Welcome to Kindergarten!

Our classroom learning centres will incorporate many areas of the kindergarten curricuTo all students, parents and lum and these centres include (subject to change): ABC/Writing, Discovery (Inquiry guardians, I would like extend a warm based), Building/Construction, Art Studio, welcome to a new school year at CenMake Believe, Technology, Numbers and Puztennial Central Public School. We are zles. looking forward to a great year filled with Math: For the next few months, we will focus exciting learning experiences for your on recognizing numbers from 1 to 10, counting orally to 10 (JKs) and 30 (SKs), simple patchild. My promise to you is that your child will leave kindergarten feeling suc- terns, data management (i.e., weather graphing, surveying the class) and more versus cessful! less. A newsletter will be sent home Arts: In our art studio, students will explore each month to give you an update on various tools and materials as they develop important events and topics we are learn- skills like cutting, tracing, colouring and pasting about. As well, I plan to use a secure ing. Depending on student interest and ideas, items will be placed at the art studio to Twitter account to give you a sneak peek certain provoke imagination and creativity. into our classroom. I will post pictures, Science/Technology: Students will learn samples of student work, website links rules and skills for using a computer, Smartboard and Ipad. They will explore various and much, much more. Please read the attached Twitter in our Classroom note materials for building (i.e., blocks) and be asked to draw or discuss the features of their to familiarize yourself with this process. designs. Students will observe living and nonKeep in mind that the Twitter account living objects to further develop their questionwill take the place of a class website as I ing techniques and observation skills (i.e., find it more user friendly and efficient for what do I see out the window? What do I know about it? What do I want to know?). communicating with you. Personal/Social Development: Our focus I would like to begin this school will be on building independence. Students year by introducing myself to you. As will work to develop an understanding that mentioned in my welcome letter, my there is only 1 Mrs. Graham and many of them! They will learn about dressing independently, name is Mrs. Graham and I am new to Centennial Central. I have been teaching considering the needs/wants of others, problem solving, hygiene, safety rules, as well as in primary for 7 years. This year I decid- movement games in the gym. ed to take a teaching job closer to my home and Im just thrilled to be joining What can you be working on at home? the Centennial Central family. I look forTying laces ward to working with your child this year. 1) 2) Buttoning and unbuttoning 3) Zippers Our Plans 4) Opening snack wrappers and containLanguage: For this month, our language ers program will be based around routines 5) Proper pencil/crayon grip (welcome and transition songs). You will 6) Cutting paper find these songs in your childs shared 7) Recognizing and writing name reading duo-tang. Teacher Instruction (uppercase letter to start and the rest and Learning Centres will focus on print lowercase) JKsfirst name SKsfirst awareness (i.e., what is a book, how do I and last name read it?), print concepts (i.e., name, up8) Review classroom rules percase/lowercase, phonological aware9) Dressing and undressing for outside ness (i.e., words vs. letters, space aware(i.e., putting on coat) ness, letter names/sounds, beginning 10) Sharing with others sounds in words, intro to rhyme) and 11) Ways to problem solve without tears oral communication (i.e., listening and (i.e. ask for help, choose another activiresponding to others, Special Me days). ty)

Welcome

Routines for the Year Establishing classroom routines will be the major focus in our classroom during September. Routines in the classroom lend to the overall success of the school year and ensure the safety of each child. The following routines will be part of our daily/weekly schedule: 1. Opening Exercises: These include changing shoes, hanging outdoor gear and backpacks properly on hooks, signing in at the Smartboard, finding our name at the carpet and choosing a quiet cuddle book until all students are at the learning carpet. We will listen to office announcements and sing our National Anthem (if applicable). 2. Student Communication books: I strongly believe that regular communication between the home and classroom is most important for your childs success. As mentioned, these books will be used a positive place to communication about your child and our classroom. I will do my very best to check every book, each day. There may be some busy, chaotic days where the book is not checked and I apologize for this in advance. A sticker will indicate that your child has had a successful day. Please initial your childs book. If I have any concerns regarding your child, I will phone you directly to discuss further. Please let me know, as well as the main office, if you will be picking your child up. Thanks so much for your support. 3. Home Reading Program: Each week, your child will choose a book to bring home. Please ensure that this be a very special and enjoyable event in your home. To start the year, you may choose to begin by reading the book to your child, and then have a) him/her go back and locate letters/ words that he/she already knows, b) him/her reread the story with you or independently, c) him/her retell the story back to you. We will be learning a number of reading strategies this year as we further develop our reading skills. Look for a list of these strategies to come home with your child when our home reading program begins in October. When you and your child have read a story, be sure to

indicating the title, date, and anything you are proud of (i.e., your child read the word the). Please make sure that your child brings his/her reading duotang and book back to school on their last day of school for the week so he/she can choose a new book. At the end of each month, I will calculate our book totals and post them up in the classroom in hopes of meeting our class challenge: to read 500 books. ** Note: You may also record books from home on your childs reading log. 4. Scholastic Book Orders: These orders will be made available to your child. The order forms will be sent home with each newsletter and I ask that the order and necessary funds (CHEQUE ONLY) made payable to Scholastic) be returned to me by the date indicated on the calendar. Scholastic accepts CHEQUE only. Please do not send cash. 5. News Bags: Your child will bring home a News Bag (nylon bag). It will include any letters from school. For the weekends, your childs Jolly Phonics book (letter review) and shared reading book (i.e., songs and other text from school) will come home. Your child should review the letters or catch up on missed letters that were completed in the classroom during the week. (PLEASE DO NOT WORK AHEAD.). Also, your childs journal may come home on certain weekends so you can see his/her progress in writing. Please send these back on your childs first day back to school after the weekend (i.e., Monday or Tuesday). These items will not come home until Sept. 19 or 20. If you wish to keep the nylon bag provided, please send $1.50 in a Ziplock bag, labelled with your childs name. 6. Special Me Day: Starting on September 16th, we will begin our Special Me days. When your childs name appears on the calendar, your child is to bring something from home to show and share with our class. The item your child brings must be related to family or friends (e.g., family photo, favourite family game, hobby or special interest, etc.). Use our Class Journal, your child will be expected to discuss his/her item and answer a few questions. Please practise at home! The class journal will come home with your child the day before their Special Me day. In this journal, they should draw a picture (with labels) to explain their item (you will see examples in the journal as a guide). Please encourage your child to use appropriate colours (i.e., grass is green) and detail (i.e., 5 fingers, 2 eyes). Help your child to label important parts of the picture: JKs try to use beginning sounds and SKs try to sound out most sounds in the word. 7. Star Student: Beginning in November, our class will have a special board to identify the Star Student of the week. Look for more information in the October newsletter regarding the responsibilities associated with being a star student.

How can you help?

Your support through out the school year is always much appreciated by your child and his/her teacher. Here are a few notes/reminders about ways to help: 1. We do not have desks with storage in Kindergarten, so we share all items within a caddy on our desks. For this reason, I ask that you do not send individual school supplies for your child. I do appreciate any donations of the following items so that we can replenish caddies as supplies are used up: - Ziploc bags (sm, lrg) - Craft supplies - Hand soap - Hand sanitizer - Twistables pencil crayons - Kleenex - Mini Markers - Coloured tape - Coloured card stock - Stickers - Coloured paper - Construction paper - Fun mini notebooks (Dollar Store) for writing centre ** Anything else you think we might be able to use :) 2. Indoor/Outdoor Shoes: Please be sure your child has indoor and outdoor shoes. Indoor shoes must be appropriate for the gym (ie. running shoes with white or clear soles). Please send Velcro shoes Keep practicing laces at home! 3. Healthy lunch and 2 snacks (NO NUTS PLEASE) 4. Book Donations: Learning to read is such a huge goal for Kindergarten. I try to keep my classroom library stocked with exciting books for kids. If you have any old books at home that you no longer use, I always accept book donations to our classroom library. 5. School Dismissal and Arrival: It is important to foster independence and develop school routines. If you are dropping off your child, I ask that you please say goodbye to your child before he/she lines up along the fence in the morning. Please remember that the schoolyard is only supervised from 8:50 am onwards. If you bring your child earlier, you will need to supervise until a teacher is out on yard duty. I greet the children at 9:05 am along the fence. Please do not send your child directly to his/her classroom. If you must leave your child at school before 8:50 am, please speak to the main office about our before school program . If you are late, I ask that you please bring

your child to the office to check in. If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, please go directly to the main office and let a Ms. Robb contact our classroom and your child will meet you at the office when he/she is ready. Thanks so much for your help! 6. Read and sign your childs communication book. 7. Label everything! With two classes sharing one classroom, personal items are easily mixed up. Please put your childs name on everything to avoid lost items. THANK-YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

Our Class Rules

Our class came up with the following rules together. They keep us safe and happy and we all follow them. 1) We raise our hands to speak. 2) Hands off other people. 3) Be a good friend (take turns, kind words). 4) Quiet voice in the school. 5) Walking feet in the school. Rewards: Pasta Moose, stickers. Consequences: Greet light (Green is Great), Yellow Light (uh-oh yellow warning), Red Light (Time out Red) ** Green is Great (sticker in book) ** Time out Red (multiple time outs in a day will result in a phone call home) ** Please discuss and reinforce these rules at home.

Sept. 16 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Sept. 27 Oct. 1

Special Me begins Meet the Teacher Night 5-7 pm Terry Fox run Pizza Day Home Reading Begins

TEACHERS MESSAGE: Kindergarten is a big adjustment, but I will do my very best to ensure your child has a wonderful experience! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school, or in your childs communication book. Thanks a million! Lets have a great year!

Dear Parents/Guardians, Over the summer, I spent some time researching a current method for structuring literacy in my classroom that fosters student growth in reading and writing, while giving many opportunities for independent thought and expression of ideas. Soon, you may hear your child talking about The Daily 5. The purpose of this letter is to fill you in on what The Daily 5 is all about so that you will have a better understanding of the literacy activities your child participates in at school. As stated in the newsletter, The Daily 5 is a way of structuring the daily Language block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks can have a big impact on student achievement in reading and writing. As well, my hope is that this program will further develop the independence and confidence of beginning readers and writers. The general flow of this program consists of explicit whole-class instruction and then students are given time to independently practice reading and writing while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of children. When The Daily 5 is running smoothly in a classroom, students are engaged in the following five daily activities: Read to self

Word Work There are very specific behavioural expectations that correspond to each Daily 5 component. Therefore, we will spend our first few weeks of school in training. We will build our reading/writing stamina, learn appropriate behaviours for each task and foster our classroom community. Keep in mind that early reading and writing skills may simply consist of looking at pictures, tracking text, recognizing sounds, drawing pictures with labels etc. Your child will continuously build on his/her existing skills from Kindergarten and gradually become stronger readers and writers. In addition, your child will be taught to choose Just Right books (The Goldilocks Method). These are books in which they find interesting, know most of the words and understand the story. Students will read these books during The Daily 5 time, which will enhance their independent reading skills. It is important that children have opportunities to choose their own books so that reading is a motivating and enjoyable activity! I am very excited to implement The Daily 5 in our classroom this year and believe it will be an enjoyable and positive experience for your child. Please think of our classroom as you visit garage sales or clean your childs bookcase. We would greatly appreciate used book donations to further expand the selection in our classroom library. If you have any questions, please let me know! I look forward to seeing many of you on Meet The Teacher night! - Jessica Graham

Work on Writing Read to Someone Listen to Reading

ALLERGY ALERT!
We have students with food allergies in our class (moderate to severe). Please do not send the following food items or foods containing these items in your childs lunch bag. Thanks so much for helping keep our classroom safe! - Peanuts - Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes)

ALLERGY ALERT!
We have students with food allergies in our class (moderate to severe). Please do not send the following food items or foods containing these items in your childs lunch bag. Thanks so much for helping keep our classroom safe! - Peanuts - Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes)

ALLERGY ALERT!
We have students with food allergies in our class (moderate to severe). Please do not send the following food items or foods containing these items in your childs lunch bag. Thanks so much for helping keep our classroom safe! - Peanuts - Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes)