Posted by jstutz1 | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on November 5, 2017
October 30 – November 3
Popcorn Words: This week the words in and all popped into our classroom. We found these words in our daily message, in books we read and practiced writing them during our writing time.
Writer’s Workshop: This week we dove into writing like scientists. Starting with drawing and labeling the parts of our shoe. They really loved gathering a leaf as well to write about. The kindergartners loved taking a “gallery walk” to see their classmates writing. We have added a magnifying glass to our tools as writers this week. Using their magnifying glasses to explore the texture, colors and uniqueness of each object and then drawing it with detail. We are continuing this “informational writing” next week as well. Learning how to notice all the details around us, labeling parts and then telling our readers about the item.
Reader’s Workshop: This week we wrapped up what a character is in a story. They got to use their own voices to say the words that the characters say in the book Froggy Learns to Swim. We talked about how in books characters can also talk. In books we can see that they are speaking because there may be speech bubbles or “quotation marks.” They explored their own books to find these items. The Kindergarteners also loved playing the different characters in the book Froggy Learns to Swim. Getting a chance to say what Froggy said, or his Mom or Dad from the book. Next week we will explore the setting in a book. The Kindergarteners are really amazing little book lovers! Everyday showing me popcorn words they find in books, quotation marks, periods and other details that show me they are excited about becoming readers!!
Math: This week we continued to work on Unit 2. We explored shapes, number writing, five groups and adding more to make a new number. The Kindergarteners have also explored telling more math stories from looking at a picture in our Math workbooks. Everyday we warm up our Math brain by doing some counting to 100 with, Let’s Get Fit with Jack Hartmann, a Kids Music Channel on YouTube. The Kindergarteners also enjoy practicing their counting by 10’s by doing a Climbing Up This Mountain by Harry Kindergarten Music. We are doing a great job of our number awareness and addition and subtraction skills. Every Friday we play Math games that incorporate some kind of practicing of the skills we have done during the week. This week the Kindergarteners enjoyed playing a fill the bucket game where they added candy corn to fill a small bucket with the corresponding number they rolled. They also practiced writing their numbers with a play dough activity where they rolled the play dough into a snake and put it in the shape of the number they had, then wrote the number several times. The Kindergartners also measured and answered questions about their stuffed animal they brought in for our special stuffed animal day. Another game was a find the matching leaf game. The Kinders pulled a leaf from a basket that had dots on it, they then found the matching written number on a leaf game board. They always have a lot of fun during this Friday Math games time!
5th Grade Buddy Fun: On Tuesday the Kindergartners loved having our 5th grade buddies join us for some Math fun. They worked together to create their own Pumpkin Math Number Book. Thanks for visiting 5th graders!!
Split Lit. Centers: This week we have done a great job of continuing our new split lit. center activities. The students are continuing to work on letters, sounds, rhyming and sight words. Please continue to review these skills at home. Often as we continue to build on our skills we can slip in recognizing those letters and sounds. Don’t forget to revisit these skills periodically. The Kindergarteners have done a great job!!
A Reminder: As our cooler weather is nearing closer please be sure to send the appropriate clothing with your Kindergartener for outside recess.
PE Cares Food Drive: From November 1 – 16 we will be taking donations of canned or non-perishable food items to benefit our local food pantries. Each time we go to gym we will donate our items…so far we don’t have any. Please consider donating a few items to help out our school wide effort to stock these pantries for a very busy needy time of the year.
Button’s Travel Update: Our classroom stuffed animal puppy, Button’s has been making his way to the Kindergarteners houses for his sleepover. It looks like he has been having a GREAT time!! Thank you for taking such good care of him while he is in your care!! The Kindergarteners are soooooo excited to get a chance for their overnight with Button’s. He will make his way to everyones’s home. Be on the lookout he will be making his way to your home very soon!
Mystery Reader: Brody was totally shocked when he saw his Mom walk through our door as Mystery Reader. Mrs. Husted read us Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Tarlett. An adorable story about a little monster that eats his way through stories. Thank you so much for being our Mystery Reader Mrs. Husted!! If you are interested in being a mystery reader in our classroom please visit our Mystery Reader tab on the left and sign up through our signup.com page or email me directly at jstutz1@hpseagles.net to set up a time.
Book Fair: This week we will be having our Book Fair in our library. A flyer came home with your child letting you know all about our Book Fair event. Our class will “preview” the book fair on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The Kindergarteners will get to make out a “wish list” of the books they are interested in with he price listed. They will bring these wish lists home for you to look at. We will be doing a “buy day” on Thursday, November 9. We do not typically purchase books together as a class, I only send those kiddos down to the book fair with an adult who are purchasing. If you are planning to let your child buy a book on Thursday please send in the wish list with the title circled and money needed. Our book fair is also open during our conference evenings on Monday (4-8 p.m.) and Wednesday (4-8 p.m.).
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday, Nov. 6…GYM…Consider sending in a non-perishable item! Conferences 4:00-8:00p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 8…MUSIC..Our class will preview the Book Fair together.
- Wednesday, Nov. 8…ART…NO LIBRARY, due to Book Fair week. Keep your library book another week! Conferences 4:00-8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 9…STEAM. Our class Book Fair Shopping Day.
- Friday, Nov. 11…GYM.
- Wednesday, Nov. 22 – Friday, Nov. 24…NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break.
- December 14…Holiday Music Program, starts at 6:30 p.m…more information coming soon.
I love the progress on the reading and writing workshops. It sounds like all of the kids are making such great progress in these workshops. I just had to tell you how awesome it was the other day when Madison was writing a sentence, and instead of ending with a period, she said, “wait Mom, I need to end it with this (exclamation point) because I am excited.” Woohoo, I thought that was so great.
We also as Buttons this weekend and it has been the highlight of her entire weekend. It will be hard to part with him tomorrow, but Madison is excited to hear about the other adventures he will go on. I LOVE this idea and think it’s such a great way to get kids to write. Thanks for taking the time and effort to have Buttons abs to have him travel the classroom. What a special memory for all the kids.
Have another wonderful week. Looking forward to see the “wish list” Madison makes at the book fair.