It was a busy week getting settled back in to the classroom after a nice long break! The kindergarten crew was very happy to all be back together and back to routine.

PBL:

The Kindergarteners were hard at work planning for our upcoming Exhibition of Learning this Wednesday.

We spent the week practicing and rehearsing our Clumsy Click Beetle play, movement piece, and our music components. They are very excited to share their learning with you.

Literacy:

Math:

We have a new Number Corner for January. This month, each day we are following a button pattern. Every day the colors change making new totals, or new buttons are added. It was fun watching the students make predictions and share their observations to solve the totals.

During our math lessons, we have started to explore writing simple addition and subtraction equations within 10. We used 10 frames and unifix cubes to help guide us, as well as our fingers to help show the two different numbers being added or subtracted on each hand.

We also have begun working on story problems, adding and subtracting different characters or elements from the story.

Important Reminders:

We had a festive week in the kindergarten classroom. The students enjoyed playing in the snow at recess times, we listened to cozy music during work times, we did a few crafts, and we had a great celebration day on Friday!

PBL:

The kindergarten crew enjoyed some new Workplace games this week. They identified numerals, practiced counting and writing numbers 1-10, made bar graphs, and explored geometric shapes.

We read a story called Butterfly Countdown which helped the studnets practice subtraction. On each page, a butterfly would wander off and we had to identify how many were left.

You may now work up to page 62 in your home learning books.

Literacy:

The kindergarteners keep adding new skills to their learning and I am seeing growth every week! I hope you can find some time to read together over the winter break!

Important Reminders:

PBL:

This past week, the students completed their final scientific insect sketches. Once they finished their sketch and it looked as they wanted it to, they then painted their insect with water colors. They worked very hard and did careful work.

One of the students favorite math lessons this week was learning how to skip count by 2s 

To teach this, we talked about bicycles and how a bike has two wheels. We then pretended that we all rode a bike to school and counted how many students we have in our class to find our total number of bikes. Once we found our bike total, we worked on counting how many total wheels that we had.

They were able to draw and design their own bicycles and we paired them up. We then matched the numbers with the pairs of bicycles and learned how to count by 2's!

You can work up to page 57 in your math home learning book.

During movement class this week, Mrs. Shimennetto's first grade class came to watch a rehearsal of our movement piece. They gave the kindergartners warm and cool feedback. It was fun to watch the collaboration from the two classes.

Important Reminders:

PBL:

Our Project Based Learning lessons and activities kept us busy all week. 

The students began the process of creating their finial scientific insect. Throughout the week, they completed three sketches using the feedback given to them from me, their peers, and Mrs. Pasche's 2/3 students. They used the statements "I like" and "I wonder" as they observed the drawings. Each sketch they completed gained more details as they went back and corrected or edited parts of their drawing.

It was a wonderful experience to see them work so hard and listen to ideas from others.

We also got a little creative and the students made an artistic insect using maker materials. They are proudly displayed outside of our classroom.

During our literacy block the students have continued to gain some strong reading skills. We practice blending/segmenting sounds in words, rhyming, and listening for beginning/middle/ending sounds in words every day during whole group lessons. 

During small group time the students have been working on sounding out and writing CVC words and reading decodable text. We add new phonics skills to the mix each day. the latest favorite is letters "ey" and "ay". They are cool dude letters and when they hang out next to each other in a word they say "ayyyyyy".

We have been using a writing notebook to help us build CVC words by writing them properly on the line, and then adding them in to a simple sentence. This week we added a new creative writing journal to our lessons. The students illustrate a picture and then write 1-2 sentences on their own to go along with their illustrations. It has been fun to see their creative thinking.

Math:

During Number Corner this week, we explored a new calendar for the month of December. This month we will be using position words such as, inside, outside, behind, in front of, to the left, to the right, above and below. Each day, there is a picture of a bear with a green box and he is positioned in various places.

During Math lessons this week we played number bingo and the students had to decided what the numeral was, based on the information given with pictures of dots, tally's, and ten frames. We also reviewed some geometric shapes and practiced building with them on pattern block puzzles.

Gym:

Important Reminders:

• Click HERE to see the lunch menus for the week.

• If you are interested in ordering one of our kindergarten insect books here is the PayPal link. If you order by today, we will include it in our first batch of orders that will hopefully get here by the EOL in January! There will also be extra books that can be purchased later in the year. 

• Click HERE to see our kindergarten wish list.

Important Dates:

• December 22-January 2: NO SCHOOL Winter Break begins

• January 5: School back in Session

• January 14: Kindergarten Exhibition of Learning 8:30-9:30

• January 19: NO SCHOOL Professional Development Day

Weekly Specials:

• Monday: Gym and Rug Routines

• Tuesday: Movement and Library

• Wednesday: Music

• Thursday: Art, Gym, and Rug Routines

• Friday: Movement

We have some very thankful kindergartners this year! I am thankful for each of them as well.

During morning meeting, spent a little time talking about the word "thankful" and what it means. They cam up with many wonderful ways they feel thankful.

We then took some time to illustrate and write what we were thankful for.

PBL:

During our Project Based Learning this week, the kindergartners finished creating their Eric Carle inspired insect and started the process of story writing. 

The students mapped out their story by giving their insect a name, choosing the setting, creating a problem, along with a solution. We also talked about how we can describe what happened "first", "next" and "last".

They cannot wait to share their insect and story with you during their Presentations of Learning.

We explored some new reading tools during our literacy block this week. The kindergartners used star and light pointers to help guide their finger along the text as they read.

We also worked on some new CVC word pages in our independent workbooks during reading rotations. Each page helps guide the students to identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds, blend/segment sounds in words, as well as write them properly using small/tall/fall letters on the handwriting lines.

Math:

During Number Corner we have continued to explore 2D and 3D shapes. This week we practiced patterning them in AB, ABC, and AAB pattern formations.

During our math lessons, we did a lot of with number line practice. We counted forward and backward, we filled in the missing numbers, and also did a little skip counting.

You can now work up to page 42 in your child's math home learning notebook

Playtime Smiles:

• I look forward to meeting with you and your child for their Presentations of Learning on either November 24th or 25th. 

• I did not send your child's take home folder this week. I plan to send them home this coming Monday.

• If you are interested in ordering any Étude gear or clothing please click the link  HERE. The sale will close on November 25th.

• Please see the information below from Harmann Studios and have your child's school photos before the holidays! Order by Sunday, November 30th. 

• Click HERE to see the lunch menus for the week.

• Click HERE to see our kindergarten wish list.

Important Dates:

• November 21: NO SCHOOL - Teacher Records day.

• November 24: NOON RELEASE - Presentations of Learning

• November 25: NO SCHOOL - Presentations of learning

• November 26: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development

• November 27-28: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

Weekly Specials:

• Monday: NOON Release - PoLs

• Tuesday: NO SCHOOL - PoLs

• Wednesday: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development

• Thursday: Thanksgiving Break

• Friday: Thanksgiving Break

Hiking:

Friday was a great day to explore the woods! On our journey we talked a lot about our essential question, How do Things Change? We looked for changes in our environment.

We walked down hills (which they called "mountains"), we walked along the pigeon river, and built stick sculptures in the tall pines. 

On our journey, we stopped to play with friends, we saw a frog near the river, and watched a Yellow Belly Sap Sucker pecking on the trees.

PBL:

During our Project based learning time this week, we finished up our last artist study, and learned about Wassily Kandinsky. We explored his work and focused on the pieces where he created multiple circles within circles. Then, the students practiced that process and painted lady bugs which had Kandinsky inspired spots!

This week the students also begun to work on their Eric Carle inspired artistic insect. We started by cutting out the shapes for their insects head, thorax and abdomen. Throughout next week the students will be cutting out and adding the other insect attributes, such as wings, antennae, legs, ect.

Literacy:

I am so proud of the kids and how they continue to learn and grow through literacy each week. Every one of them has continued to move forward in skills and I cannot wait to share their learning with you at our Presentations of Learning.

The kindergartners have been working hard on their handwriting this month. In their writing notebooks, they have been practicing sounding out and writing simple CVC words. We then incorporate those words in to a sentence which also includes a few sight words. For example, I see the mop.

Each week we practice writing our sentences with a capitol letter to start the sentence, using "small, tall, and fall" letters as they write properly on the line, and then lastly, finishing the sentence with a period.

Math:

Gym:

The students have been enjoying their time in gym this school year so far. They have learned various new games and have been practicing many different gross-motor skills.

Important Reminders:

Literacy:

Our literacy learning has continued to grow! The kindergarteners are working at various levels and practicing new skills each week.

Keep up the great home learning. This week I sent home some new activities for your child to practice. Remember, they are always welcome to turn it back in to show me their hard work!

Math:

During Number Corner this week, I introduced a new calendar for the month of November. This month we will be learning about 2 dimensional (2D) and 3 dimensional (3D) shapes.

During our math lessons, we explored a new math tool, the bead number rack. The students counted totals and added two different totals by moving beads along our number rack.

You can work up to page 40 in your Home Learning book.

PBL:

We added a new insect to our studies, the lady bug!

This week, learned about the life cycle of a lady bug and its attributes. The students drew the 4 stages in their scientific notebooks as well as documented their first sketch of the lady bug. We will continue our lady bug work next week.

Important Reminders:

We had quite the spooky spirit week in Kindergarten! Make sure to check out all of the fun outfits and activities we did throughout the week!

PBL:

This week during PBL, we continued to work on sequencing the story, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. We also explored the life cycle of a click beetle, and its attributes.

Literacy:

Number corner finished up this week and the students completed their leaf patterns and positions.

During math this week, we completed a pumpkin seed counting story. The students had to write numerals 1-10 and complete 10 frame patterns by filling out the correct amount of seeds in each frame.

Dress Up Days:

PBL Day:

Character Day:

Crazy Hair/Pajama Day:

Important Reminders:

We had special visitors come to kindergarten this past Monday. The Sheboygan Fire Department came to teach the students about fire safety. 

We got to explore the trucks, learn special fire safety tips, explore their equiptment, and see how a fire fighter gets ready in their gear.

Literacy:

Math:

This week in math we practiced identifying if a numeral is greater than, less than, or equal to.

During group time, the students tried to guess the number I was thinking of (1-10) on our number line. With each guess, I would tell them if it was greater than or less than. We kept playing until they figured out every number on our number line.

During Workplaces, we learned a new card game that practices the skills, "is it greater than, or less than".

You can now work up to page 34 in your child's home learning book. Just a reminder, if you complete any pages, you can rip them out and turn them in for a sticker!

PBL:

We began exploring our new insect this week, the click beetle. We observed pictures of this insect looking at it in a scientific perspective. Next week, we will make sketches in our scientific notebooks and learn more about the life cycle.

We also read the story The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, by Eric Carle. We talked about how he created a click beetle in an artistic perspective. Next week, we will continue to explore more artist perspectives of this insect.

The kindergartners also practiced some story sequencing and they colored images from the story. They then put them in order from the beginning, middle, and the end.

• Click HERE to see the lunch menus for the week.

• Étude Spirit week is coming up next week. Attached is more  information about our special dress up days!

• NO SCHOOL October 24: Fall Recess

• NO SCHOOL October 27: Teacher Professional Day

• We are in need of parent volunteers to help us paint! Please click the link HERE if you are interested in joining us. Just a reminder, you need to have an approved background check completed before volunteering. 

• See the attached document below for more information about Eyes on Education from our SASD Nurses. If you would like to contribute, please reach out to the contact information provided.

• Click HERE to see our kindergarten wish list.

Weekly Specials:

• Monday: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development 

• Tuesday: Music and Library

• Wednesday: Art, Gym, and Rug Routines

• Thursday: Movement

• Friday: Music

PBL:

We are close to finishing up our study of the butterfly. This week we continued to talk about the insect parts and did some labeling in our notebooks. 

On Thursday and Friday, we did a zoom in thinking routine and the students focused on a certain aspect of the butterfly. For example, we used my desk camera to magnify parts of the butterfly's outside hind wing. The students observed the colors, shapes and lines. We decided that the spots on the wings looked like eyes, and perhaps that helped scare away predators.

We took time to study all of the insect parts and the students documented their findings in their scientific notebooks. Their drawings look incredible!

We look forward to making butterflies out of air dry clay, and then moving on to the click beetle next week!

The students have been working so hard during literacy. I am observing them gain new skills each week.

Some of the areas you can continue to practice at home are:

• Connecting letters to their sounds

• Writing uppercase and lowercase letters.

• Sounding out and blending CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words.

• Enjoy reading with your child every night.

Math:

Playtime Creations:

Imortant Reminders:

PBL:

During PBL time this week, we finished up our butterfly study. Our main focus was the lifecycle of a butterfly (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly), and the butterfly anatomy (head, abdomen, thorax, wings, legs, and antennae).

In the photos below, you will see the kindergartners sketching a butterfly and drawing the lifecycle.

Literacy:

During literacy time we got through almost all of the alphabet letters, tried out some new learning tools and explored new games.

• Whole group: We practiced rhyming, blending, segmenting, and identifying beginning/ending sounds in words.

• Lexia: The kindergartners are working on levels that practice their current learning skills.

• Independent work: The students are finishing up their alphabet pages in their notebooks.

• Small groups: 

  • Group one: This week, we practiced connecting letters to their sounds in letter race game.

  • Group 2: This week we practiced blending CVC words in an apple basket game.

  • Group 3: We read some decodable CVC books and learned sight words, the and like.

During Number Corner, we have started new patterns for our calendar numbers. This month, the students are patterning red, green, yellow, and brown leaves. Each day the leaf changes its direction (up, to the right, down, to the left), also leaves are added to each card every day. It is A LOT to keep track of all those pattern variations, but they are loving it!

In our math workbooks, we counted totals 1-10 and organized them in to 10 frames.

You can work up to page 12 in your child's math workbook.

Important Reminders:

Hiking: