December 7-11
The buzz in Room 615!
Last Week
Writing: More work with patterns was done this week, as well as learning a few new consonant digraphs and blends (ph and wh, for example). We also started work on our own version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, called Kindergartner, Kindergartener, What Do You See? After some revising, they will be ready to publish and share with one another.
Math: Addition got started very quickly, and most students already generally understand the concept. We've been putting an emphasis on the vocabulary and terminology that come with addition, such as sum, addends, all together, plus sign, compose, and total.
Science: More activities and discussion about physical properties was done this week in science, as we started understanding the different ways you can describe something's size. We learned that sometimes, just "big" and "small" isn't enough, and it helps when you can compare it to something else!
Elf Names
Math Facts
Manipulative Addition
Elf on the Shelf
In order for our elf to make a large impact on the class in a positive way, and thanks to the suggestion from Mrs. Foster, we're going to try and see if Bing's powers can be used for good. For example, he wrote us a note on Friday saying that he wanted to see how many compliments we could give one another. It worked out great! He might have a few more ideas in mind to encourage kindness, such as writing cards for children in the hospital. We're open to suggestions for anything the kids can do to make a difference!
Looking Ahead
The Week Ahead
Reading: Reading strategies will continue to be the center of our reading time with some new attention given to the concept of long vowel sounds and how we can recognize when a vowel says its name.
Writing: Students will use mentor texts to create their own books in writing while practicing all that we are learning about letter sounds. We will also learn a few new consonant digraphs and blends!
Science: We're going to keep chugging along with physical properites while we do a little bit more with size and then get into weight.
New Sight Words:
into, like, must, new, no
Reminders/Miscellaneous
Don't forget, our field trip to see The Nutcracker is on Thursday, December 10th. An information packet was sent home a few days ago with anything you may need to know in it. A few key things to remember:
- Students should dress up for this event (formal attire)
- Pack extra sneakers in case we go outside for recess upon returning to school
- It is not an all-day trip, so students can still buy a lunch from the cafeteria regularly
- We are leaving around 8:30, so please make sure students are on time that day!
2. Christmas Around the World
Kindergarten will be conducting Christmas Around the World days on Monday, December 14th and Tuesday the 15th. During these days, all classes will rotate between each Kindergarten classroom to travel to a new country for some holiday celebrations. Our class's country is Brazil. It will be a ton of fun!
3. Class Party
Our Christmas class party will be Wednesday, December 16th. Most of the morning will be spent working in stations where the students will get to do various crafts and activities related to the holidays. We will not be having a big lunch in our room like we did for Thanksgiving, but families are welcome to join us at our regular lunch time for a special treat!
I have attached a GoogleDoc below for anyone who is interested in coming in to help with the stations. I will need a maximum of 5 parent helpers, so it is on a first-come, first-served basis if you're interested. :) The times needed will be from 8:45am - 12:45pm. If you can't come for the entire time but would still like to help for part of it, let me know and we can work something out!
4. Polar Express Day
On Thursday the 17th, all students can come to school in their PJs, ready to climb aboard the Polar Express! We will be spending a good part of the day watching the movie and eating popcorn as a special treat before we leave for break.