Tag Archives: mystery reader

NEWS—Oct. 21-25

POPCORN WORDS:     They were ‘popping’ up all the time this week in our daily messages and in books. We learned that sometimes “E” is quiet and tells other hard worker letters (vowels) to do a flip and say their letter name. We saw this happening in “like” and “here”.  Our shared reading poem “I like to play.” and book The Balloon included our popcorn words this week.

 

 

 

 

COLOR WORD:    ORANGE       We read many pumpkin books to celebrate the color orange.  It was a perfect week to do this as many of the kinders have visited pumpkin patches. The kinders did not guess my orange surprise snack this week—-Cheese-It crackers!  A tasty mini snack.

SCIENCE: Scientists observe and look closely at objects. Scientists also label things. We were scientists in the classroom this week. We read a non-fiction book to gather information about how pumpkins grow.  Making our own “flow map” to show the life cycle of a pumpkin and singing a song to help us remember was fun.  We read a big book and newspaper that reinforced our learning about pumpkins.  

READER’S WORKSHOP:  With our reading partners, we worked hard to find places in our storybooks that were our “favorite part”, “Wow!, that’s cool”, “I didn’t know that?” and “That’s happened to me!” Storybooks are filled with these parts to make the story exciting! We are all learning!  Just like when we were little we didn’t walk right away, we had to crawl, scoot, hold onto things and then we could walk, jog and then run!  Reading is like that too.  We have to learn some sounds, put those sounds together and then use all of our reading tools to practice being a reader. Reading by ourselves or with our partners help us grow as readers!

 

 

 

 

HANDWRITING:  We continued to learned how to properly write more “counter clockwise” lower case letters of  e,s,o,u  A few of these letters are tricky so keep practicing at home.  It is helping!

WRITING WORKSHOP:  The kinders learned that writers also write books with a pattern.  After investigating a real pumpkin, we wrote a book about the parts of the pumpkin using the pattern “I see the _______.” (stem, ribs, rind,  orange pumpkin) . We also wrote a book about ourselves after listening to the song Mat Man.  This song reminds us to include details in drawing a person. This book used the pattern of “Here is my ______.” (head, body, hair, friend).

LITERACY: The kinders did activities to strengthen their skills in letter ID, letter sounds, hearing syllables in words, reading popcorn words and writing their name. I am SO excited about the progress I am noticing.  Thank you for working and supporting your kinder at home.  It is making a BIG difference!

MATH:   We did a little bit of everything in math this week.  We worked on telling math stories, writing numbers in correct order, noticing 5 groups and extra ones in numbers 6-10 and comparing numbers by using equal (= )and not equal (= with / through) symbols.  It was a busy week of learning!

Friday math games consisted of  HOW MANY PUMPKINS SEEDS? (counting groups of objects 1-10 using fine motor skills), RACE TO FILL THE PUMPKINS (or buckets)(counting objects), PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS (1-10 number order) and BUGS CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER WEB (identifying numbers 1-6). The kinders really look forward to Friday math games that reinforce concepts learned during the week. 

BUDDY TIME:  We ended our day on Friday with spending some time with our buddies.  First we read Spookley the Square Pumpkin together. A sweet story about looking at the inside of a person and not judging them by how they look on the outside. Then the buddies and the kinders created their own Spookley square pumpkins.  It is always fun when we get together.

MYSTERY READER: It was Ryleigh’s turn to be surprised when her grandma walked into the room Wednesday afternoon.  She read Duck, Duck, Moose.  A fun, giggly book about baby ducks thinking a moose is their mother.  She even surprised us by giving us mini rubber ducks.  Thank you so much!!

Friday Katelyn’s mom read us Pig the Pug because they have a dog that looks alike like Pig.  It was a good story to remind us it is more fun to share.  Thank you for coming!

Parent/Teacher Conferences: These will be on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20 from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.  Conference times will be sent home on Monday.

Fall Party Update: Our Fall Party will be on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 2:00 p.m.  The 8 parent volunteers have been contacted along with the parents donating supplies.  Thank you for your understanding if you are not able to come to this party.  I have started a list of parents that were unable to attend this party but would like to attend our other 2 parties. This will be rotating so that all will get an opportunity to attend a party. 

UPCOMING DATES

*Monday, Oct 28—STEAM

*Tuesday, Oct 29—MUSIC   Picture Re-Take Day AND Turkey Trot  

*Wednesday, Oct 30—GYM; Library–Please help your kinder remember their library book.  Homework packet is due    Kindergarten Parent and Administration Meeting at 7:00pm in the Multi-Purpose Room at Georgetown.

*Thursday, Oct 31–-ART    Fall Class Party, 2:00-3:00 p.m.  

*Friday, Nov 1—STEAM (send in labeled over the head headphones for STEAM…see earlier posting)  Wear  BROWN  

*Nov. 15—Fast Friday (early release) Dismissal at 12:15

*Nov. 18—Parent-Teacher Conferences

*Nov. 20—Parent-Teacher Conferences

*Nov. 27—Nov. 29—NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Vacation

*Dec. 12—Holiday Program… 6:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Church in Jenison.  More details coming as date approaches.

Have a fabulous weekend.  Mrs. Bohl

NEWS—Oct. 14-18

Our busy week of learning in kindergarten…..

COLOR WORDSBLACK    WHITE       We read Harry the Dirty Dog, Harry and the Neighbor, Harry goes to the sea, Please, Mr. Panda and I’ll wait Mr. Panda as our color theme books.  We also watched a non-fiction video about panda bears. We all agreed they are cute black and white bears so it was obvious that we needed to make panda bears.  It was fun to use a fork as our paint brush. Thanks for participating by wearing black and white! 🙂 We also made our weekly color flip book, went on a I Spy hunt for black & white pictures and drew a picture of Harry the Dirty Dog.  Our surprise black & white snack this week was OREO cookies.  Not very healthy, I know, but very tasty. 

  

HANDWRITING:  We learned about the three different handwriting lines and how some letters are small, some are tall, and some fall below the lines.  Remembering to always start at the top is tricky so extra reminders at home is helpful. We started practicing the proper formation of Counter Clockwise letters (f,c,a,d).  We will finish the rest of these letters next week.

POPCORN WORDS:   YES   NO  STOP  GO We wrote these words in our journals, found/wrote them in our popcorn paper books, used magnets to create new words by changing the beginning sound (go, no, so, OR stop, mop, top, hop) and in our shared reading poem.  

READING:  As readers, we learned another strategy to use when we get stuck on unknown words.  Tryin’ Lion is a cute beanie baby that tells us to “reread and never give up.”  He joins Eagle Eye ( look closely at the words and picture) and Stretchy Snake (stretch out sounds in words) as useful reading strategies.   Readers also notice that important words have labels to make reading them easier.  We practiced this by labeling important words in two emergent books. The kinders were given a sticky note to use when they located a character showing a feelings.  A good review from last week’s lessons.

MATH: This week the kinders found out that they can tell math stories and solve the answers to their math stories. For example:  3 teddy bears came and sat at a table.  2 more teddy bears joined them.  How many teddy bears are at the table?”  3+2=5  In addition, they practiced drawing pictures of math stories on whiteboards. They used their math toolboxes to show groups of 5 within numbers (5+1=6) and to compare numbers by using a 5 strip and extra one tiles.  They drew groups of 5 and extra ones, wrote number 6 and counted groups of objects inside their workbooks.

WRITING WORKSHOP: During our writing time we learned that writers stretch out sounds in words, the words match the pictures, they talk and share with their partners. We worked together to create another Show and Tell book.  This time it was about our Homes.  The kinders shared information about where they eat, where they sleep and where they like to play with their writing partners before actual drawing and writing each day.  They are doing a fabulous job drawing detailed pictures, labeling parts of their drawings and trying their best to write a matching sentence such as “I eat at the table. I sleep in my bed. I play in the playroom.” (We try to use as many popcorn words as possible when we write together!)  On Friday, we met with Mrs. Tindall’s class to read our books together and celebrate being awesome writers!

LITERACY:  This week the kinders worked as a whole group with Mrs. Bynum while I reassessed the kinders are their letters/sounds and rhyming words.  We have been working hard in mastering these skills during Split Lit and in small groups.  Their activities focused on sight words, rhyming words, distinguishing between letter b and letter d and listening for sounds in the beginning, middle and end of words.  Look for a note in your kinder’s folder informing you of your kinder’s progress in the coming weeks.  Our shared reading book was filled with rhyming words.

MYSTERY READER: On Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy was surprised…again.  This time it was her grandma who came to read a story to us.  She brought The Day the Crayons Talked because Kennedy LOVES to color. A fun story to hear especially since we are learning our colors words!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

BACKPACK SNACKS…THANK YOU SO MUCH for being conscientious about sending ONLY TWO healthy, NUT FREE snacks…one for the morning, one for the afternoon.  Our snack time is short but enough time to become refueled.

BLUE FOLDERS and BACKPACKS:  Please get in the habit of taking out your kinder’s blue folder each night and removing the papers, art work, etc.  Please place any notes back inside the folder.  That is the best place for me to find them.  Cleaning out your kinder’s backpack of extra things will make it less heavy and allow more room for their folder and lunch box.  Thank you!

UPCOMING DATES

*Monday, Oct 21—ART

*Tuesday, Oct 22—STEAM 

*Wednesday, Oct 23—MUSIC; Library–Please help your kinder remember their library book.  Homework packet is due 

*Thursday, Oct 24–GYM    

 *Friday, Oct 25—ART; Wear ORANGE

*Tuesday, Oct 29—Picture Re-Take Day AND Turkey Trot 

*Tuesday, Oct 29—Fall Party games and craft items should be sent into school

*Thursday, Oct. 31—Fall Class Party, 2:00-3:00 p.m.  Food items should be sent into school in the morning 

*Nov. 15—Fast Friday (early release) Dismissal at 12:15

*Nov. 18—Parent-Teacher Conferences

*Nov. 20—Parent-Teacher Conferences

*Nov. 27—Nov. 29—NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Vacation

*Dec. 12—Holiday Program…Details coming

Have a fabulous weekend with your kinder.  They are very special little people who I am so thrilled to be spending my days with.  Mrs. Bohl

 

NEWS OF THE WEEK—May 20-24

POPCORN WORDS:  A week of review!

OUR AMERICAN SYMBOLS:  The symbols that were studied this week were:  The Bald Eagle, The Liberty Bell and the American Flag.  We learned that Bald Eagles have sharp talons, they build their nests high in trees near water and they eat fish.

The Liberty Bell cracked the first time it was rung, it is made from copper and tin and it hangs from a wooden yoke.

The American Flag has 50 stars and 13 stripes, it has many names like “Old Glory” and it is red, white and blue.

We talked about what it means to be patriotic and what we do to show patriotism. Examples were wear red, white and blue, hang a flag, say thank you to veterans, say the pledge.  At the start of each day, the kinders are learning to recite the Pledge of Allegiance by standing tall, still and straight.  They have learned what those very special words really mean and what sacrifices the men and women of our country made for our freedom. We THANK them so much!!! We practiced identifying ending sounds by sorting pictures, We made & read  books and made patriotic hats. It was fun to learn how to do a crossword puzzle and word search too. Be sure to have your kinders teach you some cool and interesting facts about ALL of the American symbols we have studied.

It was fun to see the kinders dressed in red, white and blue clothing, Thank you for participating!  The kinders were EXCITED (to say the least) to learn that I brought “dessert” for them to eat after lunch…..RED, WHITE  and BLUE POPSICLES!

MATH:  The kinders took their LAST unit #5 math test.  They did an AWESOME, FABULOUS, WONDERFUL job!  They worked hard showing what math skills they learned.  These tests arrived home this week.  I know that you are as proud of your kinder as I am!  We spent the other days “dipping our toes” into first grade math.  The kinders were very excited to use their own mini clocks to show the time by the hour.  

WRITING WORKSHOP:  Each day the kinders met with a group that had the same opinion on a topic, talked about the reasons for their opinion and then wrote about it.  These topics were saying why we like Georgetown school, what holiday we like best and which sport we enjoy playing. Our opinion writing ended by having the kinders  write their ON DEMAND piece about their favorite restaurant. This is when they do all of their writing independently, without teacher assistance. The kinders did an AMAZING JOB!  I am so very proud of them. I am in the process of grading them and will send home the writings home soon.

COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER:  Can you believe it? Ten more days of kindergarten!  Oh my! 🙂 The countdown to summer has officially begun in our classroom.  Each day we will open an envelope to see what fun activity is scheduled.  Today the first activity was…..EXTRA RECESS!!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:  We enjoyed giving the kinders who have “summer birthdays” (June, July, August) an early celebration.  Thank you for all of the birthday treats.

 Happy early Birthday Brooks!

 Happy early Birthday Aria!

 Happy early Birthday Breslyn!

 Happy early Birthday Elliot!

 Happy early Birthday Alesha!

MYSTERY  READER:  Brooks was so surprised and happy to see his dad step into the room.  He read another new story…one that Brooks’ grandpa gave him.  It was called  The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse. Thank you so much for coming in….again!

REMINDERS

*LIBRARY BOOKS:  Almost all of the kinders have returned their library books.  Please return your book this week.

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*KINDERGARTEN OLYMPICS:   A fun morning of games with all of the kindergarteners!  Kinders will need to wear TENNIS SHOES…NO FLIP FLOPS, SANDALS OR CROCS PLEASE!  They will also need a WATER BOTTLE, LABELED WITH THEIR NAME!  Don’t forget the SUNSCREEN…if we have sun :)!  Volunteers  should arrive at 8:45am for instructions. PARENTS & YOUNGER SIBLINGS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US FOR A PICNIC LUNCH ON THE PLAYGROUND IF IT FITS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE.  WE WILL BE EATING AROUND 12:00PM

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, MAY 27:   MEMORIAL DAY, No School

*TUESDAY, MAY 28:  MUSIC; Birthday celebration for Colton and Jase;  Countdown to Summer Day 9

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 29:  GYM;  Countdown to Summer Day 8

*THURSDAY, MAY 30:  ART;  Countdown to Summer Day 7

*FRIDAY, May 31:  STEAM;  KINDERGARTEN OLYMPICS  Countdown to Summer Day 6

*FRIDAY, JUNE 7:  Last Day of School.  Dismissal at 12:15p.m.

~~~Have a great long weekend. Enjoy the wonderful weather while you celebrate Memorial Day!  Mrs. Bohl

NEWS OF THE WEEK—May 13-17

OUR AMERICAN SYMBOLS:  Hooray for the U.S.A! This week the kinders began to learn about some of our most popular American symbols.

First, we learned what a symbol is (it is a picture that stands for something). Next, we practiced identifying some common symbols for popular spots such as Dairy Queen, Target, Jet’s Pizza, etc.  Then we looked at some American symbols like The White House, The Capital, President Trump, Air Force One, etc.

The Statue of Liberty and The White House were the first two symbols we studied.  After reading non-fiction books and watching an informational video about each symbol, the kinders labeled parts of each symbol and choose 1 interesting fact to write on their paper. It was fun to make a craft relating to the symbols too.

Some fun facts we learned about the Statue of Liberty were it was a gift from France, it is made from copper, she is called “The Lady of Liberty”, she holds a torch in one hand and a table in the other.

  

It was fun to learn that The White House is big and white! You need 570 gallons of paint to paint the outside.  It has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms 3 elevators, a swimming pool, movie theatre, a bowling alley and some rooms are named after colors like The Red Room, The Blue Room.

  

WRITING:  More topics were introduced, more opinions were given, more reasons were written and more writings were shared with friends this week.  These topics included preferring to eat home lunch or hot lunch, playing at the beach or at the pool; eating ice cream in a bowl or a cone; deciding which special class (art, STEAM, gym or music) they like best.  I am very proud of them. We will write a few more opinion writings as a whole group before ending the week with the kinders writing their ON DEMAND Opinion writing next week.  This is when the kinders use all of the strategies they have learned and write without teacher assistance.  I know that they will do awesome job!

MATH:  The kinders showed tens and extra ones for teen and twenty numbers and compared numbers using terms Greater than, Less than and Equal.  They compared objects using math terms such as longer than, shorter, heavier than, lighter than.  Friday math games had an American symbols theme and consisted of adding tens and extra ones for teen numbers, putting numbers in correct order, solving subtraction problems, counting by 10’s to 100 and sorting 3D shapes.

 

The kinders will be reviewing various math skills the first part of the week and taking their LAST math test…Unit #5 towards the end of the week. Please encourage your kinder to do their best.  The test will cover addition & subtraction problems; comparing numbers using terms shorter, longer, heavier, lighter; showing tens & extra ones for teen numbers; and  more.

READING:  We are AVID Readers and we LOVE to read.  We are working on staying focused on reading for 115-18 minutes.  What an accomplishment as the kinders move into first grade. It was SO much fun reading each other’s clothing of places in Michigan such as Mackinac, Central Michigan, Michigan State, John Ball Zoo and of course…Hudsonville.  We also read some books written by Michigan authors. Thank you for helping your kinder participate.  Next week we will celebrate AMERICA! by coming to school wearing red, white and blue clothes.

MYSTERY READER: Wednesday Sidney was glad to see her mom in the doorway.  She read Dream I’ll Be.  A sweet story reminding the kinders that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up.

Friday it was Jacob’s turn to jump up and welcome his mom and younger brother, Austin into the room.  She read Bunny Cakes, a Max and Ruby story by Rosemary Wells.  We like Max and Ruby stories!  Thank you so much for stopping by.  We love your visits.

TAKE HOME BOOKS: Thursday was our last day of reading our TAKE HOME books. I can’t believe it that we are finished. Thank you so much to everyone for reading each night at home with your kinders! They have become such good readers! Thank you so much to all of the parents and grandparents who came to listen to our readers! I couldn’t have done it without you!!! 

SPLIT LIT:  During our time this week, the kinders wrote popcorn words, read sentences and matched them with pictures, identified vowel sounds, worked with rhyming words, read books and sorted H brother (ch, sh, th) pictures.

OUR 5TH GRADE BUDDIES:  In preparation for our buddies going on their “sleep over field trip” (actual term is 5th grade camp) on Thursday and Friday, the kinders made them a card.  They also gave them a fun bag filled with a mini game booklet, a marker, starbursts, fruit snacks and a rice krispy treat because “we hope they had “bursts” of fun at camp.”  Another way to spread random acts of kindness.  Our buddies were surprised!  Yeah!

  

POPCORN WORDS:    TODAY    PLAY     AWAY      UP    Thank you so much for working with your kinder to learn their sight words.  They know soooo many words!  Oh my goodness!  I am so proud of them!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:

 Alivia will celebrate her ” real” birthday on June 22.

 Sidney will celebrate her “real” birthday on July 8.

REMINDERS

*PLEASE RETURN….LIBRARY books   Please return your library book if you still have it at home.  Inventory has began.  Please consider checking out library books from the public library throughout the summer.  

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, MAY 20:  STEAM; Celebrate Brooks’ (July 18) birthday

*TUESDAY, MAY 21MUSIC; Celebrate Aria’s  (July 19) birthday

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 22: GYM; LIBRARY…we are finished checking out books for this year. Please return any library books you have at home to school. Thank you! Celebrate Breslyn’s Aug 8) birthday

*THURSDAY, MAY 23:  ART;  Celebrate Elliot’s (Aug 13) birthday

*FRIDAY, MAY 24: STEAM; Celebrate being READERS: CELEBRATE AMERICA!  Wear RedWhite and Blue to school!!  Celebrate Alesha’s (Aug 15) birthday;  Popcorn Friday

*MONDAY, MAY 27:  Memorial Day, No School

*FRIDAY,MAY 31:  Kindergarten Olympics  If you’d like to help, we are still looking for volunteers! Please email me or return the sheet that was sent home. Looking forward to a fun day! Thanks!

NEWS OF THE WEEK—May 6-10

Another week of learning…check it out!

MATH:  The kinders compared numbers and identified if they were Greater than or Less than  by adding to the less  number or crossing off the extra number to make the groups equal.  They also practiced showing teen numbers using ten and extra ones as well as writing partner equations for numbers 7-10. We worked on telling story problems and then writing addition number sentences. We are getting to the end of our last unit in math learning.  The kinders have learned so much.

POPCORN WORDS:  ONE   MY    BY   Many of the kinders already were able to read this week’s words.  How fabulous…they are doing so well!!!  We talked again that sometimes letters say other sounds just like “y” says “i” in my & by.  

WRITING:  The kinders began learning how to write their last style  of writing…..Opinion writing.  We started with learning the difference between fact and opinion.  Then we sorted statements into an opinion or fact column.  Reading a fun book called Duck! Rabbit! helped us verbally practice giving our reasons to why we felt that way.

Each day the kinders need to give their opinion about a topic, write two reasons to support why they feel that way and write a closing sentence such as “_____ is my favorite.” or “I really like _______.”  WOW!  WOW!  The kinders are writing like first graders!  They are including popcorn words, spaces between words, sentence stoppers as well as giving awesome reasons. Our topics this week were 1. Playing on the swings or slide  2. Liking winter or summer.  Have I said lately, how proud I am of them! 🙂

SCIENCE:  “Can you eat parts of a plant?”  The kinders were not sure when I asked them this question.  So we read a few books to learn how vegetables grow…above or below the ground and to review parts of a plant.  

   

We learned that carrots, potatoes, radishes are roots.  Celery is like a stem. Lettuce, spinach, cabbage are leaves. Broccoli and cauliflower are considered flowers and corn, peas, beans are the seeds of a plant.  We had a taste testing party after building our plant using carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli and corn.  I was proud of ALL of the kinders for tasting some vegetables they don’t typically like to eat. We all agreed….We like to eat plants!!    I hope that you were able to find the perfect spot outside or in a larger pot to replant your kinder’s lima bean plant.  They were so excited to take them home.  

  

READING: The kinders are working to remember all of their superpowers as readers. They learned how to report on a topic or book that they read by sharing the information they learned.   We had a lot of fun with  “just in” breaking news reports after we read a Let’s Find Out newspaper on Cool Seeds.  The kinders were able to talk into a microphone while I played the news reporter asking them breaking news questions!!  It was so much fun!  We also worked on increasing our reading stamina.  Amazing work!

We are constantly celebrating being READERS!   We had SO MUCH FUN today coming to school wearing CRAZY HAIR styles. Thank you so much for helping your kinder participate.  Next week we will celebrate OUR STATE IS GREAT! by coming to school wearing clothes with places of Michigan on them.

TAKE HOME BOOKS:  Thank you  so much for encouraging and supporting your kinder this year as they participated in our TAKE HOME book program.  We have one more week of reading. Then we will begin to collect all of the books for summer inventory. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers who came into school each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to listen to the kinders read.  It would not have been possible without your assistance.  I am so grateful for your help!

MYSTERY READER:  Lily was super excited to notice her mom walk through the door.  She read us a fun book entitled The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Of course, at the end of the story we had to play a few rounds of the game.  What fun!  

JET’S PIZZA LUNCH:  Thank you for ordering pizza for supper so we could eat pizza for lunch. 

REMINDERS

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*PLAYGROUND:  Our playground is very wet and muddy and then it is dry and dirty.  Please keep this in mind as you send your kinder to school. Rain boots or outside play shoes might be a good idea until the spring weather clears.  Thank you for being considerate of helping to keep our inside floors and rugs clean.

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, MAY 13:  ART; reading TAKE HOME books  

*TUESDAY, MAY 14STEAM; reading TAKE HOME books

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 15: MUSIC LIBRARY…Return you library books. This is the last day to check out a book. 

*THURSDAY, MAY 16:  GYM;  reading TAKE HOME books–LAST DAY! Celebrate Alivia’s (June 22) birthday

*FRIDAY, MAY 17: ART; Celebrate being READERS: OUR STATE IS GREAT! wear clothing with places from Michigan on it . Celebrate Sidney’s (July 8) birthday

*FRIDAY, MAY 24: Celebrate being READERS: CELEBRATE AMERICA!  Wear RedWhite and Blue to school!!

*MONDAY, MAY 27:  Memorial Day, No School

*FRIDAY,MAY 31:  Kindergarten Olympics    A note asking for parent volunteers came home.  If you would like to be part of the fun day, please return the pink paper or email me your willingness.  We could use a few more volunteers. This special day would not be possible without your help.  Thank you so much.  

~~~I would like to wish all MOMS a Happy Mother’s Day!  Your kinders love you very much. You are an important person in their life.  Thank you for all that you do. They were very excited to make you a small gift….especially since they love reading books with you!  🙂

~~~Thank you so much for all of the sweet notes and gifts that you and your kinder bestowed on me this week.  I feel truly blessed to be able to spend my days with your kinder.  I love them very much.  I appreciate your support and encouragement at home.  It means a great deal to me.    Have a great weekend.    Mrs. Bohl

 

NEWS OF THE WEEK—April 29-May 3

Look what your kinder did at school this week.

WRITING:   Can I say it again?  I am so proud of the kinders and their writing. This month’s genre was about HOW TO….  do various things.  This week the kinders wrote How to marble paint, How to make a (birthday) wish, How to eat a snack and How to eat an Oreo.   Enjoy writing some more How to…. stories at home by using the idea chart that was sent home this week. 

   

SCIENCE:  Hooray! We have learned that not all plants grow at the same rate but thank goodness they all sprouted!  The warmer spring weather helped so much.  We are watering  and journaling about the growth of our bean plants.  

  

We explored each part of flower by reading informational books, labeling the various parts (seed, roots, stem, leaves, petals) and creating a craft.

 We also read and discussed a Let’s Find Out newspaper relating to the growth cycle of a butterfly.  We continued our learning about Living and Non-Living too.

      

MATH:  Our math lessons this week focused on number partners.  We wrote number partners of 10 by drawing sun and clouds in a ten frame (5+5=10 or 9+1=10).  We wrote number partners of 7 & 10 by looking at colored dots and white dots in different arrangements. We also wrote number partners by drawing tiny tumblers on their math mountains.  During Friday math games, the kinders were able to choose from activities such as identifying 3D shapes, solving addition and subtraction problems, showing tens & extra ones in teen numbers.

POPCORN WORDS:        HAVE     ON      OF 

                                                                   

LITERACY:  The kinders this week did various literacy activities while I listened to each kinder read a book.  They are doing AMAZING!  A progress note came home this week, letting you know your kinder’s independent reading level.  I will continue to support and monitor their progress during these last weeks of school.  Remember it is the goal to have kinders read independently at Level D at the end of the school year.  If you have any questions, please contact me.

READING:  When reading non-fiction books, the kinders were reminded to ask themselves questions such as “I wonder why…?” “Where does….?’ or “What is this…?”  During read to self time, we are working on retaining and increasing our reading stamina.  On a good day, we are up to 15-18 minutes.  Wow!  

 We are constantly celebrating being READERS!   We had SO MUCH FUN today reading the jokes the kinders brought into school.  A LOT of giggles and laughs!!!  Thank you so much for helping your kinder participate.  Next week we will celebrate BEING CRAZY FOR READING! by coming to school with CRAZY HAIR.

TAKE HOME BOOKS:  Thank you  so much for encouraging and supporting your kinder this year as they participated in our TAKE HOME book program.  We have two more weeks of reading. Then we will begin to collect all of the books for summer inventory. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers who came into school each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to listen to the kinders read.  It would not have been possible without your assistance.  I am so grateful for your help!

MYSTERY READERS:  We were lucky to enjoy two visits this week.

Brooks’ dad come on Wednesday afternoon and read This Moose belongs to Me.  A fun book where many people thought the moose was their pet.

 

Jace was so surprised to see not only his mom but also his brother, Caden (who is in 2nd grade) come in the room Friday morning.  His mom read TWO of Jace’s favorite books, The Dinosaur who lived in my backyard and Froggy plays T-Ball.    

 

Some rainy day inside playtime pictures

REMINDERS

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*BOOK ORDERS:  All orders (online or paper forms with a check) are due on Monday, May 6.  This is the LAST book order for this school year.

*PLAYGROUND:  Our playground is very wet and muddy and then it is dry and dirty.  Please keep this in mind as you send your kinder to school. Rain boots or outside play shoes might be a good idea until the spring weather clears.  Thank you for being considerate of helping to keep our inside floors and rugs clean.

*MAY CALENDAR:  The May calendar can be found at the top of our blog under CALENDARS.  You can also refer to the paper copy that was sent home this week.  I will send home the June calendar soon.

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, MAY 6:  ART; reading TAKE HOME books;  Book Orders due (online or paper forms);

*TUESDAY, MAY 7: STEAM; reading TAKE HOME books; LIBRARY…Return you library books.  NOTE CHANGE IN DAY DUE TO OUR FIELD TRIP;    JET’S PIZZA LUNCH

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8:  Field Trip to Hemlock Crossing Nature Center &  Hager Park  HOME LUNCH WITH DRINK INSIDE OF LABELED PAPER BAG IS NEEDED. We will not be ordering hot lunch. Please feel free to join us for our picnic lunch. Younger siblings are welcome. We will be at the park around 12:00pm. Your kinder will need a home lunch and water bottle to enjoy during our picnic lunch.  NO SANDALS, FLIP FLOPS OR CROCS. TENNIS SHOES NEED TO BE WORN!!  We will be walking through woods and trails and playing on a big playground.  Please dress your kinder according to the weather. We will be OUTSIDE for most of the day! 

*THURSDAY, MAY 9:  GYM;   EMAIL ME OR SEND A NOTE BY THURSDAY (5/9) IF YOUR KINDER WOULD LIKE A SACK LUNCH.   reading TAKE HOME books

*FRIDAY, MAY 10:  ART: FAST FRIDAY (Early Release  Dismiss at 12:15pm);  Celebrate being READERS:  CRAZY HAIR DAY  Celebrate Lillian’s birthday (5/11)

*FRIDAY, MAY 17Celebrate being READERS: OUR STATE IS GREAT! wear clothing with places from Michigan on it

*FRIDAY, MAY 24: Celebrate being READERS: CELEBRATE AMERICA!  Wear  Red, White and Blue to school!!

*MONDAY, MAY 27:  Memorial Day, No School

*FRIDAY,MAY 31:  Kindergarten Olympics  A note asking for parent volunteers came home.  Volunteers will be notified shortly with details.  This special day would not be possible without your help.  Thank you so much.  If you still would like to be part of this fun day, please let me know soon.

~~~Have a great weekend.    Mrs. Bohl

 

NEWS OF THE WEEK—April 22-26

Can you believe it?  It is the end of April and next week we are moving into our last full month of school.  Take a look at what was accomplished this week.

SCIENCE:  What is Alive?  Living and Non-Living and Grow, Flower, Grow! were books that assisted us as we began learning about things that are alive and not alive.  The kinders learned that living things need *air, *water, *food, *soil (plants), *space (habitat)  and can *move, *grow.  Sorting living and non-living pictures was a fun activity to do.

      

We planted bean seeds and are patiently watering and waiting for them to sprout.  Hopefully the warmer, sunny spring weather helps.  We will keep you updated!

WRITING:   I am so proud of the kinders and their writing. This week we began writing  HOW TO…. stories.  We created a list of what we thought we could teach others to do.  Some examples were: how to ride a bike, how to read a book, how to play football and more.  We practiced telling the steps across our fingers using transitional words like First, Next, Then, Last.  Our writing topics were How to Wash Your Hands, How to Make a Pizza and How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.  We will write more HOW TO… stories next week.

MATH:  The kinders practiced determining and writing number partners, writing numbers to 100! and drawing tens and extra ones for teen numbers this week.

The Friday math game was called FLOWER POWER.  The kinders took turns tossing a fly and bumble bee bean bag onto a large flower, using the numbers that the insects landed on to create addition and subtraction number equations.  For example: 1+3=4 or 7-3=4.

POPCORN WORDS:         COME   SOME

READING:  The kinders were introduced to poetry and what it looks like to be Avid Readers of Poetry.   We talked about how poetry is a lot like a song.  We hear songs and they get stuck in our heads and we sing them over and over.  So many of the poems we know are often sung like a song.  Making it easy for us to remember, allowing us to be Avid Readers/Listeners of Poetry.   The kinders were able to practice “How To Read a Poem” by….. 1.We read the words. 2. We think about the poem.3. We make our voices match the beat of the poem.  It was fun to practice this by using three familiar poems…It’s Raining It’s Pouring, Ring Around the Rosie and Baby Shark. It is fun to get to keep these poems in our book boxes!

MYSTERY READERS:  Colton and Jase were so surprised to see their mom walk through the door…again. She choose to read Hello, Paws because the boys like baseball and the Detroit Tigers!  A timely story with baseball season in full swing.  

Jacob jumped up excitedly when his mom and younger brother, Austin stepped into the room.  She read a favorite book from when she was a little girl called Mrs. Plug the Plumber.  What a funny, silly story.

KOOL KINDER: We have begun our last round of being the Kool Kinder.  Be on the lookout for the GUESSING JAR!  You will need to fill the jar with some items…but keep the number a secret!

REMINDERS

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*TAKE HOME Books:  Please help your child to remember to return their book baggie EACH Monday, Tuesday and Thursday so that they are consistent with their read aloud practice and are able to check out a new book each time to build their reading experiences.  Don’t forget to sign the parent sheet and include comments or observations you feel may be helpful.  We only have a few weeks left…keep reading!!!

*REDUCE TRASH:  I posed a challenge to the kinders to see if we could reduce the wrappers thrown away during snack and lunch time.  A few of the kinders choose to take their snacks in containers this week instead of inside baggies.  Hooray!  Any more kinders want to join in the challenge?

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, April 29: GYM; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 

*TUESDAY, April 30: ART; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 

*WEDNESDAY, May 1: STEAM;  LIBRARY: Please return your kinder’s book.

 *THURSDAY, May 2: MUSIC; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 
 

*FRIDAY, May 3: GYM

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8:  Field Trip to Hemlock Crossing Nature Center & Hager Park.   Please feel free to join us for our picnic lunch.  We will be at the park around 12:00pm. Your kinder will need a paper sack lunch LABELED WITH THEIR NAME and water bottle to enjoy during our picnic lunch.  NO SANDALS, FLIP FLOPS OR CROCS. TENNIS SHOES NEED TO BE WORN!!  We will be walking through woods and trails and playing on a big playground.  Please dress your child according to the weather. We will be OUTSIDE for most of the day!  

*THURSDAY, MAY 9:  EMAIL ME OR SEND A NOTE BY THURSDAY (5/9) IF YOUR KINDER WOULD LIKE A SACK LUNCH ON FRIDAY. 

*FRIDAY, MAY 10:  FAST FRIDAY (Early Release  Dismiss at 12:15pm)  Birthday celebration for Lilly (May 11)

*THURSDAY, May 16— Birthday celebration for Alivia (June 22)

*FRIDAY, May 17–Birthday celebration for Sidney (July 8)

*FRIDAY, MAY 24…..RedWhite and Blue Day!  Wear your RedWhite and Blue to school!!

*MONDAY, MAY 27…Memorial Day, No School

*FRIDAY, MAY 31:  Kindergarten Olympics  Volunteer note (coming home this week) is due Friday, May 17

~~~Have a great weekend.  Mrs. Bohl

NEWS OF THE WEEK—April 15-19

In between our “regular” learning  we squeezed in some fun bunny, chick and decorated egg activities.  An exciting event was being able to decorate an egg before it was taped to the seat of our chair.  It was the kinders’ responsibility to keep their egg warm by sitting on it while waiting for it to hatch.  Throughout the day on Friday, the eggs began to hatch chicks….PEEPS chicks that is.  What a lot of fun it was when the kinders realized their egg had hatched.  You just have to LOVE kinder humor and excitement!  

POPCORN WORDS:  THEY    THESE    

SCIENCE…IT ROCKS!   This week we focused our learning on rocks.  We read non-fiction books about rocks and learned about three types of rocks and did a fun activity to go along with each one.

 

(1) Igneous Rocks – Igneous rocks are formed by heat. We began with lots of little “rocks” (butterscotch/chocolate chips). Then we applied heat to the rocks (using a microwave) until the rocks turned to magma! Our magma cooled and hardened to form igneous rocks that we could eat.  The igneous rocks tasted pretty good too.  🙂

  

(2) Sedimentary Rocks – Since sedimentary rocks are formed by pressure, we applied pressure to three different colored marshmallows to form a new sedimentary rock.  The kinders layered 3 colors of marshmallows, applied some pressure to create sedimentary rocks before eating them. Yum, Yum!

    

(3) Metamorphic Rocks – These rocks are formed using a combination of both heat and pressure. We used three colors of cold play-doh and applied the heat and pressure of our hands to “morph” (marble) the rocks into new colors/shapes.  Three different colors of play dough (purple, orange & blue) represented rocks were given to each kinder.  The kinders layered the colors and applied pressure and heat (from their hands) to form metamorphic rocks.  No editable rocks this time…yet very fun)

  

We investigated our rock collections by sorting them to be either rough or smooth.  We also lined them up by size….from smallest to biggest. We continued to investigate our rocks by the look of them, the height, the texture and if whether they would float or sink in water.  Be sure to take a look at their booklet for their answers.  Thank you for helping your kinder find AWESOME rocks!

WRITING:  We read books about COWS before we wrote facts onto our “have, can, are” charts. The kinders decided which facts they wanted to include in their own All About Cows books.  They worked independently to put their facts into sentences, remembering to use capital letters, spaces between words and sentence stoppers, before drawing detailed pictures.  They enjoyed reading their books to their reading buddies.  The kinders did a fabulous job!  I can’t wait to share how well they did with you.

MATH:  This week we practiced writing number partners.  The kinders LOVED explaining to me EXACTLY how to add partners together.  They taught me that I can use my fingers to show partners, and then add those partners together by counting all of my fingers.  Then, they taught me that I can do something called “counting on.”  I can put a partner in my head and then count on with my fingers to add the numbers together.  Finally, they taught me that I can use objects to count, like crayons.  I can show the partners with the crayons and then count all of the crayons for my total.  Teaching someone else is known to be the best way to learn something yourself.  Having the kinders teach me was an awesome way for me to see what they know.  We also practiced writing numbers to 100.  It was fun to solve addition & subtraction problems by playing BUNNY HOP.

READING:  The kinders looked at nonfiction books and went on a scavenger hunt to locate various features found inside informational books.  They learned that avid nonfiction readers compare information by noticing what is similar and what is different in two books on the same topic.  We did this by looking at books about dragonflies and honey bees.  For example, we found out that the legs on both insects have important jobs. The kinders learned that nonfiction readers can pretend and act out parts of the text, just like they did with fiction stories.

End of the Year Push:  We are rapidly approaching the end of kindergarten.  I cannot believe it!  This year has gone so very fast!!  With the end of the year comes some learning that needs to take place.  We have more writing, math and reading to get through.  We also have some goals that we will try to reach.  The kinders are working very hard every day at school.  They work in reading groups, small group interventions with math & reading and in many other ways to help them reach goals to be ready for first grade.  Please continue to work on sight word flashcards, be sure to also visit our Clever page for fun educational games which are located on the right side of our blog.   I will continue to work endlessly with your kinder to prepare them for first grade.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

MYSTERY READERS:  Last week, Emma was surprised to see her grandma step into the room. She read The Little Red Hen…a favorite of Emma’s.  It was nice of her to bring along seashells from her time in Florida to share with the kinders.  How very thoughtful and kind.  Thank you!

Wednesday Bronwyn was not expecting to see her mom come in the room….again!  She read Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.  It is a favorite book that Bronwyn likes to read at home.  Surprise…it is a favorite one at school too!  

Lillian’s mom was the mystery reader on Friday.  She choose a familiar character….The Little Old Lady….to read to us.  This book was called The Little Old Lady who swallowed a Bat.

REMINDERS

*OUTSIDE SHOES:  THANK YOU for sending your child in outside shoes or boots on spring days.The playground is very muddy and we are working hard to keep our classroom floor clean.  Please remember that…..OUTSIDE SHOES CAN NOT BE WORN IN THE GYM AS MUD AND DIRT GETS ON THE GYM FLOOR.  PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU KINDER HAS GYM SHOES TO WEAR THAT ARE NOT THEIR OUTSIDE SHOES.  Thank you!

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please remember to send TWO daily healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*TAKE HOME books:  Please help your child to remember to return their book baggie EACH Monday, Tuesday and Thursday so that they are consistent with their read aloud practice and are able to check out new books each time to build their reading experiences.  Don’t forget to sign the parent sheet and include comments or observations you feel may be helpful.

*KOOL KINDER & THE SURPRISE BOX:  The kinders have thought of some great clues to give their friends as they try to guess the item inside the Surprise Box.  Make sure that your kinder understands that it is a secret…..so no telling others what is inside.  That makes it fun and fair for everyone.

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, APRIL 22: MUSIC; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS;  Earth Day!

*TUESDAY, APRIL 16: GYM;  reading TAKE HOME BOOKS

*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17: ART;  LIBRARY: Please return your kinder’s book.  

*THURSDAY, APRIL 18STEAM; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 

*FRIDAY, APRIL 19: MUSIC

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8:  Spring Field Trip to Hemlock Crossing Nature Center & Hagar Park. Bring a sack lunch and water bottle.  We will be leaving by 9:30 a.m., returning back to school by 2:00 p.m. 

*FRIDAY, MAY 10:  Fast Friday (Dismissal at 12:15pm)

~~~Have a  great weekend.  Mrs. Bohl

NEWS OF THE WEEK—March 18-22

Did you ever wonder how pencils are made?  Read your kinder’s newspaper this weekend.  We found out!

POPCORN WORDS:     COULD    WOULD   SHOULD (as a bonus word)    The kinders practiced identifying these words in books, in messages and in writings.

 Our shared reading this week.

WRITING:  We began our week by listing facts we knew about goats.  There were a lot of good facts.  Then we read informational books about goats to gather more facts.  The kinders incorporated these facts into their writing as they created another book of All About Goats.  The kinders are doing a fantastic job with their informational writing.  They have made incredible progress this year in their writing. I am so proud of their hard work.

READING: The kinders learned that when they think of a character’s feelings, an avid reader will try to use more precise words like “disappointed” or “excited” instead of just “sad” or “happy”.  They also learned that avid readers know which super powers they use often and which powers they don’t use easily or often. They decide which goals they will use more frequently.  We decided these goals.  1.  To point at each word when reading. 2. To try another vowel sound if the word doesn’t sound right. 3. To reread when it doesn’t make sense.  These reading goals were sent home so that the kinders could practice using them when reading at home.  We will continue to encourage using these reading goals at school too.

 

ONCE UPON A TIME….THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF:  Our fairy tale this week was about 3 brave goats who had courage to cross a bridge and deal with a bully, the troll. We read the original story and a few different versions of the fun fairy tale.  Again, we used the SHAPE GO map to help us retell the story, talk about the characters, setting and heart of the story. We discussed words that described the three goats and the troll.  This led into a good discussion about what we can do if we encounter a bully. We also had an awesome discussion about what makes a hero.  We thought the biggest billy goat was like a hero for saving his little brothers. Be sure to ask  your kinder about these talks. We had fun retelling the story using our props. Enjoy playing the game 3 Billy Goats Gruff at home while you practice sight words.

  

MATH: This week the kinders practiced solving subtraction and addition problems, writing number partner equations up to 10, drawing pictures on whiteboards to match a story problem and identifying and sorting 3D shapes.  We will be reviewing these math concepts and more next week before taking our unit #4 test on Wednesday.  

MARCH IS READING MONTH:   We loved listening to Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom and had fun making words, from alphabet pretzels, climb up the Chicka tree. We also read The Mixed-Up Alphabet while eating abc cookies.

Oh, my!  What fun it was reading books with the lights off and using our flashlights to put a spotlight on the words and pictures.  Thank you for sending in a small flashlight with your kinder!  

MYSTERY READERS:   Mrs. Houtstra’s 3rd graders stopped by on Thursday afternoon to read with us.  We are really enjoying reading books with other classes. 

Kinsman was beyond thrilled when he saw his mom (little sister & baby brother) on Friday morning.  She brought the book If I had T-Rex teeth because Kinsman LOVES dinosaurs. 

Friday afternoon Mrs. Walenta & the 5th grade buddies came to read books with us.  What a fun time! 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:

  Adelyne turned 6 on March 18.

Kinsman turned 6 on March 21. (So sorry…Kinsman’s picture didn’t turn out. Another picture will be taken next week….stay tuned)

REMINDERS

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please, please remember to send TWO healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*WINTER GEAR: Please keep in mind that even though the season is leading towards spring, some days in the past week reminded us that the rain has left our playground VERY wet.  Please continue to send a hat and mittens, snow pants and BOOTS or different outside shoes with your kinder.  

*LUNCH MENU: The April lunch menu can be found under the food service tab.

*TAKE HOME Books:  We will be reading books ONLY ON MONDAY this coming week.  Your kinder will not take home a book over spring break.  This will give me time to reassess the books that they are taking home.  They will take home a new book on Monday, April 8.

UPCOMING DATES

*MONDAY, MARCH 25––STEAM; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS; celebrate Olivia’s birthday (3/24)

*TUESDAY, MARCH 26-MUSIC; return TAKE HOME BOOKS; celebrate Bronwyn’s birthday

*WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27– GYM;  LIBRARY: We will have library so please return your kinder’s book.  return TAKE HOME BOOKS

*THURSDAY, MARCH 28—ART;  Kindergarten PJ Day….wear jamies (or comfy clothes) and slippers to school.  Don’t forget that shoes/boots are needed for outside play. SMALL STUFFED ANIMALS ONLY PLEASE!!

*MARCH 29-APRIL 7—SPRING BREAK.NO SCHOOL

*APRIL 8—-SCHOOL RESUMES; new TAKE HOME books sent home

—–HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND   MRS. BOHL

NEWS OF THE WEEK—March 4-8

Is March like a lion or a lamb?  We learned about these two different types of March weather while reading our weekly newspaper.  It will be fun to see what March actually brings.  I am hoping for more lamb days! 🙂 Are you?

MARCH IS READING MONTH:  We really liked reading aloud The Little Mouse, The Red, Ripe Strawberry and the Big, Hungry Bear by Don Wood.  To save the strawberry from being eaten by the big, hungry bear, the mouse finally decides to share the strawberry.  The kinders were happy that I decided to share strawberries with them.  A tasty extra snack!  

It was so fun to see and read each other’s clothing when we came to school WEARING WORDS on Thursday.  I can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures.  I totally forgot in the midst of learning.  🙁

POPCORN WORDS:  HOME    ABOUT     WENT  

SHARED READING:  Each morning we spend some time reading a poem and book together. This week we read the poem The Chubby Snowman and the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?  Together, we focus on popcorn words, rhyming words, patterns in sentences, fluency, punctuation and more.  At the end of the week, the kinders receive their own copy of the poem to keep in their book bins.  It is heartwarming to see them recite and read these poems to themselves and with their reading buddies.

WRITING:  We started a new type of writing called Informational Writing or “All About” writing.  We asked ourselves “Why we have All About books?” Answer: “To learn something new, to teach others and to enjoy!” Our topic of study was CHICKENS.  We read many different non-fiction books on chickens while writing down many interesting facts on a big chart. Then we organized these facts onto our own “have, can, are’ papers and highlighted 3 favorite facts before writing them down and sketching pictures in our  All About Chickens booklets.  The kinders did an AMZING job!!  Enjoy having your kinder read their writing to you.  We will continue informational writing throughout the month of March.

FAIRY TALE—THE LITTLE RED HEN:  Each week during March we will study a favorite fairy tale.  We began by learning what makes a story a fairy tale.  *A fairy tale usually begins with “once upon a time” and may have a happy ending.  *A fairy tale may have talking animals and a not so nice character.  *A fairy tale may take place in a forest and contain the number 3.  *A fairy tale may teach us a lesson.  We read The Little Red Hen this week. The kinders were introduced to a comprehension/retelling map called the Shape Go Map.  Each shape helps with recalling details of the story.  The kinders practiced their retelling skills by using character cutouts and a setting that they drew onto a paper bag.  I hope that you ask them to sing the retelling song we learned as they retell the story to you this weekend.

MATH:  This week the kinders practiced making partners of 10, drawing Tiny Tumblers on Math Mountains, solving addition problems and decomposing teen numbers by drawing 10 and extra ones.  They kinders are becoming such good mathematicians!

READING:  This week the kinders learned that when reading challenging books you need to use a new kind of picture power.  That means you really need to spend time looking at the pictures, noticing more and more details while making sure the words match the pictures. They also learned that snap words (popcorn words you can identify in a snap) can be disguised with endings of -ed, -ing, -s.  The kinders also worked on remembering what we read by retelling who was in the story, where it took place, what happened first, next last and how the characters were feeling. (Sounds like the Shape-Go-Map, right?  What a fun connection!) The kinders are developing this skill as their reading level grows.  

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:  Birthday wishes were given to Amelia on Thursday.  Thank you so much for the fun “do it yourself” masks and crayons.

 

KOOL KINDERS ARE BOOK LOVERS:

 Amelia likes to read Muddle and Match.

 Bronwyn brought in The Book With No Pictures.  

 Jacob shared the book on the Construction Site. We had to use a flashlight to see the hidden pictures on each page.  

 Elliot likes to read Owl Boy because she likes owls.

 Sidney loves to read We are the Groovicorns.

REMINDERS

*OUTSIDE GEAR:  THANK YOU for sending and continue to send your kinder in boots or outside play shoes.  The snow has disappeared but the wood chips are very wet and dirty and the wind is very COLD.  Keep listening to the daily weather report for sending the correct clothes.

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please, please remember to send TWO healthy snacks for your kinder, as we take a moment to refuel each day.  Thank you.

*TAKE HOME books:  Please help your kinder to remember to return their book baggie EACH Monday, Tuesday and Thursday so that they are consistent with their read aloud practice and are able to check out a new book each time to build their reading experiences.  Don’t forget to sign the parent sheet and include comments or observations you feel may be helpful.

*PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Our Spring Conferences will be held Monday, March 11 & Wednesday, March 13 from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Conference time reminders were sent home  with your kinder. Please let me know if you will not be able to attend conferences or if you have a conflict so that we can reschedule. Report cards will be sent home Monday.  If possible, please take a moment to review it.  We will be looking at it together. Please arrive on time, as we have 15 minutes to discuss your wonderful kinder! I will  do my best to stay on schedule.  I can’t wait to share your kinder’s progress with you!! They are AMAZING!!!

*TIME CHANGE:  Don’t forget to move  your clocks forward one hour Saturday night. Remember the saying….. “SPRING AHEAD”

UPCOMING DATES:

*MONDAY, MARCH 11–GYM; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS; preview (look at) book fair books; Parent-Teacher conferences

*TUESDAY, MARCH 12–-ART; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS;

 *WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13– STEAM; NO LIBRARY–enjoy your book for another week;  PURCHASE BOOK FAIR BOOKS (If you would like to have your kinder purchase books, please send the money inside an envelope labeled with their name.  Parent volunteers will be available to help your kinder shop.); Parent-Teacher conferences

*THURSDAY. MARCH 14MUSIC; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 

*FRIDAY, MARCH 15– GYM; Books for Breakfast?!?! reading celebration starts around 9:15am…wear fun socks today because reading knocks our socks off!

*THURSDAY, MARCH 28:  Kindergarten PJ Day

*MARCH 29-APRIL 7:  SPRING BREAK.NO SCHOOL  SCHOOL RESUMES ON APRIL 8!

~~Have a great weekend.  Mrs. Bohl