Hello Kindergarten Families,
Here it is October already. We are always amazed at how quickly September slips by once school has started. The Kindergartners are getting into our classroom routines and remembering our weekly schedules. Of course, they never forget the days they go to P.E.. We will have two changes to our weekly schedules; both classes will now have Art twice a week opposite the days we go to P.E., and we will add our library times to our Tuesday afternoon schedules. Thank you for seeing that your student gets plenty of rest. When the children come to school rested they are much more able to learn and have more resiliency for changes and social situations. We have been teaching reading skills since the beginning of school and will very soon begin our reading groups. Starting groups have been delayed by the new MAPS testing for both reading and math for all grade levels. Our classroom aide and tutor were pulled to assist in the computer lab during this time. Now, all the testing has been completed and we will be able to get our reading group schedules underway. We have introduced letter names and sounds for mM, bB, cC and this week tT. You can help your student hear these letter sounds by having them tell you the letter name/sound that a word begins with. You can also give them words that have that “ending” sound, too. To encourage independent reading the children should save the little alphabet book that they bring home on Mondays and practice reading the sentences every night. These little books reinforce the “letter of the week” and introduce the new sight word/s of the week.
In Math we are just beginning Section 2 of our Everyday Math. This chapter continues with teen numbers (recognition, counting from 1, more, less, equal, longer, shorter, patterning, beginning number stories, graphing and measurement. Please watch for the small Mathematics at Home activity booklet that we will send home soon. It is full of supplemental math activities that relate to activities that we work on in class.
We have begun our Science study of Fabric. We are looking at 10 different fabrics; knit, corduroy, denim, fleece, organza, seersucker, terry cloth, rip stop nylon, satin and burlap. The children are directed in observing likenesses and differences of the fabrics and noticing the effects of water on them, etc. Much of our Kindergarten learning is observing how we learn using our five senses.
Some of you have sent in the classroom volunteer form. Those classroom jobs will begin this week, if possible. Mrs. Parker’s class still needs one parent who can commit to at least 10 weeks as a helper in Science on Wednesday mornings, 9:30 – 10:45 ish.
Many of you have returned the “class telephone” list and it will be ready to send home very soon. If you have changed your mind about being on the list, please let us know as soon as possible so we can add your name and phone number.
Here are some dates for your calendars:
Oct. 20 PTA meeting in Library – watch Sanislo Newsletter for the time.
Oct. 22 Curriculum Night – watch the Sanislo Newsletter for the times and schedule of grade level meetings with the classroom teachers
and with Mr. Seevers in the Library.
Oct. 31 Halloween (Saturday) Just so you know, we do not dress up in costumes at Sanislo for Halloween. Your Kindergarten teachers
have not yet decided what will be done to acknowledge this day.
Thanks for helping your children and us off to a great start.
School is Boo-tiful!!!!!!
Sanislo’s Kindergarten Teachers
