Mrs. Hanson, the other kindergarten teacher, and I have decided to combine our classes to put of a very short (15 minute) performance of Christmas songs in sign language. The show will be held in the gym at 1:45 pm on Tuesday, December 22nd. It would be nice to have some cookies and punch after the show so we can chat afterward. I may be calling some of you and asking if you can bring something on that day. Since the show will not take us to the end of the regular school day, you will be able to take your child home as soon after the program as you wish.

Today we used our fingers to practice writing our letter of the week, F, onto a partner's back. We used mini whiteboards to write our new word "for," as well as other words from the word wall. We fed sound muncher all sorts of crazy things, including a firecracker and fire--he exploded!

We reviewed what the setting of a story is and then students worked in pairs to look at pictures in unfamiliar books to determine the story's setting. Instead of writing today, we talked about ideas and how an author conveys the idea behind the story by using words or pictures. Students worked in pairs again to elaborate on a given topic.

In math, we reviewed the less than and greater than signs and the number line. Students got out their number cards and laid them on their tables from zero to eleven. In their journals, students wrote the numbers zero to ten in order.

Parents, I forgot to put a reading minutes table at the bottom of the newsletter. I have since added it and you can go back to the class web site and access the corrected newsletter. You are also perfectly welcome to simply handwrite your child's reading minutes on a piece of scrap paper. Please remember to write your child's name on the paper. ;)

*Book orders and library books are due tomorrow.

Wow--we accomplished a lot in half of a day! We began the day by practicing sign language with Mrs. Hanson's class. We are working on Christmas songs, color songs, the Pledge of Allegiance, and basic finger spelling. Students went to the library as usual. During centers, Mrs. Ross helped students put paint hand prints onto a drawing of a tree. Our "thankful tree" is hanging in the hall for you all to see when we come back to school on Monday.

After centers, we reviewed the plus and minus signs, used cubes to add and subtract, and checked our answers on the interactive whiteboard. Next, we played musical chairs. I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving place mats that went home today. I know that I treasure those items that my own children made when they were young. It's fun to bring them out each year and marvel at how much their writing and drawing changes from year to year.

I'm finally posting a video of Courtney reading the B book that I had trouble posting earlier. I hope all of you have a relaxing holiday! See you on Monday!

Sorry to get to the blog so late. Happy birthday Ellen! We enjoyed your cupcakes! Don't forget that we get out at noon tomorrow and that there will be no sign club. Book order forms went home in Monday envelopes today. If you wish to place an order, please return the completed form by next Tuesday, December 1.

We started the day by talking about the meaning of Thanksgiving and the things each of us is thankful for. Students interactively wrote some of the things they are thankful for and we added them to a large tree in our room. Tomorrow, students will add hand prints to look like the leaves on the tree.

Guided reading today was the same for each group. They read the small book Thanksgiving Dinner that went home today. As your child reads the book to you, please remind them to point to the words as they read and if they can't remember a word, remind them to sound it out.

Tomorrow is library day. Please send your child's library book to school if you haven't already done so. Have a good evening!

I've ignored this site for the day because Mrs. Wheeler and I have been working on a blog for the sign language club. Check it out http://roseparksignclub.blogspot.com/. There's also a link to it on Rose Park's web page.

We started a new project today! From now on, every Tuesday and Thursday mornings Mrs. Hanson's class will join us to learn sign language. Today, we taught them the Pledge of Allegiance, the red and blue songs, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It was fun to have all of the kindergarteners together for a group lesson.

Mrs. Hoy came back to continue her writing lesson. Students divided a sheet of paper into fourths, drew four foods they like, and wrote the names of each food under the picture. Tomorrow, students will choose one of those foods to use in a sentence.

Our math work today was to trace and cut out a corn cob and to cover it with tiny squares of paper. Each column of squares had to be an AB pattern. This was the third day of having reading groups during center time. One of the groups I worked with identified the word "see." Another group learned the word "said" and learned about quotation marks.

Mrs. Swan taught an interesting lesson on Cree traditions. Students brainstormed what types of traditions they have, such as carving pumpkins for Halloween or eating pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. We saw a picture of the Cree written language and discussed how different it is from English. After lunch, we looked at a book of Chinese symbols and learned that a single symbol can represent an entire word--very different from English!

Mrs. Hoy, a district reading coach, taught a reading/writing lesson. Students read a poem about foods and interactively wrote the names of some foods. Tomorrow, Mrs. Hoy will be back to help the students compose their own list of favorite foods, which we will compile into a class book.

In math, we made a human number line, reviewed greater than and less than, and counted by 2s, 5s, and 10s. I interviewed our soon-to-be birthday girl, Ellen...

Here's Nick talking about his favorite computer game...

I must begin by apologizing to Nick. I recorded him talking about his favorite computer game, and then didn't bring home the file. I'll post it in the morning. We had a good day. We did a lot of work on sounds--identifying where they are within a word, stretching words, and blending sounds. I gave students a simple dot-to-dot, with numbers 0 to 10, to complete for their morning work. I was surprised by how few of them knew how to do it. I'll be sure to do more dot-to-dots.

In math, we learned the greater than and less than symbols and compared numbers. Students worked in pairs to put plastic chips onto a 10-frame. They learned that if they had more chips than spaces on the 10-frame, their number was greater than 10. During centers, I pulled reading groups to the back table. We're working on pointing to words as we read them. It is very important that students learn one-to-one matching before we get too far in reading. The books we use in the beginning are very simple and repeat a lot, and I need to know that they recognize the individual words and are not just memorizing the pattern or repeating what the person beside them is saying.

We are reviewing the letter A this week, focusing on the short a sound. Today, students practiced identifying where in a word they heard the short a sound--beginning, middle, or end. They practiced writing the upper and lowercase A.

In math, we did a worksheet which required students to count and to follow directions.
After recess, we played musical chairs. It was good practice for naming the number that is one less.

I told students about the Leonid meteor shower that will be visible early tomorrow morning, weather permitting. I hope to get outside and see it for myself! Have a good evening! Don't forget that we have library tomorrow. Our basket looks like many students have already returned their books.

We had a very artsy morning! Students made paper plate turkeys. They had to trace and cut out 6 feathers. Those who finished early also had the opportunity to make paper bag owls. Both projects turned out really cute and I'm sorry I didn't have my camera with me, but I'll try to remember to post photos on Monday.

We read a really cute counting book after lunch called Christopher Counting. For math, I gave each student a mini white board and dry erase marker. On the easel, I wrote 10 Xs and asked students to write the number 10. Next, I erased an x and asked students to write the number of remaining Xs. We kept going until there were none, so students got some practice counting and writing numbers 0 to 10.

We read the book Ten Black Dots to reinforce our letter of the week and the counting practice we've been doing. In this counting book, we are given examples of how black dots can be used. One black dot can be the moon, two black dots can be the eyes of a fox, three can be the face of a snowman, etc. I gave each student 10 black dots to turn into something.

I am teaching my class the same songs we're working on in sign language club. They are having fun learning the signs for Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We will have a program just for our families right before the Christmas break so you can see how adorable they are as they sign in unison.

The light rain/snow inspired students to stay inside during afternoon recess to work on a group art project. I put a huge (6 ft x 2 ft) sheet of paper on the floor and told them they would have to work together to determine who would color the sky and who would color the ground, houses, etc. They did a pretty good job of getting along and sharing the space around the paper.

We started a new social studies unit on how to be a "handy helper." Students brainstormed ways they could be helpful in the classroom, on the playground, in the lunchroom, etc. I have given certificates to all staff members and informed them that if they see a kindergartener doing something nice for someone else or being helpful in any way to give the student a handy helper certificate. Students were told that they could not ask for a certificate by announcing their good deed, but must be "caught" being good.

We practiced counting to and writing the numbers 7 and 8 and introduced the numbers 9 and 10. Any opportunity you have to count things with your child, please do so. We're working on counting from left to right, just like we read, so that students can keep up with which things they have counted and which ones they have not counted. We need to help them learn to organize data.

This morning we watched Mrs. Paulson's class put on a play. The kindergarteners were a great audience and earned a popcorn point toward their next party. Students used mini whiteboards to practice handwriting. It seems that we have lots of students forming their letters incorrectly. I am adding a link to a D'Nealian handwriting website so that you can see the method taught at school. http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/ingram/Information/dnealian.gif

In math, students used plastic counters to practice adding and taking away numbers. We learned the "take away" or "minus" sign. Students were shown how to use a calculator and each student got to use a calculator to practice adding and subtracting numbers.

Before I forget, I must remind you all that tomorrow night is the PTA meeting. It will be at 7pm in the library. Also tomorrow are picture re-takes. Thank you all so very much for purchasing every last book at the book fair that was on my wish list. You all are so generous!! We read Splat the Cat today, since the words in the title ended with our letter of the week -- T.

This morning we had our popcorn party to celebrate good behavior. We watched a Magic School Bus video on energy while we gobbled up our popcorn. Tomorrow morning we will go into Mrs. Paulson's room to watch the 1st graders perform a play. It should be a fun day.

The November 9th class newsletter has been posted to the class web site. Scroll to the bottom of the site to find it.

Today in science we talked about the light we see during the day and at night. We learned that the moon does not generate it's own light, but reflects light from the sun. We learned that the hotter something is, the brighter it is. Students read their B books to three peers, assembled and read, "Bears, Bears, Bears," and completed a letter B worksheet. We read, The Three Little Pigs, then did a sound matching game in which we listened for beginning sounds, ending sounds, and rhymes. Below are more videos of your sweet children.

Thank you all for coming to conferences Wednesday and Thursday. It was so nice to be able to share your child's accomplishments with you and to learn a little about your family. If you haven't noticed it, I put a link to Ian's family's Christian rock band on this blog, on the left side. Check them out--the name of the group is Servant28!

As promised, here are the videos of students sharing their picture stories yesterday. I had trouble loading them last night, so I hope it works this morning.

Your child brought home two new word carts to add to their bag of practice words: but and I. I decided to write the words this time because the cards they made last time were difficult to read.

Today we talked about how pictures tell a story. We looked at some wordless books and decided that we could still determine the basic story. I gave students a sheet of paper with a magazine picture on one side and on the blank side of the paper asked them to draw what might come next. Students shared their picture stories on the rug--only if they wanted to! Some wanted to share theirs on video, which I will share tomorrow.

Even though it was a short day, we accomplished a lot. We reviewed nouns today, and then I gave students magazines and asked them to cut out a person, place, or thing. We came back to the rug to tape the pictures under the appropriate heading on a chart. We ended up with lots of people, a few things, and no places, so we went through a magazine together until we found at least 2 places. One "place" picture that we found was a bathroom. Since the picture had people in it, we wanted to make sure we noticed the place, so we interactively wrote the word "bathroom" under the picture. We played one round of Ticket Tasket before Social Studies.

In Social Studies, students created pictures of their faces using paper plates and miscellaneous art materials (pasta, yarn, paper scraps, wiggly eyes). While we let the glue dry, I gave students white construction paper cut into the shape of a speech bubble and asked them to write what makes them smile. The most common response was, "My family" (spelled phonetically as "mi"). They are on display in the hall, so make sure you take a look when you come for your conference. They're really cute!

We went onto the ASLPro website today and learned some signs for zoo animals. First, you click on a picture, then a person demonstrates the sign. After learning all the animal signs, we clicked a button and the person did a sign and students had to point to which animal it was. Not everyone got a chance to come to the board today, so we'll learn some more signs in the same manner tomorrow.

Have a great evening. Early out (at noon) again tomorrow and Friday.

Sorry to disappoint you--no videos today. I will try to get a couple on here tomorrow. I'm busily getting ready for conferences. Don't forget that we get out at noon tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday so that I can meet with each of you.

I think the students are really beginning to put things together now. Today was the first day I saw more than one student independently sound out a word they wanted to spell. I gushed to them about how extremely proud this makes me. I am also proud that today they earned enough points to have another popcorn party! Those points are earned when another teacher or staff member notices their good behavior and comments on it--how quietly they go down the halls, how polite they are, etc. It's a big deal!

In sign language club, this class really stands out. They already know so many signs and can read finger spelling extremely well. I ended the day with a big smile on my face, thinking about how much they have learned in only 47 days. I bet you parents are beaming, too! Your kids are brilliant little stars.

We have some videos that will tell you what we did today...