Reminders

“Read to Me” week was lots of fun!  Thank you to all who organized it and read to our class. 

The Field Trip Permission slips and money are due as soon as possible. 

Scholastic News

If you have not yet sent in the $6.00 for the “Let’s Find Out” magazine please do so as soon as possible.  The bill is here.  I have about half of the money at this point.  If I do not get the money, I will have to pay the balance out of my pocket.  Every little bit helps!   Thank you so much. 

Reading

We have been finding words that begin with the same sounds, blending onset rimes, segmenting and blending CVC words and are continuing with letter recognition and sound association for those children who have not yet mastered the letters and sounds.  Please continue to review and work on these skills nightly. 

Sight words: we, can, go, to, the, like, was, is, I, a, my, red, yellow, blue, my, me and see. 

Math

We are counting and finding groups of numbers to 9, finding differences, finding similarities, writing numbers to 9, looking at patterns within the calendar, looking at what makes a group of 10, finding how many more we need to get next group of 10, learning the days of the week and the months of the year.  A huge component of this math program is teaching the children to problem solve and think aloud.  They also need to be able to explain why and how they chose the answer. 

Workshops

1.       Math/literacy/technology- IPADS- WE have used apps on the set of 6 ipads we checked out from computer lab to practice math and literacy skills.  WE LOVE THEM!!!! WE love them so much we are going to keep them for a while!

2.       Literacy- Sight word practice.  WE used letter stamps to practice writing sight words. 

3.       Literacy- Writing Workshop- WE used stickers to create a picture and then wrote about the picture using a color word as a describing word.

4.       Science- Animal covering classification.  The children sorted animals into groups based on body coverings.  Then they completed some recording sheets from science curriculum. 

5.       Math-Children sorted pictures to find things that were the same, exactly the same and different. 

^{Pumpkin Patch Field Trip coming up October 7th!  Remember if you want to volunteer to chaperone you must be cleared by the county.} 

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

            

We are going to Bi- Water Farms in Georgetown to the Pumpkin Patch on October 7, 2011.  Please sign the permission slip below for your child to go with us.  There is a petting zoo, a corn maze, a spooky house, a hay ride and we will pick our own pumpkins.  Please indicate lunch choices below.  The cost of the field trip is $10.00 which covers the cost of admission, activities, pumpkin and the cost of the bus.  Cash or checks may be made out to: JME.

If you would like to chaperone, you must have filled out a volunteer form on-line with Fayette County Public Schools and been approved.  Parents may meet us at school and follow the bus to Bi-Water and back.  We will leave around 9 and be back between 1 and 1:30.   Parents will pay their own admission at the entrance. 

Cut form and return bottom portion.  Retain top half for your information.  _____________________________________________________

My child _________________________ has my permission to go on a bus with the JME Kindergarten to Georgetown to Bi-Water Farms on October 7, 2011.  I marked my child’s lunch choices for the day and whether or not I want to volunteer to chaperone. 

_________________________________________________

Parent Signature

Lunch Choices:    (PLEASE MARK ONLY ONE)

____ Home Lunch- No peanut butter- Container must be disposable.

____ Turkey

____ Ham

____ Yogurt and cheese sticks

____ I would like to volunteer to chaperone.  I have been cleared by FCPS.

Newsletter 9-16-11

Reminders

“Read to Me” week is almost here!

Dress up as your favorite storybook character September 20, 2011.

If you wanted to be a guest reader for our class next week please let me know so I can put you on our schedule. 

We will count all the books read in class as part of their reading log.  The homework books will count as well as the books you read to them.  The log will come home Monday.  I also will count these books toward the Pizza Hut Book it! Program and they will get a free pizza for reading a specified number of books per month from October through March. 

Scholastic News

If you have not yet sent in the $6.00 for the “Let’s Find Out” magazine please do so as soon as possible.  The bill is here.  I have about half of the money at this point.  If I do not get the money, I will have to pay the balance out of my pocket.  Every little bit helps!   Thank you so much. 

Reading

We are rolling along in reading groups.  We are learning to track print, memorize texts, and read and find sight words from the book and the word wall. We are blending onset rimes, blending CVC words, finding words with the same beginning sounds, making letter sound associations, using strategies to solve unknown words, and some of us are taking Accelerated Reader tests!   We will start spelling tests in October.  The spelling words will be added to the homework packet. 

Sight words: we, can, go, to, the, like, was, is, I, a, my, red, yellow, blue and see. 

Math

We are counting and finding groups of numbers to 7, finding differences, finding similarities, writing numbers to 7, looking at patterns within the calendar, looking at what makes a group of 10, finding how many more we need to get next group of 10, learning the days of the week and the months of the year. 

Workshops

1.       Math- Thumbprint Number book to 10.  Children make thumbprints to correspond with the number. 

2.       Literacy- Rhyming Concentration-Children made a concentration game to take home and practice rhyming.

3.       Literacy- Writing Workshop- We read Scholastic News Magazine about school rules and wrote a comparison piece about home and school rules.  We discussed Constitution Day and how rules are important for us to have in society to keep us safe. 

4.       Science- Living- Non- Living- They sorted through dried pasta to find objects that were living or non living.  Then they used a recording sheet to draw a pair of objects that were each. 

5.       Math- Button Sorting.  They sorted buttons to find the differences in sizes.  Then they completed a sheet where they had to find a picture that showed five differences. 

^{Pumpkin Patch Field Trip coming up October 7th!  More information will follow.}

Homework instructions

Wilburn’s Homework Instructions

Homework will come home on Monday and is due Thursday unless we do not have school on Monday.  Then the due date will be adjusted to allow time since they did not get the homework until Tuesday.  I also will take it on Friday because I understand that “life happens” at its own pace.  It is very important that you sit down with your child and have them read to you.  It is expected that every child in the school does their weekly homework. Try to let them do as much of it themselves as possible.  Your role is that of a supporter and encourager.  Most of the homework sheets and reading should take them no longer than 15 minutes a night.  If it takes longer than that something is wrong. Just space the work out and that way they won’t get overly tired.   Things I send are the same type work we do at school and will mirror skills being taught and reviewed.  The books sent in folders are school and personal copies.  I have sets of six and it is very important I not lose any of the books sent home.  I use them for guided reading groups as well so I need each one and often they cannot be easily replaced.  Please just keep them in the folders after you read each night. 

I have included a writing development continuum for you to keep and use to see how their writing should develop over time.  I also will send the first set of Dolch sight words for you to practice.  Knowing these sight words really helps to increase fluency.  If your child does not yet know all the letters and sounds, it is important for you to set aside time each day to review those. 

Spelling Tests

We will not begin spelling tests for a couple of months.  We are working on the sight words daily but I like to give the children a little time to adjust before I put the pressure of a spelling test on them.  When we begin, I will send home a list of the words to practice. 

If you have any questions, just email me at letitiawilburn@gmail.com or call and leave a message at school. I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

September 2, 2011 Newsletter

Reminders

No School Monday September 5, 2001 in observance of Labor Day. 

Grandparents Breakfast is September 8^th for children whose last names begin with the initials A-M and September 9th for children whose last name begins with N-Z.  You will eat in the classrooms with your grandchild after getting your breakfast.  Come visit and see where your grandchild spends their day. 

Read to Me Week at JME

             

·         Monday September 19^th Kickoff Assemblies.

·         September 20^th –dress as your favorite book character.

·         September 20-23- special classroom activities and guest readers

·         September 12^th through the 22^nd- Student book drive.  We need gently used books to donate to local non- profit agencies and charities.

Our class needs a few volunteer readers.  You must be cleared as a volunteer by FCPS in order to do this but we would love to have you come and read to our class.  If you would like to do so send me a note or an email. 

Science News

We are observing meal worms in the classroom to see the metamorphosis they go through as they change into beetles.  We also had a white moth to lay eggs in a container.  Mrs. Cook arranged to get some monarch caterpillars which have now formed a chrysalis.  We are watching daily!  The Smartboard has been very engaging as we have found and watched several quick videos on life cycles. 

Workshops

1.      Math- Number writing 7 to 10- The children finished their number books this week and now know all the number poems for number writing.  Help them remember to form the numbers correctly. 

2.      Literacy- Shaving cream writing- the children wrote letters, words and sentences on trays lathered with shaving cream.  FUN!

3.      Literacy- Writing Workshop- We read and sang the rhyming book “Oh, A Hunting We Will Go”- Then each child wrote their own page to go into the class book.

4.     Math- Pattern block patterns. The children used pattern blocks to make and draw patterns.  Then they played a match me type game copying patterns onto a grid.

5.      Science- Life Cycle of a butterfly.  The children colored pictures of a butterfly life cycle and put it in the correct order of the cycle.  

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!