April 12, 2012
Dear Parents,
Next week our kindergarten classes will be making games out of recyclable items, so we need your help. We will be making these games on Wednesday, so will need the items by then. If you are able, we would greatly appreciate your help. The following is a list of items we can use.
- toilet tissue rolls
- styrofoam meat trays
- egg cartons
- paper towel rolls
P.S. We can also always use napkins & plastic spoons for children who forget to bring them in their lunch boxes.
Thank You.
Ms. Karen
Nov. 24, 2011
Dear Parents,
Here is a little update about what is happening in our wonderful
kindergarten! It is assessment time for
us, and our first Developmental Assessment” will go home on Monday, Dec. 5th. It will be your copy to keep. You will only
need to sign & return the envelope to school. I will also be scheduling conferences with
all parents, and these will take place throughout December and January.
As the homework calendars have stated, the children have been learning
about the following letters so far: P
& B, T&D, K&G, F&V, TH, A & O. Here is our schedule for letters during the
upcoming months:
11/28 – 12/2 = S & Z (Skinny Airs)
12/5 – 12/9 = SH
(Fat Airs)
12/12 – 12/16 = CH
(Fat Pushed Air)
12/19 – 12/23 = No letter focus/ Review
1/2 - 1/6= J
(Fat Pushed Air)
1/9 – 1/13 = U
(Vowel)
1/16 – 1/20 = M & N
(Nose Sounds)
1/23 – 1/27 = W & H
& WH ( Windy Sounds)
1/30 – 2/3 = L
& R (Lifters)
2/6 – 2/10 =
I ( Vowel)
2/13 – 2/17 = C & X
(Borrowers)
2/20 – 2/24 = QU
(Borrower )
3/5 – 3/9 = Y
Upcoming themes will include:
Big, Beautiful Bears & Hibernation, Traditions of Many Cultures,
Transportation, Endangered Animals, Fantasy & Fairy Tales, Weather
Watchers, and Pets.
Please keep this letter handy to refer to throughout the upcoming
months. Our “GYM DAY” continues to be on
Tuesdays each week, so please be sure that your child wears or brings sneakers
to school on that day. Fridays also
continue to be our “Outdoor Day”, so children should come to school with
clothing appropriate for the weather. If
the temperature is below 20 degrees on Fridays, we participate in indoor gross
motor activities instead. As always,
please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns, and continue
working on those homework calendars!
Thank you to all of our parents who volunteered for our Halloween Parade
& parties!! … and also for the donations toward our Native
American fry bread recipe! Any parents
able to donate napkins and/or snacks to keep on hand is greatly appreciated
throughout the year. Sometimes children
forget their snacks or lunchboxes at home.
Thank you so much for all of your help, and for sharing your children
with us each day.
Sincerely,
Karen Greene
Sept. 26, 2011
Dear Parents,
Welcome to KINDERGARTEN!! I just wanted to give an update on our
kindergarten classroom happenings!! Well, the children have settled in nicely. They are getting to know each other better, and making new friends. They are already very comfortable with classroom routines and schedules. Ms. Amy and I are enjoying getting to know them with all of their unique personalities and talents.
During this first month, we have been working on too many skills to list –but here is a bit of an overview. Of-course, during September we are working on many social skills, and social/emotional behaviors. We also practice recognizing our names in print, spelling our own name, recognizing peers’ names in print, and learn to write our first name the “big kid” way. We are practicing sharing, caring, cooperative skills, problem-solving, and following class and school rules. We also have begun the “Second Step” program, which teaches children to observe body language and use the appropriate words and actions in relation to feelings.
In math, we have begun to learn how to write and recognize the numbers 0 – 10. We have practiced counting with one-to-one correspondence, naming and recognizing shapes, sorting and classifying objects, and have begun patterns. We also practice calendar skills and graphing at circle time each day.
In reading/language arts, the children have already done so many things; including learning about concepts of print, exposure to different kinds of literature, beginning letter sounds, and rhyming, to name a few. Children have been exposed to concepts such as: reading from left to right, spaces between words, where to find titles, listening for rhymes, and finding simple words in print like “I” and “can”. Again, this is just to name a few.
Coming up in October, we will begin our Library visits every other week. We will
also begin our “Reading Buddy” program every Friday, and will begin sending home monthly “PALS Homework Calendars”. We will also begin our letter focus with letters P & B, (Lip Poppers), the week of 10/3 – 10/7. Week 10/10 – 10/14 = Letters T & D, (Tongue Tappers), Week 10/17 – 10/21 = Letters K & G, (Tongue Scrapers), and Week 10/24 – 10/28 = Letter Vowel A.
Please remember that Tuesdays each week are GYM days, so children should dress appropriately. Fridays are also our outside gross motor play days, thusly children need appropriate clothing and shoes on this day as well. Birthday celebrations are welcome. However, we will celebrate these on Tuesdays or Fridays, as on these days the whole class eats snack
together.
Thank you for sharing your children with us. Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather to
come.
Sincerely,
Ms. Karen