Kindergarten Weekly News
March 30-April 3
Dear Kindergarten Families,
Thank you for your continuous efforts in helping your child to learn at home. We are aware that this situation continues to be a bit overwhelming and stressful to all, but please know all your support and work continues to be greatly appreciated as we continue into this “school” week. Below you will find information regarding expectations for this week. During this time, we will continue to be available for you and your child. We look forward to being back in school soon.
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Team
Contacting Your Teacher
Mrs. Garvey rgarvey@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 10:00am-2:00pm
Mrs. Schindel kschindel@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 9:00am-11:00am
Mrs. Scorzafava lscorzafava@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 9:00am-11:00am
Mrs. Abbe cabbe@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 9:30am-10:30am and 2:00pm-3:00pm
Mrs. Giguere agiguere@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 1:00 pm-3:00pm
Mrs. Irwin kirwin@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Ms. Arbour- Special Education larbour@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 3:00pm-5:00pm
District Recommendations
- I-Ready Math- 30 minutes Daily
- I-Ready Reading- 30 minutes Daily
- 30 minutes of daily reading (can be independent, buddy reading, a story read to you, etc).
- Lexia- 15 minutes Daily
Teachers will be checking in to see who is completing I-Ready and Lexia tasks and will follow up with students and families on their progress as needed
Assignments for Week of March 30-April 3
Activity 1
BEAUTIFUL STUFF CONSTRUCTION- Using recycled materials around your house make a plan and create a house, building, or structure that you could see here in Massachusetts. Here are some ideas... Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, a playground, a farm, a school, a mall, a store, a skate park. Already have a project from last week? Great! Feel free to add on or make changes to that project rather than starting something new! Be creative!
Activity 2
Force and Stability
Materials: tennis ball, or any other type of ball you can find, recycled water bottle filled at least halfway with sand, and other materials to create ramps and towers.
Experiment: This week our question is, “How can we change how we roll a ball to make it easier to knock down a water bottle͍͟?
To investigate this, we will attempt to knock down a water bottle by rolling a tennis ball (or any ball you have) in two different ways: gently and forcefully. You will then see which way knocks down the water bottle more often.
Children can set up the water bottle and try knocking it over. The children will attempt to knock over the water bottle with a 1) slower, gentle roll and 2) faster, forceful roll.
After rolling the ball one time gently, and one time harder, children should record their results in a journal. Have them illustrate and write sentences explaining their findings. Children should indicate which roll was successful in knocking down the water bottle.
After children have completed the Investigation, they can continue throughout the remainder of the week with any of these Explorations:
Explore different materials (e.g., cardboard, wooden unit blocks, etc.) to create ramps for rolling the tennis ball. Children can explore how the height of the ramps affects the force with which the tennis ball impacts the bowling pin. Children can document their experiments in a journal.
Build a tower using cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes paper cups, bowls, etc. or a tower using wooden blocks. They can explore what kind of roll, gentle/slow or hard/fast, is more effective in knocking down the towers.
Guided Questions for adults to ask as your child is experimenting:
What kind of roll do you think will be best to knock down the bottle?
Why do you think that?
What do you notice about the height of your ramp?
What might happen if we lower the ramp?
What do you predict will happen If we raise the ramp higher?
What connections are you making on how the height of the ramp is affecting the force of your roll?
When journaling your explorations, be sure to include drawings, labels, diagrams with arrows etc. in addition to a sentence or two explaining what you did and what the results were.
If you would like an opportunity to share your results with your teacher, reach out to them to see how you can send your work!
Other suggestions:
Here is a good site for sight word books that can be printed off in black line
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/intro-to-sight-words
Also the game “Kaboom”...can be used for sight word work or for alphabet sound recognition
Use craft sticks...write a sight word or alphabet letter on each...write Kaboom on about 3 or four sticks....the idea is that you have to pick a stick and say the sight word or alphabet letter the first person to get 10 sticks wins...if you get kaboom you have to put all your sticks back in the pile or bucket. You could also do this game using index cards
Counselor's Corner
Dear Woodland School Families,
We truly hope this correspondence finds you and your loved ones all healthy and well.
Given the tremendous impact the global pandemic is having on our communities, our families and the world, our children may be experiencing strong unexpected feelings, worries, concerns, and behaviors despite your diligent efforts to shield them from the enormity of our current circumstances. We have included an attachment to help families with talking to kids about the coronavirus with some coping tools attached.
Discussing Coranvirus With Children
We know that you have all been providing your children with love, nurturance, stability, and TLC during these difficult moments. We can further support our children during these unexpected and unprecedented times by creating routines, structure, clear expectations, positive reinforcement, rewards, and praise. We have attached a great visual toolkit that includes choices, first/then, a token board and a visual schedule. It also includes all different kinds of activities such as sensory, academics, movement, leisure and life skills.
Counselors' Corner Videos:
Our first Woodland School COUNSELORS' CORNER video
Our second Woodland School COUNSELORS' CORNER video
Additional Woodland COUNSELOR'S CORNER video for PK/K
These videos have been created to meet the concerns of our children and families in relation to COVID-19 and how it is affecting our lives right now. These videos contain developmentally appropriate health and safety tips for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade as well as coping strategies and calming skills we have learned and practice at school. Please preview and use your discretion when sharing videos and resources with your children.
We will continue to send videos to address pro-social skills, character development, and self-regulation. Each video plus relevant resources will be posted on each teacher’s SMORE Newsletter every Sunday.
Below, we have attached several emergency, parenting and support resources for this difficult time:
Massachusetts 211 Resource Guide, Coronavirus Support Information
Psychiatric Emergency Crisis: 413-733-6661
Springfield/Westfield and Surrounding Towns
Adults/Adolescents/Children
Crisis Text Line: 741741
If you text "Home" to 741741 when you are feeling depressed, sad or experiencing any emotional crisis, a trained crisis worker will text you back immediately and continue to text with you. This is a free service to anyone.
Domestic Violence HelpLine: 1-800-799-7233 or online at www.thehotline.org/help
Parenting Resources:
Comic for Explaining Coronvavirus to children
Mindful Gratitude Program: May Clinic
Creating Mindful Calming/Quiet Areas for Children
Office Hours:
Mrs. Pelletier mpelletier@stgrsd.org Office Hours: 9:00 AM -11:00 AM
Mrs. Rigby erigby@stgrsd.org. Office Hours: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
You are in our thoughts. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Best,
Michelle Pelletier and Genie Rigby
Specials
Once again, we thank you for your continued efforts and support during this time. We are here for one another and please reach out should there be any questions.
Thank you,
The Kindergarten Team