Frozen at the Movie Theater!

December 16-20, 2019

We are truly enjoying “the most wonderful time of the year!”  The students have been working very hard this year. Their progress is tremendous! We have a busy schedule this week filled with many fun, holiday activities. Tuesday we will be visiting the high school to see the band and chorus holiday program.  Thursday is the PBIS Reward day.

We will be using Christmas stories this week to practice our Reading skills. While reading the stories we will discuss characters, setting, plot, and the sequence of the story. We will also search for sight words, compare and contrast stories, and classify and categorize the information in some of the books. Our weekly story is called “George Washington Visits.” This historical fiction helps us determine how life today is different than life hundreds of years ago.

Our Math Topic 2 will end this week. The lessons focus on how to read, write, and count numbers 11-20. Please continue to practice counting to 100, identifying the numbers, building the numbers with objects, and writing the numerals 0-20. 

Reminders:

~ Wednesday is “Ugly Sweater Day’ with a donation of $1.00.

~ Thursday is our monthly PBIS reward. The children are permitted to wear pajamas and board the polar express in our classroom. We will be watching the movie, enjoying hot cocoa and cookies, making a small craft, and coloring scenes from the movie.

~ Students will be dismissed at 12:00pm on Friday, December 2oth. School will resume on Thursday, January 2^nd.

~ While you are looking for something to entertain your child over the break… Please try to practice the sight words and our fundamental skills. (letters and sounds, rhyming, identifying numbers, counting to 100, writing 0-20, etc.) Also take time to have your child practice reading with words they can sound out and blend. 

Remember to Take some time to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!

~ Mrs. Green

December 9-13, 2019

The holiday spirit is upon us all. The excitement is in the air. We are trying our best to stay focused and meet our goals while participating in some fun holiday activities.

Our Reading story for the week is an animal fantasy called “Little Quack.” We will be practicing how to identify the plot in a story (The important things that happen in a story). This story is about a duckling that learns new things as he gets older. This gives us the opportunity to discuss verbs that are happening now and in the past. The amazing words presented in the story are: duckling, pond, paddle, plunged, proud, and brave. The targeted sight words are: me, with, and she. (As always, remember to practice sight words daily. The children are doing a great job progressing through the lists!)

Our Phonics letter of the week is Rr. The /r/ sound, as in reindeer, will be the focus in our lessons along with segmenting, blending, rhyming, and reading words.

Math: Numbers to 20 will continue this week. We are counting, reading, and writing numbers 0-20. Please remember to keep practicing correct number writing. Also practice identifying the missing number. (We are one point away from meeting our Spring Math goal!)

Reminders:

~ Wednesday, December 11^th is a canned good dress down day. If your child brings in a canned good or a monetary donation to be donated to a local food bank, they will be permitted to dress down for the day.

~Our class will be buying at the Holiday Shop on Thursday, December 12th. 

~ Our Field Trip to ride the Santa Train will take place on Friday, December 13^th. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas like the characters in the Polar Express story. (Chaperones are also welcome to dress the role!) Please do not forget to pack your child’s lunch in a disposable bag if you did not choose a school lunch for that day.

~The holiday concert will be held at the High School auditorium on Saturday, December 14th.  Kindergarten is scheduled for 10:00.

🎄     December 3-6, 2019     🎄

I hope everyone enjoyed their family time during the Thanksgiving break. We are now rolling into the most wonderful time of the year! This is the season for great excitement, as well as busy schedules. We will take some time to incorporate Christmas activities into our regular lessons over the next few weeks.  

Reading is moving on to Unit 3 this week! This unit discusses changes that occur around us. “Little Panda” is our first story. It is a nonfictional story that explains how a panda changes in its first year of life. The children will compare and contrast how a panda and her mother are alike, as well as how they are different. Verbs will be introduced this week. Our amazing words are: weigh, measure, healthy, bamboo, curious, and explore. New sight words presented this week include: me, with, and she.

Phonics: Two letters will be targeted this week: Bb and Nn. The initial and final /b/ and /n/ sounds will be practiced.

Math lessons will continue to work with the numbers 11-20. Our goal is to read, write, and count numbers up to 20. Please practice counting forward and backward from 0-20.

Reminders:

~Tuesday, December 3^rd is Day 1 on the rotation schedule.

~ Please remember to return the letter to Santa that was sent home on Wednesday. We will deliver them straight to Santa when we attend our field trip.

~ The PTO is conducting the Holiday Gift Workshop next week. Our class buying day will be Thursday, December 12^th.

~The Kindergarten field trip is Friday, December 13th.  Watch for information that will be sent home in your child’s folder.

~Mark your calendars…The Christmas Concert is scheduled for Saturday, December 14^th at the high school auditorium. Kindergarten will hit the stage at 10:00am. Please have your child arrive by 9:30 in order to prepare.

Have a nice week!
🎅

November 18-22, 2019

Reading: “Jack and the Beanstalk” is the modern fairy tale that we will be reading this week. This fun story helps us further understand the difference between realism and fantasy. We will also point out realism and fantasy in some Thanksgiving stories this week.

Phonics: We are practicing beginning, middle, and final sounds in words. (For example: the word cat has 3 sounds: /k/, /a/, /t/. Please review all letters and their corresponding sounds with your child to see where they might be having difficulty.

Math: Numbers 11-20 are still the focus of our lessons. We are learning how to read, write, count, and represent these numbers. Another skill we are practicing is counting forward and backward on a number line. Please take some time to review this skill at home, along with counting to 100.

Reminders:

~We try to get outside for recess as often as possible. Please be sure to have your child wear a heavy coat to school. Also practice having your child put their coat on and zip or button it closed.

November 11-15, 2019

Our Reading story is called “A Bed for the Winter.” This educational text will continue to discuss hibernation. We will learn that animals create different types of homes in order to stay warm during the coldest season of the year. Sequence of a story will be revisited this week. Adjectives for opposites are presented this week. The amazing words are: nest, meadow, stump, tree trunk, hive, and den. Two new sight words will be taught this week: he and for. 

The Phonics letter of the week is Ii. The focus will be on the short /i/ sound, as in igloo. Words with the initial and medial /i/ sound will be practiced. We are working hard on segmenting word sounds and blending sounds to read words. Knowing all the letter sounds really helps build success with these skills.

Our Math lessons for the week will focus on numbers 11-20. We are practicing how to count, read, write, and represent numbers from 0-20.  We are enjoying the teen songs to help us remember these numbers! Please continue to practice counting to 100 and writing numbers 0-20 with correct formation.

Reminders:

- Please remember to send back your child’s signed report card envelope. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

- Please continue to practice sight words daily.

- Friday, November 15^th is a paid Spartan Dress Down Day.  A $1.00 donation will allow your child to wear jeans or sweat pants with a Spartan shirt.

        November 4-8, 2019                                    

Halloween provided a full week of excitement in our classroom. Thank you for all of the donations we received to help us celebrate the holiday. We are now moving into the Thanksgiving spirit. These special events help fuel our positive mood to make us more productive learners!

Reading: Our story for the week is an animal fantasy called “Bear Snores On.” Realism and fantasy will be discussed. Simple rhyme and repeated sentences will give students the opportunity to join in the reading process. We will look for adjectives that describe the size, number, color, and shape of nouns. The amazing words we will explore include: sleep, winter, cave, woods, storm, and blustery. The sight words to focus on are: like, my, and we.

Phonics: Cc is the letter of the week. The initial and final /k/ sound will be practiced. (Example: cat, rock)

Math: Our unit of numbers 0-10 will wrap up this week. We will be moving right on with numbers to 20. Please continue to practice counting and writing those numbers at home. We will also continue to work on missing numbers in Spring Math. Counting forward and backward seems to be helping with this challenging skill.

Reminders:

*Students are no longer permitted to wear shorts to school. Shorts will return in the Spring.

*The colder weather does not stop us from outdoor recess. Please make sure your child is wearing a warm coat. Also, please practice having your child put on their coat independently. This includes pulling out inside out sleeves, zipping, and buttoning.

* There will be no school for students on Monday, November 11^th.

*Please continue to practice sight words as well as the following skills: letters & sounds, syllables, rhyming, counting to 100, and writing numbers & letters correctly. We have been  blending letter sounds to read words. You can notice your child’s progress when you listen to them read simple texts that are sent home.

Specials:  Monday:Gym Tuesday:Music Wednesday:Art Thursday:Library Friday:Gym

Thank you for your continuous cooperation!

~ Mrs. Green

   

                     October 28-November 1, 2019    

Reading: Our story of the week is called “Animal Babies in Grasslands.” The informational text will discuss the special animals that live in grasslands with their babies. Determining the main idea in a story is the reading skill we will use to develop comprehension. Adjectives for colors and shapes will be introduced. The amazing words presented in the story are: calf, cub, joey, grassland, pup, and foal. Three new sight words will be introduced: we, my, and like.

Phonics:  Pp is the letter of the week. The sound we will focus on is /p/ as in penguin. We will practice the sound in the beginning, as well as at the end of words. We are also learning to blend letter sounds to read words.

Math: We are still working with the numbers 0-10. Our new Spring Math skill is determining the missing number.

Reminders:

- Please remember to send in your $5.00 party donation if you have not done so yet.

- The school-wide Halloween parade and parties will take place on Thursday, October 31st. The parade will be streamed live. Please send your child’s costume to school in a bag with their name on the outside. Costumes should not be worn to school.  Students will put their costumes on before the parade.  

- October book logs are due Friday, November 1^st. 15 books are the goal!

-Please review sight words, the letters of the alphabet, the letter sounds, identifying numbers 0-20 and counting to 100 daily. Other skills to practice include syllables and rhyming.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and have a pleasant week!

     October 21-25, 2019    

Reading: Our story this week is called “Nature’s Spy.” It is a nonfiction story that teaches us how we can appreciate the world around us when we look closely at the natural environment. We will discuss setting throughout the week and proper nouns will be introduced. Our amazing words are: discover, nature, spy, acorn, pod, and pattern. The targeted sight words are have and is.
Phonics: The focus letter for the week is Ss. The sound is /s/, as in sun. This sound will be taught in the beginning and the end of words. (sun, bus)

Math: We are learning the numbers 0-10. This includes identifying and counting these numbers, as well as writing the numbers with correct formation.

Reminders:

~ The weather is becoming chillier. Please be sure your child is wearing a warm jacket to school. We do go outside for recess daily unless it is raining.

~ Monday starts Red Ribbon Week. Please refer to the informational sheet that was in your child’s folder on Friday for daily themes.

~ We are collecting money for parties that will take place throughout the year. Please send in your $5.00 if you have not contributed yet. 

~ Please continue to practice sight words daily. This repetition will help your child learn the 96 required sight words, leading them to become a more fluent reader. Also take some time to practice the following skills: letter and sound identification, rhyming, syllables, counting to 100, and writing numbers 0-20. 

~Monday is Day 7 on the specials rotation schedule.

Have a super week!  

~ Mrs. Green

October 7-11, 2019

This week’s Reading story is called “Dig, Dig, Digging.” It is a concept book that will explore how machines do many different jobs in order to get work done. To build comprehension, we will classify and categorize information in a story. As we read, we will learn that nouns can be places and things.  The amazing words for the week are: scooping, swooshing, squelching, gobbling, spinning, and rumbling. The sight words featured this week are: a and to.

Our Phonics focus letter of the week is Tt. We will focus on the initial and final /t/ sound in words. We are also continuing to practice syllables, rhyming, letter sounds, and blending.

Our Math lessons will continue to teach numbers 0-10. We are learning to read, write, and count these numbers.



Reminders:

-Book Fair Week will begin on Monday, October 7^th with a Parent Night from 4-7pm.  Buying Day for our class is scheduled for Wednesday, October 9th.

-Picture Re-Take Day is Wednesday, October 9^th.
-The Fall Festival is on Thursday, October 10.  Students are encouraged to wear gym attire in order to comfortably participate in the events.

-There is a noon dismissal for students on Friday, October 11th.

-There will be no school for students on Monday, October 14th.

-Please continue to practice letter names and their sounds along with sight words daily. Also practice counting to 100 and writing numbers 0-10.

Have a terrific week!

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

Week of September 30-October 4, 2019

Reading:  The title of this week’s story is “Smash! Crash!”  The characters in this fantasy are vehicles that interact with each other. This selection will encourage students to discuss activities they do with their friends. Nouns will be introduced this week. The amazing words presented are: signals, dud, proper, pirates, perfect, and fabulous. The sight words spotlighted are: a and to.

Phonics: We are beginning to focus on individual letters and sounds. The first sound we will learn is /m/, which is made by letter Mm. We will practice initial sounds, ending sounds, blending, and discriminating words that contain the same sound.

Math: Our unit on shapes will be tested this week. The next unit focuses on numbers 0-5. We will learn how to read, write, and count those numbers.

Science and Social Studies: will focus on the Fall (Autumn) season and the holidays that occur during the season.

Handwriting: Capital letters will continue this week. We are trying to use proper formation when producing our letters each time we write. 

Reminders:

- This week is Homecoming Spirit Week. Please refer to the information that was sent home for daily dress themes.

-September book logs are now due. October Book Logs will be placed in folders on the first of the month.

- Fall Festival is approaching quickly. Please send in your $3.00 donation if you have not yet done so. Thank you for the donations we have received!

- It is important to practice sight words daily. Many students are advancing quickly. These students are seeing the benefits of knowing the words. They feel more confident when participating in reading activities containing their sight words. Along with sight words, please practice letters & sounds, oral counting to 100, and writing the numbers 0-10 daily.
                                          Have a marvelous week!

Week of September 23-27, 2019       

Reading: “Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip” is our new story. This animal fantasy discusses how people in a community cooperate. In order to build comprehension, we will learn how to classify and categorize. This will help us understand how things are alike in a story.  This Amazing Words in the story include: bakery, park, library, fire station, post office, and chaperone. The targeted sight words are: I, am, at, the, little, yes, and no.Phonics: We are focusing on beginning sounds in words this week. We will also keep practicing breaking words apart into syllables, as well as blending syllables to make words. Rhyming is being taught daily. We are also trying to identify all letters and their sounds daily.

Math: Our Unit of Shapes will conclude this week. Concepts include 2-dimensional flat shapes (plane shapes) as well as 3-dimensional solid figures. Vocabulary words to review include: sides, vertices, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon, trapezoid, rhombus, oval, sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, rectangular prism, triangular prism, and pyramid. Also practice positional words, such as above, below, beside, next to, in front of, and behind
Science: In honor of Johnny Appleseed, we will be using apples as our science theme. We will be using our five senses to sort, compare, graph, and taste apples.  

Reminders: 

~ The Kindergarten Fall Festival is scheduled for Thursday, October 10th. Please remember to send in your $3.00 donation if you have not done so already.  

~ Sight Words will be tested once a week.  There were flash cards in your child’s folder that you should be using to review the words nightly. When your child moves on to a new list, continue to study the previous words along with the new list.
~ Book logs are due on Tuesday, October 1st. The goal is to read 15 books per month.

 ~Continue to review your child’s 5 digit number. This is an important tracking number for school information.

Week of September 16-20, 2019

Our Reading story for the week is called “Plaidypus Lost.”  This is a fictional story that discusses how families cooperate. We will learn about sequencing to help build comprehension. This skill helps us determine the order in which things happen in a story. Our “Amazing Words” for the week are: platypus, around, lost, found, market, and groceries. The new sight words include the and little. Letter  recognition will include: Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, and Ss.

 Phonics will focus on initial sounds and sound discrimination.

Our Math lessons are teaching about 2-dimensional plane shapes and 3-dimensional solids. We are also practicing positional words (above, below, beside, behind, in front of…)

Reminders:

-Please remember to check folders daily. The “return” items should be sent back promptly. The “Keep” items should be removed from the folder immediately. (Extra papers that are left cause confusion when trying to organize ourselves). Review the schoolwork with your child to reinforce the concepts.

-Please practice sight words daily. I will begin testing this week. Repetition leads to mastery!

-Continue to review your child’s 5 digit number. This is an important tracking number for school information.

-The Kindergarten Fall Festival will be held on Thursday, October 10th.  We are asking each child to donate $3.00 for the Fall Festival. Please remember to send your donation in order to provide a day filled with fun for the children who are working very hard in school.

-Friday, September 20^th will be a Spartan dress down day. Students may donate $1.00 to wear jeans or sweatpants with a Spartan shirt. 

 -Hearing screenings will take place this week.

Specials:  
Mon.- Art      Tues.- Computers      Wed.-Gym      Thur.- Music      Fri.-Art

Week of September 9-13, 2019

The title of this week’s Reading story is “We Are So Proud.” It is a fictional story that will discuss how children work and play together. The comprehension skill that will be introduced is setting (the time and place of a story). The amazing words in the story are: proud, cooperation, float, preparation, creation, and guide. The sight words we are working on are I, am, a, to, the.
The Phonics skill to focus on is syllables (word parts). This skill is introduced by clapping out parts of a word.  We will also visit the letters: Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, and Nn.

Our Math lessons for the week continue to discuss shapes and their attributes. While look at the shapes, we are also learning how to sort objects. We are also learning how to work with manipulatives in center groups.

Handwriting lessons began with introducing our wooden pieces used to make letters and numbers. We are learning proper pencil grip and starting our letters/numbers “at the top.” Please look for proper pencil grip when your child is writing at home.

Reminders:

~ Please remember to check your child’s folder EVERY day. Remove the “left at home” items. Review the concepts that were taught. The “right back to school” side of the folder contains papers that should be returned promptly. When sending a note or paperwork to school, please place it in the “return” side of the blue folder.

~ Continue to practice your child’s 5-digit number. They use this daily in the cafeteria. It is also used to log in to computers and check out library books.  

~List 1 of the Sight Words will soon be tested.  There were flash cards in the Spartan folder that you should be using to review the words nightly.  When your child moves on to a new list, continue to study the previous words along with the new list.

~ School pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 10^th. All students will be photographed and required to follow the school dress code. If you choose to purchase a package, payments are due by Tuesday morning. 

~ The Fall Festival Meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 10^th in the Elementary Cafeteria at 2:00pm.

Specials: Mon. Music     Tues. Art      Wed. Library     Thurs. Gym     Fri. Music

Please remember to contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

We survived our first week in Kindergarten!  The boys and girls are doing a great job adjusting to our daily routine.  We are continuing to review SPARTY rules and procedures, as well as center rules and proper indoor voice level. 

Thank you for returning all of the beginning forms that were sent home so promptly. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Also, thank you to all who sent in donations of supplies. They will be put to good use.

We began our Reading series with “The Little School Bus.” This is an animal fantasy that introduces the students to characters in a story. The rhyming words and silly animals make the story very entertaining. There are six “amazing words” presented in the story: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. The high frequency words that we are focusing on are: I and am. We are recognizing letters of the alphabet with a target on Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, and Ee.

We began our Math lessons with an introduction to sorting and shape identification. We are discussing the attributes of triangles, circles, squares, and rectangles.  

Reminders:

~ Please remember to check your child’s folder every day. The items in the left pocket should be removed and kept at home. The skills that were taught that day should be reviewed at home. The right pocket often contains important papers that should be returned to school. All notes to school should be sent in the right side of the folder.

~It is very important for your child to practice his/her 5 digit number daily. Repetition will speed the learning process!

~Your child should continue to wear his/her bus tag to school daily. This helps to avoid confusion during the bus loading process.

~Any money sent to school should be placed in an envelope with your child’s name and the reason for the money.  

Please remember to contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a wonderful week!  ~ Mrs. Green