SAVE THE DATE!!!

 

The AM Rascals have a Date! OPEN HOUSE is Thursday, October 4th, at 6:30 sharp! Don't be Late!!!

 

Newsletter ~ September 27, 2012

Hello Rascal Families,

Calling all families…..We have a very important date in October!  I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at the Open House/Ice Cream Social on Thursday, October 4th.  Families and Kinder Stars in the PM Session will report to our kindergarten classroom at 6:00PM sharp.  Showtime for the AM Stars will follow promptly at 6:30.  The highlight of the evening is watching your KINDERGARTEN  Star  in our class show entitled, Rich’s Rascals Rule.  It is a  5 ***** production!!!

We are happy to inform you that the Volunteer Program will begin the week of October 22^nd.   The kinders in both sessions are looking forward to working with volunteers throughout the year!!!  Accolades to ALL classroom volunteers.  YOU are going to make a BIG difference!

Today marks the 20th. day of kindergarten and bragging is in order.  We’ve completed nine of the fifteen lessons of the first unit in the Imagine It Reading Series.  We are very proud of our accomplishments.  Rhyming words is a daily activity and lots of fun.  Hearing syllables and sounds in words are goals most of us are working toward.  Learning to read the following high frequency words:

a

the

and

go

had

he

I

see

has

…. needs to be practiced at school and at home throughout the month of October.  Listening activities have been most challenging, but we’re improving each and every day.  We’re ready to show off what we have learned!  

 A high interest Big Book or Trade Book is a reading routine of the Imagine It Reading Series.    The literature in this program has turned us on to books.  The word is out….  Kindergartners have been engaged in bookmaking.  Each one has earned the title of Author  and Illustrator.   Class books written and illustrated by Rich’s Rascals will be showcased at Open House.  We plan to start sending the books home after Open House.  We can’t wait to read your comments on the Comment Page (last page) of our class books.  Teachers and students LOVE what you have to say!  We’re all ears!!!  These books motivate us to read, read, read! 

Next week we will begin “Writer’s Workshop”!   As you know, since the beginning of school the children have been making class books.  Now they are looking forward to working on their own journals.  While we work in our journals the children will spell words the way they sound; and not necessarily the way adults would spell them.  This method of recording is called “smartie”  spelling and helps build a good phonetic foundation.  The children are enthusiastic about illustrating, writing and reading their very own journals.

The balance scale will be introduced at the Math Center.  For Show & Tell on Monday, we are going to bring in a harvest crop.  (Harvest is a new vocabulary word we’ve been introduced to this Fall.)  Small vegetables or fruit are perfect for this activity. Students will be assigned a partner and predict the weight of their harvest crop using the math terms…. more than, less than or equal.   Plan on keeping the crops at school throughout the week for daily weighing activities.

Morning Dismissal Time is going well.  Kinders wait for a teacher to dismiss them before they exit our class line to embrace their loved ones.  I am so proud of them abiding by this very important safety rule!  Parents/guardians have been reinforcing the safety rules, too.  Thank YOU!!!  If you are running late, you will need to pick up your child in the office.  Unfortunately, I cannot wait with them.  I usually need to prepare for the next class, have my lunch or am off to a meeting or parent/teacher conference.  Thanks for your promptness!

In closing, I’d like to remind you to sign up for a Parent/Teacher Conference at Open House.

Think about the date/time that works best for you.  There are three dates: 

           Friday, October 26^th., Tuesday, November 6^th

                          and Friday, November 9^th. 

Each time slot is for thirty minutes….YAHOO!  Conference times are 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.  I will post the conference schedule on Open House Night so that you may sign up for the date/time that is most convenient for you.  If you have a conflict with the conference dates/times, please let me know.  Confirmation letters will be sent home to remind you of your scheduled date and time.  Your attendance is my DREAM-COME-TRUE!  I am so looking forward to meeting with each and every ONE of YOU!

Conference preparation has started already.  I need your help.  Please complete the Pre-Conference form I am sending home today and return it to school on or before Monday, October 15th.  Thank you!

Remember, there is NO school for students on Friday, September 28th….Teacher Workshop Day.

                                       Good-bye September Days!

                                       June A. Rich

Happy Birthday MOM!!!

A very SPECIAL Celebration took place in my Family this weekend.

My Mom is 8 decades young!  She has always been a role model to my two sisters, Jaime, Donna and me. She continues to be spirited, witty and self-sacrificing.  I hope I have inherited some of her beautiful genes.

Literacy Instruction Is Here to Stay!

This week we began our small group reading instruction.  The kinders work in small groups with their Literacy Teacher for 30 minutes each day.  Each group consists of 4-5 students.  Mrs. Pearl and I each have a group.  Mrs. Myers (Ms. Poisson's amazing assistant) and Mrs. Hensel (a former grade school teacher for many years) are also working with a small group of Rascals during this time.  Mrs. Pearl and I are very grateful to be part of such a wonderful reading team!

                   Mrs. Myers     Mrs. Rich       Mrs. Hensel     Mrs. Pearl

"One hundred years from now, It will not matter what kind of car we
  drove, What kind of house we lived in, Or how much money we had in the
 bank, But the world would be a better place because we made a difference
in a child's life."   Author Unknown

MATH Is Where It's At !!!!

We are working on numbers 0-5.  It's fun counting, frontwards and backwards and building sets.  Wait until you see our Counting Books.   During Math Workshop, we show off what we know with Dot Art on each page.  When it comes to number sense, we have what it takes!

Story Time

Ask us about the little red house that has a chimney, no windows, no doors and has a star inside it......

Rich's Rascals LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Sharing Favorite Books for Show and Tell....

"The more you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."  Dr. Seuss

NAME THAT LETTER!!!

Newsletter ~ September 20, 2012

Hello Rascal Families,

Did you get the word?  Reading is a preferred pastime in Kindergarten.  Student-made books are an all-time favorite!  Budding Kindergarten Authors and Illustrators have made a request.  They have been waiting patiently for class books to be sent home to share and read with their families.  A class book will be sent home with several children.   Please return it to school the very next day in the same bag it came in.  Everyone will be impatiently waiting his/her turn.  Thank you in advance from all the Kindergarten Authors and Illustrators!!!

It is no surprise that the class books we’ve been publishing since the beginning of the year have motivated your child to read.  Each day (except Friday & Holidays) children will be allowed to borrow a class book to share at home.  The books in circulation are: Mrs. Rich’s Class Gets Ready for Kindergarten,  Read Our Names, Proud to be Friends and Happy Birthday.   You’ll see all of these books at our Open House.  Yes, the day has come for your child to read the bedtime story.  Recline and enjoy!!!

Speaking of reading, letter names Aa – Ee have been introduced this week.  Next week’s activities will focus on letter names:  Ff, Gg, and Hh and sight words:  a, the.  We’ve been using our little eye to spy introduced letters in words and first names of students and teachers.  Have you noticed the papers going home this week?  We’re becoming experts at creating rainbow letters!

More fun with the new season…. Fall studies include Harvest activities, of course!  We are anxiously waiting for a father, grandfather, uncle, etc., to come into our classroom to carve the pumpkin.  We need a pumpkin carver for both the morning and afternoon sessions.  I will work around your schedule.  If you have any free time, please contact me immediately. 

Guessing and predicting engage us in the learning process.  We do lots of this in our daily lessons.  It’s the perfect game to play Surprise Show & Tell on Monday.  Let’s hide a Fall object in a bag and give clues about what’s inside.   Others will try to guess what it is.  Concentrate on color, shape and sound.  For example:  (“It is orange, round and begins with the /p/ sound.  What is it?)  Practice at home during the weekend.

Current research shows that books and stories help us develop listening and comprehension skills.  The story told at the end of class today gave us some food for thought…. Can you think of the little red house that has a chimney?  It has no windows and no doors, but has a star inside it.  What is it?

Ask your favorite Kindergarten Star!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

After School Care/Transportation form is due Friday, September 21

NO SCHOOL on Friday, September 28, Teacher Workshop Day

Welcome Fall!

                                                             June A. Rich

Let's CHEER for our first five-day week of the YEAR!

Show & Tell is Swell !!!

NWEA Assessment in Progress!

Your child participated in the MAP— NWEA’s assessment this week.  These computerized adaptive tests are called Measure of Academic Progress, or MAP. When taking a MAP test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level

Rascals Busy At Work During Workshop!

What a "PURR"fect culminating activity for our very first five-day week. We agree with Pete the Cat..."It's All Good" !

PM Class Making Pete the Cat

                            

                        AM Rascals doing a "MEOW" of a job 

Pete the Cat Live Reading by Author, Eric Litwin

The Rascals loved watching, listening and creating Pete the Cat.  (Click on the arrow.  It will bring you to the YOU TUBE video.) You will love it, too!!! 

Newsletter ~ September 12, 2012

  

Hello Rascal Families,

Classmates, events and assignments have been a big part of our TEN school days.  While groups of children are working at workshops, I've been observing your child in action. I am learning a lot about your child and have plans to implement many activities.  Literacy and math groups will begin on Monday!  My goal is to foster growth in all areas of development. What a rewarding learning experience it has been for me!

Learning to write our names the "Handwriting Without Tears" way, has been introduced.  The children will be practicing in a fun way.  They will use interlocking letter rods to sequence the letters in their name.  Then they print each letter in the appropriate box; the first letter in upper case formation, the rest of the letters are written in lower case.  Although handwriting is difficult for most, with practice everyone will improve in no time!  The Number Book we’ve been working on has been the perfect readiness activity for handwriting.  We discovered that learning to write numbers first is much easier than writing letters.  Remember to use the handwriting guide sheets sent home on Thursday as a resource for number and letter writing.

Yes, we’re happy to inform you that reading instruction is here to stay.  Next week, we’ll be starting Unit I in our reading series, Imagine It. The approach has been most engaging and fast moving.  Letter sounds and names of Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd,  and Ee will be introduced.  The children will learn to identify first, middle and last sounds in words, name rhyming words, segment a word into syllables and read sight words.

Reading and writing activities go hand in hand.  Each child will start drawing/writing in their journals.  For this activity your child will need a 1” binder.  Please send binders to school by Monday, September 17^th.  Thank you!  

During the kindergarten year your child needs to learn to read 50 sight words.  I am recruiting help and support from all kinder families.  I will send home a hard copy of the 50 sight words your child is expected to learn this year.  Be ready to teach your child sight words right away.  As we partner together we will see GRRR-8 results.  Let’s do it!!! 

We fell in love with the first stories in the “Imagine It” Reading series, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten and Fox Makes Friends.  Since BOOKS are a hot subject among our budding kindergarten authors and illustrators, let’s bring in a favorite book for Show and Tell on Monday.  Know the author and illustrator.  It is no surprise that our response to reading instruction in the “Imagine It” series has started with lots of student and teacher enthusiasm!

 

PTA envelopes go home every Wednesday.  Important notices are enclosed.  Thank you for removing all papers and signing and dating the outside of the envelope.  Return to school on Thursday.  Envelopes will continue to be collected and sent home throughout the school year.  Thank you!

  

Last, but certainly not least, Parent Open House for Rich’s Rascals is on Thursday, October 4th.  I have assigned specific times for each session to visit our classroom.  Please adhere to the time your child’s session has been scheduled to ensure a space for everyone in our classroom.  Families of the children in the PM Session are invited to our kindergarten classroom at 6:00 sharp (AM Session families are invited to our kindergarten classroom at 6:30 sharp) to learn all there is to know about your child’s program.  The highlight of the evening is watching your KINDERGARTEN STAR in our class slide show entitled, “Rich’s Rascals Rule”.  It’s a 5 ***** production!!!

                                                                      Busy September Days!!!

   June A. Rich

                                                                                                  

                                                           

CHEERS to Mrs. Pearl !!!

We have a wonderful instructional assistant in our classroom, Mrs. Pearl. The last five years she’s worked with Mrs. Boucher in kindergarten. I am thrilled she will be working with me as my partner this year! In the 5 days we've been at school the Rascals and I have fallen in love with her !!!!!

Wednesday, Library Day with Mrs. Lovejoy and Mrs. Landsman