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