The first full week of school!

Camp Kindergarten has started off great!  We have learned so much already!  Thank you all for getting your child to school on time so we can begin as soon as the bell rings!  It really helps your child to begin their day on the "right" foot.

The class has learned quickly how to get peanuts in our class bucket!  They are doing great working as a team in our campsite!  When the bucket is full, we will have a class party!

I have sent several notes home about "happenings" in our classroom or information on what's coming up in either their daily folder or their Friday folder that went home on Friday.  Please check these folders when they come home.  It shows your child that what they do at school is important.  I have noticed that most of the daily folders are coming back with initials under the leap pad.  Thank you for checking to see how well your child is doing behaviorally at school.  Let them know you are proud of them for following directions and listening by ending on "green" at the end of the day!  When they see you acknowledging their green each day, they will continue to be proud of their day!

Our Reading Program is called "Rigby".  Every two weeks we have a theme that we learn about.
Our first theme is called:  Faces and Places at School.
The first story is:  "Is this my Classroom?"

We will take a tour of our school to find important places and people to know about such as the Nurse's office (Nurse Amanda), the office where the secretaries "live" (Mrs. Bolan and Mrs. Toland), the Principal's office (Dr. Frye), our school improvement specialist's office (Ms. Woerdehoff), and the counselor (Mrs. Schierts).
Theme vocabulary:  students, principal, school
Comprehension:  making connections with what we know already
Letter of the week:  Mm (the action is putting one fist on top of the other and "mixing" while saying the /m/ sound.
Phonemic awareness:  word awareness (pointing to the words as we read) (make sure I'm pointing to the words in my new paper "Mm" book)

Color of the week:  Red  (wear red on Wednesday!)
Sight words:  the, a (we are learning that "a" is a letter, but it is also a word) Look for flashcards coming home on Friday with the 1st quarter sight words on them.  Please begin reviewing the words as we learn two each week.

Envision Math is our math program.  Each day we will have a math worksheet that we will do together as a class.  If anyone is struggling on the concept, I will try to put a note on their math for you to review it with them.  It is always good to review with them each day anyway so you know how they are doing individually.  

This week we are counting and writing numbers to 5.  Your child will have a math packet sent home for homework on Friday to practice writing 1, 2, 3.  Please make sure your child is starting their numbers at the top, not at the bottom.

Math homework!  We will have math homework at times.  I w ill usually give it on Fridays to have time to complete it over the weekend or I'll let you know the date it is due.  Please read the directions to your child so they understand what to do.  It will be a review of what we are doing in class.  I do want all homework returned when it is due.  If it is a daily math sheet that we didn't finish in class, it will be due the next day.

Handwriting Without Tears is our writing program.  We will be learning that letters and numbers are made with "big line, little line, big curve, little curve". This will be the handwriting vocabulary we use when writing letters and numbers.  ALL LETTERS AND NUMBERS START AT THE TOP!  Please watch your child when writing and make sure they are starting at the top.  Each child will be using a "helper" gripper on their pencil.  This will help them use the three finger grip that develops good handwriting, with the thumb, pointer finger, and tall man finger.

Parent Information Night!  I hope to see you all Thursday at 6:30 in my classroom to learn all about Camp Scott Kindergarten!  This is a Parent only night, so you can focus on the plethora of information about Kindergarten.  If you are unable to make it, I will have a packet of info. for you to go through at home.  Please let me know if no parent can make it.

Coming up!
Aug. 25       Parent Info. Night at 6:30
Aug. 31       Wear Yellow today!
Sept. 1         Apple Day Planning Meeting @ 4:15 in North Activity Center
Sept. 5         Labor Day, no school
Sept. 7         Wear Blue today!
Sept. 14       Wear Green today!

Here's some first day pics. of Camp Scott Kindergarten!