A New Month and Our First Field Trip

Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you for supporting our school!  It was announced on Friday that our class had the most participation at Chappy's for spirit night.  The kids were so excited to hear our name over the intercom  (intercom messages are a big deal for Kindergarten!)  I won a gift card to Chappy's so my family thanks you too!

Friday was fun as we concluded our investigation on the letter Mm with Mickey/Minnie Mouse items.  Everywhere you looked Mickey and Minnie were hanging out in our classroom!


This week the letter will be "Rr" as in rooster on the roof.  The word wall words will be: six, look, they, all.   I will begin testing word wall words (all 24 words) on Wednesday, October 10.  Word wall words must be read instantly and accurately upon sight.

In math, we are working with the numbers 6-9.  We are making sets and beginning to lay the foundation for addition. This week we will begin new calendar pages for the month of October.

The highlight of this week will be our field trip  to the Alabama Nature Center on Thursday.  Be sure your child eats breakfast on Thursday morning because we will be doing a lot of walking before it is time to eat lunch.  I've already turned in lunch orders for those students purchasing a sack lunch from the cafeteria.  If you are sending a lunch from home, please send it in a brown bag so that we do not have to keep up with lunchboxes.  Field trip t-shirts will be sent home this week.  Please dress your child in the field trip t-shirt for all field trips.  The students may wear jeans/shorts on the field trip.

Our poem last week was about the five senses.  The Alabama Nature Center will be helping us learn how to use our five senses while in nature.  We are getting quite the collection of poems in our poetry journal.  Did you notice how we labeled a picture in our journal this week? We know that good readers can read labels.

Don't forget that Monday is library day and Italian Ice (for $1.00).  To clear up any confusion:  I only collect juice/snack and Italian Ice money on Mondays.  You can send PTA money, lunch money, field trip money in any day of the week.

Book order forms were sent home last Friday.  You may order online with the link to the right (class code GL88R) or send in a check (payable to Scholastic).  Book orders are due Friday, October 5.  

Information went home last week about the Blount Fall Festival on Thursday,October 18.  It is a nice way to celebrate fall. My family loves the fall festival.  Get the early bird specials on wristband sales.  T-shirts can be ordered until Friday, October 5 for $12.  I found a flyer for a t-shirt that never made it home.  If you did not get information on a Fall Festival t-shirt,let me know and I will resend it.   Wristbands will cost more at the gate so get your order in at early bird prices.

Our schedule was all off last Friday so we decided to have a picnic lunch outside.  Some days you just have to go with the flow of the unexpected.  We even had a couple of parents join us for lunch.  Our lunch time is 10:40-11:05.  You do not need to give us any notice.  Just sign in the at the office and join our  line.


Upcoming Dates:
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville) - wear field trip t-shirts
10.5  Book orders due (optional)
10.5  Deadline for Fall Festival t-shirt order
10.10  Room 115 Word Wall Words assessment
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10:11  Early Bird wristband sales end for the Blount Fall Festival
10.18  Blount Fall Festival4:30 pm-7:30 pm
11.1  Just Give campaign ends

The Just Give campaign is off to to a great start!  You can continue to send in money until November 1.  Thank you for supporting our school!

Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Goodbye Summer...Hello Fall

As we transition into fall this week, we leave summer behind.  We are heavily into the swing of Kindergarten.  Reading groups have started, we are becoming experts on the numbers up to five and we work hard at being a kind friend.  Fall will be busy and fun, so hang on.

On Friday, we made self portraits with construction paper, glue and scissors.  They wanted to use their crayons but I told them it was a no crayon assignment.  We learned that just because something looks hard, doesn't mean that we shouldn't give it a try. They were very proud of their hard.  Look at the happy faces (real and paper) from Room 115. 

In Friday's binder, you received a status report of your child's knowledge of the word wall words (sight words) introduced to date.  Here is a link for ideas to help with word wall word practice word wall word practice at home.  I will test word wall words on Wednesday, October 10 for report cards.  Remember word wall words must be read instantly (no hesitating) and accurately. 

Friday's binder also had the results of your child's reading group test from Friday.  Homework reading sheets come home everyday.  Make sure you practice, practice and practice.  Reading homework sheets do not need to be returned.

This week we will be investigating the letter "Mm"  as in "monkey on a mountain."  The sight words for the week are:  five, go, so, no.  To celebrate the letter Mm, we will  have a Mickey/Minnie Mouse day on Friday, September 28.  Bring any kind of item of Mickey or Minnie Mouse to school on Friday.  Do not go out and purchase an item.  Google Mickey/Minnie Mouse coloring sheets and print one out if you are in a bind.  Do not let this assignment stress you.  Items will return home on Friday.

In Math, we will finish comparing numbers up to five on Tuesday.  Later in the week, we will begin representing, counting and writing numbers 6 to 9.  Pull out that letter formation sheet from our small meeting and help your child at home with writing numerals.  It is common for this age to see reversals in number writing.  We are working on it in the classroom and with help at home, numeral writing will look like the conventional way.   We are going to play lots of games to help us to recognize numbers/ number sets quickly.  Check out the fun we had with dice. 

Last week our poetry journal was full of rhyming words. We are becoming experts at rhyming. Be sure to return the journal on Monday and look for a new poem (actually it is going to be a song) in Friday's book bag. 

Friday's binder will have the calendar pages we have worked with  during the month of September.  There will be a note attached as to how to talk to your child about the calendar pages at home.  Calendar pages do not need to be returned to school.

Don't forget that Monday is our library day and Nancy's Italian Ice.  Also, the Just Give campaign is in full force plus don't forget to send in our upcoming field trip form/payment.  Thank you so much for supporting our school!

Classroom needs:  dry erase markers (they were left off the supply list) and cap erasers.  

There are so many things in our classroom to explore.   One curious friend found a box of glasses one morning before school started.  Funny glasses are so much fun to play with.  What a happy way to start the day! 

Email me with any questions or concerns you have.  Thanks for supporting the learning of our classroom.

Upcoming Events:
9.27  Spirit Night at Chappy's 
9.28  Bring a Mickey or a Minnie Mouse item to Room 115
9.28  Box Top collection day
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville)
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10.18  Blount Fall Festival
11.1  Just Give campaign ends

We're Going To Make You Smile....

The days are zooming by.  How amazing that we have been a school family for four weeks now! It was so much fun wearing a hat to school all day on Friday.  We made people smile as we walked throughout the school. I bet you are going to smile as you check out this slideshow.  What a happy, happy place Room 115 is to work and play.


This week we will be investigating the letter "Kk" as in "kid in a kayak."  The word wall words are:  you, three, pink, four.  I will do a quick check of word wall words this week to monitor progress.  I will send home a letter by Friday to let you know how your child did.  Remember that word wall words need to be read instantly and accurately upon sight.  Practice the word wall words daily.

In math, we will be comparing sets and using the vocabulary words:  compare, the same, greater and less.  We will be comparing sets up to five.  Use the vocabulary words at home in your daily living to reinforce what we are learning in class. Check out this slideshow that shows how  hard we work during math. 


Reading homework will begin on Tuesday.  Look for it in the white notebook.  Reading homework does not need to be returned.  Keep it at home and use it for more practice.

Baseline reading assessment scores will be sent home on Monday.  This test was administered on the computer the third week of school. You do not need to return the form. I have a copy of your  child scores.  Your child will take this test two more times this school year.

If you even think there is a remote chance that you will chaperone on a field trip this year, please return the background check form that went home on Wednesday.  We need those to be on file with security checks cleared before we start going on field trips.  One form can be turned in  for multiple siblings.  Please let me know if you have turned in your form with an older child.

Also, please return the Just Give form stating if you are able to participate or not participate in the campaign.  You do not have to turn in your money at this time, just the form that says you will be participating.  Our class will receive incentives if every one returns that form.  If you have any questions about the campaign you can ask me or any PTA board member. 

It was exciting to visit with published author/illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt.  She talked about how important it is to find a magical place in your heart to to do the things that you love.  Our class already loves books, so it was very appropriate to listen to a person who writes/illustrates books for a living.



Don't forget that Mondays are a busy place for Room 115:  library day, Italian Ice for $1.00, and return poetry journals.

 I tell the children that one of the things that good readers do is make connections.  I've been modeling for them how sometimes when you read a book, it makes you think of another book. Listen and encourage your child when he mentions connections when reading books with you. 

Another thing we do in Room 115 is like to rhyme.  Rhyming is part of learning how to read.  Encourage your child to rhyme at home.  It is a fun game that at times can become silly.  It is perfectly normal for your child to make up "nonsense" rhyming words.  That just means your child understands rhyming and can hear the  parts of words that sound the same.  So don't discourage  made up rhyming words. Just laugh and keep on rhyming.

Last week, we began working with dry erase boards and markers for dictation.  It is amazing how a marker and a board like the one the teacher has, can make a child feel big.  Dry erase markers were left off the supply list.  Please send in a pack of dry erase markers within the next three weeks. 

On Friday, we started a behavior system where every child has a card with the opportunity to earn twenty punches for appropriate behavior.  Your child is expected to keep up with his punch card.  Once a card is full of twenty punches, your child may read our behavior notebook and make one selection  from the book to participate in.  This system works on making appropriate classroom choices and self control.  Part of Kindergarten is understanding there is consequences (good and bad) for the choices we make.  Please know that I will contact you if there is a behavior issue that I feel like you need to be aware of.  Punches are not given out freely; you have to be demonstrating self control and appropriate school behavior.  Thanks for trusting me with your child.

Upcoming Events:
9.27  Spirit Night at Chappy's 
9.28  Box Top collection day
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville)
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10.18  Blount Fall Festival

I will be out of the classroom on Monday beginning at 11:30.  The kindergartener that lives at my house has an appointment with the orthopedic doctor for her broken wrist.   I have an excellent substitute so the children will not miss a beat.

Thank you for supporting the learning of Room 115.  Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

No Lazy Janes In Room 115

Those twenty portraits represent the hard workers of Room 115.  Lazy Jane is not a member of our classroom.  Check out the poem in our poetry journal to see how lazy Lazy Jane really is.  Also, look in the poem for a different way to write/read the letter a.

Don't forget that Monday is library day, Nancy's Italian Ice Day (for $1.00) and return your poetry journal.    We will also be rotating to a new specialist:  Mr. Darby for art!

In reading we will be investigating the letter Hh as in horse in a house.  The word wall words will be:  I, brown, black, white. On Friday, September 14, we will  have Hilarious Hat day to celebrate the letter Hh.  You can make a hilarious hat at home with any supplies you find funny.  A regular hat from home will do if there is no hilarity in your week.

We will slowly enter into small group reading instruction this week.  Start looking for homework the week of September 17.  This week we will be practicing the responsibilities we have during small group reading instruction.   We have started to practice our behavior during centers. Check out the slide show  of our work ethic.
 

In math, we continue to work on numbers up to five. Last week we learned the math vocabulary of number pairs.  We worked very hard on investigating the number pairs for the number five.

Thank you to all of those who came to our small group cluster meeting.  It was so nice to meet  with you in a casual setting. Thank you so much for supporting the learning of Room 115.  I am going to have ONE make-up cluster meeting on Tuesday at 4:30 in the classroom.  After the meeting stay for the 6:00 PTA meeting.  Carrabas will have food available to purchase. 

Be on the lookout in Monday's binders about information on Blount's JUST GIVE campaign.  If the PTA meets their goal, there will not be any fundraisers for the entire year! The children attended a pep rally on Friday to get excited about the JUST GIVE campaign.  Thank you for supporting our school.  Information about the program will be in Monday's notebook.

Upcoming events:
9.10  Information in binders about JUST GIVE campaign
9.11  PTA General Membership Meeting at 6:00. 
9.14  Hilarious Hat Day in Room 115 (make or bring a silly hat to wear all day!)
9.28  Box Top collection day
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10.18  Blount Fall Festival


Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Happy FOURTH week of school!