Happy November!
We have a lot of people to thank for helping to make October such a fun-
filled month. Thank you to all the parents who generously donated their time
to provide cookies for our Guardian Angel celebration, joined us for the
Blessing of the Pets, painted t-shirts, helped the students paint t-shirts,
sent in paint for the t-shirts, weeded the garden, sent in supplies for the
Fall Harvest Party, volunteered at the Fall Harvest Party, volunteered in
the library, and volunteered to help with lunch and recess. Thank you, also,
to the parents who coordinated all these things (Mrs. Policastro for
lunch/recess help, Mrs. Pavone and Mrs. Cunningham for the Fall Harvest
Party).
Thank you to Mrs. Troch for coordinating the purchase of the paver for the
class of 2018! What a great thing!
The month of November promises to be just as busy as October, so here we
go...
Religion
“Lord, even before I was born, I was in Your care.” Psalm 22:11
This is our Psalm for the week. Our topic of discussion will be families. We
will discuss our families and the Holy Family. We will focus on the first
two lines of the Our Father defining hallowed as meaning holy and the Our
Father as the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Language Arts
We have begun to work on letter/sound association. Last week we began by
listening for words that began with the same sound (boy/baby, snake/slide).
This week we will begin to associate the letter with the sound at both the
initial and final position in words. This month the sounds we will be
working with are /s/, /m/, /d/, /p/, /a/, /h/ and /t/.
New High Frequency Words being introduced are what, can, you, at, like, too,
are, in.
Please be sure to have your children reread the Pre-Decodable books being
sent home. It’s great reading practice! The pace is picking up, so the more
practice your child gets, the stronger the foundation on which to build
their new knowledge.
Math
We have completed our units on shapes and patterning (although you will see
these concepts practiced throughout the year) and we are moving on to
numbers! We are beginning with 1:1 correspondence and moving to numerals. We
will be counting, identifying and writing numbers, creating sets, and
comparing sets. We will also be learning to read and write number words.
Social Studies/Science
We will continue with the farm theme, discussing the names of animal mothers
and their babies, the ways in which farm animals help us and the products
that come from the farm. Next week we will move into the Thanksgiving theme.
The students will be choosing Native American names (with your help) and
making costumes by painting Native American symbols on the pillow cases
that have been sent in.
***Please remember to check the calendar regularly, as it is updated at
various times throughout the month.
Thank you for sharing your children with us. They bring us so much happiness
with their enthusiasm for learning, their unique perspectives on life and as
always-their humor!
Peace,
Mrs. Weaver
October 18, 2009
Wow! What a busy month October has been! And there’s so much more to come!
In Reading, we have read 5 pre-decodable books! We will read our 6th pre-
decodable this week titled A Farm. Please remember to re-read these books
with your children, even if they seem too easy for them. Re-reading familiar
books helps to develop reading fluency (reading smoothly and with
expression) which is so important in developing reading comprehension
(understanding what is read). Don’t forget- your child may include these
books on his/her reading log in the homework folder!
The high frequency words (HFW), or sight words, that have been introduced
thus far are the, here, is, a, an, I, see, we, and, she. The new words being
introduced this week are have, big, small. It is extremely important that
your child learn these words. Being able to read these words quickly and
accurately is crucial to developing reading fluency and reading
comprehension. Some activities you can do with your child to help with HFW
reading will be available at Parent/Teacher Conferences this week.
In Math, we are ending our study of patterning. We have had a lot of fun
with patterns! One of our favorite activities has been our “tour of
patterns”. The children are given the opportunity to create a pattern of
their choosing using various math manipulatives. They then label their
pattern (like famous works of art in an art museum). Once everyone is ready,
we take a tour! Each student presents his/her pattern, reading the pattern
and telling which type of pattern they chose to create. Not only does this
help reinforce patterning, but the students have the opportunity to present
their work, speaking in front of a group of their peers. Next week we will
begin COUNTING!!!
Your children are doing so well in Mass! You should be very proud of their
progress in this area. This week in Religion we are discussing the fact that
growing is a lifelong process and they can grow to be more like Jesus.
We have many people to thank for all the help we have had! Many of you have
volunteered to come into the classroom to help paint t-shirts and help with
lunch/recess. You all have been terribly generous, sending in the supplies
we need in order to complete our projects. We have even been blessed
with ‘garden fairies’ from KA and KB! These very brave people had the
courage to conquer the overgrown butterfly bushes and countless weeds
inhabiting our garden and turn it into something quite beautiful and
inviting! We cannot thank you enough! Without you, so much of what we do
would not be possible. We are truly blessed!
Please remember that this is a short week. Parent/Teacher Conferences will
take place on Thursday and Friday. If you have not had the opportunity to
schedule a conference, and would like to do so, please contact Mrs.
Pritchett in the school office, as she sets the schedule. Also, if you have
not returned the Homework for Parents sheet, please do so as soon as
possible. Your input truly matters!
Oh! I almost forgot! We have had a very special visitor in our classroom!
Audrey Colopy, Mrs. Colopy’s (2A) granddaughter, has joined KB for a few
days. Audrey and her family are moving to St. Thomas! They are staying with
Mrs. and Mr. Colopy during the transition so Audrey had a few days to join
us. Monday will be her last day. Shhh…Mrs. Morgan is baking right now for a
farewell party for Audrey!
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Mrs. Weaver
October 4, 2009
Dear Parents,
Welcome October! We have a lot planned for this month!
We have finished our Bear unit and we are moving on to our Pumpkin/Farm
unit. Our reading/literature and math activities will be centered on these
themes.
Your children will be receiving their first report cards at the Parent
Teacher Conferences at the end of October. Some of the concepts being
assessed are:
Identifying upper and lower case letters
Identifying and producing rhyming words
Reading high frequency words introduced
Printing name (first letter capitalized, the rest lower case)
Knowing address and telephone number
Recognizing basic shapes
Patterning
Please remember that Kindergarten students will not be dressing up as a
character on October 29th. We are asking that they wear the farm t-shirts
that they will paint in the coming weeks, and a pair of jeans. They will be
dressing up as a Saint for our Saints Parade on Tuesday, November 3rd. A
note about this will be coming home soon, so please watch for it.
I hope you all have been able to enjoy this beautiful weather! What a truly
wonderful gift from God!!!
Mrs. Weaver
September 27, 2009
Dear Parents,
Wow! It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of September!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS!!!
-ALL PARENTS ARE INVITED TO STAY AT DROP OFF ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR PRAYER AND CALENDAR. WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL ANGEL SONG
THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU. WE SHOULD BE DONE BY 9:00. LOOKING
FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU!
-Please remember to send in a new, white t-shirt for an upcoming project. We
would like to have all t-shirts collected by Friday, October 2nd.
We have been very busy in KB!
In Language Arts…
Our main focus has been on rhyming, identifying/writing/matching upper and
lower case letters and we are beginning to introduce sight words.
Rhyming is an essential skill for learning to read because it means that
your child can discern the differences among individual sounds (or
phonemes). Playing with rhymes trains his/her ear to hear the similarities
and differences in how words sound. Reciting nursery rhymes, singing songs
or reading poems with your child helps prepare your child to read. In fact,
research has shown that children who are familiar with nursery rhymes when
they enter Kindergarten often have an easier time learning to read.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Find many opportunities to sing to and with your child. Create
songs on the spur of the moment about whatever you are doing. Try "This is
the way we wash our hands ... " Remember that you don't need to have a good
singing voice; your child will love it because it's yours.
Combine rhyming with rhythmic clapping or movements. For example,
try the rhyme "Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" to reinforce sound
patterns. Rhymes like these are especially helpful for an active child who
needs to involve his entire body in the activity. Songs like "Do Your Ears
Hang Low?" or "The Hokey Pokey" can help your child follow directions as you
sing the words. This kind of play involves your child's whole body in
absorbing the sounds of speech, which may make it easier for him to connect
the motion with the words you say.
Encourage wordplay using poems, rhymes, or songs. You might begin by
saying, "What rhymes with Matt [his name]?" Make up silly rhymes, such
as, "Did Matt sit on the cat?" Or try working together to tell a little
story about a cat chasing a fat rat. Write down the sentence you've thought
up, and have him illustrate the idea. Together, make your own rhyming book.
As your child gets more adept at rhyming, you might try to play a riddle
game. Try something like, "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with fish. And
it's something in the kitchen that you put your sandwich on." "Fish rhymes
with ... dish."
Seek out high-quality rhyming books. Most children love silly
songbooks, such as Paul O. Zelinsky's The Wheels on the Bus; storybooks such
as The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss; or stories that encourage rhythm, such
as Helen Oxenbury's We're Going on a Bear Hunt. These books and others like
them will bring laughter and still more language play. The best part? They
will help your child associate the joy of spending time with you with the
awesome task.
Upper/Lower Case Letter instruction includes teaching the name,
characteristics and formation of the 26 letter symbols used in the English
language. The goal of letter identification instruction is to enable
students to recognize and name letter shapes, as well as discriminate among
them before they are faced with the task of learning the letters’ sounds.
Among the reading readiness skills that are traditionally evaluated, the one
that appears to be the strongest predictor of reading success on its own is
letter identification.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Cereal Showdown: Cut out the name of the child’s favorite cereals
from the front of the boxes. Put the cereal names into a pile. Name a letter
and have him find a cereal title that has the letter in it. This is a fun
game to play while eating breakfast.
Sand Writing: Fill a shallow plastic container halfway with play
sand. Write a letter in the sand with your finger and have the the letter
while tracing it. Mess child say the name of up the sand and then let the
child write a letter. Put examples of letters on the table to assist him.
Magnet Letters: Buy inexpensive plastic magnet letters and place
them on your refrigerator. While you are cooking talk about the beginning
letter of the food you are preparing. Have the child point to the letter
being discussed on the refrigerator.
High Frequency Words are some of the most frequently used words in the
English language. Although there are about 200 High Frequency Words, they
compromise approximately 50 to 70 percent of general, non-technical text.
Teaching these words as early as possible is considered a crucial part of
elementary education. The High Frequency Words that have been introduced/are
being introduced this week are the, a, an, is, here, see, I.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Create Flashcards: Print the words that have been introduced
on index cards. Review these words daily. If your child is having difficulty
reading the words, trace the words with puff paint. Have your child trace
the words with their finger as they say word.
Word Hunt: Pick a target word. Using the newspaper or a
page from a magazine, have the search and circle the target word.
Thank you for checking in with Classroom Connection! I will update Math,
Integrated Science/Social Studies, Religion, etc. at the beginning of the
week.
Please know that Mrs. Morgan and I are enjoying teaching your children. They
are truly gifts from God, as they bring us joy daily! Thank you for sharing
them with us!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Weaver
September 13, 2009
Dear Families,
WOW! What a weekend!I hope you all had the opportunity to make it to the
Fair. It was a lot of fun!!!
Here is an update of classroom volunteers:
September 15 (scratch and sniff paintings)
Lynn Policastro
(we still need 1 more volunteer)
September 24 (Apple Madness)
Dr. Knight (sharing with KA)
Mrs. Koffa
Mrs. Pavone
Mrs. Hickey
Mrs. Houseman
(we still need 1 more volunteer)
September 29, 2009 (Sensory Walk)
Mrs. Policastro
Mrs. Houseman
Please know we are very thankful of the time you are able to share with us!
Also, please know that we are very aware that not everyone is able to come
into the classroom to volunteer. If you are not able to volunteer in the
classroom, know that your support at home, prayers, etc. are also
appreciated!
Have a great week!
Ann Weaver
August 31, 2009
***PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD BRING IN A STUFFED ANIMAL FROM HOME ON FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 4TH! ***
Dear Families,
We have a lot going on…
First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in items from our Wish
List! It really helps a lot! Your generosity has been overwhelming!
We have concluded our Gingerbread Unit! The children had an exciting
adventure last week when we attempted to bake our own gingerbread man. The
gingerbread man jumped out of the oven and ran away. We were fortunate
enough to be left some clues and track him down! Now that gingerbread cookie
is right where every good cookie should be…in our tummies!!!
THANK YOU to all of you who have volunteered! We had multiple offers for
Room Mothers, so I just took the first two names on the list-Tammy
Cunningham and Allison Pavone. If you did not have the opportunity to sign
up to volunteer and would still like to do something, please keep reading.
There are some classroom volunteer opportunities coming up this month.
Please email me if you are able to help out on any of the following dates.
o Thursday, September 10th - 2 parent volunteers to assist with Brown
Bear paintings
o Tuesday, September 15th - 2 parent volunteers to assist with
Scratch and Sniff paintings
o Thursday, September 24th – 6 parent volunteers to assist with “Apple
Madness”
o Tuesday, September 29th – 2 parent volunteers to assist with our
Sensory Walk
Volunteers will be needed each of the requested mornings from 9:00-10:45. I
will confirm your turn to volunteer after I receive all of your responses.
My goal is to give all parents an opportunity. If you are available more
than one date please indicate this...so that I may schedule accordingly.
We are still in need of Lunch and Recess volunteers. If you did not put your
name on the Lunch and Recess list at Open House and would like to sign up,
please email me and I will add your name to the list. THANK YOU to Lynn
Policastro who has volunteered to be the Lunch and Recess Coordinator!
THANK YOU to Alta Monestime who has signed up to be the Scholastic Book
Coordinator. There will be more details to follow, so please continue to
check Classroom Connections for more information.
THANK YOU to all who signed up to be Kinder “GARDEN” volunteers! If any of
you would like to be the Kinder “GARDEN” Coordinator, please email me.
THANK YOU to all the Library volunteers. Your help is not only appreciated
by me, Mrs. Morgan, and your children, but you have also made Mrs.
Zagrobelny very happy! THANK YOU to Mrs. Pavone for volunteering to be
Library Helper Coordinator!
THANK YOU to all the Play Dough Makers! We still have openings for the
months of December and May so it’s not too late to sign up!
And last but not least, THANK YOU to all the Photo Developing volunteers! I
will contact you when an order has been sent.
As if there haven’t been enough volunteer opportunities…if anyone is unable
to volunteer in class for whatever reason but would still like to do
something, please email me. There are times when I can use help with tasks
that you can do at home.
Sorry for the lengthy letter! Please contact me if you should have any
questions or concerns.
Peace,
Ann Weaver
August 19, 2009
Wow! We made it through our first full day! You should be very proud of
your children as they seem to be adjusting well.
Just a few reminders…
We have our first PE class on Thursday, August 20, 2009. Please
remember to have your child wear his/her PE uniform.
We do not have drinks at snack so please do not send them in for
your child.
If you have not sent in a pencil bag for your child, please do so as
soon as you are able to do so.
Mrs. Morgan and I are enjoying getting to know your children! Thank you for
sharing them with us, as they are truly gifts from God!!! They keep us
smiling all day long…
Sincerely,
Mrs. Weaver & Mrs. Morgan
August 13, 2009
Welcome to KB! I am so excited to be your teacher!!! It is going to be an
exciting year filled with lots of learning, laughter and love.
I look forward to seeing you at Meet the Teacher on Friday, August 14 (10:30-
12:00). You may bring your supplies in a brown paper bag (labeled with your
name).
See you then!
Mrs. Weaver
A Few Reminders for the First Day
In addition to the Kindergarten supply list each child in KB will need a
zippered pencil bag large enough to hold crayons, scissors, and glue.
(please label with your child’s name)
Remember to pack a healthy snack.
Please have your mom or dad place your school supplies in a brown paper bag
labeled with your name.
If you choose to, you may bring your supplies on “Meet the Teacher Day”.
When you arrive at school on your first day, please do not put anything in
your locker. We will review “locker etiquette” as an entire class. Your
belongings may be placed at your table spot in the classroom upon arrival.
We will dismiss at 12:00 noon.
