August, 2008

Dear Parents, 

Hello from Kindergarten!  Throughout the year we will be doing units.  All our subject areas:  religion, music, reading, math, language arts, social science, technology etc. will center around a theme.  My intentions are to make learning real and relevant for your child--age and individually appropriate.

For the next few weeks we will be reading, talking, and doing various activities associated with SELF.  We will be focusing on the body, senses, likenesses, differences, safety, and communication.  Relevant literature:  I Like Me, Things I Like, Swimmy, Dandelion...  Thank you God for making me, me is a message which is transpired throughout our unit.  Take time to note special qualities within your child.  We're all very special and unique.

We will be using Weekly Reader throughout the year.  The news is current and very beneficial.  On every Weekly Reader there is a home extension activity which I encourage you to use.  It's located on the bottom of the last page.  PTU provides this for us.

Birthdays are celebrated in Kindergarten.  Treats are welcomed if you wish to send them.  Please do not send anything in with nuts due to allergies.  If your child already had a birthday this month, he/she may choose any day in the remaining days of August to celebrate.  Birthdays are a big deal in Kindergarten!  Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May or the first week of June (your child will choose a day).

I will be sending home your child's religion book for you to look over when we complete every two chapters.  Please return your child's religion workbook the following day.  We work in our books daily.

Please fill out all emergency forms in your child's folder and return them to school ASAP in your child's folder.  Your child will bring his/her folder to and from school every day. You'll need to check your child's folder every day for papers and I will do the same.  As your child gets use to Kindergarten and gains more responsibility, he/she will be responsible for the folder (handing papers to you and me).

Please read the first seven pages of your child's agenda book thoroughly.  It may answer many questions you have about our school.  Feel free to tear these pages out and post them in your home for reference purposes.  We will write in our agenda on a daily basis.  We will note the weather and other learned facts (letter of the week...) from our day.  This is a great tool to stimulate conversation about your child's day.

Your child will be learning the 100 most often used words.  We will cover two words/week.  We will write them in our agenda, put them on our word tree, and practice spelling/reading them daily.  We will also use these words in a sentence.  Your child will take home their sentence strip and practice with you.  You can cut the words up and have your child put the sentence back together...  Every third week (six words) your child willl have a Spelling Challenge which will take place on Friday.  I will record your child's progress, but there will be no spelling grade.  The idea is to manipulate the words in a fun repetitious manner so your child can master them and build his/her vocabulary.

Your child will also be bringing home a poetry book weekly.  Each poem represents the letter of the week (we go in alphabetical order).  We sing the poem, write the poem together, read the poem, clap sounds,  highlight the letter we're on at the beginning of each word, and illustrate the poem.  This book will enable your child to learn sounds, words, and match spoken words to print--READ!  He/ she will also come to the conclusion that sounds make words and words are put into sentences.  Punctuation covered:  period, question mark, and exclamation point.

Milk is .25 cents per day.  It would be helpful if you could pay weekly ($1.25/week).  Please put all money in an envelope with your child's name and circle milk/lunch.  School lunches will begin Sept. 10th.  Look for more information in your child's folder.

Going Home Procedure:  After school, walkers and bus riders go to the front school door.  Students getting picked up by parents will go to the gym and wait for parents to sign them out.

This is a lot to take in.  I'm looking forward to working with you towards the development of your child.  Together, amazing things will happen!  Please email me or a send a note with any questions/concerns.

Sincerely,