Week 8
With the beginning of October, we jumped right into fall by reading books about scarecrows and leaves for information. The Napping House helped our koalas think about sequencing in a story that we read for entertainment. In Writer's Workshop, the koalas illustrated the Space Saver song that Mrs. Schmidt taught us in the library. They also wrote facts about the penny and the nickel.
Speaking of Nickels and Pennies
Based on what we have learned about Labor Day, community workers, and fair trades of pennies and nickels, we are launching a new koala business endeavor. This project will evolve over several weeks and continue through the rest of the school year. The first step has been to transform our "Great Behavior" into a bank of sorts. The red strips that the students get for showing role model behavior are now "penny" strips. This week we added green "nickel" strips to the mix and made fair trades. The koalas are anxious to find out who will get to be the class "banker" first.
Oscar - A Family Project
Hopefully, you all found the information in the blue folder about our Oscar project. The koalas are excited about making scarecrows with you. Be creative and use materials you have around the house. This should be a fun way to kickoff fall.
A Little Groggy
Maybe it was the excitement about Fall Festival or maybe there was a full moon or maybe it is just too dark in the mornings now or maybe it is that real koalas need 20 hours of sleep a day...whatever the reason, our koalas were quite groggy when they arrived on Friday. They were not their normal perky selves. They had a difficult time just making it through announcements and lunch count. We asked them if they would like to have rest time first and many of them thought that was a fabulous idea. We talked with them about how important it is to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast each morning.
Looking Ahead...
Just like fall, October will be a transitional month for us as we add the final pieces to our academic routine. Here are some of the details and how we will need your support at home:
Phonics, Popcorn, and Poetry
Our phonics instruction is in full swing as we have started our Open Court lessons and supplemented with Secret Stories. As your student learns about different letter combinations, we will encourage them to look for these in print at home. Several koalas have already brought in clippings from newspapers or magazines with examples of "th" or "sneaky y".
On Monday, we will start a sight word program called "Popcorn Words" to help your student "pop" these words right out. On Fridays, we will test your student on the popcorn word list he or she is currently working on. We will need you to practice popcorn words with your child at home. A letter with more information will be sent home on Monday in the blue folder.
The koalas have learned many poems, songs, and chants during the first nine weeks of kindergarten. Now we are creating a collection of these. During Writer's Workshop this week, we will be illustrating our poems and songs. The Poems, Songs, and Chants folders will be sent home on Friday. Please give your child the opportunity, as well as possibly a small "stage", to share these with you over the weekend. Put on your dancing shoes because some of the songs may require parent participation. Going forward, we will alternate sending home the writing journals and the poem folders each Friday.
Math and Reading
Math centers will become a regular part of our daily routine on Monday and we will start guided reading groups during our learning centers as the week progresses.
Assessment
Friday, October 10th, is the last day in the grading period. We will be completing several assessment activities throughout the week with your students. Report cards will be sent home on October 17th.
