Wednesday December 22, 2010

We had a fun day today. Mr. Salmon read The Polar Express to all of the kindergarteners this morning. Back at our classroom, the students all received a small bell...the story says that you can only hear the bell ring if you believe. The students may be asking if you hear the bell...now you'll understand why!

The students worked at wintery stations, such as making snowflakes, doing an ABC train maze, punching snowflakes, making bookmarks to use over break, etc.

We watched a 20-minute movie called Merry Madagascar, which the kids thought was pretty funny! We also read two fun holiday books today: The Three Bears' Christmas and Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Christmas.

After library time, we had our special snack. Thank you to all of the moms and dads who helped out by bringing plates, cups, napkins, donuts, chocolate milk, fresh fruit, and goody bags! What a wonderful snack!

The students had lots of energy today! After our special snack, the students had the opportunity to hang out and talk together, work at stations, and read books with each other.

Enjoy the next 11 days as a family!

We'll see everyone back on January 3, 2011!

Tuesday December 21, 2010

I am sorry about the mess on everyone's hands, some faces, and some clothes. We attempted to stamp our own wrapping paper today, which ended up being a big mess! I think the stamp pads I have need to be replaced, as the ink was still coming off from the paper onto our fingers hours after we had stamped it! Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow (or else I will send the gifts home in a plastic bag...be careful opening them!!!).

We acted out the story of the Gingerbread Man using stick puppets this morning. The students listened well to know when it was their turn to stand up or move around with their stick puppet. We also played Gingerbread Man Memory Game, which the students love!

In PE, the students played some holiday-themed games which the 4th graders helped them with! They had a great time playing with the big kids!

Tomorrow, your child can wear their pajamas to school, as it is our Polar Express Celebration Day! We will be having a special snack, listening to the Polar Express book, going to the library, and doing some other fun Polar Express activities! It will be a fun, fast morning!

Just a reminder...If your child wears their boots, please remember to send shoes for your child to change into at school! Thanks!

Monday December 20, 2010

The students had a great day today!

We read another gingerbread man book called, The Cajun Gingerbread Boy. This story was different than the others, as it takes place in Louisiana and has many French words and phrases in it! Tomorrow is our final day to read about the gingerbread man.

We worked on fine motor coordination by punching a snowman picture to hang up in the window at home. When the sun shines, you will be able to see a snowman through the black paper. If your child did not bring theirs home today, it is not quite finished, and will be coming home tomorrow!

In music class, the students had a little Christmas sing-along (since they will be missing the school-wide sing-along on Wednesday afternoon). They had lots of fun!

Tomorrow is PE...please send tennis shoes!

Wednesday, our special schedule is changed...we will be going to library instead of guidance. So, if your child would like to check out new library books before break, please send theirs back on Wednesday.

Coming up...Wednesday is our Polar Express Day. Please have your child wear their pajamas to school! We will also have a special snack on Wednesday!

Winter break starts Thursday Dec. 23 (Just in time for the snow, I hear!).

Thank you to all the parents who are donating items for our party on Wednesday! It's going to be a fun time!

Friday December 17, 2010

Wow! What a difference between yesterday and today! The students did a wonderful job of listening and following the rules!

Mrs. Abbey read a fun, new book called Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. Ask your child to tell you what happened at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story. Also, see if your child can tell you how the gingerbread baby was feeling at the beginning of the story, and how he felt at the end of the story.

Mrs. Hetherton, the ELP teacher at our school, came to our class to do a patterning activity with the students.

Thank you to Elijah's mom for helping the students make snowflakes!

The students went to the library today. If their library book was not overdue, they were allowed to check out a 2nd book, since it is right before winter break! If your child brought home an overdue slip, please return the book on Monday so that they can check out 2 books for break. Thank you!

Coming home in your child's folder is an activity log from Mrs. Roquet, the PE teacher. Record the activities you do over break and send it back on Jan. 4 to earn a prize from Mrs. Roquet!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday December 16, 2010

The students probably all came home looking horrified that I didn't give out any tickets today. Well, it's true. We had a rough morning filled with behaviors that Mrs. Abbey thought should not be rewarded with tickets. Talking instead of listening is the main thing I am working on with the students right now. If a teacher is talking or giving directions, the students should be listening and not talking to their friends or tablemates. I know this time of year is very exciting for the students, and once we return from Winter Break, things usually settle down. I'm just hoping that over the next couple of days the students try their personal best to be good listeners.

During our literacy time, Mrs. Abbey read the book, Gingerbread Baby. The fox doesn't eat the gingerbread boy in this book either! We talked about how to make a gingerbread man, including what ingredients they would put in the dough.

Thank you to Ella's mom for helping the students with a sound blending activity!

In handwriting, the students reviewed letters Cc, Ee, and Ff. Over winter break, I will be sending sheets home for your child to practice writing the letters. The sheets your child receives will depend on their writing performance at school--I will only send home the letters which your child has difficulty writing.

The students had their last art class of the 2010 year. Jan. 6 2011 will be the next time students go to art!

The students have been busy making a few gifts here at school--hopefully they have kept it a secret!

New books in the book bags went home with your child today. Please keep these through Winter Break and return them on Jan. 5. Thank you! Also, keep track of your reading on the gingerbread man reading log--return them the first week in January for a prize!

Wednesday December 15, 2010

There must be snow coming! The students were a little out of sorts today, behaving goofy and not listening to the teachers. I hope tomorrow is a much better day!

We read a fun gingerbread story called The Gingerbread Girl. I enjoyed reading this book, because none of the students had heard it before and it kept them in suspense! The kids compared this book with the other gingerbread stories we have read this week. Ask your child what happened at the end of The Gingerbread Girl (Did she get eaten by the fox?)

The students worked on a writing sheet--where they listed 4 candies (or other decorations) that they would use to decorate a gingerbread man and made a picture illustration.

In computer lab, the students explored Milly's Math House for the last time. We won't have another computer lab until after Winter Break.

In guidance, the students were introduced to "I Care Cat" and his 5 rules. Today, they talked about how to make a new friend, read some stories, and did some role playing.

Thank you for returning the book bags. I will exchange the books and send new ones home tomorrow! Keep this new set of books until the Wednesday after Winter Break (Jan. 5).

The students' "I am thankful for..." turkeys went home today! They are super cute!

Tomorrow we will be painting. Please have your child wear clothes that you don't mind getting messy. Thanks!

Tuesday December 14, 2010

The students did a fun graphing activity this morning where they ripped off the part of the gingerbread boy that they would eat first and we graphed each one on a chart. Even though the students did it secretly so no one else could see them, we still had a large percentage of the class choose to eat the gingerbread man's head first!

Mrs. Abbey read The Gingerbread Boy and the students pointed out many differences between this story and The Gingerbread Man story we read yesterday. Tomorrow there will be even more differences, as we read The Gingerbread Girl!

We made a giant-sized class book called, "The Gingerbread Man Ran Away From..." The students were the illustrators of this book.

We celebrated Anita's birthday today! Thank you for the special treats and the fun stencils!

In PE, the students were very tired. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep at night and is eating a nourishing breakfast! They need the energy for school!

Tomorrow is "Team Abbey" kindergarten shirt day! It may be a good idea to wear a long-sleeve shirt under your t-shirt, as it's chilly in parts of our school.

Monday December 13, 2010

Pajama day was a success! The students had fun working and walking in the hall in their pjs!

We are focusing on the gingerbread man this week. Since we read the regular version of the gingerbread man earlier this fall, Mrs. Abbey has collected a few other versions that will be fun to read and compare! Today we read an older version (a book that Mrs. Abbey had when she was little!). We talked about why the little old woman baked a gingerbread cookie, what the gingerbread man ran away from, and what he said as he ran. At the end of the story, we made a list of all the people and animals he ran away from, and will continue adding to this list as we read other versions of the story.

In handwriting, the students practiced writing the lowercase "f".

We worked with math buckets...the students worked in pairs practicing simple addition facts, then we worked as a whole group to practice some subtraction problems.

Wednesday Dec. 15 is kindergarten t-shirt day!

Tomorrow is PE! If your child wears boots to school, please make sure they have a pair of tennis shoes in their backpack to change into. Thanks!

Friday December 10, 2010

The students were very good listeners today!

We talked about soup this morning, discussing our favorite kinds of soup, and reading a folk tale called The Soup Stone. At the beginning of the story, the people in the village didn't want to share their food with the soldier, but when he showed them his "soup stone", they were tricked into thinking that the stone was magical and they made a big pot of soup for everyone to share.

Since we were unable to go to the computer lab on Wednesday, we went to use the computers today. The students explored the Millie's Math House program. They are getting very good at navigating on the computer and are understanding the math concepts presented! Most of the students are also able to log on and off the computers without any assistance. Way to go!

There was a substitute in library today, but the students still listened to a story and got the chance to look at and check out a new library book (if they returned their old one).

The students are really enjoying our new literacy stations! They are working very hard and carefully at the stations, and often have a difficult time choosing one because, as one child puts it..."They're all so good!"

Next week, we will continue learning about food, and will review the 5 senses and focus on gingerbread men and gingerbread houses.

Just a reminder that Monday Dec. 13 is pajama day at Horizon. (I forgot to mention this to the students, so they may be surprised when you tell them.)

Enjoy the nice afternoon, and have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday December 9, 2010

Thank you to all of the wonderful recipes that came in today! We will begin sharing and working on our project next week!

This morning we reviewed fiction and nonfiction before Mrs. Abbey read a non-fiction magazine article called Ripe and Ready to Eat. In this article, the students learned where some of the food we eat comes from (before you buy it at the store). The students were especially interested in learning about the cranberry bogs!

We reviewed the 10 sight words we have learned so far: "I, can, we, the, a, like, see, go, to, have". The students are getting to know these words very quickly which is what we want them to do. Way to go! We also practiced blending sounds to make words with Happy the Dog. Thank you for helping your child with this at home! I can definitely tell a difference when we practice here at school!

Thank you to Kaylee C.'s mom for helping us with a word family slider game!

We started introducing subtraction today. The students enjoyed the story problems that we practiced together as a whole class and are excited to do some more tomorrow!

The students were excellent listeners in art. They worked hard on their projects...you will probably see evidence of it on their hands!

Tomorrow is library day...please help your child remember to return their library book if they would like to check out a new one during library time.

Please let me know if your family does not celebrate Christmas, as I was thinking we'd do a few fun Christmas activities over the next couple of weeks. I want to make sure all families are comfortable with this before I begin planning. Thank you!

Upcoming:
•Horizon is going to have a school-wide pajama day on Monday Dec. 13. Your child may wear their pjs, slippers, robe, etc. to school that day!
•Wednesday Dec. 15 is "Team Kdgn" t-shirt day!
•Wed. Dec. 15--return your child's reading bags for new books! ( I will include 4-5 books in the bag this week so that you do not need to return it until after Winter break on Wed. Jan. 5.)
•Dec. 22 the kindergarten classes are having a "Polar Express" day where the students will once again dress in their pjs (just like in the Polar Express movie), Mr. Salmon will read The Polar Express story to the classes, we will celebrate with donut holes and chocolate milk, and do a few fun Polar Express stations.
•Dec. 23-Jan. 2 there is no school due to Winter Break.

Wednesday December 8, 2010

Today we talked about fruits and vegetables that the students have to eat, even though they don't like them. It was good for the students to see that they are not the only ones who have parents or grandparents that "make" them eat their veggies!

Mrs. Abbey read a silly story called The Three Wishes, where a man was granted 3 wishes for helping out an old woman, but then wasted the wishes on silly things. We learned a few new vocabulary words, one of which was "devour"...to eat something quickly and hungrily.

In handwriting, the students practiced the lowercase "e".

The students read individually with Mrs. Abbey, and we worked on the skill of blending sounds to make words.

Half of the class returned their reading bags today. I will send new books home with those students tomorrow. It is very important that these books are returned/exchanged every Wednesday so that the students have a chance to read a variety of books and gain confidence in their reading ability. Please help your child remember to return their book bag! Thanks!

Also, I am still waiting for a few families' recipes. Please send them in as soon as you can!

Tuesday December 7, 2010

Today we focused on a lesson from our "Being a Writer" curriculum. Mrs. Abbey read, Round is a Mooncake. The story focused on shapes, and helped the students think of things that they could write about. Before writing, we practiced "think, pair, share" with partners. (That is when Mrs. Abbey asks a question and everybody thinks about it quietly before turning to their partner and sharing their answer.) The students enjoy it because it gives them all a chance to talk and share their ideas! Also, thank you to Roger for offering us some insight and facts from when he lived in China!

The students chose a shape and wrote about 4 things that are that shape. Some students had difficulty thinking of things that were different shapes, and couldn't see things in the classroom that were different shapes (ex. the table is a circle, the book is a rectangle). Quiz your child at home to see if they can recognize different shapes in your home!

Thank you to Ryan's mom for coming and doing a blending activity with the students!

Thank you also to all of the families who have sent in their recipes. The students will be sharing those with the class and we will be creating something fun as a culmination of our food unit!

Other things we did today: PE, cutting a beginning sounds game (see the baggie in your child's folder), reading with Mrs. Abbey, and literacy stations.

The book order will be submitted tomorrow morning, so if you plan to order books online, please do so this evening. Thank you!

If you have not returned your child's portfolio, please do so tomorrow. Thanks!

Just a reminder...book bags are due back tomorrow. If your child did not have a chance to read their books 3 times during the past week, please jot me a note and I will have them keep the same books another week. Thanks!

Monday December 6, 2010

The students were very excited for our new stations. Unfortunately we ran out of time, so the students who did not get a chance to try a new station today, will have first pick tomorrow.

Mrs. Abbey read Yoko, which is a fictional story about eating some different foods. We learned what sushi is. The students also decided that it is important to try new foods, even if they think they won't like them. The students said they would each try something new this week and report back to the class!

We practiced making a list--today our list was about foods we would like to bring in our lunchbox for lunch. After creating our list, we voted on the foods that were our favorites...ham sandwich and macaroni and cheese got the top votes.

In handwriting, the students practiced writing a capital "E".

Reminders:
•Tomorrow is the last day to order books from the book order (in order to receive them before the holidays)...please order online or send your check and order slip to school tomorrow.
•Recipes are also due tomorrow. Please write down 2-3 of your family's favorite recipes and send to school!
•I am still looking for a few portfolios/3-ring binders from conferences. Please send them back to me as soon as you can, so that we can continue adding work samples throughout the trimester. Thanks!
•Tomorrow is PE...please remind your child to wear their PE shoes.
•Library books can be returned any day of the week!
•The book bags are due back at school on Wednesday...please make sure that your child is reading the books to you at least 3 times throughout the week, and record this on the yellow reading log found inside the book bag. Thank you for your help!

Friday December 3, 2010

Mrs. Abbey read Grandfather Bear is Hungry, which is a Russian folk tale that explains how chipmunks got their black stripes. We practiced our phonics songs, and reviewed the sight words we have learned so far: I, can, we, the, a, like, see, go, to, & have.

Keep practicing number recognition 0-30 at home with your child.

The students are very excited to start working at new literacy stations next week! We got a sneak peek at them this morning: sight word building activities, sound blending activities, and writing practice activities. The students will even be learning how to do "book reports" for the books they "read" at school!

Information:
•Please send 2-3 family recipes in to school by Tuesday Dec. 7.
•Book orders are due Tuesday Dec. 7 if you would like to order books.
•Please send your child's reading bags back on Wednesday, so that they can get new books.
•Many students did not bring back their library books today--please send them back any day next week so that they can check out a new one!
•A note regarding gloves...if your child is unable to put their gloves on without help, please send mittens instead. Also, keep working on helping your child learn to zip their own coat. Practice, practice, practice!

Enjoy the weekend!

Thursday December 2, 2010

We read a few poems today, and talked about how poems can rhyme and have a beat/rhythm. We practiced clapping and stomping the rhythm of the poems: Crusty Corn Bread and Crunch! Crunch! Thanks a Bunch! We also talked about what we like to eat when we are hungry, and got some good snack ideas from our friends!

The students worked with math buckets, practicing making sets and solving basic addition problems.

In handwriting, the students practiced making the capitol and lowercase letter "C,c".

The students finally had art class...with the early out and Thanksgiving break, they had not been to art since Nov. 11!

Thank you to those families who have already sent in 2-3 their family's favorite recipes! Please take the time to do this before Tuesday Dec. 7.

Today your child brought their book bag home for the first time! Please listen to your child read each book 3 times throughout the week, record the books read, and return the bags to me each Wednesday. I will refill the bags with 2-3 books and send them home each Thursday. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the book bags and this new "homework assignment".

Tomorrow is library day! Please help your child remember to bring back their library book, so that they can check out a new one!

Thank you to Ella's mom for coming and listening to the students read!

Wednesday December 1, 2010

Happy 1st day of December!

Today, Mrs. Abbey read Little Juan and the Cooking Pot. This was a fiction story about a little boy who needed to go to Grandma's house to borrow her giant cooking pot so that his mother could cook his favorite food--arroz con pollo. The students helped make a word web of vegetables we like to eat for dinner. We also practiced blending sounds to make words. This skill is still challenging for some students...continue practicing this at home! (ex. Say the sounds /t/, /i/, /p/ with a little pause between each sound, and see if your child can put the sounds together to make the word, "tip". Try with additional words that have between 2-4 sounds.)

In computer lab, I let the students explore a new program called Millie's Math House. They enjoyed activities, such as counting, making sets, creating patterns, learning about sizes, and matching numbers to sets.

Mrs. Canada talked with the kids about helping others. The holidays are a great time of year to reinforce this skill at home...help your child see the importance of giving food to a food bank, donating a toy to Toys For Tots, or passing on new or gently used clothing for others to use that may not have the money to purchase it.

Things going home in your child's folder:
•a birthday invitation
•book order forms
•recipe assignment

Tuesday November 30, 2010

The students were very excited to see snow this morning!

Mrs. Abbey re-read Our Special Sweet Potato Pie, and the students helped retell it. We made a list of foods that the students would like to eat at a special dinner. We then practiced writing, "We like to eat _____." Those writing samples were made into a class book, which the students will take turns bringing home to read to their families!

In PE, the students played a race car game. Ask your child about it!

Mrs. Abbey worked with guided reading groups while the rest of the class worked at literacy stations, worked on writing, or read books. Next week we will be introducing some new literacy stations! The kids are very excited about this!

This Thursday, your child will be bringing home a bag of 2-3 books that are at their reading level. The "instructions" and recording sheet are in the bag with the books. Please help your child with this weekly assignment. Return the books every Wednesday--new books will be sent home on Thursdays.

Book orders are going home tomorrow. In order to receive the books in time for the holidays, please submit your order online (or return your check and order form to school) by Tuesday Dec. 7.

Also due December 7, are 2-3 favorite family recipes. A note regarding this assignment is going home tomorrow in your child's folder.

Tomorrow is the first day of December! Please return your November reading logs as soon as possible. New logs go home tomorrow! Thank you for doing such a good job reading to your kindergartener!

Monday November 29, 2010

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! I'm sorry I was unable to be here that last day before break, but 2 of my children came down with the flu in the night. So, you are getting your Thanksgiving gift today! The children enjoyed making their handprint turkeys for you!

We had a great day today! Overall, the students did a good job listening, were hard workers, and helped our new student feel at home.

We are continuing our theme of food, and will do so until Winter break. Mrs. Abbey read, Our Special Sweet Potato Pie, which is a fantasy book about a special pie. We talked about things in the story that were fantasy/make-believe, and also about things which were realistic and could have really happened. We also practiced making a list, by listing all of the things the family had for dinner.

Back at our tablespots, the students practiced the skill of real vs. fantasy by doing a turkey paper. It's coming home in your child's folder today. They did a very good job of distinguishing between what a turkey can do, and what a turkey cannot do in real life.

In handwriting, the students reviewed writing O, o, D, d, and A, a.

The students worked in pairs using math buckets to practice basic addition.

Reminders:
•Please send your child's portfolio (3-ring binder) back to school this week, so that I can continue adding work samples. You may keep the report card at home.
•Reading logs for the month of November are due tomorrow. Please send them in if you have them completed! New reading logs will go home on Wednesday.
•Since the weather is starting to get colder and more unpredictable, I want to remind you that if the weather is bad and school is late or canceled, there will be no half-day kindergarten.

Monday November 22, 2010

We continued talking about food today, answering the question, "What is a food that you know how to make?" Many students thought that they had never helped make something in the kitchen--so here's some homework--get them involved in a cooking project and have some fun! Kids love measuring, pouring, and mixing to create a special treat the entire family will enjoy!

Mrs. Abbey read Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation, which showed us what life was like back in the time of the first thanksgiving. We compared the foods that they ate at the feast back then with the foods that we eat at our Thanksgiving feasts.

In handwriting, the students practiced making the lowercase "d". This letter, like the "a," is challenging for students to make correctly.

We practiced solving story problems using math manipulatives.

The students created a bar graph of Thanksgiving foods, and used the graph to count how many of each food there was.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the week. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Break!

I will see many of you at conferences tonight! If you arrive early, take a few minutes to look through your child's handwriting book and science notebook. Your child's "I am Thankful for...
" turkey is also hanging outside our room.

Friday November 19, 2010

A great big thank you to our hero, "Uncle Joey", for coming to read to the class today! Joey is Kassidy's uncle who is in the air force. He read an informative book about jets. The kids really enjoyed having a guest reader!

Mrs. Abbey read an article called, From Strawberry Field to Strawberry Jam. We then tasted homemade strawberry jam on crackers, thanks to Anita's mom! All of the students tasted the jam...and many of them loved it! There were some who knew they wouldn't like it, but ended up thinking that they would have to tell their mom to buy some at the store! It was good!

We also read, The Goat in the Chile Patch, which is a folk tale about a goat who gets into a garden and eats all the chilis. Ask your child how they finally got the goat out of the chili patch. Also, see if your child can tell you the setting and some of the characters from the story. We have been working real hard on this skill! The best part for the children was acting out the story...7 students volunteered for the roles, and the rest of us were the audience. It was really fun to watch, and it looked like it was really fun to be actors & actresses too!

Since we had so much snack mix left over, the students mixed up another batch to have while doing their handwriting lesson. We learned how to write the uppercase "D" today.

Thank you to Elijah's mom who played an initial sounds game with the students!

A reminder...many of you have conferences with me on Monday. Conferences are scheduled every 20 minutes, so please be considerate and arrive on time. I will do my best to keep conferences on time, although there is a lot to cover in 15-20 minutes worth of time!

Enjoy the nice weekend!

Thursday November 18, 2010

What a fun fall celebration we had today!

The students loved making and eating the snack mix...thank you to all families for sending in something for us to mix in. Once combined, we had so much snack mix, that we will get to have a little snack each morning for the next couple of days!

Thank you to our two mom's who volunteered this morning--Ella's mom helped the kids with a painting project and Blake's mom helped with a voice recording project. We really appreciate your time!

Mrs. Abbey read a few Thanksgiving themed books today: Thanks for Thanksgiving, This Is the Turkey, and Over the River: A Turkey's Tale.

The students rotated through 5 fun stations:
(1) write-around-the-room using clipboards
(2) listening to a book-on-tape (Franklin's Thanksgiving)
(3) drawing a picture of something they are especially thankful for
(4) making a small Thanksgiving book
(5) playing Roll-A-Turkey (a dice rolling math game)

In handwriting, the students practiced writing the lowercase "a". They learned that in this handwriting curriculum, writing the "a" may be different than they had learned. When writing lowercase "a", they keep their pencil on the paper the entire time, without lifting it up. ("Circle back all the way around; push up straight. Pull down straight.")

We read a Time Magazine article about Edel Rodriguez, an artist. The students attempted a dot-to-dot on the back of the article, but it was pretty challenging for many of the students who have difficulty identifying numbers up to 30.

Eating lunch in the lunchroom was definitely the highlight of the day!

Regarding conferences for next week: It is encouraged (for this first conference) that parents attend without their children. It is easier to talk candidly about student behavior and concerns when it is just the parents and teacher. That being said, if you are unable to find childcare for your child, you may bring them along. At the 2nd conference (in February), we encourage the student to come and help "lead" the conference.

Wednesday November 17, 2010

Visiting the book fair was so much fun! The students got a chance to look through books they like, and wrote down a few titles of their favorite ones. Books can be purchased any day the book fair is open. Parents can come in and browse the book fair anytime, although the hours during conferences are the most popular!

Hours of the bookfair are:
Nov. 17 9:00am-3:00pm
Nov. 18 9:00am-8:00pm
Nov. 19 9:00am-3:00pm
Nov. 22 9:00am-8:00pm

Mrs. Abbey read Pizza, Please!, a story about how a pizza is made--the dough is made from grain, the sauce is made of tomatoes, and the cheese is made of milk. We talked about our favorite pizza toppings, and pantomimed making our own pizza, putting it in the oven, setting the time, etc.

In the computer lab, the students used KidPix to paint a picture of their favorite foods. We printed the pictures and the students labeled their foods.

The students concluded their Too Good For Drugs program in guidance today. They are bringing home their workbook and a certificate.

Tomorrow is an exciting day! (we will enjoy a celebration of fall and will eat lunch in the lunchroom). We also have a hero coming to read to our class! Please remember to send your contribution for the snack mix tomorrow. Also, if you have not purchased a lunch from the lunchroom, please send a lunch and drink for your child.

Thank you for sending the pickup procedure sheet for tomorrow's early dismissal back so promptly! We have the last lunch of the day (12:00), so if you are picking your child up in the classroom, we may be a few minutes late. Feel free to go into our class and look around.

Tuesday November 16, 2010

What an exciting day! By the way, the kids looked great in their Team Abbey t-shirts today!

We reviewed the book, Apple Farmer Annie, using retelling cards. Then the students sampled some Applesauce Cake that Mrs. Abbey had baked. Many of the students thought it was pretty good, although there were a few that didn't like it because it had raisins in it. Here is the recipe in case you'd like to make it at home.

Applesauce Cake

1/2 C. butter 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. sugar 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs 1/2 tsp. allspice
1 1/4 C. flour 1 C. applesauce
1/2 tsp. baking soda 2/3 C. raisins
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, bakins soda, salt, and spices. Add to creamed mixture alternately with applesauce, beating after each addition and blending well. Stir in raisins. Pour batter into a 9" greased pan. Bake a 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned. (Toothpick inserted into cake should come out clean.) Cool and enjoy!

The book fair was being set up today, so the students are very excited about that! We watched a 10-minute video which highlighted some of the authors and books they can find at the book fair. Tomorrow, the students will have a chance to browse and look at books at the book fair!

Today was our day to do a lesson from "Being a Writer," our writing curriculum. Mrs. Abbey read, Red is a Dragon, which is a story about colors. We learned a new sharing technique, called "Think, Pair, Share". During writing, the students each chose a color that they wanted to write about, and drew pictures of four things that are that color. They then labeled the pictures, writing all the sounds they could hear in each word.

In handwriting, the students learned how to correctly make the uppercase "A", using the lines we've already learned: "slant, slant, horizontal".

Another bit of exciting news that I shared with the students today is that we will be getting a new student in our class next week! We talked a little bit about ways we can make him feel welcome.

A note went home in your child's backpack regarding early dismissal pick-up procedures. Please fill out and return to school tomorrow, if possible. Thanks!

Also, our Fall Festival snack mix will be made on Thursday. Please send in your contribution for our mix in the next couple of days. Thank you!

We have been talking about eating healthy breakfasts in our class, in PE class, and in guidance class. Please help your child determine what is a healthy breakfast to eat in order for their brains to be ready to work and learn in school each day!

Monday November 15, 2010

Your child went home with two important notes today...
(1) a reminder that tomorrow is our Team Kindergarten t-shirt day.
(2) a note regarding snacks for our Fall Celebration this Thursday.

Also of importance is the fact that this Thursday is our 12:35 dismissal day. The regular bus route will not be running after class. Please make arrangements for your child to be picked up. I will be sending home a sheet tomorrow...please return it on Wednesday or Thursday showing what arrangements you have planned.

Today we started our food theme in literacy! We read Apple Farmer Annie, which is an informational fiction book about a farmer that grows apples. An informational fiction book is one that gives real information about something, but the events in the story did not really happen. There were recipes at the end of the book so Mrs. Abbey is going to try to make one of them--apple cake--and bring it in for taste testing tomorrow! We learned a new sight word: "to" and are focusing on the /n/ sound this week.

The students played a fun Thanksgiving game in music class today.

In handwriting, we practiced making the uppercase and lowercase "O,o". (backwards circles)

We practiced problem solving using pictures with basic addition facts 0-5. The students are getting better at solving these as a class, but it gets a little tricky when they have to draw it on their own.

The students finished up writing what they were thankful for and making their turkeys. They will be hanging up outside our classroom during conferences!

Friday November 12, 2010

We finished up our unit on transportation and started a unit on Thanksgiving. Our literacy unit which we will be starting next week is about "food", so that will fit in nicely with the Thanksgiving holiday that is coming up. Today we talked about what we are thankful for and made a list as a class. The students came up with some wonderful things to be thankful for: mom, dad, pets, house, our life, clothes, food, water, car, toys, friends, grandma, grandpa, brothers, sisters, our world, etc. Later in the day, the students started a turkey activity, writing something they are thankful for on each feather. We will finish them up next week and hang them outside our classroom for you to see at conferences!

Mrs. Abbey read, The Singing Wagon, which is a Pueblo folk tale about an old black beetle who has an adventure while pulling a wagon. Ask your child to tell you what happened when the old black beetle asked for help to pull the wagon full of sticks.

In handwriting, we reviewed the three letters we have learned to write so far..."L/l", "I/i", and "T/t". Have your child show you how nicely they can write these letters!

At library time, the students passed their slider tests! That means that they can now use a book slider to check out books from anywhere on the shelf! (Up until now, they were limited to choosing a book from a collection off of the library shelves.) Congratulations, students!

If you have any children's books about food, please send them in for our class to read over the next couple of weeks! Thanks! Also, if you or anybody you know makes strawberry jam, our class would like to try some when we read a story about how jam is made next Friday-Nov. 19. Please let me know if you are able to help us out!

Next Thursday (Nov. 18, which is our 12:35 dismissal day), we are planning to have a "fall celebration". We are planning to create a yummy snack mix, where each child will bring in something to add to the mix! Details will go home on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday November 11, 2010

Yeah! The sillies were left at home today! And everyone was a great worker!

We had a very good morning! The students worked with math buckets creating their own story problems or solving basic addition problems.

We talked about ways that we get to school, and Mrs. Abbey read a magazine article called, How Do You Go to School?. We read the labels, which helped us match words to pictures in the article. Then buddies chose another thing to label in our own classroom. The kids love labeling things!

In handwriting, we worked on writing the lowercase "t".

As a baseline assessment, the students practiced writing the lowercase letters of the alphabet. Many students had difficulty with this task. The students can recall how to write the uppercase letters of the alphabet much easier than the lowercase letters. Their confidence and skills in this area will increase as we continue through our handwriting curriculum.

Tomorrow is the final day to order kindergarten t-shirts. They are green with a black frog and lettering. Please send $5 if interested.

I am planning some new literacy stations for the students to use at the beginning of December. If you would have time to trace, cut, or assemble materials over the Thanksgiving break, please let me know and I will prepare some work for you! Thank you!

Tomorrow is library day. Please send your library book back if your child would like to check out a new one.

Wednesday November 10, 2010

We continued our talk about transportation, focusing on trucks today. We discovered that some trucks can be small and some can be big. Some can even have more than 4 wheels! We read about 4 kinds of trucks: off-road dump trucks, logging trucks, car carriers, and snowplows. Ask your child what facts they can remember from our picture cards. We alos learned a new word today--"massive"--which means really large and heavy.

In order to complete a few of our assessments, it is important to go to a room that doesn't have posters of the alphabet and pictures of numbers and words put up all over the walls. So, today we took our pencils and writing boards down to an empty hall to show what we can do without any help from posters and charts! The students thought it was pretty neat to go out of our room to do work!

Many of the assessments we are doing right now are not reported on the report card during 1st trimester. They are used as a baseline to see how much progress students make throughout the year, and to help me better plan for large group and small group instruction. The first trimester report card is fairly short--only reporting on social behaviors and pre-literacy skills. During 2nd and 3rd trimester we start reporting on math, science, and more in-depth literacy skills the students have acquired.

During handwriting, the students learned how to correctly write the uppercase "T".

We did not have time for computer lab today, so we will see if we can squeeze it in at the end of the week.

p.s. Please remind your child to keep their "goofies" at home. We have had quite a few instances of acting goofy or crazy at school this week. Thank you!

Tuesday November 9, 2010

The students used retelling cards to help retell the story of Duck on a Bike. They did a good job of summarizing the story, and could even remember some specific details!

Mrs. Abbey read, City Signs, which is a book of photographs. Instead of a story, it uses words to label, or name, things that we see outside, such as Fire Department, ambulance, STOP, pizza, etc. The students enjoyed "turning to their partner" to talk about different parts of the book, and to discuss signs that they have seen. The students worked with partners to look around the room and agree on something they wanted to label. The labels we made and hung up today were: locker, alphabet, folder basket, books, and family pictures. We will continue labeling things in our room over the next couple of weeks!

For our writing time, Mrs. Abbey demonstrated drawing a picture of a room in her house, and labeled all the pictures with their initial sound/letter. The students each made one of their own, choosing any room in their house, and labeling the pictures they drew. The students are getting to be very good at identifying initial sounds in words! Way to go!

The students were exhausted when I picked them up from PE. Very sweaty, very thirsty, and very tired.

Thank you to Ryan's mom for helping the students work on writing sounds they hear in words!

Mrs. Abbey pulled groups of students to read into the whisper phones today, and also pulled students individually for trimester assessments. I can't wait to talk with all of you at conferences!

Monday November 8, 2010

November is a really busy month for the students! In addition to our regular literacy lessons, specials, math activities, etc., we are adding end-of-the-trimester assessments every day.

This is our final week of our transportation theme in literacy. We are focusing on things that have wheels this week. Mrs. Abbey read Duck on a Bike today. The students talked about the characters of the story, as well as discussing the plot. They then sequenced the events of the story. This project is coming home today...have your child retell the story using the 4 events that they sequenced.

During guided reading groups, we used a fun, new device to help the students listen to what they are reading. They are called "Whisper Phones," and they hook over the student's ears like sunglasses. The kids loved trying them out today!

We have been doing a lot of work looking at writing, specifically our morning message. The students help find words that rhyme, look for spaces between words, and identify letters at the beginning and end of a word. We are also working hard on blending sounds to make words.

Thank you to Blake's mom for working with the students on a chalkboard writing activity which focused on writing the sounds they hear in CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.

Keep practicing letter sounds and number identification at home!

There will not be a class book order going home this month, as we encourage families to purchase books from the book fair instead.

Upcoming:
•T-shirt orders are due this Friday (Nov. 12) if you would like to order one.
•Students can wear their "Team Abbey" shirts of Tuesday Nov. 16.
•Our 2nd "early" dismissal will be Thursday Nov. 18. Students will be dismissed at 12:35.
•Conferences will be held on Monday Nov. 22.
•There is no school Wed. Nov. 24-Fri. Nov. 26. Happy Thanksgiving!
•Please return your child's November reading log by the end of November.

Friday November 5, 2010

The students were very hard workers today!

Mrs. Abbey read Timimoto, a folk tale from Japan. We used our map of the world to locate Japan. The students learned that good readers make predictions while they are reading, so we practiced predicting what will come next while reading the story. Practice predicting when reading books together at home!

We practiced blending sounds to make words with Happy the dog. One game my youngest daughter likes to play in the car is the sound blending game. I say the sounds of a word, and she guesses what word I'm making. She enjoys it so much that now she says sounds, and I blend them together to make a word. It's a great time-filler game to play while waiting in line or driving!

We started adding flowers, inner tubes, and airplane pictures to our number chart. Keep practicing number identification with your child. Next week, we will assess again to see what additional pictures we can add to our poster!

In handwriting, we practiced the letter "I/i", both uppercase/captital and lowercase.

The students went to library today. If your student did not return their library book, they may exchange it any day next week. You do not have to wait until Friday for your child to check out a new book...they may do it as often as you would like.

The students practiced their fine motor skills, by doing a shape cutting activity. This will be in their portfolio at conferences.

Thank you to Elijah's mom for helping us out with an alphabet writing assessment today!

In your child's backpack is a green kindergarten t-shirt ordering sheet. This t-shirt is optional. Orders are due Friday Nov. 12 if you would like to get one.

Thank you for all of the plastic bags that were brought in to school over the past several weeks! We will let you know the results of the contest!

Also, thank you for returning the conference time reminders. Having that scheduled really helps me out a lot!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday November 4, 2010

We continued talking about travel today. The students discussed where they would tell a friend to go traveling. We talked about bike riding, and read a poem, My Bike. We learned that some poems rhyme and some can have have marching or clapping rhythm.

We talked about the 3 lines in handwriting...the blue solid top line, the blue dashed middle line, and the red solid bottom line. We learned how important it is to practice our writing slowly and carefully. We practiced the lowercase "l" and reviewed uppercase "L" today.

In art, the students are working on making leaf prints. They are looking wonderful!

The students learned how to solve story problems using drawings (instead of manipulatives) today. As a group, we practiced with drawings of fish, candies, rockets, and books.

ex. Emma went to the library and picked out 1 book. (draw one book) Then Emma decided to pick out 3 more books. (draw 3 books) How many books did Emma check out? (count and answer "4").

After watching and counting along, the students got a chance to try one independently. They did a great job (this being their first time trying!).

Thank you to Ella's mom who worked with the kids on counting today!

Reminders:
•If you have not already done so, please send back your purple conference sheet tomorrow.
•Friday is the last day to bring in plastic bags.
•Keep reading together every night and work daily practicing numbers! At conferences, I'll give you some more ideas of skills you can work on with your child in the afternoons!
•Tuesday November 16 we wear our "Team Kindergarten" t-shirts!

Wednesday November 3, 2010

Happy 50th Day of School! We now have 5 big paper fish in our fish bowl. The students have been taking turns counting the fish by tens and ones. It's great counting practice!

Today we made a chart to show how each of the students gets to school in the morning. We learned about tally marks and how to record information using the tally marks. Of the students in school today, 5 rode the bus to school and 5 rode in a car.

We talked about going on a trip/vacation/journey and what we need to pack. Mrs. Abbey read The Two Frogs. The students helped explain what happened at the beginning of the story, during the middle of the story, and at the end of the story.

In computer lab, the students used stamps in KidPix to create patterns. I will share these with you at conferences.

During guidance, the students colored pictures of Tuggles. They should tell you all about Tuggles and what they are learning with Mrs. Canada and Mrs. Russell.

In handwriting, we practiced the uppercase L. We need to review slowing down, taking our time, and doing our personal best work, as many of the students rushed to "get done first."

If you have not returned the purple conference time sheet, please do so over the next couple of days. Thank you!

Friday is the final day to turn in plastic bags. Currently, our school is in 2nd place.

Tuesday November 2, 2010

The students were wonderful workers today!

We did a writing lesson from our Being a Writer Curriculum. Mrs. Abbey read the story, When I Get Bigger by Mercer Mayer. The students practiced "turn to your parter" to discuss parts of the story, and to talk about things they want to do when they are bigger. The students then drew pictures and wrote about one thing they want to do when they are bigger. Their writing has come so far over the past month! Students are working hard to write the beginning sounds of words, and many are starting to hear and write more than the initial sound in each word! Way to go! I will be sharing this writing sample with you at conferences, in addition to some of your child's writing samples from the beginning of the year. What a difference!

The students did the parachute in PE today!

We had a special station day today...students could choose to work on our current literacy stations, math buckets, or our ABC literacy stations from the beginning of the year. They loved the change! While students worked, Mrs. Abbey pulled students individually to assess skills for the report card.

Your child is bringing home 2 important things in their folders today:
(1) a small envelope of number cars. Attached to the envelope is a note which lets you know what numbers your child knows and which numbers to work on. Thank you so much for helping your child learn these numbers at home!
(2) a purple conference sheet. Please look over the date and time, fill out the bottom of the sheet, and send it back. (Your child earns a "bonus ticket" for returning it this week.) If you are unable to make the conference, please list a few alternate days or times that may work for you on the bottom of the purple sheet and I will try to reschedule. Thanks!

We have an apple tree outside our classroom door. This is a place for me to post items that our class could use. If you would like to purchase any of the items, we would greatly appreciate it! Currently, the items on the tree include: washable ink pads, magnifying glasses, tempera paint, stickers, popsicle sticks, small legos, hand-held pencil sharpeners, portable CD players with headphones, and any type of manipulatives (ex. 100+ seashells, 100+ buttons, 100+ plastic ants, etc.). Thank you so much for all of your help and support! We couldn't do it without awesome parents like you!

Monday November 1, 2010

It sounds like everyone had a fun weekend!

I'm sorry that there was not time for a blog post last Friday. We had a very fun day! The students really enjoyed going to eat with the kindergarteners in the lunch room! My daughter, Hailey, visited us from 5th grade to show the students some string games (we had read about them earlier in the year). The students each brought home a loop of yarn to practice with! We read, The Rabbit and the Turtle, did a maze during handwriting, went to art class, worked at literacy stations, read a Time Magazine, and learned about pumpkins.

Today, we talked about vacations and where each of the students likes to travel. Mrs. Abbey read the book, On the Go, a non-fiction story that tells about different ways that people travel. After reading the story the students helped make a 3-part list where we sorted the vehicles into 3 categories based on where they are used: on the land, in the air, or on the water. The monorail stumped us, since it's not really used on the ground or in the sky!

We practiced using "privacy folders" today. We use our privacy folders while doing assessments. We will have many small assessments over the next few weeks, as we prepare for report cards and conferences. Today we worked on number identification, counting by 10's, and matching numbers to sets.

A new reading log for the month of November was sent home in your child's folder today. If your child completed their October log, a Clifford Goes to School book was their reward. Keep reading together!

Number cards, which I mentioned a week ago, go home with your child tomorrow. A note will be attached to the envelope to inform you of the numbers your child consistently can identify, and the numbers which are causing some difficulty. Please work with your child to help them learn the numbers 0-30. We have a new poster hung up where students can add pictures when they have mastered different numbers (a flower for #s 0-10, an inner tube for #s 11-19, and an airplane for #s 20-30). The students are pretty excited that they get to add pictures to the poster as they learn their numbers!

Upcoming:
•This Friday, Nov. 5, is the final day to send in your plastic bags, or have Horizon be credited for using your reusable bags at the store.
•Thursday Nov. 18 is another early out/"late dismissal" for us. We will eat lunch at school and dismiss at 12:35.
•Monday Nov. 22 are conferences. A note regarding your time will be sent home later this week. Please let me know if you cannot make the scheduled time and we will reschedule.
•There is no school Wednesday Nov. 24-26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thursday October 28, 2010

Just wanted to write a quick note to let you know that the students are currently in lunch and are enjoying every minute of it! I will not be able to blog until later this evening, as I will be attending a math PD this afternoon. Check back later to see what your child was up to today!

Wednesday October 27, 2010

Wow! What a windy day! I'm surprised those little kindergarten bodies don't just blow away.

We talked about what our favorite types of transportation are this morning. During computer lab time, the students used KidPix to draw a picture of their favorite vehicle. We printed them off and will be sending it home as another class-made book! Look for it to come home over the next couple of weeks!

Mrs. Abbey read, How Partridge Built Canoes. The students listed many ways in which they knew that the story was fiction.

During handwriting, the students practiced writing shapes. Next week we begin letters!

In guidance, Mrs. Canada and Mrs. Russell talked to the students about how to make friends. The students role played a skit about making friends, and drew a picture of a friend in their workbook.

Mrs. Abbey worked with small groups of students reading the book, Tig Can See.

Tomorrow is our late dismissal. The students are very excited to be eating lunch at school! Please remember to send a drink in your child's lunch box. There will not be recess. At 12:35 I will take the pick-up students outside to the north end of the school, and we will wait as a group for parents to pull up. It is a long line, so please be patient! As an alternate, you may pick your child up in our classroom at 12:25, or park in the lot (either the main lot or north end lot) and walk to the North side of the school to pick up your child. See you then!

Just a reminder...there is no school on Friday.

Tuesday October 26, 2010

Check out our first video! We were talking about fall leaves and the students decided that they wanted to sing me a song about fall leaves that they had learned in music class. Enjoy!

The students did a much better job of listening today. Many of them counted their tickets and traded in for a prize! Some of the students have been saving a long time...to earn a prize from the 25 ticket box...and have succeeded! For others, it is difficult to save tickets...they would rather trade in more frequently for smaller prizes or stickers.

The students helped retell the story, The Bus for Us, using retelling cards. We talked about making predictions in the story. We discussed why we liked the story. Some ideas were--"I like the colors.", "It has fire trucks in it.", "I like to guess what's coming next."

Thank you to Blake's mom who helped with a color mixing science investigation! Half of the class had a chance to mix colors using eye droppers and colored water. The other half will finish next week when I have another parent volunteer here to help out!

In PE, the students played "Ghostbusters". They were exhausted when I went to pick them up. It might be a good afternoon for a nap!

The students practiced forward circles in handwriting today.

Thank you to all of the parents who returned the early dismissal questionnaire so quickly! I did notice an incorrect time on the form...if you would like to pick your child up in the classroom (instead of driving through the pick-up line, which gets quite long and crazy especially on early-dismissal days), please come to the classroom and pick your child up at 12:25. (I had written 11:25. Sorry for the confusion.)

Monday October 25, 2010

Oh boy, were we loud today! Mrs. Abbey needed to remind the class several times to work quietly and talk in whisper talk with their buddies. We also had quite a few students who thought it would be great if they acted silly. We are working on this issue, with the goal being that the students know when it is ok to act silly and when it is important to listen, learn, and work. We will talk more about these social skills at conference time!

Today we started a new literacy unit: transportation. We brainstormed a list of vehicles and other things we ride in (hot air balloons, rockets, bicycles, wagons, etc.). The kids had many good ideas! Mrs. Abbey read, The Bus For Us, a fiction story about all the vehicles the kids see while waiting for the bus. Our focus sound for the week is /t/. Our new sight word we will be practicing this week is "see".

In handwriting, we reviewed the lines we have learned so far and started learning forward circles. In our handwriting curriculum, we will start learning letters later this week!

The students practiced basic addition story problems today. Mrs. Abbey pulled students individually to re-assess number recognition #0-30. Many students get mixed up with the teen numbers, and a handful are saying the 20's numbers backwards (ex. 26 is "62"). I am in the process of creating some fun number flash cards that I will be sending home later this week for you to practice with your child. Mrs. Abbey is making a special recognition chart to hang in the classroom which celebrates when students have learned their numbers 1-10, 10-20, and 20-30! Continue to help your child practice their numbers at home, and I will continue assessing their growth and will add them to the chart when they have mastered it!

Tomorrow is PE. Please have your child wear PE shoes.

We are talking about fall and leaves. If you and your child would like to collect a few leaves and press them flat, we would love to do some leaf rubbings here at school! If you have the time, send some in! Thanks!

A note regarding our "late" dismissal on Thursday was sent home today. Please remember that the bus does not run at dismissal time, so you must plan transportation for your child on early dismissal days. Please fill out the sheet and return to me tomorrow (if possible).

Also in your child's backpack is a fundraiser packet. If you would like to order or have family, friends, or neighbors order please fill out the order form and return to school on Monday Nov. 1. Thank you!

Upcoming/Reminders:

•Picture retakes are tomorrow, Tuesday Oct. 26. Please send back your pictures if you would like your child's pictures retaken.

•Thursday October 28 is a 12:35 dismissal day. Please return the form in your child's folder no later than Wednesday Oct. 27. Thank you!

•There is No School on Friday October 29.

•Please send in your child's reading log (goldenrod paper with pumpkins) as soon as you are done recording your minutes read. A new reading log for the month of November will go home on Monday!

Thursday October 21, 2010

Happy Pajama Day!

I'm not sure if it was the pajamas or what, but the students had a challenging time of listening and following directions today (not only in our classroom, but in art class as well). We'll try harder tomorrow!

During large group, we talked about how friends help us and how we have helped our friends. Mrs. Abbey read The Turtle and the Sheep, a story about 2 friends who helped each other in different ways.

In science, we reviewed what we have learned about spiders, and shared some more spider books the students had brought. We will finish up talking and reading about spiders tomorrow. We are also planning to go outside to investigate the fall changes of trees tomorrow morning. Please send a sweatshirt or coat with your child, so that they are not cold. Thanks!

Thank you to Ella's mom for helping us with a math activity today!

Tomorrow is School Pride Day...try to wear something with our school colors--purple and yellow!

We are still collecting plastic bags for one more week! Continue to send yours in. As of today, our school is in 2nd place in the competition!

Wednesday October 20, 2010

Happy Spider Day!

What a fun experience to have someone come and talk to us about spiders, and show us some spiders up close! Before going to the speaker, we talked about what we as a class already knew about spiders. Mrs. Abbey then read a book, called Super Spiders, which gave us some more knowledge about spiders. Did you know that spiders can have up to 8 eyes? Did you know that spiders are not insects? (Ask your child how many body parts and legs a spider has...insects have 3 body parts & 6 legs, while spiders have 2 body parts and 8 legs!) Thank you, Jasmine, for bringing in a live little spider for us to see! Also, thank you to all the students who brought spider books to share!! We will send them home on Friday. After returning from the spider presentation, we used our new knowledge about spiders to draw a picture in our science journals.

During guidance, the students watched a video about making good choices and only eating and drinking things that are healthy for our bodies. The students also drew a picture of themselves doing a healthy activity...these are in your child's folder.

Also in your child's folder is a Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine. I thought that this would be a good resource to use to help supplement your child's learning (since the kids are in school 4 hours less than the typical kindergarten student), so I ordered copies for all of the parents. This magazine usually has some great ideas about parenting and helping your child learn. A new magazine will come home every month. Enjoy!

Another important thing in your child's folder is their Smile Safe Cards. These cards are provided for mom's and dad's to keep in their wallet, in the unfortunate event that your child would be lost.

Tomorrow is pajama day! Your child may wear their pajamas, slippers, and/or a robe to school!

Parents of girls...just a reminder...if your child wears a dress or skirt to school, please have them wear a pair of shorts or pants underneath! Sometimes it's hard to sit or play when we are worried about others seeing our underwear. Thanks!

Tuesday October 19, 2010

Happy Hero Day! Tomorrow is "wear your exercise clothes" day.

The students helped Mrs. Abbey retell the story, Simon and Molly Plus Hester, using retelling cards with pictures from throughout the story. We talked about beginning, middle, and end. When reading books at home, see if your child can identify these things:
*Who are the characters?
*What is the setting (where does the story take place)?
*Is the story fiction (made-up) or non-fiction (real)?
*What happened at the beginning? the middle? the end?
These are all things we have been focusing on at school this month.

In PE, the 4th grade students helped our kindergarten class with the haunted house obstacle course. It sounds like they had a lot of fun!

We worked as a large group practicing story problems. Mrs. Abbey created many kinds of story problems for the students to figure out. You can do the same thing at home with your child! Just gather together some small manipulatives, such as 10-20 buttons, legos, or other little toys. Then make up a simple story problem for your child to work on!

Here's an example: "Anita went outside to look at the stars. She saw 4 stars in the sky. (child puts down 4 manipulatives). Anita looked a little longer and saw 3 more stars (child puts down 3 more manipulatives). How many stars did Anita see? (child counts up all manipulatives to get the correct answer)

The students enjoyed doing this math activity. Some students wanted to create their own story problems, which would be a wonderful thing to do at home together! Write down some of the story problems your child thinks up at home and send them to school. Mrs. Abbey will use those examples next time we work on story problems together!

Tomorrow, a visitor is coming to talk with the kindergarten students about spiders! If your child has any spider books or plastic spiders that they would like to share with the class, please send them to school tomorrow!

Monday October 18, 2010

The kids enjoyed wearing red for our first day of Red Ribbon and Character Counts week. Tomorrow they can dress up as their favorite hero...real hero or super hero!

We talked about friends and how sometimes friends don't get along. The students had some examples to share about the problems they've had with their friends and what they did to solve them. We talked about how it's important to have friends and to find ways to take turns, play fair, and get along. Mrs. Abbey read Simon and Molly Plus Hester, a fiction book about a boy who gets upset when a new girl moves in and "steals" his best friend. In the end, he realizes that his best friend is still his best friend, and that they can all be friends.

In handwriting, we practiced making backwards circles. We practiced the letters Oo and Cc, as both of these letters use the backwards circle stroke.

In math, we worked on basic addition using manipulatives and math fact cards. The students are getting very good at this! We will soon start story problems using basic addition facts.

Mrs. Abbey met with many of the students in individual writing conferences. During these conferences, the students have a chance to share with me all that they have been working on during writing time. We also make a goal to work on during the next month.

Coming Up:
•Wednesday we have a guest speaker coming to talk to the kindergarten classes about spiders!

•This Friday is the end of the first quarter of school. Can you believe we are 1/4 done with the year? The students are learning so much and are doing great! I can't wait to talk with each of you at conferences on November 22! (Reminder notes about your time will be going home soon.)

•Just a reminder that picture retakes are next Tuesday morning, Oct. 26. If you would like your child's picture retaken, please send back their envelope of pictures. Thanks!

•Thurs. Oct. 28 is an early dismissal day. Start thinking about how you are planning to have your child transported home that day, and let me know what you decide.

•Friday Nov. 5 is the last day to send in plastic bags for our collection. Remember to use your recyclable bags whenever you shop, and have them credit Horizon Elementary School!

Friday October 15, 2010

Happy Black Day!

Today we attended the celebration/assembly in the gym. Horizon Elementary was presented with the Bronze medal in the HealthierUS School Challenge! The kids really enjoyed the visit from "Power Panther" who reminded us to "Eat Smart and Play Hard"! In your child's folder is a sticker and frisbee for them to keep.

The assembly took up much of our morning, but we had a little time to practice backwards circles in our handwriting books. The students also went to library and checked out new books. They worked at stations (reading, writing, and working on letters and names) while Mrs. Abbey pulled students individually to work on reading and letter sounds.

Thank you to Jasmine's mom for coming to school to play a beginning sounds game with us!

Next week we celebrate Character Counts and Red Ribbon Week! Refer to the red sheet that went home on Thursday in order to dress appropriately each day of the week. Monday is "wear red" day.

I found a baggie of ABC cards in the classroom after school on Thursday. If your child did not bring home a baggie of ABC cards with a yellow activity card in it yesterday, please let me know. Thanks!

Picture retakes are Tuesday October 26. If you would like to have your child's picture retaken, please send the original picture packet back on re-take day.

Thursday October 14, 2010

Happy Brown Day! The students had a fun time "posing" for the picture today!

Thank you to Elijah for bringing such an appropriate book for the conclusion of our colors unit! Since it was such a familiar book for the students, they all helped me read it. Also, thank you to Roger who was thinking like a teacher, when he recommended we use Elijah's picture cards to sequence the story! What great thinking!

During handwriting, the students continued working on starting at the green dot and stopping at the red dot when writing. We finished our introduction to vertical lines. Tomorrow we begin practicing backward circles! Today, I sent home a baggie of uppercase and lowercase ABC cards from our Handwriting curriculum. Included in the baggie is a sheet of "game ideas". Use these cards at home to increase your child's confidence in letter sounds and word building! The students also thought of some other games they could play with the cards, which is wonderful! Use them however you think would benefit your child the best. The cards are yours to keep--they do not need to be returned to school.

In art, the students are using oil pastels to draw pictures of flowers. They look great!

We practiced adding using manipulatives, math fact cards, and counting boards today. The students are really working hard at this!

A big thank you to Kaylee C.'s mom for helping us out with a rhyming game today!

Tomorrow we have an assembly in the morning. Horizon Elementary School is being recognized for our nutrition/wellness program. It's a pretty big deal...even the media will be here!

Tomorrow is also black day!

Next week our school is celebrating "Character Counts" and "Red Ribbon Week". A flier went home in your child's backpack today. Each day of the week is a dress-up day!

Monday--wear red
Tuesday--dress up as your favorite hero (police, superhero, role model, etc.)
Wednesday--wear sweats/exercise clothes
Thursday--pajama day
Friday--wear purple and gold!