Beach Buddies' Bulletin
September 5-8, 2017
Hello K Families!
We had a GREAT second week of school. Thank you for your ongoing communication and folder return. I appreciate you taking the time to look on both sides of the folder and taking care of the information inside.
Mrs. Z's adventure....
This Thursday and Friday we will be having a guest teacher, Mrs. Judy Howard. She is a wonderful retired 1st grade teacher who will do an excellent job with our class. I will be traveling to New Hampshire to run a Ragnar relay with 11 other woman. We will cover 200+ miles with each of us running 3 different legs. YES, I may be crazy! :) This the 19th time I have experienced this kind of relay - our first time doing it in New Hampshire though! Your children will be in good hands with Mrs. Howard. Please remind your child to show Mrs. Howard his/her best listening skills. I will be back Monday morning....maybe a little tired, but ready for another week of K! :)
Our Week in K
This week we found ourselves examining hopes and dreams, learning new counting and number recognition games, studying our names, going on a school tour while searching for the missing DOT to our "i", and continuing to improve upon our classroom routines.
Writers' Workshop
In writers' workshop we have started to draw and write about things that have happened to us. We are working on adding ANY letter sounds we can hear in our story.
Name Books
To help learn about letters and sounds, we have been examining our names. Each kindergartner will be bringing home a special "class-made" name book this month.
Readers' Workshop
In readers' workshop we have been exploring the different reading centers in our classroom. We have found areas for both fiction books and nonfiction books.
Smart Shops
In the morning we have been getting to know our literacy routine with Smart Shop tubs.
Math Tubs
During math tubs we have been exploring various math manipulatives to learn how these materials help us to be strong math thinkers.
Center Time
Each afternoon we get to choose a center to explore. We enjoy this social time in our room.
Kindergarten CARES
We have been focusing on the CARES values that AES follows throughout our whole school. CARES stands for Cooperation, Assertion, Respect, Empathy, and Self-Control. We are working on being respectful and having self control during lessons on the carpet by using WHOLE BODY LISTENING. We use the poster below to help us remember how to do this.
Razzle Dazzle
This MONDAY you will find our first RAZZLE DAZZLE reader sheet in your folder. This is where you will keep track of the books read at home each week. There will also be a note explaining this special homework. It is very important these sheets are used at home and returned each Monday. Thank you for supporting your budding young reader!
Explore Kindergarten Night
Next Tuesday, September 19th, we will be having Explore Kindergarten Night where you and your kindergartner are invited back to the classroom anytime between 5:00-6:30 to learn more about kindergarten. Your child will act as your guide! It will be fun for you to see your confident kindergartner feeling more comfortable in the classroom. Please plan on coming to learn about other important aspect of kindergarten.
First Library Visit
On Wednesday this week, we will be taking our first visit to the AES library. We will check out a book to borrow for the week. Our library time each week is Wednesday at 1:30. Be sure to return your book each Wednesday so a new book can be checked out.
Guest Readers
On Tuesday, our principal, Mr. Klippenes visited our classroom to read us a story and introduce himself. We are fortunate to have such a top notch leader at our school.
On Wednesday, Mr. Woodford visited our class to tell us about ways he helps kids. Nathan is our dean of students. He also introduced us to our school-wide CARES cards. Ask your kindergartner about CARES cards.
Book Buddies
Friday we were VERY excited to meet our 5th grade book buddies. We loved reading with them! Most Fridays we will join our book buddies to read or work on special projects.
Holidays in K
In kindergarten we learn about a variety of holidays such as Hanukkah, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Christmas, President's Day, etc. We share the different ways some people choose to celebrate. Please connect with me if you have any questions or concerns about holiday discussions in our classroom. Thank you!
Tying Shoes
If you are sending your child to school in TIE shoes, please be sure your child is practicing tying at home so this can be done independently at school. Check out this video for an easy shoe tying method.
The EASIEST way to tie shoes
Technology to Share...
Beach Buddies Blog
Click the link to visit our blog and find a slideshow from our watermelon and bubble fun.
iPad apps
I will often share iPad apps we are enjoying at school with a link to the App store if you would like to use these apps at home too.
Letter School will help us learn letters, sounds, and handwriting.
Upcoming Important Dates:
Return First Razzle Dazzle sheet: Monday, September 18
Explore Kindergarten Night: Tuesday, September 19, 5:00-6:30
Field Trip Permission slips due: Friday, September 22
Homecoming pepfest (wear Red and Black!): Friday, September 29
Field Trip to Fair Haven Farms: Thursday, October 5
Pastries for Parents: Friday, October 6, 7:30-8:30 AM
It is exciting to see the growth in our class in just 7 days! We will have a wonderful year learning together. Remember, if you want any other email addresses added to this newsletter list, just let me know. In the week ahead we will learn about bus safety and apples.
Wishing you peace
and everything good,
Katie
Kindergarten Beach Buddies
Email: kzuehlke@isd876.org
Website: www.kindergartenbeachbuddies.blogspot.com
Phone: 320-274-8218
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zuehlke.beachbuddies
Twitter: @kzbeachbuddies