Tag Archives: presidents

News of the Week—Feb 15-19

Look what we learned in kindergarten this week

                                    images     images-1
ALL ABOUT PRESIDENTS:  In honor of Presidents’ Day this past Monday, the kinders learned some interesting facts about 2 famous presidents.  We learned that George Washington was our very first president, he owned 5 farms, he wore white powder in his hair (Ewww…many thought this was strange), his picture is on the quarter and the one dollar bill.  Abraham Lincoln was an honest man who lived in a log cabin. He was the 16th president, he wore a stove pipe hat and kept important papers inside of it and his picture is on the penny and the five dollar bill. We read some books to learn facts and placed facts on posters. The kinders enjoyed making a fun President flip craftivity to complete their learning. Did you ask them what they learned?

     

READING: We learned that we can use more precise words to tell how a character is feeling besides just happy or sad. When the character was happy, we tried to think of a word that would describe happy in more detail – like excited or thrilled. When the character was mad, we tried to think of a word that would describe mad in more detail – like angry or frustrated. We learned that avid readers make goals to help them be better readers – something that we are each going to work on during reading time.

WRITING: Our opinion writing topics this week were: 1. Eating ice cream in a bowl or in a cone. 2. Favorite holiday…Halloween, Christmas or Valentine Day. 3. Favorite special…Art, Steam, Music, Gym.  The kinders are really working hard during this time. They are enjoying using my microphone to read their reasons to their friends. I am proud of them! 

POPCORN WORDS:      HAD     BAD     MAP

MATH: We practiced adding “food” from the “grocery store”. We used some of our play food and added different food items together. Then we pretended we ate some of the food and practiced subtraction. We also continued practicing teen numbers. We wrote the equation and then showed the group of ten and extra ones. We compared numbers using the terms GREATER THAN and LESS THAN and solving addition and subtraction math stories.  The kinders completed pages in their math workbooks, used 11-20 mats and manipulatives.

LITERACY/PHONICS:  We worked on listening for beginning, medial and final sounds in words and identifying sight words.  We activated our word-part power to add a letter in front of a snap (sight) word to make a new word. (f-in=fin, p-in=pin, m-an=man, r-an=ran). We sang a fun song to help us practice this power. We also sang “Down by the Bay” to practice rhyming words.  We used this week’s sight words to create new words by substituting letters in the beginning, middle and end. For example: mad-map-mat-hat-hot-pot OR bad-bed-red-ted-ten.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH:  RUBY BRIDGES This week we learned that Ruby Bridges showed courage and bravery when she never gave up and became the first black girl to go to a white school. Thanks to her, anyone is welcome to attend a school of their choice.

ASSESSMENTS:  Assessing your kinder in their literacy and math skills are underway.  I am so proud of the progress I am noticing. Notes stating your kinder’s independent reading levels are starting to come home.  Notice that their TAKE HOME books have reflected the change in levels. Please continue to work with your kinder at home by writing upper and lower case letters with proper formation, reviewing their popcorn words, reading books with them and listening to them read to you.  Don’t forget the math skills of counting by 1’s and 10’s to 100, writing numbers 1-20 with proper formation, telling, drawing and solving addition/subtraction stories and looking for number partners (2+4=6 & 10+4=14). As you can see, we are very busy learning and reviewing many skills in kindergarten.  I am excited to share your kinder’s personal progress with you at our March virtual conferences.

BEHAVIOR:  As we move into the last of February and hopefully the beginning of spring as well as our curriculum grows it is essential for our kinders to be ready to learn. Following classroom rules class rules (in the classroom, in the hallway, on the playground) is a must. Our rules are simple: 1.FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS QUICKLY. 2. RAISE YOUR HAND TO SPEAK. 3. MAKE SMART CHOICES 4.BE KIND. 5. MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.  Being in a class filled with friends can be a challenge for a 5 and 6-year-old.  We always strive to help the kinders to remember “how is my behavior helping or hurting my team (class)?”  We also let them know that mistakes are important because it helps us to learn red choices (bad) and green (good) choices.  Please encourage your kinder to try to be and do the best that they can.  Thanks for your continued support!

KOOL KINDERS SPREADING KINDNESS AND A BEING BOOK LOVER. The kinders are showing kindness by playing with their pets, giving their mom and dad hugs, reading a book to Grandma and more.  It is fun reading books at school that the kinders like reading at home.

NEW KINDER:  We are so excited to welcome another new kinder to our class family.  This week Junseo (pronounced ChoonSaw) Choi from South Korea joined our class.  This is Junseo’s first experience in American school so this is a big adjustment for him…especially since he is learning how to speak and understand English too!  I am so proud of the way the kinders are modeling how to do things, showing Junseo where things are located and just being kind kinders.  We LOVE how our class family continues to grow!

REMINDERS

WINTER GEAR: Please remember to send your kinder with snow pants, boots, a hat, gloves/mittens and coat every day!  Unless the wind chill is below -0, we go outside for some fresh air and exercise.

SNACK & WATER BOTTLE:  Please remember to send 2 healthy snacks AND a water bottle with your kinder each day. 

UPCOMING DATES

*Monday, February 22—STEAM

*Tuesday, February 23—MUSIC

*Wednesday, February 24—GYM; TAKE HOME BOOKS & LIBRARY Don’t forget your books!   Homework packet due

*Thursday, February 25—ART

*Friday, February 26—STEAM

*Tuesday, March 2 Dr. Seuss’ Birthday…Dress in your Seuss-ish attire (black, white, red colors or your favorite Dr. Seuss character?)

*Friday, March 5– Fast Friday (Early Release) 12:15 p.m. Dismissal

*Monday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 10…Parent/Teacher Zoom style conferences

Enjoy the weekend! Be safe and stay warm! Mrs. Bohl

NEWS OF THE WEEK—Feb 18-22

Look what we learned in kindergarten this week

                                    images     images-1
ALL ABOUT PRESIDENTS:  In honor of Presidents’ Day this past Monday, the kinders learned some interesting facts about 2 famous presidents.  We learned that George Washington was our very first president, he owned 5 farms, he wore white powder in his hair (Ewww…many thought this was strange), his picture is on the quarter and the one dollar bill.  Abraham Lincoln was an honest man who lived in a log cabin. He was the 16th president, he wore a stove pipe hat and kept important papers inside of it and his picture is on the penny and the five dollar bill. We read a newspaper to learn facts and placed facts on posters. The kinders enjoyed making a fun President flip craftivity to complete their learning. Did you ask them what they learned?

     

SOCIAL STUDIES:  The kinders began learning about and seeing various kinds of maps.  We read Me on the Map to help us broaden our understanding of the world around us.

So far, we have learned that we live in NORTH AMERICA, which is part of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and our state is MICHIGAN.  We are making a booklet to assist us in our learning. We will continue our study of maps next week.  Thank you for completing and sending back the picture map of your kinder’s bedroom.  You can return it on Monday if you need to finish it this weekend.

MATH:  We told math stories using our fruit  from our ‘fruit & vegetable market’ adding written equations.  Remembering what each symbol (+ – = ) means and using them correctly is challenging but the kinders are doing a great job. We continued to learn how to show teen numbers as tens and extra ones as well  as learning that you can write a teen number equation two different ways but they mean the same thing.  One way is to write the partners first and then the total (10+4=14) or write the total first and then the partners (14=10+4).  Finally the kinders compared numbers, deciding if the number was greater than or less than the other number.  They were surprised to use this math skill when completing the back page of this week’s newspaper.  

Friday math games were….

   SUBTRACTION SMASH (subtraction problems

   TWEET, TWEET (number partners 1-10) and ONE PAIR, TWO PAIR (matching numbers to ten frames)

  MITTEN MATCH (teen numbers)

READING: This week we learned that careful readers check their reading.  They ask themselves “Does it make sense?  Did it sound right?” If not, they don’t just keep going. Readers try to fix it. They also learned that PATTERN POWER doesn’t only help you read the words in books but patterns can also help you think about your whole book.  Does the ending go with the pattern? What is this book really saying?  It is so exciting to see the kinders becoming readers!

ASSESSMENTS:  Assessing your kinder in their literacy and math skills are underway.  I am so proud of the progress I am noticing. Notes stating your kinder’s independent reading levels were sent home this week.  Notice that their TAKE HOME books have reflected the change in levels. Please continue to work with your kinder at home by writing upper and lower case letters with proper formation, reviewing their popcorn words, reading books with them and listening to them read to you.  Don’t forget the math skills of counting by 1’s and 10’s to 100, writing numbers 1-20 with proper formation, telling, drawing and solving addition/subtraction stories and looking for number partners (2+4=6 & 10+4=14). As you can see, we are very busy learning and reviewing many skills in kindergarten.  I am excited to share your kinder’s personal progress with you at conferences.

WRITING:  Small moment story writing continued this week.  The kinders wrote stories about the valentine party, Mystery Reader visits and going out for recess.  They are doing a fabulous job!  Each day the kinders are drawing and writing more on their own, while I support and encourage and guide them.  They will write more stories next week, working towards drawing and writing entirely on their own.  This genre is VERY, VERY hard.  I am very impressed with their perseverance.

BEHAVIOR:  As we move into the last of February and hopefully the beginning of spring, please encourage your kinder to remember to make good, green choices.  Remembering to follow our class rules (in the classroom, in the hallway, on the playground) is a must. The rules are simple: 1.FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS QUICKLY. 2. RAISE YOUR HAND TO SPEAK. 3. MAKE SMART CHOICES 4.BE KIND. 5. MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY . We have a lot of learning and listening left to do in our school year.  Thank you for your continued support!!

POPCORN WORDS:      HAD     BAD     MAP

MYSTERY READERS: Brooks was totally surprised to see his mom on Wednesday and his dad on Friday. His mom read Honey, Honey….Lion! by Jan Brett.  She is one of their favorite authors.

His dad read The Antlered Ship .  A great story about having adventures with your friends…old and new ones.

KOOL KINDERS  ARE BOOK LOVERS:

 Tinley likes to read Daisy the Donut Fairy.

    Parker likes Sneezy the Snowman because his grandpa gave it to him.

  Kinsman likes to read fun facts about dinosaurs.

     Zander likes legos and the book I’m Fun too!

 Lillian likes The way I Love You because she purchased this book with her snowy day gift card.

 

REMINDERS

*WINTER GEAR:  Thank you for sending your child with all that they need to stay warm outside….snow pants, hats, mittens, boots. Just a reminder, we will be outside for recess if the temperature is above 0 degrees.  The playground is VERY WET, VERY ICY.  Please continue to send all of their snow gear.

*TAKE HOME BOOKS:  Please notice that your kinder is taking home 2 books inside of their baggie.  The lower letter (ex: level B) is their independent reading level.  This is the book that your kinder will read at school.  The higher letter (ex: level C) is to be read together at home, exposing them to what is to come.  Your kinder will need help to read this book.  If you have questions, please contact me.  Thank you for returning BOTH books each MONDAY, TUESDAY and THURSDAY.

*BACKPACK SNACK:  Please continue to send 2 healthy, quick snacks with your kinder each day.  Your kinder needs to be refueled so that they be ready to learn.

*KIDS HEART CHALLENGE:   A form was sent home with your kinder. You can make donations online. Check out the PE blog for more information.

*LUNCH CALENDAR:t.  The March lunch menu  has also been posted under the side tab Hudsonville Food Service.

*SPRING CONFERENCES:  We will be meeting in March to discuss your kinders progress.  Our Spring Conferences will be on March 11 and 13.  These dates and times have been sent home on Friday.  Please check your kinder’s blue daily folder.

UPCOMING DATES

*MON. FEB. 25—GYM reading TAKE HOME BOOKS

*TUES. FEB 26–ART;  reading TAKE HOME BOOKS

*WED.FEB. 27–STEAM;   LIBRARY Please remember to return your kinder’s book. 

*THURS. FEB 28––MUSIC; reading TAKE HOME BOOKS 

*FRI. MARCH 1—GYM;  Come to school wearing red/black/white (in honor of Cat in the Hat) or dress Seuss style to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2

*FRI, MARCH 8–FAST FRIDAY (Early Release Dismissal at 2:15pm)

*SAT. MARCH 9–Boys event 1:00-4:00pm @ BAM Entertainment

*MON. MARCH 11—Spring Conferences  4:00-8:00pm

*WED. MARCH 13—Spring Conferences  4:00-8:00pm

*MARCH 11 & 13–Parent-Teacher Conferences: Parent slips stating your specific date and time (same as in Nov)  were sent home.

Enjoy your weekend!  Mrs. Bohl