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!

November 4-8

Important News:

• Don't forget that there is no school on Tuesday, November 5th!
• Tuesday, November 19 is Dads and Donuts!  Dads or a special guest are welcome to come and share a doughnut with your child before school. 
• Tuesday, November 14 is Picture Retake Day.

Language Arts
We will be learning about bears through both fiction and non-fiction books.  We will be comparing and contrasting the stories.  We will continue to discuss how we know if a book is fiction or non-fiction.

Sight words have also been a focus.  Please continue to practice the sight words at home.  If you child is very fluent (can say it quickly), then move on to the bonus sight words that come home monthly.

During writing workshop, we will be writing a sentence about where bears live in the winter.  We have been working hard on chopping apart the words to hear all of the sounds.

Math
We have been learning the combinations that make 5.  Also, we are working on becoming fluent within 100.  We will be playing several games this week that reinforce these skills.  We are also reinforcing recognition of the teen numbers.

Homework

• Counting to 100--Practice saying the name before and after a given number.
• Try writing a sentence at home.  We tell our students they cannot say "How do you spell..." instead they can say "Can you help me chop?"  Help your child chop out the words that they are writing.  

October 28-November 1

Important News

• No School on Tuesday, November 5
• Please practice zipping coats!  

Language Arts
This week we will be reading fiction and non-fiction books about bears.  We will be focusing on the skill of sequencing.  What happened first, second, third, and at the end?

Another skill we will be focusing on is positional words.  (on, under, beneath, in, above, etc.)

Don't forget to send back your "book in a bag" so that your child can continue to practice reading!

Math
We will be doing several activities where the children will be practicing the number combinations that make up 5.  We will also be ordering numbers.  This activity involves putting number cards in order that are not necessarily in sequence.  For example, the cards they might have are 7, 4, 2, 9.  They would have to order the cards from least to most 2, 4, 7, 9.  We will continue to work on skills such as counting, number recognition to 20 and number formation.

Star Student

Each week a child in the class will be the Star Student!  This means that they get to bring a poster to school to share with the class all the very special things about them.   Also, the students can write about the star student during literacy centers.  Mrs. Gallucci's class is on Star #2, and Mrs. Haughey's class will begin next week!

October 21-25

Upcoming Events and Reminders

• Conferences are this week!  We look forward to talking with you about your child.
• Book fair will be open all week!  Wednesday, October 23 is Family Night 4:30-7:00 if you would like to come up to shop with your child.  
• Friday, October 25 is the Fall Festival Party.  Please send your child's costume to school in a bag.  We will get dressed right before the party begins.  Please refer to the party/costume guidelines that came home in the Miller newsletter.  Remember no extra treat bags allowed!

Homework

• Please practice tying shoes.
• Don't forget to have your child switch their book in a bag.

Literacy Center Switch

We have started switching for Literacy Centers.  Your child will be in either Mrs. Gallucci's or Mrs. Haughey's class for an hour and a half for literacy centers.  Ask your child about which room they are in for centers. 

 

Language Arts

We are writing to compose opinion pieces.  We write to tell how we feel about a topic.  For example, how do you feel about the fall?

We will begin a unit on the seasons and weather.  We will be reading both non-fiction and fiction books about these topics.  While reading these books, we will focus on main idea and comparing and contrasting.  We will also be writing about the things we see during each  of the seasons.

Math
We will be playing a game called Compare.  This math game is similar to the card game "war".  The person with the highest number card keeps both cards.  This will reinforce the skill of comparing two collections.
Also, we are working on learning domino patterns.  We want the students to be able to see a domino pattern (or dice) and recognize the number it is without counting the dots.  We will be using this when we teach addition.  We encourage working with dominoes or dice when working with your child at home.