I am looking forward to meeting with everyone in the upcoming two weeks! Remember that for the next two weeks (except Monday, 11/6), dismissal will be at 1:15 daily. Please keep in mind that the ENTIRE school is dismissed at this time so car traffic and foot traffic will be heavier. If you need to check your conference time, you can find it here. Please note that this sign-up can no longer be edited. If you need to reschedule your conference, please email me.
Special Family Project
I am excited to see all the decorated turkeys this week! You can start sending those in on Monday, but no later than Thursday, when you return your child's Wednesday envelope. Please allow your child to lead this project. We are not looking for Pinterest-perfect turkeys and would much prefer to see child-created projects.
Parking Lot Gate (this is a note from Mrs. Bailey and the kinder team, I don't think it really applies to our class since we enter through Gate E on the other side of the garden, but it's good information for safety).
Did you know that there is a protected walkway up to the kindergarten gates? When you are walking both to and from school, it is much safer to use this walkway, which is protected by yellow bollards, and is right next to the school garden. Rather than having your children walk through a parking lot behind cars that may be backing out, encourage a safe habit by using the protected walkway. If the parking lot gate is closed, please do not open it so that you can walk in this way. Please go to the protected walkway.
In Class This Week
Language Arts
This week, we will begin the labeling unit in our writing program. Children will be encouraged to draw pictures and add labels to them to help facilitate independent writing. As children develop as writers, we ask for your support in allowing them to sound out words on their own. If they spell a word phonetically and end up writing "morkr" for "marker," this is the first phase of learning to write and spell independently, and please encourage those attempts!
Our letters this week are Pp and Jj. These are both letters that drop down to the "worm line." To help your child with correct letter formation, please look at the Home Support letter. Our sight words this week are me and be.
What would a teacher do? For my own kindergartener, I've printed out all the Home Support Fundations letters so far and I've stuck them in a binder, along with a list of the sight words that we keep adding to. I have my son say the letter names taught so far, their sounds, and the picture keyword we use in class that starts with that letter sound. I also have him finger trace and write the letters. We also do some of the activities listed in the home support letters- like word rhyming. We make it silly by coming up with real words for rhymes and made up nonsense words. We don't do ALL of these things in one sitting. I pick and choose and we only spend about 5-10 minutes daily... almost daily. :) When we read at night we try to go on word hunts for sight words, in addition to talking about the stories we read.
Math
This will be a review week in math. Children should continue working on counting to 100 by 1s and 10s, counting on from any given number, and writing numbers legibly and correctly to 20, as well as counting objects up to 10.
Kimochis
This week, the Kimochis® Character named Cat will join our classroom to teach children about the feelings curious, cranky, and sorry. Cat is the Kimochis® Character who knows what she wants, when she wants it, and why she wants it! When Cat makes up her mind, there is no stopping her. When the group needs a leader, Cat is always ready to help. She loves to be in charge, but she can be a little bit bossy. Cat may seem mean on the outside, but on the inside, she is very sweet. **Library is every Wednesday. Please return your child's library book by Tuesday each week.
**School spirit days are every Wednesday. Wear your Alta Vista t-shirts or walk-a-thon shirts
* Class spirit days on Fridays. Wear your Purple Pugliese's Pandas shirts.
This Week's Helpers & Activities
Monday: No centers, dismissal at 1:40
Tuesday: Conferences begin. Dismissal at 1:15
Wednesday: Library @ 9:10 (Sara & Asma), Dismissal @ 1:15
Thursday: Turkey Project due, Conferences, Dismissal at 1:15
Friday: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day
Upcoming Events
11/7-11/17: Parent-Teacher Conferences-- dismissal @ 1:15 daily
Thursday 11/9: Return Turkey Trouble project in Weds. envelope
Friday 11/10: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day
11/20-11/24: Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, 12/19 @ 9:15 am: Nutcracker Performance
12/21-1/3: Winter Break
