Dear Families,

Dear Families,

What a wonderful week we have had this week. The students are beginning to settle into our daily routine. We have started working in reading and math stations. The students are learning how to rotate to the various stations as well as working with their peers with quiet voices. The students enjoyed using play dough this week to make letters and shapes. They also used scissors for the first time to make pictures of David a character that we read about this week in a funny book called “No, David!’ They also used magnetic letters on a cookie sheet to spell words and their names.

On Monday, the students were introduced to a computer program called Seesaw. The students were able to use our I-pads to draw something that makes them special. We will be using this program in learning stations this year to enhance our math curriculum. Next week, I will be introducing a reading program called Raz Kids to the students using the I-pads. A letter will be coming home in your child’s yellow folder to further explain this reading program and how your child can access this program at home.

In  our classroom we are using the following  “Positive Behavior Incentive System”.This is the blue sheet in your child’s folder. Please sign this and return on Monday! Students earn stickers for showing our PAW values (perseverance, attitude and work ethic).  When they have earned 5 stickers, they may visit our treasure chest.  At the end of the week, if they have filled up a sticker card, they participate in our “FUN FRIDAY” activity. Today our fun Friday activity was extra recess.

Please be on the lookout next week for information on our upcoming field trip to the pumpkin patch. This trip is always a big hit with the students. They love going to the pumpkin patch to pick out their pumpkin.

Next week we will be learning about the following:

Language Arts:  Making Connections

Poem: Jack and Jill

Words: to, up

Letters:  D, G, F

Essential Questions: 

–What is a connection?  Does this story remind you of something that has happened to you before?  Does this story remind you of another book you’ve read? Does this story remind you of something that happens around the world?

Math:  Sorting

  The student will sort and classify objects according to one attribute.

Vocabulary: 

sort, classify, size, shape, color, attribute, larger, smaller, thicker, thinner

Essential question:

• The student will use problem solving, mathematical communication, mathematical reasoning, connections, and representations to
• What are attributes?
• How can we use a characteristic (attribute) to sort a set of objects into groups?
• How can we classify sets of objects?

Science/Social Studies: 5 Senses

 The student will investigate and understand that humans have senses that allow them to seek,

find, take in, and react or respond to information in order to learn about their surroundings.

Essential Questions

• How does a scientist use his/her five senses?
• What sense organ is used for each sense?
• Tell about a time you used your sense organs to avoid danger?
• How do you use our senses every day?
• How do we use our senses to observe?
• How can our senses help us learn about the world?
• How does observing something help us describe it?
• What body parts let you use each sense?
• What are some objects that make sounds that you would use your ears to hear?

Vocabulary

• taste: (tongue) sweet, sour, bitter, salty 
• touch: (skin) rough, smooth, hard, soft, cold, warm, hot;
• hearing: (ear) loud, soft, high, low
• sight: (eyes) bright,dull, color, black, white 

smell: (nose) strong, faint, bad, and good

Please enjoy these  pictures from our week:

I look forward to talking with many of you over the next two weeks for a quick chat about how your child is adjusting to kindergarten. If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for a quick phone chat, please click on the following link to sign up and view a presentation all about kindergarten.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15f2BIwmYXeVGBixZnNshZ-OGDARSWRKolygeu5lwEJQ/edit

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C9zcik0hT-oYSu-ZX3s7zKiVMDnXMEGdvUuKj4hOdrw/edit#slide=id.p4

I hope everyone has a chance to get outside this weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather.

Mrs. Smith

Dear Families,

We have just finished up our second week of school. The students are enjoying making new friends and experiencing the fun of kindergarten.  They have been working hard on following our classroom rules. Please continue to encourage your child to always do their best at school. We are focusing on our PAW values as well. You should have received a blue paper in your child’s folder today that highlights these PAW values. Please review this paper with your child, sign at the bottom and return this paper in  the yellow folder on Monday.

This week the students learned all about the letters R, P, and T and the sound that each of these letters make. We also learned three new sight words: I, me, and see. The students also learned the color words of red and blue this week. In math, we learned about the basic shapes: circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. We also worked on calendar skills and counting. On Friday, the students enjoyed sorting skittles into groups by color. After this fun activity, they we able to eat some of their skittles as our Fun Friday activity. In Social Studies, we continued to learn about how to be a good citizen at school, at home, and in the community.

Next Week’s Learning Objectives:

Reading: Letters C, A, N

Sight Words: a, my

Poem: I’m a Little Teapot

The students will also be learning how to write their first name correctly. They will also be making connections to the stories that I read to them next week. These connections include: text to text, text to self, an text to world.

If your child needs more practice with letters and letter sounds check out this website for extra practice: https://www.abcya.com/games/adventure_man_dash_letters

Writing: The students will listen to a story called “Titch” by Pat Hutchins. 

Throughout the week, they will draw, write, and share stories with their classmates about the  fun things that they do with their families.

Math: The students will continue to review the basic shapes during whole group math and math stations.

If your child needs more practice with basic shapes try this website: https://www.ixl.com/math/kindergarten/name-the-two-dimensional-shape

Science: The students will learn about and investigate the five senses which include: taste, touch, hearing, sight, and smell.

Please enjoy these pictures from this week.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. Hopefully, you will be able to enjoy the cooler weather as well.

Mrs. Smith

Dear Families,

We had a wonderful first week of school. The students came in on Tuesday with all smiles. Our school’s motto this year is “Roaring With PAWsitivity.” The students have shown many great positive behaviors this week. In reading this week, we read a  book called “Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes.” The children really loved this book. On Tuesday, we went on a tour of the school looking for Pete. We didn’t find Pete, but the students found several clues that he had left for us. We also learned about the letter “M” and words that begin with the “M” sound. In math, we learned how to count to 5. The students also enjoyed getting to use the various manipulatives that we use in math centers. In Social Studies, we learned about being a good citizen and our school rules. The class also attended our various resource classes which include: art, music, PE and library. For Fun Friday this week the students were able to make “Forky” from the movie “Toy Story Four.” The students enjoyed this project. I hope Forky made it home in one piece.

We also attended an assembly on Friday for our school fundraiser.  Your student brought home a packet in their “daily folder” that contains information about how you can help our school by participating in the “Big Blast”!  The yellow gold paper in the packet should be returned on Monday, September 9^th for a special prize.  The big packet and pledge money are due by September 20th.

A blue paper was sent home earlier this week about “Grandparent’s Day”.  On Monday, September 9^th,  grandparents and special family members are invited to come have lunch with their student!  Grandparents may bring their student a special lunch or treat to celebrate this day.  Our lunch time is 10:30-11am.  You can still attend on Monday if you did not return the form, just be sure to sign in at the office.  Thanks!

Please feel free to sign up below for the current fall after-school enrichment programs. The schedule for the Fall program is as follows: 6 week session offered weekly on Wednesdays from 2:20 – 3:20, October 2 to November 6. For more information, please click here to read more and how to sign up. Contact Ms. Rhoden at 261-5060 or JMRhoden1@henrico.k12.va.us if you have any further questions.

>>>NEXT WEEK’S FOCUS>>>
READING/WRITING: K.5a  Environmental Print
– Phonemic awareness: /r/  /t/  /p/
– Sight Words:  I, see, me, color words
– Writing first name and Capital + lower case letters

MATH: K.10 Shapes
– Identify a circle, triangle, square, and rectangle

SOCIAL STUDIES: K.9 Good Citizenship
– taking turns and sharing
– responsibility & respect
– following rules
– practicing honesty, self-control, and kindness to others

Important Upcoming Dates/Events

Monday, September 9th: Grandparent’s Day, Lunch in the Café @10:30-11am
Thursday, September 12th: PTO Night
Monday, September 30th: Student Half-Day Dismissal @11

Please enjoy these pictures from the week:

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Mrs. Smith

Happy Labor Day! I hope you all are enjoying the last day of summer with your families. I just wanted to remind you of a few things for tomorrow.

1. Please put your child’s yellow folder in their backpack. This folder needs to come back to school every day. I will be placing important papers in these folders.
2. Your child will be coming home tomorrow with a lanyard that tells how they get home each day. Please have your child wear this lanyard every day for the first week of school.
3. If your child has lunch money, please place the money in an envelope or ziploc bag and place it in their yellow folder.
4. We will have snack every afternoon. Please send in a healthy snack with your child. They do not need anything to drink, we have water in the classroom.
5. Our lunch is from 10:30-11:00 each day.

Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

Mrs. Smith:)