Reindeer Cam

Today is a perfect day for some indoor fun! As we count the days until Christmas you can see what Santa's reindeer are doing as they wait for the big day.  Santa himself appears for daily feedings at 10:00 a.m., 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Have fun and enjoy your long weekend!

Hello, December!

  

   SNOW! What a happy surprise! I hope everyone's family enjoyed their time together during our unexpected pre-holiday break.

   Now, the countdown really starts. We have a delightfully busy 7 1/2 days ahead in kindergarten! There will be stories to tell, books to read, decorations to make, songs to sing, cards and lists and letters to write. Each morning, the boys and girls will come bouncing into the room, everyone talking at once, excited to relate their latest Christmas news from home -- such a season of wonder, "while visions of sugarplums dance in their heads". I'm so glad I get to share in their excitement! 

   At the same time, we are approaching the end of the quarter on December 20th. (How can we already be halfway finished with the year?) With that come many scheduled assessments to gauge current levels of progress in English Language Arts and Math. Whew! There's a lot to do in a short period of time, and when little minds and bodies are so active with other interests! We really want these assessments to accurately "show what they know", so please remind your child, as hard as it is, to continue coming to school ready to learn and  giving their full effort in all activities and tasks. Once the assessments are given and scored, I'll enter those results as quickly as possible for you to access on Mastery Connect. You'll also be getting your child's semester report and portfolio shortly after the Christmas break.

   Remember, class parties are next Thursday at 2:45. Please come if you are able!

Whisper Room

I wrote earlier that Whisper Room, from an adult point of view, looks like play time. Actually, the boys and girls call it play time. It's play time, to be sure. It's also likely the part of our day where the most and best learning happens in kindergarten....

Writer's Workshop

We're midway through Writing Unit 1, "Launching the Writing Workshop". Boy, have we covered a lot of ground already! Moving from "picture writing" to using letters and words is no small endeavor for a kindergartner, and I am very impressed and pleased with their effort. Here are the goals, or "Learning Targets" that your child is aiming toward in this unit:

• I can write a letter to represent the sound I hear.
• I can stretch out a word to write the sounds I hear.
• I can work independently.
• I can work on my writing with a partner.
• I can write about a topic I know and care about.
• I can label my drawings.
• I can begin to revise to make my writing better.
• I can write across several pages.
• I can organize my folder and other materials.
• I can write using both pictures and words.
• I can plan out my stories before I write.
• I can write different kinds of writing.
• I can choose a piece to edit and revise for publishing.

Be watching for samples to come home at the end of this unit!

Read to Self

Read to Self is going so well! The children read independently for a full 15 minutes every day this week. They need little guidance now to get started right away, stay in one spot, read the whole time, and use a quiet voice. They know the reason we have Read to Self is because becoming a better reader takes time and practice. And, it's fun!

More Library Fun!

"You put the shelf-saver in, and the book comes out,

  You look through the book to see what it's about.

  You do the Bookie Lookie to see if it's just right,

  That's what it's all about!"

Shaving Cream Letter Writing!

We have been practicing our handwriting every day since school started. We took a break yesterday and had a little fun by smearing shaving cream on our tables. The boys and girls wrote their names, letters, and numbers. What messy fun!

Library Books!

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

Today was an exciting day in kindergarten! After a month of learning in "Bookworm School", Mrs. Roth helped the boys and girls find and check out their very first Willard Central library book. Just look at their smiles!

"I Wonder..."

We call it the "Wonder Table". Sometimes a single child will go there to quietly study the ever-growing sweet potato vine. Other times a pair of new "best friends" will meet and notice details on the snakeskin together. Right after the goldfish is fed, a larger group is likely to gather.

"Look at all those roots! I wonder how long the vine will get?"..."I see where its eyes were. I wonder what kind of snake it was?"..."I wonder if Bubbles will eat all of the food, or save some for later?"

These are curious, intensely focused, and keenly observant young scientists. Our science table is truly a place for wonder.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear...

Did your child come home chanting "Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see..." this week? We read this favorite children's book several times, learning color words, noticing question marks, and practicing the comprehension skill of retelling a story. The boys and girls discovered that the illustrator retells the story himself with stripes of color on the inside front and back covers!

Yesterday, the children colored the story's characters to match the book, then sorted M&Ms on each picture. They counted and recorded the number in each set. They compared their sets using the terms greater, less, more and fewer, and some curious learners even decided to count the total number of M&Ms in their collections. Such a fun way to finish another week of teaching and learning together in kindergarten! 

A Very Special Visitor

This week our classroom was “visited” by Mother Goose-- she left white feathers and “clues” for the boys and girls to find in the room as we enjoyed these classic rhymes. It was a lot of fun for all of us! Young children learn best when they are fully involved in activity-- moving, singing, and imagining.  This is something that we playfully take advantage of! Be sure to ask your child what Mother Goose left in the room, including the creature that nearly "frightened Mrs. Miles away...."

Pattern Block Math

Pattern blocks are used all year for math investigations. This week, the boys and girls are just getting their hands on them to see how they feel and what they can do. It's so interesting to see them at work. They are building, sorting, counting, making patterns, even experimenting with fractions--  2 red trapezoids together make a hexagon. And it's only September!

Happy Friday!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom snacks-- a fun way to end a fun week!

Here's to another week of joyful learning in kindergarten!

Three Ways to Read a Book

In just 10 days of kindergarten, the boys and girls have become readers! On the first day, they all told me no, they could not read. Then, I explained a little known fact-- there are 3 ways to read a book! Yes, reading words is the way most of us think about reading. And, of course brand-new kindergartners are not experts at reading words yet. But, that is only one way to read. (At this point, they became very quiet and all eyes were glued on me. They are so eager!) Another way is to look closely and read the pictures. (Smiles on every face. They can do this!) The third way is to have someone read a book so many times that you can retell what's happening on every page. At that they were full of confidence and ready to take their book, maybe find a partner or stuffed animal, and start reading. A new bunch of children are official members of the club now-- they are readers, and they know it!

Snapshots of Our First Days in K....

A poem titled "Nothing" went home this week. Here's some of the "nothing" that has been happening in kindergarten....

Name writing practice...

Play dough with a new friend...

...and building strong hands and fingers!

Block Center...

Pretend Center...

 

Reading Den...

and writing.

Sharing...

Cutting and gluing...

Finding letters and building words!

Looking forward to the next week of joyful learning with your child!

Dear Parents...

In exactly one week, you are sending your child to kindergarten! I want you to know a few things about that important 1st day, and about me.

- I am nervous on the first day of school, too. We all know what a milestone it is, don't we? I want your child to always remember this as a wonderful day, and will do my best to make that happen.

- I don’t take your trust for granted. You are placing your little one into my care and keeping. I have an enormous responsibility to earn and maintain that trust.

- The success of your child's year depends on the strength of our partnership. I will do everything I can to keep you informed about what is happening at school. You will have my email and phone number. I want you to contact me when you have questions or concerns.

- I appreciate parents that advocate for their child. When problems or issues come up, we can come up with better plans by working on them together.

- I want your child to continue to grow as a confident, curious, creative learner. 

- Your child comes to school with lots to teach and tell others about. We are all teachers and learners together.

- We will have fun!

- I want to learn as much about your child as quickly as I can. Academics are important, but your child needs to know first that I know and care about them. I want to learn the names of family members and pets, favorite toys, and even whether they like their pancakes best with syrup or peanut butter. The first days of kindergarten are about building friendships with classmates and with me. 

- There will be occasions when I ask you to practice skills with your child at home. These times should take less than 5 minutes and be something you enjoy doing together. The purpose will be to give you an idea of what your child is learning and whether more practice is needed. And, it will be another chance for you to express your pleasure in their effort and growth. Most days, though, I suggest two things: play outside (because play is a child’s work) and read to (or with) your child every day. I'll be telling you more about that soon.

- I don't teach school. I teach children. I love my job.

Enjoy these final days of summer. I hope you are anticipating a joyful first day of school next week. So am I!

Come to the Playground!

Families of kindergartners are all invited to come to the Willard Central playground this Saturday, August 3, from 9:30 to 10:30. The boys and girls can meet classmates and have fun playing together, while parents can visit with each other and with your child's teachers. Hope to see you there!

Welcome!

I hope your family is enjoying these final days of summer, even as you look ahead to a very big year ahead with your kindergartner. While older children are getting ready to go back to school, your 5-6 year old is getting ready to start school. That is another thing altogether, in so many ways!

In the coming months, my hope is that we will work closely together, partners in this next step in your child's life. I pledge to do my very best for you and your son or daughter. I truly believe each one deserves a wonderful, memorable, and successful kindergarten year. Together, you and I can make that happen. I can't wait for us to begin!