Week of November 23-27, 2015

Due to the reduced instructional time last week and this week, we will not be starting a new Reading story. We will take the time to complete the concepts presented in “A Bed for the Winter.” The Thanksgiving theme will also be incorporated into our lessons. The students will learn about the first Thanksgiving and discuss the feeling of appreciation. We will review character, setting, sequence, main idea, and comparing/contrasting in holiday themed books.

Phonics skills will still focus on the vowel Ii, while continuing to review blending, segmenting, syllables, and rhyming.

Math’s Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be tested this week before Topic 3 (Six to 10) is introduced.

Reminders:

~ It is important to practice sight words daily!

~ It is also beneficial to review the letters of the alphabet. Try to         increase the speed of recognition.

~ An early dismissal is scheduled on Wednesday, November 25^th. There will be no school on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, November 26-30^th. School will resume on Tuesday, December 1^st.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Music

Tuesday- Computers

Wednesday- Library

~ There is always something to be thankful for!

Enjoy your holiday break!

Week of November 16-20, 2015

After finishing the Reading skills in “Bear Snores On,” we will begin an informational text also discussing hibernation. The story is called, “A Bed for the Winter.” In this selection we will find out what kind of home an animal needs. Sequence is the comprehension strategy we will build upon. Captions will be presented and adjectives for opposites will be discussed. The Amazing Words for the week are: nest, meadow, stump, tree trunk, hive, and den. Two new sight words will be taught this week: he and for.

Phonics will present the letter Ii. The focus will be on the short /i/ sound, as in igloo. This includes identifying words with the beginning /i/ sound as well as words with /i/ in the medial position. We will segment, blend, and write words with the /i/ sound.

Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be completed this week in Math. We will start with comparing as many, more, and fewer. Then we will order numbers 0 to 5, as well as learn ordinal numbers through fifth. We will wrap up the week with using objects for problem solving and review the ideas from the unit.

Reminders:

~Please continue to practice sight words.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Music

Tuesday- Computers

Wednesday- Guidance

Thursday- Art

Friday- Gym

Have an interesting week!

Week of November 9-13, 2015

Wow! The first marking period just flew by us. The students are settled into the learning experience and progressing each day. I really enjoy seeing the friendships that are forming and the growth in their independence.

This week’s Reading selection is called “Bear Snores On.” This animal fantasy will help us distinguish things that are real and things that are “make-believe.” (A.K.A. Realism and fantasy). Simple rhyme and repeated sentences will provide the opportunity for students to join in the reading process. We will look for adjectives describing the size, number, color, and shape of nouns. The amazing words presented are: sleep, winter, cave, woods, storm, and blustery. The sight words like, my, and we will be practiced again this week.

The Phonics letter of the week is Cc. The focus will be on the /k/ sound, as in cat. We will work on the initial and final /k/ sound. (example: can, rock).

Topic 2 (Comparing and Ordering 0-5) will be continued in Math this week. We will recognize a group that has 1 and 2 fewer items than another group. The concept of the number 0 will be explored, read, and written.

Science will extend from the reading passage. We will discuss the concept of hibernation. This includes specific animals that hibernate, how they prepare, and what happens to their bodies at this time.

Reminders:

~ As always, please continue to practice the letters of the alphabet and all given sight words daily.

~ There will be no school for students on Monday, November 9^th due to parent/teacher conferences. I am looking forward to seeing everyone who signed up for a time.

~ Friday is the Field Trip to see “The Peanuts Movie.” (The excitement is building!)

Specials:  Tuesday- Computers     Wednesday- Library      Thursday- Art

Have a captivating week!

Week of November 2-6, 2015

We are already approaching the end of the first marking period. The children have been working hard and learning so much. The Fall Festival was a great way to enjoy some fun time together.

This week’s Reading story is an informational text titled, “Animal Babies.” We will discuss the Main Idea in stories and learn what special animals live in grasslands. During our discussions, we will discover adjectives for colors and shapes. The Amazing Words presented in the story are: calf, cub, joey, grassland, pup, and foal.

New sight words to focus on include: we, my, and like.

Phonics will concentrate on the letter Pp. We will discriminate and words that have the /p/ sound at the beginning, as well as the end of the words. As always, we will blend letter sounds to read words.

Math: After assessing the ideas in Topic 1 (One to Five), we will begin learning about comparing and ordering numbers 0-5 in Topic 2. We will start by comparing groups to see if they have more, fewer, or the same amount of objects as other groups.

Science: Our week of pumpkin observations has come to an end. The children enjoyed the hands-on experience. This week we will continue to work with weather concepts. We will also extend the reading topic of animal babies.

Reminders:

~ Please continue to practice the letters of the alphabet and sight words daily.

~ Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 9^th.

~ “The Peanuts Movie” Field Trip will be on November 13^th.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Computers

Tuesday- Guidance

Wednesday- Art

Thursday- Gym

Friday- Music

Have a pleasant week!

Week of October 26-30, 2015

Reading:  The story for the week is called, “Nature’s Spy.” This nonfiction story explains that when we look closely at nature, we see new and different things that help us appreciate the outside world. Setting will be the focus of our comprehension. We will also talk about Proper Nouns this week. Amazing Words presented this week include: discover, nature, spy, acorn, pod, and pattern. We will continue working with sight words: have and is.

Phonics for the week will focus on the letter Ss. The /s/ sound will be taught in the beginning, as well as the end of words.

Math: This week is a continuation of Topic 1. We will be counting, reading, and writing numbers 4 and 5 in different arrangements.  Then we will review the numbers 1 through 5.

Science: We will be exploring the growth of pumpkins this week. We will use stories, diagrams, and an actual pumpkin to observe the parts. Gourds will be used to compare weights, and seeds will be used for counting.

Reminders:

~ Please practice letters Aa- Zz and sight words daily. Repetition enhances the learning process!

~Party money is greatly appreciated! Please send in your $5.00 contribution if you have not already done so.

~ The Kindergarten Field Trip papers should be completed and returned as soon as possible.

~ Friday, October 30, 2015 will be the Fall Festival. Students will have the opportunity to participate in fun activities prior to the 1:30 parade at the high school stadium. Costumes may be brought to school. Children will be given time to dress before the event. Please label costume items, along with the bag used to hold the items. Hopefully this will help avoid losing any personal belongings.

Specials: Monday- Library,   Tuesday- Art,   Wednesday- Gym,   Thursday- Music

Have a “spectacular” week!

Week of October 19-23, 2015

Reading: We have already made it through the first unit in our series. This week we will begin the Unit 2 concept titled “Look at Us!” Each week we will discuss how plants and animals are unique. The unit starts with the story “Flowers.” This is a nonfiction selection explaining variations of flowers and their parts. Compare and Contrast will be the skill taught. Learning this skill will help students describe connections between two subjects in a text. While reading this story, we will be introduced to writing labels for pictures. Nouns for more than one item will also be presented. The Amazing words unveiled will be: seeds, buds, bloom, fruits, stem, and petals. Sight words to concentrate on are: have and is.

Phonics: Letter Aa. Words with the initial and medial /a/ sounds will be prevalent. (Including long, and short vowel sound).

Math: We are starting a new topic in math as well. Topic 1 will concentrate on Number names and Counting. We will read, write, and count numbers 1 through 5 in different arrangements.

Science: Lessons will discuss how to share learned information and how to stay safe while conducting science experiments. We will use tools (a balance, ruler, measuring cup, thermometer) to practice the process of observation.

Reminders:

-         The fall season is bringing cooler weather. We go outside for recess every day. Please have your child wear a light jacket.

-         Sight words should be practiced daily.

Specials for the week:

Monday- Guidance

Tuesday- Art

Wednesday- Gym

Thursday- Music

Friday- Computers

Have an absolutely awesome week!

Week of October 13-16, 2015

Reading: Our story for the week is called, “Dig, Dig, Digging.” It is a concept book that will discuss vehicles as machines. During this story, we will work on the classify and categorize skill as we answer the question “How do machines help people work?” The idea of places and things as nouns will be introduced. The “Amazing Words” this week are: scooping, swooshing, squelching, gobbling, spinning, and rumbling. Sight words that will be reinforced are: a and to.

Phonics: Tt is the letter of the week. We will focus on the initial and final /t/ sound.

Math: We are still learning the Analyzing, Comparing, and Composing Shapes concepts in Topic 16. This is a continuation of making shapes from other shapes, comparing solid figures, and building with those figures.

Science: Last week we conducted experiments with magnets and discussed fire safety. We also used hand lenses for observations. This week we will continue to learn how we can observe the world using our senses while collaborating with our peers.

Reminders:

-         Students do not have school on Monday, October 12, 2015.

-         Tuesday, October 13, 2015 is “Picture Day.”

-         Please remember to review sight words daily.

Specials:

Tuesday: Art

Wednesday: Gym

Thursday: Music

Friday: Computers

Have a terrific week!