Thank you everyone for bringing your children for their afternoon assessments. This will help me to best meet the differing needs of the students in my class during small group instruction. I am continuing to meet with students this week. If you need to check the schedule, you can view it here. Please note that you can no longer edit this document. When you arrive for your assessment, please wait by Gate E (the gate we enter through in the morning). I will meet you there and let you in when you arrive. If you need to reschedule your child's time, please email me.
Picture Day
Picture Day is this Friday the 15th. There is no need to pre-order-- you will receive a QR code in your child's backpack on Friday which will link you to the proofs and how to order.
Language Arts
We launched the Fundations program last week, and the children are doing so well with learning the routines and language of Fundations. A big focus is learning the correct formation of letters, hand-in-hand with learning their sounds. Handwriting serves to link visual processing with motor experience, facilitating subsequent letter recognition skills. The expectation is that by the end of the first trimester (early November) students know all their letters & sounds.
We launched the Fundations program last week, and the children are doing so well with learning the routines and language of Fundations. A big focus is learning the correct formation of letters, hand-in-hand with learning their sounds. Handwriting serves to link visual processing with motor experience, facilitating subsequent letter recognition skills. The expectation is that by the end of the first trimester (early November) students know all their letters & sounds.
We used our Fundations journals last week to practice correct name-writing. Continue to encourage your children to write their name using only one upper-case letter. Check that they are holding their pencils correctly, as well as forming their letters correctly, by looking at the resources in this Fundations Home Support letter. We will share these home support letters weekly with you-- they are definitely worth checking out.
We will also continue with our drawing unit. This week, we will be working on drawing a school, park, and some different vehicles.
Math
This week, we will be introducing and working with 3D shapes. The 3D shapes we focus on in kindergarten are the cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere. Just like with the 2D shapes, students will be expected to name and describe the attributes of these shapes. Parent tips for this module can be found here.
Classroom Centers & Library Time
Thank you for answering the call for center and library help! We still need a reader for our first trip to the library this Wednesday! Here is the link to the Sign-Up Genius. Please make sure you fill out the Volunteer Code of Conduct at least a week prior to the first time you volunteer. You only have to fill this out once. Every time you come to volunteer, you must check in at the office. Please bring your driver's license. Miss Chitra will scan your driver's license and issue you a badge to be on campus. You can then come either straight to the library, or straight to room 1, depending on what you are volunteering for.
I am looking forward to starting up in the library this Wednesday! If you are a library reader, please bring a story with you that you'd like to share with the class that is no longer than about 5-10 minutes. Check-out helpers have instructions at the computer for checking in/checking out books. If you've never done this before, allow enough time to read through the directions so that you can be ready when the kids are checking out their books.
This Week's Helpers
Wednesday: Library (Asma & we still need a reader!)
Upcoming Events:
Friday, 9/15: Picture Day
Friday, 9/22: Alta Vista Movie Night
Friday, 10/13: Alta Vista Walkathon
10/19-10/22: Fall Break
