Feels Like Fall

Hello Families,
     I am loving this cool, crisp fall weather.....much better than the 95 degree classroom we started the year with!  I hope you found the classroom directory that was sent home in your child's red folder on Friday.  The directory can come in handy when planning birthday parties or play dates. 
     Our letters of focus last week were m and n.  We learned a monster chant, read several books with monsters as the main characters, practiced forming those letters with playdough and on our dry erase boards and identified words that started with those letters.  I realized on Friday that I forgot to send home the m and n letter practice paper....I will add that to the red folder the next time it comes home.  This week coming up the letter focus will be c and a...our first vowel.  Along with letter practice, we are learning to retell stories, identify character and setting in a story, putting words together to form a sentence and creating our first classroom book all about us. 
     During Number Corner, we will be finishing up our shape pattern on the September calendar as we move into October.  The children have been sorting shapes, identifying shapes by their attributes and making shape projects.  I introduced the 5 frame and the 10 frame as a way to show quantity and recognize a number quickly on a frame.  With the 5 frame right now, the children are noticing what numbers go together to make 5.  And we love to learn new games to practice our math skills, like Rondo, Count the Beans and Hi Ho Cherry-O.
     I would like each child to bring in a plain, white t-shirt for a class tie-dying project.  I enjoy having the students choose their design, help create it with rubberbands, then dunk it in the bucket to soak.  There are always a lot of ooooh's and aaaaah's when the bands come off and we do the big reveal!  I like having the shirts here at school for field trips and special school events.  Then your child will bring it home at the end of the school year.  When shopping for a t-shirt, go for a size that your child can grow into, as we wear them all year.  Also, if you buy a pack of shirts and would like to donate the extras to the class, they are always used and appreciated.  Thanks! 
     Lastly, our first Early Release Day is Tuesday, October 2nd.  Students who ride busses leave around 12:45 and walkers/pick ups head out around 12:55.  Please have plans ready for your child to leave early that day...if his or her plan is different than usual, please send in a note with the dismissal plan for that day.  And now for some pics.....


Identifying which pictures start with m or n


Working on correct number formation with Count the Beans


Our school counselor, Miss Cleary, shared a story and the kids made playdough faces to show feelings.


Writing our Key Words on the window!


Miss Tricia from the Ilsley Library visits Kindergarten.


Making personalized library card holders

Butterfly Mania!

Hello Families! 
     This week has been "butterfly crazy" as we returned on Monday and had 7 butterflies to release!  During the week we released 2 more and we have 1 chrysalis left, waiting for the big change to happen.  The students completed their butterfly life cycle projects and they are now hanging in the classroom.  I hope you are able to attend the Open House on Thursday, September 20th, any time between 5:30-7:00.
     As we build our classroom community, we are working on our first unit:  How We Organize Ourselves.  We are focussing on rules and routines and how they help build the structure of our classroom.  I shared the book "Is Your Buffalo Ready For Kindergarten" and we had a lively discussion about what the buffalo did right at school to be a learner.  This will help build our Essential Agreements, or classroom rules, to guide us through the year.
     I am sending home a letter formation sheet in the red folder today.  We have been working on the correct letter formations for t, b and f this week, as well as working on the sound of those letters.  There is a spot on the letter paper where your child can show you (they may need some guidance from you....look at the directions for each letter for how to guide your child) how we have learned to form the letter.  Some children will be working hard to get out of the habit of writing letters from the bottom up as we practice the letters starting from the top (at the sky line or plane line).  Those papers do not have to come back to school.  They can be helpful for reference at home when your child is practicing his or her writing.  Thanks for your "coaching" at home with letters!
     We are very lucky to receive a fruit or veggie snack from the kitchen every day.  We serve it at our 2:00 snack time when the kids are really hungry again!  Miss Bettee and I have introduced the "sample size" and serve it to everyone.  Several students have already found they like something that they didn't think they wanted!  We have a good group of healthy eaters this year....they have been polishing off the kitchen snacks everyday.  If anyone is willing to send in a bottle of Ranch dressing, it would be great to serve it with some of the veggies, like carrots and celery.  Thanks!


Lots and lots of butterflies!


Mr. Lindemann came and read his favorite story.


The listening center has been popular at choice time.


It's fun to practice letters in glitter sand.


The Snail Game at Math time


Partner work for letter practice


What pictures start with t or b?


Teaming up to work on a puzzle.

A Brand New Year In Kindergarten!

Hello Families! 
     Today was most exciting as we had our first butterfly hatch out!  When we released it on a flower outside, we were able to tell it was a male.  Everyone was very excited to wave goodbye to it and wish it a good, long flight!  I read a book to the children called "Gotta Go, Gotta Go" and in the book, it talks about the butterfly flying to Mexico.  So the children today shouted, "You gotta go to Mexico!" as we waved goodbye.
    Picture Day is Thursday the 13th.  We are scheduled to go right at 8:15 while the Kindergartners are looking fresh and ready!  Another date for your calendar is September 20th, which is our Mary Hogan Open House.  More info to come about that date later. 
     We have been busy with projects and stories and Number Corner and learning about each other!  I am including a few photos of the Kindergartners in action and a display hanging in our classroom related to caterpillar observation.  Showing the photos to your child can create great conversations about what he or she has been doing in Kindergarten.  Enjoy the weekend!


A butterfly life cycle project


Decorating the first letter of your name


Books at Quiet Time


Caterpillar observations