Week of October 1st

We had a lot of fun making apple pies to finish up our apples and season theme.  We will move on to Nocturnal Animals and Pumpkins for the month of October.  Can you believe we are already beginning October?  We have been in kindergarten nearly 40 days and I am seeing some behaviors that are making it difficult for me to teach.  I have decided to modify our classroom behavior system so that I can easily communicate your child's behavior to you on a daily basis.  Please read below the changes that will be made and how you can help support me and help your child be most successful in the classroom.  

This week:

Sight Words: a, to
Theme: Nocturnal Animals
Literacy Skill:  Key Details
Story Element: Retell, Problem/Solution
Comprehension Strategy:  Inferring
Math:  Sorting/Patterning
Writing: Writing with Sentences
Phonics: Mm
Phonemic Awareness Skill:  Rhyming

Important Dates:
October 10:  Minimum Day
October 12:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Phonics:
We have gone through the alphabet once, very quickly.  We will now go back over the alphabet, one letter a week.  We will work closely on how to write the letter correctly, the sound it makes and hearing the sound at the beginning, middle and ends of words.  


New Behavior System:
Every child will bring home a colored note each day.  The color of their note will tell you how your child's behavior was for the day.
Green:  I Had A Great Day!
Your child did a great job following our classroom rules today.
Yellow:  I Had An Okay Day!
Your child needed a few reminders throughout the day.
Red:  I Had A Sad Day!
Your child had difficulty following the rules at school today.  There will be an attached note with an explanation and you will need to sign and return the note the following day.   

We review our rules and expectations in the classroom several times a day.
On the carpet, your child is expected to:
1.  Have a "listening body".
2.  Raise their hand to speak.

On the playground, your child is expected to:
1. Listen to the campus monitors.
2.  Be kind to others

During Learning Stations:
1.  Work quietly
2.  Stay in one spot.
3.  Work the whole time.
4.  Get started right away.

Please ask you child for his/her note daily.
Please contact me if you have any questions.  

Week of September 24th

This week:

Sight Words: we
Theme: Apples and Seasons
Literacy Skill:  Craft and Structure
Story Element: N/A
Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections & Inferring
Math:  Sorting/Patterning
Writing: Writing with Sentences
Phonics: Xx-Zz

Important Dates:
Sept 26:  Apple Pie Day
Sept 27:  Make up pictures
October 10:  Minimum Day
October 12:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch


Johnny Appleseed's Birthday:
We will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed's birthday on September 26th with an apple pie day!  If you signed up to bring items, please send them in this Monday or Tuesday.  Thanks!

Week of September 17th

This week:

Sight Words: can
Theme: Apples and Seasons
Literacy Skill:  Craft and Structure
Story Element: N/A
Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections & Inferring
Math:  Sorting
Writing: Writing with Sentences
Phonics: Ss-Ww

Important Dates:
Sept 19:  Math Festival 
October 10:  Minimum Day
October 12:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip:
Thanks to those of you who returned your child's permission slip for the pumpkin patch.  I do have several that did not include the $10 donation and this is much appreciated.  If you were planning to donate, please send in asap.    
Our parent chaperones for the field trip will be:
Tamara Cook
Robert Goss
Genifer Reid
Arlene Rocha

I will be returning the donation to the parents who's names were not drawn on Monday in your child's red folder.  

Jog-a-Thon
We had so much fun at our Jog-a-Thon and you guys helped raise almost $1500 as a grade level.  Thank you so much for your support!    

Scholastic Book Orders
I will be placing the scholastic order on Monday.  Please place any online orders before then.

Johnny Appleseed's Birthday:
We will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed's birthday on September 26th.  We will be making apple pies in class!   I will need some extra help that morning from 7:45-10:00 that day.  Please let me know if you are able to come in and help!  Thanks!

Picture Proofs
Picture proofs are coming home Monday in red folders.  You can place an order by filling our the form and returning it in your child's red folder before the due date.  There are make up pictures, if you would like your child to take another picture, please let me know.

Week of September 10th

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! 

This week:

Sight Words: and
Theme: Apples and Seasons
Literacy Skill:  Craft and Structure
Story Element: N/A
Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections & Inferring
Math:  Numbers 1-10/Sorting
Writing: Writing with Pictures
Phonics: Nn-Rr

Important Dates:
Sept. 10:  Box Tops Due
Sept. 12:  Jog-A-Thon and Minimum Day
Sept 19:  Math Festival 
October 12:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip:
Permission slips will come home Monday in your child's red folder.  The student permission slip is orange.  We are requesting a $10 donation per student to help cover the cost of the bus and entrance fee to the pumpkin patch.  Please fill out the orange permission slip and attach an envelope marked with your child's name with your donation BEFORE Friday.  

We will be drawing 4 parent chaperone names.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE DRAWING, PLEASE:
1. Fill out the green parent volunteer permission slip that is also in your child's red folder.  
2.  Attach an envelope clearly marked with your name and include your $10 donation for yourself.  
3.  Green parent volunteer slips along with a donation must be in BEFORE Friday.  
4.  All the names will be placed in a basket and the office staff will draw 4 names from our classroom basket after school on Friday.  I will notify you via BLOOMZ if your name has been chosen.  
5.  Names that will be placed into the basket must:
-Must have parent volunteer paperwork already submitted.
-Must have green parent volunteer permission slip filled out and returned.
-Must have their $10 donation attached to their green permission slip.  

If your name is not chosen, your donation WILL BE returned in your child's red folder the following Monday.  

Let me know if you have any questions?

Jog-a-Thon
We will have our Jog-a-thon on Wednesday!  Please send in any donations on the day of the Jog-a-Thon.  They can be placed in your child's red folder.  These donations will go towards future field trips this year for our kindergarteners.  Thanks for your support!  

Scholastic Book Orders
I have placed some Scholastic Book Order catalogs in your child's red folder along with an explanation of how you can purchase books for your child.  Our classroom earns bonus points for your orders and those points are used to purchase books for our classroom library.  I'll be honest, our classroom books are well used!  Kindergarteners can be rough on books and many of our books are falling apart.  It would be great to be able to replace some of the old, ripped books in our library.  You can easily place an online order by clicking on the "book order" tab on this website. 

My BIG List of Kindergarten Goals
I found a great, free resource on-line that I am sending home.  It will help give you an idea of what your child should be able to do by the end of kindergarten to be prepared for first grade.  This chart does not cover all the common core standards, but I feel it hits some of the most important ones.  Keep it as a reference.  Use is as a guide as to what you can be working on at home or in the car.  

Week of September 3rd

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!  This next week will be a short, three day week for the students.  Homework this week will consist of the share homework, nightly reading and practicing sight words.  

This week:

Sight Words: the
Theme: Apples
Literacy Skill:  Craft and Structure
Story Element: N/A
Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections & Inferring
Math:  Numbers 1-10
Writing: Writing with Pictures
Phonics: Kk-Mm

Important Dates:
Sept 3:  No School
Sept 7:  No School
Sept. 12:  Jog-A-Thon
Sept 19:  Math Festival 
October 12:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Volunteers:  Thanks to everyone who has agreed to help out weekly in the classroom!  We won't begin weekly volunteering until mid September, when the board approves all volunteers.  I will keep you posted on that.  Remember, you can not volunteer without being board approved.  

Math Festival:  We are looking for some parents to help during the day of the Math Festival.  You can volunteer the whole day or part of the day (7:40-10:30 or 10:15-1:45).  Please let me know if this is something you are interested in.