Picture Re-Takes

Picture re-takes will be held on November 8.  If you are interested in this, please let me know so that I can send home any forms that me be needed.  Thank you in advance!

Pan Balance, Sound Cups and Letter Stamps

In math this week, we explored the pan balance.  We placed different amount of buttons into the pans to see which side was heavier.  We discovered that the heavier side went down and the lighter side went up.  We also learned that when we put more buttons on the lighter side, it started to go down.  When both pans were the same, they were balanced!

We also continued our study of patterns!  Here we are working on our AAB patterns using bingo dabbers!

We also practiced drawing number stories.  Here the kindergarteners listen to a story and draw circles to represent numbers.  For example - "Elena went to the toy store and bought 4 new dolls."  We then draw 4 circles.  "She loved them so much, she went back to the store and bought 4 more dolls."  We then draw for more circle.  "How many dolls did Elena buy all together?"  we then count all the circles to find the answer!

In literacy, we practiced using the letter stamps to write our friends' names.  We used picture cards to help us read the names and then matched the letters on the card to the letter stamps!

We also practiced listening for the beginning sounds in words.  We used small picture magnets and matched them to the correct beginning letter cup! 

NO SCHOOL on Friday, Oct. 5

This is a gentle reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday, Oct. 5.  The teachers and I will be participating in professional development meetings.  School will resume on Monday, Oct. 8. 

Special Schedule for the Week of 10/1 - 10/5

Monday (D) - Art & PE (Please remember to bring gym shoes)
Tuesday (A) - Media Center (Please remember to return your library books)
Wednesday (B) - Music
Thursday (C) - PE (Please remember to bring your gym shoes)
Friday - NO SCHOOL

September Pride Posts

Here is our completed September Pride Post display!

"The kindergarteners are the apples of my eye because of their wonderful and unique personalities!  It has been a treat to get to know each one of you!" - Mr. Kefgen

Please be on the lookout for the October posts.  They were sent home today to be returned on Monday, Oct. 1. 

Using Our Senses

In science this week we are learning about all the different things that a scientist does.  We learned that scientists ask questions and look for different ways to answer their questions.  We also learned that scientists uses their 5 senses.

Today we learned about the different ways things feel.  We talked the differences between smooth, soft, bumpy and pointy things.  Some of the ideas we came up with as examples were

Soft
Care Bears
Blankets
Tissues

Bumpy
Bristle Blocks
Sidewalks
Beaded Necklaces

Pointy
Scissors
Pencils
Porcupines

Smooth
White Boards
Books
Pattern Blocks

We then were given a basket with objects in it, and decided what they felt like!  Can you find things in your house that feel different?

Math Stations

During our math stations, we learned about a new game today called Roll and Record.  We practiced rolling soft dice, counting the dots, and plotting that number on a graph!  We had so much fun seeing who rolled each number the most, or which numbers were not rolled very much!

We also continued to work on our 10 Tiny Turtles book.  Here, we practiced 1:1 correspondence by gluing a pre-determined number of turtles into our book to create silly pictures.  So far our favorite has been "8 tiny turtles playing with their blocks!"  After gluing them, we always count each one to make sure that we have the right number of turtles.

Also, we have been working on identifying coins.  One of the games we like play is to roll special coin dice and then find the matching coin from a bowl.  We are matching both the heads and tails side now.  We then sort the coins we find into egg cartons. 

Media Center

Today we visited the media center.  If your child forgot to bring their library book to school today, please remember to return it to school next Tuesday, as this is our next time visiting the media center.  Thank you!

Show and Tell

Our Show and Tell schedule for the year came home today in your child's folder.  Beginning next Monday, October 1, we will have 3 kindergarteners sharing each day.  Please remember to only send items to school on your child's assigned day.

Also, please do not send your child to school with toys to share.  Instead, please send in something special to your child - a letter to the tooth fairy, shells from a recent vacation, a favorite book, etc.

I am looking forward to seeing what the kindergarteners bring in to share with our class! 

Poetry Books

Ooops!  Last week we forgot to take home our poetry books!  I am so sorry about that.  They are coming home today with our new poem from last week - "Good Morning."  Please read over the poem with your kindergartener and return the book Thursday, September 27.  Thank you!

A peek at our first few weeks of kindergarten...

The kindergarteners and I wanted to share a few pictures from our first few weeks of school!  We hope you enjoy them!

We have been working on creating AB patterns using different shapes or colors.  Here are some of the patterns we came up with!

 

To celebrate how much we will 'bloom' this year, we painted sunflowers using paper plates and corks!

 

 

 

In math, we practiced identifying different shapes and classifying objects by their shapes.  We even strengthened our fine motor skills by gluing string around shape outlines to show both curvy and straight lines.

 

 

Here we practicing sorting objects by their attributes.  We are learning that objects can be sorted by their shape, size or color.  Some of us also sorted by the number of sides a shape had!  We used sorting mats to help us group objects by different attributes.

 

 

In reading, we have been introducing the different parts of our reader's workshop.  Each kindergartener has picked a reading spot that they feel comfortable in.  We have practiced three different ways to read a book - reading the pictures, reading the words or rereading a book.  As we build our reading stamina, or "reading muscles", we practice reading to ourselves.  We then share what we have read, using words or pictures to tell the story, with our reading partner!

 

 

One of our favorite (and delicious) activities was our Kissing Hand cookies!  During our first week we read the book The Kissing Hand.  In this story, a raccoon named Chester is nervous about going to his first day of school.  To make him feel better, his mother kisses his hand and tells him that whenever he feels nervous, he should touch his hand to his cheek and he will be able to feel his mother's kiss!  After reading the story, we made cookies for our families by pressing our thumbs into the dough and putting a Hershey's kiss inside!  We hope our families enjoyed the special treat!

 

We are having so much fun in room 100!  We can't wait to share more pictures with you!

 

Specials Schedule - 9/24 - 9/28

Below is the our specials class schedule for the Week of 9/24 - 9/28

Monday (C) - PE (Please remember to send gym shoes)
Tuesday (D) - Art & PE (Please remember to send gym shoes)
Wednesday (A) - Media Center
Thursday (B) - Music
Friday (C) - PE (Please remember to bring gym shoes)

Have a great weekend!

Pictures coming soon...

This weekend I will be uploading pictures of our first few weeks of kindergarten!  The kindergarteners and I can't wait to show you what we have been up to!  Stay tuned...

I Wonder...

Please remember to complete the "I Wonder..." science handout that was sent home last week if you have not already done so.  This includes having your child think about something they are wondering about in science.  Some ideas may be "I wonder why it rains?" , "I wonder why leaves fall from trees?" , or "I wonder why it snows when it is cold?"

After deciding on your question, please help your child learn the answer.  This can be done by using the Internet, books or asking an expert. 

I can't wait to see what the children have been wondering about this past week!

Looking for Room Parents to Join Us

Our class is looking for at least 1 more (2 more would be great) room parents to help us plan classroom events.  A great BIG "thank you" to Mrs. Reck for volunteering as a room parent.  If you would be interested, please let me know, and I will pass on your contact information to Mrs. Reck.

Some of the room parent responsibilities include planning and organizing classroom parties (harvest time, valentines day, 100s day, end of the year picnic etc), collecting donations for the classroom and assisting us throughout the year with special projects.

Our class looks forward to working with the room parents!  We hope you can join us!

Motor Moms and Dads

This year our class will be participating in Harlan's Motor Moms and Dads!  This is program that helps us strengthen our large motor skills through directed activities.

Motor Moms and Dads is run by parent volunteers from each classroom.  On our days, our class parent volunteers will teach us the routines and take us through the program.  I am asking for parents who are available and interested to join us for this great program!  Our class will be participating on B days and every 2nd D day.

Please let me know if you are interested.  Interested families should attend one of the following training dates to learn more about the program and how they will be involved.

Training dates:
Friday, September 21  9:30 - 10:30am
Monday, September 24  9:30 - 10:30am

I hope to see you there! 

Reminders

We are so excited to take our first Harlan yearbook pictures!  I know that some families chose to send money and order forms through homework folders, while others chose to order pictures online.  If you have not turned in the order forms, picture retakes will take place in early November.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 20, will be the first late start day of the school year.  This means that school does not begin until 10:25am, when the first bell rings.  Thank you in advance!

Please remember that we visit the media center tomorrow, and will be returning the books we checked out last week.  Please send your child's book back to school on Thursday, September 20.  If the book is returned, your child will be able to check out another book.

Media Center

Today we visited the media center!  We worked with Mrs. Stayer on choosing books and checking them at the circulation desk.  We practiced turning the book over to find the bar code so that Mrs. Stayer can "beep" our book. 

We visit the media center on A Days.  Please remember to send the book your child borrowed back next Thursday, as this is the next A Day.  When your child returns a book, they will have a chance to check out a new book.

Happy Reading!

Favorite Children's Book

Next week we will be doing an activity with our favorite books!  Please send your child to school with their favorite book from home on Monday, September 17.  Please remember to put your child's name on the cover or inside the book so that we can return it when we complete the activity.  I can't wait to see all of the kindergarten classics!

Pride Posts - September

If you have not already done so, please fill out the apple card that was sent home this week.  Our class is collecting the apples with messages that talk about the positive character traits your children show.  Thank you in advance!

Please begin your apple with "________ is the apple of my eye because  _________."

Curriculum Night

Welcome to Harlan Elementary Curriculum Night! 

We have been very busy in Room 100 during our first week of kindergarten!  Please take the time to enter your email address at the right side of the blog to become a blog subscriber.  By doing this, each update will be automatically sent directly to your email!

After entering your email address, you will be prompted to enter an on-screen code.  Following that, you should receive an email from Feedburener, the website that handles our subscriptions.  When you receive the email, please confirm that you would like to be a subscriber and you will begin to receive classroom updates!

If you were not able to join us tonight, A packet of information will be sent home in your child's folder tomorrow. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!