Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a restful, rejuvenating holiday break! We’re ready to jump right back into the action of kindergarten!
K Drop In
Thank you to all who attended our December Kindergarten Family Drop-In. The children were excited to share what they have learned about the work of scientists throughout our investigation of bulbs. .
Progress Reports
Kindergarten progress reports will be available for families at the beginning of February. This will be your kindergartner’s first Newton standards-based progress report. The performance level scores are based on mid-year expectations. Kindergarten will continue to work towards June benchmarks during the second half of the year. We try to balance the focus on objective standards with thoughtful comments about your child’s individual growth and goals. If you have questions, please feel free to ask!
Balanced Literacy
Fundations: This month we will be introducing several new letters and sounds including Dd (Dd-dog-/d/), Ss (Ss-snake-/s/), Ee (Ee-Ed-/e/), Rr (Rr-rat-/r/), Pp (Pp-pan-/p/).
Read Alouds, Shared Reading and Poems: In January, we will continue to read folktales. We will add several new books to our Classroom Favorites collection. These will include, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, and The Mitten by Jan Brett. Our Classroom Favorites collection provides the children with a solid core of books that they can enjoy and retell independently. Repeated readings of these books are used to teach key comprehension strategies.
Writer’s Workshop: We have just recently made the switch during writer’s workshop from writing teaching books about topics we know a lot about to writing true stories about ourselves. Students have been working hard to think of idea for their story and writing a three page book about their topic. These stories can be about a family vacation, a play date, a birthday party, baking cookies with mom or dad, etc. This month students will be introduced to the idea of writing a story with a beginning, middle, and end. We will explore this idea by writing our own stories and by reading lots of books to discover how authors write a beginning, middle, and end to their stories.
Mathematics
This month we will continue to reinforce and work on counting skills as well as number writing and the “tricky teens”. In addition we will also introduce students to addition and subtraction in preparation for our math unit, “Bunk Beds and Apple Boxes”, which we will begin next month.
Science/Social Studies
This month, we will study the Season of Winter. We will discuss how we dress in winter, what we celebrate in winter, how the weather changes in winter and how plants and animals are impacted by winter weather. We will work on our winter self-portraits and learn winter poems. We will also read and learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chinese New Year
This month we will celebrate the beginning of the new lunar calendar. This year we celebrate the year of the Horse.
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day isn’t until next month but you might appreciate advance notice about how we celebrate in kindergarten. On Valentine’s Day students will be exchanging Valentine cards. Students should bring in a Valentine for each of their classmates on Friday, February 14th (or before if the valentines are ready). When you start working on the Valentines, remember that kindergartners vary in their stamina for writing names and signing cards. Encourage your child to do some of the writing, or to read you the names, but it is OK for you to help.
Winter Clothes
Throughout the winter months, we will continue to go outside for recess each day. Please be sure to send your child with a complete set of labeled outdoor gear each day. This includes hat, jacket, mittens/gloves, snow pants and boots. Even with good outdoor gear, kindergartners often return from recess with wet socks or pants from their adventures in the snow! Please be sure to re-stock your child’s set of extra clothes as needed.
Also, some students are using reusable tote bags to transport all their snow gear from home to school. It makes it easier for them to manage all they have. Often times students become frustrated when they are unable to fit everything in their back pack at the end of the day so having a separate bag for snow gear will help them to be able to independently pack up. If you think it might help your child, please send one or let me know if you would like for me to provide one for your child.
Also, please make sure your child has shoes to wear in the classroom.
