May 20-24

The final full week is here...

It's hard to believe that our time together is coming to an end.  Yet, when I see the growth each and every child has made this year, I know it was time well spent!  I am amazed at how your child's academic and social skills have strengthened and I feel lucky to have been a part of that.  I thank you all for the dedication and support you have given your child and me throughout the year.  Our team effort, along with that of each enthusiastic learner, has made a difference.  I am so fortunate to work with a fantastic team:  Mrs. Benyo, Mrs. Doranski, and Mrs. Wilke.  During the course of the year they have also had an impact on your child's learning...what a wonderful learning community we have!  I hope you feel that your child's first year at May Watts is the beginning of a great things to come!  I will miss our class but I welcome visitors or a little hello when the kids get a chance!

This last week we will continue to read and enjoy fairy tales as well as do a short science unit on water. Students will learn about the properties of water during experiments and discussions. They will explore the idea of water as a solid, liquid, and gas. We will also take a look at the water cycle. If we have time, we will talk about careers and discuss what we might want to be when we grow up.

In math we will review many of the games we learned this year as well as do a quick review of the most important concepts we have covered. In your child's report card, that you will get on June 5, there will be directions to some great math games you can play this summer. Being prepared for first grade is all about practicing the skills we learned this year, engaging in math talk, and seeing how math connects to your every day world!

Soon your child will be bringing home their writing binder from the year. The binders were our class journals and this will show their growth as writers throughout kindergarten....although many pages have fallen out :(. It also contains pages from our class books and some writing samples from the year. I hope you find this to be a cherished keepsake of your child's tremendous growth. In the back of the journal are our letter poems. These poems are a fun way to practice reading during the summer.

Even though we are winding down, we are still very busy. I will update you during next week with any important information you need to know!

 

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

May 14-17

With Z week over, we have now covered all the letters of the alphabet. We have discussed if the letter is a consonant or a vowel, we have learned vocabulary words that start with each letter, and we have learned to correctly form the letter when writing (always start at the top). It is important to continue to review letter sounds and practice letter writing with your child so this remains a fluent skill.

Lat week each child took the district writing assessment. This week we completed our final monthly assessment for numeral writing and writing a response. WOW.... I was very impressed with the results. Almost every student was able to use the TTQA strategy (turn that question around) and were able to give a reason to support their opinion. The use of capital letters to start sentences and the proper use of conventions is coming along as well. It is so rewarding to see their growth!

This week we started to talk about plants. We focused on the things a plant needs to grow, the parts of a flower, and how certain plants are used to help us. Each child planted their own seeds and will (hopefully) watch them grow. If you plant a garden at home, this might be a good time to enlist the help of your kindergartner. Take them into the garden and talk to them about the things you need to do so that your garden grows successfully.

In math we will continue to look at the 100's chart and discuss the patterns we see. It is important for your child to understand how the 100's chart is set up. Your child brought home one earlier this week. You should ask them to identify numbers that are 1 more/less and 10 more/less than a given number. This skill will help them start the 1st grade year off on the right foot. We will also be looking at decomposing/composing the numbers 6-10. Each student will be asked to show the different ways to make these numbers by coloring in a chart. Our goal is be truly fluent with the numbers 1-10 in addition and subtraction.

Our ABC countdown continues next week with letters P-T.  Your child will need to bring a few favorite books for our Read In Day on Wednesday.

Our field trip to the Children's Museum was a success!  Thank you to Mr. Cadena, Bilal's aunt Humna, Mrs. Cowan, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Chandak for your much appreciated help!  I hope your enjoyed the 3 D creations your child made!

Next Thursday is our LAST LMC time!  Please make sure ALL BOOKS ARE RETURNED BY THURSDAY, MAY 23RD!  Mrs. May will be so thankful!

Have a great weekend!

May 6 - 10

This week we learned about the letter Z. During the week we read both ficiton and non-ficiton books about the zoo. Students were able to talk about their own trips to the zoo and shared stories about their favorite animals. We also learned some interesting facts about zebras when we read non-fiction books about them and write an informational. Our skill work will include lessons on singular vs. plural nouns as well as an introduction to putting words into alphabetical order.

In math we will continue to work on the structure of 5 and 10, multiple step problem solving, simple addition/subtraction facts, and the pattern of the 100's board. We will also review 3-D shapes as we prepare for our upcoming field trip. The students have made a lot of progress when it comes to their mathematical thinking. KP students are getting better at explaining their thinking and are learning to count things in efficient ways. I think a lot of exciting things are happening in our math class right now.

This week students worked on writing their very own books that will then be published with the help of our Kinderpress Volunteers! Can't wait to see the final products. Thanks so much to all the parents who are helping to make this project a success.

Students took their final CBM tests last week. WOW....what progress we have made this year. Thanks so much for your help and support. It is exciting to see the growth that has been made!

Dont' forget!  No school on Monday.  On Tuesday, we will be going to the Children's Museum.  PLEASE SEND A LUNCH, WE WILL NOT BE BACK IN TIME FOR HOT LUNCH!

Next week's letter countdown day is L-O.  Have your child bring a favorite NON FICTION BOOK on Thursday for N day.

Mothers, enjoy your day on Sunday!  You deserve it!!!!

April 30-May 3

This week talked about the letter Q and its best friend U. Each day looked for q words to see if we could find one that does not begin with the qu combination. (We also talked about the letter u and how it can be found in other places besides just next to the q!). Students  worked on forming words in the 'ug' and 'um' word families. During the week read books about quilts. Do you have a quilt at home? If you do, please show it to your child-maybe there is even a special story behind it that you can share with them. You may find some fun "quilt" squares coming home as we are introduced to some quilt square writing during writer's workshop.

In math we have been engaging in a LOT of "math talk". During "math talk", students have to explain how they grouped objects, solved a problem, or figured out how to orally answer a question. The most amazing thing about this is how much we learn from each other. The students have been enjoying a math series by Greg Tang that is filled with mind-stretching riddles and LOTS of opportunities for "math talk". This would be a great series to have at home. You might want to check it out so you can engage in mathematical discussions this summer. We will also be spending time composing and decomposing the number 10. Students need to be able to solve addition/subtraction problems FLUENTLY up to 10. They should also be able to find the missing addend and understand what that means.

 

As always we will continue to work on reading strategies and reading independently, as we prepare for the year to end, and for your child to become a FIRST GRADER! It is amazing how your child has grown with all the learning that has taken place this year and I am grateful to all of you for your continued support and efforts at home! THANK YOU!

Our ABC COUNTDOWN continues as well. Next week represents the letters H-K....please refer to the left side of the blog for what needs to be brought in this week.

 

Our Volunteer Tea has been rescheduled for Monday May 6.  Please come to allow us to say THANK YOU for your help this year!

On a final note...our field trip is quickly approaching. We will be going to the Children's Museum on Tues. May 14. We will be attending a classroom program on 3-D shapes as well as exploring the museum. I am still in need of 2 parent volunteers to attend this trip. A new school policy is that volunteers also have to pay for the trip (sorry). If you are available to come with us, please email me. Please return permission slips as well as school registration forms if you have not already done so!

Have a great weekend!