Lots of Reading!

It feels like this week has been all about reading! We have enjoyed our guest readers in the classroom, LOVED funky feet day and even made a book during our math time! It’s excited to see how the kindergarteners have grown since the beginning of the year. We are enjoying and understanding stories more. We are also practicing important pre-reading and reading skills as we work with syllables and sight words. During Reading Month it’s especially fun to see how we are on our way to becoming readers! During conferences I mentioned to many parents that having a writing journal at home for your kindergartener is a great way to keep them writing and using those sounding out skills. It is so much fun to see that Spanish emerging as they begin to write under their drawings.

Save the Dates: On Wednesday, May 29 our class will be traveling to the Critter Barn for an all day field trip. Each child will want one parent, grandparent or special friend with them to make our day extra special.

This summer current K-2 students are invited to attend Spanish Immersion summer school in the mornings from July 29-August 2. More information to come soon.

In Math we finished up Unit 3 and took a little test to see all that we have learned. We have worked on simple addition problems, grouping numbers as 5 + some more and 10 + some more, patterning and writing numbers to 20. We will begin a new unit next week.

In Language Arts we spent the week reviewing sight words up to this point. We have also been talking about how we know enough Spanish to start using more of it in the classroom. When we return from Spring Break we will celebrate by saying “Adios” to English and begin speaking only Spanish in the classroom.

In Bible we began to hear stories about Jesus’s life as we get closer to Easter. We heard about some of his miracles and talked about how Jesus has power over the earth. We then heard about his triumphant entry into Jerusalem which is celebrated on Palm Sunday.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday –

Important Dates:

Wacky Wednesdays!

March 20 – Who-Hair Day.  Can you put your hair in a wacky “Who-ville” style?

March 27 – Wear green in honor of Green Eggs and Ham.

March Already!

Silly faces on silly hat day

I can’t believe it’s already March. It’s amazing to see how much the kindergarteners have grown during this school year. I had the opportunity to share their growth with some of you during conferences on Thursdays and look forward to seeing the rest of you for conferences next week.

Save the Date: On Wednesday, May 29 our class will be traveling to the Critter Barn for an all day field trip. Each child will want one parent, grandparent or special friend with them to make our day extra special.

In Math we are almost finished with our 3rd unit for the year. We are learning all about teen numbers and how they are 10 + some more. The kindergarteners have really enjoyed showing off their addition skills with numbers all the way into the teens.

In Language Arts our sight words were “mi,” “para,” and “van.” (my, for, they go). We looked at syllables beginning with “ll.” We continue to enjoy reading with our first grade reading buddies and have begun writing activities with our growing list of sight words.

In Bible we heard about Elisha who was also filled with the Holy Spirit to perform miracles just like Elijah had done. Next week we will begin to hear stories about Jesus leading up to his death and resurrection. We continue to work on memorizing Psalm 23 – ask your child to share some of it at home. It begins ‘El senor es mi pastor, nada me falta…”

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday –

Important Dates:

Wacky Wednesdays!

March 13 – Funky Feet.  Wear your favorite fun socks or slippers in honor of  Fox in Socks.

March 20 – Who-Hair Day.  Can you put your hair in a wacky “Who-ville” style?

March 27 – Wear green in honor of Green Eggs and Ham.

A Short Week

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Zelda!

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Aria!

What a short week! With this winter weather also comes many illnesses. We have had several go through our room. If you are interested in sending in another bottle of antibacterial wipes to help us keep our room germ free (or maybe just less germy) we could use some more as our supply is almost out.

Next week we will begin having Wacky Wednesdays to celebrate March is Reading Month. See below for all of our fun dress up opportunities. We would also like to have some guest readers visit us. Please sign up using the link in this week’s email.

In Math we have been working on sumas (addition problems) and looking at numbers as 5 and some more or teen numbers as 10 and some more.

In Language Arts our sight words were “en” and “ser.” Our syllables were cha, che, chi, cho, chu. Please keep reading those little “libritos” each week and encouraging your child to use syllables to sound out words.

In Bible we finished up our stories about Elijah and made a book to remind us of all Elijah’s stories and his miracles. Take a moment to look though it with your child.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday –

Important Dates:

Tuesday, March 5 – Culver’s Fundraiser, 5-8pm (across from Woodland Mall)

Wacky Wednesdays!

March 6 – Hat Day.  Wear your favorite hat in honor of the 75^th anniversary of The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

March 13 – Funky Feet.  Wear your favorite fun socks or slippers in honor of  Fox in Socks.

March 20 – Who-Hair Day.  Can you put your hair in a wacky “Who-ville” style?

March 27 – Wear green in honor of Green Eggs and Ham.

Another Snowy Week!

We had a wonderful snowy week together. This week we finished up kindergarten mail – the kindergartners loved both receiving mail from other friends in school and sending mail out to brothers, sisters and reading buddies. It is so wonderful to see the relationships that they have built while in school. It was definitely a huge treat to receive mail from a friend!

In Math we continued working on simple addition problems and added a new sign – the “no es igual” sign is a way for us to show that two things are not the same.

In Language Arts we did not have new sight words or syllables. Instead, we spent time playing games to review the words and sounds we have already seen. It’s a lot of fun to look for these words whenever we read or book in class.

In Bible we heard more about Elijah. When the people were worshiping a false god, Elijah came to them and God sent fire so the people would know he was the one true God. Then he blessed them with rain so that their crops would grow again.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – No School

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday –

Important Dates:

February 25 – No School, Professional Development

Wacky Wednesdays!

March 6 – Hat Day.  Wear your favorite hat in honor of the 75^th anniversary of The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

March 13 – Funky Feet.  Wear your favorite fun socks or slippers in honor of  Fox in Socks.

March 20 – Who-Hair Day.  Can you put your hair in a wacky “Who-ville” style?

March 27 – Wear green in honor of Green Eggs and Ham.

Feliz dia de amor

Passing out valentines

We had a blast this week sharing valentines with our friends and also taking part in kindergarten mail. Kindergarten Mail will continue next week. All PreK-4 students can send mail as well as parents and the kindergarten classes take turns sorting and delivering mail each day. If you would like to send mail to your child there are special papers in the school office that you can use. Mailboxes are located in the first grade commons on the first floor and the 3rd/4th commons on the second floor. It is a real treat for the kindergarteners when there is a letter for them!

In Math we  spent a lot of time with numbers this week as we sorted mail. Each envelope had to be matched to it’s room number. And they are all big numbers in the 100s and 200s! The kindergarteners loved the opportunity to be responsible for delivering mail to the whole school.

In Language Arts we had four new sight words, “los,” “las,” “esta,” and “este.” We also talked about syllables beginning with “k” as well as “que” and “qui” because they sound like a “k.”

In Bible we began to hear about the prophet Elijah (Elías in Spanish). The kindergartners decided that he was the second coolest miracle worker after Jesus because of all the amazing miracles he did. We are also working on Psalm 23. Next week we will add verse 2.

On Monday there is no GRPS bussing so parent pick up will happen in the gym. GRCS busses will run as normal. Also, please be sure to check your child’s purple folder for an important note about an upcoming program we will be participating in at school called youngKIDZ Have Rights.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art, No GRPS Bussing

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday -No PM kindergarten

Important Dates:

February 19 – GRCES Showcase 6:30pm

February 22 – Early Release, 1:30pm, NO PM Kindergarten

February 25 – No School, Professional Development

Happy Snow Day!

Hello Families! It has been so much fun to see all of the kindergarteners again this week. We especially enjoyed celebrating 100th Day on Wednesday with PJs, breakfast and some special activities. We also celebrated Sra. Magnusson and all of her hard work during the past three months. She will be missed but we look forward to a possible visit later in the year. Check out the Photos tab for a link to all of the pictures Sra. Magnusson took with the kindergarteners.

Next week we will celebrate Valentine’s Day by handing out valentines on Thursday. This is a great opportunity for your child to practice writing both their own name as well as friends’ names. I’ve attached a class list to the weekly e-mail with all of the kindergarteners names.

In Math we  have been looking at numbers partners and making equations. For example, 4 and 2 are partners of 6 so 4+2=6 and 2+4=6. Sometimes it is hard for us to see that an equation is the same even if the numbers are switched around.

In Language Arts we had two new sight words, “son” and “cómo.” We also studied syllables beginning with “v.” I was very impressed to see how the kindergartners have begun sounding out with syllables when reading their weekly books.

In Bible we talked about Psalm 23 and how God cares for us and shepherds us. In the coming weeks we will begin memory work on Psalm 23. Our goal will be to learn verses 1-6 before Spring Break.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music, Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Friday –

Important Dates:

February 22 – Early Release, 1:30pm, NO PM Kindergarten

February 25 – No School, Professional Development

November

This week we added our final verse of Psalm 100. The kindergarteners are very excited to share this memory work at the special Thanksgiving Chapel next Friday at 9am in the gym. Parents, please join us if you are able. If your child typically attends PM only you are welcome to bring them along to participate with the rest of our class during chapel time.

This will be my last update for you before my leave. If I am still here on Monday (who knows!) it will be my last day at school. Sra. Magnusson is excited to begin and you can email her with absences, change of pick-up/drop-off plans and any other questions or concerns you may have at KMagnusson(at)grcs.org.

In Math this week we finished up our first unit and took our unit test. Next week we will begin a new unit that will continue to look at numbers as groups of 5 and some more and 10 and some more. We will also begin talking about “math stories” that will lead into addition and subtraction as well as look at relationships between numbers 1-10.

In Language Arts we added a new sight word: “nosotros” and syllables beginning with “t.” We are working on making up and taking apart words by their syllables. We have a lot of fun making up nonsense words with the syllables we already know.

In Bible we heard about the Israelites in the desert. God took care of them by sending bread and water from heaven. We also heard about the 10 Commandments.

In Social Studies we began talking about Thanksgiving traditions around the world and those we have in our own home.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday – Thanksgiving Chapel 9:00am

Important Dates:

November 10 – Sra Wolf’s Due Date!

November 21 – 23 – No School, Thanksgiving Break

Beautiful Fall Weather

Thank you so much for the wonderful baby shower today! I truly felt “showered” with your care and encouragement! Thanks for the yummy food, thoughtful gifts and the many parents who were able to attend.

In Math this week we continued looking at numbers larger than 10 as groups of 5 and some more. Visualizing these groupings and playing with number groups is a great way to develop number sense.

In Language Arts we added a new sight word: “veo” (I see) and syllables beginning with “s.” The kindergarteners are getting comfortable with the routine of “leer solito” (read to yourself) which we practice every week with our new books before sending them home on Friday. Be sure to have your child read it to you over the weekend.

In Bible we continued to hear about God’s plan for Moses and heard about the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

In Science we discussed the life cycle of pumpkins and saw how God created these plants so that they could keep growing from the seeds that are already inside of them.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art, No GRPS Bussing

Tuesday – No GRPS Bussing

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Gym, Music

Friday –

Important Dates:

November 5 and 6 – No GRPS Bussing, GRCS busses will run as usual

November 10 – Sra Wolf’s Due Date!

Beautiful Fall Weather

Cutting up apples

It seems like a while since we’ve had an update! We have had a busy week and a half (because of our no school days last week). We have really enjoyed the fall weather and learning about apples – especially making our own applesauce! And we had a great time on our trip to Calvin Nature Preserve – thank you to the parents who joined us on this trip.

In Math we practiced writing numbers 4 and 5. Writing numbers backwards is very common at this age and will begin to disappear as we become more familiar with the numbers. While looking at groups of things we talked about how they can be the same (igual), different (diferente) and similar (parecido).

In Language Arts we reviewed all of our sight words up to this point (yo, y, el, la, gusta). We also looked at syllables with “p” (pa, pe, pi, po, pu). Now we can put together a few words like “mapa” and “puma.”

In Bible we have been working on Psalm 100. We are memorizing verses 1-5 (in Spanish, of course!) so we will be able to share it with the school at our Thanksgiving chapel. We also began to hear about Moses and the special plan that God had for him.

In Science we have been talking about autumn (otoño) and all of the changes that we see happening around us. We really enjoyed our walk through the woods at Calvin and explore autumn first hand. What is your favorite thing about otoño?

~

At conferences a few parents asked when we would have another book order. You can order online by following this link: https://orders.scholastic.com/GRM82. Remember that our class activation code is GRM82. Orders are due on Nov. 2 because I’m hoping I can get the order in before I am on leave. Let me know if it’s something you are ordering as a surprise/gift and I will put it in a paper bag to send home.

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – No PM Kindergarten (All day students picked up at 1:30)

Friday – Book Orders due

Important Dates:

November 5 and 6 – No GRPS Bussing, GRCS busses will run as usual

November 10 – Sra Wolf’s Due Date!

Foot Frolic Frenzy

Class photo with the eagle

We had a lot of fun running at Foot Frolic Frenzy today even in the cold weather. The kindergarteners ran and ran! You can continue to turn in pledge money and prize coupons until October 29.

In Math we looked at numbers greater than 10 as groups of 5 and some more. It can help us count things more quickly if we know we can start at 5 and continue from there.

In Language Arts our new sight word was “y.” We also learned our first set of syllables: “ma, me, mi, mo, mu.” Each week we will add another set of syllables and use them to put together words an sound out words while reading.

In Bible we continued the story of Jacob hearing about his dreams and then his son Joseph. We heard about the special coat Jacob gave to Joseph and how this made his brothers jealous.

In Science we began talking about apples, their parts and what we can make with them. We would like to continue exploring apples next week by bringing in some of our own. Please send in one apple with your child on Monday. We will explore them with magnifying glasses and then cut them up to make applesauce.

~

A Peek at our Week!

Monday – Art

Tuesday –

Wednesday – 1:30 Dismissal, No PM kindergarten

Thursday – No School

Friday – No School

Important Dates:

Friday, October 26 – Field Trip to Calvin

November 1 – Early Dismissal, No PM kindergarten