Hi Fantastic Families! 

The Kindergarten Team would like to thank all of the families for coming out to join us for conferences; we enjoyed getting the opportunity to connect with you all. As we head into the second quarter, we want to take the moment to remind families about the importance of reading with your child each day. We recommend reading with your student for 20 minutes a day, whether that means an adult is reading aloud or if the student is reading the pictures or words that they know. Beginning of year assessments are over which means that each class will really be diving into their Guided Reading. This is a time where the teacher meets with small groups of students and will work on their individual reading goals. Usually at this time of the year, we see a burst of excitement with students as they start to realize that they have begun to learn the basics of reading and that they can apply that to books and read on their own, in their own way. All students progress in reading at their own pace, but it’s important that we are working together to encourage them on their reading journey both at school and at home. If you have any specific questions about how you can support reading at home with your student, please reach out to your teacher. 

Kindly, 

The Kindergarten Team

Language Arts

What are we learning?

• Readers will use patterns in books to make predictions.
• Readers will use patterns in books to read like a storyteller (see connections at home for activity).
• Readers use the patterns in the books to think about the story. 
  • How might the characters feel about what’s happening again and again? 
  • What surprises did we notice?
• Writers use the word wall (sight words) to write and check their words.
• Writers write pattern books that are fun and easy to reread.

Home/School Connection

• Encourage students to read and write the following sight words we have learned in class. Try hiding these words around the house for a fun game!
  • a
  • the
  • I
  • see
  • can 
  • am
  • look 
  • at
  • me
  • said
  • like (will be introduced 11/15)
• Read like a Storyteller:
  • Find a book that you know has a pattern in it. 
  • Read the whole book one time. 
  • Find a page that has a pattern.
  • Reread that page so it sounds like you are telling a story. 
  • Go to another part with a pattern and read that page. 
• Practice writing a pattern book as a family; each family member can take a page! 
  • Example: Take a family outing and write about the part of the outing you like. Sentence starter: “I like the…”
• Use sand, shaving cream, rice, etc. to practice writing sight words with your child. Feel free to give them the list of words to look at; challenge them to try first and then check it!

Math

What are we learning?

We will be continuing our Patterns unit! In this unit we will...

• Identify patterns found in objects, movement, and sound
• Describe patterns found in objects, movement, and sound
• Extend patterns found in objects, movement, and sound
• Create patterns found in objects, movement, and sound
• Transfer repeating patterns found in objects, movement, and sound

Home/School Connection

• What patterns do you know of? (months, days of the week, the students day, anything that repeats!)
• Can you extend this pattern? (use different shapes, objects, manipulatives)
• Show students a pattern that you created, ask students the core of the pattern? What is repeating?
• Have students make a pattern then ask them to explain how they know they have made a repeating pattern.
• Create a pattern and ask students to show you what would come next.

Science/Social Studies

What are we learning?

• Students will learn the basic needs and life cycle of squirrels.
• Students will learn the difference between living and nonliving.
• Students will sequence events in the past and present and begin to recognize that things change over time.
• Students will understand how communities express patriotism through events such as Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

Home/School Connection

• What do squirrels need?  What do you need?  Compare/contrast yourself with a squirrel.
• Go on a nature walk and see if you can find 5 living things and 5 nonliving things.
• Make a card for someone you know who is in the military for Veterans Day to say “thank you”.
• With your family make a list of what you are thankful for.

Class Compliments

• Mrs. Bender and Mrs. Santoro would like to shout out the class for their hard work with patterns! We have been working hard in finding patterns both in the books that we read and during Math. We even tried making patterns with music!
• Ms. Johnson and Mrs.B’s class is finding patterns everywhere! They even noticed our Morning Meeting follows a pattern.
• Miss Matthews and Mrs. Dillon’s class is off to a great start this 2nd Quarter!  They are very enthusiastic in their learning about squirrels and patterns!  They even made the connection that the life cycle of a squirrel and our seasons are a type of pattern.   Way to go!
• Ms. Powers and Mrs. T’s class have been working so hard on drawing more detailed pictures to tell our stories! The stories students have been drawing are better each day! Great work! In math, students have been finding patterns, practicing extending patterns, and working to create their own patterns! Great job using patterns in so many different ways!

Social Emotional/Positivity Project

• Positivity Project (P2) for the week of November 8-12 is bravery.
• Positivity Project (P2) for the week of November 15-19 is gratitude
• Kimochis: Kindergarteners are learning about Cloud and how to manage upset feelings.

Home/School Connection

• Share with your child a  time when you were scared and powered through anyway. Then let them share a time with you. You have to be scared before you can be brave!
• Establish a gratitude habit. Pick a time (before bed, at dinner, saturday morning) and everyone shares something they are thankful for (verbally or written/picture).  
• Kimochis Common Language- Calm-down breath: Strategy of taking a deep breath to calm feelings before speaking or acting. Coach the Calm-Down Breath During Daily Activities 
  • Remind your child to take a calm-down breath when needed. “Stephen, let’s take a calm-down breath.” (Take one yourself so you are doing this together.) 
  •  Model and tell your child when you need to take a calm-down breath. “Daddy is going to take a calm-down breath so I can make sure I can talk calmly because I feel mad.” 
  • Acknowledge when you see your child use a calm-down breath. “Did you take a calm-down breath? I notice you are feeling mad, and you are talking to me so calmly!”

Important Upcoming Dates

• Thursday, November 11:  2 hour early release, Veterans’ Day
• November 24-26: no school, Thanksgiving break
• Saturday, December 11: PTO skate night

Click here to see what students are learning in Specials!