Notes from Ms. Wright’s Kindergarten
November 2011
Thank you!
· for making our applesauce project so successful. Every student was able to follow the recipe, talk about the sequence of steps involved, and have a literally hands-on cooking experience.
· to everybody who sent in treats and who helped out during our Hallowe’en activities
Upcoming events:
Our Remembrance Day ceremony will take place at 10:30 on November 11th. You are very welcome to join us on this occasion. Other important events are:
November 7– Parent Council 7:00 pm
November 7–Reports Go Home
November 16– Family Literacy Night 6:00-7:00
November 16– MacMillians Pick Up 3:30-5:30
November 16 & 17– School Book Fair
November 21-25– Food Drive
November 22– Hot Lunch Orders Due
November 23– Milk Orders Due
Progress Reports and Interviews
Students Progress Reports will go home on November 7th, along with an appointment for you to come in and chat about your child’s progress. If you have a conflict with the scheduled meeting time, please let me know and we will reschedule.
Special Visitor:
This month we are very happy to welcome Meaghan White to our classroom community. Miss White is a teacher candidate from the University of Ottawa, and has already become a popular fixture in kindergarten. Gradually she will assume responsibility for teaching across the kindergarten curriculum. This is an excellent opportunity for your children to benefit from additional small-group instruction, and for Miss White to benefit from interacting with what I firmly believe is the World’s Best Kindergarten Class.
New programmes:
Word Work: Shortly we will be sending home a bag of high-frequency word cards with the junior students and new senior students. (Senior students who need new cards will receive them as well.) These are to encourage sight recognition, and the concept of arranging words into short sentences. A letter outlining tips and tricks for using this package will accompany your child’s word package.
What we’re learning:
In literacy, our focus is on initial and final sounds in words, and on finding rhyming words.
Word and letter recognition, along with printing skills, also continue to be a major focus. Many of the children are now counting to twenty (or well beyond), and are learning to sort objects into different categories. We are also working on ordering objects and on patterns this month. In physical education we are working on our throwing and catching skills. Because of the variety of flu and tummy bugs drifting around the school, we are very focused on hygiene (especially hand-washing) this month.
We will also be starting to rehearse for our part in the annual Christmas concert. While this may seem a little early, since the children are only in school on alternate days, we need to get a head start!
Kindergarten News
Toniata Public School
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From Mrs. Charbonneau's Desk
I am happy to hear that all students and parents had a safe and Spooktacular Halloween night! As we continue to focus on healthy eating and healthy food choices, I ask that Halloween treats be eaten at home.
Winter is definitely in the air and the cooler weather is upon us. Please ensure that students come to school with all the necessary outwear to keep them warm during recess times. When the snow arrives (hopefully not too soon), please make sure your child has an extra hat and pair of mittens packed in his or her backpack. Remember to LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!
Please remember that if at any time you need to contact me, I can be reached at the school (8am-4:30pm) or via email at johanna.charbonneau@ucdsb.on.ca
Some important Notes:
Toys at School– we have experienced a few minor conflicts around toys at school. I would prefer that toys from home stay at home. If your child does bring toys please label them with student initials or name. Leaving toys at home is the best way to avoid conflicts and unnecessary tears.
Winter Clothing– winter is fast approaching and snow suits will soon be required. Getting in and out of snowsuits can be challenging and time consuming for many kindergarten students. Please help your child practice at home, including putting on gloves and mittens.
Scholastic Book Orders– Thinking about Christmas? Books are always a super gift. Many great stories can be ordered at great prices. Book Orders are due November 9, 2011.
Food Drive-We will be collecting non-perishable items for the food bank from Nov 21-25.
Remembrance Day– our school Remembrance Day assembly will be held at 10:30 on Nov. 11 in the school gym. This is NOT a school day for our class, however students and parents are invited to attend.
Family Literacy Night– On Nov. 16 all parents are invited to attend our Family Literacy Night from 6-7pm. The school book fair will also be open during this time.
Progress Reports and Parent-Teacher Meetings– Students Progress Reports will go home on November 7th. Included with this progress report will be your child results from the WBTT screening tool and a Parent– Teacher Meeting day and time. If you have a conflict with the meeting time sent home please let me know and we will reschedule.
Our Learning…
& Literacy– Letter knowledge and letter sounds will continue to have center stage this month. Students will also learn about making predictions while reading and rhyming words. Playing rhyme games and singing rhyme songs like “Down by the Bay” will support this learning.
Ê Mathematics– This month we will continue to look at numbers to 30. Counting regularly and seizing opportunities to look at and identify numbers will help strengthen this knowledge.
K Science– Students will participate in explorations that involve simple machines. We will experiment with gears, ramps, levers and incline planes. We will generate hypothesis, test our ideas through hands on experiments and record our observations.
‚ Social and Personal Development– Our focus this month is on appropriate interactions with peers. We will be discussing and reinforcing how to positively communicate our feelings to each other in a variety of situations. We will also focus on listening to what others are telling us about our actions.
Some important Dates:
November 2 - Photo Retakes
November 7– Parent Council 7:00pm
November 7– Progress Reports Go Home
November 16– Family Literacy Night 6:00-7:00
November 16– MacMillians Pick Up 3:30-5:30
November 16 & 17– School Book Fair
November 21-25– Food Drive
November 22– Hot Lunch Orders Due
November 23– Milk Orders Due
Our School Fridays– November 4th and 18th
