Ms. Kranzush's Kinders
Volume 2
Seesaw
Hopefully by now you've downloaded the Seesaw app and signed up using the letter that came home. I'm really excited to use this app as a way for the kids and I to share what is going on in the classroom with you. We probably won't use it every day for every child, but hopefully as the year goes on the kids will become more familiar with the program and be able to upload more frequently. At this point, parent sharing is enabled. This means that you can share from your parent app to your email or social media account. Please, for safety reasons and to respect families, only share pictures that are ONLY of your child or your child's work. Please do not share group photos unless you have explicit approval from all parents. Thank you for your support with this so that this feature can continue to be an option.
Volunteers
Soon we'll be seeking for volunteers for a variety of activities. If you'd like to volunteer in the classroom or chaperone field trips, you have to have your background check cleared. Once cleared, you are set for two years. To apply, click here. More on volunteering later!
Happy Birthday, Gavin!
Gavin turned 6 and we celebrated with apples, popcorn, and reading Where the Wild Things Are
Cosmic Kids Movement and Story
Once a week we do Cosmic Kids Movement and Story as a fun way to practice listening skills and gross motor development. The kids love it!
Emerson
Emerson used trapezoids, rhombuses, and hexagons to create this larger hexagon during math workplaces!
Scholastic Book Club
I love Scholastic Books! Great books for great prices. I'll be sending home book flyers monthly. You can order with a check or cash by returning the form, or you can order online by using our class's online code: J9P44 You can access online ordering here.
Monthly Calendar / Website
Did you know I have a website? it's not very fancy right now (I'll get around to building more of it soon) but it does have an embedded calendar in it that tells you which days we have PE, Music, or Library as well as any special events we have coming up. Click here to access it.
Homework Policy
I'm not a huge believer of homework in kindergarten. After 7 hours of learning, I want your child to play after school! I do, however, stress the importance of reading daily with your child. 20 minutes of daily reading with your child (and later on, your child reading to you!) has proven to increase language and vocabulary by leaps and bounds. 20 minutes!
If you're interested in more traditional homework, I'll be sending home a laminated "Homework Bingo" and "ReadO!" that you can reuse throughout the year. You can set some rewards for getting bingo: kids choose dinner, stay up 10 extra minutes, special 1-on-1 time with your child, etc.
If you're interested in more traditional homework, I'll be sending home a laminated "Homework Bingo" and "ReadO!" that you can reuse throughout the year. You can set some rewards for getting bingo: kids choose dinner, stay up 10 extra minutes, special 1-on-1 time with your child, etc.
Anxiety!
Lots of kids start school with anxiety over thinking that everything they ever do has to be perfect. The words "I can't" creep into their vocabulary. We respond with, "YET." Maybe you can't yet, but you can try. We talk heavily in school about how things don't have to be perfect, you just have to try your best. "Mistakes make new learning." Knowing why something isn't right is just as valuable as knowing why it is right. I try to point out small mistakes I make in my day so that the kids know I'm not perfect but the world didn't fall apart. You can help by doing the same at home.