Goldilocks and the Three Bears

We have read some different versions of the Three Bears this week.  Yesterday we read James Marshall's version and then discussed the beginning, middle, end, events, climax and solution of the story.  

In Science, we are learning about matter.  Today we were learning about mass/weight.  We used the balance scale to measure the weight of some things around our classroom. 

Writers Workshop and Johnny Appleseed

We started Writers Workshop yesterday and making books.  We are learning how to be authors and illustrators!  Each day we will learn about what writers do and work on making books.  When we finish we keep them in our awesome writing folders that they decorated.  

It was also Johnny Appleseed day!  We read about him, watched a short video and made a Johnny Appleseed hat!

Newsletter

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep.26^th –September 30^th, 2016

Thank you for reading to your child at night and logging those minutes.  We are having excellent participation in our library reading program Most weeks the logs are returned to us before the end of the day on Monday.  If you don’t get your log back on Monday, it will come the next day.  Thank you for understanding!

Mark your calendars:

            Friday, October 7^th is a Teacher Inservice day.  There is no school for RCE students.  Middle and high school students will be in session this day!

            Monday, October 10^th is the Columbus Day holiday.  No school again for RCE students.  Enjoy a nice, long 4 day weekend!

            Thursday, October 13^th is our field trip to Dewberry Farms.  Look for permission forms to come in your child’s folder soon.

Here’s what’s new for next week:

Theme: Nursery Rhymes

Reading:  We will explore the wonderful world of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.  We will identify rhyming words, characters and setting.  We will also practice sequencing and retelling, 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.  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:  in, it

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 20 (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 and has mass).  We will explore the properties of matter and spend time classifying matter by its properties.  We’ll end the week using balance scales to put objects in order by how light or heavy they are.

Social Studies:  We’ll finish up our work with community helpers. 

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!

Mystery Reader

Today we had our first mystery reader.  It was Evan's dad and he did a great job!  The kids were so excited and he read some silly books that they LOVED!!  

The Shape Game

In math today, we played a game by ourselves where we rolled a dice and then colored the shape we landed on.  Each time also coloring the same shape on a graphing sheet.  When we finished we got to see which shape won. (which was the shape we landed on the most)  

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

We were talking about the color brown today and we read the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  The kids knew it well.  They then made their own books and are supposed to bring it home today and read it to you.  Hopefully they will!

News

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep. 19th-23rd, 2016

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

Don’t forget to return reading logs and library books on Monday.  The kids are so excited to earn prizes for their reading!

Please send your Writer’s Workshop folders as soon as you have them    ready.  We will kick off writing workshop once we have ALL folders returned.

This week our learning will focus on the following:

Theme: The Colors Around Me continues.

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. 

Word Wall Words: 

REVIEW: my, is, to, like, can, see, red, green, yellow, pink, purple, 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:  Our unit on American symbols begins.  We start with exploring 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!

International Dot Day

Today is Dot Day!  We went to storytime with Mrs. Harrell in the library and listened to some stories by Peter Reynolds.  We got to add to the dot mural in the library.  When we came back to class we made our own dot pictures.  They will be bringing them home today.  

I Have, Who Has

In Math, we played I Have, Who Has with shapes.  The kids had to read their card and whoever had their shape then read theirs.  We went around the carpet until everyone had a turn.  Then we mixed up our cards and played again.  

Watch Dogs

Brady Burgett was a watchdog dad today.  He came and worked with us this afternoon.  He helped a friend finish his work and then he joined in on a math game with some boys.  

Just Hanging Out

Today at recess.  

News

Kindergarten News

Week of Sep. 12^th-16th, 2016

Back to School Night will be THIS Thursday, Sep. 15^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 are trying hard to keep our new building nice and clean.  The children have access to their water bottles during snack.

Attached is information from our counselor, Jenn Buchert, on nominating your child for the Gifted and Talented program.  In kindergarten, we rely heavily on parent input for this, as we’ve only known your child for a short time. 

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: The Colors Around Me!

Reading:  Shared reading and Interactive read-alouds of books focus on color. We will use what we know and clues from the text to 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, can, see

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: We will continue exploring like a scientist and observing using our 5 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!

Word Study

We began word detective this week with our word study.  We were detectives searching the room for words that started with a B or an M.  They did really well for their first time.  

Number Formation Poems

Number Formation

This week we are practicing number formation.  We are doing the numbers 0-9.  Today we watched the number formation poems and practice writing numbers on our partners backs with our fingers.  

News

Kindergarten News

Week of September 5^th-September 9th

Monday, September 5^th is Labor Day.  There will be no school!  Enjoy the holiday with your family. 

Reminder:  Our school day starts a little earlier this year!  The tardy bell rings at 7:55.  If your child is not in class when the bell rings, they will be counted tardy.

The last day to turn in a Big Form is Friday, September 9^th.  The Big Form is where you can order directories and yearbooks, join PTA, reserve a spot on the Birthday Marquee, and sign up to volunteer.  Visit https://cwsclients.wufoo.com/forms/the-pta-big-form/  to get your Big Form completed.

Friday is also the last day to order Spirit Wear.  Click https://cwsclients.wufoo.com/forms/spirit-wear-fall-201617/ to order yours today! 

We encourage every family to list their information in the RCE directory.  Simply visit this link  https://www.myschoolanywhere.com/new-family.a5w?fam=RummelCreekElementary44268 and use the join code RCEFAM to include your family in the directory.  The deadline for directory information is also Friday, September 9^th. 

Please remember your child needs a snack, a water bottle, a towel for resting and their blue folder every day. 

Several parents have expressed an interest in coming to help with kindergarten lunch.  This is not to replace the teacher on duty or to have lunch with your child, but to provide extra hands to help open yogurt tubes, drink boxes, containers, etc.  We would love to have 1-2 parents per day come to help us.  To choose a spot, visit the sign up genius:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c48a5ab28a6fd0-kindergarten

This week we will explore the following:

Theme: Five senses!

Reading:  Science and Language Arts will be very integrated this week.  Our shared reading and Interactive reading will focus on our five senses. 

Writing:  Our letters of the week are b and m.  We will continue with King and Queen of the Day and writing lists.  Shared writing will center on describing what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste. 

Word Wall Words:  Our list of friends’ names in the class continues to grow. 

Sight words for the week are  like, to

Math: We will work on number formation and number sense with numbers 0-4.  We’ll also look at characteristics of 2-dimensional shapes and find them around us.

Science: Using our five senses as scientists continues. 

Social Studies:  We will identify and discuss rules in our classroom, our homes, and our community.

Homework: Read 20 minutes every night.

Optional Activities:

·        Tuesday:  Make a list of at least 5 b words and 5 m words!

·        Wednesday:  Practice writing your numbers 0-5.

·        Thursday:  Use sidewalk chalk or play-doh to spell the fast words my, is, like and to!

·        Friday:   Have mom or dad read a story to you.  Talk about where the story takes place.

TGIF

We had a great week in Kindergarten and we are so EXCITED that Kindergarten won the RCE spirit stick!!  Next week we get to have it for one whole day and carry it in our line.  

Today in math, we finished up sorting with a fun goldfish sorting activity.  We colored, sorted and then graphed which color fish we had.  Then we got to eat them, of course, their favorite part.  

I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend!!  See you on Tuesday.