September
Letter Work
The kindergarten classes are having fun looking at our names. We’ve learned that our names begin with capital or upper case letters and the rest of our letters are lower case. We’ve spent some time counting and comparing the letters in our names. We are beginning to recognize our own as well as each others names!
We’ve spent some time working on the with alphabet using different types of letters. The book print g, a and t can be very confusing. On our “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” work sheets we put capital letters and lower case letters in alphabetical order. This was quite difficult for some of us. We talked about different strategies we could use to get the letters in the correct order. Many times you could hear the low hum of the alphabet song as children chose to sing that as their primary strategy for getting the letters in the correct order. Ordering the letters will be an activity that we will do many time during our kindergarten year.
Reading
The children listened to books about the start of school. We moved on to books about friends and friendship. Some we have read include Frog and Toad are Friends, Ten, Nine, Eight, Big Al, Jessica, Julius the Baby of the World, Owen, Sheila Rae the Brave,Chester’s Way, A Weekend with Wendell, Chrysanthemum and When Sophie Gets Really Really Angry. The message in these books helped us understand our classroom rules and the rules of KCS. Then we moved on to the alphabet books.
The children looked at friendship books, alphabet books and also made some independent choices during D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read).
Writing
The children are either drawing and writing a few words to tell about their pictures or dictating their first “story” in their draft books. Draft books are where the children practice writing skills. We will start out working in these two to three times a week and by the end of the year the children will be writing independently every day. We will collect all the writings and will send everything home at the end of the year in a portfolio.
Handwriting
The children have practiced the basic writing strokes. We are working hard to get a proper pencil grip. When you see your child writing at home please reinforce the proper hand grip. As we start the phonics program the children will be practicing specific letters each week.
Everyday Math
We started our Everyday Math work with our calendar routines. We are writing numbers on a growing number line, graphing how old we are and tallying the weather each day, looking at patterns (on our clothing and elsewhere) and learning the language of days of the week and passage of time. In addition to our routines we have explored many different math materials in the room; pattern blocks, Legos, Unifix cubes, buttons and the money. Different tools for measuring were introduced and each child was measured. We wonder how much we will grow this year.
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Notes From Mrs. Mildner
Folders are due on Monday,
Don’t forget those baby pictures!
Help! We need a monarch caterpillar!
Book orders have been sent and will be here in a week to 10 days.
Please label jackets etc. with your child’s name. Many look alike!
The children are getting more and more independent each day. We have started using cross-out lists and moving from center to center independently. It will take some time before we are proficient at moving and being responsible for our daily jobs.
Notes From Mrs. Cmaylo
Folders are due daily
Don’t forget those baby pictures!
Help! We need a monarch caterpillar!
Book orders have been sent and will be here in a week to 10 days. Mrs. Archer is our book order mom and room mother. She will call for needed classroom party items or begin the phone tree calling.
Students staff in their center for the whole work time and move the following day.
Please label jackets etc. with your child’s name. Many look alike!
Thank you for your help with healthy snacks! We cheer for fresh fruit and vegetables every day!
We have made two new class books! What we are Afraid of…and Ten, Nine, Eight…Please help your child count up and back daily.
We sing a directional song; Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal daily, please use this language with your child.
We pledge the flag and our earth.
We can sing the insect song: Head Thorax, Abdomen
Upcoming
Formal Phonics work!
Growth and Change---ourselves and butterflies
Our Body Study- a visit from Dr. Stockwell
Field Trip to Rachel Carson---date to be announced
Come see our Pride of the Port primary bulletin board. It is spectacular! We are, indeed, the pride of the Port!
Thank you for the supplies you have shared! We love the support!