Mrs. Crooks's Kindergarten News
2017-2018 Volume 4
About the Newslettter
Please take a moment to review the following newsletter. It includes important dates and information regarding upcoming events, classroom updates, and new learning that will take place. It also may include links and/or google docs that you may want to visit.
English Language Arts (ELA)
The kindergarten ELA program is dividing into different components. Below you will find the skills that we will review/learn during the upcoming week.
This week we will start Unit 1 Week 2
Daily Message
- We will be getting to know the five parts of a friendly letter (heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature) during the Daily Message.
- We will discuss and locate names, capital letters. and sight words.
Word Work
We will associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for /a/.
We will isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds in three-phoneme words.
We will identify, read, and write the sight word we.
- We will learn and identify nouns.
Wonders Comprehension
- Essential Question: How do baby animals move?
- We will learn new vocabulary (adventure, movement, exhausted, exciting, arrived)
- We will identify key details in a story and retell the story.
- Identify characteristics of a fiction, nonfiction, and fable genres.
- We will listen to and answer questions about Pouch and The Tortoise and the Hare.
Center Time
During center time I will be working with small groups to build on skills. These groups are flexible.
- Writing- Students will complete a book using the new sight word, we. They will also write the room by finding matching pictures and writing the word that matches for the short a sound.
- Following Directions - Students will create a "puppet" of an animal and then tell how it moves.
- Letter Words and Sounds - Students will complete the Aa and a and m sorting activities.
- Math/Discovery - Students will sort animals by how they move. Then they will dig through the sand to find objects that begin with the /a/ sound.
When that have complete the task(s) at their center, students have a free choice of activities to choose from.
Writing
- We will identify what a star sentence has (capital at the beginning, space between words, and an end mark.
- We will identify if a sentence has all of the required parts.
Math
Unit 1
We will sort and resort math tools by one or two attributes.
We will organize sorted math tools to answer a question.
We will count, represent , and record objects in a counting jar.
Content
Conscious Discipline
- We will identify ways to calm ourselves when we are upset or angry.
- We will learn ways to help a friend.
- We will identify the differences between helpful and hurtful actions.
- We will begin our classroom bucket. More info to come.
Specials
Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music
Wednesday - P.E.
Thursday - Dance
Friday - Library
Home Activities
Next week's Home Learning was sent home on Friday. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Continue to have your child sign into BCPS One. Then together explore Tumble Books and Pebble Go on the Digital Content page. Tumble Books reads aloud fiction stories for children to follow along. Pebble Go reads aloud nonfiction texts.
Please send in a picture of your family if you have not already done so.
Star Student
Volunteer Training
Birthday Celebration
We will be celebrating monthly birthdays once a month for the students who have birthdays.
Parents (no siblings) are invited to join us for singing and extra free time or special activity).
Food is not permitted. However if you would like to have your child donate an indoor or outdoor recess item, book, craft, or any other creative nonfood idea that is fine. I will send out an email for parents each month to plan together for the birthday celebration.
October 27th
November 30th
December 15th
January 26th
February 23rd
March 28th
April 27th
May 24th
June/July TBD
Important Dates
- 10/20 - Schools Closed (MSEA Convention)
- 10/26 - Field Trip (Farmer Stan)
- 10/27 - October Birthday Celebration
- 10/31 - Tentative Fall Celebration
- 11/1 - PTA - 7:00PM in the library
- 11/3- Schools closed 3 hours early (end of 1st quarter)
Contact Information
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Here is my contact information:
Lynn Crooks: lcrooks@bcps.org
West Towson Phone: 410-887-3869
Assignment Book/ Take Home Folder: write a note in either
**I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, but sometimes I am unable to, so please allow me 24 hours to respond.