Embedded Files
June 13, 2025
What’s new…
In writing workshop we have been busy writing research and creative stories. The children love to write and you will be so proud at how much your child has improved from September! In phonics we are reviewing all the sounds, digraphs, blends, and sight words. This will all be revisited in first grade. We have been tapping out words and writing them as well as dictated sentences.
In math, we finished up our unit on composing and decomposing teen numbers. We will end the year practicing everything we have learned as well as 2D and 3D shapes..
In science we have been observing and learning about space. Our dramatic play center is a space control center with a rocket ready to blast off. We have been creating spaceships, rovers, planets and aliens with our little legos and reading all about space. We also have moon rocks in our sensory table along with a detachable spaceship, astronauts and moon rovers. Again thank you to Jack Coleman’s family for donating lots of props and books for this end of year science study!
Parents:
Please return all nightly reading books, library books, and books in the tote bags with the rubber duck. No more books will be going home. Also, as we start to plan for end of year activities, please let me know if your child won’t be here until the last day which is June 18th. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
We say goodbye to our friends Mary and Dean and their families and wish them well at their new schools and homes as well as safe travels! We will miss you all!!!
Activities this week and next week…
Monday we had lots of fun visiting the Jamestown Library and playground. You should have received the public library’s brochure on their summer program which looks fantastic.
Field Day was Thursday. Although it was quite hot, the kids loved it and thank you to the parents that helped out. We also enjoyed a special magic show and some Kona Ice! Yum!
Today was the school wide end of year celebration. We listened and danced to a steel drum band and had fun outside.
On Monday we will meet with our 4th Grade buddies for the last time. We have really enjoyed getting together with them and doing activities and playing on the playground.
Penny Carnival is on Tuesday June 17th in the afternoon. Your child will need a coin purse/plastic bag with nickels, dimes, and quarters that equal 2-3 dollars. No actual dollars. Hats, sunscreen and sneakers are encouraged
We will be going outside more frequently until the last day of school. Please apply sunscreen and have your child wear comfortable clothes, a hat and shoes.
Save the Date:
On the last day of school June 18th, please join us in the little playground for popsicles and the presentation of each child with their certificate and special summer bag. Please arrive at 1:30.
Wishlist
To have the best summer ever!
May 30, 2025
What’s new…
We are wrapping up our bird unit this week but please continue at home going on bird walks and sitting and listening to them singing as all the children love to identify the local birds.
We will begin a mini space unit learning everything from planets, spaceships, astronauts and moon rocks. We will read many books both fiction and nonfiction. We will transport our room into a space room with a spaceship, moon rock table with space rovers and astronauts, and do some activities including art creations. As always, if anyone has any information or artifacts to share with us, please let me know. The Coleman family has given us many wonderful items to create this awesome space room!
Parents:
Our end of Kindergarten is coming upon us. On the last day of school, the kindergarten will have a special pizza lunch with each other. (if your child does not want pizza, please send in a home lunch). We would also like to have you join us on that day for popsicles outside in the little playground at 1:30. I will send more information closer to the date but please reach out with any questions you may have in regards to the last day. Please let me know if your child will not be there on the last day.
Centers/Activities this week…
In writing workshop we continue to write daily about many topics but encourage children to sound out words and write more sentences. You will be truly amazed at how much your child can write independently! In math, we continue counting by 1’s and 10’s to 100 and how to write the numerals. We are also learning composing and decomposing teen numbers. Ask your child what makes up the number 14? 17? They should say 10 and 4 more, etc.
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Swimmy and wrote our favorite part
Writing: pick a picture and write about it
Word Work: sight word activity
Ms. Green: reading/sight words
Wishlist...
Each child needs a box about the size of a shoebox, no bigger. Please send in by the end of next week. Thanks!
May 16, 2025
Centers/Activities this week…
In writing workshop we have been learning and writing about opinion writing. The children have been writing about their favorite things, which one they like between two items as well as science writing as we observe our worms, snails, and guppies. They continue to sound out the words, using punctuation, and spacing. All the children are fantastic writers!
In math, we continue to learn about addition and subtraction within 10 with many children challenging themselves to higher numbers. We have been creating number stories as well. For example: There were 5 ducks in a pond and 2 swam away, how many or left? Or I have 4 apples and Miss Beth gave me 3 more. How many do I have now? Ask your child to create a story.
This week we observed red worms and earthworms! We had a lot of squealing and laughter as we watched and handled the squirmy worms. We also have been reading and learning about various birds, particularly the ones that come to our bird feeder. We have been identifying the bird's call too.
Free Fish!
We have two goldfish and 4 guppies that are available for your home entertainment! They can’t go together but if you have a tank and would like either group, please let me know and we can make arrangements to get them to your house.
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Selecting a story from the program “Pebble Go” on our Ipads and wrote our favorite part
Word Work: sight word practice and then wrote sentences with the words
Writing: choose a topic and write
Ms. Green: reading/missing letter activity
Parents:
Thank you so much for all the cards and gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week, it was extremely kind of you!
Also, please send in some summer clothes to switch out for the winter extra clothes for their cubbies. Think shorts and a tee shirt. We will keep the socks and underwear in the bag. As the weather warms up please apply sunscreen at home and have your child wear appropriate clothes as It gets warm in the classrooms.
Wishlist
We are all set for now. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
Musical Chairs with our stuffed animal friends for achieving 100 wolf paws…https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fdQp4WJx1SqRMSuKMcueBxySyWrGyg2z/view?usp=drive_link
May 2, 2025
What’s new…
In writing workshop we have been busy writing opinions about our favorite fruit, animal, sport, and much more. Many children are writing more than two sentences, some even writing up to five or six each day. In phonics we are learning about blends such as sp, sk, sm, st and sn.. We have been tapping out words with these blends and finding them in books and around the classroom. We have also been learning about “magic e” when there is a long vowel sound like in bite, made, hope, etc, the “e” tells the vowel to say its own name. We are learning so much in Kindergarten!
In math, we are continuing with adding and subtracting. Next week we will add and subtract with story problems. You can make up simple story problems with your child too. For example: Miss Beth has 3 dogs and 1 cat. How many pets are all together? Ms. Green has 5 apples. She ate 3 apples. How many are left?
In science we have been observing water and our one land snail. The children love observing the land snail as he or she moves around…thank you Dean for bringing in our land snail….we would love it if we could have a lot more! Please check your gardens and yard this weekend if you have any….we would greatly appreciate it!
Centers/Activities this week…
This week we read many versions of the Three LIttle Pigs. We loved The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot and the Three Ninja Pigs but I think the favorite was the Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig! After reading the different versions many children came up with their own version of the Three Little Pigs such as The 3 LIttle Cats and the Big Bad Dog.
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Another version of The Three Little Pigs with a surprise ending! and wrote our favorite part
Writing: Wrote letters to friends and family
Word Work: fill in the missing beginning, middle or ending letter of words
Ms. Green: reading
Parents:
Also, as we start to plan for end of year activities, please let me know if your child won’t be here until the last day which is June 18th. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
Observing our snails:
Reminders…
From Mr. Ucci…We need a lot of volunteers this year for the annual Field Day. See the sign up below. Thank you!https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4CAEAA2CA5F58-56166339-melrose
Wishlist
We could use land snails! Thank you! Thank you!
April 25, 2025
What’s new…
This week, in honor of Earth Day, we read many books about protecting our Earth and discussed ten things we can do to help the earth and what we can do right here in our class as well as in Jamestown. Ask your child what your family can do at home.
In writing workshop we continued with narrative writing including characters, setting and beginning, middle and end as well as writing poems. Some children had some fun with picking a topic and using their five senses to create a poem.
In math, we are continuing with addition and subtraction within 10. Most children are very secure in addition, some still need some practice with subtraction. Please continue to practice counting by ones to 100. Some children still need assistance with this skill as well.
In science, we observed our new animal, water snails. We found out that they have a shell, tentacles, and a foot. They were pretty quiet and didn’t come out much. We will be observing land snails as well so if anyone has any in their yard or garden, we would love to have your child bring them to school to put in our habitat. As many as you can catch would be very helpful.
Centers/Activities this week…
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: The Three Little Pigs(the Disney version)and wrote our favorite part
Writing: chose a picture and wrote about it
Word Work: practice with our sight or “heart” words
Ms. Green: reading
FYI…if possible have your child wear red, white and blue on Monday!
Student Spotlight…Create a nature home for bugs or gnomes or fairies on Earth Day!
Reminders…
One more thing, if you could send in a change of clothes for your child for the warmer weather then we will send home the clothes that are at school. Think shorts, tee shirt, and socks.
Wishlist
We could use some scotch tape and extra snack. Thank you!
March 28, 2025
What’s new…
We had a very busy month of March. We discussed and continue to talk about spring and different types of weather. We charted “lion” days and “lamb” days and we are happy to report that instead of in like a lion and out like a lamb it was in like a lamb and out like a lamb! We also continue to find out what is in the “rhyming bag” each morning.
This week we read many of the circle stories by Laura Numeroff such as: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Party, If You Give A Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, If You Give a Dog a Donut, and If You Take a Mouse to School and more. All the children love these stories. Next week we will learn about egg laying animals. Do you know the scientific word for egg laying animals? We will learn this and you can ask your kindergartner!
In writing workshop we have been busy writing narrative writing including the beginning, middle and end. We also learned to start with a word or sentence that captures the reader. The kids loved doing this and came up with great stories. We are working on spacing, punctuation, and writing more than one sentence with details.
In math, we are learning numbers to 100 by putting objects in groups of 10. This leads to place value which we are starting as well. We continue to practice addition and subtraction. Please practice counting by ones to 100. Some children still need assistance with this skill.
Student Spotlight:
Making ramps and testing them with balls…
Centers/Activities this week…
We have been very busy reading, writing, observing, playing, creating and counting in Kindergarten! In science we have had lots of fun observing our goldfish and guppies. We have learned the parts of a fish as well as what fish need to live. We have been drawing and labeling our fish in our science notebooks. We observed that our guppies all look very similar and it is too hard to name them…and we think one might have babies!
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie and write our favorite part
Read to self: read/look at books and fill out book report form
Word Work: the digraph “th” activity
Ms. Green: reading books/CVC words
Wishlist
We could use some Kleenex and some paper or plastic bags that kids can bring home art projects or things from school that don’t fit in their backpacks. Preferably with a handle and of different sizes, some large and some smaller. Thank you!
March 14, 2025
What’s new…
We continue reading Dr. Seuss’s books with many of the children reading the books to themselves or others. We read Green Eggs and Ham and I told the kids that we used to cook green eggs and ham and have a taste test but we are not allowed to cook anymore with all the allergies, etc. If any family chooses to make the green eggs at home maybe you will see if your child does or doesn’t like them…most kids are very convinced they would not like green eggs and ham..Sam I am! 💚
Last Friday we started our Fourth Grade Buddy program. Once or twice a month until the end of the year we will meet our 4th grade buddies. Each kindergartner is matched with one or two 4th graders and we do an activity or read books with our buddies. We have been doing this for years and all the students love their buddies! Friday we met each other and then the 4th grade buddy read books to the kinder buddy. They all loved it!
Student Showcase:
Reading with our 4th Grade buddies
Centers/Activities this week…
In writing workshop, we are writing about information and trying to write more than one sentence, remembering spacing, punctuation, using mostly lowercase letters except for the first word of our sentence and names, and being neat!
In math, we continue with our teen numbers and our equations to ten. We also count how many days we have been in school and show this number by grouping popsicle sticks into ones, tens, and a hundred. Today was our 116th day of kindergarten. Wow! Time is flying by!
We started our new science unit called Animals Two By Two with 3 goldfish and 3 guppies. We have been observing the fish in their habitat and labeling the parts of a goldfish in our science notebooks and name them! We will continue this unit for the rest of the year.
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Hop on Pop by Dr.Seuss and write our favorite part
Writing: “Pick a Picture” and write about the picture
Word Work: rhyming word activity
Ms. Green: reading/practice tapping out our CVC words
Wishlist
We are all set for now. Thank you!
March 7, 2025
What’s new…
We started our author study of Dr. Seuss this week. We read many Dr. Seuss’s books which the children absolutely love! We love to read the funny silly stories of made-up words and creatures the best. We also like to list the rhyming words from his books coming up with our own silly nonsense words. Each week we concentrate on a word family such as: at, op, ig, ing, etc. We make lists of words with those endings and see how they rhyme. Even when we share the rhyming bag, children have come up with words that rhyme but are silly just like Dr. Seuss.
We will begin to talk about spring and what to look for in the coming weeks. We listened to the expression, “In like a lion, and out like a lamb” and discussed what lion and lamb days look like. We began to graph “lion” days and “lamb” days for the month of March.
We are moving along with our Materials and Motions unit observing various fabric samples. This week we observed what happens when we add drops of water to different types of fabric including denim, fleece, terry cloth, satin, nylon, etc. See pictures below.
Centers/Activities this week…
In writing workshop, we are writing “How to” informational pieces. For example, How to brush your teeth or how to make tacos. We are learning words like first, next, then, and last. We work hard on our beginning, middle, and ending sounds as well as spacing between our words.
In math we continue to practice our teen numbers using double 10 frames and number bonds. We also continue to practice addition and subtraction doing many activities and playing games to reinforce these skills. At home or in the car, practice with very simple problems such as, “There were 3 bunnies in our yard and 2 birds. How many all together?” After your child gives you the answer, ask if he or she can say the number equation for this story. If your child needs a manipulative(small item to help them count like pennies or buttons) to help them solve the story, that is fine.
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Cat in the Hat and listed rhyming words for at
Word Work: rhyming words activity
Writing: practiced writing sight words and sentences
Ms. Green: reading with groups or rhyming activity
Reminders…
Remember to read to your child….this is important! There are so many great books to read to your child.
Also, I am asking you to remind your child no toys in school. Lately we have had to search for missing/lost toys or not sharing with some kids but not others which makes some children sad. If they bring them to school we are telling students to leave them in their backpacks. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Wishlist
We are all set for now. Thanks!
February 28, 2025
What’s new…
We finished our unit about China this week with lots of great books about the Chinese New Year and information about China. Next week we will read lots of Dr. Seuss books and do many activities with rhyming.
Hopefully Spring is right around the corner and some warm sunny days will be upon us. We will be talking about what happens this time of year and collecting signs of spring. If you and your child see a sign of spring, please have your child bring it to school to share with the class.
Miss Haley still comes in on Tuesdays to do science with our class. We are continuing with Materials and Motion. We will rap up our observations of different fabrics next week and then do some activities with motion.
Centers/Activities this week…
In writing workshop, we are writing narratives with characters and setting and a beginning, middle and end. We are also making sure we have a finger space between words and an ending mark. The children get very excited about writing as almost everyone can write 2-3 sentences at this time of year!
In math, we are learning combinations to 10. We use lots of manipulatives and activities to find the combinations. We also keep practicing our teen numbers. We count and write the numerals everyday.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Story of Ping and then wrote our favorite part
Word work: rhyming activity
Writing: practiced writing letters, words, and sight words
Reading: read books/sight word practice with Ms. Green
Reminders…
Today I sent home our math workbook, the first volume. There are empty pages that we did not complete that your child can do if he or she chooses. This is to be kept home.
Wishlist
We could use some soft tissues and small boxes and toilet paper tubes. Thank you!
January 31, 2025
What’s new…
This week we wrapped up our author study of Jan Brett and read books about winter and started our unit on China learning the culture but particularly about The Chinese New Year. We will read many wonderful stories and tales of China and try some Chinese writing. It is the year of the snake so we did some snake mazes. We learned how to say Happy New Year in Chinese, ask your child.
In Writing Workshop, we are learning about Narrative writing with characters, setting, beginning, middle and end. The children have been very creative with their stories!
We continue to learn how to spell many sight words as well as our last names. We also are doing many activities with rhyming words including our daily rhyming bag. Please have your child return it the next day with an item and word that rhymes with the item.
Parents:
When there is snow, please have your child wear snow pants, boots, and mittens so the kids can play in the snow when we go out for recess.
We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14th. A list is going home next week with all the children’s names for cards if you and your child choose to send in Valentines. I ask that you send in one for every child in our classroom or none at all as we have had hurt feelings when a child doesn’t receive a card from some students. We will be reading and discussing friendship that day.
If there are no snow/wind days, our 100th day of school will be on Wednesday February 12th. It will be a very busy day and week. We will be doing lots of 100 things! I will ask students to bring in 100 items hidden in a brown bag with 3 clues of the item. We will then try to guess the item. More info to follow. We will also be counting up a storm to 100 and reading books about 100.
The social emotional bookbags have been going home this week. These books can be kept for several nights to enjoy the book with your child. Please keep books safe from pets, younger children and return the yellow duck in the bag.
Wishlist…
We could use some soft tissues. We have had a lot of colds and runny noses with the cold weather. Thanks!
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, we have been experimenting with wood and this week we “changed wood”. See the pictures below of the children using sandpaper to change the wood. Maybe you can do this experiment at home as well!
In math, we have been practicing addition, subtraction, and “Tricky Teens”. We also have been learning and doing many activities about more, less, and the same or equal .
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Caps, Hats, Socks, and Mittens then drew pictures and wrote about our favorite season
Word Work: sight word game called “Stick/Stick”
Writing: practice writing letters Qq and Ww and then wrote in our “Anytime Journal”
Ms. Green: read/literacy activities in a small group
***Today was National Hot Chocolate Day…so we had some with our snack!
January 17, 2025
What’s new…
This week we continue with our author study of Jan Brett. This week we read Gingerbread Baby and Gingerbread Friends by Brett and then read many versions of the Gingerbread such as: Gingerbread Man(the original version), NInjabread Man, Gingerbread Pirates, Gingerbread Man Loose in School, Gingerbread Girl, Gingerbread Cowboy. We love all of them and many students had very creative ideas on how to “trap” the gingerbread! I also sent home a recipe for you to try to make a gingerbread person! Don’t Peak while cooking!
In Writing Workshop, we continue with research writing. We wrote about our science study of wood and animals. The students are all doing really well with sticking to the facts.
Parents:
Next week I will be sending home books bags with social emotional books. These books are part of our social emotional learning through Choose Love and Kelso’s Choice programs. There are 1-2 books that we will rotate around for the next few months. Please read these books to your child and discuss what the book is implying with your child. There is a notebook for your child to draw and/or write the part they enjoyed the most. This is a choice….you can just read the book and not do the notebook. In class we talked about how to keep the books safe from pets and younger siblings. We also agreed that the Choose Love ducks need to come back in the bookbag as well. Please enjoy these special books with your child and family.
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, we have been experimenting with wood and talking about all the things that are made from wood. We made plywood by gluing several pieces of wood together and found out that it made it stronger.
In math, we have been practicing addition and subtraction. Most students are secure in addition to 10 with some able to add higher numbers. We still need more practice with subtraction and will continue with this skill while learning our “Tricky Teens”. We practice writing the numerals as well as understanding that a teen number is 10 and ___more. For example, 10 and 7 more is 17, 10 and 3 more is 13.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Gingerbread Baby and then drew pictures and wrote about our favorite animal in the mitten
Word Work: sight word games
Writing: sight word activity
Reading: read/literacy activities in a small group with Ms. Green
Wishlist:
We are in need of empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes and any other small empty boxes for our art center. The children love creating with these items. We could use some small paper cups(bathroom size)and extra snacks for the new year. Thank you!
January 10, 2025
What’s new…
This week we started our author study of Jan Brett. We have enjoyed many of her lovely stories showing beautiful illustrations and the special borders around the pages. After reading her remake of The Mitten, we compared and contrasted many other versions of this story. Next week we will read her story Gingerbread Baby and then read other stories around the gingerbread man, girl, pirate, cowboy, etc.
We have continued to write every day in Writing Workshop, sounding out each word. We are working on spacing between our words and ending with a period. We are working on research writing by researching from a book, online, or an expert. Your child is an expert in many things such as many animals, their family, and objects in the room. In Library, Mrs. C is also teaching the students about research. I sent home a sheet with the sight words we have been working on since September and ones we will work on in the future. You can pick one word a night and ask your child to spell the word and use it in a sentence. This is not to “drill” them but rather make it fun to learn how to spell these words. We also started a rhyming bag. There are directions in the bag but basically, your child finds a small object and then comes up with a rhyming word for that object. The next day we try to guess what could be in the bag based on the rhyming word. Please return the bag the following day.
Choose Love:
This week we talked about uncomfortable, difficult and strong feelings Here is a quote from the Choose Love program…“Sometimes feelings are small, while other times feelings are big and strong. Remember, all feelings are OK, but some can be very powerful. When feelings are big and strong, they can be hard to deal with. We need to make sure that we know how to handle these difficult feelings in a healthy, positive way so we don't hurt
ourselves or others. What could you do if
you have a big feeling, like frustration or anger? How could you make that feeling smaller and calm down so you can make a good choice?”
We discussed ways to calm our body like deep belly breaths, going to a quiet place, reading a book or playing with a favorite toy or stuffed animal. Talk with your child about ways that work at home for your family.
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, we continue to talk about the winter weather and what animals do this time of year. We learned that some animals hibernate or migrate to warm southern places. We also learned that some animals stay around all winter long. We also started a new unit called Materials and Motion. In this unit we will learn about materials such as: wood, paper, fabric using our five senses.
In math, we have been learning subtraction within five and the formation of our teen numbers, remembering to put the one first. Please keep practicing all number sense skills with your child. A great place to do this is while driving in the car and waiting for other people or in the doctor’s office, etc. Have your child count as high as he or she can, count by 1’s and 10’s, count backward, and create simple number stories. Play board games or card games such as Go Fish, Top It(similar to the game named War), and number concentration at home and always remember to have fun while practicing with your child, stopping when your child is tired or gets frustrated.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Owl Moon and then drew pictures and wrote about our favorite part
Word Work: sorted rhyming pictures for at and ap activity
Writing: practiced letter writing and our sight words
Reading: read/literacy activities in a small group with Ms. Green
Reminders:
No School on Monday January 20th for Martin Luther King Day.
Parents:
Along with our Reading program about Being Fit and Not Sharing Germs, we are really working on sneezing and coughing into our elbow and not picking our nose but instead using a tissue and then washing our hands. We have lots of sick kids and many who still touch their noses. Also, if your child has a fever they need to stay home 24 hours after being fever free. Your help at home with this is greatly appreciated.
Wishlist:
We are in need of bird food for the new year. Thank you!
December 20, 2024
What’s new…
Happy Holidays! It’s been a whirlwind of learning these past few weeks. We have discussed and learned about the winter solstice and four holidays that celebrate “light”. We learned about Hanukkah and what this holiday means. We pretended to light a menorah and twirled our dreidels. Next, we read stories about St. Lucia Day and how the oldest girl in the family dresses up in her white gown, red sash, and lighted crown of candles and passes out special buns in the early morning. Miss Haley came in wearing her own white dress and shared some special Swedish items we saw in our books we read about St. Lucia. We found out that Kwanzaa means “first fruits” and that African Americans celebrate the harvest in Africa. We also learned that at Kwanzaa you light a Kinara with 7 candles as opposed to a menorah that has 8 candles and a leader candle. We made a special gift bag using the colors of Kwanzaa.. We wore our pajamas and read the book The Polar Express, which is all about the meaning of Christmas. We drank hot chocolate, just like in the book. As you can see we have been very busy!
Centers/Activities this week…
We have been busy little elves making gifts for families, writing letters and cards, creating holiday items, figuring out story problems, practicing our letters and numbers, and reading wonderful holiday stories.
Parents:
As we head into a new year, please take the time to read to your child on a daily basis in a nice comfy, cozy spot and celebrate the accomplishments each child has gained these past 4 months. We will start 2025 learning all about winter and hibernation using the author Jan Brett and her story The Mitten as well as other versions. We will also celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Chinese New Year, and our 100th day of school which should happen sometime in February. We will also continue with adding and subtraction, and learning our “tricky teen” numbers. Writing will take off for some children where they are able to write more than one or two sentences and spell more words independently. Celebrate with your child as they learn and grow!
Families--thank you so much for the wonderful, amazing, and very generous gifts given to me for the holiday season!!! I loved each and every one of the presents! You have all been so understanding, accommodating, and supportive in this school year. Let's hope 2025 will be an amazing year! I wish all of you a wonderful holiday and peaceful vacation!
“At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”
From The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
December 13, 2024
What’s new…
Last week and this week we read many stories about holidays that celebrate light. We started with Kwanzaa learning the colors of the candles used in the Kinara and that Kwanzaa means “first fruits”. Then we learned about St. Lucia, a Swedish holiday that happens on December 13th. We know that the oldest girl wears a crown of lights and serves special buns at breakfast. We also learned about the Tomten, an elf-like creature that lives on farms in Sweden and takes care of the animals. We learned that if a Tomten isn’t happy, they will cause all kinds of mischief but if they are happy they will bring you good luck. Next week we will learn about Hanukkah and the Menorah which has eight candles for eight nights of Hanukkah. We will practice spinning dreidels and read stories about families celebrating this holiday. and ending with the winter Solstice and Christmas.
On Thursday December 19th, we will have pajama day and read the Polar Express and drink hot chocolate and eat cinnamon graham crackers. (Please let me know if you do not want your child to have hot chocolate or the crackers). We will not be bringing any stuffed animals for this day.
Centers/Activities this week…
We have been writing up a storm learning about research writing. We are working on spacing, ending marks, and writing our sight words correctly. In phonics we continue to learn the sounds and formations of letters, syllables, and new sight words. In math we learned how to use a number line when adding and subtracting. We also did some story problems with subtraction. We created our own stories and recorded them on paper and we also did some holiday story problems. We continue to practice forming our numerals correctly everyday.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy and wrote and drew our favorite part
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading, and sight word practice
Writing: practicing formation of letters and creating notes for family and friends
Word Work: Rainbow sight word activity
Wishlist:
We are all set for now…thank you for all your donations!
Parents…
Reminders: Wednesday is the winter concert with the Kindergartners and first graders. It starts at 5:30.
Pj Day is Thursday. We will be pretending we are on the Polar Express enjoying hot chocolate.
Friday we will have movie day as it is our last day before our holiday break. Please pack an extra afternoon snack to have while watching the movie. Please let me know if your child will be leaving early that day or earlier in the week.
Don't forget Monday to wear your fun holiday headband for the school wide spirit week!
December 6, 2024
What’s new…
This week we started talking about the stars and how the Native Americans used them to guide them in their travels. This leads to our next unit about the winter solstice and holidays that celebrate “light”. We will learn about Hanukkah which celebrates for eight nights and uses a Menorah to hold eight candles that are lit each night. Kwanzaa celebrates 7 nights using a Kinara to hold special candles and the three special colors for Kwanzaa are red, green, and black as they are the colors of the flag from many African countries. We will also learn about St. Lucia, which is celebrated in Sweden on December 13th. This holiday also celebrates light and brings goodness to others. We will end with the holiday of Christmas concentrating on why we have Christmas trees, garland, wreaths and lights. Throughout December we will be learning about these holidays as well as others. If your family has any special books, stories, pictures, or artifacts that you would like to share regarding any of these holidays, please let me know.
Centers/Activities this week…
We continue to write every day in our writer's workshop and learn our letter formation. We have also added quite a few new sight words to our word wall and are expected to spell those words correctly. We are working on the words: the, am, is, said , was, from, you, to, and like. In math, we have been learning about subtraction. This can be more difficult than addition as it is more abstract. During math center time we play many games and activities that increase our skills in math. Practice helps children become more efficient in these skills which in turn helps them in upcoming concepts.
In science we are finishing up our unit of Trees and Weather and seasons. On Tuesday we went on a nature hike with Miss Haley into the woods next to our school. We were looking at our trees and landscape as winter approaches and the changes that have happened in the last few weeks. We will continue to talk about the weather and seasons in our Morning Meeting every day. After the holidays we will begin a new unit called Materials and Motion.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: The Elves and the Shoemaker and wrote and drew our favorite part
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading, and sight word practice
Word work: Sight word roll a dice activity
Writing: practicing formation of letters j and l and the word “said”
Parents:
Thank you for joining me in teacher conferences. It was great to see all of you again. If you think of anything else that you would like to discuss regarding your child please email or write in your child’s blue book.
Wishlist:
We are in need of empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes and any other small empty boxes for our art center. The children love creating with these items. Also, some bird food, we love watching the birds…and Pesky the squirrel eat at the window.
Thank you!
November 22, 2024
What’s new…
Happy Friday!!! Our walk to McQuade’s was very successful and we were able to contribute many items for the Food Closet! All the children were so excited to find items to add to the shopping cart. Thank you to Dean and Teddy’s moms for volunteering and walking with us to and from the store. And thank you families for sending in food donations and money for the shopping trip!!!
Today we went to the Native American burial ground which is behind the tennis courts. The children were very curious about this area that is marked off by a stone wall. There are no headstones, just a large area with overgrown grass and bushes and trees. In class, we continue to read about many various Native American tribes that live across the United States learning about their culture. We have observed how they lived, what they ate, what they wore, and the different names of Native Americans. We have practiced making symbols representing animals, people, nature, etc.
We also have been reading and discussing the First Thanksgiving and what the pilgrims were thankful for when arriving in Plymouth as well as what we are grateful for in our lives now. In our Choose Love lessons we are learning about courage and gratitude, two of the ideas in the Choose Love formula. This week we learned some strategies when we get really big feelings.
Reminders…
Remember there is no school from Wednesday to Sunday, November 27 through December 1st for our Thanksgiving break.
Centers/Activities this week…
We continue, on a daily basis, to read, practice our letter formation as well as sounds, and write about various topics. We wrote informational writing including our classroom and school, teachers in our school, and what we saw on our way to McQuades.. We are working on correctly spelling the following sight words: am, the, from, is, for, was, and of. This list grows throughout the year.
In math we are to count objects, how to add “one more” without using our fingers or manipulatives and we continue with two and three and dimensional shapes. Ask your child to show you a cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere around your house!
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Thanksgiving Mice and then drew and wrote about our favorite part
Word Work: Turkey letter/sound game
Ms. Green: review of letters and sounds and reading
Writing: practice writing letter Oo and sight words from and your.
Wishlist:
We could use some toilet and paper towel empty tubes as well as tiny boxes for our art center in class. Thank you!!!
Families:
Scholastic Book Club orders are due Dec. 6th in order for the books to be delivered before our December break. If any families would like to order books for Christmas and would like me to hold the books until we arrange a pick up, just let me know in the blue book or an email. Also, you can order not only from the flyer sent home but from any flyer and any grade level from the Scholastic website.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
Shopping at McQuade’s grocery store to donate to the local food closet!
November 15, 2024
What’s new…
This week we learned that we all live in Jamestown and Jamestown is in Rhode Island and Rhode Island is in the United States of America. We discussed that we live on an island surrounded by Narragansett Bay. We located on a map of Jamestown where we approximately live on the island.
All the children were very excited to learn that Native Americans lived right outside our window! It was the Wampanoag tribe that came in the summer. Next week we will learn more about Native Americans, where they lived, how they lived in nature, what they ate, what they wore, and compare how we live in Jamestown today.
Next week I will be sending home the Scholastic book order. If you would like to order books for the upcoming holidays and want to keep them for a surprise, let me know and we can make arrangements for a special pick up.😊
Wishlist:
We are all set for now…thank you!
Student Showcase:
Pj Day for earning 100 Wolf Paws!
Centers/Activities this week…
In math, we are continuing to learn about our numbers 0-10. We continue to practice forming our numbers, especially the tricky numbers, 2, 3, and 5. We are also learning about 2 and 3 dimensional shapes and finding them around us. Every day we go on our Ipads for 10-15 minutes and go to the iReady math program to Our Path. This program reinforces the skills we learn during our math lesson but on each child’s level and speed.
In Guided Reading, we read many stories about where we live, what is a community, and living on an island.
In writing workshop we continue to learn and write informational writing. We write what we know is true and a fact. We are learning to make spaces between our words and ending with a punctuation mark. Our favorite is the exclamation point!
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening- listened to A House is a House for Me and then wrote about our favorite part
Writing-practiced writing our letters and the words “of” and “for”
Word Work- syllable activity or roll a word activity
Ms. Green–letters, sounds, reading
Reminders…
Remember there is no school on November 27th through the 29th for Thanksgiving. Please let me know if your child will be absent any other days as you plan for the upcoming holidays.
Please don’t forget to send in food for our Food Pantry Basket. The students are concerned it won’t be enough for the families in need! We are a very empathetic classroom!!!
November 8, 2024
What’s new…
In class, we discussed how some families in Jamestown need our help and as a “community” we can lend a hand. For the month of November, we will be collecting food for the local food pantry (we have a basket at the entrance to our classroom door). Nonperishable foods such as: cans of soup, tuna fish, peanut butter, jelly, boxes of cereal, etc, work best. Also, please have your child save his or her coins and dollars for a special field trip to McQuades to purchase an item or two for each child to donate to our food basket. We want this to be a meaningful experience and so please help out by giving them small odd jobs to earn coins and dollars for their special bank. If you would like to help us chaperone our walk to McQuades, please let me know. The date will be Friday, November 22nd at 8:45am. It usually takes about an hour to walk to and from McQuades and shop. You have to have your BCI completed. Thanks.
Student Showcase:
Our class reached 100 wolf paws and voted to have a special pajama, movie, and stuffed animal day! We decided to have this special day next Friday Nov. 15th. Stuffed animals should be more on the smaller size and appropriate pjs. If you want to send in a special afternoon snack for your child, they can eat it during the movie.
Centers/Activities this week…
In Guided Reading, we read a wonderful story called Stellaluna about a baby bat. Not only did we learn that bats are nocturnal, can eat fruit, hang upside down, and can see at night, we also learned that even though we have many differences, we can still be friends.
In science we went on a leaf hunt and then compared the shape, size, color, and how the leaf edges look. We wrote in our science notebooks drawing and labeling about our leaves. Then we created leaf rubbings using the leaves from our hunt.
In math, we are learning to count and correctly write our numbers 0-10. We are also learning to add or put numbers together using the addition and equal signs.
This week we began a mini unit on our community of Jamestown. We learned that we live on an island and saw on a map of Jamestown where we all live. Some students live near the town and the school. Others live in the middle of the island and others live in the north end of the island. Next week we will learn what it is like in the present then study about the past and Native Americans.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening- listened to The Lonely Scarecrow and then wrote about our favorite part
Ms. Green- letters, sounds, reading
Word work-matching letters and/or sight word activity
Writing-practice writing letters Pp and Cc and the words “was” and “you”
Reminders…
-There is no school on Monday November 11th for Veterans Day. -Please send in extra clothes for cooler weather. We will exchange summer clothes.
Wishlist:
Scotch tape and more scotch tape! I cannot keep up with their creative projects that need tape to
complete! 😂
If anyone has any extra greeting cards or stationery and envelopes, we would gladly use them for our writing center. Thanks!
October 25, 2024
What’s new…
The Wolf Pack Run was a huge success! The weather was sunny and perfect for running. All the students ran fast and furious and had a great time! Thanks to all the parent volunteers and the PTO for this event!
On Thursday, October 31, Halloween, we will be doing a math project involving pumpkins. I am asking if each family could send in a small real pumpkin for this project. Please have your child bring in the pumpkin by Tuesday, October 29th. If you cannot get a pumpkin, don’t worry, I will have extras here at school. The pumpkin should be about 4-6 inches high and 5-10 inches around. Thank you! FYI...we don’t dress in costumes at school...save that for Halloween night!
Reminders…
Please send in a switch of clothing from summer to winter items.
Please remember you have to have your background check(BCI) completed by that date. If you have any questions, please ask Maggi in the front office. Thank you.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Writing: practiced writing letters
Listening: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin and drew and wrote our favorite part
Word Work: letters and sounds
Ms. Green: reading, and letters and sounds
Centers/Activities this week…
We began discussing pumpkins and other signs of fall. We learned the life cycle of a pumpkin and how they grow. In our curriculum “Into Reading”, we have been reading books about being yourself and it’s okay to be different or unique.
In writing workshop we are continuing with narrative writing with characters and a setting for our stories. Our sight words we are learning are: the, is, am, do.
In math, we continue learning about counting objects and recording our answers forming the numerals correctly. We also started learning about 3 dimensional shapes, particularly the cube, cylinder, cone, sphere, and pyramid. Look around your house for these shapes.
In science this week we discussed the parts of a tree and drew them on our Ipads using a drawing app. We also observed leaves and their colors and shapes outside with Miss Haley. We then collected many different leaves and we made a leaf rainbow…
Wishlist:
We are all set for now. Thanks!
October 19, 2024
What’s new…
This week we tasted three different types of apples: Red Gala, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious. Students predicted which apple they thought they would like the best and we graphed our predictions. Red had more than green or yellow but after the taste test, green had more votes than red or yellow. I hope you and your family get the chance to go apple picking or select different kinds of apples to have your own taste test at home!
Our students continue to follow our school wide behavior program using Wolf Paws for an incentive. We have been using these to encourage children to be responsible, respectful, kind and helpful in our classroom community. When we make it to 100 wolf paws we can choose a special activity to do as a class! So far we are at 80!
On Thursday, October 31, we will be doing a math project involving pumpkins. I am asking if each family could send in a small real pumpkin for this project. Please have your child bring in the pumpkin by Tuesday, October 29th. The pumpkin should be about 4-6 inches high and 5-10 inches around or smaller. Thank you! FYI...we don’t dress in costumes at school...save that for Halloween night!
***Thank you for your support in the Wolf Pack Run. It was the perfect day for a run! All the children did a wonderful job!
Centers/Activities this week…
Literacy Centers
Listening: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, drew and wrote our favorite part
Writing: Practice our letter formation for Mm
Word Work: letter or sight word activity
Ms. Green: practicing our letters, sounds, and reading
In Writing Workshop we continue to draw and write daily about various topics. This past week we learned and wrote about narrative writing choosing topics that include characters and setting. We are learning to be neat, add details to our pictures, and write the letters we hear in words. We have been learning about the period, question mark, and exclamation point and when to use them in our writing.
In math we continue with learning numbers 0-5, one to one correspondence and correct numeral formation. We also practice mental math during our daily Morning Meeting where I ask questions that children need to figure out the answer in their heads.
Reminders…
- Please send in a winter pair of extra clothes for your child’s cubby and we will send home the summer clothes.
-Please help your child remember to pack their library books every Wednesday. Thank you.
Wishlist:
We are all set now. Thank you!
October 4, 2024
What’s new…
It is hard to believe that October is already here! We have had a very busy week at school. We had an all school assembly with our musician in residence Bill Harley plus a sing along with him that was just for Kindergartners and first graders. I hope you all get the chance to go to his concert next week at Lawn School. He is helping all the Melrose students to write a song about how our school is special. We continue learning about changing leaves, pumpkins, and fall. Next week we will have a mini author study of Lois Ehlert. She is an author and illustrator with some great books about fall.
October is Fire Safety month. Later this month we will walk to the Jamestown Fire Station for a tour and meet some of the volunteer firefighters as well as a chance to climb onto a truck. (more info to follow) In class we will talk about basic fire safety such as stop/drop/roll, go low, and 911. I would encourage all families to go over your fire safety plan at home.
Student Showcase:
The children have been learning a poem and wanted me to share it with all the families. Ask your child to repeat it to you...
“Down, down
Yellow and brown
The leaves are falling
All around Jamestown”
Centers/Activities this week…
Part of our English Language Arts program, Into Reading, has the students learn how to discuss, share with partners, generate writing, opinion writing, narrative writing, and much more. The past few weeks we have been working on opinion writing with topics such as favorite parts of school, food, books, games, etc. The children are doing a great job sounding out the words to the best of their ability and creating wonderful drawings to go with their writing.
In math, we continue learning about measurement, sorting items and attributes as well as numbers 0-5. In our math program, children use their workbooks as we measure, sort, count and write our numbers. During center time we do activities and play games that reinforce the skills we learn during the math period.
In science, we learned about the parts of a tree: roots, trunk, branches, and leaves. We also went outside and observed the shapes of trees. We learned there are two types of trees: conifers and hardwoods and the difference between these trees.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: Cookies Week and drew our favorite part
Word work: matched pictures with beginning sounds to the letters t and b
Writing: traced letters in an alphabet booklet
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading
Reminders…
There is no school on Monday, October 14th in observance of Columbus Day. This weekend looks good for some fall activities: apple picking, visiting farms both locally and off the island, and going on a nature walk looking for signs of fall and various shapes. Enjoy!
Parents:
Today I sent home activities to help your child with handwriting which is from the OT. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.
Wish list:
We are all set for now. Thank you!
September 27, 2024
What’s new…
We began discussing fall and how the leaves are just starting to change and the geese are flying in their V formation plus other signs that will begin soon such as the temperature. We will continue with our observations about Fall for the next few weeks.
We are learning about numbers 1-5 and positional words in our math books. We are counting, matching, and practicing writing each numeral. We also started measuring items in the classroom finding things longer and shorter and taller and shorter. I would encourage you to play counting board games at home teaching where to begin and where to go next. Some good games are Trouble, Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, etc.
In phonics we teach letter recognition, sounds and letter formation. The letters are not taught in alphabetical order but by the way they are formed. You may hear your child talking about skyline, plane line, and grass line letters. We use those terms to help children know where to start a letter and where to finish the letter formation. Occasionally I will send home practice sheets that reinforce what we are learning at school. They do not need to be returned but kept at home for reference.
Finally, our Choose Love lesson this week talked about how to calm ourselves down when we are worried or anxious by taking Brave Breaths. We also learned about positive affirmations such as “I am important”, “I am smart, “ and “I am Kind”. We reviewed the Choose Love formula: Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion in Action = Choose Love
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, We continued our unit on Trees and Weather. We talk about the weather everyday with the leader of the day telling what the weather is like outside and their prediction for the next day. We are reading many books about fall and all the things starting to happen in our environment at this time. This week we went outside with Miss Haley and discussed the parts of a tree. We will draw and record information about our trees in our special science notebooks, just like real scientists.
Literacy Centers this week…
Listening: Pete the Cat Rockin in his School Shoes and drew our favorite part
Writing: practiced our letter formations
Word Work: Created letters with our of playdough
Ipads: Went to iReady reading program
Ms. Green: played a letter game
Parents:
Here is the link for the Open House slide show. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11pDqxABHa9QxmbVPZa66i966i5Uh7SeU33AlfrlSebw/edit#slide=id.g1
Reminders…
October 1st is picture day. Don’t forget to select the package you want for your child. If you want your child to change into play clothes after their pictures just let me know.
Wishlist:
We are all set on extra snacks and supplies for now. Thank you to all the families that have donated!
September 20, 2024
What’s new…
Wow, we have had a busy week of school with Start with Hello, reading, writing, counting, and finally talking about the first day of Fall. Last week I sent home a letter telling about the Choose Love program that our school and our classroom are implementing. It is a wonderful program for children(and adults) especially in such trying times in our world. Please ask your child about our Choose Love bucket and what we put in the bucket! Ask your child about how we open our hearts to being kind to everyone and even to learning! Look for an upcoming special Book Bag with Choose Love books(social emotional) that will go home with your child for you to read and share with your family and enjoy!
Reminders…
-Please clean out your child’s folder every night to make it more manageable for your child. Thank you.
Centers/Activities this week…
In Guided Reading, we read books about school including School Day, A Squiggly Story, One Happy Classroom, Brand New Books, Brand New Pencils, and books about Fall. We are learning about characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of stories. We are learning about writing opinion pieces in Writing Workshop and learning the correct formation of uppercase letters and the sounds with those letters. We will be learning lowercase letters starting next week while still reviewing the uppercase.
In science we are discussing the seasons and signs of fall as well as the weather. We are beginning our first science unit called Trees and Weather. On Tuesday we went outside with Miss Haley from CISF who will come in every Tuesday, and observed trees found around the school. We used our five senses, except not taste! We are learning the parts of trees, how they grow, and what happens to trees during the four seasons.
In math we are learning about positional words: above, below, next, behind, between, under, etc. We played a freeze game using these words and drew a picture in our new math workbooks showing where we are: under the chair, next to the door, between the door and chair, etc. We are excited about our math workbooks.
Literacy Centers this week:
Writing: practicing and forming our letters I, L and H on paper
Word Work: Practicing with our dry erase markers writing letters
Games and Puzzles: ABC Bingo
Listening: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Wishlist:
We are all set with everything. Thank you!
Enjoy the Fall-like cooler weather(maybe not so nice on Saturday and Sunday). If you and your child see any signs of Fall, have them bring it to school to share with the class!
September 13, 2024
What’s new…
Wow, have we had a busy week of school! We have had the pleasure of getting to know one another and will continue next week with more activities that tell us about each other. I have particularly enjoyed meeting all your children and talking with each one to learn about him or her. We have begun chanting and cheering each child’s name and getting to know one another. We are finding out who has the shortest, longest, and names that start with the same letter. We will continue cheering next week filling our bulletin board with our friend’s names and pictures.
Today we observed the trees around our school and like real scientists we drew and labeled a tree in our science notebooks. Our first science unit is “Trees and Weather” where we will observe and learn about trees and leaves as well as the weather. This unit continues all year as the seasons change from Fall to Winter to Spring to Summer.
Parents:
Remember it is Start with Hello Week next week. A flyer went home about what we will do each day and what to wear based on the theme. Also, please remember to send in the All About Me page as well as the school house page. Thanks!
Centers/Activities this week…
This week we read many books including Keisha Ann Can!, School Day, David Goes To School, Kevin Henkes books Chrysanthemum and Wemberly Worried, and many more. The books are about starting school and situations that arise. We used these situations such as making fun of others and what to do when we are scared or nervous as examples of what we can do here at our school should the same situation arise.
We are writing up a storm in Writing Workshop, which the children love. Some are able to sound out simple words, while others are at the stage of just writing random letters, both are developmentally appropriate. We also began our phonics lessons with the letters L, H, I, T, F, and E learning the corresponding sounds and how to form the uppercase of each letter.
In math we worked on our Ipads completing the IReady math diagnostic. We are learning to count numbers 0-5 as well as how to correctly form the numerals. Please practice counting at home when driving in the car, eating Goldfish or crackers, or playing board games.
Reminders…
I would like to remind parents to sign into Aspen and fill out the photo permission slots. There are two: one is to allow your child’s photo within the school and the other one is to allow your child’s photo to be on our public website, etc. If you can’t find this on Aspen, please contact Maggi in the office to help you. I do like to put pictures on my website (without names), but if you indicate “No” then I will not include your child. Thank you for your prompt attention to this detail. Also, if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or go on any field trips as a chaperone, you will need to get a background check(BCI). If you have any questions again, please contact Maggi in the office. Thank you.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Wishlist:
We can always use scotch tape! Thank you!
September 5, 2024
What’s new…
Hooray! Our first week of Kindergarten has been wonderful! We have all been getting to know one another and how our classroom works. I have really enjoyed learning about each child this week and listening to their many stories! We are learning all about Melrose School, where the different rooms are, and the “rules” of the school and our classroom. We are learning how important it is to listen and follow directions the first time. Ask your child if they can tell you what “Give me five” means.
Centers/Activities this week…
This week we read many stories about starting school and compared them to our own experiences of beginning Kindergarten. We drew a picture of our families, a self-portrait of ourselves, and wrote about things we like…you will get to see them at Open House at the end of the month! In math we played number Bingo, practiced counting and recognizing numbers to 5 and discussed shapes. We will continue to learn about the calendar, weather, and the changing seasons during our Morning Meeting. But most importantly we are learning to get along with each other and how to be caring towards one another.
Reminders…
Although it’s been cool in the mornings, it still gets warm in the building and classroom so please pack water bottles. We have gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so please have your child wear sneakers and comfortable clothes. Please return the page or paragraph telling me about your child, the All About Me page, and a picture of your child if you have not done so yet. Also, if your child has not brought in headphones, please do so as we will be using our Ipads for the Diagnostics in math and language arts next week. No school on September 10th, it’s Primary Day and professional development for teachers.
***Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education! You can write in the blue communication book, call me, or email me at school. Have a great weekend!
Wish List…
For our Art Center we could use paper towels and toilet rolls, very small boxes, and other recyclable items that children can build and make creations. We also have a window bird feeder that we like to watch the birds eat birdseed so if you could send in a small bag of birdseed it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for all the supplies for our classroom! We should be all set for quite some time!!! I will let you know when we need something. Until then, thank you very much!
I can be reached at green.beverly@jamestownschools.org or calling the school at 401-423-7020
August 2024
Dear Families,
Welcome to the commencement of your child’s formal education! In the upcoming year, I will be your child’s kindergarten teacher, and your partner as he or she begins this exciting journey. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I have spent the last twenty-five plus years teaching in the Jamestown School District both in second grade and kindergarten. I am a member of the SIT team here at Melrose School. In addition, I am currently involved in various curriculum committees as well as other activities and programs aimed at meeting the diverse needs of all students in our learning community. I currently live in Newport with my family and enjoy gardening, reading, and dining out.
Now that I have shared a little bit about myself, I invite you to take some time and share with me any information you think would help me work with your child in ways that are wise and rewarding. Feel free to include family stories, anecdotes, memorable conversations, as well as descriptions of strengths, challenges, likes, dislikes, and interests. I have included a questionnaire but if you prefer, you can write or type a paragraph, whichever works best for you. This information will be kept confidential. Please let me know if your child has a nickname you would prefer them to use at school. Please send in a current photo of your child to be brought in on the first day of school.
There will be a meet and greet on Tuesday August 27th at 2:45pm. The first day of school will be September 3rd and this will be a full day of school for your child. Please see the attached list of helpful reminders.
I look forward to meeting you and working with you and your child as we begin this wonderful journey into kindergarten. Enjoy the last days of summer!
Sincerely, Beverly Green
Information about Kindergarten…
The best way to reach me is through my email. The address is green.beverly@jamestownschools.org. Please email me or call the office with any dismissal changes particularly if plans change during the day.
The school day runs from 8:00-2:40. Each morning an assistant or teacher will meet your child at your car, bus or as a walker and escort your child to the classroom. In the afternoon we will make sure your child goes to the right dismissal area.
The classroom is usually hot. Please dress your child in layers with an appropriate t-shirt on the bottom to make him/her more comfortable. This is true even in the winter
Your child will need a full-size backpack that your child can zip and unzip by themselves, practice with your child before school
Please put your child’s name on all clothing and items (coats, boots, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.)
Please bring an extra change of clothes, in a large plastic zip-lock bag, in case of spills or bathroom accidents. Please be sure to put your child’s name on all these items
It’s important for your child to wear clothes they can manage independently. i.e. snaps, buttons, and laces. Also, please have your child wear appropriate shoes. Sandals or flip flops are dangerous on the playground equipment and cause problems during our very busy days
Your child will need a healthy snack and drink each day. Please note that all classroom snacks need to be peanut and treenut-free. Please make sure your child can manage to open and close the lunchbox by themselves, some boxes can be tricky. Please keep in mind that we do not have the capability to keep food cold or heat up items. If your child has any food allergies, please let us know immediately
We will celebrate your child’s birthday at school, however, no food can be brought to school. If you would like to donate a book for our classroom or send in a special book for me to read on your child’s special day, please let me know
I have a web page (K-2) on the school website (jamestownri.com/school) that I update weekly/monthly
January 17, 2025
What’s new…
This week we continue with our author study of Jan Brett. This week we read Gingerbread Baby and Gingerbread Friends by Brett and then read many versions of the Gingerbread such as: Gingerbread Man(the original version), NInjabread Man, Gingerbread Pirates, Gingerbread Man Loose in School, Gingerbread Girl, Gingerbread Cowboy. We love all of them and many students had very creative ideas on how to “trap” the gingerbread! I also sent home a recipe for you to try to make a gingerbread person! Don’t Peak while cooking!
In Writing Workshop, we continue with research writing. We wrote about our science study of wood and animals. The students are all doing really well with sticking to the facts.
Parents:
Next week I will be sending home books bags with social emotional books. These books are part of our social emotional learning through Choose Love and Kelso’s Choice programs. There are 1-2 books that we will rotate around for the next few months. Please read these books to your child and discuss what the book is implying with your child. There is a notebook for your child to draw and/or write the part they enjoyed the most. This is a choice….you can just read the book and not do the notebook. In class we talked about how to keep the books safe from pets and younger siblings. We also agreed that the Choose Love ducks need to come back in the bookbag as well. Please enjoy these special books with your child and family.
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, we have been experimenting with wood and talking about all the things that are made from wood. We made plywood by gluing several pieces of wood together and found out that it made it stronger.
In math, we have been practicing addition and subtraction. Most students are secure in addition to 10 with some able to add higher numbers. We still need more practice with subtraction and will continue with this skill while learning our “Tricky Teens”. We practice writing the numerals as well as understanding that a teen number is 10 and ___more. For example, 10 and 7 more is 17, 10 and 3 more is 13.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Gingerbread Baby and then drew pictures and wrote about our favorite animal in the mitten
Word Work: sight word games
Writing: sight word activity
Reading: read/literacy activities in a small group with Ms. Green
Wishlist:
We are in need of empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes and any other small empty boxes for our art center. The children love creating with these items. We could use some small paper cups(bathroom size)and extra snacks for the new year. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
Creating an underground room…
January 10, 2025
What’s new…
This week we started our author study of Jan Brett. We have enjoyed many of her lovely stories showing beautiful illustrations and the special borders around the pages. After reading her remake of The Mitten, we compared and contrasted many other versions of this story. Next week we will read her story Gingerbread Baby and then read other stories around the gingerbread man, girl, pirate, cowboy, etc.
We have continued to write every day in Writing Workshop, sounding out each word. We are working on spacing between our words and ending with a period. We are working on research writing by researching from a book, online, or an expert. Your child is an expert in many things such as many animals, their family, and objects in the room. In Library, Mrs. C is also teaching the students about research. I sent home a sheet with the sight words we have been working on since September and ones we will work on in the future. You can pick one word a night and ask your child to spell the word and use it in a sentence. This is not to “drill” them but rather make it fun to learn how to spell these words. We also started a rhyming bag. There are directions in the bag but basically, your child finds a small object and then comes up with a rhyming word for that object. The next day we try to guess what could be in the bag based on the rhyming word. Please return the bag the following day.
Choose Love:
This week we talked about uncomfortable, difficult and strong feelings Here is a quote from the Choose Love program…“Sometimes feelings are small, while other times feelings are big and strong. Remember, all feelings are OK, but some can be very powerful. When feelings are big and strong, they can be hard to deal with. We need to make sure that we know how to handle these difficult feelings in a healthy, positive way so we don't hurt
ourselves or others. What could you do if
you have a big feeling, like frustration or anger? How could you make that feeling smaller and calm down so you can make a good choice?”
We discussed ways to calm our body like deep belly breaths, going to a quiet place, reading a book or playing with a favorite toy or stuffed animal. Talk with your child about ways that work at home for your family.
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, we continue to talk about the winter weather and what animals do this time of year. We learned that some animals hibernate or migrate to warm southern places. We also learned that some animals stay around all winter long. We also started a new unit called Materials and Motion. In this unit we will learn about materials such as: wood, paper, fabric using our five senses.
In math, we have been learning subtraction within five and the formation of our teen numbers, remembering to put the one first. Please keep practicing all number sense skills with your child. A great place to do this is while driving in the car and waiting for other people or in the doctor’s office, etc. Have your child count as high as he or she can, count by 1’s and 10’s, count backward, and create simple number stories. Play board games or card games such as Go Fish, Top It(similar to the game named War), and number concentration at home and always remember to have fun while practicing with your child, stopping when your child is tired or gets frustrated.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening: Owl Moon and then drew pictures and wrote about our favorite part
Word Work: sorted rhyming pictures for at and ap activity
Writing: practiced letter writing and our sight words
Reading: read/literacy activities in a small group with Ms. Green
Reminders:
No School on Monday January 20th for Martin Luther King Day.
Parents:
Along with our Reading program about Being Fit and Not Sharing Germs, we are really working on sneezing and coughing into our elbow and not picking our nose but instead using a tissue and then washing our hands. We have lots of sick kids and many who still touch their noses. Also, if your child has a fever they need to stay home 24 hours after being fever free. Your help at home with this is greatly appreciated.
Wishlist:
We are in need of bird food for the new year. Thank you!
December 20, 2024
What’s new…
Happy Holidays! It’s been a whirlwind of learning these past few weeks. We have discussed and learned about the winter solstice and four holidays that celebrate “light”. We learned about Hanukkah and what this holiday means. We pretended to light a menorah and twirled our dreidels. Next, we read stories about St. Lucia Day and how the oldest girl in the family dresses up in her white gown, red sash, and lighted crown of candles and passes out special buns in the early morning. Miss Haley came in wearing her own white dress and shared some special Swedish items we saw in our books we read about St. Lucia. We found out that Kwanzaa means “first fruits” and that African Americans celebrate the harvest in Africa. We also learned that at Kwanzaa you light a Kinara with 7 candles as opposed to a menorah that has 8 candles and a leader candle. We made a special gift bag using the colors of Kwanzaa.. We wore our pajamas and read the book The Polar Express, which is all about the meaning of Christmas. We drank hot chocolate, just like in the book. As you can see we have been very busy!
Centers/Activities this week…
We have been busy little elves making gifts for families, writing letters and cards, creating holiday items, figuring out story problems, practicing our letters and numbers, and reading wonderful holiday stories.
Parents:
As we head into a new year, please take the time to read to your child on a daily basis in a nice comfy, cozy spot and celebrate the accomplishments each child has gained these past 4 months. We will start 2025 learning all about winter and hibernation using the author Jan Brett and her story The Mitten as well as other versions. We will also celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Chinese New Year, and our 100th day of school which should happen sometime in February. We will also continue with adding and subtraction, and learning our “tricky teen” numbers. Writing will take off for some children where they are able to write more than one or two sentences and spell more words independently. Celebrate with your child as they learn and grow!
Families--thank you so much for the wonderful, amazing, and very generous gifts given to me for the holiday season!!! I loved each and every one of the presents! You have all been so understanding, accommodating, and supportive in this school year. Let's hope 2025 will be an amazing year! I wish all of you a wonderful holiday and peaceful vacation!
“At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”
From The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
December 13, 2024
What’s new…
Last week and this week we read many stories about holidays that celebrate light. We started with Kwanzaa learning the colors of the candles used in the Kinara and that Kwanzaa means “first fruits”. Then we learned about St. Lucia, a Swedish holiday that happens on December 13th. We know that the oldest girl wears a crown of lights and serves special buns at breakfast. We also learned about the Tomten, an elf-like creature that lives on farms in Sweden and takes care of the animals. We learned that if a Tomten isn’t happy, they will cause all kinds of mischief but if they are happy they will bring you good luck. Next week we will learn about Hanukkah and the Menorah which has eight candles for eight nights of Hanukkah. We will practice spinning dreidels and read stories about families celebrating this holiday. and ending with the winter Solstice and Christmas.
On Thursday December 19th, we will have pajama day and read the Polar Express and drink hot chocolate and eat cinnamon graham crackers. (Please let me know if you do not want your child to have hot chocolate or the crackers). We will not be bringing any stuffed animals for this day.
Centers/Activities this week…
We have been writing up a storm learning about research writing. We are working on spacing, ending marks, and writing our sight words correctly. In phonics we continue to learn the sounds and formations of letters, syllables, and new sight words. In math we learned how to use a number line when adding and subtracting. We also did some story problems with subtraction. We created our own stories and recorded them on paper and we also did some holiday story problems. We continue to practice forming our numerals correctly everyday.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy and wrote and drew our favorite part
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading, and sight word practice
Writing: practicing formation of letters and creating notes for family and friends
Word Work: Rainbow sight word activity
Wishlist:
We are all set for now…thank you for all your donations!
Parents…
Reminders: Wednesday is the winter concert with the Kindergartners and first graders. It starts at 5:30.
Pj Day is Thursday. We will be pretending we are on the Polar Express enjoying hot chocolate.
Friday we will have movie day as it is our last day before our holiday break. Please pack an extra afternoon snack to have while watching the movie. Please let me know if your child will be leaving early that day or earlier in the week.
Don't forget Monday to wear your fun holiday headband for the school wide spirit week!
December 6, 2024
What’s new…
This week we started talking about the stars and how the Native Americans used them to guide them in their travels. This leads to our next unit about the winter solstice and holidays that celebrate “light”. We will learn about Hanukkah which celebrates for eight nights and uses a Menorah to hold eight candles that are lit each night. Kwanzaa celebrates 7 nights using a Kinara to hold special candles and the three special colors for Kwanzaa are red, green, and black as they are the colors of the flag from many African countries. We will also learn about St. Lucia, which is celebrated in Sweden on December 13th. This holiday also celebrates light and brings goodness to others. We will end with the holiday of Christmas concentrating on why we have Christmas trees, garland, wreaths and lights. Throughout December we will be learning about these holidays as well as others. If your family has any special books, stories, pictures, or artifacts that you would like to share regarding any of these holidays, please let me know.
Centers/Activities this week…
We continue to write every day in our writer's workshop and learn our letter formation. We have also added quite a few new sight words to our word wall and are expected to spell those words correctly. We are working on the words: the, am, is, said , was, from, you, to, and like. In math, we have been learning about subtraction. This can be more difficult than addition as it is more abstract. During math center time we play many games and activities that increase our skills in math. Practice helps children become more efficient in these skills which in turn helps them in upcoming concepts.
In science we are finishing up our unit of Trees and Weather and seasons. On Tuesday we went on a nature hike with Miss Haley into the woods next to our school. We were looking at our trees and landscape as winter approaches and the changes that have happened in the last few weeks. We will continue to talk about the weather and seasons in our Morning Meeting every day. After the holidays we will begin a new unit called Materials and Motion.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: The Elves and the Shoemaker and wrote and drew our favorite part
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading, and sight word practice
Word work: Sight word roll a dice activity
Writing: practicing formation of letters j and l and the word “said”
Parents:
Thank you for joining me in teacher conferences. It was great to see all of you again. If you think of anything else that you would like to discuss regarding your child please email or write in your child’s blue book.
Wishlist:
We are in need of empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes and any other small empty boxes for our art center. The children love creating with these items. Also, some bird food, we love watching the birds…and Pesky the squirrel eat at the window.
Thank you!
November 22, 2024
What’s new…
Happy Friday!!! Our walk to McQuade’s was very successful and we were able to contribute many items for the Food Closet! All the children were so excited to find items to add to the shopping cart. Thank you to Dean and Teddy’s moms for volunteering and walking with us to and from the store. And thank you families for sending in food donations and money for the shopping trip!!!
Today we went to the Native American burial ground which is behind the tennis courts. The children were very curious about this area that is marked off by a stone wall. There are no headstones, just a large area with overgrown grass and bushes and trees. In class, we continue to read about many various Native American tribes that live across the United States learning about their culture. We have observed how they lived, what they ate, what they wore, and the different names of Native Americans. We have practiced making symbols representing animals, people, nature, etc.
We also have been reading and discussing the First Thanksgiving and what the pilgrims were thankful for when arriving in Plymouth as well as what we are grateful for in our lives now. In our Choose Love lessons we are learning about courage and gratitude, two of the ideas in the Choose Love formula. This week we learned some strategies when we get really big feelings.
Reminders…
Remember there is no school from Wednesday to Sunday, November 27 through December 1st for our Thanksgiving break.
Centers/Activities this week…
We continue, on a daily basis, to read, practice our letter formation as well as sounds, and write about various topics. We wrote informational writing including our classroom and school, teachers in our school, and what we saw on our way to McQuades.. We are working on correctly spelling the following sight words: am, the, from, is, for, was, and of. This list grows throughout the year.
In math we are to count objects, how to add “one more” without using our fingers or manipulatives and we continue with two and three and dimensional shapes. Ask your child to show you a cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere around your house!
Literacy Centers:
Listening: Thanksgiving Mice and then drew and wrote about our favorite part
Word Work: Turkey letter/sound game
Ms. Green: review of letters and sounds and reading
Writing: practice writing letter Oo and sight words from and your.
Wishlist:
We could use some toilet and paper towel empty tubes as well as tiny boxes for our art center in class. Thank you!!!
Families:
Scholastic Book Club orders are due Dec. 6th in order for the books to be delivered before our December break. If any families would like to order books for Christmas and would like me to hold the books until we arrange a pick up, just let me know in the blue book or an email. Also, you can order not only from the flyer sent home but from any flyer and any grade level from the Scholastic website.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you!
Student Showcase:
Shopping at McQuade’s grocery store to donate to the local food closet!
November 15, 2024
What’s new…
This week we learned that we all live in Jamestown and Jamestown is in Rhode Island and Rhode Island is in the United States of America. We discussed that we live on an island surrounded by Narragansett Bay. We located on a map of Jamestown where we approximately live on the island.
All the children were very excited to learn that Native Americans lived right outside our window! It was the Wampanoag tribe that came in the summer. Next week we will learn more about Native Americans, where they lived, how they lived in nature, what they ate, what they wore, and compare how we live in Jamestown today.
Next week I will be sending home the Scholastic book order. If you would like to order books for the upcoming holidays and want to keep them for a surprise, let me know and we can make arrangements for a special pick up.😊
Wishlist:
We are all set for now…thank you!
Student Showcase:
Pj Day for earning 100 Wolf Paws!
Centers/Activities this week…
In math, we are continuing to learn about our numbers 0-10. We continue to practice forming our numbers, especially the tricky numbers, 2, 3, and 5. We are also learning about 2 and 3 dimensional shapes and finding them around us. Every day we go on our Ipads for 10-15 minutes and go to the iReady math program to Our Path. This program reinforces the skills we learn during our math lesson but on each child’s level and speed.
In Guided Reading, we read many stories about where we live, what is a community, and living on an island.
In writing workshop we continue to learn and write informational writing. We write what we know is true and a fact. We are learning to make spaces between our words and ending with a punctuation mark. Our favorite is the exclamation point!
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening- listened to A House is a House for Me and then wrote about our favorite part
Writing-practiced writing our letters and the words “of” and “for”
Word Work- syllable activity or roll a word activity
Ms. Green–letters, sounds, reading
Reminders…
Remember there is no school on November 27th through the 29th for Thanksgiving. Please let me know if your child will be absent any other days as you plan for the upcoming holidays.
Please don’t forget to send in food for our Food Pantry Basket. The students are concerned it won’t be enough for the families in need! We are a very empathetic classroom!!!
November 8, 2024
What’s new…
In class, we discussed how some families in Jamestown need our help and as a “community” we can lend a hand. For the month of November, we will be collecting food for the local food pantry (we have a basket at the entrance to our classroom door). Nonperishable foods such as: cans of soup, tuna fish, peanut butter, jelly, boxes of cereal, etc, work best. Also, please have your child save his or her coins and dollars for a special field trip to McQuades to purchase an item or two for each child to donate to our food basket. We want this to be a meaningful experience and so please help out by giving them small odd jobs to earn coins and dollars for their special bank. If you would like to help us chaperone our walk to McQuades, please let me know. The date will be Friday, November 22nd at 8:45am. It usually takes about an hour to walk to and from McQuades and shop. You have to have your BCI completed. Thanks.
Student Showcase:
Our class reached 100 wolf paws and voted to have a special pajama, movie, and stuffed animal day! We decided to have this special day next Friday Nov. 15th. Stuffed animals should be more on the smaller size and appropriate pjs. If you want to send in a special afternoon snack for your child, they can eat it during the movie.
Centers/Activities this week…
In Guided Reading, we read a wonderful story called Stellaluna about a baby bat. Not only did we learn that bats are nocturnal, can eat fruit, hang upside down, and can see at night, we also learned that even though we have many differences, we can still be friends.
In science we went on a leaf hunt and then compared the shape, size, color, and how the leaf edges look. We wrote in our science notebooks drawing and labeling about our leaves. Then we created leaf rubbings using the leaves from our hunt.
In math, we are learning to count and correctly write our numbers 0-10. We are also learning to add or put numbers together using the addition and equal signs.
This week we began a mini unit on our community of Jamestown. We learned that we live on an island and saw on a map of Jamestown where we all live. Some students live near the town and the school. Others live in the middle of the island and others live in the north end of the island. Next week we will learn what it is like in the present then study about the past and Native Americans.
Literacy Centers this week:
Listening- listened to The Lonely Scarecrow and then wrote about our favorite part
Ms. Green- letters, sounds, reading
Word work-matching letters and/or sight word activity
Writing-practice writing letters Pp and Cc and the words “was” and “you”
Reminders…
-There is no school on Monday November 11th for Veterans Day. -Please send in extra clothes for cooler weather. We will exchange summer clothes.
Wishlist:
Scotch tape and more scotch tape! I cannot keep up with their creative projects that need tape to
complete! 😂
If anyone has any extra greeting cards or stationery and envelopes, we would gladly use them for our writing center. Thanks!
October 25, 2024
What’s new…
The Wolf Pack Run was a huge success! The weather was sunny and perfect for running. All the students ran fast and furious and had a great time! Thanks to all the parent volunteers and the PTO for this event!
On Thursday, October 31, Halloween, we will be doing a math project involving pumpkins. I am asking if each family could send in a small real pumpkin for this project. Please have your child bring in the pumpkin by Tuesday, October 29th. If you cannot get a pumpkin, don’t worry, I will have extras here at school. The pumpkin should be about 4-6 inches high and 5-10 inches around. Thank you! FYI...we don’t dress in costumes at school...save that for Halloween night!
Reminders…
Please send in a switch of clothing from summer to winter items.
Please remember you have to have your background check(BCI) completed by that date. If you have any questions, please ask Maggi in the front office. Thank you.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Writing: practiced writing letters
Listening: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin and drew and wrote our favorite part
Word Work: letters and sounds
Ms. Green: reading, and letters and sounds
Centers/Activities this week…
We began discussing pumpkins and other signs of fall. We learned the life cycle of a pumpkin and how they grow. In our curriculum “Into Reading”, we have been reading books about being yourself and it’s okay to be different or unique.
In writing workshop we are continuing with narrative writing with characters and a setting for our stories. Our sight words we are learning are: the, is, am, do.
In math, we continue learning about counting objects and recording our answers forming the numerals correctly. We also started learning about 3 dimensional shapes, particularly the cube, cylinder, cone, sphere, and pyramid. Look around your house for these shapes.
In science this week we discussed the parts of a tree and drew them on our Ipads using a drawing app. We also observed leaves and their colors and shapes outside with Miss Haley. We then collected many different leaves and we made a leaf rainbow…
Wishlist:
We are all set for now. Thanks!
October 19, 2024
What’s new…
This week we tasted three different types of apples: Red Gala, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious. Students predicted which apple they thought they would like the best and we graphed our predictions. Red had more than green or yellow but after the taste test, green had more votes than red or yellow. I hope you and your family get the chance to go apple picking or select different kinds of apples to have your own taste test at home!
Our students continue to follow our school wide behavior program using Wolf Paws for an incentive. We have been using these to encourage children to be responsible, respectful, kind and helpful in our classroom community. When we make it to 100 wolf paws we can choose a special activity to do as a class! So far we are at 80!
On Thursday, October 31, we will be doing a math project involving pumpkins. I am asking if each family could send in a small real pumpkin for this project. Please have your child bring in the pumpkin by Tuesday, October 29th. The pumpkin should be about 4-6 inches high and 5-10 inches around or smaller. Thank you! FYI...we don’t dress in costumes at school...save that for Halloween night!
***Thank you for your support in the Wolf Pack Run. It was the perfect day for a run! All the children did a wonderful job!
Centers/Activities this week…
Literacy Centers
Listening: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, drew and wrote our favorite part
Writing: Practice our letter formation for Mm
Word Work: letter or sight word activity
Ms. Green: practicing our letters, sounds, and reading
In Writing Workshop we continue to draw and write daily about various topics. This past week we learned and wrote about narrative writing choosing topics that include characters and setting. We are learning to be neat, add details to our pictures, and write the letters we hear in words. We have been learning about the period, question mark, and exclamation point and when to use them in our writing.
In math we continue with learning numbers 0-5, one to one correspondence and correct numeral formation. We also practice mental math during our daily Morning Meeting where I ask questions that children need to figure out the answer in their heads.
Reminders…
- Please send in a winter pair of extra clothes for your child’s cubby and we will send home the summer clothes.
-Please help your child remember to pack their library books every Wednesday. Thank you.
Wishlist:
We are all set now. Thank you!
October 4, 2024
What’s new…
It is hard to believe that October is already here! We have had a very busy week at school. We had an all school assembly with our musician in residence Bill Harley plus a sing along with him that was just for Kindergartners and first graders. I hope you all get the chance to go to his concert next week at Lawn School. He is helping all the Melrose students to write a song about how our school is special. We continue learning about changing leaves, pumpkins, and fall. Next week we will have a mini author study of Lois Ehlert. She is an author and illustrator with some great books about fall.
October is Fire Safety month. Later this month we will walk to the Jamestown Fire Station for a tour and meet some of the volunteer firefighters as well as a chance to climb onto a truck. (more info to follow) In class we will talk about basic fire safety such as stop/drop/roll, go low, and 911. I would encourage all families to go over your fire safety plan at home.
Student Showcase:
The children have been learning a poem and wanted me to share it with all the families. Ask your child to repeat it to you...
“Down, down
Yellow and brown
The leaves are falling
All around Jamestown”
Centers/Activities this week…
Part of our English Language Arts program, Into Reading, has the students learn how to discuss, share with partners, generate writing, opinion writing, narrative writing, and much more. The past few weeks we have been working on opinion writing with topics such as favorite parts of school, food, books, games, etc. The children are doing a great job sounding out the words to the best of their ability and creating wonderful drawings to go with their writing.
In math, we continue learning about measurement, sorting items and attributes as well as numbers 0-5. In our math program, children use their workbooks as we measure, sort, count and write our numbers. During center time we do activities and play games that reinforce the skills we learn during the math period.
In science, we learned about the parts of a tree: roots, trunk, branches, and leaves. We also went outside and observed the shapes of trees. We learned there are two types of trees: conifers and hardwoods and the difference between these trees.
Literacy Centers This Week:
Listening: Cookies Week and drew our favorite part
Word work: matched pictures with beginning sounds to the letters t and b
Writing: traced letters in an alphabet booklet
Ms. Green: letters, sounds, reading
Reminders…
There is no school on Monday, October 14th in observance of Columbus Day. This weekend looks good for some fall activities: apple picking, visiting farms both locally and off the island, and going on a nature walk looking for signs of fall and various shapes. Enjoy!
Parents:
Today I sent home activities to help your child with handwriting which is from the OT. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.
Wish list:
We are all set for now. Thank you!
September 27, 2024
What’s new…
We began discussing fall and how the leaves are just starting to change and the geese are flying in their V formation plus other signs that will begin soon such as the temperature. We will continue with our observations about Fall for the next few weeks.
We are learning about numbers 1-5 and positional words in our math books. We are counting, matching, and practicing writing each numeral. We also started measuring items in the classroom finding things longer and shorter and taller and shorter. I would encourage you to play counting board games at home teaching where to begin and where to go next. Some good games are Trouble, Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, etc.
In phonics we teach letter recognition, sounds and letter formation. The letters are not taught in alphabetical order but by the way they are formed. You may hear your child talking about skyline, plane line, and grass line letters. We use those terms to help children know where to start a letter and where to finish the letter formation. Occasionally I will send home practice sheets that reinforce what we are learning at school. They do not need to be returned but kept at home for reference.
Finally, our Choose Love lesson this week talked about how to calm ourselves down when we are worried or anxious by taking Brave Breaths. We also learned about positive affirmations such as “I am important”, “I am smart, “ and “I am Kind”. We reviewed the Choose Love formula: Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion in Action = Choose Love
Centers/Activities this week…
In science, We continued our unit on Trees and Weather. We talk about the weather everyday with the leader of the day telling what the weather is like outside and their prediction for the next day. We are reading many books about fall and all the things starting to happen in our environment at this time. This week we went outside with Miss Haley and discussed the parts of a tree. We will draw and record information about our trees in our special science notebooks, just like real scientists.
Literacy Centers this week…
Listening: Pete the Cat Rockin in his School Shoes and drew our favorite part
Writing: practiced our letter formations
Word Work: Created letters with our of playdough
Ipads: Went to iReady reading program
Ms. Green: played a letter game
Parents:
Here is the link for the Open House slide show. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11pDqxABHa9QxmbVPZa66i966i5Uh7SeU33AlfrlSebw/edit#slide=id.g1
Reminders…
October 1st is picture day. Don’t forget to select the package you want for your child. If you want your child to change into play clothes after their pictures just let me know.
Wishlist:
We are all set on extra snacks and supplies for now. Thank you to all the families that have donated!
September 20, 2024
What’s new…
Wow, we have had a busy week of school with Start with Hello, reading, writing, counting, and finally talking about the first day of Fall. Last week I sent home a letter telling about the Choose Love program that our school and our classroom are implementing. It is a wonderful program for children(and adults) especially in such trying times in our world. Please ask your child about our Choose Love bucket and what we put in the bucket! Ask your child about how we open our hearts to being kind to everyone and even to learning! Look for an upcoming special Book Bag with Choose Love books(social emotional) that will go home with your child for you to read and share with your family and enjoy!
Reminders…
-Please clean out your child’s folder every night to make it more manageable for your child. Thank you.
Centers/Activities this week…
In Guided Reading, we read books about school including School Day, A Squiggly Story, One Happy Classroom, Brand New Books, Brand New Pencils, and books about Fall. We are learning about characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of stories. We are learning about writing opinion pieces in Writing Workshop and learning the correct formation of uppercase letters and the sounds with those letters. We will be learning lowercase letters starting next week while still reviewing the uppercase.
In science we are discussing the seasons and signs of fall as well as the weather. We are beginning our first science unit called Trees and Weather. On Tuesday we went outside with Miss Haley from CISF who will come in every Tuesday, and observed trees found around the school. We used our five senses, except not taste! We are learning the parts of trees, how they grow, and what happens to trees during the four seasons.
In math we are learning about positional words: above, below, next, behind, between, under, etc. We played a freeze game using these words and drew a picture in our new math workbooks showing where we are: under the chair, next to the door, between the door and chair, etc. We are excited about our math workbooks.
Literacy Centers this week:
Writing: practicing and forming our letters I, L and H on paper
Word Work: Practicing with our dry erase markers writing letters
Games and Puzzles: ABC Bingo
Listening: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Wishlist:
We are all set with everything. Thank you!
Enjoy the Fall-like cooler weather(maybe not so nice on Saturday and Sunday). If you and your child see any signs of Fall, have them bring it to school to share with the class!
September 13, 2024
What’s new…
Wow, have we had a busy week of school! We have had the pleasure of getting to know one another and will continue next week with more activities that tell us about each other. I have particularly enjoyed meeting all your children and talking with each one to learn about him or her. We have begun chanting and cheering each child’s name and getting to know one another. We are finding out who has the shortest, longest, and names that start with the same letter. We will continue cheering next week filling our bulletin board with our friend’s names and pictures.
Today we observed the trees around our school and like real scientists we drew and labeled a tree in our science notebooks. Our first science unit is “Trees and Weather” where we will observe and learn about trees and leaves as well as the weather. This unit continues all year as the seasons change from Fall to Winter to Spring to Summer.
Parents:
Remember it is Start with Hello Week next week. A flyer went home about what we will do each day and what to wear based on the theme. Also, please remember to send in the All About Me page as well as the school house page. Thanks!
Centers/Activities this week…
This week we read many books including Keisha Ann Can!, School Day, David Goes To School, Kevin Henkes books Chrysanthemum and Wemberly Worried, and many more. The books are about starting school and situations that arise. We used these situations such as making fun of others and what to do when we are scared or nervous as examples of what we can do here at our school should the same situation arise.
We are writing up a storm in Writing Workshop, which the children love. Some are able to sound out simple words, while others are at the stage of just writing random letters, both are developmentally appropriate. We also began our phonics lessons with the letters L, H, I, T, F, and E learning the corresponding sounds and how to form the uppercase of each letter.
In math we worked on our Ipads completing the IReady math diagnostic. We are learning to count numbers 0-5 as well as how to correctly form the numerals. Please practice counting at home when driving in the car, eating Goldfish or crackers, or playing board games.
Reminders…
I would like to remind parents to sign into Aspen and fill out the photo permission slots. There are two: one is to allow your child’s photo within the school and the other one is to allow your child’s photo to be on our public website, etc. If you can’t find this on Aspen, please contact Maggi in the office to help you. I do like to put pictures on my website (without names), but if you indicate “No” then I will not include your child. Thank you for your prompt attention to this detail. Also, if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or go on any field trips as a chaperone, you will need to get a background check(BCI). If you have any questions again, please contact Maggi in the office. Thank you.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Wishlist:
We can always use scotch tape! Thank you!
September 5, 2024
What’s new…
Hooray! Our first week of Kindergarten has been wonderful! We have all been getting to know one another and how our classroom works. I have really enjoyed learning about each child this week and listening to their many stories! We are learning all about Melrose School, where the different rooms are, and the “rules” of the school and our classroom. We are learning how important it is to listen and follow directions the first time. Ask your child if they can tell you what “Give me five” means.
Centers/Activities this week…
This week we read many stories about starting school and compared them to our own experiences of beginning Kindergarten. We drew a picture of our families, a self-portrait of ourselves, and wrote about things we like…you will get to see them at Open House at the end of the month! In math we played number Bingo, practiced counting and recognizing numbers to 5 and discussed shapes. We will continue to learn about the calendar, weather, and the changing seasons during our Morning Meeting. But most importantly we are learning to get along with each other and how to be caring towards one another.
Reminders…
Although it’s been cool in the mornings, it still gets warm in the building and classroom so please pack water bottles. We have gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so please have your child wear sneakers and comfortable clothes. Please return the page or paragraph telling me about your child, the All About Me page, and a picture of your child if you have not done so yet. Also, if your child has not brought in headphones, please do so as we will be using our Ipads for the Diagnostics in math and language arts next week. No school on September 10th, it’s Primary Day and professional development for teachers.
***Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education! You can write in the blue communication book, call me, or email me at school. Have a great weekend!
Wish List…
For our Art Center we could use paper towels and toilet rolls, very small boxes, and other recyclable items that children can build and make creations. We also have a window bird feeder that we like to watch the birds eat birdseed so if you could send in a small bag of birdseed it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for all the supplies for our classroom! We should be all set for quite some time!!! I will let you know when we need something. Until then, thank you very much!
I can be reached at green.beverly@jamestownschools.org or calling the school at 401-423-7020
August 2024
Dear Families,
Welcome to the commencement of your child’s formal education! In the upcoming year, I will be your child’s kindergarten teacher, and your partner as he or she begins this exciting journey. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I have spent the last twenty-five plus years teaching in the Jamestown School District both in second grade and kindergarten. I am a member of the SIT team here at Melrose School. In addition, I am currently involved in various curriculum committees as well as other activities and programs aimed at meeting the diverse needs of all students in our learning community. I currently live in Newport with my family and enjoy gardening, reading, and dining out.
Now that I have shared a little bit about myself, I invite you to take some time and share with me any information you think would help me work with your child in ways that are wise and rewarding. Feel free to include family stories, anecdotes, memorable conversations, as well as descriptions of strengths, challenges, likes, dislikes, and interests. I have included a questionnaire but if you prefer, you can write or type a paragraph, whichever works best for you. This information will be kept confidential. Please let me know if your child has a nickname you would prefer them to use at school. Please send in a current photo of your child to be brought in on the first day of school.
There will be a meet and greet on Tuesday August 27th at 2:45pm. The first day of school will be September 3rd and this will be a full day of school for your child. Please see the attached list of helpful reminders.
I look forward to meeting you and working with you and your child as we begin this wonderful journey into kindergarten. Enjoy the last days of summer!
Sincerely, Beverly Green
Information about Kindergarten…
The best way to reach me is through my email. The address is green.beverly@jamestownschools.org. Please email me or call the office with any dismissal changes particularly if plans change during the day.
The school day runs from 8:00-2:40. Each morning an assistant or teacher will meet your child at your car, bus or as a walker and escort your child to the classroom. In the afternoon we will make sure your child goes to the right dismissal area.
The classroom is usually hot. Please dress your child in layers with an appropriate t-shirt on the bottom to make him/her more comfortable. This is true even in the winter
Your child will need a full-size backpack that your child can zip and unzip by themselves, practice with your child before school
Please put your child’s name on all clothing and items (coats, boots, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.)
Please bring an extra change of clothes, in a large plastic zip-lock bag, in case of spills or bathroom accidents. Please be sure to put your child’s name on all these items
It’s important for your child to wear clothes they can manage independently. i.e. snaps, buttons, and laces. Also, please have your child wear appropriate shoes. Sandals or flip flops are dangerous on the playground equipment and cause problems during our very busy days
Your child will need a healthy snack and drink each day. Please note that all classroom snacks need to be peanut and treenut-free. Please make sure your child can manage to open and close the lunchbox by themselves, some boxes can be tricky. Please keep in mind that we do not have the capability to keep food cold or heat up items. If your child has any food allergies, please let us know immediately
We will celebrate your child’s birthday at school, however, no food can be brought to school. If you would like to donate a book for our classroom or send in a special book for me to read on your child’s special day, please let me know
I have a web page (K-2) on the school website (jamestownri.com/school) that I update weekly/monthly
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