Week of Oct. 21st-25th

We finished up our unit on bats this week and learned a lot of new vocabulary, read a lot of expository books, and the difference between fact and opinion.  We made bats and wrote a bat fact sentence that are hanging in the hallway.

Today we started Fairy Tales and are learning about the elements of fairy tales and wrote a class book version of a fairy tale.  We will be reading the original stories and then different versions of those stories and comparing them.   We will talk about characters, setting, problem and solution and do a lot of retelling of familiar stories.  That will lead into the next week when we will start our Project Lead the Way Science unit.  We will use the fairy tales as a base to learn about structure and function and will become engineers!  I would encourage you all to go to the library and check out some fairy tales.  That’s a great thing for kids to hear you read!

We started reading groups and I did not get to each group this week.  It is a SLOW process at first as I really want the kids to learn to use the strategies and understand the concepts.  Books will come home after your child has read it twice with me.  (I have been emailing groups the first time their book  is coming home so you know to look for it.) Please remember to read for 2 nights, mark the log (only once) and then return it.  Books are predictable and easy to memorize at first.  Make sure they are pointing to the word, looking at the word, and reading the word.  If they don’t know a word, use the strategy sheet to figure it out.  Please do not let them randomly point or guess at words.

PLEASE turn in the shapes on Monday so we can make a shape town.  We are looking for 2D and 3D shapes that you do NOT need back.  We will be wrapping up shapes next week and then moving on to measurement.

For Second Step/Leader in Me, we’ve been discussing feelings and emotions and the best way to handle those.  We’ve been doing a lot of role playing on how to best handle different situations we might run into, especially at school.

For Halloween, the kids will come dressed in costumes.  They have to be able to independently use the restroom and need to wear tennis shoes.   We will also go outside for recess, so be sure to send coats!  Any masks, headpieces, gloves, etc. can be brought and put on for the parade only.  There is not to be anything bloody, gory and NO weapons are allowed.  You may come and help set up at 2:15, the parade is at 2:30 and the party is afterwards.  Parents are invited to come and watch and help with the party.  I always take a class picture in the morning when everyone still has all the parts and pieces put together and I’m happy to send one out.  It’s hard to get one at the party.  If you are bringing/sending food, please check with me first.  I have several allergies and I want to make sure no one is left out and everyone can participate.

I will be gone to a district training on Tuesday, so please remind your child to have their best manners and listening ears that day!

Have a great weekend!  I had a great time in Utah and will be missing my girl this weekend.  We’ll be headed to the KU game and hoping it does NOT rain.  I sat in the POURING rain for the Utah football game.  The things we do for our kids…. 🙂

Week of Oct. 7-10th

A quick early update today:

We finished our apple lessons with how to writing and made apple “pies”.  Thanks again to the parents who sent in items so this could happen!  We learned about pumpkins, pumpkin life cycles and how they grow and we made silly spooky pumpkins that are in the hall.  We also wrote riddles today.  At conferences, be sure to read them and see if you can guess who is hiding behind the ghost!

In math, we finished up 1 more/1 less and numbers to 10.  Next week we will start on shapes.  Daily we do number practice, counting, recognizing, and understanding math concepts.

In Leader in Me and second step, we’ve talked about feelings and how to handle when we feel different ways.  This goes great with Ms. Kennicott’s lessons on zones of regulation.  We also learned that Sharpen the Saw means taking care of our bodies both physically and mentally.

We added the sight words “to” and “come” and talked about long i and short i.

To Do’s:

• Return book bags tomorrow!
• Book orders are in folders today.  They are due by the 16th.  I will place the order on the 17th in the morning so you can get them back by Halloween.
• No School Friday.
• Conferences will be on Wed. evening and Thurs.  Please be on time.  If I am running past time, please knock on the door.  I do my very best to stay on time!  (But I have lots to say and like to talk 🙂  Kindergarteners do NOT need to come to their conference.  We have them come and share in Feb.  If they need to come, they can play quietly in the room.

I think that’s it for this week.  Next week we start learning about BATS!!  It’s always a little batty in kindergarten so that works well…ha!  Have a great weekend!

Week of Sept. 30-Oct. 4th

What a fun apple day we had this morning!  THANK YOU to everyone who sent items in!!  We got to taste plain apples, cinnamon sugar apples, applesauce, apple juice, and apple pancakes.  (My top secret recipe is pancake mix, cinnamon, and cut up apples! 🙂  Then they graphed which was their favorite.  They also made a life cycle of apples, and did an apple investigation where we weighed and measured apples.  They really enjoyed the time with their 5th grade buddies!  Next week, we’ll make apple “pie” and do a how to writing!  This week we also learned about Johnny Appleseed and did an experiment where we predicted and then experimented with apples and whether or not the apple and seeds would sink or float.  We also talked about the Seasons and sorted what activities we could do in each season.

We added the sight words “we” and “see” and the letters, sounds, and actions for Bb and Ff.

In math, we’re working on one more and one less and played some math games to practice.  We also practiced ordering 1-10 and counting up and down from 1-10.  We’re also still practicing writing those numbers and making sure they’re not reversed.

In Second Step and Leader in Me, we talked about cooperation and synergyzing which means working together.  We continue to talk about how to take a little problem and solve it instead of making it bigger.  We also work on apologies and accepting apologies with “I forgive you” or “I accept your apology.”

Next week, we will start with classroom greeters.  Each week, 2 kids will be asked to come to the room by 8:05 to get their greeter vest on and be ready to greet the other students.  I put a note on their backpack and a note in their folder if they’re the greeter.  Please keep the note on the backpack so when they’re walking down the hall early, other teachers will know they’re going to be greeter.  Everyone will have a turn and then we’ll start again.

We go outside almost EVERY day!  Please make sure your child has a jacket/coat daily.  Even if the weather says it’s going to be warm, it usually isn’t by 10 when we go out for first recess.  I’ve had a couple of cold kids today!

Next week is kindness week.  You got a note home with what to wear everyday and it’s in Dr. McDonald’s weekly newsletter.  If you don’t get that by the way, be sure to call the office so you can get signed up!

If you have extra McDonald’s toys that you don’t want anymore, feel free to sneak them in for my treasure box!  Kids are loving their sticker charts and getting to choose from the box!

To Do’s

• Please sign, cut and return conference forms on Monday if you didn’t today.
• Reminder, no school next Friday, Oct. 11th

I hope you all enjoy the Fall Festival tonight!  It’s a lot of fun.  You just never know with the weather, we’ve had Fall festivals where it was SO hot, chilly, and even one year when the tornado sirens went off!  I hope you have a great time with your child.  I usually come for a bit, but I won’t be there tonight.  My daughter Hannah is coming in town for the weekend.  I haven’t seen her in 10 weeks!!  This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing her, for her whole life!  She and I are very close and I can’t wait to see her!  We’ll be headed to KU for the game tomorrow and I plan to be stuck to her all weekend.  I’m sure she’ll love that! ha!

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy your family time together!