Oct. 2-6

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Here is what’s going on in Kindergarten next week:

Art/Science/Theme: We will begin our new theme: Pumpkins! Students will learn about pumpkins through a study of the pumpkin life cycle.  Last week,we started to compare pumpkins to apples.  We will observe and investigate if a pumpkin will sink or float.  Students will dissect the pumpkins and studying their seeds and pulp.

Language Arts/ Writers Workshop: We will focus on the beginning, middle and end of stories as well as the problems and solutions. Students are working on adding more details to their pictures and words.  We will be introducing two different strategies to help students sound out words while writing:  “Ghost talk” is when you stretch a word out very slowly and write each sound that you hear (ie” “cccaaattt”). “Robot talk” is when you quickly say each sound (ie: “c-a-t”).  Ask your child to show you these strategies and try using these terms to help your child with writing words at home.

Math: Number Order of 1-10. Keep an eye out for your child’s Pumpkin Number Line and use this at home to help your child practice Number Recognition and Number Sense (ie: “Can you point to the number ___ on your number line?” or “What number comes before/after ___?”). 

Word of the Week: “the”.  Students will be writing “I like to see the _____.”

As a reminder for safety purposes, please make sure that your child is going directly to the playground in the morning and not waiting unsupervised by the classroom door or in the hallways. 

There is no school on Friday, October 6^th, due to a staff development training for all teachers.

RTI has started and we are still figuring out what group each child should be in to be comfortable at the work load as well as reading level.  Sometimes, students are reading books but yet, writing or comprehension might be a struggle.  We always want to make sure students are never frustrate but feel challenged in their reading group.  

In RTI, all groups read the same book and focus on the same comprehension skill however it might be presented differently.  This week, we will be reading informational text on pumpkins and identifying facts.  Besides reading a book whole class, we are in small groups working on independent reading skills.  Some students need practice identify letter names and sounds, some need blending and segmenting skills, and some need to practice sight words.  These are all things that you can practice at home when reading with your child daily.

If you haven't sign up for a conference time in November, please email me so we can schedule it.  

Have a great week,

Mrs. Sandman