Words from Walsh December, 2018
Staying connected with Walsh School
Greetings from Principal Martin
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Thank you to all our parents who made our parent-teacher conferences run so smoothly last month. If you were unable to fill out the electronic survey, please let us know if you have any concerns or suggestions regarding the PTC process. My door is always open for productive discussion, as we plan for future programs and curriculum advances. Communication between parents and teachers is another integral part of your child’s education. Working together with your teacher, you are setting a strong foundation for your child’s educational journey.
Congratulations to our first graders on a successful performance celebrating the many faces of autumn, as well as honoring our country and the men and women who have fought to protect it. We are proud of them all, and thank you for your support in attending these performances.
This month we will still be striving for educational excellence, but we will have some opportunities for fun, too! Classroom parties will take place on Thursday, December 20th at 2:00. Our winter break will start with a 2:00 p.m. dismissal on Friday, December 21st. (Please note that early childhood and preschool classes are in session Friday the 21st, with an early dismissal at 2:00pm)
I hope you enjoy the holidays with your family and I look forward to seeing you back at school on January 7th! ~ Teresa Martin
Important Dates in December
Mark Your Calendars
1 – Spirit Day/Polar Express
3 – Session II Club 92 Starts
7 - Spirit Day - Anything Polar Express
13 - EC/Preschool Field Trip
17 - Kgtn Field Trip
18 – Board of Education Mtg./Dist.
20 – Class Parties 2:00 pm
20 - Spirit Day - Holiday Colors
21 – Early Dismissal at 2:00 pm (There are EC and Preschool classes today)
24-Jan 4 Winter Break – No Classes (Return 1-7-19)
Drop off times: no earlier than 8:40 a.m.
Please be prompt for pick-up at 3:30 p.m.
Remember to call the office by 9:00 a.m. if your child will be absent.
Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ~ 815-838-7858 www.d92.org
A Note from the Nurse
As the weather starts to change, remember to dress your child appropriately with a coat, hat, and gloves. If your child is ill with any fever, secretions, or vomiting, they will be sent home and should not return for 24 hours. Please refer to the parent handbook for guidelines.
The dental bus is scheduled to be at Walsh on February 7, 2019 for those families who want to take advantage of this opportunity.
P.E. News by Mr. Wallace
Kindergarten News
Thank you to all the kindergarten families who attended our recent Parent/Teacher Conferences! We appreciate you meeting us to discuss your child's progress and the goals for the year.
We will begin our Schoolwide Fiction Unit, and we will learn about what fiction is and the various types of fiction (ex: traditional tales, fairy tales, and realistic fiction). We will work on retelling a story, focusing on what happened first, next, then and last. We will identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution of the texts we read and are read.
Our Fundations work will be focusing on capital letters, starting with A through P. We will be learning to print these letters with the correct formation while using the correct lines. We will be working on decoding words with a CVC (consonant vowel consonant) pattern like: cat, leg, pig, dot, and tub. Our new sight words will be said, all, of, are, as, and has. We will continue to practice our writing skills with the first letter of the sentence as a capital, spaces between the words, and using punctuation at the end of the sentence.
The Bridges Math skills we will be working on will include:
- counting to 100 by 1's and 10's
- counting to 100 by 1's and 10's from any given starting number
- adding, subtracting and measuring with a focus on using a number line
- counting, adding and subtracting objects
- comparing and measuring length
All of us in kindergarten, wish all of you, Happy Holidays!
First Grade News
We will be as busy as the elves at the North Pole this December!
Reading:
*We will complete our Schoolwide Non Fiction Unit of Study. In our Non Fiction Unit, we have learned the elements of non-fiction and how non-fiction is different from other genres. We have explored the various types of non-fiction texts. Students have been introduced to many nonfiction reference books and literary nonfiction books. You might want to take a look at the books you have in your home and determine with your child if they are nonfiction reference books or literary nonfiction books. Determine which kind of books they like the best and discuss the reasons why they like those books.
*We will continue to work on reading with accuracy and fluency. Please continue to have your child read and review comprehension of text with you during baggie book time at home. The only way to increase fluency is through practice.
*We will begin our fiction unit in January. We will look at three types of fictional texts: traditional tales, realistic fiction and fairy tales. We will also be learning about the text structure of fictional books. We will work on retelling a fictional text, focusing on beginning, middle and end. We will also identify the characters, setting, problem, solution and lesson/moral of the mentor fictional texts that are read.
Writing:
*We will be working on writing (opinion, informational and narrative pieces) utilizing a graphic organizer. Students will practice writing more detailed sentences to help their readers visualize and understand their writing. They will support their detail sentences with examples/descriptions.
Math:
*We will also continue with Unit 3 in our Bridges math series. Unit 3 focuses on adding, subtracting, counting and comparing numbers. Students are encouraged to master math facts and fact strategies for single-digit addition and subtraction facts. We will use various strategies to help students recognize number combinations, find the sum of two numbers, and compare two numbers to find the difference between them. We will also focus on developing place-value, solving addition combinations to 20, and will develop an understanding of the difference model of subtraction. This unit focuses on the mastery of key number facts and strategies for single digit addition and subtraction.
The first grade teachers wish you and your family a very safe and wonderful
holiday season!
Early Childhood and Community Preschool News
December is a magical time of year for our littlest learners. The preschoolers and early childhood classes continue to work very hard this year. In December, we will enjoy a unit on the five senses and integrate the smells, sights, sounds, and feel of Christmas into our activities. We will celebrate friendships, and work on different feelings, along with letters K, L, M, numbers 1-15, and a shape-color review. Our "Read It Once Again" selection is "The Gingerbread Man." We will plan many activities with that book including learning about rhyming words. As a culminating activity to our Gingerbread Unit we will decorate our very own gingerbread boys and girls; thanks to a generous grant for supplies from our wonderful D92 Foundation. December is a swirl in snowflakes in math! Children will explore the onset of winter, as they create pattern block designs, solve story problems, and follow the adventures of Little Mouse, as she learns how six-sided snowflakes are formed. Children also experiment with hot and cold water and illustrate their own winter countdown books. In celebration of the season of giving, our afternoon classes will visit Marion Village and deliver cards and sing songs to the residents. Thanks to all of our parents who are so wonderful! Happy holidays from everyone in the preschool and early childhood program!
The weather outside is frightful… but our preschoolers are so delightful!
The Reading Corner by Mrs. Squires, Kindergarten Reading Specialist
With the cold weather upon us, it’s the perfect opportunity to cuddle up with your child
and read a good book! Creating a literacy-rich environment in your home is easy and so
important in fostering a love for reading. Below are some ideas offered from the Reading
is Fundamental website ( www.rif.org ) on helping to provide a literacy-rich home
environment:
- Establish a regular time and place for reading together, such as during bath time
or before bed. Read daily to your child.
- Share your love for books. Read stories you enjoyed as a child and share why
they were your favorite.
- Talk with your child before, during and after reading together. Make predictions,
ask questions or have your child try to retell the story in his/her own words.
- Store books and writing materials in places where your child can easily reach
them.
- Model reading and writing for specific tasks, such as making out a grocery list.
- Visit the library often and have your child get his/her own library card! Children
love the task of choosing their own books and checking them out. This can also
provide opportunities for lessons on responsibility, too!
Happy Reading!
Music News by Mrs. Rutkiewicz
Gobble! Gobble! Our first grade music program was very successful!! I am very proud of all the boys and girls. They worked very hard and performed with all their hearts! I am delighted to see the love of music and performance blossom in my students. Job well done, kids! December brings an introduction to the music staff and some fun holiday/winter songs.
In the month of December, kindergarten students will continue to explore new musical concepts such as tone color and high and low sounds. We will continue learning to play the xylophones and hand bells with some fun seasonal music. Also, listen for the poem “The Snowman,” as we learn more about the musical alphabet and the musical scale.
Keep on singing! Mrs. Rutkiewicz
News from the Media Center
Winter has arrived and students may have less time to spend outside. They can always spend some time reinforcing skills learned in the classroom. Tumble Books, Raz Kids and Bookfilx are all programs that are displayed on our Library Media Center web site. These sites all provide fun ways for students to practice reading. Students have worked with each of these sites during Media time and they should be able to navigate each site. You can access these sites through any Internet browser by going to https://www.d92.org , and selecting Walsh. Navigate down the drop down menu to curriculum and choose the Media Center; each of the links is located on the Media Center Site.
Art News by Mrs. Deckinga
The kindergarten students will be reading the book Snowballs, by Lois Ehlert. We'll be using a variety of media to create winter bird collages in the style of Ehlert's illustrations. The first grade students will also begin a winter project. They'll be drawing "close-ups" of snowmen, then using warm or cool color palettes to add color to the snowman and paint the background. They'll also be using a salt resist technique to make their backgrounds look snowy.
Making Math Count by Mrs. Romeo
Students are working hard at identifying, writing, adding, and subtracting numbers. Below are two new websites and activities to try with your children.
This month’s focus:
Kindergarten will be able to count and write numbers 0 -20.
Website: http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2numeracy-calculation.html - ncmenu
Activity: Have students make number cards to 20. Students should put them in order, remove one, and see if they can identify the missing number.
First grade students will be able to add and subtract within 20 to solve word problems. Students should also practice writing their teens.
Website:http://oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/mathmagician/maths1.html
Activity:
1. Roll and add 3 dice then tell what is one less or one more. Have them write the numeral.
2. Each person flips 2 cards and adds. Next, they add one more. The person with the highest total keeps the cards. The winner is the person with the most cards.