Mrs. Wray's Kindergarten Class
Kindergarten: Mrs. Wray
Email: kwray@riverdale.k12.or.us
WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN!
It was such a pleasure to see you at our beginning of the year conferences. I really enjoyed chatting with you and getting to know a little bit more about your child(ren).
We are having such a great start to the year, I can hardly believe it. I AM truly been blessed with the best of all jobs! Who else gets to throw in a little "Hokey Pokey" action to get the wiggles out? : )
If you need to contact me, the best way is through email. kwray@riverdale.k12.or.us
I check emails in the morning and at least once during the day during my prep time. I do my best to respond by the end of each day or by the next day, at least. If your message or concern is more immediate, please feel free to contact me by phone. Chrisie or Suzanne will give me the message as soon as possible so I may respond as needed. If the plans for your child's departure from school change at the last minute, please contact the office so they can get the information to me more quickly. I often don't have the opportunity to check emails before the end of the day.
Thanks for sharing your children with me.
Kindergarten Program
(See "A Day in the Life of Your Kindergartner")
· Common Core Standards – Increased rigor and academic focus in kindergarten https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/ELA/Documents/Kindergarten.pdf
https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/mathematics/Pages/MathStandards.aspx
· IRLA Reading program – Through various assessments your child is placed in a leveled reader. They select books from their level that they read both at school and at home. They also make "heart word" books to practice reading the new heart words they learn in class. They should read at home for at least 15 minutes each day. How you can help your little one...
Have your child practicing reading to you each night. When they read to you, have them point to each word as they read it and have them point out the heart words that we have learned in class. Your child will also benefit from having books read to them each night to help build their vocabulary. Check in with them as you're reading to be sure they know what some of the bigger words mean.
· Heart words – Heart words are words that your kiddos will be taught in class that they will commit to memory. (They will know them “by heart”. These are the High Frequency words from the Dolch list. I will put our weekly heart words in my newsletter each Friday. Ways to reinforce those words is to have your child go for “Heart word searches” looking for them on signs, billboards, posters, newspapers, and books. Have them practice writing them in shaving cream, finger paints, with playdough, etc.
· Falcon Feathers – This is a schoolwide recognition system. Students earn falcon feathers (it’s a really big deal) for demonstrating our Habits of Mind and by being a good student, friend, community member, etc.
· Drop off in the morning –Our goal is to have you say your goodbyes at the door so your little ones can come in independently and learn self-reliance. We want to foster autonomy and independence. Research shows that children who develop self-reliance at a younger age have higher self-esteem and more self-confidence. The feeling of success and accomplishment they experience when they are responsible for their own belongings and complete their jobs on their own is very beneficial to their healthy growth and development.
· Third Grade Buddies – We meet with our 3rd grade buddies in Miss Howley’s class every Friday to do activities, read and grow relationships.
· Field Trips
o Lee’s Farm (Pumpkin Patch) in conjunction with our Pumpkin life cycle unit
o Willamette River to release the salmon in conjunction with our Salmon Life cycle unit
o The Zoo with our Junior penpal Big Buddies from the Riverdale High School Biology class
o Lake Oswego Fire station in conjunction with our Community Helpers unit