Mrs Sarafa's Class Blog

What We Did During Our Week:

This week we learned about the letters D and W! We introduced rhyming this week. Right now, all they are doing is listening for rhymes. They are not yet expected to be able to produce rhyming words. Rhyming is very difficult – so this is certainly something you can work on at home. Point out rhyming words whenever you may see them! This week they also started to make their own choice for Daily 5. This means they get to pick whether they want to go read to self, work on their writing, or practice word work. As they work independently I pull small reading groups to my table. Each reading group is getting their own spooky witch finger to practice crisp pointing with. Make sure at home you are practicing pointing under words as you read with your child. 🙂

We started taking our math test! I test each student one-on-one. As I am testing, everyone else is in math centers – we love math centers! For October’s math centers they get to….

• Roll a die and race to fill their cup with Halloween critters
• Count the room
• Practice filling tens frames with Halloween erasers
• Make their own monster and count the googly eyes
• Shape sorting mats

Other:

Monday was picture day – they all looked great!

Friday was our library day – every Friday we check out a book from the library. This book comes home and is returned the following Friday in order to check out a new book. Happy reading!

Friday we also met our big buddies!! We have buddied up with Miss Vuichard’s 4th grade class. We meet with our buddies every Friday for some fun activities. 🙂

A scholastic note came home in your folder today…

We have written a book together as a class – “The Halloween Spirit Dream”! Scholastic will be publishing our book and sending us a free hard-cover copy of the book – yay! However, we only get this free copy if all the parents in our room fill out the purchasing sheet and send it back to me. You are more than free to decline and check the box “no” on the bottom, but please sign and return on Monday in your child’s green folder in order to help us get our free published book. Each child has their own page in our book along with their own illustrations. They are oh so excited about becoming young, published authors. 🙂

Upcoming Events:

Friday, October 12th – ½ day for all students

Wednesday, October 17th – Late Start

Friday, October 26th – No School for Kindergarten Only

Wednesday, October 31st – School-wide Halloween Parade (parents may attend at 2:30pm)

What We Did During Our Week:

This week we learned about the letters C and X! We continue to talk about the parts of a book and what a character is. We introduced labeling this week. Most of kindergarten writing right now consists of drawing their story, rather than writing a story. However, we talked about how important it is to label our pictures that way the reader knows what they are drawing! We encourage inventive spelling right now – as long as they are making an attempt to write some letters/words that is all we are asking for. 🙂

See pictures below!

For math we started talking about how to break numbers up within 5. We practice saying sentences, like, “4 and 1 make 5”, etc. At the end of next week we have a math test!

Other:

As you have probably noticed, the little playground has been under construction – we will hopefully be getting some new equipment, but we do not know how long this construction will be. The back playground has also been under construction – new swings have been installed. 🙂

Monday is picture day! Kindergarten will be getting their pictures taken 1st thing in the morning, so please send your child in their picture day outfit, we will not have time for them to change first. A form came home in your child’s folder tonight if you wish to purchase their picture. Please fill out, enclose the allotted amount of money and return in their green folder on Monday. Thank you!

Tuesday is our kindergarten parent meeting! This will be in the media center:

Dear Families,

Kindergarten will be holding our parent meeting on Tuesday, October 2nd from 8:00 – 8:30am.  Please enter through the front doors and walk down to the Media Center.  Mrs. Venkso and Mrs. Fillmore will present our grade level procedures and expectations.  Mrs. Dimitriou and Mrs. Sarafa will present on Young 5 and Kindergarten homework. Come to the meeting and find out how you can help support your child’s learning at home! ☺

Sincerely,

The Y5 and Kindergarten Team

Upcoming Events:

Monday, October 1st – Picture Day!!

Tuesday, October 2nd – Kindergarten Parent Meeting 8-8:30am

Friday, October 12th – ½ day for all students

What We Did During Our Week:

This week we learned about the letters B and Y! We also talked about the parts of a book (front cover, back, title, etc.) and what a character is. For work on writing they wrote about a character of their choosing and made up a story for that character. We have also introduced “word work”. This is where students work independently on their spelling, letter recognition, and sight word recognition. Word Work has a lot of fun activities. See pictures below! They get to share their story to the class on our big screen once we are done working on writing.

For math we are will continue to work on counting to 5 fluently, starting at 1 as well as numbers in between. We also talked about sorting things into categories and breaking up the number 5 into smaller chunks.

Other:

Friday we took our NWEA math test on the computer and then had an assembly from the Detroit Red Wings! A few of our friends were picked to go up front as a volunteer. 🙂 Friday was popcorn day – popcorn gets sent home in a bag with students that purchased some in order to enjoy after school.

Upcoming Events:

Friday, September 28th – NO SCHOOL for Kindergarten only

Friday, September 28th – Movie night 6:30pm, actual movie starts at 7:45pm (Coco was the winner!)

Tuesday, October 2nd – Kindergarten Parent Meeting 8-8:30am (more information to follow)

What We Did During Our Week:

This week we learned about the letters A and Z! We watch a video on each letter, create a circle map together, read a story about the letter together, find the letter around the room, write the letter, and complete a ‘pop out’ accordion of things that start with each letter! We also introduced ‘work on writing’. For work on writing they may sit around the room anywhere they’d like and we write for 10 minutes (this duration will increase as the year goes on)! This week we wrote about if we made a house out of candy, our favorite food, and our favorite recess activity. Even though we don’t know how to spell yet, we practice writing for the whole 10 minutes independently. When they bring home their work, be sure to celebrate the fact that they are writing all on their own! They are doing an awesome job with this! We also continue to work on reading to self. 🙂

For math we are working on counting to 5 fluently with both counters as well as our fingers – the way we are teaching is to count starting with the pinky on the left hand first. The lessons in the book at home should match with what we are doing in class. These large math books are yours to keep at home. I do not need to see the completed pages.

Those asking about math seeds – I did find out how to add that to your child’s profile – it should be working now. Thanks for the patience! Math seeds is on the same site as readings eggs, and it is the little acorn icon.

Other:

It was great to see everyone at open house! If you are interested in helping out with our room in anyway, please fill out a google form under the “class info” page on the blog – thank you!! 

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, September 19 – Late start, arrival is 9:40am

Friday, September 28th – NO SCHOOL for Kindergarten only

What we did during the week:

This week we continued to get to know one another, our classroom, and our routines. We introduced our class pet! It is a hermit crab, and the kids have named him Snappy. 🙂 We also introduced “Read to Self”. They are reading for 5 minutes independently! We taught that there are three ways to read a book…

1. Read the words
2. Read the pictures
3. Retell a story

Friday we took our NWEA reading test, and we will be taking NWEA Math within the next 2 weeks. I will share out these results after both tests have been complete.

Next week we start our academics! We will be learning two letters a week, and starting our math curriculum. A math book will be coming home on Monday – this book stays at home. We do one lesson a day, starting with lesson 1. In addition, a homework packet will be coming home, There is one sheet per day with directions on how to complete each sheet. Please put the completed packet in your child’s green folder every Friday to be turned in.

A few reminders…

Please send your child in gym shoes on Tuesday and Friday –  they cannot participate unless they are in gym shoes.

If you could please separate their snack from their packed lunch this would make mornings much faster. Right  now some are trying to eat their lunch during snack time, or spending too much time rummaging through lunch boxes to pick out a morning snack. Find a pocket that is easily accessible for the snack – thank you!!

If your child does not know how to tie their own shoes please send them in Velcro, tying shoes takes up a lot of time.

Next Friday is a half-day for all students, pick up is at 11:40.

Thanks for your help and understanding!

They made it!! We have completed our 1st week of kindergarten, and they did great! Next week will be our 1st full week. Kindergarten dismisses everyday at 3:30pm, instead of 3:35pm. A lunch calendar came home today for buying. Please help your child know whether they are packing or buying. Knowing the difference between having a snack and having a lunch is quite confusing for them. Also, please ONLY water for snack – juice leaves the table sticky when spilled. Thank you for your cooperation and help!

This week we got to know one another, learned and practiced the routines of our classroom and overall are still getting used to being in school. We had a dance party, a welcome back assembly, and 2 specials – technology and music! Tuesday and Friday are our gym days – send your child in closed toe shoes these days, or else they will not be able to participate. They are all getting used to functioning with 23 other friends in the room now. This means learning to be independent, waiting in line, sharing, and listening to others. 🙂 We reference the following 5 rules in our classroom daily:

Do your best!

Be respectful

Be responsible

Be a friend

Keep your hands and feet to yourself

These are all things to reinforce at home, and to just have a discussion with them about. Below are some videos that we watched to help see what these rules do and do not look like. They are fun to watch and can lead into some great discussion! Overall they are doing great, and we will continue to work on our classroom family as the weeks go on. 🙂

Have a wonderful 4 day weekend!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVVNQ2q1D1s&t=25s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DZW9EkvtrI&t=39s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2IGE_5kOAY

Dear parents,

Welcome to our exciting Kindergarten at Haigh Elementary. For those of you who have a child entering the school system, specifically kindergarten for the first time, get ready! You will be amazed at the amount of learning that takes place. We are excited about our strong Kindergarten team. We have a great combination of talented teachers with qualities that complement and bring out the best in each other. We know from experience that parent involvement is essential to maximize the benefits the child gets from his or her school experience. We urge you to become involved by helping your child with homework and projects, joining our PTA, attending school meetings and conferences, volunteering in the classroom, talking with your child about his or her school experiences, and participating in your child’s education daily.  Please remember, you will need to fill out an ichat form (background check) if you would like to volunteer on field trips or in the classroom. Background checks take a couple of weeks to get cleared, so please complete this at the beginning of the year!  The forms are in the office.  Thank you!

We look forward to working together as a team – student, teacher, & parents – and having a successful year in Kindergarten.

Arrival Procedure

School begins at 8:35 am. The doors will be locked by 8:40 am. If you arrive late, you will need to go to the office and sign your child in for the day. Please do not knock on the kindergarten doors.

Dismissal Procedure

Dimitriou and Vensko: Dismiss from their classroom doors. Please do not come through the gate until the teacher opens their door.

Sarafa and Fillmore: Dismiss from door 7 off of Coburn Street. Please stand in the grass area, and we will dismiss your child to you when we see you. When parents stand in front of the doors it is very crowded and hard to navigate.

Dismissal for Kindergarten is five minutes earlier than the rest of the school. We will be at our dismissal door by 3:30 pm. If you are running late, please try to let us know. Any children not picked up by 3:40 pm will be walked down to the office to await your arrival.

Backpacks and Lunch Boxes

Be sure to put your child’s first and last name and room number on their backpack and lunch box. Remember to clean out your child’s backpack every night.

Folders

Green Homework folder:

Your child will have a Green Homework Folder that will come home with them daily. Please take a moment and look at the folder and empty it accordingly every night. Your child will need to return the folder the following day. I check each child’s folder first thing in the morning. Any homework, notes to me or to the office will be collected at that time. The goal is twofold: to foster a sense of responsibility within each student and to improve communication between teacher and parent. If you are sending in money for lunch or other things, please place it in an envelope labeled with your child’s name and what it is for.

Communication Log:  Inside your child’s green folder will be a communication log which will detail your child’s behavior, notes from the teacher, upcoming events, and homework check-in. Please initial the log after reading through the notes and removing all work from the folder.

Homework

The homework packet will be stapled together and have a cover page that includes directions on how to complete each page as well as a reading log. It is important to read with your child each night for 10 -15 minutes. The rest of the packet will include reading, writing, and math activities to reinforce skills that we have been learning in class. Your child will need your help to complete the homework, but please do not do the assignment for them.

Homework will be sent home on a weekly basis. Homework will come home every Monday and will need to be returned every Friday. If you are unable to turn in your child’s homework by Friday, we will accept the homework packet on the following Monday. After Monday, the homework packet will no longer be accepted. Homework will count as a grade for your child. Being accountable for homework and turning it in on time reinforces personal responsibility and prepares your child for academic success.

Lunch/ Snack

If your child is buying lunch, it is easier to load money onto their ID card by sending in cash or check in an envelope labeled with your child’s name and purpose of money (example: Katie Smith/Lunch Money). If your child will not be having hot lunch, please provide them with a bagged lunch daily.

Snack time is in the morning. Please send a HEALTHY daily snack for your child (i.e: fruit, crackers, yogurt, pretzels, veggies, etc). Please place the snack in a different compartment of your child’s backpack so it is easily accessible. Please DO NOT pack a juice box for snack time. Things often turn sticky when juice is involved. Water bottles are OK to bring to school, please label the water bottle with your child’s name. If you are unable to drop off a lunch for  your child, we will get them a hot lunch for the day. Their ID card will be charged for the lunch and you can pay the balance at your earliest convenience.

Birthdays

Birthdays are an exciting time of the year for you and your child. Because of allergies, medical conditions and promoting healthy eating habits; our class will be enforcing a non-edible birthday treat policy. Your child will be acknowledged the same way as before, but please send in only items that are non-edible; such as pencils, erasers, tattoos, bubbles, stickers, etc.  Please reference to the birthday note coming home as well.  Thank you!

Toys from Home

We ask that no toys be brought into school from home. Our classroom is filled with items to keep us busy, and lost or broken toys result in very sad feelings!

Change of Clothes

Please send in a change of clothes (shirt, pants/shorts, underwear, socks, pair of shoes) labeled, with your child’s name, in a gallon baggie. This will be kept at school in their locker in case of an accident (bathroom accident or wet/muddy clothes).

School Supplies

Please send in your child’s school supplies by the end of the first week of school. The sooner we get the supplies, the faster we can get into our daily routines. The pencil case, folders, crayons, glue sticks, hand sanitizer, headphones, and Kleenex are used daily. Please reference to the Kindergarten Supply List for all the supplies needed to start the year. These items help our classroom run more efficiently. Thank you for your donation!

Parent Interest Inventory Form

Attached is a “getting to know your child” survey. Please fill out, detach, and return by Thursday, August 30th along with the PG movie note.    We look forward in building a strong relationship with our students and families!  Thank you!

Sincerely,

The Kindergarten Team

Tomorrow is our end of the year celebration! Class T-shirts came home today – send your child in their T-shirt tomorrow! 🙂 Also, please already have their sunscreen on – I am not allowed to apply it for them. Parents are allowed to come to the party – but no siblings. The party will begin at 1:30pm and last until 3:15. You do not need to send your child with a backpack these last two days. Just themselves and their snack! Remember, Thursday dismissal is at 11:40am.

We had our class award ceremony today – pictures are below!

What We Did During Our Week:

This week we are “packing up our year in kindergarten” by making a suitcase full of memories of kindergarten! We will have these done next week so be on the lookout. We also did some sequencing with how to make an ice cream sundae and wrote an opinion piece on whether or not it’s possible to have too many toys.

Other:

It was great to see all of you at the ocean party! The kids did a great job and have worked so hard! They also got to share their projects with big buddies in the morning. The big buddies did some reviews of their projects. We will have one more celebration next week with big buddies to say good-bye!

Next week is our last PBIS – a water balloon fight! These are for students who have never flipped their card, even once!

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, June 13th – Kindergarten Celebration/Picnic

1:30pm – NO SIBLINGS ALLOWED – this event is for the kindergarten student only! Thank you!