K-3  Newsletter

                                          Mrs MacIntyre

Dear families,

September 29, 2017

I can’t believe it is the last day of September! The class has come a long way in just one month. We are still getting used to our schedules but I think everyone feels comfortable and happy and secure in their K-3 environment.

This week our letter of the week was “Dd”. Our tongue twister was “David and Dominique dance with Dalmations.”

In our Writer’s Workshop, we worked with our Being a Writer program. We read a great book called Titch. It’s message pertained to all the things small children can do and how there are many things they can do to help their family and friends even though they are little. We also read Leo the Late Bloomer, which explains in a sweet way how children grow at their own pace. A definite important message for children.  The students loved the book! I am excited to send home the September Writing Folders next week so they can share with you how hard they have been working.

In math, we are practicing writing our numbers 0-5. We are also counting by the number of days we have been in school and breaking it down into tens and ones. We also graphed our eye colors and found out which eye color is most common in K-3. We incorporate a lot of math and literacy into our Morning Meeting. Your child should be able to clap out the syllables in their own name and they have a good understanding of what a syllable is.

Thank you all for the donations of tissues and Lysol wipes. I will definitely put them to good use!

Enjoy your weekend. Keep sending in those awesome signs of autumn!

Sincerely,

Mrs. MacIntyre

 K-3 Newsletter

                   Mrs. MacIntyre

Dear Families,

September 22, 2017

Happy Autumn!

We are began our science unit Trees and Weather so that was a perfect introduction to the unit. We labeled the parts of a tree and we also learned some new vocabulary. We learned about Conifers and Hardwood trees and are learning how to recognize their differences. If you have time, discuss with your child what you notice about the trees this fall. Maybe you have a tree in your yard that you could pay special attention to. Observe its trunk and branches and the changing color of the leaves if you can. Also maybe you can find an evergreen and notice how it is different than other trees.

On Wednesday we also visited Makerspace. Makerspace is a room upstairs that has many different materials that the students can explore and create with. This was our third week in Maker’s Space and the class as a whole loves it!  There are blocks and nuts and bolts that the students can use to create a variety of structures and moving creations. Students experiment and figure out how to put things together on their own  with no specific goal in mind other than to just create. It is a great opportunity for learning.We will go up every Wednesday throughout the year.

In math, we worked on writing our numbers 0-5. I also introduced 5 frames. The students are learning to color in the correct amount of squares to the corresponding number ( up to 5).

Next week, I will begin sending home out Wednesday homework. It should not be hard for your child. If they become frustrated about doing it or struggle with it, PLEASE do not worry about completing it. Send it back to me with a note and I’ll work with them. I would prefer that  kindergarten students not get  frustrated with homework at this early age. Thank you in advance.

Our letter of the week was “Ee”. Our tongue twister was “Elizabeth and Ethan eat eclairs.” We even learned what an eclair is!

We are making great gains already in our Writer’s Workshop program. The students are becoming more familiar with their letters and sounds

through the Wilson picture cards that we review every morning. You should be very proud.

Thank you all so much for coming to Open House on Tuesday. Your children really enjoyed the notes you left them. I appreciate all your support.

I hope your child is enjoying kindergarten and that if you have any questions you know that I am here.

Keep sending in your signs of fall.. our fall table looks great!

Have a nice weekend.

Sincerely,

Mrs. MacIntyre

** class wish list… Kleenex and Lysol wipes

                        K-3 Newsletter

                       Mrs. MacIntyre

Dear families,

September 15, 2017

Happy Friday! The students had a lot of fun this week and seem to adjusting well into our routine. As I said, there is a lot for a new kindergartener to learn about and we will take one day at a time getting to know one another and learning our routines. Already, I see the students understanding how predictable our schedule is and when they know what is coming next, they feel confident and ready to learn. If your child is still a little nervous and apprehensive about school, don’t worry, it is perfectly okay. By the end of the month we are usually in great shape! Thank you for returning the blue folders everyday, I greatly appreciate it. I use these to send home any notes or work that your child has done. Next week, I will send home a little homework. I only send homework home ONCE A WEEK. It is always sent home on at Wednesday and it is almost always pertaining to math.

As the year progresses, usually around November, I will begin sending home little reading bags for you and your child. Most importantly, I encourage you to read to your child every night. Make it fun, short and enjoyable!

In class, we have begun our Being a Writer program which intertwines literature and writing. This is something we do everyday and it is a very structured and FUN part of the day. Each week we will also focus on a letter of the week. We learn them in the order of the way they are formed per our Handwriting without Tears program. Our first letter was “Ff”. Our tongue twister which went along with the letter F was, “Felicia and Freddy follow funny footsteps.” Practice with your child at home! Every week your child will learn a tongue twister that goes along with the letter of the week.

In math, we are exploring our BIG Go Math workbooks as well as learning about shapes, numbers 0-5 and left and right. We also voted on what our class frog..(not real) should be named, ask your child what the winning name was, they should be able to tell you.

Next week, we will begin our ongoing science unit about Trees and Weather. If you happen to see any signs of fall this weekend..( acorns, leaves changing color.. Or anything else) please bring them in and we can put them on our fall table.

In class we also made a K-3 class rules chart together. It has 3 rules:

                                    

                            BE KIND
                           RAISE YOUR HAND
                  WORK HARD AND DO YOUR BEST

Please note  OPEN HOUSE is Tuesday, September 19th from 6-7pm

This is an opportunity to check out your child’s classroom and meet their teacher.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Mrs. MacIntyre

               K-3 Newsletter  

               Mrs. MacIntyre

Dear Families,

September 8,2017

I hope your child is enjoying their first week of kindergarten. I am sure they are coming home tired, I know I am! It is a long day for a kindergartener but they seem to be holding up fine and enjoying this time getting to know one another and making new friends. The students took a tour of the school, made class rules and spent a lot of time getting to know one another and getting to know me! I think we are going to have a wonderful year together.

Next week we will slowly integrate a little more academics. The added structure and repetition of a schedule can actually make the day easier and more relaxing for your child as they know what to expect on a day to day basis.

I will be sending home the beach towels today to be washed. Remember to send them back on Monday. Your child is welcome to bring a stuffed animal and/or a favorite book or two to look at during rest time if they like. It only last about 20 minutes and it is a great way for them to recharge their batteries, no sleeping required!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. I know this is a big milestone for you and your child. I think we are off to a great start!

You can also access my blog my going on the Jamestown school website, click on kindergarten then click Mrs. MacIntyre. I will try to upload some pictures soon!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Sincerely,

Mrs. MacIntyre