a form for your child, he or she will not be able to leave the school campus on the 17th for this field trip.
Gingerbread Houses ~ If you have not already done so, please return the lavender form I sent last week. This gives me an idea of how many parents will be able to attend on the 21st.
Christmas Program ~ Mrs. Carroll would like the children to dress nicely for the Christmas Program on Thursday December 16th. Girls should be in dresses, skirts, or nice pants. Boys should be in nice slacks and button-up shirts or ones without any print or design on the front. Our program begins at 8:45, so come a bit early to get a good seat!
Have a great week ~ and I again thank you for sharing your most precious treasure with me!
If you happen to have old kid's magazines around the house, we'd love to take them off your hands. You can send them with your child if you no longer need them. National Geographic Kids, Zoo Books, etc. have great photos that are appropriate for kindergarten.
Math ~ We are continuing to work with the teen numbers. Games and activities to reinforce number sense and place value are a part of every day in kindergarten.
Art ~ We will begin working on a book project called "Shapes of Christmas". The book contains projects that the kids will complete for circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond (rhombus), and oval. Each child will bring his or her book home before Christmas and it is a fun keepsake from our year in kindergarten.
Show and Tell ~ I did forget to put the bags in the Wednesday Watch last week . . . but they are in there this week!
Snow Village Field Trip ~ The permission slips are also in the Wednesday Watch this week. Please complete and return the form as quickly as possible. If I do not have a form for your child, he or she will not be able to leave the school campus on the 17th for this field trip.
Gingerbread Houses ~ If you have not already done so, please return the lavender form I sent last week. This gives me an idea of how many parents will be able to attend on the 21st.
Christmas Program ~ Mrs. Carroll would like the children to dress nicely for the Christmas Program on Thursday December 16th. Girls should be in dresses, skirts, or nice pants. Boys should be in nice slacks and button-up shirts or ones without any print or design on the front. Our program begins at 8:45, so come a bit early to get a good seat!
Have a great week ~ and I again thank you for sharing your most precious treasure with me!
November 29th ~ December 3rd
I trust that your Thanksgiving holiday was filled with joy and lots of turkey!
Our letter this week is "Nn" and we will continue working with letter formation and the sound that this letter makes as we read and write. We will talk about the seasons and various activities that take place during each season. We will practice listening with a purpose and will play listening games to evaluate our listening skills. We will continue interactive writing where I share the pen with the children and we create posters and charts to display in class. You may notice that conventional spelling patterns are not mandatory in your child's writing from day to day, but when we are producing something that the children may use for reference in the room, we do pay attention to accurate spelling.
We will continue working in our journals, add two poems to the poetry binders, and we will read a phonics decodable book and add it to our book boxes.
Text Talk ~ Our story this week is "The Scarecrow's Hat" and our six vocabulary words are: swapped, grateful, benefit, relief, delighted, and trustworthy. Remember to use these words in your everyday conversations to see if your child catches you using them!
Math ~ We will be reinforcing the teen numbers using games and activities. Teen number Bingo is a favorite!
Art ~ We will create a paper plate snowman this week and we will reinforce math concepts by beginning a book about the shapes of Christmas. This book will come home before the holiday break and the kids will use a circle, triangle, square, rectangle, diamond (rhombus), and oval in various holiday scenes.
Snacks ~ We are running low on snacks for our class. If you are able, a box of crackers would be greatly appreciated. The kids seem to enjoy Wheat Thins, Cheese-its, animal cookies, graham crackers, and goldfish crackers.
Upcoming Events ~
Holiday Music Program - Thursday December 16th at 8:45 in the gym for kindergarten
Snow Village Field Trip - Friday December 17th (Permission slips in the Wednesday Watch).
Gingerbread House Construction - Tuesday December 21st from 1:00-2:20 in our room
Have a fabulous week and enjoy those leftovers!!
Our letter this week is "Nn" and we will continue working with letter formation and the sound that this letter makes as we read and write. We will talk about the seasons and various activities that take place during each season. We will practice listening with a purpose and will play listening games to evaluate our listening skills. We will continue interactive writing where I share the pen with the children and we create posters and charts to display in class. You may notice that conventional spelling patterns are not mandatory in your child's writing from day to day, but when we are producing something that the children may use for reference in the room, we do pay attention to accurate spelling.
We will continue working in our journals, add two poems to the poetry binders, and we will read a phonics decodable book and add it to our book boxes.
Text Talk ~ Our story this week is "The Scarecrow's Hat" and our six vocabulary words are: swapped, grateful, benefit, relief, delighted, and trustworthy. Remember to use these words in your everyday conversations to see if your child catches you using them!
Math ~ We will be reinforcing the teen numbers using games and activities. Teen number Bingo is a favorite!
Art ~ We will create a paper plate snowman this week and we will reinforce math concepts by beginning a book about the shapes of Christmas. This book will come home before the holiday break and the kids will use a circle, triangle, square, rectangle, diamond (rhombus), and oval in various holiday scenes.
Snacks ~ We are running low on snacks for our class. If you are able, a box of crackers would be greatly appreciated. The kids seem to enjoy Wheat Thins, Cheese-its, animal cookies, graham crackers, and goldfish crackers.
Upcoming Events ~
Holiday Music Program - Thursday December 16th at 8:45 in the gym for kindergarten
Snow Village Field Trip - Friday December 17th (Permission slips in the Wednesday Watch).
Gingerbread House Construction - Tuesday December 21st from 1:00-2:20 in our room
Have a fabulous week and enjoy those leftovers!!
November 22nd ~ 23rd
It sure was fun to see so many of you at the Barnes & Noble performance and book fair. The kids did a great job and they just looked adorable as they sang and danced.
Our letter for this week and next will be "Nn". We have such a short week and I didn't want to shortchange this important letter. We will begin working with the words "it" and "have" as we strive to add them to our word wall.
Math ~ We will continue to reinforce reading, writing, and using the numbers 0-31. We will make a construction paper chain with all the numbers from 0-31 together.
Our only classes with a specialist this week will be P.E. on Monday and our music class that will take place on Tuesday morning this week. Your child has one more week to read his or her current library book and our library time will resume after Thanksgiving.
We will be taking a walking field trip just one block from school on December 17th. The Drummonds live on Nina Clare and assemble an intricate snow village each year that involves a large portion of their home. They love to have kindergartners come for a tour and a lesson about Sweden and how the people of that region celebrate the holidays. Mrs. Drummond bakes little gingerbread cookies for the children and it is a delightful outing.
Don't forget that Tuesday is an early out day with dismissal at 12:00 noon. There is no school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
I hope you have a terrific week and a blessed Thanksgiving!
Our letter for this week and next will be "Nn". We have such a short week and I didn't want to shortchange this important letter. We will begin working with the words "it" and "have" as we strive to add them to our word wall.
Math ~ We will continue to reinforce reading, writing, and using the numbers 0-31. We will make a construction paper chain with all the numbers from 0-31 together.
Our only classes with a specialist this week will be P.E. on Monday and our music class that will take place on Tuesday morning this week. Your child has one more week to read his or her current library book and our library time will resume after Thanksgiving.
We will be taking a walking field trip just one block from school on December 17th. The Drummonds live on Nina Clare and assemble an intricate snow village each year that involves a large portion of their home. They love to have kindergartners come for a tour and a lesson about Sweden and how the people of that region celebrate the holidays. Mrs. Drummond bakes little gingerbread cookies for the children and it is a delightful outing.
Don't forget that Tuesday is an early out day with dismissal at 12:00 noon. There is no school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
I hope you have a terrific week and a blessed Thanksgiving!
November 15th ~ 19th
Our letter this week is "Ff" and we will learn about action words (verbs). We will add two new poems to our poetry binders and another phonics decodable book to our book boxes. The kids will continue to add to their journals and we will make a class mural. The mural will have a hand print tree of thanksgiving and we will interactively write and label the things we are thankful for. We will continue to work with our existing word wall words and I encourage you to help your child find these words as you read together.
Math ~ We will continue to work with the teen numbers, and specifically the numbers 16-20. We will practice skip counting by 2's and 5's. These are both tricky concepts and another fun thing to practice with your child. We will also count, read, and write the numbers through 31.
Social Studies ~ We were not able to complete our quilt of friendship poster, so that is on the agenda for this week. We continue to discuss good choices and how to avoid bad choices.
Art ~ We will make a hand print turkey craft this week.
Barnes and Noble ~ Don't forget about the Barnes and Noble performance and book fair this Sunday, the 21st at 3:00 p.m. The kids will perform for about 15 minutes and then you will have the opportunity to shop. 20% of your purchase price benefits the Poly Drive Library.
Have a great week
Math ~ We will continue to work with the teen numbers, and specifically the numbers 16-20. We will practice skip counting by 2's and 5's. These are both tricky concepts and another fun thing to practice with your child. We will also count, read, and write the numbers through 31.
Social Studies ~ We were not able to complete our quilt of friendship poster, so that is on the agenda for this week. We continue to discuss good choices and how to avoid bad choices.
Art ~ We will make a hand print turkey craft this week.
Barnes and Noble ~ Don't forget about the Barnes and Noble performance and book fair this Sunday, the 21st at 3:00 p.m. The kids will perform for about 15 minutes and then you will have the opportunity to shop. 20% of your purchase price benefits the Poly Drive Library.
Have a great week
November 8th ~ 12th
It was wonderful to visit with each of you and share the awesome progress your child is making each week. Our letter this week is "Aa" - specifically the short vowel sound. I will introduce the words "go" & "the" and they will soon be displayed on our word wall. We will practice using complete sentences, label items in our room using interactive writing, read and add another phonics decodable book to our book boxes, add two poems to the poetry binders, and add another entry to our journals.
Our word wall now contains eleven words and by the end of kindergarten, we will have added 36 words to our wall. These are words that occur frequently in print and they should be easily recognizable for fluent reading. Our current words are:
am ~ blue ~ but ~ can ~ go ~ I ~ is ~ like ~ red ~ the ~ yellow
Text Talk ~ We will read the book, "It Takes A Village" and then discuss six challenging vocabulary words. They are: restless, wandered, responsible, vendor, searching, & support.
Math ~ We will finish chapter 4 this week and begin our study of the "teen" numbers. I encourage you to practice proper number formation, as well as reading and writing the numbers 11-20. We will continue to work in our math journals this week.
Social Studies ~ We will discuss how to make good choices and avoid bad ones. We will make a paper quilt about getting along with others and we will display this in the hall.
Art ~ The children will create turkeys using small paper bags, scrap paper to stuff their turkey, and paint to decorate the feathers.
Mark your calendars . . .
Sunday November 21st is the Barnes and Noble Poly Drive book fair and vocal performance. The children will perform 2-3 short songs from 3:00-3:20 that afternoon and you will have the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping that also benefits the Poly Drive school library.
Thursday December 16th is the Poly Drive Holiday Music Program. Times and more information will follow shortly.
Tuesday December 21st is our annual classroom Gingerbread House event. Parents are invited to join us from 1:00 - 2:20 as each of the kids will create a Gingerbread House from graham crackers, frosting, and various candies. It is a great time in our room and the children love it!! As we get closer, I will send home specific information.
Have a wonderful week ~ Thank you again for sharing your child with me!!
Our word wall now contains eleven words and by the end of kindergarten, we will have added 36 words to our wall. These are words that occur frequently in print and they should be easily recognizable for fluent reading. Our current words are:
am ~ blue ~ but ~ can ~ go ~ I ~ is ~ like ~ red ~ the ~ yellow
Text Talk ~ We will read the book, "It Takes A Village" and then discuss six challenging vocabulary words. They are: restless, wandered, responsible, vendor, searching, & support.
Math ~ We will finish chapter 4 this week and begin our study of the "teen" numbers. I encourage you to practice proper number formation, as well as reading and writing the numbers 11-20. We will continue to work in our math journals this week.
Social Studies ~ We will discuss how to make good choices and avoid bad ones. We will make a paper quilt about getting along with others and we will display this in the hall.
Art ~ The children will create turkeys using small paper bags, scrap paper to stuff their turkey, and paint to decorate the feathers.
Mark your calendars . . .
Sunday November 21st is the Barnes and Noble Poly Drive book fair and vocal performance. The children will perform 2-3 short songs from 3:00-3:20 that afternoon and you will have the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping that also benefits the Poly Drive school library.
Thursday December 16th is the Poly Drive Holiday Music Program. Times and more information will follow shortly.
Tuesday December 21st is our annual classroom Gingerbread House event. Parents are invited to join us from 1:00 - 2:20 as each of the kids will create a Gingerbread House from graham crackers, frosting, and various candies. It is a great time in our room and the children love it!! As we get closer, I will send home specific information.
Have a wonderful week ~ Thank you again for sharing your child with me!!
November 1st - 5th
Well, our 1st quarter is officially completed and the children are making wonderful progress each day. Our letter this week is "Tt" and we will begin working with the words "am" and "can" in anticipation of adding them to our word wall of high-frequency words. We will focus on characters in stories this week as we discuss their actions and feelings. We will study plural nouns, read a Phonics Reader book and add it to our book boxes, and we will add two poems to the poetry binders.
In math, the children will continue to work with the numbers through 10 and ordering the numbers 0-10. During our calendar and lunch count/attendance each day, we spend time on place value concepts, early addition and subtraction concepts, number sense, and problem solving.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are this week on Wednesday and Thursday. You conference confirmation slip was sent home last week and I am looking forward to visiting with you about your child's progress thus far in kindergarten. Wednesday through Friday are early-out days and the kids will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. No lunch is provided on early-out days.
Remember to send your child with a coat and hats/mittens if appropriate. The fall chill is in the air and recess time is sometimes a bit cool without a coat.
I encourage you to read to or with your child for 20 minutes each day. This is the only homework that I "assign" in kindergarten and this one activity opens a world of literacy for your child! You are your child's first . . . and best teacher!
Have a great week ~ and I will see you on Wednesday or Thursday
In math, the children will continue to work with the numbers through 10 and ordering the numbers 0-10. During our calendar and lunch count/attendance each day, we spend time on place value concepts, early addition and subtraction concepts, number sense, and problem solving.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are this week on Wednesday and Thursday. You conference confirmation slip was sent home last week and I am looking forward to visiting with you about your child's progress thus far in kindergarten. Wednesday through Friday are early-out days and the kids will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. No lunch is provided on early-out days.
Remember to send your child with a coat and hats/mittens if appropriate. The fall chill is in the air and recess time is sometimes a bit cool without a coat.
I encourage you to read to or with your child for 20 minutes each day. This is the only homework that I "assign" in kindergarten and this one activity opens a world of literacy for your child! You are your child's first . . . and best teacher!
Have a great week ~ and I will see you on Wednesday or Thursday
October 25th ~ 29th
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. The first quarter is winding down and I cannot believe how quickly the year is going. Parent-Teacher conference confirmations will go home in the Wednesday Watch and I am looking forward to sharing your child's progress when we meet next week.
Our letter this week is "Bb" and we will review naming words (nouns) and story elements. The words "but" and "I" will be added to our word wall. We will work with the color words "blue", "brown", and "black" and will sing some fun songs associated with these colors. We will begin labeling the room during our interactive writing time. Ask your child about the tools in our room. As the children become readers, I encourage them to utilize any print in the environment that they recognize, and room labels are just one tool we can use when we read and write. Two more poems will be added to our poetry binders this week and we will add another phonics reader to our book boxes.
Mrs. Kvilhaug will teach our personal safety lesson this week and we will begin a Social Studies unit about getting along with others, taking turns, and making friends.
In math, we will continue to read, write, and order the numbers through 10. We will meet with our buddy room on Friday and sort & graph the ingredients of a trail mix snack.
Red Ribbon Week ~ We will briefly discuss drug awareness in class and I will keep it at a kindergarten level. The children may wear attire this week to support Red Ribbon Week. The schedule is as follows:
MONDAY ~ Life without Drugs ... No Sweat (wear sweats)
TUESDAY~ Be all you can be, Be drug free ... wear camouflage
WEDNESDAY ~ Sock it to drugs and say, "Peace out to drugs" ~ wear crazy socks and tie dye
THURSDAY~ Put a cap on drugs ... wear fun hats
FRIDAY ~ Team up against drugs ... wear your favorite sports team
We will create a torn tissue pumpkin this week that will hang in the main display case by the office for the month of November. Check out our pumpkin patch when you get a chance!
Just a reminder . . . Please do not allow your child to bring or wear his or her Halloween costume to school on Friday. Hair dyes and face paints are also not allowed during the school day.
Family Fun Night is this Saturday, the 30th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes for this awesome event. There will be prizes for costumes, games and activities set up in various classrooms, and a great Fuddruckers meal available for $6.00. Come and join the FUN!!! I hope to see you there!!
Our letter this week is "Bb" and we will review naming words (nouns) and story elements. The words "but" and "I" will be added to our word wall. We will work with the color words "blue", "brown", and "black" and will sing some fun songs associated with these colors. We will begin labeling the room during our interactive writing time. Ask your child about the tools in our room. As the children become readers, I encourage them to utilize any print in the environment that they recognize, and room labels are just one tool we can use when we read and write. Two more poems will be added to our poetry binders this week and we will add another phonics reader to our book boxes.
Mrs. Kvilhaug will teach our personal safety lesson this week and we will begin a Social Studies unit about getting along with others, taking turns, and making friends.
In math, we will continue to read, write, and order the numbers through 10. We will meet with our buddy room on Friday and sort & graph the ingredients of a trail mix snack.
Red Ribbon Week ~ We will briefly discuss drug awareness in class and I will keep it at a kindergarten level. The children may wear attire this week to support Red Ribbon Week. The schedule is as follows:
MONDAY ~ Life without Drugs ... No Sweat (wear sweats)
TUESDAY~ Be all you can be, Be drug free ... wear camouflage
WEDNESDAY ~ Sock it to drugs and say, "Peace out to drugs" ~ wear crazy socks and tie dye
THURSDAY~ Put a cap on drugs ... wear fun hats
FRIDAY ~ Team up against drugs ... wear your favorite sports team
We will create a torn tissue pumpkin this week that will hang in the main display case by the office for the month of November. Check out our pumpkin patch when you get a chance!
Just a reminder . . . Please do not allow your child to bring or wear his or her Halloween costume to school on Friday. Hair dyes and face paints are also not allowed during the school day.
Family Fun Night is this Saturday, the 30th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes for this awesome event. There will be prizes for costumes, games and activities set up in various classrooms, and a great Fuddruckers meal available for $6.00. Come and join the FUN!!! I hope to see you there!!
October 18th - 20th
Our letter this week is “Ss” and we will focus on story elements such as characters, setting, and story events. We will discuss the difference between fiction and non-fiction & real and make-believe. We will add two poems to our poetry binders and another phonics reader to our book boxes. These offer practice with known and predictable text as we improve our reading skills each day.
Text Talk ~ We will discuss six new vocabulary words this week that correspond with the story, "Edward the Emu". These words are:
amusing, gumption, mimic, detest, snarled, & content.
Word Wall ~ We are beginning to work daily with high-frequency words that appear often in print. By the end of kindergarten, we will have added 36 words to our word wall. I encourage you to practice these words with your child at home and to search for these words as you read together. Our word wall words so far are:
blue ~ is ~ like ~ red ~ yellow
Math ~ We will continue to work on reading, writing, and ordering numbers from 0-5. Additional study of ordinal numbers will complete our study of this chapter.
We will begin the Shining Star of the week next Monday. I will provide a blank template for you and your child to decorate when it is his or her shining star week. You may add photos, drawings, or anything else to the poster that your child would like.
Wednesday is an early out day and there is no school Thursday or Friday. Enjoy the long weekend and don’t forget to read with or to your child for 20 minutes each day.
Have a wonderful break and we’ll see you again next Monday!
Text Talk ~ We will discuss six new vocabulary words this week that correspond with the story, "Edward the Emu". These words are:
amusing, gumption, mimic, detest, snarled, & content.
Word Wall ~ We are beginning to work daily with high-frequency words that appear often in print. By the end of kindergarten, we will have added 36 words to our word wall. I encourage you to practice these words with your child at home and to search for these words as you read together. Our word wall words so far are:
blue ~ is ~ like ~ red ~ yellow
Math ~ We will continue to work on reading, writing, and ordering numbers from 0-5. Additional study of ordinal numbers will complete our study of this chapter.
We will begin the Shining Star of the week next Monday. I will provide a blank template for you and your child to decorate when it is his or her shining star week. You may add photos, drawings, or anything else to the poster that your child would like.
Wednesday is an early out day and there is no school Thursday or Friday. Enjoy the long weekend and don’t forget to read with or to your child for 20 minutes each day.
Have a wonderful break and we’ll see you again next Monday!
October 11th ~ 15th
Our letter this week is "Rr" and we will practice letter formation and the phoneme associated with this letter. We will study and discuss naming words (nouns), and the children will write in their journals, add another phonics reader to their book boxes, and add two poems to their poetry binders. We will continue interactive writing about our favorite colors.
Math ~ We will focus on reading, writing, and ordering the numbers from 0-5. We will also learn about ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). The children will work in their math journals again as we practice and reinforce concepts learned in class.
Bus Safety ~ We will learn about bus safety on Tuesday and the lesson culminates in a bus ride "field trip" around town. During the bus ride, we practice bus safety and evacuation procedures. The kids love to ride the bus and enjoy the opportunity to check out the emergency exit at the back. We will create a bus craft this week to remind us about bus safety.
Buddies ~ We will meet with our buddies again this Friday and the big kids will read to the kindergartners. The kids will have brand new library books for the buddies to read and they really enjoy building friendships with these older kids.
Mark you calendars for November 3rd and 4th. This is when we will be conducting our first parent/teacher conferences. More information is in the Wednesday Watch this week.
Scholastic Book Orders ~ Please have these back to school by Tuesday and I will place the order Tuesday evening. Reading is the cornerstone of successful learning and building your home library is a great way to instill in your child a love for reading!
Have a great week ~
Math ~ We will focus on reading, writing, and ordering the numbers from 0-5. We will also learn about ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). The children will work in their math journals again as we practice and reinforce concepts learned in class.
Bus Safety ~ We will learn about bus safety on Tuesday and the lesson culminates in a bus ride "field trip" around town. During the bus ride, we practice bus safety and evacuation procedures. The kids love to ride the bus and enjoy the opportunity to check out the emergency exit at the back. We will create a bus craft this week to remind us about bus safety.
Buddies ~ We will meet with our buddies again this Friday and the big kids will read to the kindergartners. The kids will have brand new library books for the buddies to read and they really enjoy building friendships with these older kids.
Mark you calendars for November 3rd and 4th. This is when we will be conducting our first parent/teacher conferences. More information is in the Wednesday Watch this week.
Scholastic Book Orders ~ Please have these back to school by Tuesday and I will place the order Tuesday evening. Reading is the cornerstone of successful learning and building your home library is a great way to instill in your child a love for reading!
Have a great week ~
October 4th ~ 8th
It was certainly a beautiful weekend and I hope you enjoyed some sunshine and fun!
We will begin focusing on one letter per week, working with things like letter sounds and proper letter formation. Each week will also include various literacy concepts to reinforce early reading skills. Our letter this week is "Mm" and this letter will be the focus during show-and-tell on Thursday. We will work with rhyming words ~ hearing and producing them, as well as interactive writing where the kids and I share the pen as we put our thoughts in written form. We will read the story, "Cat's Colors" and we will continue to work with color words. We will write in our journals as we explore letters, words, and literacy concepts. Phonics readers are small reproducible books that contain the concepts we are working on each week. We will begin reading these books together this week and the children will keep these book in their book boxes for browsing during our classroom library literacy center.
We are beginning to work with high frequency words, or sight words. These words appear often in print and they are words we want early readers to immediately recognize to enhance fluency and comprehension. Our first word wall words are "like" and "is".
Math ~ We are beginning the study of individual numbers and will work with the numbers 1-5. We will practice counting, early addition and subtraction, as well as proper number formation. We will begin math journals this week and will use these journals to reinforce math concepts we are learning. I will share these with you during our first parent/teacher conference time in early November.
Poetry Binders ~ Each week we will add 1-2 poems to our poetry binders and we will search for letters and words. These poems contain familiar text and will provide a great collection of poems and nursery rhymes for summer reading.
Art ~ The children will create a fall tree with leaves created by finger painting.
Scholastic Book Order ~ I am enclosing our first Scholastic Book Order of the year in the Wednesday Watch this week. This provides a wonderful opportunity to purchase inexpensive books to bolster your home library. The children love to receive new books and I encourage you to read with your child for 20-minutes each evening. This models fluent reading and encourages a love for books and reading. Review the order forms and return them by Tuesday October 12th with checks made payable to Scholastic. Book orders generally arrive within 2 weeks.
We will meet with our Buddy Class again this week and the children are really looking forward to it. It is so fun to have a connection with some of the "big kids" on the other wing of our building.
Friday is individual picture day ~ so remember to return the picture packets and send your child to school with a bright smile!
Have a great week ~ thank you for sharing your little treasure with me each day!
We will begin focusing on one letter per week, working with things like letter sounds and proper letter formation. Each week will also include various literacy concepts to reinforce early reading skills. Our letter this week is "Mm" and this letter will be the focus during show-and-tell on Thursday. We will work with rhyming words ~ hearing and producing them, as well as interactive writing where the kids and I share the pen as we put our thoughts in written form. We will read the story, "Cat's Colors" and we will continue to work with color words. We will write in our journals as we explore letters, words, and literacy concepts. Phonics readers are small reproducible books that contain the concepts we are working on each week. We will begin reading these books together this week and the children will keep these book in their book boxes for browsing during our classroom library literacy center.
We are beginning to work with high frequency words, or sight words. These words appear often in print and they are words we want early readers to immediately recognize to enhance fluency and comprehension. Our first word wall words are "like" and "is".
Math ~ We are beginning the study of individual numbers and will work with the numbers 1-5. We will practice counting, early addition and subtraction, as well as proper number formation. We will begin math journals this week and will use these journals to reinforce math concepts we are learning. I will share these with you during our first parent/teacher conference time in early November.
Poetry Binders ~ Each week we will add 1-2 poems to our poetry binders and we will search for letters and words. These poems contain familiar text and will provide a great collection of poems and nursery rhymes for summer reading.
Art ~ The children will create a fall tree with leaves created by finger painting.
Scholastic Book Order ~ I am enclosing our first Scholastic Book Order of the year in the Wednesday Watch this week. This provides a wonderful opportunity to purchase inexpensive books to bolster your home library. The children love to receive new books and I encourage you to read with your child for 20-minutes each evening. This models fluent reading and encourages a love for books and reading. Review the order forms and return them by Tuesday October 12th with checks made payable to Scholastic. Book orders generally arrive within 2 weeks.
We will meet with our Buddy Class again this week and the children are really looking forward to it. It is so fun to have a connection with some of the "big kids" on the other wing of our building.
Friday is individual picture day ~ so remember to return the picture packets and send your child to school with a bright smile!
Have a great week ~ thank you for sharing your little treasure with me each day!
Sept. 27th ~ Oct. 1st
I sure hope you were able to enjoy the beautiful weekend ~ we are finally getting our summer weather!
The letters this week are Xx, Ww, Nn, Ss, and Hh. We will again focus on the sound or sounds that each letter makes and proper letter formation. It is so important to reinforce the correct way to write each letter and imprint this into your child's muscle memory. It is much harder to break habits, than to learn new ones.
Our manner this week is to use "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me" frequently. We will focus on one manner each week as we learn to be good citizens of Poly Drive Elementary and the world.
Show and Tell on Thursday will be “Kid’s Choice”. Your child may bring something that fits in the paper bag . . and he or she should write the letter that the item begins with on the outside of the bag.
Text Talk ~ We will begin a vocabulary series this week that focuses on more challenging words than we might regularly discuss in kindergarten. This builds comprehension and vocabulary skills, while exploring fun read-aloud stories. Our text talk words will be posted outside the classroom door and I encourage you to use these words in our room when you visit, and at home when applicable. You will see your child's eyes light up as he or she is able to recognize these new words in daily conversations. The read-aloud book this week is "It's Mine" and the vocabulary words are: bickering, defiantly, harmony, recognized, desperately, and selfish.
Math ~ We will continue working with and creating various types of patterns.
Science ~ Inquiry-based science is our focus in kindergarten and we will practice questioning techniques to use when we want to discover something. Specifically, we will explore various fall leaves from my yard and the school grounds. We will form questions about the attributes and characteristics of the leaves and create a class chart depicting our questions.
Rachel's Challenge ~ All Poly Drive students will attend an assembly on Tuesday titled "Rachel's Challenge". Rachel Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine, Colorado school shootings and although the manner of her death will not be discussed, the legacy for life she left behind will be. Rachel was mature beyond her years and her message of kindness and compassion is one we can all learn from. Although she was only 17 at the time of her death, she encouraged others to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. You will see and hear more about Rachel's Challenge as the year progresses.
I will have a guest teacher in my room on Friday and I will let the kids know ahead of time. Brenda Sheehan has taught in my room before and the kids will really enjoy the day. I'll only be gone one day.
Have a wonderful week ~ can you believe it is October already!?!
The letters this week are Xx, Ww, Nn, Ss, and Hh. We will again focus on the sound or sounds that each letter makes and proper letter formation. It is so important to reinforce the correct way to write each letter and imprint this into your child's muscle memory. It is much harder to break habits, than to learn new ones.
Our manner this week is to use "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me" frequently. We will focus on one manner each week as we learn to be good citizens of Poly Drive Elementary and the world.
Show and Tell on Thursday will be “Kid’s Choice”. Your child may bring something that fits in the paper bag . . and he or she should write the letter that the item begins with on the outside of the bag.
Text Talk ~ We will begin a vocabulary series this week that focuses on more challenging words than we might regularly discuss in kindergarten. This builds comprehension and vocabulary skills, while exploring fun read-aloud stories. Our text talk words will be posted outside the classroom door and I encourage you to use these words in our room when you visit, and at home when applicable. You will see your child's eyes light up as he or she is able to recognize these new words in daily conversations. The read-aloud book this week is "It's Mine" and the vocabulary words are: bickering, defiantly, harmony, recognized, desperately, and selfish.
Math ~ We will continue working with and creating various types of patterns.
Science ~ Inquiry-based science is our focus in kindergarten and we will practice questioning techniques to use when we want to discover something. Specifically, we will explore various fall leaves from my yard and the school grounds. We will form questions about the attributes and characteristics of the leaves and create a class chart depicting our questions.
Rachel's Challenge ~ All Poly Drive students will attend an assembly on Tuesday titled "Rachel's Challenge". Rachel Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine, Colorado school shootings and although the manner of her death will not be discussed, the legacy for life she left behind will be. Rachel was mature beyond her years and her message of kindness and compassion is one we can all learn from. Although she was only 17 at the time of her death, she encouraged others to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. You will see and hear more about Rachel's Challenge as the year progresses.
I will have a guest teacher in my room on Friday and I will let the kids know ahead of time. Brenda Sheehan has taught in my room before and the kids will really enjoy the day. I'll only be gone one day.
Have a wonderful week ~ can you believe it is October already!?!
September 20th ~ 24th
Help Needed at Saturday Live! If you are able to spare even one hour on Saturday to help the Poly Drive effort at Saturday Live, call Jami Eaton at 591-0958. Thanks a bunch!!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Our letters this week will be Qq, Zz, Kk, Ll, and Uu. We will continue to study the sounds that each letter makes and proper letter formation. If you write with your child at home, please encourage the D’Nealian style. I will be asking the children to use a capital letter at the beginning of their names and then the remaining letters in lower case. We will practice this at one of our literacy centers and at our tables throughout the week.
The kids will use GelBoards to practice letter formation and we will use our journals to reinforce the concept that our thoughts and words can become the written word on paper.
Math ~ We will focus on picture graphs, real graphs, sound and movement patterns, and color patterns.
Social Studies ~ We are working on a Kindness and Compassion rainbow. The children are tracing their own hands on colored paper and then cutting the shapes. We will then form these into a rainbow of friendship signifying little hands working together.
Show and Tell ~ I apologize for the mix-up last week. I have moved show-and-tell to Thursdays due to our schedule on Friday afternoons. I have enclosed a brown lunch sack in the Wednesday Watch envelope this week (I really did this time) and your child should bring an item beginning with the first letter of his or her name. The item should fit completely in the bag and we will use questioning to guess the contents of the bag.
Art ~ We will create a water color leaf painting by tracing leaves and then outlining with watercolor markers and water. It is a fun technique that produces beautiful “paintings”.
Thursday is an early-out day and the kids will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. Lunch is not served on early-out days. If you would like to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new shade shelter, you may come to the playground at 11:40. After the ceremony, we will bring the kids back into the building to get backpacks, etc. and you may head back to the front of the building via the sidewalk on the east side to pick up your child.
This Friday we will begin interacting with our buddy room ~ the 4/5 combo class at Poly Drive. Mrs. Porrisch is the 4/5 combo teacher and she is an awesome educator. This experience provides a wonderful opportunity for the older kids to mentor a kindergartner and for my class to build relationships with the older students in our school. We will work on craft projects together, play math and literacy games, and get to know each other better throughout the year.
Have a great week ~ Remember to read with your child for 20 minutes each evening.
Don't forget to attend Saturday Live this weekend at Pioneer Park.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Our letters this week will be Qq, Zz, Kk, Ll, and Uu. We will continue to study the sounds that each letter makes and proper letter formation. If you write with your child at home, please encourage the D’Nealian style. I will be asking the children to use a capital letter at the beginning of their names and then the remaining letters in lower case. We will practice this at one of our literacy centers and at our tables throughout the week.
The kids will use GelBoards to practice letter formation and we will use our journals to reinforce the concept that our thoughts and words can become the written word on paper.
Math ~ We will focus on picture graphs, real graphs, sound and movement patterns, and color patterns.
Social Studies ~ We are working on a Kindness and Compassion rainbow. The children are tracing their own hands on colored paper and then cutting the shapes. We will then form these into a rainbow of friendship signifying little hands working together.
Show and Tell ~ I apologize for the mix-up last week. I have moved show-and-tell to Thursdays due to our schedule on Friday afternoons. I have enclosed a brown lunch sack in the Wednesday Watch envelope this week (I really did this time) and your child should bring an item beginning with the first letter of his or her name. The item should fit completely in the bag and we will use questioning to guess the contents of the bag.
Art ~ We will create a water color leaf painting by tracing leaves and then outlining with watercolor markers and water. It is a fun technique that produces beautiful “paintings”.
Thursday is an early-out day and the kids will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. Lunch is not served on early-out days. If you would like to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new shade shelter, you may come to the playground at 11:40. After the ceremony, we will bring the kids back into the building to get backpacks, etc. and you may head back to the front of the building via the sidewalk on the east side to pick up your child.
This Friday we will begin interacting with our buddy room ~ the 4/5 combo class at Poly Drive. Mrs. Porrisch is the 4/5 combo teacher and she is an awesome educator. This experience provides a wonderful opportunity for the older kids to mentor a kindergartner and for my class to build relationships with the older students in our school. We will work on craft projects together, play math and literacy games, and get to know each other better throughout the year.
Have a great week ~ Remember to read with your child for 20 minutes each evening.
Don't forget to attend Saturday Live this weekend at Pioneer Park.
September 13th ~ 17th
It was wonderful to see so many families at the Poly Drive Open House and it was terrific for your child to share our classroom and describe all that we do and learn each day. The kids are really beginning to learn and apply classroom rules, procedures, and routines.
The letters we will focus on this week are Vv, Cc, Ii, Oo, and Ff. We will also begin Show and Tell this week and I would like each child to bring something that begins with the first letter of his or her name. The paper lunch bag is provided for you to use for Show and Tell. Please make sure that your child's item is able to fit completely in the bag so we can make guesses about what might be inside. This is a fun activity that also reinforces the sounds that each letter makes and phonemic awareness.
Math ~ We will begin our study of measurement and graphs. We will create a classroom growth chart to reinforce this concept. We will measure everyone in the class this month and then again in May to document each child's physical growth during kindergarten.
Constitution Day ~ This Friday we will focus on the Pledge of Allegiance and the history of the United States Flag. On Monday, we began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as part of our daily routine.
Classroom Jobs ~ We began classroom jobs this week and your child will be assigned a job every other week. The jobs range from being our line leader, helping during calendar time, feeding Cinnamon (the fish), delivering our library basket to the library on Friday, etc. This instills a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.
Have a great week ~ Remember to read with or to your child for at least 20 minutes per day.
The letters we will focus on this week are Vv, Cc, Ii, Oo, and Ff. We will also begin Show and Tell this week and I would like each child to bring something that begins with the first letter of his or her name. The paper lunch bag is provided for you to use for Show and Tell. Please make sure that your child's item is able to fit completely in the bag so we can make guesses about what might be inside. This is a fun activity that also reinforces the sounds that each letter makes and phonemic awareness.
Math ~ We will begin our study of measurement and graphs. We will create a classroom growth chart to reinforce this concept. We will measure everyone in the class this month and then again in May to document each child's physical growth during kindergarten.
Constitution Day ~ This Friday we will focus on the Pledge of Allegiance and the history of the United States Flag. On Monday, we began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as part of our daily routine.
Classroom Jobs ~ We began classroom jobs this week and your child will be assigned a job every other week. The jobs range from being our line leader, helping during calendar time, feeding Cinnamon (the fish), delivering our library basket to the library on Friday, etc. This instills a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.
Have a great week ~ Remember to read with or to your child for at least 20 minutes per day.
September 7th ~ 10th
Greetings from Room 9 ~ I hope that you had a great weekend and were able to spend time with family and friends.
We will be filling Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard on Friday and we are in need of food labels. Please choose labels that are easily recognizable to your child and send them to school by Friday. Environmental print is a great way to show the children that there are many things they can already read.
Our letters this week are Yy, Gg, Ee, and Pp. We will focus on the letter sounds and proper letter formation using the D'Nealian handwriting curriculum. The children are learning a song that coincides with each letter and these songs in print will become the first additions to our poetry binders. This is the purpose for the 1" binders you provided and your child will have an extensive collection of poems and nursery rhymes at the end of the year for summer reading. The children will use their journals to draw a picture of something that begins with the first letter of their names. I encourage the children to write letters or words to match their pictures and it is exciting to watch them put their thoughts and ideas on paper. Reading and writing are two distinct skills that generally do not progress at the same rate.
Math ~ We will sort objects by one attribute and more than one attribute and the children will use logical reasoning to determine the sorting rule for a set a objects. We use many types of manipulatives in kindergarten to make the transition from abstract concepts to concrete function.
We will meet our school counselor, Mrs. Kvilhaug on Wednesday and she will visit with the kids about her job at Poly Drive. Mrs. Kvilhaug is the person who teaches our personal safety and bullying lessons and she likes to introduce herself and provide a tour of her room/office before our first lesson.
Don't forget our Open House this Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00. If you are able to attend, you may come to the room where your child will provide a tour of our room and share what we do each day. I will be available to answer any questions you may have or just to visit!
Have a wonderful week and weekend ~ and thank you for sharing your child with me!
We will be filling Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard on Friday and we are in need of food labels. Please choose labels that are easily recognizable to your child and send them to school by Friday. Environmental print is a great way to show the children that there are many things they can already read.
Our letters this week are Yy, Gg, Ee, and Pp. We will focus on the letter sounds and proper letter formation using the D'Nealian handwriting curriculum. The children are learning a song that coincides with each letter and these songs in print will become the first additions to our poetry binders. This is the purpose for the 1" binders you provided and your child will have an extensive collection of poems and nursery rhymes at the end of the year for summer reading. The children will use their journals to draw a picture of something that begins with the first letter of their names. I encourage the children to write letters or words to match their pictures and it is exciting to watch them put their thoughts and ideas on paper. Reading and writing are two distinct skills that generally do not progress at the same rate.
Math ~ We will sort objects by one attribute and more than one attribute and the children will use logical reasoning to determine the sorting rule for a set a objects. We use many types of manipulatives in kindergarten to make the transition from abstract concepts to concrete function.
We will meet our school counselor, Mrs. Kvilhaug on Wednesday and she will visit with the kids about her job at Poly Drive. Mrs. Kvilhaug is the person who teaches our personal safety and bullying lessons and she likes to introduce herself and provide a tour of her room/office before our first lesson.
Don't forget our Open House this Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00. If you are able to attend, you may come to the room where your child will provide a tour of our room and share what we do each day. I will be available to answer any questions you may have or just to visit!
Have a wonderful week and weekend ~ and thank you for sharing your child with me!
August 30th ~ September 5th
The children did such a great job during our first three days of school and I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your little ones. As I know you are aware, your child is tired after school and an early bedtime is a good idea. We are very busy making new friends, learning rules and procedures, and finding out what kindergarten entails. As I've stated before, you will be amazed with all your child discovers and learns during this first year of school and I feel so blessed to witness this firsthand.
We will begin to work with one letter per day to focus on letter sounds and proper letter formation. Most children have not yet been introduced to the D'Nealian handwriting program and we work very hard in kindergarten to form letters properly and imprint this into their muscle memory. We have already worked with the letters Mm and Jj. This week our letters are Aa, Dd, Tt, Bb, and Rr. Once we review every letter, we will begin a more detailed study of each letter, as well as parts of speech, punctuation, story elements, and proper grammar.
We will continue to reinforce the rules and routines at Poly Drive, as well as in our classroom. I will introduce literacy centers this week, which reinforce things we have learned and worked on in class. The children will work in groups of three and will progress through three centers per day. During center time, I am able to observe, assist, and work with individual children or small groups.
Math ~ We will begin our first chapter, which concentrates on directional concepts like inside, outside, under, on, top, bottom, and middle. We will graph our names using the number of letters in our names.
Art ~ On black paper, the children will glue small beads in the shape of their names to create a "Name in Lights" display in the hall.
Social Studies ~ Each child is making an "All About Me" book. They are creating pages showing family, home, friends, and individual attributes.
We will have P.E. every Monday afternoon, so please make sure that your child wears appropriate shoes for exercise and activity. Our music class is on Thursday mornings and Library takes place on Friday afternoons.
Mark your calendars for Open House. This is a school-wide event where your child can show you what we are doing in kindergarten and share some details about our class. Thursday September 9th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. is the date and I hope to see you there!
Have a wonderful week!
We will begin to work with one letter per day to focus on letter sounds and proper letter formation. Most children have not yet been introduced to the D'Nealian handwriting program and we work very hard in kindergarten to form letters properly and imprint this into their muscle memory. We have already worked with the letters Mm and Jj. This week our letters are Aa, Dd, Tt, Bb, and Rr. Once we review every letter, we will begin a more detailed study of each letter, as well as parts of speech, punctuation, story elements, and proper grammar.
We will continue to reinforce the rules and routines at Poly Drive, as well as in our classroom. I will introduce literacy centers this week, which reinforce things we have learned and worked on in class. The children will work in groups of three and will progress through three centers per day. During center time, I am able to observe, assist, and work with individual children or small groups.
Math ~ We will begin our first chapter, which concentrates on directional concepts like inside, outside, under, on, top, bottom, and middle. We will graph our names using the number of letters in our names.
Art ~ On black paper, the children will glue small beads in the shape of their names to create a "Name in Lights" display in the hall.
Social Studies ~ Each child is making an "All About Me" book. They are creating pages showing family, home, friends, and individual attributes.
We will have P.E. every Monday afternoon, so please make sure that your child wears appropriate shoes for exercise and activity. Our music class is on Thursday mornings and Library takes place on Friday afternoons.
Mark your calendars for Open House. This is a school-wide event where your child can show you what we are doing in kindergarten and share some details about our class. Thursday September 9th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. is the date and I hope to see you there!
Have a wonderful week!
August 25th ~ August 29th
Welcome to Poly Drive Elementary School and Room 9.
This is a very important stage in your child’s life and I am thrilled to share this with you. This will be a year filled with wonder and new discoveries for your child, but you – the parents – are the key to your child’s success. Over an over, research has proven that the best schools, the best teachers, and the best principals are not as important to a child’s achievement in school as a parent. You have more ability to motivate, to stimulate, and to encourage success than anyone . . . or anything else. Because you are such an important factor in your child’s education, it is my responsibility to stay in touch with you and let you know how your child is doing and what we can do to work together. Please let me know if your child is having a difficult time at school, a bad morning, etc. This may prevent problems from arising and will also notify me if someone needs a little extra “T.L.C.” that day.
What do we do in Kindergarten?
We are constantly immersed in print. The children do not even realize all that they are learning each day because it is fun! Kindergarten is discovering intellectually, learning to share, take turns, and work with others, and adapting to a regular – though flexible daily schedule. Daily exploration with math concepts, calendar time, and manipulatives will lay the foundation for problem solving and number sense. You will not find the children sitting at a desk with a workbook and pencil. Kindergarten is filled with exploration, carefully planned activities to lay the foundations for reading, writing, and arithmetic, and developing social and emotional skills and attitudes necessary for success in all areas of life.
Who is Mrs. Beatty?
I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 27 years and we have
two terrific boys – ages 22 and 17. Our older son, Josh is preparing to become a math teacher and he is completing his student teaching this year. He married the love of his life over the summer and we were thrilled to welcome Jessica to our family. Our younger son, Tyler is a senior this year at Skyview and was the Best Man at his brother’s wedding. I love teaching full-day Kindergarten and I feel so blessed that you are sharing your child with me during this school year. Thank you!
Will we have Show and Tell?
Beginning in October, your child will bring home a bag each week to place a show and tell item in. The children will be encouraged to find an item at home that begins with a specific letter, is small enough to fit in the bag, and is not breathing. We will have show and tell each Thursday afternoon.
Do we celebrate birthdays?
Yes we do! We will also recognize summer birthdays toward
the end of the school year and treats are welcome. Please keep in mind that many children are allergic to nuts, so please do not send any treats containing nuts or nut products. Because cupcakes are very messy, I ask that you choose another option – cookies, fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, vegetables, and fresh fruit are all great choices.
Are there volunteers in the room?
Yes, volunteers are always welcome! I will send information home for you to complete and return to me if you are interested. I like to give the children at least one month to adjust to school and our routines before beginning the volunteer schedule. If I need help with a specific project or field trip, I will solicit help via our weekly classroom newsletter and blog. A big thank you to all parents who help . . . it’s great to have so much support.
What is the Shining Star of the week?
Beginning in October, one child per week will be given a blank poster titled, “You Are A Shining Star” and he or she will be the Shining Star for the following week. You and your child may decorate the poster with special photos, mementos, stickers, etc. so we can get to know our classmates better. When your child is the Shining Star, he/she may wish to introduce the class to moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, pets, etc. Let me know if you would like to set a time for a special visit during your child’s “Shining Star” week.
You may want to begin searching for those adorable pictures and mementos now to include on your child’s poster.
At the end of the year, the Shining Star posters will be sent to the print shop, where a “Room 9 Shining Stars” yearbook will be printed and given to each child during the last week of school.
What specialists will my child see each week?
All-day Kindergarten students benefit from specialized Health and Physical Education, Music Instruction, and Library time. A 30-minute class with each of these specialists will be included in your child’s weekly schedule. Please make sure that library books are returned each week so your child may check out another book. The children love books and having a book to take home helps to instill a “passion” for reading. Appropriate shoes will be required on P.E. days so please do not allow your child to wear sandals/flip flops on gym days.
Hot or Cold Lunch?
Your child may pack a lunch from home, or you may purchase a hot lunch through the school. If you pack a lunch, milk may be purchased for .60 cents. If your child chooses hot lunch, milk is included. A weekly or monthly hot lunch ticket may be purchased at the office and you will be notified when another ticket is needed.
How will we receive news from Room 9?
I will prepare a newsletter most weeks that will summarize what we are doing and learning in class. This will provide suggestions for activities to complete with your child to reinforce the concepts he/she is learning at school. I also have a classroom blog and if you would prefer to receive classroom news in that manner to save paper, please let me know and I will not send a paper copy home with your child. Your child will also bring home an envelope each Wednesday (The Wednesday Watch) with a variety of information to keep you up to date with happenings at Poly Drive Elementary and Room 9. Please remove the contents of the envelope, sign the front of the envelope, and return just the envelope the following day. Open lines of communication will ensure the best education for your child. I will check my email multiple times throughout the day and that is usually the most efficient way to contact me.
Of course, you may call me anytime you have questions or comments and I will return your call as quickly as possible.
What are the rules in Kindergarten?
I try to keep this very simple . . .
* Follow directions *
* Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself *
* Never stop the learning *
I use encouragement and praise when I see appropriate behavior.
What will my child’s schedule look like?
We will always follow a developmentally appropriate schedule. Our day begins at 8:20 a.m. and the children are dismissed at 2:20 p.m.
In the mornings, we focus on Reading, Shared Reading, Guiding Reading Groups when appropriate, Interactive Writing, etc. Our afternoons are filled with Science, Social Studies, Writing, Math and Math games, and Art. We will generally have 3 recesses – one in the morning, one after lunch, and one in the afternoon.
If it is very cold outside (below zero) or raining, we may stay in for recess.
Due to our unpredictable Montana weather, please send appropriate outerwear every day. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to coats, hats, gloves, and boots.
When are conferences?
Individual conferences will be conducted from November 3rd–5th and will be scheduled, as we get closer. At that time, I will review samples of your child’s work with you and we can discuss progress in specific areas. Details about spring conferences will be provided in the Wednesday Watch envelope when the time approaches.
This is going to be a great year and you will witness tremendous growth in your child over the next 9 months. Enjoy the journey and I look forward to sharing Kindergarten with you!
Kim Beatty
This is a very important stage in your child’s life and I am thrilled to share this with you. This will be a year filled with wonder and new discoveries for your child, but you – the parents – are the key to your child’s success. Over an over, research has proven that the best schools, the best teachers, and the best principals are not as important to a child’s achievement in school as a parent. You have more ability to motivate, to stimulate, and to encourage success than anyone . . . or anything else. Because you are such an important factor in your child’s education, it is my responsibility to stay in touch with you and let you know how your child is doing and what we can do to work together. Please let me know if your child is having a difficult time at school, a bad morning, etc. This may prevent problems from arising and will also notify me if someone needs a little extra “T.L.C.” that day.
What do we do in Kindergarten?
We are constantly immersed in print. The children do not even realize all that they are learning each day because it is fun! Kindergarten is discovering intellectually, learning to share, take turns, and work with others, and adapting to a regular – though flexible daily schedule. Daily exploration with math concepts, calendar time, and manipulatives will lay the foundation for problem solving and number sense. You will not find the children sitting at a desk with a workbook and pencil. Kindergarten is filled with exploration, carefully planned activities to lay the foundations for reading, writing, and arithmetic, and developing social and emotional skills and attitudes necessary for success in all areas of life.
Who is Mrs. Beatty?
I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 27 years and we have
two terrific boys – ages 22 and 17. Our older son, Josh is preparing to become a math teacher and he is completing his student teaching this year. He married the love of his life over the summer and we were thrilled to welcome Jessica to our family. Our younger son, Tyler is a senior this year at Skyview and was the Best Man at his brother’s wedding. I love teaching full-day Kindergarten and I feel so blessed that you are sharing your child with me during this school year. Thank you!
Will we have Show and Tell?
Beginning in October, your child will bring home a bag each week to place a show and tell item in. The children will be encouraged to find an item at home that begins with a specific letter, is small enough to fit in the bag, and is not breathing. We will have show and tell each Thursday afternoon.
Do we celebrate birthdays?
Yes we do! We will also recognize summer birthdays toward
the end of the school year and treats are welcome. Please keep in mind that many children are allergic to nuts, so please do not send any treats containing nuts or nut products. Because cupcakes are very messy, I ask that you choose another option – cookies, fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, vegetables, and fresh fruit are all great choices.
Are there volunteers in the room?
Yes, volunteers are always welcome! I will send information home for you to complete and return to me if you are interested. I like to give the children at least one month to adjust to school and our routines before beginning the volunteer schedule. If I need help with a specific project or field trip, I will solicit help via our weekly classroom newsletter and blog. A big thank you to all parents who help . . . it’s great to have so much support.
What is the Shining Star of the week?
Beginning in October, one child per week will be given a blank poster titled, “You Are A Shining Star” and he or she will be the Shining Star for the following week. You and your child may decorate the poster with special photos, mementos, stickers, etc. so we can get to know our classmates better. When your child is the Shining Star, he/she may wish to introduce the class to moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, pets, etc. Let me know if you would like to set a time for a special visit during your child’s “Shining Star” week.
You may want to begin searching for those adorable pictures and mementos now to include on your child’s poster.
At the end of the year, the Shining Star posters will be sent to the print shop, where a “Room 9 Shining Stars” yearbook will be printed and given to each child during the last week of school.
What specialists will my child see each week?
All-day Kindergarten students benefit from specialized Health and Physical Education, Music Instruction, and Library time. A 30-minute class with each of these specialists will be included in your child’s weekly schedule. Please make sure that library books are returned each week so your child may check out another book. The children love books and having a book to take home helps to instill a “passion” for reading. Appropriate shoes will be required on P.E. days so please do not allow your child to wear sandals/flip flops on gym days.
Hot or Cold Lunch?
Your child may pack a lunch from home, or you may purchase a hot lunch through the school. If you pack a lunch, milk may be purchased for .60 cents. If your child chooses hot lunch, milk is included. A weekly or monthly hot lunch ticket may be purchased at the office and you will be notified when another ticket is needed.
How will we receive news from Room 9?
I will prepare a newsletter most weeks that will summarize what we are doing and learning in class. This will provide suggestions for activities to complete with your child to reinforce the concepts he/she is learning at school. I also have a classroom blog and if you would prefer to receive classroom news in that manner to save paper, please let me know and I will not send a paper copy home with your child. Your child will also bring home an envelope each Wednesday (The Wednesday Watch) with a variety of information to keep you up to date with happenings at Poly Drive Elementary and Room 9. Please remove the contents of the envelope, sign the front of the envelope, and return just the envelope the following day. Open lines of communication will ensure the best education for your child. I will check my email multiple times throughout the day and that is usually the most efficient way to contact me.
Of course, you may call me anytime you have questions or comments and I will return your call as quickly as possible.
What are the rules in Kindergarten?
I try to keep this very simple . . .
* Follow directions *
* Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself *
* Never stop the learning *
I use encouragement and praise when I see appropriate behavior.
What will my child’s schedule look like?
We will always follow a developmentally appropriate schedule. Our day begins at 8:20 a.m. and the children are dismissed at 2:20 p.m.
In the mornings, we focus on Reading, Shared Reading, Guiding Reading Groups when appropriate, Interactive Writing, etc. Our afternoons are filled with Science, Social Studies, Writing, Math and Math games, and Art. We will generally have 3 recesses – one in the morning, one after lunch, and one in the afternoon.
If it is very cold outside (below zero) or raining, we may stay in for recess.
Due to our unpredictable Montana weather, please send appropriate outerwear every day. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to coats, hats, gloves, and boots.
When are conferences?
Individual conferences will be conducted from November 3rd–5th and will be scheduled, as we get closer. At that time, I will review samples of your child’s work with you and we can discuss progress in specific areas. Details about spring conferences will be provided in the Wednesday Watch envelope when the time approaches.
This is going to be a great year and you will witness tremendous growth in your child over the next 9 months. Enjoy the journey and I look forward to sharing Kindergarten with you!
Kim Beatty
Welcome
Welcome to Mrs. Beatty's Blog. I will do my best to update information weekly to let you know what is going on in our classroom!
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Mrs. Beatty
I teach kindergarten at Poly Drive Elementary and just love the days that I spend with the little ones! I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 27 years and we have two boys. Josh is 22 and lives in San Diego, CA. He married the love of his life this summer and we were thrilled to welcome Jessica to our family. Our son Tyler is 18 and attends Skyview. He was very proud to be the Best Man in his brother's wedding. We have a pet box turtle named Tortuga. I love to volunteer at our church, spend time outdoors with my family ~ especially camping, and I LOVE to read and learn new things!
Blessings ~ Mrs. Beatty
(see photos at bottom of blog)
Blessings ~ Mrs. Beatty
(see photos at bottom of blog)
