Friday, December 21, 2012
Happy Holidays!
All of us here at the school would like to wish all of you and your loved ones a safe, happy and healthy winter break. See you in 2013! Classes begin again on Monday, January 7th, 2013.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Poem for week of December 3rd
My apologies for posting this poem late. This was our poem from last week. It is sung to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?" We started our math unit on Shapes last week and it will continue well into January.
Sentences
Often, the poetry folders will ask students to draw a picture and write a sentence and I've had a few parents ask me what exactly we are looking for when we ask the students to write a sentence.
Student development varies from child to child. We begin by asking the children to write whatever they can, whether it be to simply draw a picture and accompany it with scribbles or to write any random letters they may know. At this point we are simply trying to get the students used to the idea of writing.
After this, we try to get the students to start hearing the different sounds within a word and to begin writing the letters that accompany those sounds. At this point they will not hear all sounds and will usually only write the initially sound and will omit vowels as they won't hear them. For example, if they want to write the word "home" they may simply write "H" or "HM".
We then move on to the point of being able to stretch out a word to hear as many sounds as possible and to write them down. At this point they may be able to write the word "home" as "hom" because they are able to hear the H-O-M sounds, but they obviously won't hear the E because it is silent.
Eventually, by the end if SK, we hope to get to the point where students are able to readily write simple sight words (watch for a post on these later in the school year) and are comfortable trying to sound out unknown words, while remembering to leave spaces between their words!
Below are some examples of the different ways in which Kindergarten students write "sentences". They are not in any particular order and are from JK, SK and ESL/ELL (English as a Second Language/English Language Learners) students.
Student development varies from child to child. We begin by asking the children to write whatever they can, whether it be to simply draw a picture and accompany it with scribbles or to write any random letters they may know. At this point we are simply trying to get the students used to the idea of writing.
After this, we try to get the students to start hearing the different sounds within a word and to begin writing the letters that accompany those sounds. At this point they will not hear all sounds and will usually only write the initially sound and will omit vowels as they won't hear them. For example, if they want to write the word "home" they may simply write "H" or "HM".
We then move on to the point of being able to stretch out a word to hear as many sounds as possible and to write them down. At this point they may be able to write the word "home" as "hom" because they are able to hear the H-O-M sounds, but they obviously won't hear the E because it is silent.
Eventually, by the end if SK, we hope to get to the point where students are able to readily write simple sight words (watch for a post on these later in the school year) and are comfortable trying to sound out unknown words, while remembering to leave spaces between their words!
Below are some examples of the different ways in which Kindergarten students write "sentences". They are not in any particular order and are from JK, SK and ESL/ELL (English as a Second Language/English Language Learners) students.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Goodbye Pumpkin!
For those of you wondering what ever happened to our little pumpkin, please take a look:
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
December Newsletter
Hello Parents and Caregivers!
Here are some highlights of what will take place in our classroom over the next few weeks as we approach the end of the term.
Language
We’ll be talking and reading about winter holidays in class. Please let us know if you have any holiday traditions, books, music, stories or recipes that you would like to share with our class. Thanks! We will continue to motivate writing in the classroom by giving the children various purposes for writing. This month, we will try writing seasonal letters and cards to each other in class. If you have any old cards or stationary you would like to donate, we would be very appreciative. Please continue to support your children’s phonemic awareness by encouraging them to find particular letters in stories, or looking in a picture dictionary for words beginning with the letter of the week.
Math
This month we will begin our unit on two-dimensional shapes. We will also review the math concepts that we have been working on this term: sorting, patterning and basic number sense. You can practice these concepts at home by:
- asking your child to help sort the laundry;
- making up sound or movement patterns (e.g., use low/high voice, jump/clap, etc.) or making patterns with items found around the house (e.g., buttons, toothpicks, cotton balls, cheerios);
- counting different daily, household items (i.e. how many socks in the laundry basket or how many peas on your plate, etc.)
- finding and describing two-dimensional shapes around you (e.g., the table is shaped like a rectangle because two sides are shorter and two sides are longer).
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Thank you to all of you who came to Parent-Teacher interviews! It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss your child’s learning, and to get to know the families better. We always welcome your questions and comments, and we look forward to our continued partnership throughout the school year.
Mitten Tree and Food Drive
As every year, our school is collecting new, unused winter mittens, gloves and hats during the month of December. These donations will be displayed on our Mitten Tree before being given to charity. If you have any items you would like to donate, please send them in! We are also collecting non-perishable food items.
Clothing
As the cold weather is approaching, please ensure your child has the appropriate outdoor winter clothing. Boots and snow pants are needed for cold weather. Label items like hats and mittens with your child’s name, as these items often get misplaced. Thank you for helping your children to learn how to dress themselves in their outdoor clothing. At home, encourage your child to try and put on their winter coats, snowpants, boots, hats and mittens independently. Assist your child using verbal instructions instead of doing it for them.
Thanks!
- The Kindergarten Team
Here are some highlights of what will take place in our classroom over the next few weeks as we approach the end of the term.
Language
We’ll be talking and reading about winter holidays in class. Please let us know if you have any holiday traditions, books, music, stories or recipes that you would like to share with our class. Thanks! We will continue to motivate writing in the classroom by giving the children various purposes for writing. This month, we will try writing seasonal letters and cards to each other in class. If you have any old cards or stationary you would like to donate, we would be very appreciative. Please continue to support your children’s phonemic awareness by encouraging them to find particular letters in stories, or looking in a picture dictionary for words beginning with the letter of the week.
Math
This month we will begin our unit on two-dimensional shapes. We will also review the math concepts that we have been working on this term: sorting, patterning and basic number sense. You can practice these concepts at home by:
- asking your child to help sort the laundry;
- making up sound or movement patterns (e.g., use low/high voice, jump/clap, etc.) or making patterns with items found around the house (e.g., buttons, toothpicks, cotton balls, cheerios);
- counting different daily, household items (i.e. how many socks in the laundry basket or how many peas on your plate, etc.)
- finding and describing two-dimensional shapes around you (e.g., the table is shaped like a rectangle because two sides are shorter and two sides are longer).
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Thank you to all of you who came to Parent-Teacher interviews! It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss your child’s learning, and to get to know the families better. We always welcome your questions and comments, and we look forward to our continued partnership throughout the school year.
Mitten Tree and Food Drive
As every year, our school is collecting new, unused winter mittens, gloves and hats during the month of December. These donations will be displayed on our Mitten Tree before being given to charity. If you have any items you would like to donate, please send them in! We are also collecting non-perishable food items.
Clothing
As the cold weather is approaching, please ensure your child has the appropriate outdoor winter clothing. Boots and snow pants are needed for cold weather. Label items like hats and mittens with your child’s name, as these items often get misplaced. Thank you for helping your children to learn how to dress themselves in their outdoor clothing. At home, encourage your child to try and put on their winter coats, snowpants, boots, hats and mittens independently. Assist your child using verbal instructions instead of doing it for them.
Thanks!
- The Kindergarten Team
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Non-Fiction vs Fiction
We have been learning about the difference between Non-Fiction and Fiction texts. Together, we came up with this checklist to help us figure out whether the book we are reading is a fiction text or a non-fiction one.
You can try this at home when reading with or to your child. Does the book contain real information, table of contents, real pictures? If so, it may be a Non-Fiction text. Does it contain characters, settings, make-believe stories or drawn pictures? It might be a Fiction text!
You can try this at home when reading with or to your child. Does the book contain real information, table of contents, real pictures? If so, it may be a Non-Fiction text. Does it contain characters, settings, make-believe stories or drawn pictures? It might be a Fiction text!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Poem for November 12th
I apologize for posting this poem late! I had posted it on Monday, but it seems to have gotten lost in cyberspace. In any event, here it is now.
As we have been practicing the proper formation of numbers, the poem this week is about learning how to print numbers 1-5. Students were asked to print the numbers and then try to draw 5 smiley faces. Next week's poem will focus on Numbers 6-10!
As we have been practicing the proper formation of numbers, the poem this week is about learning how to print numbers 1-5. Students were asked to print the numbers and then try to draw 5 smiley faces. Next week's poem will focus on Numbers 6-10!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Decoding Strategies
We have been talking a lot lately about different strategies we can use in Kindergarten when reading and trying to figure out a word. Below you will find an anchor chart we made together to help us remember some simple strategies.
The first thing we do is look at the picture and make a good guess. In our example it was a picture of a smiley face and we were trying to figure out the word "smile".
The next step is to look at the first letter of the word we are figuring out to see if our guess is correct. For example, if I guessed "face" from looking at the picture of a smiley face, but then see the word begins with the letter S, so it could not be "face" and I would have to make another guess now based on the picture and the initial sound.
Once we've made another guess we look at the ending sound and sometimes the middle sound, to make sure we've got a really good guess! For example, I know it starts with S so I guess "sock" but look at the entire word to hear the other sounds. "Sock" ends in a K sound, but our word "smile" ends in an L sound, so another guess is needed.
Finally, once you've settled on the word you read the entire sentence and make sure it sounds right, looks right and makes sense.
This takes a lot of practice and we continue to work very hard on these strategies!
The first thing we do is look at the picture and make a good guess. In our example it was a picture of a smiley face and we were trying to figure out the word "smile".
The next step is to look at the first letter of the word we are figuring out to see if our guess is correct. For example, if I guessed "face" from looking at the picture of a smiley face, but then see the word begins with the letter S, so it could not be "face" and I would have to make another guess now based on the picture and the initial sound.
Once we've made another guess we look at the ending sound and sometimes the middle sound, to make sure we've got a really good guess! For example, I know it starts with S so I guess "sock" but look at the entire word to hear the other sounds. "Sock" ends in a K sound, but our word "smile" ends in an L sound, so another guess is needed.
Finally, once you've settled on the word you read the entire sentence and make sure it sounds right, looks right and makes sense.
This takes a lot of practice and we continue to work very hard on these strategies!
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Monday, November 05, 2012
Decaying Pumpkin
After all the fun of Halloween we started wondering, "What happens to pumpkins after Halloween is done?" So we've decided to find out!
We are keeping a mini-pumpkin, from our pumpkin hunt, sealed up in a see-through container to observe what happens as time goes on. We will be recording our observations in our Science Inquiry booklets.
So far we've noticed that the pumpkin is "growing fur', it is "getting whiter" and that the container "is wet"!
We are keeping a mini-pumpkin, from our pumpkin hunt, sealed up in a see-through container to observe what happens as time goes on. We will be recording our observations in our Science Inquiry booklets.
So far we've noticed that the pumpkin is "growing fur', it is "getting whiter" and that the container "is wet"!
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Poem for week of October 29th
As we are learning about the letter H, the poem for this week focused on Halloween. It is to be sung to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down.
November Newsletter
November 2012
Dear Parents, Students and Guardians,
During the past month we were investigating some of the changes that take place during fall, we have been learning a lot about the important events that took place in October, such as Thanksgiving and Halloween. We have also been learning to create and extend simple patterns. Here is a general overview of what we will be studying in November.
Mathematics
During the month of November our math focus will continue to be on patterns and we will be beginning to learn about shapes. The children will be learning about the attributes of many two dimensional shapes and investigating where these shapes emerge in their daily lives. You can compliment our study of shapes at home by asking your child to recognize different shapes in your house (i..e., the bed is a rectangle, the roof is a triangle).
Language
The children learn letters and sounds in our classrooms in a variety of ways, such as by pointing out specific letters in their names, brainstorming words that begin or end with the certain letter, substituting one letter in their name (e.g., what if the name “John” started with S? It would be “Sohn”, etc.) and many more. We search for letters or words during shared reading, we guess who the Star Student is after hearing clues (e.g., The name begins with S and the last sound is “ah”),
If you would like to help your children further learn their letters and letter sounds, take a scavenger hunt around your home looking for objects that begin with our focus letter. For example, when focusing on N, look for napkins, notepads and Nike running shoes!
We will also begin learning about fiction and non-fiction. For example, a fiction book will have characters, is sometimes animated and is not a real story. Whereas a non-fiction book usually has a table of contents, photographs and real information. You can support your child’s learning in this area by asking them questions about the book you’re reading (e.g. is Franklin a real or fictional turtle?).
Science
In November, we will continue to investigate Seasonal Changes as the weather continues to get colder, and we will also be exploring different ways animals get ready for winter. We will also begin to look more closely at water and the way water changes with the weather! We will investigate and experiment with the rain and at our water table.
Report Cards
During the first term, only students in Senior Kindergarten will receive a report card. However, all JK and SK parents are invited to attend a parent teacher interview during our PD Day on Friday, November 18th. A sign up schedule will be posted in the classroom offering the various time slots.
Outdoor Gear
The weather changes daily and we have to dress in anticipation of different kinds of weather! Please remember that as it gets colder your child should be coming to school with all the appropriate clothes for outdoor wear. We anticipate that the first snowfall will be soon, so it is time to dig out your child’s winter clothes! We will continue to have outdoor play on most days, and therefore it is important that the children are dressed properly for outdoor play. Please also bring a pair of indoor shoes labeled with your child’s name to keep in the classroom throughout the winter. We really appreciate your help in teaching your children to dress into their winter gear independently.
Thank you for your on-going support and interest!
The Kindergarten Team
Dear Parents, Students and Guardians,
During the past month we were investigating some of the changes that take place during fall, we have been learning a lot about the important events that took place in October, such as Thanksgiving and Halloween. We have also been learning to create and extend simple patterns. Here is a general overview of what we will be studying in November.
Mathematics
During the month of November our math focus will continue to be on patterns and we will be beginning to learn about shapes. The children will be learning about the attributes of many two dimensional shapes and investigating where these shapes emerge in their daily lives. You can compliment our study of shapes at home by asking your child to recognize different shapes in your house (i..e., the bed is a rectangle, the roof is a triangle).
Language
The children learn letters and sounds in our classrooms in a variety of ways, such as by pointing out specific letters in their names, brainstorming words that begin or end with the certain letter, substituting one letter in their name (e.g., what if the name “John” started with S? It would be “Sohn”, etc.) and many more. We search for letters or words during shared reading, we guess who the Star Student is after hearing clues (e.g., The name begins with S and the last sound is “ah”),
If you would like to help your children further learn their letters and letter sounds, take a scavenger hunt around your home looking for objects that begin with our focus letter. For example, when focusing on N, look for napkins, notepads and Nike running shoes!
We will also begin learning about fiction and non-fiction. For example, a fiction book will have characters, is sometimes animated and is not a real story. Whereas a non-fiction book usually has a table of contents, photographs and real information. You can support your child’s learning in this area by asking them questions about the book you’re reading (e.g. is Franklin a real or fictional turtle?).
Science
In November, we will continue to investigate Seasonal Changes as the weather continues to get colder, and we will also be exploring different ways animals get ready for winter. We will also begin to look more closely at water and the way water changes with the weather! We will investigate and experiment with the rain and at our water table.
Report Cards
During the first term, only students in Senior Kindergarten will receive a report card. However, all JK and SK parents are invited to attend a parent teacher interview during our PD Day on Friday, November 18th. A sign up schedule will be posted in the classroom offering the various time slots.
Outdoor Gear
The weather changes daily and we have to dress in anticipation of different kinds of weather! Please remember that as it gets colder your child should be coming to school with all the appropriate clothes for outdoor wear. We anticipate that the first snowfall will be soon, so it is time to dig out your child’s winter clothes! We will continue to have outdoor play on most days, and therefore it is important that the children are dressed properly for outdoor play. Please also bring a pair of indoor shoes labeled with your child’s name to keep in the classroom throughout the winter. We really appreciate your help in teaching your children to dress into their winter gear independently.
Thank you for your on-going support and interest!
The Kindergarten Team
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Happy Halloween!
Our class joined the Grade Ones for a fun pumpkin carving session! Then, we took a scoop of pulp and seeds back to our room and talked about what we noticed about the insides of the pumpkin. We talked about how it felt and smelled.
We then estimated how many seeds we had gotten in that one scoop. After each student and teacher had made their guess, we piled the seeds into groups of 10 for easier counting and in the end we found out we had 210 seeds in just one scoop!
Also to celebrate Halloween, the students made their own tissue paper jack-o-lanterns. Each face was unique and different, just as each of us is unique and different! Take a look at some of the wonderful jack-o-lanterns the students made with Mrs. Menzies!
We then estimated how many seeds we had gotten in that one scoop. After each student and teacher had made their guess, we piled the seeds into groups of 10 for easier counting and in the end we found out we had 210 seeds in just one scoop!
Also to celebrate Halloween, the students made their own tissue paper jack-o-lanterns. Each face was unique and different, just as each of us is unique and different! Take a look at some of the wonderful jack-o-lanterns the students made with Mrs. Menzies!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Pumpkin Hunt
This past Monday our class went on a little pumpkin hunt! We hid the mini-pumpkins in the yard in front of our school and the students got to come out and go around looking for a little pumpkin of their own.
Once each child had found a pumpkin, they got to decorate them with a face of their choice to make a jack-o-lantern. Check them out!
Once each child had found a pumpkin, they got to decorate them with a face of their choice to make a jack-o-lantern. Check them out!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
We Are Good Friends!
We always emphasize the need to be good friends in our classroom, but due to recent tragic events, we have been talking even more about the need to stop bullying before it starts. We observed a moment of silence last Friday and continue to talk about ways to combat bullying. The students in our class wanted to be leaders in friendship and came up with this list for others to follow in order to be good friends.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Learning Board
This is our Learning Board. We always make note of our Learning Goals, which we entitled "What we are learning" and what we need to do to be successful. This is also sometimes called a Success Criteria in the older grades, but we call it our checklist.
As you can see, we have been learning about Seasonal Changes and watching what happens to our tree, Princess Peach as the weather changes. We've also been working on sorting, patterning and the importance of being a good friend!
Please talk to your kids about all the things we've been learning at school!
As you can see, we have been learning about Seasonal Changes and watching what happens to our tree, Princess Peach as the weather changes. We've also been working on sorting, patterning and the importance of being a good friend!
Please talk to your kids about all the things we've been learning at school!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Poem for week of October 22nd
This week we will be learning about the letter J and making jack-o-lanterns! Here is our poem for this week:
Poem for week of October 15th
Here is the poem from last week. We were learning about the two sounds letter O makes. Students were asked to draw a picture and write a sentence of something special that happens in October.
Leaf Creations
During one of our many visits to Princess Peach and her tree friends we decided to collect some leaves to watch what happens to them when they are no longer attached to a tree. Afterwards, we decided to make some artwork with those leaves. Here are some of the creations:
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Building Builders
We have some wonderful builders in our room. Many students like to plan and work together to create some interesting structures.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Poem for the week of October 8th
The leaves are falling down,
The leaves are falling down,
All over our school,
All over town.
As we will be learning about the letter Ll this week, students are asked to find that letter in the poem and circle it. They are also asked to draw a picture and write a sentence about Princess Peach, our adopted tree!
Monday, October 08, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
We spent a lot of time last week talking about the importance of being thankful. Mrs. Menzies also did a cute turkey craft with the students as well! I hope you spend quality time with your families this long weekend and remember all the wonderful things we have to be thankful for.
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