Writers Workshop

Today we were working hard on our first books in Writer's Workshop.  We talked about what writers do.  I am impressed with how hard they are working and know we will have some great writers by the end of Kindergarten!

News

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep.28^th - Oct. 2^nd, 2015

Thank you for reading to your child at night and logging those minutes.  We are having excellent participation in our library reading program!  We usually can return the logs back to you on Monday, but we don’t always get them back from the library in time.  If you don’t get your log back on Monday, it will come the next day.  Thank you for understanding!

If your child would like a Fall Festival shirt, you must order by next Monday, October 5^th.  To purchase (both adult and child sizes) go to

http://store.cccreationsusa.com/rummel-creek-elmentary.html

Tonight is Spirit Night at Chick Fil A on Dairy Ashford.  Come eat from 4 pm to close.  Portions of the proceeds are donated back to Rummel Creek.  Remember to drop your receipt in the Spirit Night Box there.  You can dine in or drive thru!  Thank you, Chick Fil A!

Soon the children will be bringing home their home reader book bags.  These will come home on Fridays and you will need to return them by Monday so they are ready for our next week’s reading groups.  By the time the books come home to you, your child will have read them many times.  Do not worry if the book seems memorized.  This is an important reading skill.  Allow your child to read the book to you many times.  In the reading bag is also a list of suggested activities you can do with the book.  You do not have to do these.  They are simply suggested activities. 

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: Finishing colors and starting Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales

Reading:  We will explore the wonderful world of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.  We will identify rhyming words, characters and setting.  We will also sequence and retell, which are two very important reading skills!

Writing:  This week we will make literacy connections to nursery rhymes and fairy tales while using these familiar texts as a basis for our own individual writing!  We are looking forward to launching Writer’s Workshop with our AWESOME folders- so please send the decorated folders back so we can begin.

Word Wall Words:  REVIEW: red, green, yellow, orange, purple, blue, white, pink, brown, black. My, is, like

NEW WORDS:  the, I

Word Study: We will focus on the letter sounds of N and P.

Math: This week our focus is on counting forward and backward to 25 (from any location), creating sets to 10, and beginning more/less! We have started working with the skill of estimation (making a smart guess).  We are also working on counting one to one in an organized manner. We will continue to work on numeral writing 0-10.  

Science: We are discussing matter (anything that takes up space).  We are learning the three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas).  Later in the week we will explore the states of matter and how they can change. 

Social Studies:  US Symbols, such as The Pledge of Allegiance and the US Flag. We are also voting to make decisions.

Homework: Read 20 minutes every night.

Optional Activities:

·       Monday:  Make a list of things that start with N & P

·       Tuesday:  How many color words can you spell?  Do you remember any color songs?

·       Wednesday:  Tell your mom or dad WHO is in your bedtime story tonight.  These are the CHARACTERS.

·       Thursday:  Grab a handful of junk. Estimate how many pieces you have.  Now count and check.  Was your guess a smart guess? 

·       Friday: Read your library book and return it, along with your reading logs!

American Symbols

In Social Studies, we are learning about symbols of the United States.  Today we learned about our flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Partner Math

We played a fill in the shape game today in math.  They rolled a dice and color in that many squares on their star shape and then their partner did the same.  It worked on number recognition and counting.  When they filled in the whole star they counted to see who colored in more.

Writer's Workshop

The blue writing folders look great!  Thank you for helping your child with these.  We will be starting on Monday and we can't wait.  I introduced their browsing boxes this week and it is going well.  They love to read their books.  

Lots of friends are asking about raz kids.  It is raz-kids.com and I gave everyone their child's log in at parent night.  My teacher name is hanlend.  We looked at it together in class yesterday and they are anxious to use it.  You can download the app for free or just go to the website.  

Have a wonderful weekend!  

News

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep. 21st-25th, 2015

We loved visiting with all of you last week at Back to School Night…thanks for ALL of your support! 

Thank you also for returning library books and reading logs today.  You all are the BEST!

Please send your Writer’s Workshop folders as soon as you have them ready!! 

DATE CHANGE!  We regret that we have to change our Book Character Parade date.  The new date is OCTOBER 29^th- same time, but different day.

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: We will continue The Colors Around Me!

Reading:  Shared reading and Interactive read-alouds of books that focus on color! We will use what we know as we ask and answer questions! We will identify characters and sequence the text, as well.

Writing:  We will continue celebrating the King and Queen of the Day. Also, this week we will make literacy connections to text while we create lists utilizing colors.  

We will kick off writer’s workshop as soon as we have ALL of the folders back...a BIG thank you in advance!  We are authors in the making.

Word Wall Words:  

REVIEW: my, is, like, red, green, yellow, black, white.

NEW WORDS THIS WEEK:  blue, orange, pink, purple, brown

Word Study: We will focus on the letter sounds of R and S.

Math: Our focus this week will be on sorting, reviewing shapes, counting to 30, and numeral writing 0-5.  We will explore numbers to 5 using ten frames and we will use various manipulatives to create sets of a designated amount. We will continue to graph as we explore the colors around us!

Science: Observing/Using the Scientific Method and using our senses to be a scientist. What is matter and how can it change?!

Social Studies:  We will explore our Pledge of Allegiance.

Homework: Read 20 minutes every night.

Optional Activities:

·       Monday:  Make a list of things that start with R & S

·       Tuesday:  Count backwards from 5.  Count backwards from 10.  Can you count backwards from 15?

·       Wednesday:  Write the color words using the appropriate crayon/marker!  Can you sing/spell the color songs!

·       Thursday:  Write a sentence using the sight words MY and IS

·       Friday: Return your library books and reading log on Monday!

Color B-L-U-E blue song - Kindergarten

Ask your child how to spell blue and what things are blue.

Color Y-E-L-L-O-W yellow song - Kindergarten

We learned the yellow song today.  Ask your child what they made that was yellow and how to spell yellow.

Kindergarten News

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep.14^th-18th, 2015

Back to School Night will be THIS Thursday, Sep. 17^th in your child’s classroom.  PK-2 meets from 5:30-6:30.  This is a parent only evening.

Each day please send a water bottle, healthy snack, towel, and daily folder.  When packing a snack, please send something simple, such as goldfish.  One snack is plenty.  Also, please do not send juice with your snack.  We do not have sinks in the rooms so spills can be tricky!  The children have access to their water bottles during snack.

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: The Colors Around Me!

Reading:  Shared reading and Interactive read-alouds of books that focus on color! We will use what we know as we ask and answer questions! We will identify characters and sequence the text, as well.

Writing:  We will continue with King and Queen of the Day and list writing.  This week we will make literacy connections to text while we create lists utilizing colors.

Word Wall Words:  red, green, yellow, black, purple, white

Word Study: We will focus on the letter sounds of G and T.

Math: Our focus this week will be on counting to 20 (from any starting point), counting from 10 backwards, working on correctly writing 0-5, Identifying 2D shapes and describing them using the appropriate attributes (circle, square, rectangle, oval, triangle) and graphing.

Science: Being a Scientist as we Explore with our Senses!

Social Studies:  We will continue to explore our roles in our homes and our classroom.  We will talk about key community helpers in our world.  Happy Constitution Day on September 17^th!

Homework: Read 20 minutes every night.

Optional Activities:

·       Monday:  Make a list of things that start with G & T

·       Tuesday:  Practice numeral writing in the bubbles tonight at bath time!

·       Wednesday:  Write the color words using the appropriate crayon/marker!  Teach mom or dad a color song you have learned.

·       Thursday:  Write your name 5 times using rainbow colors.  Did you use an upper case letter for the first letter and the rest lower case?

·       Friday: Bring back your library books and reading log on Monday!

The Color Red Song

We learned this today to help us know how to spell our color words.  Ask your child how to spell red.

Primary Reading Logs start next Monday 21st.  I thought it was today, sorry.  I will send them home.  Each Monday send it in their folder and it will come back that day so you can keep logging.  Picture below in case you're not sure what I am talking about.

Word Detectives

Today we searched for words around our room that begin with the letter B and the letter M.  We made a list of all the ones we could find.  

News for the Week

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep.8^th-12th, 2015

Mark your calendar for Back To School Night!  It will be Thursday, Sep.17^th.  This is a parent only evening.  Grades PK-2 will meet from  5:30-6:30 p.m  in your child’s classroom.

We have had our library orientation and your child will be bringing home a library book once a week.  Please return books by Monday each week. 

Also, this week your child will receive a reading incentive log.  Start completing this at home and send it back each Monday starting Monday, September 14th, as well.  We will turn them into the librarian and she will promptly return them to us.  Please do not store this log in the folder, as it can get lost.  Keep it at home until each Monday. You must have the log complete by Friday, October 30^th.  Thank you very much…the children that meet the reading goal of 15 minutes per night will attend a reading celebration in December.  Therefore, you won’t want your child to miss the fun.  So, start logging those books!

Remember all transportation changes need to be in writing to your teacher by noon. If your child is absent, you need to email the school.  If your child is absent and attends an after school daycare (CAP or Crème), you need to let the daycare know, as well. 

If you have not returned your picture order form, please do so ASAP.  Individual school pictures will be THIS Thursday.  This is the photo for the yearbook.

Have you completed the PTA Big Form?  The last day to do so is Friday!

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: I am a Learner!

Reading:  Shared reading and Interactive read-alouds of books that focus on the alphabet!  Our focus will continue to be on making connections as we enjoy the text. We will use what we know as we ask and answer questions!

Writing:  We will continue with King and Queen of the Day and list writing.  This week we will explore apples using our 5 senses.  We will make class lists and stories about apples.  Children will create, write about, and share their own apple!

Word Wall Words:  Our friends’ names in our class, as well as:  my, is, like

Word Study: We will focus on the letter sounds of B and M.

Math: Our focus this week will be on: sorting, graphing, and shapes.  

Science: What is a scientist?  What tools does a scientist use, and how does he/she stay safe? How do scientist use their senses to make obsesrvations? We will use our five senses to think and act like a scientist.

Social Studies:  We will continue to explore our roles in our homes and our classroom, as well as that of helpers in our community. We will explore why we need rules.

Homework: Read 20 minutes every night.

Optional Activities:

·       Monday:  Try to find triangles around your house!

·       Tuesday: Smell what is cooking for dinner.  Make a list of what you smell.

·       Wednesday:  Count your socks!

·       Thursday:  Make a list of 3 words that start with B and 3 words that start with M!

·       Friday: Bring back your library books and have a great weekend!

Labeling

Today we had a lesson on how to label our pictures.  Then we colored and labeled a teddy bear.  Ask your child was part of Mrs.Hanlen they got to label.  

Sorting Goldfish

In Math we sorted colored goldfish today and then graphed how many we had of each color.  

Milk Rainbows

We did our first science experiment today and it was a success!  We made milk rainbows.  Ask your child to tell you about it.  

What a Busy Day!

We read We Share Everything by Robert Munsch and made our first class book.  

 

In Math, we are reviewing how to sort.  We read Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons and then we sorted buttons at our tables.  

In Science, we are doing our first science experiment today.....more pics to come.