Kindergarten Newsletter
December 15, 2020
Dear Families,
As we approach winter break, the kindergarten team wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very happy, safe, and relaxing break! We hope you take time for yourself and time to be together. Students (and families!) have been working so hard and this break is well deserved!
If you are looking for ways to help support your students over the break, there are many fun ways to do so. Board games of all kinds are a great way to spend time together and reinforce key skills, such as number/letter identification. Board games are also great at developing student’s logic/reasoning skills and critical thinking. Sight word and letter practice can also be made fun by writing them in chalk, building them with legos or playdoh, and taping them up around the house for a fun hide and seek activity. We also always recommend reading together 20 minutes every day.
We look forward to starting a great new year together in 2021!
-The Kindergarten Team
Language Arts
What are we learning?
- Students will learn to find patterns in books.
- Repeating words
- Surprise Endings
- Circle Stories
- Growing Patterns
- Switching Lines
- Repeating Characters
- Students will learn to use patterns in books to make predictions.
- Students will continue learning how to write and illustrate pattern books of their own.
- Students begin to use sight words in their writing.
Home/School Connection
- As you read, see if you and/or your student can find any patterns in the book.
- Have the student practice making predictions when reading a story. Encourage them to look at any patterns in the book to help make those predictions.
- Encourage your student to share the pattern books that they are making in writing class!
- Practice writing sight words together and making sentences with them!
Math
What are we learning?
- Students will learn how to count collections and represent numbers to 20.
Home/School Connection
- Go on a nature walk at home and collect pine cones, twigs, pebbles, etc. Make sets using different amounts of objects and have someone in your family make sets that have the same amounts.
- I Spy Numbers
- Look for different kinds of numbers in your house. Make a book and draw the different numbers.
Science/Social Studies
What are we learning?
- We have been exploring maps and learning about Geography while we learn about winter holidays celebrated around the world including:
- Diwali
- St. Nicholas Day
- Kwanzaa
- Hanukkah
- Christmas
- Los Posadas
- St. Lucia Day
Home/School Connection
- Talk with your student about your own holiday traditions or think of a new holiday tradition to start together.
- How are your traditions similar/different to the holiday traditions we’ve learned about?
Class Compliments
- Mrs. Bender’s class has been showing a lot of Hard Work during learning time! Specifically, each student has been doing their best to complete Word Study each day. I can already see how much their brains have been growing!
- Mrs. Johnson’s class is showing responsibility by completing their independent work! Students are regularly logging into ST math and Imagine Learning.
- Miss Matthews’ Kindergarten class is doing an AMAZING job! I am especially proud that they have been showing up on time for Tiger Time. Keep it up!
- Mrs. Nieto’s class did awesome learning a new technology skill this week! Our lesson using PearDeck to draw favorite things was so fun! It was so cool to see their drawings on the computer!
POG/Positivity Project
- Positivity Project (P2) for the week of December 14- 18 is self-control
- Positivity Project (P2) for the week of January 4-8 is optimism.
- Portrait of a Graduate (POG): All of Terraset Elementary is working on being Collaborators. Kindergarten is focusing on sharing our ideas.
Home/School Connection
- Games are a great way to teach children self-control! Red light/green light, Jenga, Don’t break the ice, Simon says, freeze dance. They are also fun!
Important Upcoming Dates
- December 14-18: Terraset Elementary 14 Days of Cheer. Look for the dress up day themes in the Terragram and/or an email from your child’s teacher!
- December 14-17: Tiger Food and Clothing Drive. As Terraset Tigers, we will be collecting nonperishable food, toiletries, and other items to distribute to our families for the holiday season. Please bring any items that you would like to donate to Terraset. Donations will be collected until Thursday, December 17, 2020.
- December 21-January 1: Winter Break