Have a great weekend

Don't forget, there is no school tomorrow due to a teacher's planning day.

As you can see, we had an amazing day that included 1) a magic show from the 4th graders, 2) time with a hook and ladder truck from the fire bureau, 3) mask making with grandparents (thank you Morgan), 5) a short concert by Joy and Jacob, 6) reading buddies, 7) watching the 3rd grade pumpkin-drop, 8) library and 9) sharing.  This is apart from lots of books and reading opportunities.  This may explain why your child is a little tired tonight.

Next week is a relatively normal week -- 5 days and only an OMSI class on Wednesday to take us out of our normal routine.

We could use a few more snacks.  Think of us as you are shopping.

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend!

Watching the third grade pumpkin drop!

The day Keeps getting better

Music with Joy and Jacob

Grandparent's Day masks

With Ms. McGhee's class and firefighters

Firefighters visit

Fourth grade magicians visit

This week in kindergarten

Please note; there is no school Friday (October 30) due to a teacher planning day.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is this Thursday.  We will have activities in the classroom for grandparents and friends from 10:00 to 10:45.  Many thanks to Morgan for coordinating this.

We are beginning to focus on blending letter sounds together to make simple words.  We are working with the "letters we know" -- m, t, a, and p.  With these letters we can make many words including at, mat, pat, map, tap, Pam and more.  Many students are very quick to "get it" when we substitute first letters (mat to pat) but have a more difficult time when we substitute last letters (mat to map).  This will continue to grow in complexity as we add more consonants and when we begin adding more vowels.

Lea, our Room Parent

Many of you have met our room parent Lea, mother of Stevie (and 2nd grader Poppy).  She may be sending out information about all things Kindergarten (or PTA) and is helping, along with Morgan, to coordinate our auction project.  Please be sure to thank her for all her hard work.

And, again, thank you to all the volunteers who have helped in the classroom.  This has been a great year,thus far for volunteers.  We need volunteers both for special events, like our field trips or the auction project, as well as to help with our daily routines!  Thank you!

There are tons of clothes and more in the lost and found in the main hall.  These will be bagged up and donated soon.

I still have four or five pictures.  Try to stop by and grab them.  I hope to keep them out of backpacks.

This week's themes:

Theme Book: Animal Babies in Grassland.
Literacy Theme: Main idea
New words: we, my like.
Words we know: I, am, the, little, a, to, have, is.
New letter: Pp
Letters we know: m, a, t, p
Math: Numbers to 10.
Song: Do, Re, Mi

Conferences and more

I have been having a wonderful time meeting with families over the past two days.  What a wonderful group of kids and families we have in Room 2 this year.  Two common themes emerged.  One is that everyone seems to be having a great time in kindergarten this year, the second is that many children are tired and showing it in a variety of ways, mostly at home.  Hopefully this will ease up through the fall.  Thank you all for your kind words and for having such wonderful children!

I stopped by the Child's Play Toy Store on NW 23rd and left a list of things we would love for the classroom and for our shared stuff for centers.  In a world with lots of major needs, this is a small, but fun, need want.

Photos have arrived!  Everyone with Thursday conferences got one; families with Wednesday conferences missed out.  I would love to hand these to you, rather than risk putting them in a backpack.  Please grab one when you are in; I will be sending everything home by the end of the week.

Don't forget; there is no school next Friday due to an inservice day!

This week in kindergarten

A short blog post for a short week...

I am looking forward to conferences.  This is the one scheduled time for us to discuss your child.  During the conference I will be doing a brief overview of what I have seen in terms of academics and social dynamics.  I also leave much of the conference open in order to be sure we can address your interests, ideas and concerns.  Please be on time -- I have many back-to-back appointments, particularly on Wednesday.

Our short week will include a focus on new centers, a new math game, art, writing and much more.

Here are a few themes for the week:
Theme Book; Armadillo's Orange
Comprehension Skill: Setting
Letter focus: Aa (second week)
Letters we know: m, t, a
New words: have, is (second week)
Words we know: I, am, the, little, to, a
Weekly song: Dinah

Friday notes

Next week features conferences.  I sent home a "Pre-Conference Questionnaire" earlier in the week.    Please send this back with your child on Monday.

Due to conferences,  will have a special library check out day Monday -- please be sure your child brings back their library book.

We had our first substitute this afternoon.  Barbara Goldberg, who used to teach kindergarten and 1st grade in Room 2, filled in for me.

Leveled readers are coming home today.  Check your child's backpack and enjoy their reading!

I am looking forward to spending time with each family next week.

Friday recess

Cool choice time creations

This week in kindergarten

Please note that Wednesday, October 14th is a late start.  Everything (bells and buses) should run exactly 2 hours behind,

Be sure you are signed up for conferences (most of you are).  There is no school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week (the 21st, 22nd and 23rd) to accommodate conferences.

Thank you to Lea Walker who has volunteered to be our class parent.  Lea is mother of Stevie (as well as 2nd grader Poppy).  She will be helping with a variety of things including communication, organizing and being a sounding board for everyone.  Please feel free to contact her at leakwalker@gmail.com.

Thank you to the many volunteers who have helped in the classroom and on our field trip last week to Kruger's Farms.  This volunteer help has been invaluable.  We will be needing volunteers to help us with out auction project (to be announced soon), as well as to help us with centers and math in the classroom.

As the weather grows chillier, be sure your child has a coat at school every day.  With the differing temperatures, many students are taking off their coats while out at recess.  Be sure to mark your child's coat with their name and Room number (2).  If they are found, they will usually make their way back to our classroom.

This Monday and Tuesday afternoon we will be starting "switch".  Both days, our students will do some dance with Ms. Leveille (and some extra music in Room 2).  Next week students will be doing social studies with Ms. Aksay and science with Ms. Forst.

This week we are working on the complexities of the letter Aa (vowels are, indeed, complex), and beginning to blend letters together to make words -- especially the letters m, a, and t to make words like at, mat, am and the name Tam.

Here are some themes for the week:

Theme Book: Life in an Ocean
Comprehension skill: Compare and Contrast
New words: is, have
Words we know: I, am, the, little, to, a
Letter focus: Aa
Letters we know: m, t, a
Writing: family words, /th/ sound
Math: Tally marks, numbers & number sense
Song: Dinah

Kruger's Farm Writing

Please check out all our fine writing about Kruger's Farm, posted on the green bulletin board just inside the classroom.

Kruger's Farm

We had a great trip today!  Thank you volunteers!!!

This week in kindergarten

This is a compressed week, with our field trip on Tuesday and no school on Friday.  Most of our academics take place Monday and Wednesday.  Thursday, as always, is filled with specials such as P.E., library and "guidance" with Ms. Cox.

Thank you to John and Victoria who volunteered to help with the first day of "real" centers.  Students worked at the writing center, the "reading for meaning" center, the art-science-discovery" center or the math center today.  Over the next three center days, the young scholars will rotate though all the centers.

Math: We will be learning about 10-frames.  These are new since I was a kid.  Basically it is a rectangular box with 10 squares inside -- five on top, five on the bottom.  Some may be filled with objects.  This is a great way of visualizing different numbers, and of making sense of how each number interacts with 10.  In other words when a student sees 7 bugs within a ten frame, they may see the top five squares filled, two filled on the bottom, and three empty squares.  We begin to learn about 10-frames on Wednesday.

Don't forget -- next Wednesday the 14th is a late opening, and we will have conferences on October 21st and 22nd.  There is no school on the 23rd or 30th.

Here are some themes for the week.
Theme Book: Dig, Dig Digging
Literacy Theme: Classify and Catagorize
New Letter: Tt
Letters we know: Mm
Words we know: I, am, the, little, to, a
Math: 10 frames
Weekly song: The Old Chisholm Trail

Friday Notes

Your child should be bringing home leveled readers today.  Please take some time to have your child read to you from these books.  I am excited to see the growth in reading skills within the classroom.

We will be rolling out our new "real" centers on Monday.  If by chance, you have any time to spare, it would be wonderful to have a volunteer in the classroom from 9:30 to 10:30 Monday morning.

Our field trip to Kruger's Farm is Tuesday.  I will be sending out more information Monday, but here are a few important items.  Volunteers should plan to be at Chapman by 9:15.  Have your child dress for the weather (rain or shine) and be sure to wear shoes that can handle mud.  As you pack a lunch - please bring it in a paper bag and be sure everything is disposable.  We hope to not bring any lunch stuff back to Chapman.

Be aware that there is no school next Friday, October 9th.

Friday art