Thank you for taking the time to read our first Thursday classroom newsletter! I have many items to cover these first few weeks, but I promise in the future I will not give you so much to read! The Thursday newsletter will contain lots of important information about our classroom happenings, so please be sure to read it each week. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. My contact information can be found at the end of each newsletter.
**********************************************************************
We had a great week in kindergarten! We are already settling into our routine and understanding what going to school is all about. The kids have done a wonderful job learning our morning literacy routine and have been practicing the transition between whole group lessons, small reading groups, and independent work. We also worked on our calendar routine, writing our names, learning to communicate with peers, and basically what it means to be a learner at school. It’s a very busy and exciting time!
Though our day is busy and full of activity, by the end of the day it may seem like a blur to your tired kindergartener! Many parents will ask their children what they did only to hear, “I don’t know”, “I don’t remember”, or “nothing”! These little kids are taking in a lot of new information and it can be a lot to remember. Instead of asking generally about the day, try asking more specific questions like, “What story did you read?”, “What did you do for math?” or “What did you choose for free choice?” to help jog their memory. You can also refer to the back side of each week’s classroom newsletter for specifics on what we have done in our classroom.
Thank you to those of you who attended Back to School Night on Monday. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
After the novelty of the first few days of school wears off, many children will experience a period of reluctance about coming to school. Children that eagerly ran in the door the first few days will sometimes have a hard morning transition in the weeks following. This is very common and typically a short phase as the child adjusts to the length and structure of the day. If your child is having a hard time separating from you, giving them a small picture or trinket of yours to keep in their pocket can be helpful. If your child seems weepy when you say good-bye, keeping it brief with a quick hug, kiss and ‘I love you!’ makes for a smoother transition than when parents linger in the classroom. I know it is difficult to part with a reluctant and tearful child, but most of the time the child settles in happily within minutes of their parent leaving. Please let me know if your child is feeling reluctant about coming to school and I will do my best to ease the transition.
At the beginning of the year, many parents express concern over the amount of food remaining in their child’s lunchbox. The cafeteria is an exciting social experience for the kids, and most are not used to eating on a tighter schedule. Our cafeteria staff does a great job of encouraging the kids to eat, but it sometimes takes a while before the kids get into the swing of eating in the cafeteria. You are welcome to send a second snack for your child to eat in the afternoon if you are concerned about them being hungry.
September Book Order forms are going home today and will be due back on Sept. 14. Participation is purely optional, but a great way to get your child excited about reading. Book Trust forms are also going home today. Please be sure to read and return the form if your child is eligible for this wonderful program.
Reminders:
· Send a healthy snack for your child every day.
· Our building is HOT! Please make sure your child brings a water bottle to school every day. Please also make sure he/she is dressed appropriately in clothing that will help them stay cool.
· Help your child practice his/her lunch (student ID) number on the practice keypad provided last week. Your child will use this number for various purposes throughout his/her years in PSD. I will expect them to have this number memorized in the coming weeks.
· September Book Orders are due Friday, September 14.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for sharing your precious children with me!
Here’s what we worked on this week:
The class worked together to earn classroom points. We are already excited about working together to follow the Tavelli rules:
· Do your best.
· Do what’s right.
· Treat others as you want to be treated.
Reading:
· Identifying the letters A, a, B, b, C, c, D, d, E, e, F, f
· High-frequency word I
· Book handling skills and parts of a book – Cover, title, title page, page, numbers, author, illustrator
Writing:
· Writing first name with one capital letter and the rest lowercase (“Kindergarten name”)
· Writing letters Aa-Ff and numbers 0-10
· Drawing a picture that tells a story
· Writing the date
Math:
· Calendar Routine – This covers many skills
· Counting and identifying numbers to 20
· Writing numbers 0-10
Science:
· Introduction to the Science Lab – scavenger hunt and talked about how we use our senses to help us learn
Social Studies:
· Getting to know the friends in our class
· Discussing the many ways we are different and special, and also the many things we have in common
· Using an “I-Message” to communicate with peers. For example, “I don’t like it when you ____________. Please stop.” If that doesn’t solve the problem, seek an adult for help.
· Tattling vs. Informing – When you or someone else is hurt or in danger, you should always tell (INFORM) an adult. Otherwise, try using an I-message to solve a problem with a peer.