Fruits & Veggies

We have a new program at school this year that delivers fresh fruits and veggies to the classroom a few days a week.  The kinders have been very adventurous in trying new things so far!  I did not think they'd go for the red and green bell peppers or kiwi fruits, but they loved both...Here's to trying new things!

Kiwi...yum yum!

The Yes Foundation

Exciting news in Kindergarten...The Yes Foundation reading program will be visiting our classroom bi-weekly. "Uncle Larry" will be reading to our class every other week with books to give away.

Each child will be given a book through the Yes Foundation by the end of the school year!

The Little School Bus

We were off to a busy start this Monday! We are beginning our first unit in the Scott Foresman Reading Street series.  In each unit, there is a "big question" that the stories are centered around.  This unit, students will explore the question, "How do we work, live, and play together?".

Our story this week is The Little School Bus by Carol Roth.  In The Little School Bus,  we are talking about how we get to school. 

This week we are focusing on letters Aa and Bb.  Students will learn the letter sounds,  how to write the uppercase and lowercase letters, and words that begin with those letters.

In math,  students are learning to count groups of objects and how to write numbers 0-5.  

I went to the library this evening and found many books about numbers and counting to incorporate reading into our math block!

Some reminders:
- Please make sure to empty old papers out of your child's folder each night...they pile up fast!
- Open House is Wednesday 4-5:30. Come check out your child's classroom!
- Homework packets go home on Mondays and are due on Fridays. Please make sure your child is doing a page a night!

Ready for Kindergarten?

Here's a link to a great article I came across on Scholastic that outlines what children should be able to do when they enter kindergarten:

Ready for Kindergarten?

Here are some of the highlights:

• Identify some letters of the alphabet
• Grip a pencil, crayon, or marker correctly (with the thumb and forefinger supporting the tip)
• Use scissors, glue, paint, and other art materials with relative ease
• Write his first name using upper- and lowercase letters, if possible
• Count to 10
• Bounce a ball
• Classify objects according to their size, shape, and quantity
• Speak using complete sentences
• Recognize some common sight words, like “stop”
• Identify rhyming words
• Repeat his full name, address, phone number, and birthday
• Play independently or focus on one activity with a friend for up to ten minutes
• Manage bathroom needs
• Dress himself
• Follow directions
• Clean up after himself
• Listen to a story without interrupting
• Separate from parents easily

The article also discusses what your child should be able to do by the end of kindergarten.  Worth checking out!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dominick! You're 5 years old today!

Kindergarten Happenings

Here is a picture of our classroom behavior stoplight.  All the students begin the day on green. If students do an extra fantastic job during the day, they can get on blue and earn a prize at the end of the day! There are monthly incentives for students who stay on green or blue for the whole month! If students need warnings during the day, they move their clip to yellow and have to spend 5 minutes in timeout during recess.  Orange means that a student needed a time out during class time.  Red means there were major problems during the day and a parent will be contacted by note or phone.

This week we read "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and did a chicka chicka name project. Students had to unscramble their name and assemble their palm tree. Names and numbers were written for students by teacher helpers. 

Here are some student work samples:

This week, our classroom received many puzzles and fine motor activities for a grant I wrote this summer through Donorschoose.org! Thank you, Donors Choose!

It's been a busy second week of school!  The class is starting to get a better hang on classroom/school procedures like walking quietly in the hallway. Week three will continue to bring improvement.  Don't forget- No school next Friday, September 23.

Welcome Letter

If your child began after the first day of school,  you may have missed the welcome letter that went home.

 Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the policies of our classroom! Thanks :)

 ~Mrs. Lindsay

Thank You!

Thank you to all the families who donated Kleenex,  hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes,  and other supplies to the classroom!  I appreciate it so much (and so do your little ones)!

If you sent supplies with your child and I have not taken them out of your child's backpack yet,  please remind me on Monday and I will do my best to remember.  This has been a busy first week and there has been a lot going on,  so I may not have gotten to it.

Lastly,  thank you for all your support so far.  I appreciate everyone reinforcing school rules and having behavior talks with their children.  It will make all the difference in the world as the year goes on!

This week was mostly about learning procedures and routines.  As students become more independent each day,  we will be able to do more & more.

I can't wait to see where our learning journey will take us this year!

abcteach.com

                                                                                                           ~Mrs. Lindsay

Daily Folders

The daily homework folders are in!  I will be sending these home for the first time on Monday, September 12.  Daily folders are to be checked everyday by parents.  Inside the folder,  you will find homework for your child Monday-Thursday (no homework on Fridays). 

Notes from myself or from the office can be found in the daily folder.  I expect that parents check folders each day and return EMPTY folders.  The only thing that needs to come back in the folder is completed homework or a note to the teacher. Old notes pile up quickly when left unchecked!

                                             ~Mrs. Lindsay

Getting Into a Routine

Hi there, families!  Thanks for checking out our classroom blog.  We've officially made it through our first two days of kindergarten!

 The first few weeks are all about getting into a routine in the classroom.  Students need to learn how to walk in the hallways,  how to line up (and stay in line!),  how to act appropriately in the bathroom,  how to hang their things up each day,  etc.

The beginning of kindergarten is usually a hard transition for kids because it's such a long day for them!  You can help by making sure that your child is getting to bed at a good hour and getting plenty of sleep each night.  That will help him/her with self-control throughout the day.  You can also help by asking your child how they did each day and reminding him/her about the importance of following directions the FIRST time asked!

Daily homework folders and planners will hopefully be in soon and then you will get a daily report of your child's behavior.

 Thanks for your support so far...I can't do it without you!

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                                                                                          ~Mrs. Lindsay