Welcome back to school! I hope everyone had a wonderful week away from school. It is so nice to have everyone healthy and back together again.
November certainly has flown by as we continue to grow as learners. Over the past few weeks, we have had some exciting learning experiences. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Brown have volunteered to visit the Kindergarten team each month to present science and nature activities to the Kindergarten students through the Four Winds program. In October, we learned about the sun and Earth. Students explored sunlight and its effect on day and night and the seasons. In November, students learned about the different causes of erosion (sun, wind, rain and gravity) and worked together to create a model that would protect a hill from washing away.
We look forward to December's activities and are so thankful for the time that Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Brown have spent teaching us about earth science this fall.
It looks like winter weather might be here to stay for awhile. Please be sure to send your child to school with a warm winter jacket, snow pants/snowsuit, winter boots, a hat, and mittens/gloves. Also, all children need a change of shoes to wear in the school. Please let me know if you need any of these items.
CURRICULUM UPDATE
Math
We are just about ready to wrap up our second unit in math. During this unit, we worked with combinations of numbers that make 5 and compared quantities within 10. We also practiced counting beyond 20 (at times, beginning with a number other than 1) and we spent some time learning about two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. We are in the process of learning the names of several shapes: circle, triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon, sphere, cylinder, cube, cone and pyramid.
Literacy
☆ Fundations - We have been practicing most of the lowercase letters in the alphabet. We can now write the letters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, and y. We have also been making associations with words that we know that begin with those letters, and also making associations with keywords such as: apple, bat, cat, dog, Ed, fun, game, hat, itch, jug, kite, lamp, man, nut, octopus, pan, rat, snake, top, up, van, wind, fox, and yellow to help students remember the sounds for each letter.
☆ Reading - During reading time, students are continuing to read short sight word books while practicing some early reading strategies such as: using our eyes to look for letters and words we know; using pictures to support our reading; and using our index finger to point under words as we read. Students also continue to participate in daily choral reading activities with our morning message. Sight words we've been practicing include: I, see, a, my, is, like, go, and, to, can, you, and the.
I have been sending home a small, red sight word book each week for students to keep at home. During your reading time at home each day, please feel free to have your child read to you and then you read more challenging books to them. It's a great way to share in literature and to boost your child's enjoyment and confidence in reading.
☆ Reading - During reading time, students are continuing to read short sight word books while practicing some early reading strategies such as: using our eyes to look for letters and words we know; using pictures to support our reading; and using our index finger to point under words as we read. Students also continue to participate in daily choral reading activities with our morning message. Sight words we've been practicing include: I, see, a, my, is, like, go, and, to, can, you, and the.
I have been sending home a small, red sight word book each week for students to keep at home. During your reading time at home each day, please feel free to have your child read to you and then you read more challenging books to them. It's a great way to share in literature and to boost your child's enjoyment and confidence in reading.
☆ Writing - Students continue to write every day. They are growing in their ability to say words slowly with some support and use letters they know to represent sounds they hear in words. I am so impressed to see students beginning to apply sight words to their writing!
Social Studies/Science
Throughout the past few weeks, we have been learning about weather. Through read aloud books and technology, we have learned about what causes the weather to change and discussed the different types of weather we see in Vermont. As weather watchers, we have recorded a few different weather forecasts and have been enjoying watching the seasons change.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Snack: Based on feedback received at parent conferences, I have adjusted our daily schedule to include an earlier snack time in the morning in hopes that the children will be hungrier at lunchtime and eat more food at lunch to sustain them longer in the afternoon. If you are finding that your child is still very hungry when s/he arrives home from school, please let me know. I'd be happy to add a brief, second snack time in the afternoon.
Extra Clothing: It is not uncommon for children to get wet at recess, spill something on themselves, or have the occasional accident. Therefore, I am requesting that each child have an extra shirt, set of bottoms, pair of underwear and socks stored in their cubby at school to be used as needed. Should there be a time when your child uses their extra clothes, please be sure to send in a replacement for them the following day.
