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!

Aquarium!

Story of the week:  Amazing Airplanes by Tony Mitton

Phonics: short-e, ch /ch/

Math: report card review

HFW: look, from, find

Vocabulary:  gem, self-portrait, locate, sketch, terminal, fare, luggage, hold, captain, copilot, runway, intercom, journey, control tower, soar, crew

Science: Aquarium prep, flight

Reminders:

·         Our field trip to the Aquarium is on Friday. The verdict on meeting the cost is still out at the moment. I will keep you updated.

·         Chick-Fil-A spirit night is Thursday.

·         Be sure to turn in progress reports as soon as possible.

·         Happy Birthday to Heidi who has a birthday on Sunday!

Dear Parents,

            This week the children will prep for our trip to the Aquarium! We will finish our study of birds and start our unit on flight. We will learn about the Wright Brothers and Vincent van Gogh! Starfall is so wonderful!

            Thank you for all of the wonderful gifts and treats that were brought for our Valentine’s party. I know the students had a great time. I hope they had fun at home reading their cards from their friends. Thank you for your help with those. I know they are a huge undertaking, but they are worth it in the end.

            Our field trip to the Aquarium is FRIDAY! I am happy to say that if it were just our class going on the field trip, the cost would be covered. Thank you for doing everything you could to make this trip happen. We have plenty of chaperones too! I will be sending out chaperone information to my chaperones. Keep an eye out for that pertinent information. We will be wearing our class t-shirts that the school purchased for us. I will simply have each child put the shirt on over their clothes. This will be a great way to quickly and visually identify who belongs in our group. At the end of the day, I will take the shirts back and wash them. We will not be returning to school until 1:30. We will be eating two snacks while we are gone and eating lunch upon our arrival to school. PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CHILD EATS BREAKFAST! Please also send your child in comfortable walking shoes as there is a lot of distance to cover in both buildings. It is supposed to rain on Friday, but please refrain from rain boots as they are not the best walking shoes. It would be wonderful if you could also ensure a good night’s rest on Thursday evening as this trip wears EVERYONE out. This trip might just be my favorite day of the year. I am so excited! It is such a treat!

Week 17 - More About Mammals, The Turnip, 100th day

Story of the week: The Turnip

 Phonics: short-a,

Math: counting to 100, comparing numbers

HFW: all, some

Vocabulary:  cooperation, enormous

Science: more about mammals

Reminders:

·         The 100^th day is Wednesday! Bring in collections if you have not already.

·         Our Book Fair is going on this week! Crazy hair day is Wednesday. Please be sure to send money for shopping in a bag or envelope that has already been counted out.

·         We have Art with Mrs. Buffington today.

·         On Thursday we will have a special visitor, Indy. Please let me know if there are any dog allergies.

·         Our field trip to the Aquarium will be February 22^nd.

Dear Parents,

                This week the students will continue their study of mammals as they review how to tell the difference between living and nonliving things, and how to compare and contrast plants and animals. This week we will:

·         Write a group story

·         Make Backpack Bear puppets

·         Review cause and effect and folk tales

·         Learn about the forces of push and pull.

Nurse Eskew just got a new puppy. She would like to both socialize her new dog and aid in our learning about mammals. On Thursday, she will be bringing sweet Indy to school and each Kindergarten class will have a chance to spend some time with him. If you do not want your child to participate due to allergies, please let me know and I can make arrangements for them to go to another class while we learn about a real live mammal. We will also be taking the entire day on Wednesday to celebrate our 100^th day of school! Look out for some fun projects to come home this week.

                It has been brought to my attention that the attendance for our class needs to be addressed. Our class specifically has an excess of tardiness! I think I have an idea about what the problem may be. Since we tightened security, students are only allowed to be dropped off at the front door and the rear 4^th/5^th door. Students are having to walk farther down the hallway and are not making it to my room before the bell rings. A good rule of thumb on tardiness should be that your student should have their hiney in their seat ready to go for the day at 8:30. Let’s start aiming closer to 8:15 for the arrival of our students. This way, they will have a moment to unpack their bag, use the restroom, and get settled for the day before 8:30. I have also seen a trend in many students forgetting their bags and reading books. Please make every effort to ensure consistency in your morning routine to be sure that all students are arriving prepared for school.

                On Thursdays Ms. Beard spends the afternoon in the computer lab for students to use a math program for extra practice. Other teachers man the lab on other days, but Ms. Beard wanted all of us to communicate that she is willing and open to have more Kindergarten students join her until 4:30 in the computer lab on Thursdays.

                Our book fair is happening in the auditorium this week! Be sure to come visit if you can. It will be open until 4:30 each day after school. Crazy hair day is Wednesday. Please be sure to send money for shopping in a baggie or envelope that has already been counted out and the amount labeled. Family Night is on Tuesday. Be sure to swing by!

Week 7- Our Community

Story of the week: Me On the Map by Joan Sweeney

Phonics: Uu /u/, Nn/n/

Math: numbers  1-5

Social Studies: Our Community

HFW: but, us, up, not, on down

Reminders:

·         Please complete U and N in our Alphabet Books.

·         Spirit Night at Stevie B’s on Tuesday..

·         Our first field trip is October 18^th to the Apple Valley Farm.  

Dear Parents,

            This week our focus is on our community. We will learn how Cleveland relates to our state and country. We will learn about the mayor, governor, and president. We will also learn about community helpers and we will discuss how they, too, are called to be good citizens. This week we will discover how to be good citizens, learn about U and N, learn about maps, and use the “Author’s Chair” for the first time.

             In Math, we will continue to learn our numbers and begin assessments for our first report card. Practice numbers at home as well at shapes. The new Common Core Standards are much more in-depth than the learning standards in years past. For assessment, students must be able to draw, create, describe, and relate information about shapes. If they can’t tell me what the shapes are, they will have a hard time doing all of the tasks they are to perform. Practice at home!

            Please be diligent to go over your child’s work from school with them. Be sure to point out what they are doing well. Have (pleasant) conversations about how they could do better. If you see that they are using capitol letters in the middle of their name, talk them through it and practice. We do all of these things at school, but they mean so much more from you at home. This will provide a time for you to show them your support and give them a little one-on-one time. It is easier to be pro-active than re-active. Thank you for your help at home.

            On Friday, I am taking a personal day as I will be in a wedding in Atlanta this weekend. Ms. Jane Dansen will be here to fill in for me. The students love Ms. Jane!

Week 6- Our Families

Story of the week: Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber

Phonics: Rr /r/, Ll /l/

Math: numbers  1-5

Social Studies: Our Families

HFW: and, are, like, likes

Reminders:

·         Please complete R and L in our Alphabet Books.

·         Fall Festival is Friday night.

·         Thursday is Stuffed Animal day. Bring a stuffed animal to school.

·         Happy Birthday to Carter and Angel who both celebrate on Thursday, the 27^th.

·         Our first field trip is October 18^th to the Apple Valley Farm.  

Dear Parents,

            This week our focus is on families. Children will discuss different kinds of families, both real and “make believe.” Through a variety of stories, they will discover ways in which family members live together peacefully and show they care for each other. This week we will introduce folk tales and story elements, learn about R and L, discover we have different voices: conversation voices and presentation voices, and practice counting words in sentences.

             In Math, we will continue to learn our numbers and begin assessments for our first report card. Practice numbers at home as well at shapes. The new Common Core Standards are much more in-depth than the learning standards in years past. For assessment, students must be able to draw, create, describe, and relate information about shapes. If they can’t tell me what the shapes are, they will have a hard time doing all of the tasks they are to perform. Practice at home!

            Thursday is Stuffed animal day! We will be using the stuffed animals to talk about presentation voices, writing about the animals and learning about animals. If you forget, do not worry, I have a bin of over 100 beanie babies for students to choose from. Everyone will be taken care of (unlike cap day).  

            Our first field trip is coming up! We will be going to the Apply Valley Farm to learn about apples! If you would like to be a chaperone, please clear your schedule for that day. Right now, the field trip will be $6 per child. If you save $2 per week starting this week, you will be able to pay for the field trip. We understand that not all families can make this accommodation, so we ask for field trip donations. If we do not receive enough donations, we will not be able to afford the trip. However, if you have $6 to spare and would like to make an additional donation, please feel free to do that as well.

            There is a parent involvement event tomorrow from 6:30-7:30.

            We will have Art and Guidance this week.  

Goldilocks and the Three Bears —Jan Brett is an author and artist who has three elephant friends named Jabu, Thembi and Morula who live in Botswana, Africa. She also has a pet mouse named Little Pearl, a horse named  Westy and a Husky dog named Perky Pumpkin. Another pet she had was Hedga, a real hedgehog, whose nicknames were Pudge and Buffalo Gal. Jan paints all the pictures in her books with watercolors using small brushes. It takes her about two days to draw and paint the picture for one page. She likes to go to museums, libraries and other countries to learn more about her stories before writing a book.

Ira Sleeps Over —Bernard Waber is also an author and an artist. He loves to draw animals. One of his favorite animals is the crocodile. He likes crocodiles so much that he wrote and illustrated eight books about Lyle the Crocodile. Bernard likes drawing other animals, too. If you think an animal is a little odd-looking or unusual, then you could tell him about that animal and he would probably draw it. He also wrote and

illustrated books about a variety of animals including the hippopotamus, rhinoceros, moose, anteater, octopus, porcupine, lion, and a firefly named Torchy.