Playing Outside

Playing Outside

August 28, 2010

August 30, 2010


August 30, 2010

A note from Ms. Poteet

Wow, I can’t believe Monday is the 14th day of school.  The kids have learned so much about school life so far and seem to be adjusting very well. 

Thanks to all of the parents who were able to attend our Parent Orientation Night!  Please let me know if you have any lingering questions about school. 

Homework officially starts Monday.  Please read with or to your child every night for 10-20 minutes.  Record the title of the book you read on your child’s weekly planner.  Look in your child’s Take-Home Folder on Monday night for your child’s Word Wall Words.  I will include all of the words we have already learned (a, and, he, the, & to), plus our new words for this week (I, you, & it).  Practice reading these words every night.  After your child has mastered reading the words, practice writing/spelling the words.  Remember Word Wall Word Assessments are every Friday.  



Mark your calendar... Harmony Elementary is hosting Skate Night at Champ's on Wednesday, September 8th from 6-8 pm.  The class with the highest attendance will win a pizza.
 
In order to make our classroom feel more like home, please send a photograph of your child and your family in a picture frame (please take out the front piece of glass).  It will be returned at the end of the year.


What are we learning?
 Reading Workshop
This week we are learning to how to take care of books, use our classroom library, how to choose a book, and what reading workshop looks and sounds like. We will be visiting the school library on Friday.

Writing Workshop
We are continuing our Kid Writing unit this week.  Students will focus on using the sounds they already know to sound out their words.  On Friday, we are writing our third entry in our Family Journals.  Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Handwriting
Handwriting instruction will focus on developing fine motor skills as well as the proper formation of the following letters:  T, t, G, & g 

Word Study
This week, we will explore the letters Tt and Gg. Ask your child about the letter sound chants for both.  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: I, you, & it. Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

 Math
We are learning how to make sound, motion, and color patterns, how to compare coins, and how to put numbers in order.  Don’t forget to send in your child’s bag of coins on Monday (see purple note sent home on Friday, August 27). 

Everyday Math Home Link

Family Note:
Sorting helps children develop the ability to examine a variety of items and to develop classification categories into which they can be grouped. 

Activity:
Before unpacking the grocery bag, try to guess how many items are inside it.  Then count to see how close you were.  Sort the grocery items into groups.  Explain why you put certain items together.  Can you think of a different way to sort the items?  You can also practice sorting other items at home such as toys, books, or coins.

 Social Studies
This week we are finishing our Weather and Seasons Unit.  We will learn about climate and the climate zones, how to measure temperature, how clouds are formed and the different types of clouds, and about precipitation, rainbows, and thunderstorms.  Please send a bag of white cotton balls by Tuesday, August 31st for our cloud project.

 Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Have your child practice memorizing their lunch number at home.
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday         Art
Tuesday        Music
Wednesday    Music
Thursday       Music
Friday           Music

August 27, 2010

Parent Orientaion

Thanks for taking the time out our your busy day to attend our Parent Orientation!  Below is a link to the PowerPoint I presented.  If you weren't able to make it to Parent Orientation or just wanted to refresh your memory on something we discussed, take a look.  Feel free to call or e-mail me if you have an questions.  

Parent Orientation Presentation

August 21, 2010

Ms. Hammons Visit

Ms. Hammons teaches us about I Care and his rules!

August 23, 2010

A note from Ms. Poteet…

We had a wonderful first full week of school! I have enjoyed getting to know all of the students and watch them learn the classroom routine and make new friends.

Please make every effort to attend our Parent Orientation Night on August 26th at 7:00pm (come at 6:30 pm if you would like to receive confidentiality training- a requirement for all volunteers). You will learn all about our classroom, homework procedures, and volunteer opportunities.

Wednesday is our first early release day. School will end at 12:25pm. Please let me know in writing if your child’s transportation will change.

School officially begins at 7:50 am, but students have many morning responsibilities including review work. Please try to get your child to school between 7:30 and 7:35 (All bus riders already arrive at this time). By getting your child to school early they will be able to take care of their morning jobs, review concepts we are learning in class, and start their day off fresh.

Please sign or initial your child’s Weekly Planner every night and return it to school the following day. Feel free to leave me a comment or ask a question in the open space.

In order to make our classroom feel more like home, please send a photograph of your child and your family in a picture frame (please take out the front piece of glass). It will be returned at the end of the year.


What are we learning?

Reading Workshop
This week we are starting our author study on Eric Carle. We will read several of his books, discuss the characters in the books and complete many engaging activities to go along with each book. On Friday we are going to create a bar graph of our favorite Eric Carle books.

Writing Workshop
We are going to start our Kid Writing unit this week. Students will begin adding spaces in between their words, try to write each word the best they can and then move on, and try to sound out their words. On Friday, we are writing our second entry in our Family Journals. Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond.

Handwriting
Handwriting instruction will focus on developing fine motor skills as well as the proper formation of the following letters: S, s, R, & r

Word Study
This week, we will explore the letters Ss and Rr. Ask your child about the letter sound chants for both. We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: and, he, a. Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
We are learning to sort objects based on attributes, about volume, and how to create a bar graph.

Everyday Math Home Links
When children are read to, they learn to love books and want to become readers. In a similar way, children develop positive feelings about mathematics by sharing pleasurable experiences as they count, measure, compare, estimate, and discover patterns in everyday life.

Kindergarten Home Links provide a guide to a variety of activities that parents and children can share in a spirit of exploration and enjoyment, much as they share interesting stories.

The reward for young children is not mathematics will not be a puzzling abstraction but will make sense to them as part of their real world.
Take a moment to look at the Family Note. Then, together with your child, read and do the activity described below.

Family Note:
The process of filling containers and comparing how much each can hold gives your child the opportunity to experiment with the measurement of volume without worrying about exact answers. For this activity, make sure that the containers are nonbreakable. Bath time provides an excellent opportunity to experiment and play with containers of all shapes and sizes.

Activity:
Collect some containers that are different shapes and sizes, such as cottage cheese cartons, plastic bottles, and juice containers. Use the containers to pour water back and forth. Try to find out which containers hold the most, which containers hold the least, and which containers hold the same amount.

Social Studies
This week we are starting our Weather and Seasons Unit. We will learn about the four seasons, the sun and how it affects us, the local weather, climate, and the three climate zones. Students will be introduced to the following terms: autumn (fall), spring, winter, summer, climate, weather, and season

Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes. Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack.
* Have your child practice memorizing their lunch number at home.
* It’s time for all kindergartners to practice tying their own shoes. Thanks for your help with this at home!
Related Arts Schedule
Monday            Art
Tuesday          
Art
Wednesday    
Art
Thursday         
Art
Friday             
Art

August 15, 2010

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August 16, 2010

A note from Ms. Poteet…

Our first week of school went off without a hitch! Mark your calendars for our Parent Orientation Night on August 26th at 7:00pm. You will learn all about our classroom, homework procedures, and volunteer opportunities.

In order to make our classroom feel more like home, please send a photograph of your child and your family in a picture frame (please take out the front piece of glass).



What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
We are learning what strong readers do! Strong readers read every day, think and talk about the books they read, and read everything in sight.

Writing Workshop
This week, we are learning that we are all writers and how to use our Writer’s Notebooks. On Friday, we are writing our first entry in our Family Journals. Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond.


Handwriting
Handwriting instruction will focus on developing fine motor skills as well as the proper formation of the following letters: B, b, M, & m


Word Study
This week, we will explore the letters Bb and Mm. Ask your child about the letter sound chants for both. We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: to, the. Have your child sing you the songs for these words.



Math
We are learning how to make comparisons using length, compare pattern blocks, count objects by one, count down by zero, and show the numbers 1-9.


Everyday Math Home Links

When children are read to, they learn to love books and want to become readers. In a similar way, children develop positive feelings about mathematics by sharing pleasurable experiences as they count, measure, compare, estimate, and discover patterns in everyday life.

Kindergarten Home Links provide a guide to a variety of activities that parents and children can share in a spirit of exploration and enjoyment, much as they share interesting stories.

The reward for young children is not mathematics will not be a puzzling abstraction but will make sense to them as part of their real world.

Take a moment to look at the Family Note. Then, together with your child, read and do the activity described below.

Family Note:
Children enjoy counting things. Be on the lookout for opportunities to practice this skill. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how counting things brings about many playful and productive mathematics activities. Counting hops, skips, jumps, and sidesteps helps children develop counting skills as well as coordination.


Activity:
Count the steps you need to walk from the sidewalk to the front door (or any two places). Try to walk the same distance with fewer steps or more steps. Get into the counting habit! When you take a walk, try hopping, skipping, jumping, or sidestepping a certain number of times.

Social Studies
We are creating a list of our class rules, learning our class promise, and learning how we behave during class meetings.


Reminders
*Class T-Shirt Order Forms and Money are due Friday.
*Send in a healthy snack (peanut-free) and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* On Thursday, your child needs to bring a snack with at least 15 pieces. Some examples include cereal, raisins, gold fish, or grapes.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes. Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack.
* It’s time for all kindergartners to practice tying their own shoes. Thanks for your help with this at home!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday         PE
Tuesday        PE
Wednesday   PE
Thursday       PE
Friday            PE

Please feel free to contact me anytime. You can reach me by phone by calling (502) 228-2228 ext. 208. You can also e-mail anytime at jessica.poteet@oldham.kyschools.us  I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Your partner in education,

Jessica Poteet