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