October 2015
Happy Fall to All!
We have been busy over the past month getting to know one another and learning lots of kindergarten routines and expectations.
We have had lots of fun playing together outside on the playground and are working hard learning new things in the classroom.
Wait until you see what we’ve been up to:
Fine Motor Skills:
Please spend some time practicing using scissors and cutting at home. Work on holding the scissors properly (thumb in the little hole) and cutting on the line.
We have worked a lot on coloring skills. We have a “coloring rubric” that we reference to remind us to color inside the lines, use true colors (a yellow not a purple sun), and no white spaces (use little strokes to fill in the whole picture space). Please remind your children to follow these rules when coloring at home.
Literacy:
We are well into learning the Lively Letters. The children are enjoying learning the hand cues and listening to the stories and songs. Please practice the following sounds at home with your child to help reinforce what they have learned in school:
p/b, t/d, f/v, c/k/g, qu, th, and “Superstar a”
We have been working on Word Awareness through a Nursery Rhyme study. We are learning about how we put letters together to make words. We practiced counting the words in each line of “Jack and Jill and “Little Bo Peep.” You can practice this skill while reading with your child. Ask them to count the words in the sentences that you have read. You can also recite more Nursery Rhymes with them (Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Little Miss Muffet, etc). This will help practice the skill as well as expose them to the Nursery Rhymes.
I am sure you have seen the cut up sight word sentences pages that have come home. We have combined learning our Sight Words with building sentences. We have learned the words: I, like, to, do, we. Please practice these words at home. The children should be able to read these. Our upcoming words are: can, see.
Handwriting:
The children have been working hard learning to make numbers using the Handwriting Without Tears program. We have successfully worked through the numbers 1-10 and are ready to move on to uppercase letters. This week we will start uppercase letters beginning with E and F.
Math:
We practice many math skills during our calendar time each day. We are focusing a lot on counting (starting at 0, 1, or even counting on from a larger number). We have learned about tally marks, graphing and are working on counting by 10s as we keep track of how many days we have been in school. We have also discovered that there are many ways to show a number.
Homework:
Our first homework assignment was sent home this past week. I hope you were able to enjoy some outdoor activities along with the paper pencil tasks. It is our hope that the homework menu you will give you a bit of flexibility. It is important to remember that the skills presented on the menu support and reinforce what is being taught in school. With that in mind, please remember to encourage your child to do his/her best work. They should still follow any writing and coloring expectations that we have in school. Please do not allow them to use marker on the homework paper as it bleeds through and we cannot see the great work that they are doing.
Housekeeping:
*Please remember to send a small snack to school each day along with a drink.
*If you are sending a water bottle, please check to see that they are not leaking. We have had a number of wet snacks and backpacks.
*Extended Day parents: if you have an end of the day dismissal change, please put it in your child’s extended day folder NOT the clear folder with the tie.
Finally, I want to thank everyone for a seamless start to kindergarten. I am thrilled with the progress the children have already made with adjusting to a new school and new expectations. They are all a pleasure to have in class and I am really looking forward to a fun year!
Mrs. King
Happy Fall to All!
We have been busy over the past month getting to know one another and learning lots of kindergarten routines and expectations.
We have had lots of fun playing together outside on the playground and are working hard learning new things in the classroom.
Wait until you see what we’ve been up to:
Fine Motor Skills:
Please spend some time practicing using scissors and cutting at home. Work on holding the scissors properly (thumb in the little hole) and cutting on the line.
We have worked a lot on coloring skills. We have a “coloring rubric” that we reference to remind us to color inside the lines, use true colors (a yellow not a purple sun), and no white spaces (use little strokes to fill in the whole picture space). Please remind your children to follow these rules when coloring at home.
Literacy:
We are well into learning the Lively Letters. The children are enjoying learning the hand cues and listening to the stories and songs. Please practice the following sounds at home with your child to help reinforce what they have learned in school:
p/b, t/d, f/v, c/k/g, qu, th, and “Superstar a”
We have been working on Word Awareness through a Nursery Rhyme study. We are learning about how we put letters together to make words. We practiced counting the words in each line of “Jack and Jill and “Little Bo Peep.” You can practice this skill while reading with your child. Ask them to count the words in the sentences that you have read. You can also recite more Nursery Rhymes with them (Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Little Miss Muffet, etc). This will help practice the skill as well as expose them to the Nursery Rhymes.
I am sure you have seen the cut up sight word sentences pages that have come home. We have combined learning our Sight Words with building sentences. We have learned the words: I, like, to, do, we. Please practice these words at home. The children should be able to read these. Our upcoming words are: can, see.
Handwriting:
The children have been working hard learning to make numbers using the Handwriting Without Tears program. We have successfully worked through the numbers 1-10 and are ready to move on to uppercase letters. This week we will start uppercase letters beginning with E and F.
Math:
We practice many math skills during our calendar time each day. We are focusing a lot on counting (starting at 0, 1, or even counting on from a larger number). We have learned about tally marks, graphing and are working on counting by 10s as we keep track of how many days we have been in school. We have also discovered that there are many ways to show a number.
Homework:
Our first homework assignment was sent home this past week. I hope you were able to enjoy some outdoor activities along with the paper pencil tasks. It is our hope that the homework menu you will give you a bit of flexibility. It is important to remember that the skills presented on the menu support and reinforce what is being taught in school. With that in mind, please remember to encourage your child to do his/her best work. They should still follow any writing and coloring expectations that we have in school. Please do not allow them to use marker on the homework paper as it bleeds through and we cannot see the great work that they are doing.
Housekeeping:
*Please remember to send a small snack to school each day along with a drink.
*If you are sending a water bottle, please check to see that they are not leaking. We have had a number of wet snacks and backpacks.
*Extended Day parents: if you have an end of the day dismissal change, please put it in your child’s extended day folder NOT the clear folder with the tie.
Finally, I want to thank everyone for a seamless start to kindergarten. I am thrilled with the progress the children have already made with adjusting to a new school and new expectations. They are all a pleasure to have in class and I am really looking forward to a fun year!
Mrs. King
September 2015
Dear Families,
Welcome to kindergarten! I am excited to be working with you and your children. Our classroom will have 21 children. Mrs. Gallagher is our classroom assistant.
There will be a Curriculum Night for parents on Monday, September 28, from 6:30pm to 7:15 pm. That evening, I will share the kindergarten curriculum along with our daily schedule. This is an evening for parents only. If you have any questions or concerns before Open House please do not hesitate to contact me.School SchedulePlease remember that our day begins at 9:05 and ends at 11:35. If you arrive later than 9:05, you will need to sign your child in at the office.
Notes about DismissalPlease let us know, in writing, if there is any change in your child’s dismissal plan. If the change involves picking up your child, please be sure to let us know, in writing, the specifics. If we do not have changes in writing or via phone call to the office by a parent, we will follow the original dismissal plan you gave us. I mentioned at orientation that emailing was an option, however the office would prefer a written note or phone call—sorry for any confusion.
Thank you for your patience and support.
We have Library on Fridays. The children will be able to check out books to take home for the week. We have Wellness on Thursdays. Please remember to send your child to school wearing sneakers. They must have sneakers on in order to participate in the class.
SnackDuring our busy days, we will plan on having a 10-15-minute snack break. Please plan on sending your child to school with one nutritious snack and drink daily. We ask that you do not send candy or soda. If your child attends the extended day program, please pack (separate from their lunch) and clearly label a morning snack. Due to allergies, we will be a peanut and nut free room. Please check labels to be sure that the snack does not contain peanuts/nuts.
Birthdays
In order to avoid hurt feelings, it is requested that if your child plans to invite friends to an after school or weekend party, that he/she distribute invitations outside the school.
Due to the number of food allergies and medical conditions related to diet, all classes will now celebrate birthdays without food. Therefore we ask that you do not send in a birthday snack, or goodie bag for the class on your child’s special day. We will be recognizing birthdays in other exciting ways in our classroom.
VolunteeringSeveral of you have expressed an interest in volunteering in the classroom. I am thrilled to have your involvement! I will give you additional information about volunteering during Curriculum Night. I would like to take some time to allow the children time to adjust and have adequate time to learn the classroom routines before having volunteers. This will also allow me time to assess where your help would be most valuable.
Please mark your calendar for the volunteer training/PTC Welcome Coffee on Monday, September 21th at 10:00 am. Mrs. DuBois will facilitate this informative volunteer training. To ensure the safety of our students, regulations require a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) background check on all volunteers. If you have not completed this form they are available in the office; all parents planning on volunteering must complete this form and return it to the office. It takes a number of weeks to process so please fill out your CORI form ASAP.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me by email: [email protected], at school 978-692-5583, or drop me a note that you would like me to contact you at home.
I look forward to seeing you at Curriculum Night to discuss our kindergarten goals and share your child’s kindergarten experience with you.
Mrs. King
Dear Families,
Welcome to kindergarten! I am excited to be working with you and your children. Our classroom will have 21 children. Mrs. Gallagher is our classroom assistant.
There will be a Curriculum Night for parents on Monday, September 28, from 6:30pm to 7:15 pm. That evening, I will share the kindergarten curriculum along with our daily schedule. This is an evening for parents only. If you have any questions or concerns before Open House please do not hesitate to contact me.School SchedulePlease remember that our day begins at 9:05 and ends at 11:35. If you arrive later than 9:05, you will need to sign your child in at the office.
Notes about DismissalPlease let us know, in writing, if there is any change in your child’s dismissal plan. If the change involves picking up your child, please be sure to let us know, in writing, the specifics. If we do not have changes in writing or via phone call to the office by a parent, we will follow the original dismissal plan you gave us. I mentioned at orientation that emailing was an option, however the office would prefer a written note or phone call—sorry for any confusion.
Thank you for your patience and support.
We have Library on Fridays. The children will be able to check out books to take home for the week. We have Wellness on Thursdays. Please remember to send your child to school wearing sneakers. They must have sneakers on in order to participate in the class.
SnackDuring our busy days, we will plan on having a 10-15-minute snack break. Please plan on sending your child to school with one nutritious snack and drink daily. We ask that you do not send candy or soda. If your child attends the extended day program, please pack (separate from their lunch) and clearly label a morning snack. Due to allergies, we will be a peanut and nut free room. Please check labels to be sure that the snack does not contain peanuts/nuts.
Birthdays
In order to avoid hurt feelings, it is requested that if your child plans to invite friends to an after school or weekend party, that he/she distribute invitations outside the school.
Due to the number of food allergies and medical conditions related to diet, all classes will now celebrate birthdays without food. Therefore we ask that you do not send in a birthday snack, or goodie bag for the class on your child’s special day. We will be recognizing birthdays in other exciting ways in our classroom.
VolunteeringSeveral of you have expressed an interest in volunteering in the classroom. I am thrilled to have your involvement! I will give you additional information about volunteering during Curriculum Night. I would like to take some time to allow the children time to adjust and have adequate time to learn the classroom routines before having volunteers. This will also allow me time to assess where your help would be most valuable.
Please mark your calendar for the volunteer training/PTC Welcome Coffee on Monday, September 21th at 10:00 am. Mrs. DuBois will facilitate this informative volunteer training. To ensure the safety of our students, regulations require a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) background check on all volunteers. If you have not completed this form they are available in the office; all parents planning on volunteering must complete this form and return it to the office. It takes a number of weeks to process so please fill out your CORI form ASAP.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me by email: [email protected], at school 978-692-5583, or drop me a note that you would like me to contact you at home.
I look forward to seeing you at Curriculum Night to discuss our kindergarten goals and share your child’s kindergarten experience with you.
Mrs. King