Happy Apple and Marathon Week!
This week in Kindergarten was all about apples!
We did apple dissecting (with spoons)
Taste tested 3 different kinds of apples and graphed the favorites
Learned the parts of an apple
Learned about Johnny Appleseed
Many apple crafts (working on skills like coloring, cutting, and following directions)
We made apple sauce in the classroom. The Kindergarteners helped peel, cut, and taste the apple sauce. (check Seesaw for pictures!)
The Marathon is TOMORROW!!
I am so excited to see everyone run tomorrow! Thank you so much for the donations that have been brought in! They will need to check in with me when they arrive at 8:45. They will run or walk from 9:00-10:00; for every lap they run, they need to come and find me, and I will make a tally. At 10:00, they can get prizes in the gym.
What do parents do during the Marathon?
Walk or run with the students
Help out by finding a spot to stand along the path for extra safety
Cheer on the students
Stand and chat by the food (hot dogs/chips/granola bars)
I know the Kindergarteners are very excited to run and see how many laps they can get! I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow morning!
This week, the Kindergarten students:
Completed the NWEA Map Test (they did great!)
Finished learning numbers 0-10
Working hard on fine motor skills/pre-writing skills
We welcomed Diane Trettel, who will be teaching Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on Thursdays (yesterday was the first day)
Next week, we have an exciting themed week in Kindergarten! Throughout the year, we will have a few themed weeks or days, and next week is APPLE Week! We will explore apples through science, labeling, tasting, and creative activities.
The Kindergarteners have been working diligently during Mass. To support their efforts in praying and being respectful, I kindly ask family members and older siblings to refrain from waving during Mass. However, I encourage the Kindergarteners to smile at their family and friends. After Mass, they can come to find you in the pews for hugs. Thank you for your understanding.
Reminder: Please keep toys and stuffed animals at home.
Dozínky Days- Parade Details
The parade begins at 12:00 PM on Saturday at the intersection of 3rd Avenue NW and Main Street.
Our float is #28. Please arrive at the float line-up area at least 30 minutes before the start of the parade.
Line-up is along 2nd Street NW between 3rd Ave NW and 1st Ave NW.
The parade will end east of Memorial Park.
Wear the new red shirt
Parents must accompany their children if they are participating.
Kindergarteners worked very hard this week! We started our first science unit (living and non-living things), learning more about letters and numbers, we attended Mass Wednesday-Friday, had our first fire drill, and so much more! We have also been learning iPads very slowly. We have used EPIC (an app that reads stories and highlights the words) and IXL (an app that uses the skills we are learning in math and reading). The kindergarteners will only use iPads for around 10-15 minutes a week or less.
Schedule update: Kindergarten has switched from having breakfast in the lunchroom (with all of the other students after Mass) to having it in our classroom after Mass. This has helped with cutting down on transition times. I think they enjoy eating in our classroom.
Marathon is coming up! The students have been getting so excited about this day. Last Friday and today, we have been handing out some of the prizes. If your family/student made a video asking for donations, I would love to see it. Please send it to my email. Marathon is Saturday, September 27th. Please arrive around 8:45, and the marathon (race) starts around 9:00 am. We will have granola bars, coffee, hot dogs, and chips.
Our class came in 2nd place for the most donations! Thank you, parents! We will be having an extra Recess next week to celebrate!
NWEA Map Test. Kindergarteners do take the NWEA's. I do not view the first test as a good representation of your students' academic abilities (they are still learning their IPADS and how to take the test). We will be taking the test on Tuesday. This 'test' helps the teachers understand where each student is and guides the instruction and support based on observations of what they are ready to learn. Please help them get a good night's sleep! I do not use the word "test" with the kids; they understand that it is just seeing how much is in their brains and how I can help their brains grow.
We went over to the church on Monday and Tuesday in the afternoon. I shared very clear and firm expectations when we are at Mass together. I want to share them with you so you know the language we use! The best way for them to become comfortable in Mass, or in any church for that matter, is to practice with high expectations!
When they enter the aisle, they use their right hand to dip one finger in the Holy Water font and perform the Sign of the Cross. When they enter the pew, they genuflect on their right knee and make the Sign of the Cross.
When they're sitting, we expect them to sit with calm bodies, their feet off the kneelers, hands in laps, with "pockets" up against the back of the pew. We ask them not to rest their heads on the back, and not to kick their feet TOO much (a little is ok!).
When kneeling, they can use their folded hands to help them balance, as this can be tricky for their tiny core muscles at first!
Our class chooses not to hold hands for The Our Father or shake hands for the Sign of Peace. This is school-wide! We hold our hands out for The Our Father and turn to tell each other "Peace" when appropriate.
Kindergarteners do not use hymnals :)
The students did a wonderful job!!!! The first few weeks can be TRICKY when we're still learning, but in a few months, they'll have it down!
The second week of Kindergarten was incredible! Our kindergarteners attended their very first assembly for the Marathon, where they were a wonderful audience. We visited the church to explore and practice how to kneel, genuflect, sit, and stand appropriately during Mass. Additionally, we've been working on a Mass Booklet that outlines the many items we could see during Mass. We have also been learning numbers and letters—be sure to check Seesaw for pictures!
We've introduced a few classroom jobs: line leader, door holder, and caboose. The line leader not only guides the class in line but also leads our calendar activities, standing at the front with me and calling on classmates. The door holder is responsible for holding the doors, while the caboose makes sure that all students walk nicely at the end of the line. I plan to add more jobs throughout the year!
I am so grateful to all the parents who volunteered to assist in our classroom. To encourage our kindergarteners to gain independence at school, we will not start parent volunteers until November/December.
On Monday, we'll kick off our first Family Groups! Family Groups are designed to build community throughout the school. Each student is assigned to a Family Group along with a teacher, and 8th graders lead all activities, guiding the kindergarteners along the way. Every Family Group includes one or two students from each grade level, K-8th. This is a great way for students to get to know each other!
This week, we had so much fun! We focused on how to "be" in kindergarten. We read stories that helped us learn about: taking turns, how to speak respectfully with teachers and peers, how to play, how to ask for help, and so much more! The Kindergarteners are doing a wonderful job learning, listening, and having fun! I am sure you have heard some of the fun/exciting things we did throughout this week!
A couple of items:
Yellow take-home folders come home every day. This folder should go back and forth between home and school each day. This is a great way for us to communicate any schedule changes or updates that I would need to know (or email/Seesaw is great!)
A reminder that ONLY kindergarteners will not be attending Mass next week.
Starting Wednesday (9/3), please say goodbye to your student at the front door and allow them to walk downstairs on their own! Tuesday (9/2) will be the last day for parents to walk down.
Please practice at home:
Tucking in school shirts. This can be a difficult task for kindergartners to learn. It is part of the dress code and is enforced at all ages! I do the best I can to explain the process to them. Unfortunately, I cannot physically help them. If you could please practice this with your child at home and help them make sure their shirt is tucked in when they come to school, that would be greatly appreciated!