March 10, 2013

Mud Season!
PLEASE make sure your child has boots, snowpants, mittens/gloves, a jacket and a hat every day.  The weather is a little warmer but our playground is a muddy mess.  Children must be dressed in their winter clothes so they will stay dry.  Your support is appreciated.

Raz-Kids
Has your child mentioned Raz-Kids?  This is an online reading program where children can listen to and read stories that are at their individual reading level.  I introduced the program to the class this week and all of the children have tried it twice.  If you would like to access Raz-Kids at home, I have included the information below.   To listen to a story, they will click on the ear.  After they have listened to it, there will be a green check mark under the ear.  If they click on the eye, they can practice reading aloud without hearing the story.   It would be ideal if the children could practice reading stories they have already listened to.  Once you log in, your child will see the screen that they are used to from our classroom.

This is an optional home activity.  If you do not have internet access or you would prefer that your child not spend time on the computer, please do not feel that this is a "must do".

www.raz-kids.com/main/Login

When the screen asks you for the "Teacher Username", enter:  bmaurerc

Staffing Change
Mr. Sedlack has been reassigned to Milton High School.  This is lucky for Milton High School and a good match for Mr. Sedlack's skills as a licensed secondary social studies teacher.  Our class, however, will miss him.  Luckily for us, Mrs. Lamphere will be returning to our classroom on Thursday.  I have been assured that she will remain with us for the rest of the school year and that there will be no further changes.  A guest teacher will be working with me until Mrs. Lamphere returns on Thursday.

Parent Teacher Conferences
It is time to schedule spring conferences.  Most will be held March 19 - 21.  If you are interested in having a conference, they can be held in person or by telephone.  Please click on the link below to sign up for a date and time.  If I have already contacted you regarding scheduling a conference at an alternate time, please do not sign up on this schedule.

Spring Conference Sign Up 

Beehive Update
Our class beehive is almost filled up with the initials of students in our classroom who have been "caught" making good behavior choices.  Once we get to 100 hexagons, we will schedule our "Wear Pajamas-Bring a Stuffed Animal-Eat Popcorn and Watch a Movie-Day".  We were at about 88 hexagons on Friday, so we are almost there!

People of the Week
Every week two people from our classroom will be our "People of the Week".  They will have a special responsibility each day.  This is a fun way for everyone to get to know one another better.  If you are unable to participate, it is not a problem.  The schedule and responsibilities are listed below.  If I have chosen an inconvenient week, please let me know.

Monday:  Share some family photos.  (If you would prefer to email them to me, that is fine. They can also be prints that we can project using our document camera.)
Tuesday:   Show us a favorite toy.  (It must be non-violent and silent.)
Wednesday:  Bring in a favorite story.  (A story that can be read in one sitting.  No chapter books please.)
Thursday:  Fill our estimating jar.  (Our estimating jar is a one quart glass jar.  Be creative.  Legos, shells, marshmallows, hair ties, etc.)  Your items will be returned to you unless you tell me otherwise.
Friday:  Bring a healthy snack to share with the class.  Please try to avoid red dye as a student is allergic.  

March 11 - 15:  Mrs. Maurer and Mark
March 18 - 22:  Mrs. Eddy and Ella
March 25 - 29:  Aidan and Brianne
April 1 - April 5:  Alexia and Bryleigh
April 8 - 12:  Isabelle and Devin
April 15 - 19:  Arianna and Gabe
April 22 - 25:  School Vacation Week
April 29 - May 3:  Mrs. Lamphere and Sam
May 6 - 10:  Gavin and Jazmyn
May 13 - 17:  Kaitlyn and Olivia
May 20 - 24:  Lucian and Paige
May 28 - May 31:  Rayne and Matthew (No school Monday.  Photos AND toys on Tuesday)
June 3 - 7:  Ms. Kittell

Coming Events:

Bring snowpants and boots every day!!!

Monday, March 11:  Library today.  Please return your book.  (Mrs. Maurer am/Mrs. Eddy pm)

Tuesday, March 12:  Art today.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Wednesday, March 13:  PE today.  Please bring your sneakers and a water bottle, if desired.  (Mrs. Eddy all day)

Thursday, March 14:  Music today. Welcome back, Mrs. Lamphere!  (Mrs. Maurer am/Mrs. Eddy pm)

Friday, March 15:  PE today.  Please bring your sneakers and a water bottle, if desired.  (Mrs. Maurer all day)

Next Week:

Thursday, March 21:  Mrs. Eddy will be in all day as Mrs. Maurer's daughter is having her wisdom teeth removed.

February 10, 2013

The 100th Day of School:  Thank you for your generous contributions to our 100th Day Trail Mix.  The children had a fantastic time sorting their bags of trail mix and counting each item.  It was a great math activity.  We also enjoyed seeing the 100th Day projects our friends in other classes created.  We tried talking for 100 seconds, clapping our hands for 100 seconds and laying down and being quiet for 100 seconds.  Okay, I confess.  I let the last one go for a little longer than 100 seconds.  :)

Valentine's Day:  If you would like to contribute fruit to our "brunch", please click on our sign up sheet.
Valentine Brunch Sign Up

Cards can be brought to school on Thursday, February 14.  Please include everyone in our class if you choose to send in cards.

Guest Teachers:  Ms. Leanne Lapierre has been covering in our classroom in the afternoon for the last few days.  Ms Lapierre is a licensed teacher and has been a long term substitute in a first grade classroom at MES.  She will continue to be in our classroom most Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  I am excited to share that Mrs. Stephanie Eddy has recovered from her medical situation.  Starting next week, she will be returning to our classroom three days each week.  Mrs. Eddy will be in the classroom Monday afternoons, all day Wednesday and on Thursday afternoons.  If there is a day when neither Mrs. Eddy nor Ms. Lapierre are available, Mrs. Harding or Mrs. Lamphere will be in the classroom.  This schedule will create continuity while I remain on a reduced work schedule.

Parent Teacher Conferences:
KINDERGARTEN CONFERENCES WILL NOT BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 5.
In order to have our conferences include as much current information as possible, we will wait for our conferences.  Report cards will be sent home on March 18.  Conference times will be available that week.  I will post an electronic sign up once the days and times are finalized.

Coming Events:

Monday, February 11:  The 100th Day of School!  Library today.  Please return your book.
Tuesday, February 12:  Art today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Wednesday, February 13:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)
Thursday, February 14:  Valentine's Day.  If you wish to bring cards, please bring them today for ALL of the children in our class.  If you are donating items for our "brunch", please have your contribution at school by 8:45 am.  Thank you!   Music today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Friday, February 15:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)

Monday, February 18:  All kindergarten teachers will be in an all day meeting.  Library today.  Please return your book. (Mrs. Eddy)
Tuesday, February 19:  Art today. (Ms. Lapierre pm)
Wednesday, February 20:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers.  (Mrs. Eddy)
Thursday, February 21:  Music today. (Mrs. Eddy pm)
Friday, February 22:  PE today.  Please bring sneakers. (Ms. Lapierre)

School Vacation:  Saturday, February 23 - Tuesday, March 5.  We will see you on Wednesday, March 6!

February 3, 2013

Thank you to all of the parents who joined us at the Flynn Theater to see "Skippyjon Jones".  We appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules.  There will be one more opportunity to join us on a field trip when we go to the Shelburne Museum in the spring.

Sight Words:  Our word of the week was 'here'.  The words we have focused on so far are:

a     an    and      are     at      can      go      here    I     is     it     like     me     my     no     see  

the      to       we  

Sounds:  Our sound of the week was /k/.  We have also been practicing with the short sounds of /a/ (cat) and /i/ (pit).  We will be working with q (/kw/) this week.

The 100th Day of School:  As long as the weather cooperates, our 100th day of school will be this Friday, February 8.  We will celebrate with several fun math and literacy activities.  The children are invited to bring in a collection of 100 items.  The collection can be in a box, attached to a poster, attached to a cap.  The possibilities are endless.  Collections can  be sent in any day this week.  We will tour all of the kindergarten classes later in the week so we can see what other children created and we can share our own displays.

Thanks to the families who are sending in donations for our 100th Day Trail Mix.  Donations should be in school by Wednesday.

Guest Teachers:  Our principal, Mrs. Savery, is working hard to ensure consistent guest teachers when I am out of the classroom.  I am very hopeful that we will have good news on this front next week.  Mrs. Lamphere and Mrs. Clark were in our classroom this week.  As they know the children well, all went seamlessly.
   I leave at noon each day.  For those of you who might not be as familiar with our schedule, the children are in the classroom from 8:40 am until lunch time at 12:15 each day.  That is when we have our main academic instruction.  I am in the classroom for that time on M, T, Th and F.  When I leave around noon (or most days a little later), the children are cleaning up and preparing for lunch.  After lunch, they return to the classroom for a read aloud, "choice time" and then unified arts (library, music, art or PE).  Then they have recess and prepare for dismissal.  
     I hope this reduces any concern you may have about your children missing out on quality instruction.  If you have further questions or comments, please contact me or Mrs. Savery (wsavery@mtsd-vt.org)

Wish List:   plastic spoons (Children who don't bring a spoon for snack are now using the last of my plastic forks.); gently used Matchbox-style cars; brown paper lunch bags

Homework for Grown-Ups:  Thanks to those who have volunteered to help.  I did not send jobs to everyone on the list yet.  But, don't worry.  I will be sure to get items to all soon.  

Outdoor Clothing:  Please continue to send snow pants and boots every day.  Even on days when it is a little warmer, the playground can be a muddy mess.  Snow pants and boots help to keep us warm and dry.  Thanks!

Shoes:  I have been reminding the children to pack their shoes every day.  Feet get sweaty and uncomfortable in boots all day.  Any reminder you can give your children is appreciated.

Coming Events:

Monday, February 4:  Library today.  Please return your library books so you can choose a new one.
Tuesday, February 5:  Art today.
Wednesday, February 6:  PE today.  Please wear/bring sneakers.
Thursday, February 7:  Music today.
Friday, February 8:  The 100th Day of School!!!  PE today.  Please wear/bring sneakers.

Thursday, February 14:  Happy Valentine's Day!  The children are welcome to send in cards for EVERYONE.  Please have your child put their classmate's names on the outside of each envelope (Great handwriting practice.  It might be too much for them to write all of the envelopes in one sitting so you might want to spread it out.)  Here are the first names:

Arianna
Aidan
Kaitlyn
Olivia
Brianne
Jazmyn
Gabe
Lucian
Mark
Gavin
Paige
Sam
Devin
Ella
Matthew
Bryleigh
Alexia
Rayne
Isabelle

Also, here is a link to a sign-up for sending in items for our Valentine's "Brunch" on February 14.  

Valentine's Day "Brunch" Sign Up

January 27, 2013

Welcome Back to our Blog!

I am pleased to be able to catch you up on what has been happening in our classroom.  I would also like to share some coming events.

Progress Reports:

Progress Reports were sent home on Friday.  These are brief snapshots of what I am currently seeing at school.  Math and Literacy skills were briefly assessed over the last two weeks to provide you with this update.  The progress report is based on skills that the children are expected to demonstrate by the end of the second trimester (February). 

At the end of the next trimester, we expect that the children will be able to do the following:

-Identify 40 or more letters (Upper and lower case including a and g)
-Say the sounds of 15 or more letters
-Recognize 15 or more sight words
-Attempt to spell words in a student created story by independently by writing the first sound, a middle sound and the last sound.  Spelling is NOT expected to be dictionary perfect.
-Count from 1 - 50 by ones and tens
-Recognize the numbers from 1 - 40
-Count 20 objects 
-Recognize the following 2D shapes:  square, circle, rectangle, triangle, hexagon
-Recognize the following 3D shapes:  cube, cylinder, cone, sphere

Any support you can provide at home in helping your child practice these skills is appreciated.

Behavior has been another concern in all kindergarten classes.  We work daily on taking turns, using kind words, having safe bodies,  controlling our tempers, following directions and listening.  A packet was sent home from our guidance counselor that has many helpful hints for supporting these skills at home.

Field Trip:  We will be going to the Flynn Theater on Wednesday, January 30 to see a live performance of "Skippyjon Jones".  ALL children should bring a lunch from home on Wednesday.  Milk can be purchased at school, but it would be MUCH easier if each child could bring a drink from home.  We will be eating an early lunch in the classroom before we depart at 11:00 sharp.  Please send an afternoon snack for your child to enjoy after we return.  As this is a special occasion, we invite the children to "dress up" a bit for our trip to the theater.  This is not a requirement and no one should feel the need to purchase new clothes for the trip.  Parent chaperones who wish to ride on the bus with us should be at school at 10:30 to help with lunches and turns at the bathroom.  If you are a chaperone and wish to meet us at the Flynn, please be at the entrance to the Flynn Theater for 11:30.  The staff hustles us right in and we are unable to wait outside.  

Skippyjon Jones:  So, you may be wondering who Skippyjon Jones is.  Well, he is a Siamese cat who likes to pretend that he is a Chihuahua!  He is the main character in a series of books by author and illustrator Judy Schachner.  If you are interested, check out his website.  Click on the keyhole in the middle of the home page and you will find some author interviews and children's activities.  
Skippyjon Jones Link

New Staff Member:  A new (permanent) Instructional Assistant has been hired for our classroom.  On Monday, Mr. Will Sedlack will join us.  He will be "shadowing" Mrs. Lamphere on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in order to get to know our students and the classroom routine.  Mr. Sedlack graduated from college in Maine in December and is a licensed teacher.  We look forward to welcoming him to Milton.

Lip Balm:  Many of our students have chapped lips at this time of year.  If you would like your child to keep lip balm in his or her backpack, that is fine.  Children may apply it before entering the classroom in the morning, before/after morning snack, before/after lunch and before/after recess.  Please remind your children that they may not bring it into the classroom and that they may not share it with classmates.  Thanks.

My Schedule:  I have been trying to work half days since our return from the winter vacation break.  After a lengthy appointment with my doctor on Wednesday, my schedule has been revised.  I will be working until noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  This schedule will be maintained until April school vacation and will then be re-evaluated.  Our principal is working to ensure that consistent staffing is maintained.  For example, this week our good friend Mrs. Harding taught in the afternoon.  Thank you for your support and understanding as I continue to recover.  

"Homework" for Parents:  If you are interested in performing any classroom tasks at home, please let me know.  I will keep a list and periodically send home some jobs.  These are things which can be done while watching TV.  For example, stapling together the little books we use for writing, tracing and cutting craft items, etc.  I will send home paper and supplies.  None of these jobs would need to be returned the very next day, so please don't stress about them.  Thanks!

Figure Skating:  Several of the children in class have mentioned that they would like to learn to figure skate.  I recognize that Essex is not necessarily a convenient spot for after school activities, but here is some contact information for the Vermont Skating Academy.  Their third and final session of the winter starts this Wednesday.  Group lessons take place on Wednesdays and Fridays.  An ice show takes place in April.  (In the interest of full disclosure, this is how my daughter began skating.  She is now a junior instructor for the program.)

Renee Deeghan, Skating Director

Vermont Skating Academy

rdeeghan@ccsuvt.org

878-1394

872-3366 (fax)

Classroom Wish List:  plastic spoons, used "Matchbox-type" cars, brown paper lunch bags, little stickers for putting on completed work or rewards.

Our Upcoming Schedule:

Monday, January 28:  Library today.  Please return library books so that a new one can be signed out.  Welcome Mr. Sedlack.
Tuesday, January 29:  Art today.  Mrs. Savery (our principal) will be observing our class during math time this morning.
Wednesday, January 30:  Flynn Theater Field Trip.  Bring a lunch from home.  Our bus will leave promptly at 11:00.  We will return in time for PE so PLEASE WEAR OR BRING SNEAKERS.  Please bring an afternoon snack.
Thursday, January 31:  Music today.  The children will write their second trimester "writing prompt" this morning.  This is an informal district assessment to check how every student's writing skills are progressing.
Friday, February 1:  PE today.  Please wear or bring sneakers.

November 11, 2012

Happy Veteran's Day!  Our gratitude goes out to those of you and your families who have so selflessly served our country.

Thank you for your understanding and good wishes during my recovery from my concussion.  It was great to be back in the classroom on Thursday and Friday mornings.  I will continue to work half days this week and will leave school at noon.  Most of our classroom instruction occurs in the morning, so this means that your children will receive the majority of their teaching from me.  In the afternoon, things are a little more low-key and their guest teacher will give them "choice time", share a read-aloud, bring them to specials, get them ready for recess and prepare them for dismissal.  I was unable to spend a lot of time looking at the computer and some of my memory has not returned yet.  So, if you sent me an email and I did not respond, please send me a reminder or re-send your message.  Thank you very much!

Literacy:  We are working with our second unit in the Houghton Mifflin reading curriculum.  We have focused on the sounds of the letters:  /c/, /s/, /r/ and /m/.  We are listening for those sounds at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words.  We are also learning about writing those letters.

Sight words are frequently used words.  Many sight words do not follow phonics rules.  Our goal is for the 37 - 40 kindergarten sight words to be words that the children don't need to sound out; they will just "know" these words.  The sight words we have worked with so far are:

I        a        am        can       see       like        and (just introduced)     Your child's first and last names

Please review these letters and sounds with your children and help them use and recognize these sight words.  Most of the children are able to write these words with a little support.  They can write sentences using these words (ex.  I can see a ________.)  Many children are forgetting to follow the pattern of "word-space-word-space" when writing a sentence and are squishing their words together.  This is a common problem.  When asking your child to write a sentence have them do the following:

1.  Think of the words you want to write.
2.  Say the sentence out loud.  (Writers must be able to say their words before they can write their words.)
3.  If your child is struggling with leaving spaces between words, help them to count out the number of words they will be writing.  Then, please write a line for each word they want to write leaving a space between each line.  Have your child say their sentence again out loud, pointing to each line when they say a new word.
4.  Write the words.  If your child is writing a word that s/he doesn't know, encourage your child to write the sounds s/he hears.  If they get the first and last sound in a word, that is a cause for celebration at this point in the kindergarten year.  A word doesn't need to be spelled dictionary perfect for it to be a great effort.
5.  Have them read their sentence to you.  Have them read it to someone else (or a dog or a cat or a stuffed animal).  Writing is challenging and puts together lots of different skills.  It needs to be celebrated!

In our classroom the children know that during writing time, they need to get to work and will not receive any teacher support for the first five minutes.  It is really important for children to gain confidence in their own problem solving abilities and give them a chance to puzzle things through.  When your child is writing at home, feel free to follow the same rule.  Once your child has said their sentence and you've provided the lines (if necessary), give them a few minutes to work independently just like at school.


Math:  We have been counting, learning to recognize the numbers from 1 - 20 and exploring shapes.
At home, here are some ideas for supporting math skills:
1.  Count a pile of objects.  Count a circle of objects.  The last number said tells us how many things we just counted.  This activity helps with counting and is a great chance to figure out ways to organize objects so that the children can count them efficiently.  Eventually, we will group objects into groups of five and ten to make the counting even faster.
2.  Have your child identify numbers everywhere!  The gas pump, the grocery store, playing cards, TV channels, digital clocks, etc.  Knowing numbers in different fonts and seeing their importance in our world is important.
3.  Write numbers.  Paper is great.  Writing in a little shaving cream smeared on the side of the bathtub or shower is fun.  Place a very thin layer of sand or salt on the bottom of a cake pan or plate and let your child write numbers (or letters) in that with their finger.  If your child moves quickly, have them put a piece of paper on top of a piece of sandpaper and use a crayon for writing.  The resistance provided by the crayon and the sandpaper will help to slow down their hand and make their hand move more purposefully.
4.  Shapes.  We are looking at shapes in all kinds of places.  It would helpful if you can help your child point out shapes in two and three dimensions.  Cereal boxes have rectangles on all six sides.  Cans have circles at the top and the bottom.  Door knobs are circles.  Some doors have panels that are squares and rectangles but the door itself is a rectangle.  Those yummy slices of pie or cake are often triangles on the top and bottom but rectangles on the sides.  We are working with the following shapes:  square, rectangle, circle, triangle, rhombus (diamond-shape) and trapezoid.

Winter Clothes:  The chilly weather has meant that children are wearing hats, gloves, jackets, etc.  Snowsuits and boots won't be far away.  PLEASE help your child learn to get their warm clothing on independently.  They need to learn to push or pull sleeves right side out, zip their zippers and put on their own gloves.  We can't lose instructional time getting twenty children dressed.  Therefore, many children are using up their brief recess time waiting for an adult to help them get dressed.  Getting outside is important and the best way for them to get their outdoor play time is if they can get ready independently.

Below is a link to a video designed to teach how to zip a zipper.  It's a very simple video and is nice because you can pause it while your child tries each step.  It was developed by a school for the blind, but is great information for all children learning to zip and un-zip.

Learning to Zip

Assessments:  Our kindergarten assessment window has begun.  Your child may mention that they worked with me or another teacher on letters, sounds and sight words.  We are busily assessing and getting data prepared for the December report cards.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast:  The kindergarten classes will have their annual feast on Thursday, November 15 from 9:45 - 10:30 (approximately) in the K-4 cafeteria.  The children get seated with children from other classes and are dressed as either Pilgrims or Native Americans.  Each class will be contributing snacks related to foods from the first feast (popcorn, goldfish, cornbread, etc.)  We will then dance the "Turkey Tango".  We do not need adult volunteers, but if you wish to stop in to the cafeteria during that time, you are welcome to join us.  A reminder if you do stop in, some of our students are not allowed to have pictures posted on the internet.  We ask that you do not post pictures of  other children on Facebook or You Tube.

Below is a link to the song we use for the Turkey Tango.  We haven't taught the dance to the students yet, but if they would like to watch children from a different school do it, it might be fun.  We do our dance the same way.

Turkey Tango

Coming Events:

Monday, November 12:  Library today.  Please remember those library books.
Tuesday, November 13:  Art today.  Ms. Rapke will be teaching a lesson on friends.
Wednesday, November 14:  PE today.  Please remember to wear sneakers.
Thursday, November 15:  Music today.  Kindergarten Thanksgiving "Feast" from 9:45 - 10:30.
Friday, November 16:  PE today.  Please remember to wear sneakers.

Monday, November 19 - Friday, November 23:  NO SCHOOL

Monday, November 26:  School re-opens.  It will be a library day.

October 14, 2012

We had a wonderful Pumpkin Picking Field Trip on Monday.  After the wagon ride, each child chose a pumpkin that was just the right size for carrying.  We enjoyed apple cider and cider donuts and then had fun on the playground.  Thanks to the parents who helped by chaperoning and driving the bus.  On Tuesday and Thursday, Mrs. Lee helped us retell the story of our field trip using the words 'first', 'next', 'then' and 'last'.  We then wrote a class story and added pictures to go along with the words to our own student copies of the story.  These books are currently in our book baskets but will be coming home soon.

As next week will be a short week and I will be out for two days, I will not post a blog entry next weekend.  If there is any important information, I will be sure to send an email.

Literacy:  We completed our quick look at the alphabet on Thursday when Ms. Rapke introduced the letter Z.  We also began learning some of the strategies that good readers use when they are stuck on a word.  The first strategies we used are:  "Check the pictures" and "Think of words that might make sense".  Next we will add the strategy of:  "Think about the sounds in the word.  Look at the letter, think of the sound."

Next week, we will begin more formal reading instruction by focusing on the letter 'C' and the sight word 'can'.  We will begin learning about the paper we use for handwriting and how to use the lines on it.  We will be reading fiction and non-fiction books that support the theme "Look at Us".  This theme will help us apply our science theme of "Change over Time" to ourselves and how we have grown and changed over time.

Science:  We are finishing our study of the life cycle of the pumpkin.  We spent some time observing some unusual pumpkins this week.  Be sure to ask your child about "Mr. Bumpy", the "Ghost Pumpkin" and the unique pumpkin that Mrs. Maurer found when we went pumpkin picking.  We had to do some research to learn how my pumpkin grew the way it did.  The farmer at Paul Mazza's explained it to me this weekend and I will share the information with the children on Monday.

Math:  We continue counting, numeral writing and sequencing numbers.  This week we will finish up some activities from last week and will begin looking at shapes.

Brrrrrrrr, it's getting cold!  The weather is changing and the children are getting chilly on the playground.  We go outside even if there is a little drizzle in the air.  Please make sure your child has a warm jacket, a hood or a hat and some mittens or gloves at all time.  Please practice zipping, snapping, buttoning and putting on gloves at home.  It takes a lot of time for Mrs. Harding and me to zip, button, snap and glove twenty children a few times a day.  Children are quite proud when they can take care of these tasks themselves.

Progress Reports:  Progress reports will be coming home in your child's folder on Monday.  The information is based on the baseline assessments we did at the start of the school year and will give you an idea of skills you and your child can practice together at home.  Our conferences will focus on your child's adjustment to kindergarten and social skills.

Conferences:  If you would like to make an appointment for a parent-teacher conference, please click on the link below.  I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday or Thursday.

Link to sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences


Scholastic Book Orders:  Below is a link to order books through the Scholastic Book Clubs.  I would like to try online ordering instead of sending home paper forms.  This way you will be able to order at your convenience and pay electronically.  The books will be sent to school and will be sent home with your child.  Books orders can be placed until October 30.   It does take a couple of minutes to set up your parent account.  However, once you do it, the ordering process is very easy.

Scholastic Book Ordering Link

Guest Teacher:  Due to a last minute change our guest teacher on Friday was Melinda Young.  The children had a great day with Mrs. Young.  She will also be in our classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday while I attend a writing conference.

Coming Events:

Monday, October 14:  Library today.  Please return your book so you can sign out a new one.
Tuesday, October 15:  Art today.  Mrs. Maurer will be at a workshop and Mrs. Young will be our guest teacher.
Wednesday, October 16:  PE today.  Please wear sneakers.  Mrs. Maurer will be at a workshop (but will return in time for parent conferences).  Mrs. Young will be our guest teacher.
Thursday, October 17:  No School for students.  Parent conferences in the morning.
Friday, October 18:  No School.

Monday, October 21:  Library today.  Please return your book so you can sign out a new one.
Tuesday, October 22:  Art today.  Ms. Rapke will begin teaching us about the Pledge of Allegiance.
Wednesday, October 23:  PE today.  Please wear sneakers.
Thursday, October 24:  Miss Patty will join us for Guidance.  Ms. Rapke will complete her lesson on the Pledge of Allegiance.  Music today.
Friday, October 25:  PE today.

Tuesday, October 30:  Scholastic Book Orders Due (Online)

October 7, 2012

Happy October!
We had a very busy week working with pumpkins, learning about more letters and sounds and playing a new math game.

What is Co-Teaching?  I frequently write about different professionals co-teaching with me.  What does that mean in our classroom?  It means that different staff members apply their areas of expertise to a content we are teaching in kindergarten.  This week, we had a great example.  One of the science themes for kindergarten is "Change over Time".  On Wednesday, we looked at three trees here at Milton Elementary School.  (Due to rain, we looked at photos I took instead of going outdoors.)  Ms. C., our art teacher, came into our classroom and taught us some art techniques we could use to make scientist drawings of our trees.  She gave us hints on how to best use our color sticks for drawing and coloring, discussed different lines and spoke about relative height between the trees.  The drawings came out beautifully.

 


On Thursday, Mrs. Lee, one of our speech-language pathologists, came in to co-teach.  She and I continued teaching the children about describing words and we led conversations with small groups to brainstorm words we could use to describe our trees.  (Describing words are another kindergarten concept.)  We then modeled how to sound out words so that the children could write a different describing word next to each tree.  Mrs. Lee's expertise with language development adds a great deal to our lessons.

FYI...these trees will be re-visited during the winter, spring and summer.  We will be able to observe the change that the trees experience over time.  We will also be able to see how the kindergarten students' drawing and writing skills change over time.

Math:  Ms. Kittell read us the book "Ten Black Dots".  We will be working on some activities this coming week based on that book.  We learned how to play the card game "Garbage".  It's a great way for the children to practice counting, numeral recognition and sequencing numbers.  We use different types of cards in our classroom and we also deal out ten cards (for the numbers one to ten).  However, here is a link to some directions that will teach you how to play with a standard deck of cards.  Have fun!

Directions for Playing Garbage

Using a "whisper phone" during Quiet Reading Time.

 



Parent Teacher Conferences:  Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, October 17 between 4:30pm and 6:30pm AND Thursday, October 18 between 8:00am and 1:00pm.  These conferences will be to discuss your child's adjustment to kindergarten and to share observations on your child's school behavior and social skills.  If you would like to schedule a conference time, please click on the link below.  You will be brought to an electronic sign up sheet associated with the website "Please Bring It".  Click "sign up" next to the date and time you prefer.  When you sign up, please put your child's name for the "assigned name".  Add your email address if you would like an automatic electronic reminder sent to you.  Then, click on "save" so that your time is reserved.

October Conference Sign Up Link

Upcoming Absences:  I will not be teaching on Friday, October 12 due to a kindergarten curriculum meeting.  I will also be the kindergarten representative at a writing conference on Tuesday, October 16 and Wednesday, October 17 and will not be in the building on those days.  In order to maintain as much consistency as possible,  Guest Teacher Extraordinaire Melissa Lauzon will be in our classroom for all three days.  She is familiar with the kindergarten curriculum and routine and is a familiar face around our building.  Please remind your children to follow all school expectations when we have a guest teacher.  Mrs. Harding should be in on those days also.

Coming Events:

Monday, October 8:  Pumpkin Picking Field Trip at Sam Mazza's Pumpkin Patch 9:30 - 11:30.  Please dress for a chilly morning!  Library today.  Please return your book.  Letter of the Day:  Ww
Tuesday, October 9:  Art today.  Letter of the Day:  Xx
Wednesday, October 10:  School Picture Day.  Our class will have pictures taken at 10:30.  PE today.  Please wear sneakers. (Shoes will not be visible in the school pictures.)  Letter of the Day:  Yy
Thursday, October 11:  Music Today.  Letter of the Day:  Zz
Friday, October 12:  Mrs. Maurer will be in a day-long meeting.  Fire Safety Assembly and PE today.

Monday, October 15:  Library Today.  Please return your book.
Tuesday, October 16:  Mrs. Maurer will be at a conference.  Art today.
Wednesday, October 17:  Mrs. Maurer will be at a conference.  PE today.  Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled 4:30 - 6:00pm.
Thursday, October 18:  NO SCHOOL TODAY!  Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled 8:00am - 1:00pm.
Friday, October 19:  NO SCHOOL TODAY!