Dear Parents,

 

Welcome to the St. Thomas More School Family!  Part of my job as School Counselor is working in all the classrooms.  I meet the Kindergarten class for 30 minutes, and the class time is broken into segments.   I present a letter each week just like the classroom teacher does.  For example, for A week I have a picture of an angry face and we talk about the feeling of anger.  I then read a story about a child who is angry.   I present two jobs that start with the letter of the week.  Then we have a visit from I-Care Cat who teaches us getting along rules, and some songs to sing together.  If you want to take a look at the materials I have planned for them this year, please come by and visit.

 

As we work with the weekly faces, I tell the children that the very same faces they used to show sadness are able to look happy, and we discuss that feelings come and go all day long and we use our faces to show our feelings.  I will be showing them a big picture of a sad face. I'll send you one, too.  We’ll talk about why this person looks so sad.  When the picture is turned over, of course, the smile returns.  You can use this one with your family to communicate the kind of day you had, what made you happy or sad.  It’s a great communication tool.

 

Sincerely,

Nancy Fleming

Kindergarten class format and Curriculum for Life Skills

 

Kindergarten classes meet once a week for 30 minutes each.  The class is divided into segments to manage the attention of the class.  The segments involve presentation of a "letter" face (i.e. A=Angry) and presentation of 2 careers that go with the letter for the week, a lesson from the I-Care Cat curriculum, which is Peacemaking Skills for Little Kids, and a story.   

 

The curriculum also includes work in the areas of body safety, tobacco, alcohol and other drugs as appropriate to the developmental needs of these young students.

 

A complete notebook of activities, stories, careers, and songs used with the class is available in the Counselor's office. 

 

During First Quarter:Letters: N, A, D, S, M, I

I Care Cat-Concept One-The basis for a peaceful World is an environment where children become friends, learn to work and play cooperatively, and respect the interdependence of all living things.

 

During Second Quarter:  Letters: T, C, O, F

I Care Cat-Concept Two-We are all human beings.  We are similar, yet each of us in unique.  We accept and enjoy our commonalities and celebrate our differences.

 

During Third Quarter:  Letters R, P, L, U, K, G

I Care Cat-Concept 3-Feelings are a common bond that all of us share.  Feelings link us together as a human family.

 

During Fourth Quarter:Letters E, B, H, W, V, X, Q, J, Z, W, Y

I Care Cat-Concept 4-Peacemaking skills help us to get along as responsible members of the humans family.  We are all connected to the web of life.

 

All materials and storybooks are available in the Counselor’s office.

Kindergarten Stories for Letters of the week:

 

A  -  Mean Soup

B  -  Shy Charles

C  -  The Tale of Custard the Dragon

D  -  My Many Colored Days

E  -  Edward Emu

F  -  The Frightened Little Owl

G  -  Glasses (Who Needs ‘Em?)

H  -  I Love My hair

I  -   The Itsy Bitsy Spider

J  -  Sometimes I Feel Awful

K  -  A Kaleidoscope of Kids

L  -  Lots of Lice

M  -  Monster Manners

N  -  Nana Upstairs

O  -  Lazy Ollie

P  -   Playing the Game

Q  -  It’s Mine

R  -  Rotten Ralph

S  -  Today I Feel Silly

T  -  Grandpa’s Teeth

U  -  The Ugly Duckling

V  -  Roberta’s Vacation

W  -  Lily Takes a Walk

X  -  Extraordinary Chester

Y  -  Yo!

Z  -  Zebras