Getting to Know Each Other

 We are in the process of getting to know each other through words, play and learning. This is an important time for defining and developing good social skills, it takes time and practice. We are also getting used to following a schedule and remembering routines, again, it takes time and practice. Mrs. Arnold and I are pleased with the progress we see taking place. We're excited for all the growth we know will take place this year in kindergarten.

We'll discuss how everyone has big feelings. Students will learn how to communicate their feelings by using magnets near emojis. We want students to talk to us if they are feeling sad or angry so we can help them. We have a nice, peaceful place in the hallway that is available to any student who needs a break. Teachers will model how and when to use the magnet board and peaceful place.

At Bible time this week, we'll begin with the beginning of the Bible and the Creation story. Students will learn how God created our planet with just a word...and it was good! We will also begin learning and practicing our September Bible verse, preparing for our quiz on Friday.

In writing we will begin a parade of practice through the alphabet, learning how to write upper and lower case letters correctly using three lines. Systematic phonics instruction will be paired with each letter. Please practice letters and sounds at home as we review them! Students will practice writing their first names using three lines. At story time we'll dive deeper into understanding the concepts of print, parts of a book, letters, words, uppercase, lowercase and finger space. As you read with your child at home, ask them to sing the song we're practicing at school. 

We'll begin our first module in math using objects to represent number groups to 5. Sounds easy, and it is for most students, but starting simple helps us learn how to listen and work together as a group. We'll be managing our own practice books, finding the right page and following directions as a class.

At center times at the end of the day, we learn through play. This week we begin rotating center groups with a visit at two teacher stations. We give some students extra help to catch up and some students extra challenges at center time, with the aim to meet the needs of each child.

Our class is still learning about areas in the classroom and how to use them, managing new tools and learning new routines. We will discuss why we need rules at school and our class for some ideas on how we can all stay safe, learn and have fun. We will learn how to solve problems, make good choices and be respectful. These are all great social studies standards to address at the beginning of the year.

Our art project for the week will highlight the work of Winslow Homer. We'll learn what a horizon line is and practice using watercolors.

Mrs. Arnold will be helping us understand and appreciate music through song and beat. 

This week we'll introduce library and tech time in the classroom. Students will learn how to use our classroom library and enjoy a book with a friend. We will model a writing app that's on our iPads and pairs will practice good writing skills with a partner.

It's a short week, but we know it will be full of good learning and fun. We love this class!

Mrs. Luoma