Ms. Nguyen's Kindergarten News

April 13-17, 2020

I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break! It literally flew by for me, and I am SO excited to see what the kids come up with for their Passion Projects!

Passion Projects are student-driven, process-centered opportunities for students to explore their own interests. Students will identify a challenge, problem, or question they would like to explore. Over the next three weeks, students will plan, manage, and reflect upon their learning, with a focus on the process of inquiry. This process allows students the freedom to think independently, take risks, and learn from their attempts.

If you have not done so yet, please make sure that you send me a picture of the following items (work from before Spring Break):

• Packet cover sheet with your initials
• One evidence of a writing assignment
• One evidence of a math assignment

** I have only received work from 4 students. Please remember that this work is graded and MUST be turned in via Dojo or email by TOMORROW, April 12th.**

Do not forget to send Ms. Nguyen your child's illustration and writing for our class book. Please make sure that your child's work is put in the mail (in the addressed and stamped envelope that was sent to you) by this Wednesday, April 15th, so that we can ensure that we make the publishing deadline.

Please make sure that you send back the following: 1-illustration, 2-writing, 3-order form,and 4-envelope. If you are planning on ordering a book, please send the payment in the envelope. Please keep in mind the if you need to send the form back even if you would not like to purchase a book (mark the gray box at the bottom stating "No,I am not interested...").

As I shared yesterday, we will be having a "class catch up" on Zoom Monday night at 7:00 PM. Just click the link below to join on Monday:

• https://zoom.us/j/248527841?pwd=ZG5UZCtnelBWeVBTdjRPQ3FTM1RMdz09

Please know that if you need to reach out to me, I am available via Dojo, or now via Google Hangouts ( https://www.google.com/url?q=http://meet.google.com/thg-czfk-obc&sa=D&ust=1584796770949000&usg=AFQjCNFtm7mfbrWAyQjZ4djMV0vX1_aAWw ). My office hours are 1PM-3PM Monday-Friday. At this time, I will be able to "hangout" with your child and answer any questions you may have about assignments.

A few reminders..

• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log each day. The reading logs are graded.
• At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

March 23-27, 2020

This past week has been a crazy one! I have been going crazy trying to think of things for the kids to do so that they can stay engaged in learning while at home. I have signed us up for an EPIC account, which will be free through June. I am really excited about this website because your child will have access to TONS of books that I know they will love! I will send out instructions on how to connect on EPIC via e-mail.

I understand that the work for the week can be overwhelming. Please do not try to blow through all of the work at one time. We do not do that in the classroom, so I would not suggest doing so at home either. We often take brain breaks between each subject (playing Simon says or GoNoodle). If you sense that your child is getting frustrated, take a five minute break and do something that your child wants to do and then come back to the work.

I miss all of my babies so much and I hope that everyone is well and is staying safe. Please know that if you need to reach out to me, I am available via Dojo, or now via Google Hangouts ( https://www.google.com/url?q=http://meet.google.com/thg-czfk-obc&sa=D&ust=1584796770949000&usg=AFQjCNFtm7mfbrWAyQjZ4djMV0vX1_aAWw ). My office hours are 1PM-3PM Monday-Friday. At this time, I will be able to "hangout" with your child and answer any questions you may have about assignments. If your child has not phoned in, I would LOVE to see him or her next week! (:

A few reminders..

• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log each day. The reading logs are graded.
• At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

February 24-28, 2020

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

Last week flew by so quickly! We learned about how author's use alliteration and onomatopoeia to engage readers. We read lots of exciting books and were able to identify when the authors were using such devices. WAY TO GO!

Thank you for sending in baby pictures (they were sent back home in your child's take home folder yesterday)! Instead of doing a STEM challenge yesterday, we had an AWESOME discussion about how we have changed since we were babies. We discussed what was displayed on the board and how we knew it was us as babies. We also talked about what we used to do when we were that little and things that we do now. We noted that the way we communicated was very different from how it used to be. We introduced the terms“past” and “present” and discussed the difference. We learned that the past is what happened a long time ago and the present is what is happening now. We played Guess Who with the baby pictures and it was really interesting to hear the kids' predictions and why they thought it was "x" student. I was honestly impressed by the amount of correct guesses we got (they were looking at facial features... WHAT?!?!).

We will be wrapping up this mini unit this week and I cannot wait to see what the kids have done with their interview projects!

• The students will be working on a take-home project that they will need your assistance with. Your child will be required to interview an older relative or family friend (older as in someone who has much different life experiences than your child). Below are 3 questions we want them to ask:

1. What was school like for you?

2. How did you get from place to place?

3. What did you do for fun?

• The purpose of this project is to show them how much everyday life changes over time. This will give them an authentic experience and allow them to make connections to their lives now and to their peers.
• You may answer these questions on regular paper, a poster, whatever you see fit. We are also asking that your child draws pictures to accompany the answers. This gives us a better representation of what they learned and will also help them when they present their findings to their peers.
• This project is due THIS Thursday, February 27th.
• We will present them that Thursday and Friday. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. This is an individual project that all classes will be doing.

A few reminders...

• Interview Projects are due THIS Thursday, February 27th.
• Classroom Needs... We need your help! We are currently in need of the following to make it through the rest of the year:
  • Paper plates (for use when we eat in the classroom)
  • Plastic Forks and Spoons (for use when we eat in the classroom)
  • Gallon Size Ziploc Bags (any brand is appreciated; we use them to store center materials)
  • Thermal Laminating Sheets (any brand is appreciated; we use A LOT of them to make center games and activities)
    • Here is an example of what they look like: https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Thermal-Laminating-100-Pack-TP3854-100/dp/B007VBXB48/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thermal+laminating+pouches&qid=1582372796&sr=8-3
  • Expo Markers (any brand is appreciated; we use these for phonics and literacy and math centers)
• Scholastic fliers will be sent home on Monday, February 24th, in your child's take home folder. If you would like to order any books, please make sure that your order is submitted by 6:00 PM on Friday, February 28th.
  • Our class code is: QGCZJ
  • https://clubs.scholastic.com/home
• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log and returning it each day. The reading logs are graded.
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
  • At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

February 10-13, 2020

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

We had one interesting week! We started talking about natural disasters last Wednesday... and the very next day we were dismissing early due to severe weather! I was pleasantly surprised that the kids were able to connect what we were learning to what they experienced.

Yesterday, we read, “The Biggest Snowman Ever” by Steven Kroll. After we finished the story, we had a discussion about what happened in the book. We all concluded that the two main characters tried to make the “biggest snowman ever,” but struggled doing so by themselves. We talked about the importance of teamwork in life and how sometimes we just need help from others to achieve our goals.

Before telling the children about our stem challenge, I asked the kids about the season in which snowmen can be built. We discussed different things we knew about the season and I gave the kids the challenge of making the “biggest” snowman ever, using five sheets of paper and a glue stick. The kids talked about how the paper was flat and snowmen were not. I really enjoyed listening to their conversations and LOVED how they were complimenting each other’s ideas!

A few reminders...

• Shoe boxes were sent home with your child on Monday, February 3rd, for you and your child to decorate. This will be his or her Valentine Mailbox for our Valentine's Day celebration. If you are in need of items to decorate with, please feel free to reach out to me, as I am more than happy to send some things home. All boxes are due back by this TUESDAY, February 11th.
  • Please note that our class will be celebrating Valentine's Day on Wednesday, February 12th, as I will be out on the 13th (I have to get my wisdom teeth removed).
• Progress reports will be going home this Wednesday. Please make sure that you look over, sign, and return the document.
• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log and returning it each day. The reading logs are graded.
• Please also make sure that you are checking your child's blue folder each day and taking out any papers in the "keep at home" side.
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
  • At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• If your child normally goes to Lion's Den each afternoon is not going to Lion's Den on a certain day, please let me know that your child will not be attending that day.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

January 27-31, 2020

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

We have officially finished all of our middle of the year testing... YAY!

Last week, we learned all about the four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall). We learned about why the seasons change and the changes that we see not only in the environment, but also in the clothes we choose to wear. Yesterday, we reviewed what we learned about each of the seasons and took a bigger focus in to the season of winter. I asked the kids what they could do during the season of winter and they told me many things (build a snowman, play in the cold, make a snow angel, etc.). I then told the students that there is a sport that a lot of people partake in during the cold season and had them guess what it was... SKIING! I then had the students think of the process of skiing and the equipment needed in order to ski. I then gave the students the challenge of creating a person who could stand up on skis, using only aluminum foil. We were crunching for time and the students quickly became frustrated, as they were unsure about how to construct something with only one piece of foil. When time was up, I asked the students how they felt about their people and they were not happy with what they had. I told them that it was totally okay reminded them that sometimes things take more than one try to achieve. We will be redoing the challenge next friday.

Please note that we calculated the incorrect date for the 100th day last week. Our 100th day of school is actually this Thursday, January 30th; not Friday. With this being said, if you have volunteered to donate items for our celebration, please have them in by this Wednesday, January 29th.

Valentine's Day is coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to give everyone a heads up about an upcoming assignment. I will be sending home shoe boxes with your child on Monday, February 3rd, for you and your child to decorate. This will be his or her Valentine Mailbox. If you are in need of items to decorate with, please feel free to reach out to me, as I am more than happy to send some things home. All boxes will be due back by Tuesday, February 11th.

Please note that our class will be celebrating Valentine's Day on Wednesday, February 12th, as I will be out on the 13th (I have to get my wisdom teeth removed).

A few reminders...

• Please note that Report Cards were sent home in your child's blue folder on Wednesday, January 15th. Please look over, sign, and return the document. It is important that you return the document, as I use it to record your child's grades for the ENTIRE year.
• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log and returning it each day. The reading logs are graded.
• Please also make sure that you are checking your child's blue folder each day and taking out any papers in the "keep at home" side.
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
  • At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• If your child normally goes to Lion's Den each afternoon is not going to Lion's Den on a certain day, please let me know that your child will not be attending that day.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

January 13-17, 2020

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

Our first week back literally flew by! We spent a majority of the beginning of the week reviewing classroom rules and procedures. All I can say is that we ROCKED the socks off of this week! We did not get through every thing that was planned, but we accomplished a lot. One morning we were going over our morning message, per usual, and a student raised their hand to tell me that they noticed that the sun was moving across the board. This literally made my teacher heart EXPLODE! Before we began reading, I had to fill in some letters because the sun was coming through the holes at the top of the curtains, causing the projection to be unclear. When the student told me what he noticed about the sun, we all stopped and started observing the spot where the sun was shining on our message. The kids went WILD when they saw how quickly the sun was moving. The students started asking why it was all of a sudden happening and I started to think about what was going on and telling the students how the sun doesn't just stay in one spot all day, but I, along with them was amazed at how fast the sun spot on the board was moving. I am hoping that we will be able to explore this incident more next week; not our inquiry focus, but hey, we want to know! (:

Yesterday, we continued with our STEM challenge Fridays with another STEM challenge. I gave the students the challenge of creating the longest paper chain using one piece of paper, one roll of tape, and one pair of scissors. As I was walking around checking in with the groups, I was excited to see that each person in each group was collaborating with his or her group mates... What a way to kick off our first Friday back! I will post some pictures I snapped of the challenge on Dojo soon, so be sure to check it out!

A few reminders...

• Please note that Report Cards will be sent home in your child's blue folder this Wednesday, January 15th. Please look over, sign, and return the document. It is important that you return the document, as I use it to record your child's grades for the ENTIRE year.
• We will be taking our Math MAPS test this Thursday, January 16th at 8:15 AM. Please make sure that your child arrives on time, as we will begin right at 8:15.
• Vision screening forms were sent home on Wednesday, January 8th. If you would like for your child to participate, please make sure that the form is signed and returned by this Tuesday, January 14th.
• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log and returning it each day. The reading logs are graded.
• Please also make sure that you are checking your child's blue folder each day and taking out any papers in the "keep at home" side.
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
  • At this point in the year your child should be able to read to you. Your child should be sounding words out and recoding them properly. At this point in the year we are focusing on the accuracy of what is being read.
• Please also make sure that you are going over sight words with your child each night. Each week, we focus on two sight words, but it is important that you are going over the sight words at home as well. Sight words are VERY important to learn because they help us read, as a lot of them do not make sense phonetically.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).
• If your child normally goes to Lion's Den each afternoon is not going to Lion's Den on a certain day, please let me know that your child will not be attending that day.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

December 16-20, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

We had so much fun on our adventures with Elfie last week! We learned all about the holiday traditions in France, Germany, and Mexico! We still have not found Santa's Naughty or Nice List though... Maybe we will have better luck in Sweden or England this week!

Yesterday, we finished off our Author Study of Eric Litwin and James Dean (author of Pete the Cat" series) by reading "Pete the Cat Saves Christmas." After reading the story, we compared all of the Pete the Cat books that we have read throughout the week and talked about all of the similarities. Then, we took a deeper look in to the book "Pete the Cat Saves Christmas." We talked about how Pete helped Santa in the book and climbed down a chimney to deliver gifts to boys and girls. We were then given the challenge to work together to create a chimney for Santa to go down to deliver gifts, only using marshmallows and toothpicks. The kids did an excellent job communicating and executing their plans. When the timer went off, we came together and tested each of our chimneys. As each group tested their chimneys, we sang, " Give it your all, give it your all. At Christmas we give, so give it your all." Check out our class story on Dojo to get a glimpse of what we came up with!

A few reminders...

• Please make sure that your child is reading to you every night for at least 15 minutes. At this point, your child is ready to begin sounding words out and reading to you. Please also make sure that you are filling out his or her reading log and returning it each day. The reading logs are graded.
• Please also make sure that you are checking your child's blue folder each day and taking out any papers in the "keep at home" side.
• Please remember that this FRIDAY (December 20th) is a HALF DAY. Students will be dismissed at 11:05 AM. We will NOT have lunch on Friday, but please send a snack in with your child.
  • If you know that your child will not be present on Friday, please let me know so that we can get everything sent home before the holidays.
• Holiday Spirit Week (December 16-20) is THIS WEEK
  • Monday (December 16)- Wear blue jeans, silver and white, or snowman attire
  • Tuesday (December 17)- Wear your most festive holiday socks
  • Wednesday (December 18)- Wear your Lions gear
  • Thursday (December 19)- Wear your pajamas
  • Friday (December 20)- Wear your ugly Christmas sweater
• On Tuesday, November 26th, your child came home with an "Attractions Dining and Value Guide" book and form. These were from Ms. Davis' 10th grade Impact Class is raising money for a service learning project. Please note that all coupon book orders are due by Thursday, December 19th.
  • If you are not interested in selling any books, please make sure to return the book.
  • If you have any questions about this fundraiser, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Davis (sdavis@riverwalkacademy.com).
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

December 2-6, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

I hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving Break! I have enjoyed catching up on my sleep, but I am excited to see all of the kiddos on Monday!

Thank you to everyone who came to our POL and feast! I hope you had as much fun as the kids did!

We officially have THREE more weeks until CHRISTMAS BREAK! This year has really flown by and I am excited for us to start our new unit of inquiry... It is definitely going to be a treat! For this new unit, we will be learning about how other countries celebrate the holidays. We have planned lots of fun activities, but need help gathering some materials. If you are willing and able to donate anything, we would greatly appreciate it! Please click on the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548a5a62fa1f94-christmas1 . We will need all materials in by this Friday, December 6th.

A few reminders...

• Scholastic Fliers will be sent home in your child's blue folder on Monday, December 2nd. If you would like to order any books for your child, please make sure that your order in in by 6:00 PM on Friday, December 6th.
  • Our class code is: QGCZJ
  • https://clubs.scholastic.com/home
• On Tuesday, November 26th, your child came home with an "Attractions Dining and Value Guide" book and form. These were from Ms. Davis' 10th grade Impact Class is rasing money for a service learning project. Please note that all coupon book orders are due by Thursday, December 19th.
  • If you have any questions about this fundraiser, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Davis (sdavis@riverwalkacademy.com).
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Please make sure that your child returns to school each day with his or her book baggie (with book in it). During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

November 18-22, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

Last week literally flew by! I cannot believe we are a week and a half away from our next POL! We have been hard at work collaborating with our project groups to make this the best presentation yet.

These past couple of weeks, we have been learning about the Pilgrims and the Indians. We have also been comparing their lives and talking about the similarities and differences between both groups. Before our STEM challenge yesterday, we talked about how both the Pilgrims and Indians built their houses and reviewed their specific features. We talked about how each type of house was built to withstand the wind and rain. After reviewing our knowledge, we were given the challenge to break up in to teams and build a house fit for either the Piilgrims or Indians. The conversations that I was hearing walking around were very intriguing. When the timer went off, we ended up with one house built for the Pilgrims and one house built for the Indians. Pictures are to come on Dojo, so keep your eyes out!

A few reminders...

• Report Cards were distributed in your child's blue folder on WEDNESDAY, October 30th. Please make sure that you look over, sign, and RETURN the document. We will be using the same document all year, so please make sure that it is returned ASAP.
• Our next POL will be on Tuesday, November 26th at 11:00 AM. This is one POL that you will NOT want to miss!
  • Our POL will end with a Thanksgiving Feast. If you are willing and able to provide one of the items for the feast, please click on the link below.
  • https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080548a5a62fa1f94-kindergarten
  • Please send in a serving spoon with your item if it requires one. Please write your last name on the spoon so that we can get it back to you.
  • We will need all items in by 10:30 AM on the morning of the feast.
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Guided reading has officially begun. Each week, your child will come home with a different book in his or her book baggie. Please make sure that both the book and bag come back each day. During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

November 4-8, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

WE SURVIVED HALLOWEEN WEEK! We reviewed the different components of maps and learned about cardinal directions (Never Eat Soggy Waffles). We created jack-o-lantern maps and maps of our rooms! We had so much fun reviewing 2D shapes while creating our maps. On Halloween, we even made our own SLIME!

Yesterday, we were challenged to make creature catchers using popsicle sticks, tape, string, pipe cleaners, and cups. Before diving in to the challenge, we talked about what creatures were and what the goal of the challenge was. We also went over the steps to creating our creature catchers. We talked about how each teammate had to share his or her plan before choosing a plan to go with. Check out our story on Dojo to see our creative minds working!

A few reminders...

• Report Cards were distributed in your child's blue folder on WEDNESDAY, October 30th. Please make sure that you look over, sign, and RETURN the document. We will be using the same document all year, so please make sure that it is returned.
• Our next POL will be on Tuesday, November 26th at 11:00 AM. This is one POL that you will NOT want to miss!
  • Please RSVP for this POL by this Wednesday, November 6th, so that we can plan for food. We love having visitors, but please note that our Multi-Purpose Room can only hold so many people. With this being said, we are asking that only IMMEDIATE family members attend.
  • Ms. Griffith (our art teacher) will be working with the kids on some materials for the presentation. She is looking for donations of the following to make the project a success:
    • Black packs of construction paper
    • White packs of construction paper
    • Sentence strips
• We are in need of snack donations (for those who do not have snack)! If you are willing and able to donate any snacks to the class, we would greatly appreciate it!
• The Scholastic Book Fair will take place this week! It will be in the Multi-Purpose Room this Monday-Friday.
• If you would rather order books online, I will send home scholastic fliers this Monday, November 4th. ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN BY 6:00 PM ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH.
  • Our class code is: QGCZJ
  • https://clubs.scholastic.com/home
• Please remember that if your child is sick, he or she must be fever free or throw up free for 24 hours (without medication) to return to school, per school policy.
• Guided reading has officially begun. Each week, your child will come home with a different book in his or her book baggie. Please make sure that both the book and bag come back each day. During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

October 21-25, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

This past week was an absolute blast! To begin our unit of map skills, we were given a map of the school and were told to find the treasure. Before we started looking for the treasure. We discussed what was on the map and what maps were used for. After the kids realized that the map was a map of the school, I showed them where our classroom and asked the students about what they noticed about where our classroom was and where the treasure was. Together, we navigated our way to the treasure. Throughout the week, we explored other maps and learned that maps tell us where to go and that all maps have a title and a key, or legend. We cannot wait to take a deeper dive into maps this coming week!

During our STEM challenge yesterday, we broke up in to 3 teams and created houses for our little bears. Last week, we read, "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs." I brought in three of my bear "friends," and gave the students the challenge of creating a house for them, so the Big Bad Wolf (classroom fan), wouldn't blow them down. One group made a house out of straw (pipe cleaners), another group made a house of sticks (linking popsicle sticks), and the last group made a house out of bricks (legos). This was the FIRST time, each group worked together without having to go back and revise because there was more than one product being created within the group. WHOOHOOO! By the time the timer went off, we had a brick and a straw house. We came together and talked about how it was okay that one group did not complete their challenge, because they worked very hard the entire time; the pieces just were note quite stable enough to make it to meet the wolf. Check out our class story on Dojo to see what happened!

A few reminders...

• Our field trip to MOD Pizza and Wingate Park is THIS Tuesday. Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time, as we will be leaving the school by 8:30 AM. We will return to school at 1:00 PM.
  • Please make sure that your child is wearing closed toed shoes. Students do not need to bring a lunch, but do need to bring a snack for the end of the day.
  • Please note that if you are chaperoning, your child will have to ride with you to the destination due to bus costs.
  • You will need your volunteer card with you when you check in at the school on the day of the field trip.
• Picture money is due this Wednesday, October 23rd. If you would not like to purchase your child's pictures, please return the entire packet in your child's blue folder.
• Our Fun Run is THIS Friday, October 25th, from 8:50-9:25 AM. This is our school's fundraiser to make Riverwalk Academy better than ever! Please note that all pledged money is due on Friday, November 1st.
• Guided reading has officially begun. Each week, your child will come home with a different book in his or her book baggie. Please make sure that both the book and bag come back each day. During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specific skill.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

October 7-11, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

We are SO excited for our first POL (presentation of learning) this Wednesday, October 9th! As we have been preparing our materials, the kids have been talking about how much they want to show their parents what they are making (which makes my teacher heart explode with excitement).

This past week was filled with lots of highs and even some lows. During our STEM challenge yesterday, the students were given 50 toothpicks and 26 marshmallows to create the tallest pizzeria. We have been constructing 3D models of shapes for the past 2 weeks and the students were so excited to create their buildings. As I was walking around, I head a couple of groups talking about how they were going to stack cubes on top of each other and that it was really going to work. When the students started to construct, they realized that it was not as easy as they thought it was going to be. The buildings started to fall and there were toothpicks and marshmallows going everywhere. When the timer went off, the kids were feeling defeated. We came together and talked about how our challenge went. Some kids were happy, but some were sad and frustrated. I told the kids that it was totally okay to feel that way, but when something doesn't work out, we figure out how to fix it. We talked about what worked and what didn't work. We also talked about how we could tweak the challenge and add materials that we thought would help with our construction. We came up with new plans, and are excited to try again next week.

A few reminders...

• Guided reading has officially begun. Each week, your child wil come home with a different book in his or her book baggie. Please make sure that both the book and bag come back each day. During guided reading, I will be working with your child on a specific reading skill/fluency. Please have your child read his or her book to you at least 2 nights of the week.
• This past week, you may have noticed that your child came home with work noted with a "B," "A," or "M." If your child's work has a "B" at the top, your child is not mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "A" at the top, your child is approaching mastering the skill. If your child's work has an "M" at the top, your child is mastering the skill. If your child is coming home with papers with a "B" or "A" at the top, please work with your child on that specifc skill.
• Our first POL (presentation of learning) will be this Wednesday, October 9th at 1:00 PM. We will have a few of these throughout the year. This is where you will be invited to come in to see what we have been learning!
  • You may sign your child out after the POL, but you must fill out the sign out sheet. The sign out will be taped to our white board.
• We will be going on a field trip to MOD pizza and Wingate Park this Thursday, October 10th. The cost is $19 per child and MUST be paid online. If you are in need of financial assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know as soon as you can.
  • https://www.riverwalkacademy.com/riverwalk-store/kindergarten-field-trip
  • At this time, we are at our max capacity for chaperones. Please note that if you were not able to come on this field trip, you will have an opportunity to come in the Spring.
    • Please note that if you are chaperoning, your child will have to ride with you to the destination due to bus costs.
    • You will need your volunteer card with you when you check in at the school on the day of the field trip.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen

September 23-27, 2019

Our newsletter for the week can be found in the "Weekly Newsletters" tab at the top of the page.

We had such a fun filled week this past week! We reviewed 2D shapes and introduced 3D shapes and went on a 3D shape hunt around the school and explored different foods. The kids REALLY loved getting to create shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks (the toothpicks were "sides" and the marshmallows were "vertices"). Now, we all know that a cube as 12 sides and 8 vertices!

We reviewed the concept of sink or float and introduced the concept of natural things and man made things. We learned that natural things come from nature and man made things are made by people. Yesterday, my friend "octopus" came to visit and wanted an "octopus sized" umbrella to keep her dry. The students were given the challenge to create an umbrella for "octopus." We noted that water was a natural resource and that the umbrellas were man made. Be sure to check out our class story on Dojo to see what we came up with!

A few reminders...

• Progress Reports were sent home on Wednesday, September 18th. Please make sure to look over, sign, and return the document. If you would like to schedule a conference, please check the box at the bottom of the document. If your child has not brought in his or her blue folder, please make sure to send it in on Monday, September 23rd. If you cannot locate the folder, please let me know.
• Please make sure that you are checking both Class Dojo and your child’s blue folder frequently. I often send messages and pictures through the application, therefore it is important that you are keeping up with it. This is a great opportunity for you to see what we have been working on in class!
• Our first POL (presentation of learning) will be on Wednesday, October 9th at 1:00 PM. We will have a few of these throughout the year. This is where you will be invited to come in to see what we have been learning!
• We will be going on a field trip to MOD pizza and Wingate Park on Thursday, October 10th. Permission slips were sent home yesterday (Friday, September 20th). The cost is $19 per child and MUST be paid online. If you are in need of financial assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know as soon as you can.
  • Permission slips need to be signed and returned by Friday, October 4th.
  • At this time, we are at our max capacity for chaperones. Please note that if you were not able to come on this field trip, you will have an opportunity to come in the Spring.
• Each morning, the students are asked to pick a snack out of their lunch boxes and put them in to a bin. In order to make this process quicker for us, please try to have your child put his or her name on his or her snack prior to coming to school (this is great for practicing writing his or her name).

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

-Ms. Nguyen