Update 1-16

Hi kindergarten families,

On Friday, in your child's folder, you found their DIBELS testing scores as well as MAP math testing scores. 

If your child is red or yellow on DIBELS skills, here are some ideas to support your child at home with these literacy skills:

• Work on letter sounds both in context of reading and in the form of CVC words.  Make letter sounds a game!  What sound does the letter s make?
• Work on segmenting words (stretching out words) Ex: give the word dog, child would stretch out each sound d-o-g.

If your child is below benchmark on MAP math scores:

• Work on counting fluently to 30.  Pay close attention to the teen numbers!
• Work on recognizing written numbers to 30.
• Work on simple addition and subtraction through a total of 5. 

Highlights for this week:

Sight words: she, was

Phonics: digraphs ch, th, sh, and CVC words

Literacy Essential Question: What happens in different types of weather?  We will explore texts about the weather work on the comprehension skills of visualizing and finding key details in the story.

Writing: We will be working on writing our own How-To stories!

Science: We will be using the scientific method to make predictions and experiment how to make things move using push and pull forces.

Math: We are continuing to work on teen numbers and the concept of a teen number being a group of 10 plus some ones. We will also be working on addition and subtraction fluency through 5. 

Specials:

Monday: No School

Tuesday: PE

Wednesday: Enrichment

Thursday: Music

Friday: Music

Monday: Enrichment

Homework:

Please be sure to read this section each week.  I post homework here on the weekly update each week so that parents know what to do, especially when you child brings home their iPad!

We will be sending home iPads on Tuesday to charge fully!  Students can choose to work 10 minutes on the My Story app or the Writing Wizard app.

I know that it has been difficult for some parents to connect at home, particularly with Wonders.  I am planning to put together a video to take you through the steps that students should take to correctly log in to Wonders.  Students seem confident with logging in at school, but it might be different at home.  I hope to get this to you next week! 

If assignments come home and you are unable to make it work on the iPad after trying for 10 minutes or so, please don't worry, and just move on to read a book that you have at home!  I don't want parents or students to be frustrated by iPads or homework!

I will be sending home a book order this Friday as well!  Books always make great Valentines and new books are awesome motivators!

As always, thank you for your support and partnership in your child's learning!  Have a great week.

Update 1/8

Welcome back!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break, full of family time and lots of memories! I can't wait to see all of their smiling faces back at school!

This week we will be reviewing our classroom expectations and getting back into the swing of school!  

Literacy Essential Question: How are the seasons different?  We will explore texts about the seasons including Snowmen All Year, and working on the comprehension skill of visualizing. 

Sight words: my, is, little

Phonics: digraphs th, sh, and CVC words

Writing: We will be using a new app, My Story, to write and illustrate stories about our winter breaks!  We will also be working in the next few weeks to master writing our last names.  This would be a great thing to practice at home!

Math: We are continuing to work on teen numbers and the concept of a teen number being a group of 10 plus some ones. We will also be working on addition and writing equations.

Science: We will be introducing our unit on Motion: Push and Pull.  We will read and explore more about motion, and use the scientific method to make predictions and experiment how to make things move using push and pull forces.

Specials: 
Monday: Enrichment
Tuesday: Art
Wednesday: Art
Thursday: Enrichment
Friday: PE

Homework: We will be sending home iPads on Monday to charge fully!
iPads will also come home this week on Thursday to read students' leveled reader in Wonders, and so that students can share their Winter Break Book with you!

I hope you all have a great week!

Update 12/18

I can't believe it is almost Winter Break!  Thank you to all of you for sharing your amazing kiddos with me.  

We will be doing our gingerbread houses with our 4th grade buddies on Wednesday morning.  Thank you so much to all of you that donated items to complete this project!  

Sight word review: do, you, to

Math: We are continuing to work on teen numbers this week!  

Specials: 
Monday: Enrichment
Tuesday: Music
Wednesday: Music

Homework:  No homework or iPads this week!  We will be bringing home our book bags this week.  These have all of the books that we have worked hard on reading during the first half of the year.  These are great review to have at home to have your child read independently and practice their sight words! 

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful and happy holiday!  

Warmest wishes,
Katee

Update 12/11

We are continuing our story elements study using the different versions of the Gingerbread Man stories.  We are comparing and contrasting characters, setting, problem & solution, while responding to the story and becoming authors as we rewrite who our gingerbread man will run from!  We are also creating our favorite story character from all of the versions.  
In writing, we are continuing to write How-To's, focusing on steps in sequence and sequencing words.  We are also going to write a how-to make a gingerbread house!
Sight word review: do, you

Math: We are working on teen numbers this week!  Our focus is solidifying the concept of teen numbers being a '10' plus some more!

Specials: 
Monday: Art
Tuesday: Art
Wednesday: Enrichment
Thursday: PE
Friday: PE

Homework:  iPads will be sent home on Monday only to charge. We will be taking a math test on Tuesday on our iPads.   Please send iPads back charged on Tuesday in the blue bag.  You can choose to keep the charger at home if you wish!

Hope you have a great week!

Update 12/4

Happy December!

Our essential question this week in reading is,  Who are your neighbors?  We will be reading about and discussing people and cultures in our community. We are working on making connections to stories!  

We will also be starting a story elements study using the different versions of the Gingerbread Man stories.  We will be comparing and contrasting characters, setting, problem & solution.  

Please continue to practice letters and sounds at home.  In phonics, we will continue to work on letter sounds, tapping out CVC words (ex: mop, mat, hug) and begin to work on creating word families (ex: mop, top, pop, stop).  Our first word family book will come home for reading homework on Monday. 

Sight Word: do

Writing:  I hope that you enjoyed the first bundle of writing that came home with your child on Friday!  What growth we have seen in writing!  We are starting a new unit on procedural, or "how-to" writing this week.  

Math: Our Unit 3 test went great!  All students showed great growth!  You will see these coming home in Friday Folders. We are moving on to Unit 4, which emphasizes teen numbers, addition & number partners, along with word problem solving.  

Specials: 
Monday: PE
Tuesday: Enrichment
Wednesday: Music
Thursday: Music
Friday: Enrichment

Homework:  iPads will be sent home again on Tech Tuesday.  You will find a new leveled book in your child's Wonders To Do list.  Please send iPads back charged on Wednesday in the blue bag.  You can choose to keep the charger at home if you wish!

Hope you have a great week!

Update 11/27

Welcome Back!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! 

Our essential question this week in reading is,  What tools do people use to do their jobs?  We will be discussing different jobs that people have in our community. We will be reading stories about the tools and equipment workers use. 

We have learned all of our letters! Please continue to practice letters and sounds at home.  In phonics, we will continue to work on letter sounds, tapping out CVC words (ex: mop, mat, hug) and begin to work on creating word families (ex: mop, top, pop, stop).  

Sight Word: you

We will continue on 5 groups and addition in Math, as well as review of shapes and learning about hexagons.  We are quickly wrapping up our 2nd unit and will be having our unit test towards the end of the week.

Specials: 
11/27 Enrichment
11/28 Art
11/29 Art
11/30 Enrichment
12/1 PE

Homework:  iPads will be sent home again on Tech Tuesday.  You will find a new leveled book in your child's Wonders To Do list.  Please send iPads back charged on Wednesday in the blue bag.  You can choose to keep the charger at home if you wish!

Hope you have a great week!

Update Nov. 13

Hi Kindergarten Families,

Highlights for this week:

Sight words: go, to, the

Letter sounds: y,z,q

Writing numbers 9-10, adding 1, addition word problems

Past vs. Present

Places we go!

Specials schedule:

M – PE

T – PE

W – Enrichment

Th – Music

F –Music

Homework:

Tuesday iPad homework – Wonders To Do list: read leveled book 2 times

The book fair runs through this Friday!  See details sent to you on Seesaw!

No school next week!  Happy Thanksgiving Break!

Have a wonderful week, and a restful, happy Thanksgiving break.  I am so thankful for all of the amazing families and kiddos I get to work with this year!