Week 9: September 30th - October 4th

Hello KB families!

What a terrific week we had!  We were blessed with a visit from some of our grandparents.  The students enjoyed a light breakfast with their grandparents, followed by time in the classroom where they completed a craft!

We also had a visit from Mrs, Woinarowicz and baby Ellie! Mrs. Woinarowicz's birthday is September 28th, so we made her cards and ate some popcorn!  We're looking forward to her return on October 29th.

Here is what we'll be learning in the upcoming week.

Spalding:  We have officially taught the first 26 phonogram and we will take this week to review what we have learned so far. Since we have taught the whole alphabet students are expected to know the names and sounds for each letter.  We are still working on identifying the sounds and syllables of words. Note the change to Spalding homework starting this week and for the remainder of the school year. 

Phonograms will be given on a cover page for parents only to view. Students will be given blank pages to write their phonograms each night. Mrs.Worthy and Mrs. Howard made a video with the help of Mrs. Woinarowicz to explain how the homework should be completed. Please watch this video before completing tonight's homework: https://youtu.be/v4tVZMU8ErY and excuse our low budget quality :) 

Sight Words: This week will we review list 2. Please continue to review sight words nightly. Another way to work on sight words is to have your child find the words in the books you read to them at night. When reading, have your child follow along with their finger.

When we come back from fall break we will start to introduce new words and your child will receive new lists to practice.  

Literature:  Our story this week is another of Aesop’s Fables, the Grasshopper and the Ant.  Students have enjoyed hearing these stories and identifying the moral. Our poem for the week is Once I Saw a Little Bird.  Our Saying for October: The early bird gets the worm.  This week we will also begin pulling students to check reading levels for their leveled readers.  Books will be sent home after Parent Teacher Conferences. Reading volunteer opportunities will start after fall break and we will be sending out a Sign Up for interested parents.  

Math: This week we will finish our unit on number order. We will be writing numbers in order forward and backward.  Students will be able to write the missing numbers 1-10. An assessment will be given on Friday.

Science:  Students will be able to identify parts of plant:  roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds. They will also know that seeds of plants will only reproduce the same plant.  Students will be able to explain the plant life cycle and how  plants grow. They will learn the needs of plants and identify what plants we eat.  Students will be able to identify 

animals and crops on a farm and name 3 products that come from a dairy farm.

Week 7 Update

Graded math tests will go home next week.  We had a busy day and didn't get to grade them before dismissal.  Have a great weekend!

Week 8: Sept. 23rd - Sept.27th

Hello KB families!

We had another eventful week in KB!  Ask your child about the school library.  Yes, we had our first visit!  Each student is allowed to borrow one book for a two week period.  Each month we will have a visit to the library, with an opportunity to select a different book.

On Friday, we had both a Spalding and math test.  Please check your child's green folder for their results.  In your child's yellow book bag, there will be the list two sight words.  These can be reviewed after completing the Spalding written homework.

Here is a reminder on how to approach the Spalding homework.  Start by showing your child the phonogram cards we've learned so far.  (The weekly list is on the blog).  So far we learned the first 20.  Each card is numbered in the order in which they are taught.

1. Hold up each card individually and wait for a response. (You may share the sound if it is not known).
2. When your child writes the phonogram, say the sound first and see if your child can write it before showing them the card. Encourage them to say the sound as they are writing it.
3. After the last phonogram is written, they may go down their list and say each phonogram again.

Here is what we will be learning in the upcoming week:

Spalding: This week we will finish out the first 26 phonograms by teaching w, x, y, and z. We will continue to review previous taught phonograms and our test on Friday will cover any of the first 16 phonograms. We will also continue to work on word sounds and syllables.  You can easily do this at home with your child as practice. Give your child a simple CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words; can, dog, mat, etc. Ask your child to give each sound of the word.  It is especially important that they are able to give you the beginning sound of the word, but we are working hard on identifying the middle and end sound as well.

Sight Words: We will take this week to review list #1. Please continue to practice each night with your child, thank you for your support in making fluent readers!

Literature: We continue to explore fables this week by reading the Tortoise and the Hare. We will learn the importance of the the moral “Slow and Steady Wins the Race,” and discuss the virtue of perseverance.  Our weekly poem will be Little Turtle.

Math:  This week will continue to work with numbers 1-10 focusing on number order. Students will practice counting and writing in ascending and descending order. We will work on finding the missing number in a sequence and identifying numbers that are 1 more/less. For example students will say, “ 4 is 1 more than 3; 4 is one less than 5.” 

History:  Students will be able to give two facts about Betsy Ross, George Washington Carver and the Statue of Liberty.  They will better understand what the Pledge of Allegiance means.  Students will also be able to recognize and describe Mount Rushmore.

Week 7: Sept. 16 - Sept. 20

Hello KB families!

I hope this message finds you well and (hopefully) getting ready for some cooler weather!  We had a busy and productive week, as usual.  I am very proud of all their hard work.

Please make note that there is no school this Monday, September 16th.  Great Hearts is holding their annual summit for faculty members.  I look forward to seeing all of your children on Tuesday, the 17th!

Here is what we will be learning this week:

Spalding: This week we will learn the phonograms r, t, u, v while continuing to review all previous learned phonograms.  Please continue to assist your child with their nightly homework. Friday’s test will consist of the first 10 phonograms.   

Sight Words: are, as, with, his. In addition to Spalding homework please review your child’s sight word list each night. Their sightword lists should be kept inside their book bag and brought to school each day. 

Literature:  We will begin to explore Aesop’s Fables by starting with "the Dog and His Shadow.” We will identify the elements of a fable and examine the moral of each fable we read. The weekly poem will be Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone. 

Math:  We are continuing our unit on numbers to 10. We will work on numbers 6-10 this week. We will incorporate numeral cards, ten frames, and an abacus. An assessment will be given on  Friday. 

Science:  Students will recognize the differences between a map and a globe.  Students will learn how to read a map. They will discover various mapping skills.  Students will be able to find Canada and Mexico on the map 

Good evening KB families!

This is just a quick reminder about the curriculum Q & A night.  It is this Wednesday from
6 - 7 pm in the KB classroom.  This is for those parents who have specific questions regarding our schedule, lessons, or homework.  It is informal, with no agenda.  You may drop in anytime during the hour!

Week 6: Sept. 9 - Sept. 13

Happy September KB families!

We had another great week of learning.  Ask your child what the September virtue is.  They might respond with a word that sounds like "cinnamonship"!

Our virtue winner from last month was Savanna Hulbert.  She showed responsibility by following directions the first time, completing her work and staying on task no matter who she sits next to!
Congratulations Savanna!

Please empty your child's green folder nightly.  It is easy to get over loaded, especially on Friday when we take our papers home from the entire week.

Just a reminder that the yellow book bags contain a list of sight words that should be reviewed nightly.  Eventually, it will contain your child's assigned reading book.  Please have your child bring the bag to school everyday.

Your children took their first phonogram test today!  Please check the green folder for their score.
They also had a math assessment.  The students are good test takers and did a great job!

Here is what we will be learning in the upcoming week.

Spalding:  We will introduce the phonograms “l, m, n, p.” Homework will be the phonograms we introduce plus review of previous taught phonograms to get ready for our second Spalding test on Friday. 

  

Sight Words: are, as, with, his, they, I

Literature:  We will continue to explore Tall Tales this week by reading about Casey Jones, Paul Bunyan, and Pecos Bill.  We will discuss the element of exaggeration by creating our own Tall Tale pets and imagining ourselves as Tall Tale characters. Our proverb of the month is “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you,” and this will lead us into talking about the “Golden Rule.”  The poem of the week is Happy Thought. 

Math: We will continue our number study by exploring numbers to 10. Students will recognize numbers 1-10 in concrete and pictorial form and represent these numbers in writing using the correct Spalding number formation. We will introduce how to use a ten frame and practice identifying a number that is missing from a sequence. 

Science:  Students will be able to recognize and describe each season.  They will learn the meaning of the words:  hibernation, migration, blossom, seedling, autumn and deciduous trees.