Kid, you'll move mountains.
~Dr. Seuss
2/23/2020 0 Comments AustraliaThis week we will continue learning about the continents as we travel down under to Australia. What perfect timing as we continue to learn about our new student Sammy who is from Australia! We also welcomed Noam to our class last week. Noam is teaching us some French words! We have enjoyed getting to know these wonderful boys and the class has stepped up to be leaders and teach them about our school and class.
On March 2nd, we have a teacher work-day. If you are in town and would like to schedule your spring conference, this would be a perfect day to meet. Please email if you would like to schedule an optional conference. In writing we have been writing “how-to” stories. It is fun to read what the kids are teaching us to do! Watch for those coming home soon. Math has focused on addition. As soon as we master that we will move on to subtraction. At home, please keep working on reading eggs and math seeds. We have noticed that the students who consistently use these programs have been making the most growth. Remember as you work on sight words to take your time. When students test on a list, they should be able to read the words fluently, not sounding them out in their heads or out loud. That is why we call it a sight word; they know it by sight! :) We would love to continue having a volunteer for library to help check out books. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-library Here are the other links to volunteer: Workstations: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-ceyworkstations Friday Folders: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-friday3
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2/3/2020 0 Comments Fun week ahead!We have a very exciting week ahead! Today we will talk about Groundhog’s day. Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow yesterday, so legend has it that we will have an early spring. We got to see some hints of that yesterday before this snow blew in today. Colorado weather sure is crazy!
Tuesday is the 100th day of Kindergarten. We will celebrate by doing lots of hundred activities. The kids will even make a special snack, so no need to send one in tomorrow. If you have time to come in, we would love to have some volunteers from 8:30-10:30 or 12:30-2:00. Wednesday is the 101st day of school, so why not add to the craziness and celebrate with 101 Dalmatians? Look for information coming home in folders about dalmatian day! Time to start working on your Valentine’s! Have your CHILD sign his/her valentines & have your CHILD address the envelopes, writing as neatly as possible. Please start this process early. Kinders will be mailing their valentines in the bags by matching the envelope to the name on the bag. This is excellent handwriting practice. If you write it for them, they often can’t read it & can’t mail them on their own. Please have a valentine for everyone so feelings aren’t hurt. The Valentine Party is Thursday, February 14th from 9:30-10:30. We will begin delivering valentines starting on Wednesday, February 6th. Kinders may bring them in starting that day. The valentine for your kinder’s 3rd grade BOOK BUDDY needs to be here before February 8th as we will be exchanging then. 1/27/2020 1 Comment Sickness...I hope everyone had a chance to read Mrs. Thomas’s email about ill children. We had several kids go home sick today with fevers. It seems like whatever is going around comes on quickly. If your child has a fever or sick tummy, please stay home. Don’t worry about missing work.
We have been having fun on our adventure around the world learning about the continents. So far, we have covered, North America, Europe, and Antarctica. Right now, we are learning about South America. What fun! Can you believe that your child has been in kindergarten for almost 100 days!?!? We will spend TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 doing 100 activities (or activities about the number 100, there's only a dozen projects!). Be on the look out for a sign-up because we could use extra volunteers in the morning and afternoon. Valentine’s Day is also coming up. Wow, there is a lot going on! We will send home a class list this week. There are 22 students. Please get one Valentine for each student plus a book buddy. Some kids want to send a Valentine to special’s teachers, so we put their names on the list just as an FYI to you. The kids DO NOT have to send them a Valentine. Totally optional. Thank you very much for your generous support of all the Zach Gives Back campaigns. We were so excited to win the Band-aid drive!!! The Popsicle celebration will be on Friday. They will bring diary and nut free Popsicles, but if you would like to send a separate option, please let me know. 12/11/2019 0 Comments I think I can...Today we did one of my favorite lessons of the year in writing. I love it because the kids are so engaged, that some of them literally have tears in their eyes. It is hard for me not to cry to see them so excited about writing. Really, the lesson carries over to the growth mindset I have been trying to teach all year. We talked about how things (writing and taking a risk) are hard, and those things can make us feel uncomfortable. I pretended to cry and told them that my tummy hurt. They encouraged me to try and persevere, but I just kept saying, “I can’t!” They didn’t know what to do with my bad attitude. Through the lesson I explained how they each have a super-power, like a real super-hero. When we say I can’t, our mouth tells our brain and heart that we can’t. However, if we use our brain power to say, “I think I can, I think I can…” we can change our heart and convince our body to change. When we can do something that we originally didn’t think we could, it feels so good. We feel proud because we used our super-power! Watch the attached video below, and that’s when the tears started. Our class is no longer allowed to say, “I can’t.” We chant, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I KNEW I COULD!" We use our super-power! Thank you for all you do and encouraging your children to be the best they can be… taking risks and being super-heroes! 12/2/2019 0 Comments Sensing the SeasonThis week we are diving into a science unit to learn about the five senses. It is a fun time of year to learn about this topic as the lights sparkle, bells twinkle, fingers tingle in the cold, cookies bake in the oven, and we lick candy canes!
In math, we are learning about graphing. However, in WIN groups, students continue to learn about a differentiated skill. In writing, we are getting close to publishing our first “teaching book.” What is your child writing about? It has been fun to see your children take-off in reading as our literacy and phonics skills blossom. Remember to keep reading with your child every night. Take time to talk about the sounds and letters and start searching for the sight words that are repeating on the pages! Report cards will go home after winter break, so we are assessing over the next few weeks, just a little at a time. Please remember to keep me informed of any school your child will be missing! Speaking of… I will be leaving early for winter break this year because my family is driving to Canada. I will be out on December 18-20, the last few days before break. My substitute will be Mrs. Killy Brown. She is a regular at Zach, and I trust that she will do a phenomenal job finishing up the semester. 11/13/2019 0 Comments Thanksgiving and HolidaysIn math, we are working on decomposing numbers. That is complicated away to say that we are setting the conceptual foundation for addition and subtraction. How many ways can you make 10? 6 and 4, 5 and 5, 7 and 3, they are learning to use patterns to figure out all the options.
In core, we will study the Native Americans and how they lived before North American was settled by the Pilgrims. They used very different things than we use including a papoose (baby carrier), parfleche (small bag), homes, clothes, and tools including arrow heads. Next week, we will learn about the pilgrims. Why did they leave their homes to come live in an inhabited and dangerous land? The weather and unfamiliar lands made it very difficult. At the end of the week, we will learn how the Native Americans taught the pilgrims skills like farming and hunting to help save them from the harsh climate. Will your child be at school the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving? Please let us know as we start planning some fun celebrations. Our young authors are loving their teaching books. Your child is an author and an expert. Ask him or her what their topic is and support with ideas. Throughout the year, we refer to our young authors as "Super Writers!" We will learn to solve problems and that when you think you're done, you've just begun! As the holidays approach, please let me know if there are any family traditions that you do or do not celebrate that I should be aware of as we learn about different celebrations. Remember to remind students to “keep magic alive” if they no longer believe. We are sending home a family homework assignment that will be due after Thanksgiving, so you have plenty of time to work on it. Send it in whenever you are done. Use this to begin the conversation about unique family celebrations. Big take aways:
10/27/2019 0 Comments Halloween!Are you ready for Halloween? I'm a little scared of piles of candy, late nights, and lots of excitement! Just kidding. It will be a great, albeit crazy, week. We will keep busy through the week and try to contain the excitement, Here's the fun Halloween logistics:
Costumes: Only kindergarten student may wear costumes to school. All the other grade levels change into them after lunch. Toy weapons are not allowed at school. Bring masks for the parade, but we will limit wearing them during the day. Please just warn your child so there is no disappointment. Party: Our party is from 12:15-1:15. Families and siblings are invited, but please know there is no pressure to come. It's totally up to you! If siblings come, remember that the activities and games are for the students. I have lots of toys they can play with. Also, bring snacks for siblings; food and treats are just for students. Parade: The school costume parade is at 1:45. Kindergarten parents are invited to view from outside the kindergarten rooms or in the media center. Candy: Please do not send candy to school as a snack. Lunch is your discretion. If your child brings candy, I will ask them to keep it in the backpack and provide a healthier option. They really need a healthy option to feel happy, energetic, and ready to learn! 10/13/2019 0 Comments Columbus and making mistakesThis week in Core we are learning about Columbus. Often, explorers don't find what they were looking for on the first try. Sometimes, they find something completely different and wonderful. What would have happened if they gave up because it was hard or they made a mistake?
In our class, we are learning that mistakes are a good thing... as long as we learn from them of course! The kids are learning to celebrate mistakes because it means that out brains are growing. Students showcase this in math by presenting mistakes and correcting misconceptions, talking out disagreements with friends, finding ways to correct spelling in our writing, and reread to make corrections in our reading. Please continue to encourage your child to embrace mistakes at home. How can we make a mistake if we never try anything new or challenging? Kindergarten is about exploring and growing in all ways! Trying to write a word with multiple syllables or drawing a picture that we never knew we could. We are always looking for ways to help our brains grow. Encourage your child to do things independently at home even if it takes more time or it doesn't work out the first time. How will we learn if we don't get the chance to try? Pretty soon your child will be running the house and getting things done! Are you sending books and folders to school every day? Thank you! We try to practice reading with every child, every day. This week, we did not send home leveled readers. Please also spend time reading to your child. ReadingEggs and Mathseeds are also a great way to practice and extend learning this week. I am excited to talk to you more at your child's conference this week. Many conferences are back-to-back, so please be on time. If it is your conference time, please knock on the door to help us stay on schedule. Volunteering is a great way to get a sneak peek into your child’s world. Thank you to those who have already been in the room. We love your help! Conferences: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-fall3 Workstations: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-ceyworkstations Friday Folders: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aca62da57-friday3 9/22/2019 0 Comments Welcome Fall and Apples!It's finally autumn, and I am looking forward to hopefully cooler weather next week. To celebrate the start of fall, we will talk about not only the season, but the delicious fruit that comes with it... APPLES! We will even make some applesauce to finish out the week. Please send an apple (any type) with your child on Thursday. I will bring some extras in case you don’t have one. Don’t run to the store; it’ll be ok! We will make the applesauce together but let it cool overnight. Plan on applesauce snacks on Friday!
In math, we have been working on counting with 1:1 correspondence (counting objects one at a time). You can practice at home by counting toy cars, coins, crayons, etc. The trickiest part has been representing a number (the whole) with two parts. For example, students are learning to show 5 using two different colors like 3 red circle and 2 yellow circles. Please also work on writing numbers always starting from the top. Speaking of writing… we are nearing the end of our “All About Me” posters. It has been fun to get know and write about our classmates, but now it is time to start writer’s workshop. Often, it is difficult for students to come up with a topic. We sent home a project yesterday that will help us guide your child. Please draw, cut out, or print pictures of all the things your child is interested in. The more variety, the better! Some of the topics we cover in kindergarten are teaching books (something they know a lot about), pattern books, a personal narrative, and fiction. Lots to look forward to! Thank you very much to everyone who has donated to the ZEF fund! Kindergarten has won a hat day tomorrow because of your generosity. If you haven't had time, it's not too late to contribute to the ZEF campaign on Schoolpay.com. Please check your child's folder tomorrow after school. There will be three important notes! If I ever send "Take Home" material from Amplify, our literacy program, it is completely optional and for your information. For example, last week, I sent information on proper pencil grip and positional concepts. It is always great practice but not necessary to return. 9/9/2019 0 Comments Leveled readers!Leveled readers are coming home today in folders. We try to practice reading with each child during the school day, so be sure to send these books back inside their folders every day. Because we are reading them every day, they may seem "too easy" or "memorized." That's ok! Let your child shine and feel confident about reading to you. Celebrate that!
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Specials ScheduleMonday: Media
Tuesday: Technology Wednesday: PE Thursday: Music Friday: Art Sight Wordsred, the, like, can, orange yellow, a, I, green, blue, purple, black, we, see, pink, white, gray
Important DatesDecember Archives
February 2020
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