Kindergarten News
Greenwood Laboratory School
September 18-22, 2023
Updates & Reminders
- Your child is bringing home a Math "Homework" assignment today called Patterns All Around. Please return this by Wednesday.
- Check your child's TOYS folder today for a note about our "Pigeon" Pajama Party! Your child may wear pajamas to school on Wednesday.
- Earlier this week I sent home a sheet summarizing your child's beginning-of-year assessments. Please let me know if you have any questions.
- We are participating in a program through the Dickerson Park Zoo called "Animal Encounters." The zoo will visit once a month. Each month they will bring different animals and focus on a different theme. The theme for September is "Animal Needs." Thank you to Greenwood GPA for funding this program for our class!
- The Book Fair is coming, October 2-6. Details were sent home earlier this week! We will visit the Book Fair on Monday, October 2nd and each student will make a wish list. You can then send money to purchase these books if you would like. You also have the option to shop at the Book Fair with your child before or after school.
- Our pumpkin patch field trip is October 20th! Please return your child's permission slip if you haven't already. Greenwood GPA is funding this field trip so there is no cost.
- No School October 12th & 13th (fall break)
- Mark your calendars for our Winter Music Program: Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30 p.m. Students will need to arrive at 6:15 and wear all black.
Snack Days
Monday: Rooslan
Tuesday: Scarlett
Wednesday: Tatum
Thursday: Eliza
Friday: Arav
Homecoming Spirit Week
Monday: Comfy Clothes/ Pajamas
Tuesday: Fall Day (wear something with pumpkins, fall colors, Halloween, etc.)
Wednesday: Class Color Day (wear your green class t-shirt)
Thursday: America Day
Friday: Blue Day (your child can also wear his/her Homecoming shirt if you ordered one)
The Homecoming Game is Friday, September 29th! They will have inflatables, food trucks, etc. before the game starting at 4:30. The game starts at 7:30. Come cheer for the Bluejays!
Content/ Theme: Mo Willems Author Study
Click on the link below to learn more about Mo Willems and his books and for some fun activities.
Reading
Here are some of the concepts and strategies we will be working on:
- Sight Word: my
- Pointing to the first letter of each word when reading
- Looking at the picture and thinking about what makes sense
- We will learn about Mo Willems as an author... how he began writing children's books, his style of writing, etc. We will read several books from the Pigeon series and talk about how Mo Willems uses simple illustrations, speech bubbles, and persuasion in his writing.
Writing
- Illustrations that show movement
- Speech bubbles
- Big words
We will continue to work on saying words slowly and writing the sounds we hear. Ask your child to sing the "If You're Stuck" song (pictured below, to the tune of "Frere Jacques"), and have them show you how we say a word slowly.
We will also read Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, and students will come up with their own arguments trying to persuade their parents to let them stay up late! We will have a "Pigeon Pajama Party" on Wednesday, September 20 to celebrate (see note in TOYS folders).
Word Study
- Correct letter formation and sound for the letters Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr.
- Clapping the syllables or parts we hear in words
We have been talking about writing our names the "kindergarten way," starting with a capital letter and the rest of the letters lowercase. Many children learned to write their names in preschool in all capital letters and this can be a hard habit to break. Please help your child practice writing their name the "kindergarten way" at home.
Math
Our goal next week is to make and continue patterns. Here are some of the ways we will practice:
- We will make patterns using LOTS of different materials in the classroom (toys, foam shapes, beads, cereal, etc.)
- We will go on a "pattern walk" looking for patterns in and around the school
- We will make patterns with sounds and motions
- We will make and continue different types of patterns (AB, AABB, ABC, etc.)
Be sure to return your child's Pattern Homework page on Wednesday!
Kindergartners Working at the Apple Orchard Stand
Mrs. Abby Lowe
Email: abbylowe@missouristate.edu
Location: Greenwood Laboratory School Missouri State, East Harrison Street, Springfield, MO, USA
Phone: 417-836-5620