Newsletter Updates for the Week of March 13th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Thursday, March 16th—Dental Presentation

-Friday, March 17th—Chip & Dale/Twin Day—Wear Gray Kindergarten Shirts & Donuts With Dad & Irish Dance Assembly @ 2:00

-Fri, March 24th—Sleepy Dwarf/PJ Day; 1/2 Day - Movie in the Auditorium & Tea Party in the classroom

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Levi Jenema. Levi is a true farm-boy at heart—he knows how to start a tractor and he can drive a Rhino.  He likes to eat pancakes, spaghetti, & toast. His favorite movie is WALL-E and his favorite book is the Bible. Levi aspires to work hard and play hard as his two goals are “to farm” and to “play with friends.” Congratulations to Levi on being our Student of the Week!

READING MONTH: 

We’ve been doing some extra reading in the classroom in celebration of Reading Month! If the students are doing a good job of reading during Read-to-Self time then they get to put their name into the drawing on Friday.  We will be drawing a winner out next Friday the 24th.  Several students have been doing extra reading on Raz-Kids as well; remember this is available to you at home as well.  Please keep reading and returning your reading folders.  I’m going to be moving several students to new levels over Spring Break after I wrap up Running Records next week.

BEHAVIOR: 

I think we are back on track!! :) Last week was a much better week for us in the classroom!  The students were excited to make their teacups with Grandma Linda on Friday and we will be doing another fun Art project this week as an incentive for on-task behavior.

READING:

This week our class will be reading stories about different kinds of animals and the habitats in which they live. Children will discover that animals live in caves, dens, burrows, trees, forests, deserts, and oceans. Here's a brief overview of our skills this week.

· Vocabulary—habitat & wild

· Sightwords—said & want

· Category Words—animal homes

· Phonics—Lettes Xx & Vv

· Comprehension—cause & effect

MATH: 

This week we will play several games involving addition and subtraction as we practice using various strategies to solve these equations—number lines, manipulatives, counting on, counting backwards, drawing a picture, using our fingers, etc.  We will also create a graph using Lucky Charms and then interpret and analyze the data.

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: 

We will continue learning about several important Patriotic Symbols this week—The Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, The Bald Eagle, & The White House. We will also be reading some books related to St. Patrick’s Day.

 Please be sure to return your yellow parent surveys ASAP :)

Newsletter Updates for the Week on March 6th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, March 10th—Goofy Dress Up Day—Wear mis-matched clothes & Donuts with Dad

-Friday, March 17th—Chip & Dale/Twin Day - Wear Gray Kindergarten Shirts & Donuts With Dad & Irish Dance Assembly @ 2:00

-Fri, March 24th—Sleepy Dwarf/PJ Day; 1/2 Day Movie in the Auditorium & Tea Party in the classroom

PARENT SURVEY: 

I’ve attached the parent survey to your newsletter. Please take a few minutes to fill it out and return it by Friday, March 10th.  The class with the most surveys returned will earn an extra special recess. The students will also be taking a student survey this week on their ipads to get their feedback regarding school.

BEHAVIOR: 

I’m not sure if it’s the crazy weather changes we’ve been having, the fact that I was gone for a day and a half last week, or a combination of, but many students have been struggling with following the rules both inside and outside of the classroom,  On Friday, we had a long class discussion about appropriate behavior and respecting others; we also reviewed our rules and expectations, and discussed consequences.  I am once again assessing for report cards, so please remind your child to do their best in school and to make good choices. :) I’m looking forward to a great week as we get back on track!! :)

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: 

In correlation with our Reading Unit, we will be reading several stories related to Pets. We will also be learning about several important Patriotic Symbols this week—The American Flag, The Pledge of Allegiance, & The Star Spangled Banner. We will also learn what it means to show our Patriotism.

READING:

This week our class will be reading stories about different kinds of pets and how to care for them. Children will learn about grooming, feeding, walking, and caring for pets. Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing:

· Vocabulary—responsibility & train—Talk about the responsibilities associated with caring for pets, as well as how people train pets.

· Sightwords—they & of—think of short sentences that include they and of and write them down. Have your child point to each word and read each sentence aloud. Ask them to underline the words they and of.

· Category Words—pets— Play a game of “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down.” Ask your child to show thumb up if what you say is true and to show thumbs down if what you say is not true. For example: “A dog can be a pet.”

· Phonics—Lettes Gg & Ww—Both are tricky because G makes 2 sounds and many students think W makes the /d/ sound because of it’s name. They also need to be able to recognize g like this: g.

· Comprehension—character, setting, & plot

WRITING: 

This week we will begin our final small moment story—a true story about something that happened to us. We will practice adding details, feelings, and speech bubbles.

MATH: 

This week we will introduce subtraction and play several ‘take away’ games. We will also problem solve, plan, & build a chair that will hold Goldilocks and the 3 Bears; I’m excited to see what designs the kids come up with.

Please be sure to bring in your flashlight

to read with on Tuesday:)