Leo the Late Bloomer

We  read the story today about a lion who is a late bloomer. In the story the father is worried because his son is not reading, writing or drawing yet.  The mother reassures him that their son is just fine, he is just a late bloomer. By the end of the story the lion is indeed reading, writing and drawing.  We  discussed with the kids how we are all at different stages of learning in our class. Some kids know all their letters and sounds, some only know the letters of their name and others can write sentences.   We want the children to understand that whatever stage they're at in their learning is just fine and that everyone learns at their own pace.

It is Okay to Make Mistakes

We read the book "It's Okay to Make Mistakes".  We want to encourage an atmosphere where the kids are not afraid to try new things or to make mistakes.  The book's main message is that making mistakes is how we learn.

Fall

 Even though the weather outside does not feel like fall, technically the first day of fall was last Friday. We always like to bring nature indoors, so your child is welcome to bring in some leaves, acorns, or other signs of fall.

Where is God

 One of our Religion themes in Kindergarten is Where is God?  We read a story and then asked the kids for their ideas.  These ideas were then used to create our bulletin board outside our class.

Thanks For Coming

It was great to see so many families out for curriculum night! Here are a few things that were mentioned, as we know not everyone could attend.
There will not be scheduled observations in November, like we have done in previous years.  This was were you would come in at a scheduled time and play with and observe your child in the classroom.  Instead, we will be doing an "Initial Observations" written report as well as an interview. Interviews will take place at the end of November.
Having  having said that, families are always welcome in our class. If at some point throughout the year you would like to come in and play with your child please let us know and we can agree on a day and time that works for everyone.

Rocks
Thanks for writing your hopes and dreams for your child on a rock.  We will be keeping them in a special basket on our prayer table.

Photo
Please send in a family photo for our family tree. It's great for the children to look at their family anytime, especially if they are feeling sad.

Curriculum Night

We hope you can join us on Thursday September 21st for Curriculum Night.  The evening begins at 6:30 in the gym, followed by an "open house" in the classroom.  This is an opportunity to explore the classroom, see some of the activities that your child participates in and ask us any questions.  Please note that it is not a time to discuss your child's progress, there will be time for that in November during interviews.  Hope you can join us!

Our schedule

Here is a copy of our schedule.  We do not have a library time yet, will let you know when that is confirmed.

Names

Today the JK's worked with their names.  They had to identify their name and then we went over the letters in their name and we counted how many letters are in their name.  This activity gives us a great starting point in terms of understanding where to start with each child.   If a child was not able to identify all the letters in their name then we will start there, focusing on just the letters in their name.  Once they can identify their letters, we will move onto the rest of the alphabet.   For those that know the letters of their name, we will focus on all the alphabet letters and their sounds.
Our program is based on the developmental needs of each child, in other words, we meet the child where they are developmentally, and move forward from there.

SK students will be doing a different name activity this week which involves adding up the value of their name using Scrabble tiles.  Should be fun!!

Kissing Hand Poem

The Kissing Hand

Today we read The Kissing Hand.  This is a story about Chester the racoon, who is going to miss his mom when he starts school.  His mom comes up with a plan to help him feel her love when they are not together. She kisses his palm and then tells him that whenever he is feeling sad or lonely he just needs to place his hand on his cheek and he will feel the warmth of his mother's love.
Parents, tonight your homework is to kiss your child's palm so that they can use this strategy if they are missing you at school.
We then painted their hand and made a handprint that will go into their portfolio, with a poem about the first day of school.

First Two Days

We had two great days this week!  All our SK friends sailed right back into the routines and are excited to be the "big kids" in the room, showing  our new friends the ropes.    Our new JK friends caught on quickly to the routines and  seemed to enjoy their first day at school. 

Forms

In your child's mail bag you have received lots of paperwork from the office.  I have put an asterisk beside the forms that are included in the package and pertain to Kindergarten.   Please return all forms by Wednesday, September 13.  The yellow Criminal  Declaration Offense form should only be completed if you already have a police check on file at the office.

Indoor Shoes

If  you have already sent in indoor shoes for your child, thank you very much.   If you have not, please send in a pair of running shoes to keep  in your child's cubby as soon as possible.   I know the weather is still nice, however our playground is dusty and sandy and if the children do not have indoor shoes, then they are tracking that dirt onto the floors and carpet, where the children play.

Extra Clothing 

 Please send it in a labeled, Ziploc bag with an extra set of clothing for your child's cubby.   Extra clothing is not only for bathroom accidents, but in case your child spills liquids, food, paint or water on themselves. 

Family photo 

Please send in a family photo for our classroom family tree.   The children love to be able to look at their mommy and daddy during the day, especially if they're feeling a little sad. 

Photo Day

Our school photo day is September 20th.

It was  wonderful to see all are returning students and we enjoyed meeting our new students and families last week.   Miss Araujo and I are looking forward to a wonderful year with your little one!

Welcome

Welcome to our classroom blog.  This is where we will post information about what is happening in the classroom.
Tuesday September 5th and Wednesday September 6th we will be meeting with our new JK students and families.  Thursday September 7th will be the first day of school for all our retuning SK's and half of our JK's.  Friday all our SK's come again and the other half of our JK's come to school.  Monday September 11th will be the first day of school for ALL students.  This year we have 15 SK and 11 JK Students, for a total of 26.
Miss Araujo and I are looking forward to an exciting year of learning together with all our friends!  Please check the blog regularly for updates.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at the school, send a note in your child's mailbag, or send us a note on remind.