Story of the week: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom By Bill Martin Jr.

Today is Monday by Eric Carle

Phonics: Tt /t/, Pp/p/

HFW: the, an, at

Math: measurement

Social Studies: Days of the week

Reminders:

·         We will have our first “guidance” lesson on Tuesday

·         Please tie shoes in a double knot before your child comes to school

·         Reading groups start on Wednesday

·         Friday is our school RED day. Dress in all red!

·         Please practice fine motor skills at home such as name writing and using scissors

  

Dear Parents,

                 I have heard rave reviews from the students about Ms. Jane, our substitute who was here on Friday. I was so happy to be greeted with smiling faces and hugs this morning. Ms. Jane even had the kids make cards for Mr. Avirett to help him recover from his surgery.

                This week we will learn about the calendar and days of the week through books, songs, and rhymes. We will become familiar with the signs for the days of the week using Amercian Sign Language. On Friday we will have a school-wide “red” day. Students and teachers are encouraged to wear red. This week we will:

·         Learn about Tt /t/ and Pp /p/

·         Use our Starfall writing journals

·         Learn high-frequency words the, an, at

You might have noticed that we will be learning two letters this week. The pace has picked up now that we have started becoming more set in our routines at school. We will continue to learn two letters per week until the end of the semester. Please practice our letters at home as well. We practice A LOT here at school, but please work with your child at home to be sure that it “sticks” even at home.

Please practice writing names at home. While many students can copy their name, have your child do it without looking. Encourage proper pencil grip and letter formation.  

In math we have wrapped up sorting and have begun measureable attributes. We will compare and order by size, compare and order by length, and measure objects with non-standard units of measure such as counting cubes or paper clips. Measure, compare, and order things at home too! Silverware, clothes, books, dishes, bottles, ANYTHING can be compared and ordered by size and length.

We will be starting our reading groups on Wednesday. Reading groups are small groups of students who work with a trained adult on specific reading skills. Students are grouped by their ability and current level of knowledge. Grouping is flexible and can change as students make progress. Some groups will be hosted in our room and others in the auditorium. For the first several weeks we will be working on letter recognition doing 5 letters per week. After the group has reached a certain level of mastery, leveled books will be sent home. The homework for EVERY night is to read the book three times. You know how to read. Let your student do the reading with some support from you. They will have read the book two times by the time it comes home and they should be challenged to read it on their own. 

Week 2: Learning About Rules

Story of the week: I Am Your Flag and Backpack Bear Learns the Rules

Phonics: Aa /a/

Math: position words and sorting

High-Frequency words: is, for, a, A

Reminders:

·         Practice our high-frequency words at home.

·         Please turn in any missing paperwork

·         Be sure shoes are tied in a double knot before you send your child to school.

·         Thank you for the wonderful snacks! Keep them coming!

·         Your student will have their very first substitute teacher on Friday, Ms. Jane Dansen.

Dear Parents,

                This week we will reinforce our learning about the rules. The students will learn about various types of rules that keep them safe and happy: classroom rules, computer rules, traffic rules. Backpack Bear will share his story of how he learned the rules. This week we will:

·         Learn about Aa and its short sound /a/

·         Discuss how rules keep us safe

·         Use our Starfall dictionaries

·         Learn about the computer.

In math, we will finish up our positional words and start learning how to sort in various ways. We will learn about sorting, sorting by color, sorting by size, and sorting by alike and different. A great way to reinforce our learning about sorting at home is to talk about things that you sort on a daily basis. Some examples can include laundry laundry by color and family member, sorting groceries by refrigerated and non-refrigerated items, sorting groceries from household items like soap, sorting meals by time of day. Sorting is something we do all the time. Include your student in these every day activities and talk about how and why you sort things the way you do. After they really grasp the concept, you will have an even better helper around the house. They DO love having jobs.

                The gym teachers and I noticed something this morning. I had about six students with shoes that were not tied! Please be sure that your child’s shoes are tied in a DOUBLE KNOT before they come to school. I know that kids like to play with/chew on their shoe laces (which is extremely unsanitary and I will do everything in my power to get them to stop) and shoes could have come untied since they have been at school. I love your children dearly already, but one thing I hate doing is tying shoes. First of all, shoelaces really gross me out. Secondly, tying shoes eats away at my precious instructional time. I DO tie shoes, but not the whole year. I will tie shoes until Christmas break. After December I stop tying shoes. Please understand that if your child’s shoe comes untied during the course of the day, it will be taken care of in some fashion. Shoe tying is one of those life skills that I do not explicitly teach but every child will need to learn this year. To help students feel motivated to learn to tie shoes I do two things. First, they will have a shoe with their name on it posted on the wall. This marks a milestone in our room. Secondly, I reward Class Dojo points to those who can tie shoes for others. This is a very sweet thing to do for a friend and I want to reward that courteous behavior. 

Week 1

Stories of the week: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr.  

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Phonics: Bb /b/

Math: Position words

High-Frequency words: see, me

Reminders:

·         Please turn in any missing paperwork

·         Don’t wait to sign up for text reminders via Remind101. Text “@mrsavi” to 442-222-3801

·         Pay your materials fee if you have not already done so

·         Please write your child’s name on any notes sent to school!

Dear Parents,

            We have been off to a full start this year. These newsletters usually go home on MONDAYS!

            Welcome to school! Children will spend this week getting oriented to classroom routines, schedules, and most importantly, each other! Children will help Backpack Bear (our class mascot) overcome anxieties in the first week of school. This week we will:

·        Learn about the alphabet

·        Learn about Bb /b/

·        Identify rhyming words

            In math, we will be talking about our position words. We are learning to use words to describe where an object is. We will learn: inside, outside, under, over, on, above, below,  top, middle, bottom, in front of, and behind. Try to use these words at home to help them continue learning at home in a real-life context.

            I knew I forgot to talk about something at the parent meeting! SNACK! We eat snack as a class. I keep track of who brings in snack for us, and I will let you know if you need a turn when we start running low. Please bring in enough snacks for 18. We DO have an allergy in our class. Please refrain from sending in any snacks have for MAY HAVE peanuts, ANY nuts, or shellfish. I’m not as worried about the shellfish, but at least you know. If your child brings lunch from home and eats products with nuts, they will simply sit at a different table from our student with allergies. We have signs on the table to help them differentiate. We WILL be washing hands after lunch. I will be sending home a list of safe snack ideas very soon.

            I know that Kindergarten is a huge milestone both for you and your student. Everyone did a great job to let their student walk into class alone. They know where the classroom is and it is important for them to walk in by themselves. You are wonderful!

           

Have a great rest of the week!