November Begins

We celebrated the end of October with a visit to the pumpkin patch.  It was fun to watch the students pick the perfect pumpkins.  We begin to welcome November and the fun it brings.

NOTE:  I created a slide show of our perfect pumpkins but it is not posting so I will check with my blog expert and try and get it posted soon.  Thanks for being patient with me as I learn to blog.

In reading this week we will study the letter "Cc" as in "cow on a cab".  The word wall words are we, she, ten, funny.  Please make sure that you are doing the reading homework each night.  When a review sheet 4 comes home that means more than likely your child will have an unit review the next day.

In math we are focusing on concepts of ten.  I'm establishing a number sense for your child.  Just because your child can count up to (or past) ten, does not mean  that your child understands the whole-part-part relationship of a number.  We are focusing on numbers. For example:  I'm working with the students to learn that 7 can be made from 4 and 3, 5 and 2, 6 and 1, and 7 and 0.

Our poem this week deals with multiple meaning words.  It will help you get into the mood for Thanksgiving.  Poetry notebooks come home every Friday and need to be returned on Monday.

We spend a lot of time listening to books and learning how good readers comprehend stories.  We are learning how to make connections when we read.  We are learning how to make a text to self connection and text to text connections.  A text to self connection is when something in the story makes us think of our own lives.  A text to text connection is when something happens in a story that makes us think of another story we read.  To make connections we have to use our schema.  Hopefully you are all caught up with the reading lingo that we use in Room 115.

There will be no library this week due to the book fair.  Instead, when your child is finished reading the library book, send the book to school and I will allow time during the day to check out a new book.  The book fair ends Wednesday.  Please label all money for the book fair.

Don't forget that school photo proofs are due on Monday, November 1.  The pick up date for the chicken fundraiser is Wednesday at the park across the street.  Information about the chicken went home in folders last Friday..

Preparing for the Pumpkin Patch

Last week we were busy becoming experts on pumpkins to prepare for our upcoming field trip to the pumpkin patch.  We read a variety of books on pumpkins and can easily retell the steps of growing a pumpkin.  Our poem last week was about a Jack-0-Lantern and we are counting down the days until Halloween in our calendar notebook.  Our heads are full of pumpkin thoughts!  I will allow the children to wear their pumpkin t-shirts on Thursday but they must have regular uniform bottoms (no jeans on Thursday!).

This week is a review week of all word wall  words and introduced letter sounds.  Use this week to polish up on any words/sounds your child is having difficulty with.

In math we are doing a lot of counting.  Ways to reinforce counting at home might be:  count the chairs at your dining room table,  count the cars  in the driveway, count the number of windows in your house, count the number of shoes in a closet.  Go ahead and count backwards too.  If you really want to advance the counting being done say things like this.  "I have two people at the kitchen table and I'm waiting for three more."  Once those three people make it to the table, count how many people are now sitting at the table.  This is reinforcing the concept of parts make up a whole.  For example:  five is the whole  and the two people sitting at the table and the three people missing from the table make up the parts.  I'm not focusing on addition facts rather I'm teaching the children that parts make up a whole.  Kindergarten students require a lot of practice of understanding parts and wholes so don't get discouraged, rather keep practicing.

This week is Red Ribbon Week.  We will celebrate making healthy choices for our bodies.  Each day has a theme to emphasize SAYING NO TO DRUGS!
Monday:  "We are proud to be drug free."  Classes make red chains to hang outside their classroom to show they are drug free.  Each student will sign his/her link in the chain.  The children are asked to wear a RED uniform shirt or a red spirit wear t-shirt.  Jeans are NOT to be worn on Monday.
Tuesday:  "Sock it to drugs and slip into good character"  Students wear crazy socks and slippers. (This is grade level t-shirt day.)
Wednesday:  "Hats off to not using drgus"  Students wear their favorite hat to show they are drug free.  (This is our field trip day...wear field trip t-shirts and jeans)
Thursday:  "We are too cool to do drugs"  Students will wear their sunglasses to shade out drugs.  (Pumpkin t-shirts may be worn on Thursday but NO jeans,) 
Friday:  "Team up against drugs"  Students wear their favorite team's jersey.


Don't forget to return library books on Tuesday.  The children get so excited when they see a word wall word in their library books!

Tuesday night is spirit night at Jason's Deli.  My family will be there and I hope to see you too.


I will send home the calendar pages from the month of October in Friday's notebook.  Please take the time to go over the pages with your child.  You will have an October calendar, a weather chart, an odd/even page and a write the date page.  It is hard to believe that November starts next week.  

Don't forget to listen to your child read the poem from the poetry notebook.  The children enjoy returning to our old poems and reading them.  Thank you for taking the time to celebrate your child as a beginning reader.


I will be out of the classroom on Thursday morning but will return after lunch.  I secured an excellent substitute so the children won't even know that I am gone.

Classroom needs:  100 plastic spoons (for math games), 100 colored plastic drinking cups (for math games),  pom-poms (size 3/4")  from a craft store (assorted colors) 

 Have a safe weekend as your family celebrates the end of October!

On Our Way to Becoming Writers

In the mornings before the 8:10 bell rings, I allow the students to work anywhere in the room.  I have no restrictions.  I allow this time for them to talk to their friends and do something that makes them happy.  The photo to the right warms my heart because the writing center is overcrowded and it is by CHOICE!  Our class is full of blossoming writers who have no hesitancy about writing words or drawing pictures to convey meaning.  Little do the children know that reading and writing go hand in hand but I know it.  This photo shows that Room 115 is on its way to becoming lifelong readers and writers!

This week in reading we are studying the letter "Zz as in zebra in the zoo."  The word wall words are:  see, nine, of, he.  As you study word wall words, do not neglect the words from the first nine weeks.  I will assess the children on all of our word wall words in December.  I know your evenings are busy but remember to do the twenty minutes of reading.  If you are not doing the twenty minutes of reading pull out the handout from our small group meeting about why not to skip your twenty minutes.  As a parent that handout haunts me on busy nights when it would be so easy to skip our twenty minutes of reading.  Thank you so much for supporting your child as an emerging reader.

In math we continue to work with number sense, making sets and understanding parts and wholes.  We are learning songs that help us skip count.

On Friday we are having a pumpkin day where we study, investigate and read books about pumpkins.  We need to do research before our field trip to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday, October 27.  Parents are welcome to join us on our field trip.  The cost for parents is $5.00.  Parents will pay for their admittance at the pumpkin patch.  We've started to decorate our classroom in preparation for our pumpkin day.  On Friday we made a scene from the book "Five Little Pumpkins".  Our assignment did not allow us to use scissors.  We could only tear our paper into the shapes we needed.  It was an excellent  fine motor skill activity but the children wanted to use their scissors sooooo badly!

 The children had great fun acting out the poem "The Worm Song."  Our poetry journal is fun part of our week.  We spend all week on one poem.  We make mental images of the poem. We search for words we can read. We listen to see if the poem has a rhythm and read with our friends. We act out the poems and of course we illustrate!  Hopefully you are enjoying the poems as much as we are.

On Friday the PTA surprised us with  a Popsicle party for our class' 100% membership.  Popsicles are an excellent way to end a very busy week.  The PTA works so hard for the school.   Please support the PTA with the following activities this week:

• Chicken fundraiser is due Wednesday, Octbober 20

• Spirit Night at the Eastchase Chick-fil-a is Wednesday, October 20 (be sure and tell the cashier that you are with our school.)

Library books are due on Tuesday.  Tuesday is also the day when the grade level t-shirts (the rainbow shirt) may be worn with jeans.

November book orders are going home on Monday.  You may order online or send your order to school by Friday.  Book orders are voluntary! If you order on-line, our class code is GL88R.

Email me with any questions or concerns you may have.  As always thank you for trusting me with your child.

A New Nine Weeks

It is hard to believe that we are starting the second nine weeks of Kindergarten.  Time is flying by.  A new box of crayons and a chance to select a new spot to work will be on the agenda for Tuesday.  Report cards will be issued on Thursday at 3:10.  You will receive two copies of the report card:  one for you to keep and one for you to sign and return to school on Friday. 

Last week Zero the Hero stopped by with a zero treat plus a new book for the classroom.  When we read the book, we used our schemas and knew why Zero the Hero chose that book for our classroom.  Counting by 10s is quickly becoming a classroom favorite activity. 

This week we will be talking about the letter "Ww" as in "worm in a wagon."  The word wall words for the week are:  eight, to, do, am.   There will be a handout in Tuesday's notebook with word wall words and letter sound introductions for the second nine weeks.  I will assess word wall words on Wednesday, December 15.  All sixty-six words covered during the first semester will be assessed so do not NEGLECT the word wall words from the first nine weeks.

In math this week, we will be working with numbers and making sets.  We will practice writing the numerals.  There will be lots and lots of counting and even some counting backwards.  Refer to the numeral formation sheet that was given out at the small group meeting.

Thursday was picture day and it was so fun to see everyone out of uniforms.  We were so excited to wear comfortable clothing.

Last week's poem was full of the Ss sound and it helped us to get into the mood of Halloween.  I don'texpect the children to be able to read the poems.  Rather, it is a time for you to model what a good reader sounds like, look for word wall words or sounds your child knows, and to find enjoyment in poems.  Thank you for supporting the learning style of our classroom.

This week I will expect the children to write their first names with a capital letter at the beginning and all lowercase letters for the remainder.  Please monitor this at home too.

The PTA is having a chicken tender fundraiser until Tuesday, October 19.  Thank you for supporting our PTA.

Please only send water bottles to school that have a dripless spout.  Water bottles that easily and quickly pour out result in spoiled classroom work and that leads to frustration from the student with spoiled work. 

Email me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Have a great week!

Using Your Schema...What is Schema??!!

 This week I will be assessing the students for report cards.  Report cards will be issued on Thursday, October 14.    I will still have reading groups but they will be abbreviated than normal.  Please do not be concerned if you do not receive notification this week of your child passing a unit.  I will  assess word wall words on Wednesday.  I will notify you by Friday how your child did on the word wall words.  Remember that word wall words must be read instantly and upon sight. This past week I purchased some alphabet stamps that work with playdough and a popular assignment was to spell word wall words!  Our classroom is blossoming with readers!

This week we will be working with the letter Ss as in "spider in the soup.".  The word wall words for this week are:  seven, little, down, me.  These words will be assessed in December.

We continue to spend our math time working with numbers, sets and learning how to write numerals.
 
During whole group reading instruction, I have been modeling for the students "how to use your schema to understand stories." I've instructed the children that schema is everything in your head that you know to be true and make sense. Your schema comes from all the places you've been, things you've done,  and books you've read.  Your schema is all the experiences you've had that makes up who you are.  When children use their schema, it allows to them to make connections to the text of the story and assists in predicting and comprehending.  When you hear your child say "I'm using my schema" you will know that your child is laying the foundation to be a comprehending reader!

We are busy learning about letters, words and sentences during centers.  As you can see by these photographs, our classroom is a very joyful place full of children who are working hard and doing their best.

We have a busy week..  Please take notice of the following dates:  

•   Tuesday:  return library books

• Tuesday:  PTA meeting at 6:00.  The classroom with the highest percentage of families in attendance gets a Nancy's Italian Ice party and the teacher gets a gift card to Walmart.   (There will be NO homework on Tuesday night so please try to attend.)

• Wednesday:  word wall words assessment

• Thursday is picture day with children allowed to be out of uniform. 

• Friday is the last day to turn in money for the Pumpkin Patch field trip. 

 There will be no school on Monday, October 11.  It is a teacher in-service day.  Enjoy your three day weekend.  Be sure to spend a little bit of time this weekend reading and rereading your child's poetry journal!

Email me with any questions or concerns.