Classy Cats

Meow, Everyone!

We have had such a "purrrrfectly" fabulous first week of school! We've had a great time getting to know each other and learning the routines of kindergarten! We've had great fun learning all about the letter "M" and words beginning with the "M" sound. Mrs. Gross is even bringing M&M muffins for us on Friday! Be sure to ask your little one to sing our new favorite "M" song called "Mama Made Muffins." They can really sing it!!! We've even been working on sequencing and memory games already this week! These Classy Cats are really smart!!!

Next week, our regular schedule will begin with our math centers, writer's workshop, and social studies. In Math, we will begin our unit with patterns. We will learn to identify, create and extend patterns. We will begin with simple AB patterns, such as "red, blue, red, blue...." Then we will move up to more complex patterns such as AABB, ABAB, and ABC patterns. We will be using lots of manipulatives and centers for these lessons. We also have new math workbooks, as well. So, you will see some workbook sheets coming home, too. We'll be practicing with the manipulatives first. We will also begin using our math journals as well. We will use these journals throughout the school year so you can see your little one's growth from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of the school year. It's a great way to see how well your little Classy Cat understands and demonstrates his/her knowledge of math concepts throughout the school year!

Writer's Workshop is probably my most favorite part of the school day!! Writer's Workshop lasts 45 minutes each morning. Mrs. Gross, Mrs. Smith and I are able to work with the children in small groups each morning to provide more individualized instruction on the principles of writing. Writer's Workshop begins each day with a mini lesson in which I gather the children on the carpet to model a particular writing skill such a using spaces between words, "sentence stoppers" (punctuation), capital letters, making sure that pictures match their words, etc. Then the children return to their seats to practice what I've modeled. We work with our small groups and conference with each child to focus on specific goals throughout the year and record their progress. Then each day a table has the chance to celebrate their work with the class. This time of Writer's Workshop is called the Author's Chair. We teach the children to encourage their classmates with compliments and cheers. The children really enjoy helping each other and cheering each other on to better writing!!!

We will also begin our Social Studies unit entitled ALL ABOUT ME. We will be learning all about ourselves, our families and our world. We will learn about our lives at home, school and in our communities. We will also talk about our birthdays, phone numbers and addresses. Whew! That's a lot to know about ourselves!!

The Classy Cats will also begin their literacy centers next week. We did a few of them this week, but they will be in full swing beginning Monday. During literacy centers, the Classy Cats will be working on activities that will focus on enhancing previously learned ideas such as phonics, sight words, literacy skills, etc. Later in the fall, this will be the time when Mrs. Gross, Mrs. Smith and I will be conducting our guided reading groups. While we are meeting with our small reading groups, the other children will be working independently in their literacy centers. **Guided Reading usually doesn't begin until late October or early November.

We have had such a fabulous first week getting to know all of our little Classy Cats!! We are so excited to be working with each one of them, and we appreciate your confidence in sharing them with us! I've attached a few pictures of these precious Classy Cats proudly displaying their hard work from this week, so please make sure that you scroll down to see your favorite Classy Cat from their first week of kindergarten! Have a wonderful weekend, and give your little one a hug for us!

Meow for now!

Susan Kantis