Week of April 20th-24th

This week we learned about protecting the Earth and recycling.  I hear that some parents are now required to shorten their showers in order to not waste water. 🙂  I love when the kids listen to me and take that info. home!

We are done with sight words and now are just reviewing and reviewing.

In math, we are working on position words, 2D and 3D shapes and practicing addition and subtraction with word problems.

Midterms came home today.  We are still working on handwriting and writing letters the correct way.  Most kids got a ^ because it’s still something we continue to work on.  You do not need to return midterms.

I mentioned our field trip earlier in an email.  If you would like to go to the arboretum with us and work with a small group of kids on May 15th, please let me know by April 30th.  If I have too many parents, I’ll have to draw names.  I will send permission slips out in the next week or so.

It was good to see everyone at Fine Arts night.  Lots of kids in the class won items and they were very excited to hear it today!  Brody and Brooklyn were the pizza lunch winners and Charlotte and Alex were the Chuck E Cheese winners.  (By the way, I had no part in the drawings! 🙂  Lots of the kids won other items as well and they will get those as those teachers make arrangements.

Just a heads up that I will be gone a couple of days next week.  Tuesday is my prep day because I am the Science trainer for Kindergarten teachers for the district.  On Friday, I’m taking a personal day to get ready for Hannah’s graduation party.  Ms. Zeller will be here to sub for me, but please don’t tell the kids.  She wants to surprise them.  I know they’ll be happy to see her.

Next week reminders:

Lapathon is now on Monday.  Please be sure they wear appropriate clothes to be outside and wear tennis shoes!  They can bring a water bottle with their name on it as well.

Thursday is our Flower Day.  Please bring in an annual and put it on the table with our name in the front hallway.  Thanks to Kelli Martin and Kim Bukaty for volunteering to help us plant that day!

Friday is the spirit day, inside/out day.

I’m off to buy flowers to make prom corsages and a boutinierre.  Hannah has prom tomorrow night. 🙂

Have a great weekend!

Week of April 13-16th

Parents,  be forewarned…I had 4 home today with fevers and throwing up, one sent home at the end of the day and several complaining of headaches.  Hopefully the fact that we’re not in school tomorrow will help clear the germs from kindergarten!  I did wipe down all door handles etc.

This week we learned all about insects, have read lots of interesting books, written some books, made playdough insects, and done insect math.  We will finish up on Monday and then start Earth day activities.  FYI, we took our lima beans home today and they were so excited that a lot of them sprouted!  I told them they could keep them in a sunny window at home or plant them, or throw them away, but you do NOT want them left in their backpack as they’ll mold.

We added our last two sight words, by and as, and I am starting to test.  I have lots of kids that are really doing a great job.  You’ll get progress reports home on the 24th and be able to see what they need to work on for the end of the year testing.  Even if they get all 55, keep practicing over the summer as they’ll be tested again when 1st grade starts.

Just a reminder that Schlitterbahn reading minutes are due next week on the 24th.  You can turn them in early if done, but they HAVE to be here by the 24th or they won’t be accepted.

On Monday, you will get a note home about “Kid’s Teach”.  This is an activity I do every year at the end of the year.  This will give the kids a chance to teach something to their peers, and working on the speaking and listening skills that we practice all year.  They will need to think of something they know how to do and then they will become the teacher for the class.  Be creative and let THEM be the teacher and the ones to choose.  Sure, you can help them figure out something to teach, and gather up the supplies, but they will need to practice at home and be able to share with the class.  For example, I had a child one year teach about wearing sunscreen and how important it is, I’ve had kids teach how to make things, how to do a soccer trick, how to make edible playdough, how to do a certain dance…the list goes on.  It needs to be something your child likes and can confidently teach to the others.  They will need to write up their plan and submit to me to be approved.  I don’t want 5 kids interested in and teaching us about the solar system, so I check to make sure they’re all different.   Please have your plan to me at least 3 days before they teach!  It has to take longer than 5 seconds, but doesn’t need to be a 15 minute presentation although often they are.  They are responsible for any supplies they need unless it’s stuff we have in class.  For example, they can use their own crayons and I have construction paper, but if they’re teaching the class to make a beaded bracelet, then they need to bring the other supplies.  My only request is to NOT let them teach how to build a lego model.  What happens is that they stand up in front, build it, don’t say a word, and the other kids are bored stiff for 10 minutes.  Try to think of things that they can teach and then the class can do or practice.  i will assign the kids a day and they must be ready on that day.  We are on a tight schedule and need to get everyone in.  They are also responsible to bring a poster board showing the steps in what they’re doing or information about what they’re presenting.  Please have them make the poster, this is not a Mom project.  (Trust me, I still want to redo Jack’s stuff 🙂  but it needs to be THEIR work.  Most all the kids love it (although some may be nervous, they all get through it), and especially love it when they look to me to give directions and I sit back and say, “you’re the teacher!”  Then I start to hear the phrases I say all day long from them! 🙂

Next week we will finish up insects and learn about protecting the Earth for Earth day.  Don’t forget that next week on Wed. is the Science night at Sante Fe Trail Middle school, Thursday is Fine arts Fair night and Friday is the lapathon.  Please make sure they wear tennis shoes next Friday and bring a water bottle.

I have meetings tomorrow and then the weekend is full of graduation party planning.  If you happen to see me spontaneously burst into tears, just know my baby is about to graduate from high school and head to college. Seriously, she was in THIS kindergarten room yesterday!  Enjoy the moments, even the frustrating ones, because it goes so quickly!  Thank you all again for the wonderful birthday!  I felt very celebrated and was happy to be able to share it with the kids!  Have a great weekend!

Week of April 6-10

This week, we learned about community helpers and their jobs.  We decided what we’d like to be when we grow up (I’m just choosing to not grow up! 🙂 and painted portraits of ourselves.  They’re out in the hall and you’re really going to love them!  We also wrote a class book that’s coming home.  We also added the sight words, “girl” and “not”.

In math, we are working on 2-D shapes, being able to describe and recognize a circle, square, rectangle, triangle, and hexagon.  We also worked on graphing.  Next week, we’ll continue with graphing and sorting our coins and learning about 3-D shapes.   We continue to practice addition and subtraction both in math journals and in class.

In the middle of the week, we started learning about plants and seeds.  We planted grass seed and put lima beans in bags so we can watch them sprout.  We learned all the things plants need to survive and did some labeling as well.

Each week, on Wed., I have a parent volunteer come in to change out books in reading folders.  If the book titles are not written on the logs, she is no longer going to change out the books.  It takes a ton of her time to do it and I’m super appreciative of her help.  She will no longer be putting post it reminders on folders or asking the kids.  Please make sure you write it down and if you need a new log, you can just attach a blank piece of paper.  Thanks for continuing to read so those reading skills don’t drop off.

I sent home a list this week of all the upcoming dates that I know of right now.  Please make sure to hang on to that.  We will be having flower day with our 5th grade buddies on Thursday April 30th instead of May 1st since 5th grade is gone all day on the 1st.  Please make sure you bring in your flowers to plant on Thursday.    We ask that you bring in an annual or two and the kids will plant them in the beds outside with their buddies.  We will provide the shovels and the fun, but we need your help providing flowers.  Also, every year, we donate a bunch to Ridgeview, our sister school, in Olathe, so that they can plant as well.  I could use 2-3 volunteers that day to help plant and clean up.  We are doing it from about 10-10:30.  If you can be here to help around 9:45, please let me know.

Next week on Tuesday, is my birthday.  Every year, I like to celebrate by providing the kids with a pizza lunch.  I will be ordering Little Caesar’s Pizza and I have a volunteer picking it up.  I think she’s also asking a few people to help with sides and drinks.  We will eat at our regular time, but eat in the classroom all together.  If your child will NOT eat pizza, please send them with a cold lunch that day or they can go get theirs in the lunch room and bring it in.  If your child does NOT like pizza, please let me know so that we can be sure they get a lunch ordered or they can bring one.  They’ll still eat with us of course.  I’ve had kids in years past tell me at the end of the year, that this was their favorite day of kindergarten.  It will be lots of fun, we just won’t talk about how OLD I am! 🙂  On Monday we will graph what their favorite kind is so I can order accordingly.  I will get several cheese as I know some kids don’t eat meat.

I think that’s it for now.  Tonight, my Girl Scout troop is having one last hurrah and having dinner together.  So incredible to think they started out in kindergarten together and now as seniors, there’s 8 left.  It’s been quite the adventure and more adventurous than I ever thought I’d be!  Tonight we reminisce and celebrate.    Unbelievable that we have only 27 days left of kindergarten!  AGH!!  We’ve got lots still to do! Have a great weekend!

Week of March 30-April 3rd

Last week, we learned that BOLO means “Be on the lookout” and we wrote a piece of writing in third person, which was kind of hard, but they turned out great!  Be sure to check them out in the hallway!  We learned how to take an idea we jotted down and turn it into sentences.

We finished up our moon unit and wrote facts about the moon.  These are in the hallway too.

We also did a whole Science Unit on Frogs.  We read lots of great expository books, learned new vocabulary books, talked about the globe and where frogs live, and did some great factual writing in our frog books.  I’m keeping those here until Fine Art Fair night and then you’ll get them back.

In math, we learned to sort things in three different ways, size, shape, and color.  We will continue that this week as we work on shapes and money and sorting those as well.

We also added the sight words boy and look.

This coming week, we will be learning about our community and what community helpers we have and talk about what they’d like to be when they grow up.  We will end the week learning about plants.

I will be sending a paper letter home soon of all the upcoming dates so you can get them on your calendar.  My reminders at the moment are:

I need 2 volunteers to help with the lapathon, which will be on Friday April 24th.  If you can help, let me know.  I’m not sure of the times quite yet. I think we’re at  the end of the day, but I’ll let you know for sure.

April 24th, the Schlitterbahn reading minutes are due.  Those that have already turned them in, I’m just holding on to them.

April 22 is Science night at Sante Fe Trail Middle school from 6-8.  A note will be sent home soon.  If they go, they can earn gotchas in class.  It is a SUPER cool night with a million fun science activities.  I had about 5 families go last year and just raved about it!  I took Jack and he thought it was awesome too!  There’s all kinds of activities for all ages.

We are doing a school service project to make May day baskets and need some supplies and volunteers.  Please see the note in the newsletter that Mrs. Kennicott sent home for more details.

“We are excited about Bentwood’s spring Service Project, in which buddy classes will make May Day baskets for delivery to nearby nursing homes and business partners.  To make our project a success, we need donations of the following items by Friday, April 10:

• tissue paper
• pipe cleaners
• cheap white paper plates (for cone-shaped baskets)

Items can be brought to your child’s classroom, or to the counselor’s office.  Thank you for your help!”

As I said, I hope this week to have the note done with all our EOY activities because time is flying!  Hope you had a great Easter weekend!