Bonkowske Bulletin
Morganton Day School Jr. Kindergarten February 10-14
Dates to Remember
2/14 Valentine Celebration (10:45 in the Great Room)
2/17 Teacher/Portfolio Workday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
2/21 Field Trip to Discovery Place Kids- Huntersville (sign up below!)
2/27 State of the School Parent Meeting
3/4-3/5 Student Led Parent-Teacher Conferences in the afternoon (half day for all students)
3/28 Teacher/Portfolio Workday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
4/4 Field Trip to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC
5/6 Field Trip to Tweetsie Letterland
What's Happening in Jr. Kindergarten
Wow! What a whirlwind of a week it has been! Let me first say thank you for all of your help in making this a memorable and exciting week of learning for our little JK students. This week, we learned about the letters Nn and Rr, and the sounds that they make through songs, shared reading and hunting for our letter of the week in print. We also reached the 100th Day of School this week, and we used that as inspiration for collaborative learning from JK to first grade. Students went on a scavenger hunt to find assigned numbers from 1 to 100 and fill in a giant hundreds chart in the great room together. Then, the students were grouped with other JK-1st grade students to rotate through 6 learning stations. They did everything from create silly 100 glasses, dancing 100 moves to seeing how much 100 drops of water looked like. I knew it had been a success when it was time to go home and they said, "Whoa! That was fast!" :0)
In math, in addition to all of the learning we did with the number 100, we also continued working with numerals and shapes through different games. In particular, we learned a new game called Kid Race which the students really enjoyed. We taped off a board on the carpet and each student took turns rolling the dice and walking that number of steps. The first one to reach the finish line won. We had some great discussions about good sportsmanship also.
For our Unit of Inquiry we read, we wrapped up our Nursery Rhyme/Fairytale unit with some amazing presentations of each student's Story Board. They did such an amazing job! I was so proud of their hard work and I adored getting to see them show what they know. This type of activity has such value as it provides them an opportunity to practice so many skills from cutting, coloring, and writing to reading comprehension and speaking in front of others. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with them!
One...
Hundred...
Days!
I...
Did...
It!
Hundreds Chart
100 Smiles!
Reading
Next week, we will be working on two consonants "Ss" and "Vv," as we try to wrap up the few letters we have left to cover. We will learn about their sound through songs and other activities. Please continue to support their learning at home by pointing out letters we have covered so far (Aa, Bb, Tt, Jj, Dd, Ff, Pp, Ee, Oo, Ii, Uu, Cc, Gg, Qq, Hh, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Rr, Ss and Vv) when you see them and ask them what sound they make, or brainstorm words that start with that sound. Back by popular demand, I have embedded the link to our letters Ss and Vv songs in the newsletter this week. :0) I have also embedded the link below of a website called Starfall that is great to reinforce what they are learning in JK. It offers many literacy activities for all levels and is absolutely free! I have completed middle of the year assessments and I will get back to checking letter sounds, decodable books and snappy words this week! :0) Please continue to work on their February writing homework each night and turn it in to me at the end of the month. Thanks for all that you do!
Math
In math, we will continue our development of number recognition and representing numbers in many different ways. We will continue our Math Stations with some familiar games. We will go on a Number Walk and work in our math journals to match numerals to number of objects. Home Connection: Please continue to work with your child at home on writing and recognizing their numbers one through 20, as well as counting to 30.
On your marks...
Get Set...
Go!
Unit of Inquiry
We will be starting a new Unit of Inquiry this week and we will be focusing on Community Helpers. This week, we will learn about what a Dentist does to help people in our community. We will read books, develop Inquiry questions and begin to explore the mouth and why we need the different parts of our mouth. We will also discuss how to take care of your teeth and sort good foods from harmful foods that cause cavities. This will be the start of a fun unit full of exploration and meaningful learning.
Routines and Information
This week, I will be sending home Take Home Folders and Planners. In these folders you will find work that your child has completed at school along with any information I need to send home each day, including homework. The left side is labeled "Left at home" and the right side is labeled "Right back to school." Please try to remember to send the folder back each day. For the month of February, I will have sent home a short writing homework calendar. I have noticed that we need a little extra practice than our short day allows for. With that being said, I do not want homework to be frustrating for them at their age, so all I ask is that you do the best you can. I appreciate any help you can offer! Please note that in the morning there is a new red bin to place their planners and folders in. Thanks!
I have submitted our January book order. Please watch for February book orders to come home this week. They are due back to me by Friday, 2/21.
On Friday, February 14th, we will have a small Valentine celebration. Between 7:45 and 8:15 our entire school delivers their Valentines to their friend's carrier. We will be making mail trucks to go outside of our classroom for that morning. As you drop off your child, they will have the chance to place their Valentines in their friends' mail trucks. Then, at 10:45 we will have a little celebration in the Great Room where the kids can eat a special treat and look through their mail trucks. Amy Buchanan will be sending out more information this week. So be on the lookout for that! Here is a class list you can use as you help your child prepare his/her Valentines. If you'd like a hard copy, please just send me an email and I will be happy to provide one.
Ana Sic
Ethan Joyner
Aida Ruechel
Jackson Zook
Katherine Harrison
Zakry Daniels
Katherine Bailey
Reid Buchanan
Mathias Collett
Ella Loomis
Aidan Hoy
Carter Johnson
Emma Shores
HOMEWORK...HOMEWORK...HOMEWORK...
Please remember to send in your 100th Day Paper Balloon envelopes, addressed and ready to be mailed next week. We can't wait to see how far across the globe our balloons travel!
Special Thanks
A special thanks goes out to all of you for your help last week. Our auction was a big success and I hope that those of you who were able to make it had a wonderful evening. It was so fun to see you there representing and supporting our school (and having a little fun!). You also worked at home to create a 100th day shirt and a story board for them to present, and both activities were a wonderful success! Many of you were here to see their presentations and the Loomis family provided delicious cake pops to help us celebrate the end of a great unit. Please see the new link below to sign up to volunteer in our classroom. I appreciate any and all help. :0) Also, a big thank you goes out to the family of Zakry Daniels for providing snack for our class this week. I have embedded the link for our winter/spring snack sign up below. I appreciate all of you!