Newsletter

Reminders

Please label coats, hats, mittens and scarves with names.  They are so hard to keep track of. 

Cultural Fair

December 18^th and 19^th with a potluck the night of

December 18^th.  6-7:30

Winter Concert for Choir and Dance Team

December 19^th at 6:30

Winter Party

December 20^th.  I have one volunteer so far and could use one or two more.  Just let me know. 

Winter Break

December 21-January 1

We return to school on January 2^nd. 

Just realized that I forgot to proofread the

last newsletter!! Oops.  I do know the difference between to and too.  I think I typed that one on a late night. 

Reading

We continue to work hard in reading.  I am pleased with the progress I am seeing so far.  Many are beginning to figure out how to now use the isolated skills they have with letter sounds and combining it together to begin using stategies in decoding.  We added with that and on to the word wall this week.  We have focused on writing the lowercase letters r, n, m, hand b.  They are the diver letters. Top start-dive down-bump bottom-swim back up through the bubbles-and finish in a variety of ways.   I have kept the list of words I mentioned in the last newsletter below in case you did not get a chance to find them on internet last week.

http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/26402063145620440/lib/26402063145620440/zeno_word_list_-_numbered.pdf

Do not forget that they may also get on study island from home throught the JME school website. 

Sign in is:

First name last initial@jme

Password is:  study

Here are some game practice links to use at home.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/vowels/index.htm

http://pbskids.org/lions/games/blending.html

http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/pig_waller/pig_waller.html

http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/hay_loft/hay_loft.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/construct/

http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html

Math

We are continuing work on ten frames and recognizing that when all frames are filled it is ten.  They also need to see and understand the number missing in a ten frame.  We are working on recognizing and writing numbers to 20 in order.  Here are some games that will help reinforce that skill.  We are just completing the second unit assessment and will begin a chapter on two and three dimensional shapes.  We will refer to them as flat and solid shapes. 

http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=75

http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/kindergarten-math-activities.html

http://www.abcya.com/connect_the_dots_20.htm

This is a paid site but they may have 20 free practice problems a day.  Here is the membership link. The cost is $ 9.95 per month or 79 dollars a year. 

http://www.ixl.com/membership/

Cultural Fair

Our school will be having a cultural fair on December 18^th and 19^th.  It will be the first time we have done this event and it will be so exciting.  Each classroom is responsible for researching and presenting information learned about a country to all the other classrooms in the building.  There will also be an Open House Pot luck event on the evening of the 18^th in the cafeteria.  Our country is Australia.  If any of you have artifacts, pictures, personal connections or ideas please send them our way. I have a few things lined up already.  We will be turning our room into the land down under!! Look for specific details to follow as we learn more about the event.  We are lucky because as luck would have it, Ms. Hogue in the office is a host to an exchange student from Australia who is doing her practicum at our school.  She has graciously volunteered her services to our class for the week.  We are so excited to get to learn about Australia through a native Aussie’s eyes and experiences.  We still could use a volunteer or two to help our class present.  We do our presentations on the 18^th. 

Gingerbread houses

Attached you will find a list requesting items for the gingerbread houses we will make.  Thank you for your support in this project. 

Winter Party

I did hear back from one parent offering to help with the party.  If you are interested in helping, please contact me and we can plan activities. 

Workshops

1.        Literacy- CVCE word building- The children blend and decode CVC words and then add the silent e to make a whole new word.  Example tub-tube.  Then they record their work. 

2.       Social studies- Australian flags- children are making Australian flags out of balled up pieces of red and blue paper glued onto white paper for a base.  Will the union jack become visible? 

3.       Literacy- writers workshop- writing to inform- The children are using information we have learned and are learning about Australia to list facts they are interested in. 

4.       Math- ten frames.  Children draw a number out of a bucket and have to place counters onto a double ten frame to make the number drawn.  Then they have to color in the ten frames on a recording sheet and write the number that corresponds with the ten frame. 

5.       Ipads/computers- they used the ipads and computer to practice and reinforce skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten. 

 

Have a fabulous weekend with family.