WEEKLY HAPPENINGS
Literacy Centers:
- Students did creative writing, imagining themselves as the president "If I was President I would..."
- The lyrics of "Magic Penny" were in the form of a little book that students could color and read
- Magnetic Letters: building words
- 100s Day coloring activity which involved reading color words and coloring picture appropriately
Guided Reading: After completing assessments, we were finally able to dive into Guided Reading this week. I had a chance to meet 1-on-1 with every student to talk to them about the structure of guided reading. (That they will be pulled, either by themselves or with a group, to learn something about reading and then practice it with me. I explained that they may feel frustrated during Guided Reading sometimes, but that it's my job to make sure that they are reading books that are just right for them. Students will keep books at school in their Book Boxes to practice and periodically take them home for additional support there. This week I focused with most students on pointing to words as they read them. This ensures that they are matching spoken words to written.) This is a very exciting time for Kindergarteners as they are beginning to build confidence in their reading skills and strategies and look forward to the journey that lies ahead.
Writers Workshop: Students used photos with their flat dolls (or drew their own illustrations) and wrote about their Winter Break. Students are beginning to really excel with phonetic spelling and are taking more risks, a huge step to becoming independent and successful writers!
Math: Mrs. Chiappe taught students a game called Racing Bears. In our classroom, we examined pennies (President Lincoln) and recorded results of a penny toss activity.
Science: We have said goodbye to our Animals Two by Two unit. We explored fish, snails, and worms! Our classroom will continue to house the fish and snails for students to make observations and care for.
Art: Students created both squares for our February quilt (one was simple cutting and gluing and the other was watercolored). We also colored our February self portraits. This month we focused on filling the entire space, most students did this by coloring their picture's background blue as the sky.
Social Studies: This week we focused on Presidents day. We talked especially about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. I read several Read Alouds, they read leveled reader about Washington, we talked about Holidays and even watched a DVD segment (complete with a song about holidays).
Buddies: Our buddies helped us to create George Washington hats this week. Then we were able to read them our new guided reading books.
Lifeskill Assembly: This month Andrew was honored with our award for Perseverance: "I will finish what I start".
NOTES AND REMINDERS
Conferences: The week of March 9th contains two Minmum Days, set aside for conferences. This round of conferences is for students who are below grade level or who I have other concerns about. I will not be meeting with most families during these days. I will be sending letters home early next week, to schedule with those of you who I'd like to conference with. If you have concerns and feel that a conference is necessarily, please email me with your inquiry.
Field Trip: Please remember that money to cover the cost of tickets is $6 per person. (This also means that parents who are coming must purchase a ticket). If you are able to contribute toward a scholarship, it is appreciated. I am also looking for volunteers to chaperone our field trip to San Francisco on March 24. We are able to take 4 parents, and I will give priority to those who have not yet attended. I will open the opportunity up to those parents on Monday if I have not recieved enough.
Dr. Seuss Day: Monday, March 2nd we will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. We will spend the day reading Dr. Seuss stories, making Green Eggs and Ham, and creating Cat in the Hat hats. I am looking for parents who might be interested in being "Guest Readers" that day to read a Dr. Seuss story. (I will forward the Jooners sign up - Please sign up no later than Sunday night so I can plan accordingly)
Photos: They are uploaded on Picasa. Please enjoy, and once again sorry for the huge gap in time. I will do my best to keep them more up to date in the future.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday March 2nd: Dr. Seuss Birthday
Tuesday March 3rd: Hina Matsuri (Japanese Doll Festival)
Friday March 6th: Minimum Day
Tuesday March 10th: Minimum Day (Conferences)
Wednesday March 11th: Minimum Day (Conferences)
Friday March 13th: Report Cards Go Home
Tuesday March 24th: Field Trip
Wednesday March 25th: Blue Day
Friday March 27th: No School
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Kinder News 2.23
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS
Literacy: We colored and read a book called "I Like Me". Students were very successful with this patterned text.
Writers Workshop: This week we talked about functional writing. Our focus was on writing a letter. We talked about the parts of a letter (date, Dear _____, message and the closing). Students wrote a valentines letter for someone in their family.
Field Trip to the Mailbox: After completing the letters, putting an address label on the envelope, and stamps, we walked to the mailbox on Dunford. Students had a chance to place their letters in the mailbox (so keep your eyes on the mail, hopefully they will arrive on Saturday).
Math: We worked on a simple addition concept book, students chose two quantities to draw, then created an addition problem to accompany them.
Science: We observed our newest and final animal friend, worms. Students asked questions to guess what animal we'd be meeting, then used those clues to guess. We examined Red Worms and Night Crawlers. We talked about how their bodies feel and what they look like when they move.
Cooking: Our Harvest of the Month crate contained Cabbage. We looked at three types: Red, Napa, and Green. Miss Wagenaar cut the Green Cabbage and created a Chinese Chicken Salad (minus the chicken) for the children to try.
Native Pride Dancers: We had an assembly on Monday which involved Native Americans presenting information and a glimpse of their culture.
Kinder Concert: We hope you enjoyed our presentation of the Kindergarten Concert on Tuesday evening. We have worked very hard to learn the songs, and many wonderful reviews would say that the time and effort paid off.
Valentine's Day: Today was a fun-filled day. We started the day with a math exercise - sorting, graphing, and addition using candy hearts. Our buddies helped us to complete a Valentine Mouse craft project. After lunch we enjoyed our party. We had snacks including mini pizzas, kettle corn, oranges, strawberries, apple juice, and a cookie. Finally students were able to open and enjoy their Valentine cards with one another. The day ended with Esther Lew handing out beautiful construction paper roses for the students to bring home to parents. These roses were created using their handprints! (Absolutely Amazing!)
NOTES AND REMINDERS
There is no school this coming week! Enjoy your holiday, hope it finds you happy and healthy.
Flat People: If you were not able to submit pictures (or did and would like to take more) of your child with their flat counterpart, I've pushed the writing project back to allow families who missed out on the Winter Break to participate. So, remember the idea is to take photos of your child and their doll doing noteworthy activities during the break. We WILL be writing our Class Book about their adventures when we return. Thank you for your involvement!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU: To all parents who helped with our Valentines Celebration, whether by attending or providing supplies or snacks! What a group of willing individuals we have this year. Your children and I are so lucky to have you!
Also, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU: To Maura Fennelly (Megan's mom) who was able to get her work to donate a laptop to replace my previously stolen one. The kids and I are very excited (they're all already making requests for songs that they'd like me to have on it when we get back from break). My vow, now that I've been given such a generous gift, is to stay on top of the blog, especially the picture uploading. I leave for Chicago in a few hours, but when I return I will be taking some time to upload backlogged pictures that haven't made their way online. Thank you for your patience with me while I get things back in order.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday February 16 - Friday February 20: No School
Literacy: We colored and read a book called "I Like Me". Students were very successful with this patterned text.
Writers Workshop: This week we talked about functional writing. Our focus was on writing a letter. We talked about the parts of a letter (date, Dear _____, message and the closing). Students wrote a valentines letter for someone in their family.
Field Trip to the Mailbox: After completing the letters, putting an address label on the envelope, and stamps, we walked to the mailbox on Dunford. Students had a chance to place their letters in the mailbox (so keep your eyes on the mail, hopefully they will arrive on Saturday).
Math: We worked on a simple addition concept book, students chose two quantities to draw, then created an addition problem to accompany them.
Science: We observed our newest and final animal friend, worms. Students asked questions to guess what animal we'd be meeting, then used those clues to guess. We examined Red Worms and Night Crawlers. We talked about how their bodies feel and what they look like when they move.
Cooking: Our Harvest of the Month crate contained Cabbage. We looked at three types: Red, Napa, and Green. Miss Wagenaar cut the Green Cabbage and created a Chinese Chicken Salad (minus the chicken) for the children to try.
Native Pride Dancers: We had an assembly on Monday which involved Native Americans presenting information and a glimpse of their culture.
Kinder Concert: We hope you enjoyed our presentation of the Kindergarten Concert on Tuesday evening. We have worked very hard to learn the songs, and many wonderful reviews would say that the time and effort paid off.
Valentine's Day: Today was a fun-filled day. We started the day with a math exercise - sorting, graphing, and addition using candy hearts. Our buddies helped us to complete a Valentine Mouse craft project. After lunch we enjoyed our party. We had snacks including mini pizzas, kettle corn, oranges, strawberries, apple juice, and a cookie. Finally students were able to open and enjoy their Valentine cards with one another. The day ended with Esther Lew handing out beautiful construction paper roses for the students to bring home to parents. These roses were created using their handprints! (Absolutely Amazing!)
NOTES AND REMINDERS
There is no school this coming week! Enjoy your holiday, hope it finds you happy and healthy.
Flat People: If you were not able to submit pictures (or did and would like to take more) of your child with their flat counterpart, I've pushed the writing project back to allow families who missed out on the Winter Break to participate. So, remember the idea is to take photos of your child and their doll doing noteworthy activities during the break. We WILL be writing our Class Book about their adventures when we return. Thank you for your involvement!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU: To all parents who helped with our Valentines Celebration, whether by attending or providing supplies or snacks! What a group of willing individuals we have this year. Your children and I are so lucky to have you!
Also, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU: To Maura Fennelly (Megan's mom) who was able to get her work to donate a laptop to replace my previously stolen one. The kids and I are very excited (they're all already making requests for songs that they'd like me to have on it when we get back from break). My vow, now that I've been given such a generous gift, is to stay on top of the blog, especially the picture uploading. I leave for Chicago in a few hours, but when I return I will be taking some time to upload backlogged pictures that haven't made their way online. Thank you for your patience with me while I get things back in order.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday February 16 - Friday February 20: No School
Friday, February 6, 2009
Kinder News 2.22
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS
Literacy Centers:
- Mr. Snowman song
- Beginning Sounds worksheet
- I would eat 100___/I would not eat 100____ class book page
-Clifford Alphabet Bingo game
Writers Workshop: Students practiced writing before drawing during Writer's Workshop and used phonetic spelling to tell a story about something that had happened to them. (Students practiced using the alphabet chart to help identify letter sounds) We especially focused on adding a reflective ending. For example "It was fun." or "I had a good time."
Science: We continued our examination of snails. We drew them scientifically, and added labels of their parts (shell, foot, tentacles, and eyes).
Cooking: This week Yuka's mom organized and led our cooking project. We made Chinese dumpling in a sweet broth. The children had fun creating the dough balls and trying a food that most of them had never experienced.
Groundhog Day: We celebrated Groundhog day by creating a Groundhog puppet. Since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, we will be experiencing six more weeks of Winter.
100th Day: We celebrated the 100th day of school with a variety of activities and projects. We found 100 objects around the classroom, sorted, and counted them. We did a "museum walk" to see the 100 item collections brought it in all Kinder classes. We made 100 glasses/headbands. We compared the weight of our 100 item collections. We used marshmallows to count to 100, focusing on grouping and place value. We finished the sentence "If I had $100 I would buy ________." We also made a necklace using 100 fruit loops.
Music: A lot of our week was devoted to preparing ourselves for our upcoming concert. We have moved our practice onto the stage, preparing ourselves for the concert by singing on the risers. We look forward to sharing our hard work during next week's concert.
NOTES AND REMINDERS
Kinder Concert: Just a reminder that our Kindergarten Concert will be happening on Tuesday. Please remember to send in your child's pink or red shirt (marked with their name) as soon as possible.
Valentines: Reminder that if Valentines are going to be distributed, they need to be written by your child and they must be included for every student. We will be distributing them throughout the morning of Friday February 13.
Valentines Celebration: Our celebration will be following lunch on Friday February 13th. We will enjoy some healthy snacks (sign-up sheet to follow) and students will have an opportunity to open their Valentine Cards.
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday February 10th: Kinder Concert (6:30pm)
Friday February 13th: Valentine's Celebration
Monday February 16 - Friday February 20: No School
Literacy Centers:
- Mr. Snowman song
- Beginning Sounds worksheet
- I would eat 100___/I would not eat 100____ class book page
-Clifford Alphabet Bingo game
Writers Workshop: Students practiced writing before drawing during Writer's Workshop and used phonetic spelling to tell a story about something that had happened to them. (Students practiced using the alphabet chart to help identify letter sounds) We especially focused on adding a reflective ending. For example "It was fun." or "I had a good time."
Science: We continued our examination of snails. We drew them scientifically, and added labels of their parts (shell, foot, tentacles, and eyes).
Cooking: This week Yuka's mom organized and led our cooking project. We made Chinese dumpling in a sweet broth. The children had fun creating the dough balls and trying a food that most of them had never experienced.
Groundhog Day: We celebrated Groundhog day by creating a Groundhog puppet. Since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, we will be experiencing six more weeks of Winter.
100th Day: We celebrated the 100th day of school with a variety of activities and projects. We found 100 objects around the classroom, sorted, and counted them. We did a "museum walk" to see the 100 item collections brought it in all Kinder classes. We made 100 glasses/headbands. We compared the weight of our 100 item collections. We used marshmallows to count to 100, focusing on grouping and place value. We finished the sentence "If I had $100 I would buy ________." We also made a necklace using 100 fruit loops.
Music: A lot of our week was devoted to preparing ourselves for our upcoming concert. We have moved our practice onto the stage, preparing ourselves for the concert by singing on the risers. We look forward to sharing our hard work during next week's concert.
NOTES AND REMINDERS
Kinder Concert: Just a reminder that our Kindergarten Concert will be happening on Tuesday. Please remember to send in your child's pink or red shirt (marked with their name) as soon as possible.
Valentines: Reminder that if Valentines are going to be distributed, they need to be written by your child and they must be included for every student. We will be distributing them throughout the morning of Friday February 13.
Valentines Celebration: Our celebration will be following lunch on Friday February 13th. We will enjoy some healthy snacks (sign-up sheet to follow) and students will have an opportunity to open their Valentine Cards.
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday February 10th: Kinder Concert (6:30pm)
Friday February 13th: Valentine's Celebration
Monday February 16 - Friday February 20: No School
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