Week 1 Newsletter

We have arrived at the first full week (almost) of kindergarten. Hooray!! Your kiddos are just so sweet and I have really enjoyed getting to know them. It always amazes me how quickly they adapt to new situations.

Each Wednesday I will post my “newsletter”. I may also give updates throughout the week, but this will be my official newsletter day.

School Is Not Like Home

One big “Ah ha!” I think kids are having this past week is that school is not like home. They are right! Working with and within a system is a new yet very important skill. Many kids are learning that their behaviors that they do at home which may be completely appropriate at home, are not appropriate at school. I am trying to teach them the difference between the two this week. For example, at home, it is okay to talk whenever you have a thought that come to you. At school, it is important to raise your hand until the teacher calls on you. This way, the teacher is able to listen and concentrate on what you are saying.

You can help with this learning at home starting a conversation with your child about the different behaviors that are okay at school, but not at home.

Literacy

This week we have been focusing on our names. We have done some activities relating to learning how to look at the first letter of a name and that helps us read the name.

We have been practicing our fluency by reading a shared reading book about the color red. We sing and read the song every day. Ask your child if they can spell the word red.

The students also completed a pre-writing assessment. They were asked to write about their first day at school. For most, this consisted of a picture. For some, it was writing sentences. I will assess the kids every month and keep their papers. It is so fun to see the growth over the year!

Handwriting

We have just begun our handwriting curriculum. We started by getting familiar with the 4 types of lines we use to make our letters: little line, big line, little curve and big curve. We used wooden blocks in the shapes of the lines and curves to make “Mat Man”. This helped the students become familiar with the different type of lines and also taught them how to draw a person. I would encourage you to have your child practice drawing people at home. We do a lot of drawing in kindergarten to support our learning and it is always so frustrating to those kids who do not know how to draw. Here is what “Mat Man” looks like so you can support their drawing. Remember to use the lines correctly!

Math

During our math time, the kids have participated in learning about measurement. Using the words, “longer, shorter, the same” they compared lengths of strips of papers. They also identified shapes and we discussed what a ‘side’ and a ‘corner’ of a shape was. Finally, the students learned to practice counting by using their sense of touch and hearing.

Walkathon

Walkathon is Thursday September 26th 3-6pm. Online registration is open now www.endeavourptsa.org You need to register if you are going to attend. Registration closes on Tuesday September 17th. You must attend walkathon with your child. You may not drop your child off and pick them up later. I hope you will be able to attend this fun event. I will be there too!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

We will be going to Jubilee Farms for our pumpkin patch field trip on Tuesday October 22nd. I will be looking for a couple of parents to volunteer. I will send out more information regarding volunteering as the date approaches. Out of fairness to others, please do not request to volunteer until the notice goes home in October. Thank you for understanding.

That’s it for this week! Loving these sunny days, I hope you are too!

~Mrs. Perry