Week of September 28-October 2:

COINS FOR KIDS begins October 1.  Send in any spare change you feel you can part with and we will put it in our class bucket.  The bucket will be collected by Pizza Hut.  Money goes to World Hunger Relief Coin drive to help end hunger.

READING:
This week we will finish up the letters Ss-Zz.  We are reviewing the sight words I and can.  We are working on rhyming words as we read nursery rhymes every day.   As we read we are using beanie babies to remind us of strategies we can use.  EAGLE is our eagle eye that reminds us to look at the pictures when trying to figure out a word, LIPS the FISH reminds us to use those letter sounds and sound out the words, the PARROT who is JABBER THE RETELLER reminds us to listen to the story so we can be able to comprehend (I tell the kids --remember) parts of the story so they can recall and then retell the story.  Our story focus this week is Kindergarteners Can!  We will learn to listen and use the comprehension skills.

WRITING:
We are writing our first name.  Those that are ready are practicing their last names.  We are using the WRITE MY NAME ap on our Ipads.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES:
We will be working on learning about the changes that happen in the fall.  We are going to taste and then graph (a math project) which apple we liked the best...Delicious, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith!
Our science unit will be focused on living and non-living.  The butterflies have been a great activity to talk about living!  We had one butterfly not completely form its wings and unfortunately it died.   All of the butterflies have been tagged and released.

MATH:
This week we continue our journey through the numbers 6-9.  The children have enjoyed making their number hats.  Have them tell you about their hats!  There should be a coordinating number of smiley faces, tally marks, 'dice' and ten frame representation for the number we are working on!  The hat also has the number on it so the children are learning the number writing poem to go with it!  We also will be exploring shapes and working on patterning.

There was a question about the Math homework.  Anywhere on the sheet is fine to put your families answers on--front or back, then return the homework the next day as we discuss their findings at our math group time.

HEALTH:
Just want to let you know that we have had some pink eye in our class.  I have talked to the children about keeping their hands off their face and if they do to please wash.  I was at my eye dr and asked about pink eye.  Some forms of pink eye are more contagious than others, so getting to the dr to get checked out is a good idea.  I've had it before and it's very uncomfortable!  Can be itchy or feel like your eyes are stinging, not to mention all goopy.

COMPLEMENTS:
I get complements daily on how awesome this group is when we are traveling anywhere--either down the hall or to the bus!  They watch for ME and they follow so nicely!  :)

SAVE THE DATE:
Halloween party October 30
Title 1 family night November 10
Parent Teacher Conferences November 19

Week of September 21..

Monday September 21 is our first delayed start.

Remember Tuesday and Friday are our gym days, children need to have gym shoes on those days.

When sending in lunch money, it is helpful if it is in an envelope or Ziploc baggie with your child's name on the outside.

We have worked on the letters Aa-Hh.  This week we will work on the letters Ii-Rr.  Our new sight word is can.  The children are using the computer to work on www.starfall.com.  They have been introduced to Write my name and Letter School on the Ipads.

We introduced our first beannie baby--Eagle eye.  The Eagle is to remind the children to look at the pictures to figure out the words when they are reading.

We have been writing in journals every day.  Some days there is a topic to draw/write about, other days it's their choice.  I am encouraging the children to listen to the first sound of the word they are trying to write.  For instance, if they drew a tree, I would ask them to listen to the word and see if they can say /t/ and write a t.  We sound out the word together.

Math we are learning to read and write the numbers 3-6 this week, as well as practice counting.  We will also be graphing our birthdays.  Later in the week we will taste different apples and graphing the one we like.

Science we are learning about butterflies.  They know that a Monarch caterpillar spins a chrysalis. They have been taught to identify male or female by looking at the hind wing.  The male has black spots on its hind wing.  They have also been taught to look for the 'mitten' shape on the butterfly wing.  That is where we put the migration tag.  So far we have tagged one male butterfly!

Social studies we have talked about how each one of us is special.  We have also gone through the school rules and practiced them.  Walking in the hallway, being quiet in the hallway, asking for things to be passed at our tables, group time rules, etc.
I have been eating lunch with them to help with lunch routines.  They have done a great job telling Mrs. Kroes their name as they go through the line!
We have had a great start to our year!

YEA!  What a fantastic first day!  They did a great job!  So many rules and routines to learn!  We will keep practicing them every day!

I learned all their names over night!  WHEW!!!!  SO glad to have those pictures last night!!!

Please turn in any papers that were on the right side of the folder I gave you as soon as you can!  Especially the tan one (parent/student survey). 

Please send in 3-4 small books from home to go in their book box for a few weeks!  Make sure their name is inside!

I tried to get through all backpacks, if I overlooked something, please send it again tomorrow!  Today went FAST!  I will send home a note tomorrow if I still need anything from you!  Thanks for being so awesome about getting things in to school!! 

Everyone should have a folder that goes from home to school, one folder that stays here and a 1” 3-ring binder for their scrapbook.

Please send a set of extra clothes in a zip lock bag.

If you are dropping off in the morning, please remember that drop off time is 7:45 and if you are here before 8 they put their folder in their mailbox, backpack in their locker and head outside for recess. 

Friday is our gingerbread day—have your child wear their kindergarten t-shirt they got at orientation in the spring!

I forgot to tell you all yesterday that I hope you are comfortable enough to address me as Melissa!  The kids have to call me Ms. Thompson, but I’m good with first name basis with you!  Some kids have known me as Melissa and I’ll work through that with them!  When I taught preschool, I went by my first name with the kids too, but now that I’m in kindergarten the school asked me to use the formal…Ms. Thompson!

Thanks for sharing your kiddo with me this year!  It’s going to be an amazing year!!!