News from the Jungle

This newsletter will cover the last two weeks of learning we have done in class. We have been having a lot of fun over the last two weeks! I hope you enjoy this information and the pictures!

Here are pictures from our Halloween party:

Upcoming Events

11/2 Half Day – dismissal at 11:40am

11/5 – 11/9 Book Fair (Tuesday is family day and Thursday is family night – Note coming home on Monday with more information)

11/6 No School – Election Day!

11/9 Picture Retake Day

11/16 Haigh School Store

11/21-11/23 NO SCHOOL!!!!

11/30 Popcorn Sale

Agenda for the Week

Reading and Writing: We learned the letters  G, H, S, and t and focused on the sound of each letter. The children brainstormed items that begin with each letter and completed activities which helped them find, identify, and write these letters.

We have been learning about verbs over the last two weeks. The children learned that a verb is an action word or something they can do. They love participating in our verb rap song.

This is the video we use in class to help the children understand nouns, adjectives, and verbs:

Here is a video which promotes letter recognition of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as, letter sounds.

Please remember to watch the How-To videos which I have made to help your child at home with name practice, letter recognition, and letter sound acquisition.

If your child already has mastered these skills, feel free to watch the sight word video or reading comprehension video to help your child continue their academic growth.

Math: We continue to work through the math curriculum and the concept of addition by talking about groups of numbers and counting how many we have all together. We have been focusing on the concept of “one more.” The children really love learning how to add. Below are some videos that we use to help the children understand “one more” or “+1:”

The children continue to practice graphing and tally marks!

For the tally marks we say, ” 1, 2, 3, 4, number 5 shuts the door. 6, 7, 8, 9, number 10 draws the line.” This helps the children to remember when to make the diagonal line.

At home, please practice writing numbers 1 – 20 with your child. They should be practicing how to recognize these numbers, as well as be able to write them. Counting objects with one-to-one correspondence is another skill you can work on at home. You may do this while you are giving your child a snack. If you give them grapes for a snack, have them count the grapes one at a time, while moving the grapes from one side of the plate to the other side of the plate.

Below are great videos on subitizing that we use in class:

Here are a few math videos to promote number sense at home:

Below are 2D and 3D shape videos:

Science: The last two weeks we began discussing the concept of push and pull. We have learned that sometimes we can push and pull the same object. The children have completed different activities to help them understand push and pull.

We also continue to learn about positional words. These are words such as in, out, on, off, below, above, etc. The children have completed many games and activities to help them understand the position of objects. These words will also help the children expand their writing during writer’s workshop.

Housekeeping Items:

Headphones: If you have not yet sent in a pair of headphones for your child, please do so as soon as possible. We will be getting on the computers in our room each day, and I would like to set up some routines and procedures for the children to follow using their own headphones during technology time. We ask that you send in a pair of headphones because it is more sanitary for all the children and helps to decrease the occurrence of things such as lice, as well as other things.

Winter Apparel: Please work with your child at home on how to independently put on and take off their own fall and winter clothing items. Thank you!

Name Practice OR Letter Practice

If your child is struggling with writing their name and other letters, it is important that you work with them at home on this skill. We are spending time in class working on these skills, but will be moving on quickly and if your child is struggling to form letters, they will struggle to complete their work. Here is a great resource for handwriting practice: https://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/printdots/index.htm

Snack Time

Please be sure to put the snack in a separate place from their lunch. Please show your child where you will put their snack each day in order to foster independence for them. Sometimes, when the snack is packed inside the lunchbox, the children try to eat their whole lunch at snack time. Thank you for your assistance in separating your child’s snack and lunch.

Snacks should be healthy to provide the children with energy for their day. Please send a simple snack such as fruit, vegetables, cheese, and crackers. Please do not send candy as a snack. Juice and milk are not allowed in our classroom. Please do not send any kind of juice box or milk with your child for snack time. The children may have the juice or milk for lunch in the cafeteria.

ALLERGY ALERT: We have nut allergies in our room. Please make sure that you are not sending any snacks which contain any nuts. Our room is NUT FREE!

Folders

Please make sure to empty the folder each night! It is very difficult and time consuming to locate homework or important notes when the folder is full of papers from the day before. Please be sure to send the folder to school each day. It is a big part of our arrival and dismissal routines and the folders help the children keep all of their papers organized.

Change of clothes

Please send in a change of clothes (pants, shirt, underwear, socks) in a gallon bag with their name clearly written on the baggie. My most frequent call home is to ask for parents to bring a change of clothes to school. Even the most disciplined children have accidents at school sometimes. We have so much fun during the day that sometimes the children do not want to stop to use the bathroom when needed. Not only do bathroom accidents happen, but sometimes the playground equipment is wet or the ground is muddy. Having a change of clothes at school makes it easy for me and for you to help your child feel clean and comfortable in the quickest way possible. We will leave the baggie of clothes in their locker at school.