Occasionally, Mr. Dukler (Overlook Social Worker) will come into our morning
and afternoon classes to work on a social skills program called Second Step.
It's a marvelous, developmentally appropriate way for young children to learn
how to react in social situations. Puppets, pictures,and role plays are all a
part of the lessons. The kids enjoy it very much!
We also use a school-wide positive behavior program called the Overlook RAP.
No matter where we are or who we are with in the building, all of the
expectations are the same. We continually practice being Respectful while
Acting responsibly and Practicing our manners.
Library is scheduled on a weekly basis for the kindergartners. AM and PM
classes will go to the library on Tuesdays. Each week, the children will
have the opportunity to check out a library book to bring home and read.
Please make sure your child brings the book back to school in his/her
backpack before the next library day. A gentle reminder to put the library
book in the red box on my desk is always very much appreciated!!
In your child's backpack this week will be a conference form for our November
dates. For those of you who had the opportunity to sign up for a specific
conference date/time while visiting our classroom on Parent's Night back in
September, a reminder of that information will be at the top of the form. If
you are still able to keep that appointment, then please just sign the form
and send it back. If that date/time no longer works into your schedule OR if
you did not have the opportunity to sign up for a time during Parent's Night,
then please choose your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices, sign the form, and send it
back to school. As the forms come in, I will add your name to the conference
sign up sheet and send a confirmation back to you regarding your chosen
date/time. Please note - during our three conference days (11/4/09, 11/9/09,
and 11/17/09), the AM kindergarten classes will have a substitute in the
classroom while I meet with AM parents for conferences; the AM kindergartners
will then be dismissed from school at 11:30am with the 1st and 2nd graders.
There will be NO PM KINDERGARTEN on the afternoons of 11/4/09, 11/9/09, and
11/17/09 so that conferences can continue in the afternoons.
Several new projects will start at the beginning of November. First, a
tracing of a turkey will be sent home on Monday, November the 2nd. Please
take some time over the next week or two to make this a family project -
spend time together decorating the turkey with anything you can think of:
paints, markers, stickers, feathers, pom pom balls, glitter, etc...the sky's
the limit! Be creative and gave fun with it! Once the turkey is completed,
please send it into school with your child so we can hang it in the hallway
for ALL to see.
Second, our kindergarten book review program will start the first week of
November. Please be on the lookout for the write-up of this interesting
project. Each child will be assigned a specific day to bring in a favorite
story to share with his/her classmates. This first session is basically to
help your child feel comfortable with presenting a book to the class. All we
need from them at this point is to be able to explain the main idea or
storyline of the reading material. As the months go on, we will expand it
just a bit by looking at different characters, problem/solution, setting etc.
Third, a note will be sent home this week asking for $2.50 to be sent to
school in an envelope so that we can purchase PVC pipes. We will each
construct a wonderful tool called a "phonics phone". We will use these phones
throughout the year as we work in our writing journals. This motivating
gadget encourages the children to hear sounds a little clearer. At the end of
the school year, your child will bring this piece home to keep.
New Items: Our class will be making Stone Soup next week to share at our
Friendship Feast on Monday, 11/23. If possible, please send to school with
your child something to add to the soup - fresh or canned veggies of any
kind, chicken or vegetable broth, etc...
In order to prepare for your child's sight word folder, please send to school
a plastic pocket folder with brads on the inside (those little metal pieces
that allow you to add paper that has been 3 hole punched).
Friendship Feast: ALL are invited! Monday, 11/23; AM class 9:45-10:15am; PM
class, 1:45-2:15pm. Hope to see you there!
