Monday we will celebrate Earth Day!

Please wear Green and Blue to school Monday as we spend the day learning how to care for our Earth! xo

 

 

Just a reminder:

T/F Baggy books are due!   Please stick with this!!!!  At home reading is so important :)!

F – Black binder HW is due!  !

Please continue to plug away and be consistent with reading at home!!!!

Writing Workshop:

We finished our informational writing unit this week! We watched many informational videos on different animals so that we could become experts and write about them.  We first talked about everything we already knew about the animal.    Then we watched the videos and even read some informational text on that specific animal to learn more!   We took all the information we knew and learned and put it in a book written by “us”!  We are focusing on adding detailed pictures to our stories so our audience can learn from them and also adding bold words to let the reader know “pay attention, this is important”!

 

Readers Workshop:

• This week the Kinders continued to discover Non-fiction books, finding features in books, and exploring new words they might not know.  We added these words to a Class Vocabulary Chart.  It was REALLY exciting to see Kinders notice these new words in other books!  We are also listening to nonfiction books on our laptops from Khan Academy.  Kids love their laptop reading time!

 

• The Kinders also listened to fiction books from one of our favorite authors: Robert Munch!  We are focusing on setting, characters, and problem.  We also retell the story by talking about what happened in the beginning, middle, and end.

 

Math:

This week we continued our work in Unit 5 of our Math curriculum.  The Kinders worked hard exploring teen numbers, wrote numbers all the way to 100, drew and wrote number sentences to match story problems.  The Kinders loved playing the missing partner game as well with a partner.

Snacks:

We are VERY low on snacks!!!  Please think of us when you are at the grocery store!!  Every student should bring 2 different snacks to share with the class.  Thanks for contributing!!! xoxo

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!  XOXOXO 

 

 

Recap of St. Patty’s Day in Kindergarten!

 

 

We had a visit from the Leprachauns today!  They snuck into our room before school while I was in a meeting.  You will never believe this, BUT as we entered the classroom after the bell rang….our room was turned upside down: chairs were everywhere, the toilet water was green, and Mrs. DeSmit’s computer was hiding on top of the cupboards!  Those Leprachauns are so sneaky!  They left us a note and chocolate candies wrapped in gold!!!!!  This made for a very exciting day!!!!!!!  SO much fun!!!!!

 

SNACKS DESPERATELY NEEDED:

Snack Cupboards need to be refilled!!!  Please send snacks in after break!!!  We are very low and could use at least 2 snacks from each family!!!!  Please do your best to contribute!  Really appreciate this!!!!

Only Three Days Until Spring Break!  Here are some schoolwide fun dress up days for us to participate in:

Enjoy your week off!  School resumes Monday, April 8!

ONE BOOK, ONE SCHOOL

Students are coming home with a book and calendar!  This is a schoolwide reading event!  Get snuggly and enjoy reading this book WITH your child!!!

Nightly reading is in place of black binder HW this week!

Here is the calendar for Fenway and Hattie!  There is a QR code at the bottom that you can scan to access the read aloud of the book!  Hope you enjoy!!! 

Popcorn Words

This week’s word: they

Writing:

We have wrapped up our How-to Writing Unit! The children did an amazing job; they shared various skills with each other. Next, we are diving into writing non-fiction stories called “All About Stories”. Once again, the children will share their knowledge by writing facts about a topic they are familiar with. It’s exciting to see everyone learning from each other.

 

 

Reading:

We are exploring the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. We are starting to read non-fiction books to discover new things. We find pleasure in looking at the “Real” photos while reading. We have learned that pictures can also aid in our learning process. Our response to the books involves exclamations like wow, I didn’t know that!!! How cool!

 

Math:

This week in math we began to put a dent in unit 4.  We compared numbers of objects in a group using matching and counting strategies.  We found partners of 10 in 5-groups and recorded sets of partners for 10, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. We showed teen numbers as a group of ten ones and extra ones and as 10 and a 1-digit number.  We practiced our addition and subtraction fluency within 5.

 

HOMEWORK:

This weeks homework will be baggy books T and F!  Be sure to read and practice the sight word flashcards.  Students can work on reading the words and spelling too!

I did not assign black binder HW this week becasue I want you to have time as a family to read the school wide (One book, One school) read aloud.  It is called Fenway and Hattie.  Students brought home a copy of the book and a calendar to follow.  This is a great family activity!  I highly recommend participating!  You will not be disappointed!

 

CONFERENCES: 

A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who met with me during conferences this week.  It was GREAT to be able to share your Kinders progress with you.  Also, thank you to the volunteers who provided dinner for the teachers during those LONG conference days for us!

I gave everyone 3 sheets to take home at conferences.  These sheets are just meant for you to be aware of some great phonic activities or reading/writing strategies that we are working on in the classroom.  One is about the advanced phonemic skills we are working on:  adding, deleting and substituting phonemes.  The other sheets include SUPER STRENGTH reading and writing SUPER POWERS!!!!!!

 

Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

Popcorn Words

This week’s word: would, could, should, they

Math:

This week we focused on number partners.  This unit covers finding partners.  We recorded partners of 10, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2!  Sometimes we use the Tiny Tumblers to help us find partners.  Unit 4 also had students working on writing teen numbers as a group of ten ones and extra ones and a as a 10 and a 1-digit number.  We focused on adding and subtracting numbers 0-10 and fluently adding numbers 0-5.  When we are fluently adding/subtracting numbers our goal is to be able to do it in our head quickly.  We will continue to work on these skills!

 

 

This week’s Challenge From Mrs. Stefanich

PARK CHALLENGE

Mrs. Stefanich has challenged all of us to take part in some bonding fun activities for this coming week!!!!

Dress up Days:

Tuesday: Dream Job – Dress for what you want to be when you grow up

Thursday: Neon Day

Friday: Favorite sports team day (or Maize and Blue for Eagles!)

 

*Remember this past FRIDAY was an Early release day so I collected all black binders and baggy books.  Look for new Baggy Books to go home on Tuesday!  Black Binders will not be going home until Friday.  Just a reminder…Baggy Books are every T and F.  Black Binder are every F only!

Important Upcoming Dates

Book Fair is going on now.  Your child made a wish list today.  Please look for them in your child’s yellow folder.  Book Fair is open this week during conferences on both Monday and Wednesday night!!!!  We have an additional time to shop during school as well.  We are scheduled to go on Tuesday at 11:00.  Please send money to school in a labeled envelope if you want your child to purchase books at the book fair during school on Tuesday.

Parent Teacher Conferences are this week Monday and Wednesday – I can not wait to share your child’s progress.  Here are the times incase you needed a reminder.

Monday, Feb 26th

4:30 Locke

4:45 Axel

5:00 Keenan

5:15 Aiden K

5:30 Jack

6:00 Tate

6:15 Edith

6:45 Aiden W.

7:00 Willa

7:15 Lennon

 

Wednesday, Feb 28th

4:45 Norah

5:00 Adalyn

5:15 Laken

5:30 Lincoln

6:00 Kirra

 

Thursday, Feb 29th

1:15 Ollie

March 15 – Early Release: 12:15 dismissal

March 28 – April 7: SPRING BREAK!!!!

Monday, April 8 – School Resumes

 

Penguin Day Photos will have to be posted another time, still having a bit of trouble downloading them :)!

We had so much fun celebrating 100’s Day!!!

100’s Day Celebration

Activitites Included:

• Coloring a sign and making 100’s day hats!!!!

 

 

• Special 100’s Day Snack

 

 

• Dice game to 100 and doing 100 addition math problems!

 

 

• Read 100 Books!!!!

 

 

• Went on a secret mission to solve the mystery message!!!

 

 

• Drew a picture of what we will look like when we are 100 years old!!!!

 

 

 

 

• Number Hunt to 100 with Hershey Kisses for the prize!

 

• Counting/Singing to 100 by 1s, 10s, and 5s

• Made Marshmallow towers with 100 marshmallows and tooth picks!

 

 

 

Here are pictures from our VALENTINE PARTY!

• BEE my Valentine Arts and craft!

• Rainbow Skittle Dice Game!

• Singing!

• Valentine snack: menu included…. heart shaped veggies straws, sprinkled donuts, and juice boxes!!

• Opening Valentines!

It was so fun!!!  Thanks to all who contributed to make  our party a huge success!!!!  xoxoxo

 

IMPORTANT CHANGE TO HOMEWORK ROUTINE

*There will be a homework change beginning this week!!!!!!  Your child will only be getting black binder homework every Friday from now on until the end of the year!!!  I do it 2 days in the beginning of the year because paper pencil work is sooooo important at the start of kinder.  We have now graduated to only needing black binder’s to come in every Friday!!!!  You will have one whole week to complete the homework!  Thanks for all your efforts!!!

*BAGGY BOOKS WILL STILL BE EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!*

 

This coming week…we will continue with writing unit: How to Stories and reading unit: Bigger books, bigger reading muscles.  We are in the beginning stages of Unit 4 in math!

Thanks so much for all the snacks you have purchased and contributed for our class!!!  We sure enjoy them :)!  Please be sure to send a few in if you have not already!!!!

 

 

 

PARK CHALLENGE

Next week marks the start of the Park Challenge!  This is just a little slice of fun for teachers and students to participate in each day.  Over the next two weeks, we will have dress up days on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – they are completely optional.  The more participation means more points for the class.  Here are the days for next week:

Monday: Wear strips, polka-dots, or flowers (or any combination!)

***Dress in Stripes, Polka Dots, and/or Flowers tomorrow for some Park Challenge fun! If you wear 2 or 3 of the options, you can earn bonus points for our class.

Wednesday: Words on my Shirt Wednesday (any words on a shirt count! Points are per person, not per word.)

Friday: Blue Out for Hudsonville!  Wear some blue today!

The rest of the daily challenges will happen at school and there is nothing for you to do at home except ask your child what they did that day.  Thank you to our Parent Club for supporting our teacher and classroom prizes at the end of the challenge!

Sorry for the long pots,  I will post all about Penguin day next time!  Looking forward to another great week ahead!

 

 

PENGUIN THEME DAY TOMORROW IN KINDERGARTEN!!!!

PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD COME TO SCHOOL DRESSED IN BLACK AND WHITE and they may also bring something for show and tell that is either black, white, or a combination of both!  Looking forward to a fun day!!!  xoxo

I collected Black Binders on Friday.  I wanted the kids to have some free time to really enjoy their Winter Break!  Look for it to come again on Friday 🙂

 

PENGUIN THEME DAY Friday, February 16th IN KINDERGARTEN!!!!

PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD COME TO SCHOOL DRESSED IN BLACK AND WHITE!!!!

• Kids may also bring something for show and tell that is Black or white or both 🙂

We are going to have a “Penguin Good Day!”

We will be….

reading fiction and nonfiction penguin books.

Learning how to draw a penguin.

Having a special black and white snack!

Learning how to make snow!

Making a penguin craft!

My apologies!!!!  I left a kinder off the Valentine List!!!!

PLEASE ADD Keenan to the list!!!

 

UPDATED LIST:

Kirra    Edith    Rylee

Laken    Axel    Norah

Adalyn    Aiden K.    Jack

Lincoln    Tate    Ollie

Willa    Locke   Lennon

Keenan     Aiden W.

Mrs. VanderLaan    Mrs. DeSmit

Top Frog:

Our second round of Top Frog! has been so fun so far  This rounds focus is on a name game, revealing our favorite food and sport with white crayon and water color paints, and having an opportuniy to bring something special in to share with the class.  Everyone will get a turn!

 

Popcorn Words

This weeks word was: have, are, make, like, home, here

 

READING:

Next week, we will begin a new reading unit called Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles. The Kinders will learn that when reading we need persistence power. Persistence power helps when books are considered challenging because they have more words and more lines, longer words, new words and surprise endings. Each of the Kinders will be getting their own reading mat to use during reading time. The Kinders will practice using their reading mat to organize their books as they read. They will place their books on the green arrow side (in a pile with the easiest books on top) to start reading and moving the book to the red arrow side when they are finished they will go back and re-read their books again.

 

WRITING:

Next week, will begin writing How To stories. We will begin by sharing with our partners things we want to teach the class.   Some examples: how to make your bed, how to make a bowl of cereal, how to make a snowman, etc. We learned that writers write about what they know and they practice telling what they know by putting the steps in order. We will begin each page with first, next, then, and last!  The Kinders did a great job finishing up Personal Narratives this past week.   I really enjoyed reading their stories.  Kinders are ready to begin a new unit!  I know they will have lots of fun writing “How To” stories!

Vowels:

We had some visitors… All five vowels!  The kids loved it!  We learned that there are 5 vowels A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y.  We learned a catchy song to remind us.  We also learned that the vowels are called the “hardest workers” because they have two sound and a vowel is in every word!!!!!  We found out why all the vowels think the “e” is so BOSSY!!! and we also learned that when two vowels go walking “Sometimes” the first vowel does the talking.  We have vowel power!!!!

 

MATH:

This week in math we told addition and subtraction stories, showed numbers 6 through 10 using 5-groups, sorted and classified objects and used the equal and not equal sign.  We are also working on drawing numbers 6-10 using a 5-group and writing numbers 0-20 as a whole class! We finished up unit 3 and I sent home math journal #1 on Thursday!  We will begin math journal #2 next week!

 

Upcoming Events & Reminders:

REPORT CARDS WENT HOME TODAY!  CHECK YOUR CHILD’S YELLOW HOMEFOLDER!  Kids are making such great progress!  So proud of them!!!  xoxo

 

100’s Day Celebration

• Monday, February 5, our class will be celebrating our 100th day of school!  No need to prepare anything!  Kids will enjoy many hands on activties and a special snack as we celebrate being 100 days smarter!!!!

• Feb. 12 & 13 ~ Winter Break:  No school!

• Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day Festivities-   Look for a classlist that was sent home in our black binders.  Your child can use this list to send each classmate a valentine.  You may send your Valentine’s in to class anytime between now and Feb 14.  If you voluntered to donate something for our Valentine Party, I already contacted you by email.  Thanks in advance for all your contributions.

• Feb. 23 – Early Release Day:  12:15 dismissal

 

Have a great weekend!!!!  xoxo

 

It has been so nice to be back at school with all of your sweet kids! I missed them SO much over break!!  With these additional snow days it has given us a chance to ease back into it :)!   Having two weeks off from school and additional snow days can be challenging getting back into routine, especially for young students.  I think we are all slowly adjusting and it feels good to be back!

Top Frog:

We started our second round of Top Frog this coming week!  It will be focused on a name game, revealing our favorite food and sport with white crayon and water color paints, and having an opportuniy to bring something special in to share with the class.

 

Popcorn Words

This weeks word was: a focus on word families. -in, -at, -an, -it, are, have, and the word “with”

Curriculum Info: 

This week we finished up our reading unit: Super Powers and our writing unit: writing for readers, focusing on personal narratives.  New units will start in February!

Phonics foucus for the next month will be vowels!

Math: We are continuing with unit 3 – teen numbers and anticipate completing this unit early February.

 

I wanted you to know I brought everyones towel home over break and washed them :)!

 

 

ALSO WE ARE IN NEED of class snacks!  ON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO THE STORE, COULD YOU PLEASE PICK SOME UP FOR US!!!!  I am asking that each family bring in 2 snacks for the class to share!  Thank you so much!!!  Kinders love our snack time!  xoxo

 

Important Reminders:

Please remember to send your kinder with a hat, gloves/mittens and coat every day!  Labeling everything is very helpful,  as well as practicing getting snow gear off and on :)!

If there is snow on the ground, please plan to pack your child’s snow pants.

Please remember an AM snack is provided everyday, but if your child would like an additional snack during our PM towel intervention time please pack your child one each day.  In the past,  kids would finish their lunch they brought from home…. but with MOST kids getting hot lunch this year…. you may want to consider packing a snack for the PM.

 

**DON’T FORGET TO WEAR COZY PJs TOMORROW!  WE HAVE A SCHOOL SOAR PARTY!!!!!  PARK KIDS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB SOARING!!!!**

Great to be back!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend!!  xoxo