Spelling City

I have added a tab at the top of my Blog page.  When you click on the tab, it will take you to the Spelling City website.  I have entered each weeks' Sight Word list.  Please feel free to visit this site with your child when practicing sight words.  I think the students will really enjoy the activities and will benefit from the extra practice at home.  We will begin our study of sight words Mon. Sept. 17th.

Early Release Day next Wed. Sept. 12th

Dear Families,
The first Early Release Day is this upcoming Wed. Sept. 12th.  Please read the information below to find out what time your child attends school.

A.M. Classes  8:45 - 10:55
P.M. Classes  11:30 - 1:40

I will use the information you provided at the beginning of the school year to determine how your child is going home. 

Here are all the Early Release days for the school year:
Sept. 12
Nov. 14
Dec. 5
Jan. 9
Feb. 13
Apr. 24


There are also half days during the school year.  On the following four half days students are dismissed at 11:50. 

AM kindergarteners will attend the morning of Oct. 19th.  PM students do not attend school.
PM kindergarteners will attend the morning of Mar. 15th  AM students do not attend school.

Both AM and PM kindergartners will attend the mornings of Mar. 22nd and May 23rd. 

Writing Names

Today the students learned how to write their name the "Kindergarten Way".  Students were told that from now on they should only capitalize the first letter in their name and the following letters should be lowercase.  Please practice this skill at home.  If you would like a copy of the 'name' handwriting practice page the students' used today, please feel free to e-mail me. 

Football Spirit Day Friday

Dear Families,
This Friday Sept. 7th we will be having a Football Spirit day to kick off the Ram's first Sunday football game.  Please have your children show their spirit by wearing blue, gold, Rams clothes or another favorite football team's clothes.  It will be great fun  : )

Class Books

We completed our first class book on Friday.  Each student made a page about their name, which will be assembled into a class book.  Each student will have the opportunity to take the class book home and read it to their families.  Please keep the book for only one night and have your child return it to school the next day.  After each child has the chance to take the book home, I place it in our class library for students to read during reading center time.  These books help with sight word recognition and reinforce early literacy skills.  Be looking for this book to be coming home soon!

Extra Practice

This is a worksheet that the students work on daily to reinforce "Letter of the Day" concepts and math concepts.  We will not complete the entire worksheet at school.  If we have covered a concept during a different part of our day, we may not complete that portion on this worksheet.  Please feel free to finish any uncompleted sections for "extra" practice at home.

Newsletter

Getting to know each other!
The main focus the last two weeks was getting to know one another.  We're starting to learn about each other through activities that allow your child to listen to interests of other students.  We had fun learning our classmates' names through songs.  Each child will have the opportunity to be the "Special Student"  Be on the lookout for a book the class has made for your child.

Alphabet Work
We have started our first rotation of the alphabet.  We focus on one letter each day.  So far we have learned about the letters Aa-Ff.  The lessons include hands-on activities that correspond to each letter.  Students learn about each letter through the use of the interactive whiteboard, stories and handwriting practice activities.  We discuss whether each letter has curvy or straight lines.  We have been practicing how to sound stretch words, in order to hear the letter sounds in each word.  Students should be practicing this when completing their homework. 

Language Arts/Social Studies
Students helped create classroom rules.  Students signed their names on the "Classroom Rules" chart and agreed to follow the rules so we can have a fun and safe year.  Students also discussed rules they have at home and we compared them to the rules we have at school.  We had conversations about why rules are important and why we should follow them. 

Homework
Homework begins Sept. 4th.  It will come home in a folder.  Please have your child return the homework folder on Friday.