Bonkowske Bulletin
Morganton Day School Jr. Kindergarten February 3-7
Dates to Remember
2/5 100th Day of School Celebration
2/7 Nursery Rhyme/ Fairytale Culminating Project Presentations (10:30-11:30)
2/7 Annual MDS Gala Auction
2/17 Teacher/Portfolio Workday NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
2/21 Field Trip to Discovery Place Kids- Huntersville (sign up coming soon!)
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
What's Happening in Jr. Kindergarten
We had a great full week of learning and fun in JK. This week, we learned about the letters Ll and Mm, and the sounds that they make through songs, shared reading and hunting for our letter of the week in print. We also continued creating our alphabet sound pockets, which provides practice with literacy and motor skills, as the student color and cut pictures to place in a pocket that they lace themselves. We also continued our practice with our small letter books in our new STAR folders. STAR stands for "Stories That Are Right" for me. Each student is collecting books that they can read independently, and throughout the week I have them pull out their STAR folders and buddy read together. They are learning a lot about reading fluency, inflection and the pure enjoyment of sharing a book with a friend.
In math, we continued working with numerals and shapes through different games. In particular, we introduced math stations this week and the students loved them. They got to practice many skills as they rotated through four stations including, using geometric shapes to make pictures of familiar objects, using pegs to match numerals, create geometric shapes and investigate height, as well as matching numerals with corresponding pictures in puzzles.
For our Unit of Inquiry we read, watched and acted out the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff. We practiced retelling the beginning, middle and end of the story to help us remember what we read. We also discussed how the characters actions related to our IB Principles and how we would have acted differently. JK students created a troll from the story and shared how they would have acted differently. Enjoy reading those hanging outside of our classroom.
Letters of the Week
New Sensory Bins!
Alphabet Soup
Number Pegs
Number Puzzles
Geometric Shape Pictures
Shapes with Pegs
Reading
Next week, we will be working on two consonants "Nn" and "Rr," 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 and Rr) 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 Nn and Rr 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! As we approach the middle of the year benchmark in JK, I will be taking this week off from checking decodable books and snappy words so that I may use this time to conduct some informal assessments of the progress they've made since the beginning of the year. I will resume books/snappy words once I finish. Thanks for your understanding.
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 play a Cover All Game, where students practice recognizing numbers in print, and by counting objects. We will also practice numbers 1 to 20 through a Racing Cars and Itsy Bitsy Spider game. We will review the invariance of a number and we will also continue our practice with writing our numbers one through 20. Please continue to work with your child at home on writing and recognizing their numbers one through 20, as well as counting to 30.
Unit of Inquiry
This week, we will wrap up our work with Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes and assisting Mother Goose with identifying characters who need some help with their attitudes and actions. They know and love Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, Little Miss Muffet, The Eensy Weensy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs and The Gingerbread Man, The Little Red Hen, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Three Billy Goats Gruff. This week we will continue to focus on the classic fairy tale of Three Billy Goats Gruff. Students will hear different versions of the story, discuss the characters and relate their actions and behaviors to our IB Principles.
To wrap up this unit, JK students will complete a culminating project to show what they know. With your help at home, I would like each student to create a story board of their favorite story that we have covered (list is above). Story boards can be done in many ways. They can be drawn, painted, or you can print and cut out pictures. They will need to include the characters, setting and students must be able to retell the story and why it was their favorite. Your role will be to guide and scaffold their work, but please make sure the final product is student work (they do the writing, drawing, coloring, cutting, etc.). As far as materials go, that is completely up to you as a team. Get creative and have fun! You can also help them practice their presentation. On Friday, February 7th from 10:30 to 11:30 JK students will each have the chance to present their story board and parents are welcome to join us! It will be so exciting to watch them shine and show what they know.
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 be sending 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.
Believe it or not, we are narrowing in on the 100th Day of School! And in JK, that is a BIG deal and we plan to celebrate with lots of learning and lots of fun. Please sign up to either help provide materials, snacks or volunteer for this special day.
HOMEWORK...HOMEWORK...HOMEWORK...
I'd also like to pose a challenge to each of you to create a special shirt for the occasion, complete with 100 objects of your creative choice! Have your child help you decide and have fun with it! They will wear their creations on Wednesday, February 5th. I can't wait to see what they come up with! :0)
Special Thanks
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 Ella Loomis 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!