January 20-31

Homework

• 100th day of school project--send to school on Friday, January 31.
• Please practice writing the numbers 1-20.

Important News

• 100th Day of Kindergarten Celebration will be on Friday, January 31.    We will be sharing our projects and enjoying a 100th day snack.  Please click on the link to the right under Topics "100s day Projects" for some examples of past student projects and the specific assignment.
• Report cards will be coming home on Friday, January 24.  
• We are in need of a few supplies for our classrooms.  If you would like to donate LARGE ziploc bags, tissues or baby wipes we would greatly appreciate your generosity!  Thank you!

Language Arts

• For the next three weeks, we will be learning about the ocean through several fiction and non-fiction books.  We will be focusing on the comprehension skills setting, compare and contrast and main idea.  When reading with your child at home, try asking them these types of comprehension questions.
• Writing--We are working on informational writing.  The class is continuing to practice writing using the developmental conventions (spacing, punctuation, beginning a sentence with a capital, spelling sight words correctly) and stretching out words to hear all the sounds (beginning, middles, end). 

Math

• We will continue working on becoming fluent within 5 (knowing what numbers go together to make 5).  We will begin working toward 10.  

January 6-10

Happy New Year!

FYI from the Lunchroom
If your child buys lunch or milk, you can send in a larger sum of money all at once ($5-10). We will apply it to your account and each time your student buys milk or lunch it will be deducted from that amount. If you choose this method, you won't have to send money in each day that your child is buying lunch/milk.

Supplies
The second quarter is coming to a close soon, and we are in need of a few supplies for our classrooms.  If you would like to donate LARGE ziploc bags, tissues or baby wipes we would greatly appreciate your generosity!  Thank you!

Cultural Heritage Project
The cultural heritage projects were amazing!  Thank you for sharing your culture with our class.  We learned so much about various countries (Germany, Italy, China, Ireland, Hungary, Ukraine, Costa Rica, France, Poland, and more!) around the world.  The children really enjoyed learning about the foods, flags, clothing, and watching videos of the different types of dance.  We hope that your child shared something they learned with you.

Winter Clothes
Winter is here and so is the snow!  Please pack an extra pair of gloves and socks in your child's backpack in case they get wet. Also, if you would like to keep an extra pair of pants and socks at school, please send them in a large ziploc bag with your child's name on it. We will keep them in our classroom in case your child gets wet at recess and needs to change. Thank you!

Language Arts
For the next two weeks, we will be learning about Antarctica through a non-fiction story called If You Could Go to Antarctica.  We will learn about the plants and animals that live there and other interesting facts.  Please ask your child what they know about Antarctica.  We will also be using the facts that we learned in our writing to persuade someone to travel to Antarctica.  Would you like to go?

Please make sure you send back the book in a bag EVERY day so that your child can choose a new one at his/her level.  Some children bring home the guided reading book and those MUST be returned the next day.

Please continue to work on the letter and sound fluency practice pages.  These are the pages where the children need to say the name of the letter or the sound of the letter in a minute.  We will be doing our winter benchmarking in the middle of January.  The benchmark for Letter Naming is 40.  The benchmark for Letter Sounds is 27 in a minute.

Math
We will continue to practice the activities and skills from previous weeks.  Please continue to practice the addition and subtraction flashcards to 5.

December 16-20

FYI from the Lunchroom
If your child buys lunch or milk, you can send in a larger sum of money all at once ($5-10). We will apply it to your account and each time your student buys milk or lunch it will be deducted from that amount. If you choose this method, you won't have to send money in each day that your child is buying lunch/milk.

Cultural Heritage Project
Please remember that your project is due by Monday, December 16 so that we can present them to the class that week.  We have already begun to share some of the ones that have been turned in.  The kids have really enjoyed learning about each country, finding them on the map, and comparing/contrasting them. It has been exciting to see the children share their knowledge with their peers and answer questions about their heritage. What a rich learning experience!

Have a wonderful winter break!  

December 2-6

Important News

• Winter is here and unfortunately that includes snow! Please pack an extra pair of gloves and socks in your child's backpack in case they get wet. Also, if you would like to keep an extra pair of pants and socks at school, please send them in a large ziploc bag with your child's name on it. We will keep them in our classroom in case your child gets wet at recess and needs to change. Thank you!  Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather!  
• Book orders--Mrs. Haughey's are due on December 2. Mrs. Gallucci's class are due December 4.  

Language Arts
The next three weeks we will be learning about cultures around the world.  We will be learning about the different homes they live in, types of transportation and the ways children get to school.  We will be comparing and contrasting what we have learned.  We will also be using the information we have learned to write in our journals.  We will continue to learn about blending and segmenting phonemes and medial sounds.

Please continue to work on your Cultural Heritage Project.  Please email us with any questions.  The projects are due on Monday, December 16.

Math
We will be solving story problems with and without manipulatives.  We will also be learning about place value.  For example, 34 means 3 tens and 4 ones.  34 also means 30+4.

Cultural Heritage Project

Dear Kindergarten Parents,

        As part of the new social studies state standards, each kindergarten student will have the opportunity to create and present a project depicting any part of his/her own personal culture/heritage.   The students also have the option of selecting a culture that he/she is interested in learning more about.  The project will be completed at home and should include the following elements:

·        Flag

·        Map of the region

·        Clothing

·        Music/Dance

·        Food/Recipes

·        Holidays or Special Events

·        Any other information of interest associated with the culture

The project could be completed in many different formats.  However, we highly recommend you use Google Presentation alongside your child.  You can:

·        Add pictures—digital camera, camera phone, google images (www.google.com/imghp)

·        Add video—digital video camera, smartphone, tablet, YouTube search

Please note the attached sheet that describes the ways to begin a google presentation and how to share it with your child’s teacher.

If you do not have access to technology, a poster is also an acceptable format for this project.  The completed project does not have to be elaborate.

 

        The completed project should be sent to school on Monday, December 16.  You can submit your project by sharing it to your teacher’s Google Apps account.  This process is fully explained on our attached guide.    Each child will have the opportunity to share his/her project with the class.  We are looking forward to this exciting social studies project.

                                                        Thank you,

Mrs. Haughey

Mrs. Gallucci

Creating a New Presentation

1. Click on the Create new button at the top-left of the page. Select Presentation from the drop down menu.
2. Add a title to your presentation.
3. Add a subtitle to your presentation. Type in your name. Example, if your name is John Doe, type "John Doe".
4. Click on the Slide button in the menu bar. Choose New Slide.
5. Choose the Text slide.
6. Give your slide a title.
   
7. Begin creating your presentation.  Add text, pictures and/or videos as you discuss each aspect of the country you chose.
    
8. When you  have finished your presentation, click on the View button on the top-left. Click Start Presentation. Watch your presentation.
9. Click the blue Share button in the upper right corner.  It will ask you to name your presentation and save it.
    

Now click invite people at the bottom.  type in either chaughey@aurora-schools.org or kgallucci@aurora-schools.org and then click share and save.  It will alert us in our email that your presentation is ready for viewing.  

November 18-22 and November 25 & 26

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are very thankful for wonderful families like you!  

• Important News
  • Winter is coming and unfortunately that includes snow!  Please pack an extra pair of gloves and socks in your child's backpack in case they get wet.  Also, if you would like to keep an extra pair of pants and socks at school, please send them in a large ziploc bag with your child's name on it.  We will keep them in our classroom in case your child gets wet at recess and needs to change.  Thank you!
  • Dads and Donuts is on Tuesday, November 19.  Dad or a special guest may come any time between 7:45-8:45 for a special breakfast of donuts, coffee, and juice. Please do not leave your child unattended or in the classroom prior to 8:50 am. Thank you!
  Homework
  
  • Practice tying shoes and zipping coats! Please make sure all hats, gloves, scarves, mittens, and snowpants are labeled with your child's name.
  
  
  Language Arts
  We will be reading several stories about Thanksgiving.  Our focus skill for the week is comparing and contrasting.  We will also be working on listening and writing the ending sound in words.  The students have been learning how to "chop" the words in order to hear each sound when writing.  We are working on writing a book about Thanksgiving!
  
  
  Math
  Our K-5 Math Coach, Mike Lipnos, is working with our classes from now until the end of the semester.  We are working on several activities to model addition and subtraction using manipulatives up to 10.  We are also introducing the symbols +, -, =.  

November 11-15

NEW LINK ADDED!
Please check out the new link added called "40 Awesome Number Activities".  Please visit our website www.kindernewsletter.blogspot.com to see the list of Educational Links.

Important News

• We are switching our classes more often now as we make flexible groups for reading, writing, and more! 
• Dads and Donuts is on Tuesday, November 19th from 7:45-8:45 am.  Dad or a special guest may join your child for a special breakfast of donuts, coffee, and juice.  Please do not leave your child unattended or in the classroom prior to 8:50 am.  Thank you!

Homework

• Practice tying shoes and zipping coats!  Please make sure all hats, gloves, scarves, mittens, and snowpants are labeled with your child's name. 
• Sight words
• Counting

Language Arts
We will be reading several stories about Thanksgiving.  Our focus skill for the week is comparing and contrasting.  We will also be working on listening and writing the ending sound in words.  The students have been learning how to "chop" the words in order to hear each sound when writing.

Math
Our K-5 Math Coach, Mike Lipnos, is working with our classes from now until the end of the semester.  We are working on several activities to reinforce the numerosity of five.  We are also working on number recognition, counting and dice patterns.

Have a great week!