I hope you all had a terrific weekend and were able to spend some time outdoors on Saturday. My family and I enjoyed some time simply walking through our neighborhood in the fresh air~ what a treat!
We are getting ready for another busy and fun week in our kindergarten classroom. This week we will continue participating in Read Across America activities at our school:
Monday: We will read some Dr. Seuss books throughout the day.
Tuesday: Wear green to school. We will read Green Eggs and Ham
Wednesday: Wear crazy socks to school. We will read Fox in Sox.
Thursday: Wear red and blue to school. We will read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
Thursday, 6:30 - 7:30~ Eagle Elementary Read In Event!
This week we will also be wrapping up our Dental Health unit by conducting a fun experiment with hard boiled eggs, different kinds of drinks, and toothpaste. Be sure to ask your child all about it!
Math: We have been working hard on counting and reading numbers 1-100. We have also been practicing skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Counting by 2s and 5s can be tricky! Practice these skills at home too. This week we will begin focusing on reading and writing addition number sentences.
Daily Five/Literacy/Word Wall: We now have 30 heart words on our Word Wall. These words are helping us to become stronger readers. We are finding these words in our books, on our charts, on our school walls, and many other places. Your child should be finding these words at home too! This week I am spending a lot of time reading with individual children. It is so much fun for me to listen to and talk with the children about the great progress they are making as readers. Keep up the great work!
Report Card Conferences: This spring there will be only two days for report cards conferences. All kindergarten report cards will be uploaded to BC@HOME by March 28th. Please check your child's folder for a letter regarding spring report cards.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne :)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Welcome Back!
I hope you all enjoyed your week off and are ready to get back into the swing of kindergarten fun! Below is a 'sneak preview' of some of the topics we will be learning about throughout the next few weeks.
Literacy: The children are truly enjoying our Daily Five literacy block each day. They are doing a great job working in our different stations: reading, writing, listening, word work, and guided reading groups. We will continue to practice reading and writing our heart words. We will also learn about different strategies to help us grow as readers and writers each day.
Math: We have been working hard on identifying numbers on our 100 chart, counting by 10s, and noticing different number patterns. Please practice reading, writing, and counting numbers 1 - 20 at home too. The teens can be quite tricky for many of us!
Additional Themes: This week we will spend some time reading and learning about dental health and keeping our smiles healthy. Throughout the month of March we will learn about nutrition and keeping our bodies healthy as well. Be sure to ask your child all about it! Later on this week we will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday by reading some if his books and working on some fun projects. We will also begin a new science unit that will allow us to experiment with different properties.
As you can see, we will be quite busy in our kindergarten classroom. Stay tuned for more information!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Literacy: The children are truly enjoying our Daily Five literacy block each day. They are doing a great job working in our different stations: reading, writing, listening, word work, and guided reading groups. We will continue to practice reading and writing our heart words. We will also learn about different strategies to help us grow as readers and writers each day.
Math: We have been working hard on identifying numbers on our 100 chart, counting by 10s, and noticing different number patterns. Please practice reading, writing, and counting numbers 1 - 20 at home too. The teens can be quite tricky for many of us!
Additional Themes: This week we will spend some time reading and learning about dental health and keeping our smiles healthy. Throughout the month of March we will learn about nutrition and keeping our bodies healthy as well. Be sure to ask your child all about it! Later on this week we will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday by reading some if his books and working on some fun projects. We will also begin a new science unit that will allow us to experiment with different properties.
As you can see, we will be quite busy in our kindergarten classroom. Stay tuned for more information!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wecome February!
We began this month by welcoming a new student into our classroom. The children and I were so excited to meet our new friend Colin! Everyone has done a terrific job helping our new friend learn all about our school and daily routines.
This month will be short due to the upcoming winter break. It will, however, be packed with fun and interesting kindergarten learning. We are wrapping up our mini unit on penguins. We have learned so many interesting facts about these fascinating animals! Did you know that the male penguin can slide on his belly while continuing to protect the precious egg that his female partner layed? We thought this was very cool! Be sure to ask your child all about penguins at home. This month we are also learning about and celebrating Groundhog's Day (6 more weeks of winter), The 100th Day of School (counting & sharing 100 collections), Valentine's Day (love and friendship), Presidents' Day, and Dental Health. Whew...we sure are busy! In addition to these fun February themes we are working hard as kindergarten readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists.
Reading: We are now rotating through different groups during our Daily Five Literacy block each day. The children are choosing to work in different literacy work stations in small groups while I work with different small groups of children on reading, writing, and letter sounds each day. We are working hard on using whisper voices and staying on task during this time each day.
Writing: We continue to practice printing our uppercase and lowercase letters using white boards, markers, crayons, and pencils during handwriting lessons each week. We are also working on printing our names by using an uppercase letter for the first letter only. We are getting so much better at this! During writing workshop, we are working on writing list books. Currently we are writing and illustrating short list books about all the different things we can do. We have many talents in our kindergarten classroom!
Math: We began using Cuisenaire Rods this week to help us learn more about counting and comparing numbers. These are very colorful and fun math tools! We are playing and learning at the same time. We will also counting numbers 1-100 as we prepare for our 100 Days of School celebration, which we are very excited about.
Word Wall: We now have 26 heart words on our wall. These words are helping us to become readers! The words are: the, no, in, is, I , it, go, me, and, a, at, to, he,run, my, yes, like, will, see, am, on, not, we, can, you, & she. We have been adding two new words each week and we are practicing reading and writing these words daily.
Additional Reminders: Each day the children have two separate snack times. We eat once in the morning and once in the afternoon in addition to lunch. Some of the children have been eating their snacks during lunch or buying ice cream or two milk items despite reminders. Please have a quick conversation with your child about your family rules regarding snacks and lunch time. Thank you for your support. Also, several children have recently begun bringing in toys and stuffed animals. Please encourage your child to keep these items at home or in their backpacks so that they are not lost, damaged, or disruptive to our learning activities. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
We are looking forward to another busy and fun week of kindergarten fun! :)
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne :)
This month will be short due to the upcoming winter break. It will, however, be packed with fun and interesting kindergarten learning. We are wrapping up our mini unit on penguins. We have learned so many interesting facts about these fascinating animals! Did you know that the male penguin can slide on his belly while continuing to protect the precious egg that his female partner layed? We thought this was very cool! Be sure to ask your child all about penguins at home. This month we are also learning about and celebrating Groundhog's Day (6 more weeks of winter), The 100th Day of School (counting & sharing 100 collections), Valentine's Day (love and friendship), Presidents' Day, and Dental Health. Whew...we sure are busy! In addition to these fun February themes we are working hard as kindergarten readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists.
Reading: We are now rotating through different groups during our Daily Five Literacy block each day. The children are choosing to work in different literacy work stations in small groups while I work with different small groups of children on reading, writing, and letter sounds each day. We are working hard on using whisper voices and staying on task during this time each day.
Writing: We continue to practice printing our uppercase and lowercase letters using white boards, markers, crayons, and pencils during handwriting lessons each week. We are also working on printing our names by using an uppercase letter for the first letter only. We are getting so much better at this! During writing workshop, we are working on writing list books. Currently we are writing and illustrating short list books about all the different things we can do. We have many talents in our kindergarten classroom!
Math: We began using Cuisenaire Rods this week to help us learn more about counting and comparing numbers. These are very colorful and fun math tools! We are playing and learning at the same time. We will also counting numbers 1-100 as we prepare for our 100 Days of School celebration, which we are very excited about.
Word Wall: We now have 26 heart words on our wall. These words are helping us to become readers! The words are: the, no, in, is, I , it, go, me, and, a, at, to, he,run, my, yes, like, will, see, am, on, not, we, can, you, & she. We have been adding two new words each week and we are practicing reading and writing these words daily.
Additional Reminders: Each day the children have two separate snack times. We eat once in the morning and once in the afternoon in addition to lunch. Some of the children have been eating their snacks during lunch or buying ice cream or two milk items despite reminders. Please have a quick conversation with your child about your family rules regarding snacks and lunch time. Thank you for your support. Also, several children have recently begun bringing in toys and stuffed animals. Please encourage your child to keep these items at home or in their backpacks so that they are not lost, damaged, or disruptive to our learning activities. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
We are looking forward to another busy and fun week of kindergarten fun! :)
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
January Highlights
I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and are staying warm! We have been very busy in our kindergarten classroom and are getting ready for another fun week of learning. Below are some of the things we are working on each day.
Reading: We are doing a terrific job working in small groups and as partners during our Daily Five Literacy block. The children are learning how to use pictures and their growing sight word vocabulary to read short stories. We are currently reading many fun stories about snow, mittens, and hats. We have also been working on various projects that go along with our stories. These projects are helping us to recall the 'big idea' and the sequence of events in each story.
Word Wall: We now have twenty-two heart words on our Kindergarten Word Wall! Each morning we spend time reading and writing these words. We are finding these words in everything we read! :) Our current heart words are: the, no, in, is, I, it, go, me, and, a, at, to, run, my, yes, like, will, see, am, on, we, can.
Writing: As writers we are working on proper letter formation, journal writing, and writing and illustrating individual stories. We write every day and are making terrific progress. This week we will be working on a short book to go along with Jan Brett's The Mitten.
Math: We have been very busy learning all about counting and comparing numbers 1-10. This week we will begin working more closely with numbers 11-20. We will be using many hands on activities and games to help us identify, read, write, and build these numbers.
Reminders:
The January Family Project is due this Wednesday! We have enjoyed sharing the snowmen that have been sent in so far.
Also, please begin looking out for Acts of Kindness. A note went home on Friday explaining this important project.
Lastly, the cold winter weather has arrived! Please make sure that your child has warm clothes for outdoor recess. The children need hats, gloves, winter coats, as well as boots and snow pants on snowy days. Please note that the clothing will go home with your child each day. It is helpful to have a plastic bag for wet clothing so that your child's backpack remains dry. We have been doing a super job getting dressed and keeping track of our clothing so far! Thank you so much for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Reading: We are doing a terrific job working in small groups and as partners during our Daily Five Literacy block. The children are learning how to use pictures and their growing sight word vocabulary to read short stories. We are currently reading many fun stories about snow, mittens, and hats. We have also been working on various projects that go along with our stories. These projects are helping us to recall the 'big idea' and the sequence of events in each story.
Word Wall: We now have twenty-two heart words on our Kindergarten Word Wall! Each morning we spend time reading and writing these words. We are finding these words in everything we read! :) Our current heart words are: the, no, in, is, I, it, go, me, and, a, at, to, run, my, yes, like, will, see, am, on, we, can.
Writing: As writers we are working on proper letter formation, journal writing, and writing and illustrating individual stories. We write every day and are making terrific progress. This week we will be working on a short book to go along with Jan Brett's The Mitten.
Math: We have been very busy learning all about counting and comparing numbers 1-10. This week we will begin working more closely with numbers 11-20. We will be using many hands on activities and games to help us identify, read, write, and build these numbers.
Reminders:
The January Family Project is due this Wednesday! We have enjoyed sharing the snowmen that have been sent in so far.
Also, please begin looking out for Acts of Kindness. A note went home on Friday explaining this important project.
Lastly, the cold winter weather has arrived! Please make sure that your child has warm clothes for outdoor recess. The children need hats, gloves, winter coats, as well as boots and snow pants on snowy days. Please note that the clothing will go home with your child each day. It is helpful to have a plastic bag for wet clothing so that your child's backpack remains dry. We have been doing a super job getting dressed and keeping track of our clothing so far! Thank you so much for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Welcome 2012!
I hope you all had a terrific break with family and friends. Welcome back and Happy New Year! I am in the process of updating our January events so please check back soon! This week we are working on settling back into our daily routines of reading, writing, math activities, and work stations. Two of our friends, Hannah & Justin, have moved to a new house and a new school community in CT. We wish them well and will stay in touch through letter writing. Today we welcomed a new friend, Emily, into our kindergarten classroom. The children were so welcoming and helpful with our new friend! We are looking forward to a great week of kindergarten learning as we begin to read, write, and learn about snow! :)
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Gingerbread Week!
I hope you had a fantastic weekend. We are gearing up for a fun and exciting week in our kindergarten room. This week we will continue to work on our reading, writing, and math skills each day. We will also be comparing and contrasting many different gingerbread stories as we incorporate this theme into our daily activities. There are so many different fun versions of this familiar story. We are learning that the 'big idea' is the same, but sometimes the characters, the illustrations, and the endings can be different. We love the repetitive words and often join in during read aloud time each day! Try reading some of these stories at home too! We have added two new heart words to our Word Wall: run & see. We thought these were perfect words since we are finding both of these words in our gingerbread stories.
Reminders: Please join us on Thursday, December 22nd at 2:15 to help us decorate our very own gingerbread houses. You may also read some of our stories with your child and take the gingerbread houses home on this day. Thank you so much for helping with the supplies for this fun and messy project! :) Also, we will have a small festive pm snack on Friday, December 23rd during our usual snack time. If you signed up to send in a treat, please drop it off in the main office before 11:30. Thank you for your support during this very busy time of the year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Reminders: Please join us on Thursday, December 22nd at 2:15 to help us decorate our very own gingerbread houses. You may also read some of our stories with your child and take the gingerbread houses home on this day. Thank you so much for helping with the supplies for this fun and messy project! :) Also, we will have a small festive pm snack on Friday, December 23rd during our usual snack time. If you signed up to send in a treat, please drop it off in the main office before 11:30. Thank you for your support during this very busy time of the year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne
Friday, December 9, 2011
Teddy Bear Week!
Our bears survived Teddy Bear Week! We had so much fun learning and sharing our many different stories and activities with our cuddly friends this week. During math, we sorted our bears by color, by size, and by clothes. We also lined up our bears from tallest to smallest and practiced counting in many different ways. During reading, we read stories all about bears. We read both fiction and nonfiction stories to our teddy bears. Some of our favorites were Brown Bear, Brown Bear; Corduroy; We're Going on a Bear Hunt; and the Bear Snores On series. We also taught our bears about our word wall and the twelve heart words that we are learning to read. Our bears helped us to sing some of our letter songs each day too. We ended our bear week with a snack especially for bears...honey combs, goldfish, and teddy grahams. Boy were they hungry today! I'm sure your bears will be very tired from their busy and fun week. They will definitely need a hot bath in the washing machine and some rest!
Have a terrific weekend!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne :)
Have a terrific weekend!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Browne :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)