PANDA NEWS:

We have begun work on our gingerbread unit.  We have read a few versions of the folktale The Gingerbread Man.  Next week we focused on Jan Brett'sThe Gingerbread Baby. 

Language Arts:  

We worked on lowercase G, S, A, I, T & J.   We also worked on the word is and the.  The students have begun word sorts with a particular phonetic patter.  They work with this sort weekly.  I am sending last weeks sorts home.  Have your child show you how to complete their sort.  We started writing patterned books which matches with our work in reading.  The students are learning they have super powers to be super readers.  They have been reading and writing easy books with language patterns and lots of sight words.  Ask your Panda about their super reading powers.

Math:

We worked on attributes and shape.  We have been practicing counting to fifty by ones.  We continued to work on practicing teen numbers.  We played a variety of games using dice and ten frames.  We also worked on representing hexagons different ways and recording the information we found.

Art:  

The students worked on a winter quilt this week.  They decorated their painted gingerbread men.

Book of the Week: The Gingerbread Boy by Karen Schmidt
Song of the Week:  "The Gingerbread Man" by Jack Hartman
(check out the video on the student resource page)

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: review of all capital letter

Phonics Letters:  ch

Word of the Week: am

Gingerbread Decorating Party: 12/22 @ 2:05

PJ Day: 12/23

Winter Vacation: 12/24-1/2/16

Panda News:

Next week is National Education Week.  Wednesday, November 18th is dress as your future career (career day) and Friday, November 20th is wear clothing from an institute of higher learning (college day).
 
As you know our Family Breakfast is Tuesday, November 24th.  It will start at 8:00.  We will finish with reciting a poem at 8:25.  I hope all will be able to join us.

Language Arts:  

We have been working on the word so. They have been working on sequencing a story, adding details to their writing and making their writing come to life using speech bubbles. The Pandas practiced diagonal lines in handwriting.  We worked on the letters X, Y & Z.   We also wrote our own version of  I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie.  

 

Math:

During math we continue to work on numbers and quantities 0-10.  We practiced positional words with a board game (next to, in front of, on, etc.)  We will work on turkey dice games as well as make a turkey glyph.  The Pandas are creating turkeys with the pattern block templates. The kids can't wait for you to check out their work at the breakfast.

Art:  

The classroom is looking very festive with all the Thanksgiving art work we have been creating!

Book of the Week:  I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie
Song of the Week:  "Turkey, Turkey" (tune of Twinkle, Twinkle)

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters:  C, O, & Q

Phonics Letters: u

Word of the Week: and

Book Fair: 11/30-12/4

Thanksgiving Break:  11/25-11/27

Family Breakfast: 11/24 @ 8:00-8:25 (Panda Classroom)

Gingerbread Decorating:  12/22 @2:00 

Early Release: 11/18 Parent Conferences Dismissal @ 12:50

Winter Vacation: 12/24-1/4/16

Panda News

Our Halloween celebration was a success. The children had a wonderful time. Check out the new photos I added to Flickr.  Thank you for all the donations and help.  I couldn't do it without you! 

Here is a glimpse of our week in the Panda class:

Language arts:  The children wrote a piggy back version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? using their costume photos.  We have focused on the word see & I.  We have been working on reading familiar storybooks. The kids are practicing read the books sounding like the author.   We have worked on the sounds m, n, r & l.  The Pandas are doing a great job with writing the capital letters the school way.

Math:  We played various Halloween math games.   We have begun to introduce writing the numerals 1-10.  Dr. Jean has a great song to help with formation.  I will put a link on the blog.  The students have made great progress this quarter!

Art:  We have begun to make some fall and Thanksgiving art.  The students made an owl last week and have begun their work on a turkey.  



Books of the Week:  Stellaluna and The Carrot Seed
Songs of the Week:  "Wizard's Brew" and "The Numeral Song"

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters X,Y & Z

Phonics Letters: r & l

Word of the Week: so

November Conferences:  11/18  (this is an early release days)

No school: 11/11

Family Breakfast: 11/24 from 8:00-8:25 a.m.

Thanksgiving Break:  11/25-11/27

Panda News:

We had Mrs. Griffith talk about Personal Body Safety on Thursday.  She talked about bathing suit areas on your body and uncomfortable touches.  The students learned if something is making you feel uncomfortable you say Stop (assertively), Get Away, and Tell Someone.  They also talked about "stranger danger."

Language Arts: 

We practiced writing uppercase H & K.  We used wood pieces and our slate boards to practice.  We also worked on the word an.  The Pandas learned about the sound a.  It is the first vowel we have learned.  We began learning to read like a storyteller.  The Pandas used very familiar stories to use the picture, remember the story & read it.  Have them try it with there favorite bedtime story you have read thousands of times!   

Math:

We finished up unit 2 in math.  An assessment of the unit will come home next week.  If there is a skill circled it means your child needs a little more practice with that particular skill.  

Art: 

We made big green monster sun-catchers.  They also drew big green monsters and labelled them.  We painted witches using shapes.

Upcoming Events:

Book of the Week- Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
Upcoming Letters-  U & L
Word of the Week- see
Phonics- o
October 29th- Picture retakes
Parent Conferences- 11/5 & 11/18 early release (please sign-up if you have not) 
Halloween Celebration- Students and Staff only 10/30 (please see signup genius for more info)
Nov. 6th & 11th- No School

Panda News:

Thank you to the parents that were able to chaperons on our field trip.  It was a great show.  We all had a great time.
 
October is Safety Month.  Today we had a visit from the Stratham Fire Department.  Look for the safety photos on Flickr soon!

Language Arts: 

We practiced writing uppercase M & N.  We used wood pieces and our slate boards to practice.  We also worked on the word at.  The Pandas learned about the sound qu & th.  It is the only time in school they can stick out their tongue to make the sound.   We started to work with partners during Reader's Workshop.  They enjoy sharing books with one another.   After returning from our field trip at The Music Hall we shared our opinion of the show.  The students told about their favorite part of the show.

Math:

We worked with 10 frames.  The students used an app called 10 Frame Fill.  They also practiced their counting skills with objects that were in different arrangements.  We talked about strategies to help you keep track when you are counting. 

 

Social Curriculum:  

We talked about two characters this week.  They are "super flex" and "rock brain".  They are characters to help the children be more flexible in there daily thinking.  You may here your student refer to these characters throughout the school year.  We talked about what it means to be flexible and what it means if you are being ridged and stuck.
 

Art: 

We made spiders to go along with the Itsy-Bitsy Spider.  They also made Sparky the Fire Dog.

Upcoming Events:

Book of the Week- Good Night Moon by Margret Wise Brown
Upcoming Letters-  H & K
Word of the Week- an
Phonics- a
Parent Conferences- 11/5 & 11/18 early release
Halloween Celebration- Students and Staff only 10/30 (please see signup genius for more info)
Nov. 6th & 11th- No School

 

 


 

 

Panda News:

October is Safety Month.  We will do a variety of activities to promote safety.  We will be having presentations from the fire department, police, and many more.  We will also practice safety drills. 
 

Big News!  Panda of the Day has begun.  Abby is our first Panda of the Day.  Watch for the panda bag and directions to arrive at your house.  Please try and return the panda bag with a share that matches the theme and the necklace the next school day.

Language Arts: 

We have practiced writing uppercase B & R.  We have used wood pieces and our slate boards to practice.  We also worked on the word  in.  We recreated our own versions of Yuck Soup!    We have been focusing on telling stories based on a moment in time.  It is called a small moment story.  During Readers Workshop we learned that readers have fun reading privately and with a partner.   Ask your student what they learned about in there books this week.

Math:

We worked on our first open response problem in math.  The children worked in partnerships to sort a collection of objects using a certain attribute or attributes.  They then analyzed each others work to try and figure out what the sorting rule was.  The Pandas did a great job having a conversation about the math work.

Art:

The Pandas started making spiders to go with the nursery rhyme the Itsy Bitsy Spider .  We have read a few versions of this story.

Upcoming Events:

Book of the Week- Yuck Soup by Joy Cowley
App of the Week- Quick Image (using ten frames)
Upcoming Letters- N & M
Word of the Week- at
Phonics- qu, th & th
October 12th- No School
October 14th- field trip to Portsmouth Music Hall
Parent Conferences- 11/5 &11/18
Halloween Celebration- Students and Staff only 10/30 

Wish List:

wax paper 

Panda News:  

The students have been doing so well entering the building and leaving they do not need their bus tags anymore.  

Language Arts: 

We worked with the book No, David by David Shannon.   This was our shared reading book of the week.  The book featured our word of the week no.   We wrote our own version of No, David.  They stamped and traced our sight word no.  We worked with rhyming during our literacy centers.  The Pandas were introduced to their handwriting journals for the first today.  We practiced E & F.

Math:

We have been working on subitizing during math.  The students are working on taking "quick looks" at groups of dots.  They are working on see sets and telling how many with out counting.  We also worked on counting and describing shapes.  We worked on using important math language like curvy, straight, corners etc.  They worked with extending patterns as well.  We have completed our first math unit!  



P.E.:

They have been working on entering the gym and finding a good space without the use of carpet squares.  They have learned freeze signals when they are moving their bodies.  They also have learned some ways to warm up there bodies.  They are having a lot of fun!

Upcoming Events:

Book of the Week- No, David
Song of the Week-  Where Do You Start Your Letters


App of the Week- Counting Beads
Upcoming Letters-D & P
Music Hall Field Trip- October 14th
October 12th- No School
Word of the Week- he
Phonics-f & v

Panda News:

We made it through our first full week of school.  The kids are doing amazing learning all the rules and becoming a community of learners.  We celebrated International Dot Day with a whole school morning meeting.  Thank you to those that volunteered to chaperon our first field trip.  We will be have a few more throughout the year.  If you were not able to go or the space had filled up you will have another opportunity to join us. 

Language Arts: 

We have practiced making "mat man".  This helps the children learn body awareness. They worked with the wooden lines and curves that  they will be expose to during handwriting.     We also worked on the word a.  We used water colors to find a mystery word.  We also sorted the letters that are in our name and not in our name.

Math:

We have been working on the numbers 0-5.  We have also been working on patterning and geometric shapes.  The Pandas have used a variety of materials and games.  I have been establishing daily routines with the calendar. 

Social Studies:

October is safety month.  We will learn about fire safety, safety drills, bus safety, and Halloween safety.

Upcoming Events:

Book of the Week- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Song of the Week-  The Monkey and the Alligator
Upcoming Letters- E & F
September 23rd- Early Release @ 12:50
Music Hall Field Trip- October 14th
October 12th- No School
Word of the Week- no
Phonics- t & d

Panda News:

We had a super successful field day.  Enjoy the pictures and all the smiles!   Thank you to all who came and help out.  Happy weekend!

Panda New
Tomorrow is field day for our kindergarten students.  It is a fun filled day with lots of smiles.  If you would like to volunteer to help please meet us out back by the playground at 9:20.  Don't forget to sign in at the office first and get you volunteer badge.  Field day will run until 11:30.  We will break for a mid morning snack.  

Please send your child to school with bug spray and sunscreen already applied.  We/they can not apply it here.  They will need comfortable clothes, sneakers, a labeled water bottle, a change of clothes, and a positive attitude.

This day is about having fun and playing with friends.  Please reinforce good sportsmanship with your child. 

Chicks Are Here!
We have had an exciting week in the panda classroom.  We have 5 new baby chicks.  The pandas have enjoyed learning about them and watching them grow.  

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: review of all lowercase letters
Phonics Letters: review of all phonic letters

Word of the Week: review of all sight words

Field Day: 5/29

Grandparent Luncheon: 6/1 more info to follow

Last Day for K: 6/16 We will have an end of the year celebration starting at 9:30 in our classroom.  Dismissal will be by 11:00am if this poses a problem for your family please let me know ASAP so I can plan accordingly.

   

Panda News:

I hope you all had a great vacation.   Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

Language Arts:

We have begun an author study of Eric Carle.  They have been studying his craft and have tried out some of his illustration techniques.  We read A House For Hermit Crab.  The students are working on making their own hermit crab.   

Science:

 

Have you heard the news.  We are going to be the proud parents of new baby chicks.  They are due to arrive the week before vacation.  The students have been learning about the life cycle and caring for them by waking them each morning.  Ask your student how they do that?  You may also want to ask them what other interesting facts they can remember.  A lot of students have talked about taking a chick home.  I told them it is the families decision and "lots" of home do not allow it.  If there is any family that would like to start raising chickens please contact me.

Art:

The students worked on Mother's Day gifts. Shh!  I hope you love them.

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: review of all lowercase letters
Phonics Letters: review of all phonic letters

Word of the Week: review of all sight words

Early Release: 5/13 @12:50

Field Trip: 5/21 May Day (puppet show)

Field Day: 5/29

No School: 5/25 (Memorial Day)

Grandparent Luncheon: 6/1 more info to follow

Last Day for K: 6/16 We will have an end of the year celebration starting at 9:30 in our classroom.  Dismissal will be by 11:00am if this poses a problem for your family please let me know ASAP so I can plan accordingly.

 

Panda News:
On Friday, April 24th we will be taking part in Jump Rope for Heart.  The students will be jumping rope at 1:30 in the gym.  In P.E. this week we learned how the heart works through an obstacle course.  

I will be sending our last volunteer calendar home on Friday for May.  I wanted to thank you all for your support throughout the school year. 

 

Enjoy your vacation!

 

 

Language Arts:

We have been working on a poetry unit.  We have been reading a variety of poems and writing our on poems.  The students worked on descriptive words about pigs and they created a pig poem.  They also learned poetry has a voice and they gave their pizza a voice.  We worked on a list poem based on Shel Siverstein's poem "SICK".  To finish out unit we will be working on an Earth Day poem and a fruit poem.  

Math:

We have been working on writing number stories and writing the equations that go with them.  We also have been decomposing the numbers up to 10 using a variety of manipulatives.  The students have been exploring 2D and 3D shapes.  

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: review of all lowercase letters

Phonics Letters: review of all phonic letters

Word of the Week: review of all sight words

Spring vacation:  4/27-5/1

May Day : 5/21

Early Release: 5/13 @12:50

Field Day: 5/29

No School: 5/25 (Memorial Day)

Grandparent Luncheon: 6/1 more info to follow

Tentative Last Day for K: 6/16 We will have an end of the year celebration starting at 9:30 in our classroom.  Dismissal will be by 11:00am if this poses a problem for your family please let me know ASAP so I can plan accordingly.

Panda News:

We had a great week last week celebrating Read Across America.  We did lots of fun activities.  We ended our week reading with other kindergarten friends. Please enjoy Flickr.  I have posted a lot of fun photos.

Don't forget that Thursday, April 2nd is our field trip to The Music Hall.  If you are chaperoning you can meet us in the lobby around 9am.  Thank you.

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: review of all lowercase letters

Phonics Letters: review of all phonic letters

Word of the Week: we

Spring vacation:  4/27-5/1

Early Release: 5/13 @12:50

No School: 5/25 (Memorial Day)

PANDA NEWS:

All next week, our school will celebrate Read Across America.  There will be several activities happening.  The kids and teachers are asked to dress up like their favorite book characters and bring the book (dressing up is optional). A note went home to let you know what each days theme.

Language Arts:  

 

We are working on  procedural writing "How To's".  They are  reading some "How To's" and writing them as well.   We have learned the different  characteristics of a "How To".  They usually contain photographs, they might have some words in bold, and they may have a glossary.  They are using the characteristics in their books.  We are also working on sight words and blending CVC words to make our reading more fluent.

 

Math:

 

The Pandas have been learning the difference between 2D and 3D shapes.  We have been focusing on the cube and cone.  We have also explored measuring.  We continue to practice the sums through 5.  Every other week your student will bring home a set of math facts.  Please practice all the math facts with your student.  There will be homelinks sent home weekly as well.

 

Art:  

 

The students made tricky leprechauns for St. Patrick's Day.  The wrote a how to catch a leprechaun story to go with them.  They also made bingo dobber shamrocks.

 

The Students had a visit from a tricky leprechaun.  He played a trick on the children and left him a special surprise.  Ask them what the leprechaun left them.    

 

 

Book of the Week:  Fin M'coul by Tomie De Paola

Upcoming Events:

Handwriting Letters: f and q

Phonics Letters: review of all phonic letters

Word of the Week: go

Read Across America All Next Week

Spring Conferences: 4/8 & 4/15

Music Hall Field Trip: 4/2

PANDA NEWS:

I hope everyone enjoyed the vacation last week.  We are back in the swing of school.  We will begin volunteering again.  I will be sending a calendar home tomorrow.  Thank you to all who came out and showed your support for the school Friday night.  

 

Language Arts:  

 

The students found you in the sight word book.  We also practiced all our sight words this week.  The more sight words they recognize in their reading the less work they will have to do as a reader.  It is a lot like learning your math facts in math.  We have begun an introduction to procedural writing "How To's".  The have started to reads some "How To's" and brainstorm things they could write about.   We looked at the special characteristics of "How To's".  They found some have glossaries for important words.  

 

Math:

 

The Pandas practiced math facts this week using dice games and unifix cubes.  How is nightly math fact practice going?  I will not send any flash cards home this week but please continue to practice all of the +1.  They will get a Homelink in addition to the math facts.  Every two weeks your Panda will get more flashcards to work on to master.

 

Art:  

 

The students made pots of gold and clouds to go with rainbows they painted.   

    

Book of the Week:  How To Make Cupcakes

Song of the Week:  Peanut Butter

Upcoming Events:

 

Handwriting Letters: r, m & n

Phonics Letters: c

Word of the Week: on

No School Friday: 3/13

Parent Conferences in April