Kindergarten News: Aug. 29

Here is what we are doing this week in Mrs. Giltner’s Class: 

We’re off to a great start! It has been a pleasure getting to know your child this week and I look forward to a great year ahead of us. My newsletter will come home weekly on Fridays in the Friday folder and will give you information about the upcoming week.

Please return the folder each Monday with a parent signature.

Religion: We have begun working in our religion books. We worked on chapter one this week, “God Made the World.” We will be working in groups to illustrate some of the many wonderful things God made. We will study chapter two next week, “God Made You.” On Fridays, I will tear out the chapter that we have been studying in our workbooks each week and send it home in the Friday Folder. We will also be illustrating a prayer and discussing what we would like Jesus’ help in learning and doing this year. We are continuing to work on learning the Sign of the Cross and the Prayer of St. Frances, which the entire school says each morning on the announcements.

Language Arts: I am going to be assessing each student individually throughout the week to get a feel with what letters the child is able to recognize. We have begun working in our Jolly Phonics books with the letter s and will continue next week with t and a (both the long and short sounds of a). As we will discuss more on parent night, the Jolly Phonics books are multisensory and work on letter recognition, a story and motion to remember the sound of the letter, as well as practice writing the letter in both upper and lowercase D’Nealian handwriting. As a part of our daily circle time routine, there is a read-aloud. We will begin talking about the difference between fiction and nonfiction books.

Math: We have started the following Everyday Math daily routines: picture schedule of the day, counting collection, a growing number line, a job chart, calendar, weather, and minute math. I am also working to assess where the children are with numeral recognition, counting, and numeral writing this week. The papers that were done this week are included in your child’s Friday folder. We will do a partner matching game in which we find the matching strip of paper that is the same length and then meet a new person in the classroom. We will also be exploring with pattern blocks, doing multisensory counts, and countdown to zero from ten.

Science: We have started using our new science curriculum. The first unit is on plants. Our vocabulary words for this unit include: roots, stem, leaves, flower, and fruit. There are great literature connections with science, including big books and guided reading books that we began using. Next week, we will get into our science workbooks and go outside to the courtyard to do a couple of activities. We will also have our first science lab in the room, which involves putting celery in blue colored water and seeing what happens, and then drawing the results on a lab sheet. Since the workbook is double-sided, I will have the kids tear out the pages once both sides are completed.

Homework Reminders:

The homework folder goes home on Mondays and is to be returned on Fridays. Homework will go home on Tuesday this coming week due to Labor Day. See the note inside the folder for more information.

Mark your Calendars:

The most up-to-date calendar of SJC events can be found on the school’s website at: http://www.sjcpsinfo.org

o       September 1- No School – Labor Day

o       September 3- Meet the Teacher Night for PreK & Kindergarten Parents is at 7:00 pm. This is a night for parents to come and find out information about the curriculum and ask questions.  We will begin the night with a presentation from our Principal, Mrs. Gorman, in the multi-purpose room on the first floor.

o       September 5- out of uniform day