Week 3

Looking ahead to week 3:  August 31- September 4

Things to remember:

If your child plans to eat breakfast at school, please have them to school by 7:20 so they will have plenty of time to eat.  We have several students who are coming back from breakfast late and missing the beginning activity each day.  Remind them to go straight to the lunchroom when they arrive at school.  Thanks so much for your help with this matter!

Upcoming events:

August 31 & September 1: Math MAP test for our class (more info on this test at fall conferences)

September 3:  school picture day

September 4:  wear college colors

What we are learning this week:

Sight words:  be, me, see, we

Letters & sounds:  b, c, f, r

Reading:  We are learning how to choose just right book levels.

Math: We will continue focusing on numbers 1-10.

Writing:  We will be learning to label our illustrations.  

Social studies:  We are comparing how family life is different today than in history.  

How can you help at home this week?  You may pick any of the activities below.

🌟🌟Review the weekly assessment review sheet each night.🌟🌟

Reading:  This is a great week to talk to your child about rhyming words since all of our sight words rhyme.  Play a silly game with your child by rhyming their name (ex. Amy Zamy).  Next give your child a word and see how many rhymes they can make with that word.  The words can be real or nonsense as long as they rhyme.  There are also several good books at the library that are silly rhyming stories that students love, such as the Llama Llama books. 

Social studies:  Have your child talk to a grandparent about how home life and school was different for them than it is today.  Students are always surprised to hear that their grandparents did not have cell phones, computers, etc. growing up.  

Phonics:  Review the letters and their sounds that we have covered over the past weeks.  

a, b, c, f, m, r, s, t

Writing:  have your child draw a picture and try to label it using the sounds they hear.  Remember we are not looking for correct spelling at this point but can they hear individual sounds in words.  For instance, a child may draw a dog then write "d" or "dg" some may even hear all three sounds "dog." 

Sight words:  Review all sight words; these words are very important to early reading and writing success.  

Math:  Practice counting objects in sets of 1-10. Write how many you count in each set.  For example, put six pieces of cereal on the counter.  Have your child count how many and write the number 6.  

Hint: Students LOVE dry-erase boards.  You can find small ones at Walmart-Mart, CVS, etc.  Dry-erase boards make practicing numbers, letters, sight words, anything more fun! 

Week 2

What to expect for the week:

Sight words:  a, it, my

Looking at letters: a, t, m, s & the sounds each letter makes. We will also be exploring how these letters can be combined to create words.  We will read a poem using the words we create.

Reading: We will be building reading stamina & learning 3 different ways to read a book (read the pictures, read the word, & retell the story).

Math:  We will be looking at multiple ways to represent the numerals 1-5.

Writing:  We will be learning how to "write" a story using pictures.

Social Studies:  We will be learning what makes each of us unique and how to be a friend to others.

How can you help at home this week? 

Review the letters a, t, m, & s.  Discuss the sounds they make and words that begin with each letter.  

Practice writing the numbers 1-5.  Count objects (1-5) and write the corresponding numeral.  

Review sight words for this week and last week.  It is critical that students learn these words each week!  We will learn new words at a fast pace.

Reminders

Reminders for the beginning of the school year:

• Please remember to send a 4x6 photo of your family to be added to our family tree.  Fluorescent lights will fade the photo over the course of the year, so be sure that you have another copy of the photo to keep for yourself.

• Please remember to send a snack and water bottle with your child each day.  

• We are still in need of class snacks to share with any student that forgets their snack.  Thank you to the families that have sent a snack to be shared.  

• We need a change of clothes for a few more students so we will not have to call you in case of accidents.  If you have not sent a change of clothes, please remember to do so next week.  

• Our class goes to P.E. on Thursdays; students must wear tennis shoes to participate in the activities.  

• The easiest way to get in touch with us is by sending a note in your child’s folder or by sending an email.  If you do not receive a response to a note, email, or voicemail, please try again.  Sometimes our server is down and we do not get emails or voicemails.  We would never intentionally ignore communication from home.  

• And finally, have you ever heard the saying “the way to eat an elephant if one bite at a time”?  The same is true for sight words!  The easiest way to learn sight words is one week at a time.  Please work with your child each night to learn that week’s sight words.  If you keep up with the words from the beginning, it will be much easier for your child.  Students who do not learn them each week will quickly become overwhelmed and feel as if they cannot catch up since we will move so quickly.  We will learn 100 words by the end of the year!  If your child begins having difficulty with sight words, remember to refer to the activities in your homework folder.          

 

First days of school

     As I drove home yesterday, the first day of school, I passed a sign that said, "count the day's  blessings, not the day's troubles."  I couldn't help but smile as I thought about the many blessings your children brought to our classroom.  Each child, with their own unique personalities, brought something special to our room.  We had a day full of laughter, learning, and love (I lost count of the number of hugs we received yesterday)!  We are off to a fantastic start; it has been a great first two days of school with no real "troubles" to count.  I thank you for helping make this transition into school a smooth one for your children.  It is a big change for many of them and they will be exhausted by the week's end.  Before long these days will be routine and the struggles we face this week ("where is my classroom, who is my teacher, I don't want to wake up early, I don't want to be a car rider," etc.) will be long forgotten.  I look forward to sharing our room this year and getting to know your children and your families.  You will be amazed at how much they will grow (physically and academically) in a year!  Watching this growth will be a blessing for us both!

     Check back for updates on our growth throughout the year.  I will be posting sneak peeks into our classroom so you can see your child in action. 😊   I am still waiting to be sure who can/cannot be posted before I update with pictures.  As soon as I have all media release forms I will share photos with you!

Week 1

     Arrrrrgh you ready for kindergarten?  I am excited to begin a new year with you and your family!  Thank you for coming to meet the teacher this week.  It was great to meet you and begin to put faces with the names on our roster!  As I said in our meeting, feel free to email us with any questions or concerns you may have as we jump into the 2015-2016 school year.  I wanted to give you a few reminders before I give you our weekly overview.  Please remember to send a 4x6 of your family to be added to our family tree.  We are also in need of a class snack to be shared in case someone forgets theirs at home one day.  Remember to pack your child's snack and pop-top water bottle when packing their tote.  To prevent leaks you may want to put the water bottle inside a large Ziplock bag.  Review the blue chevron note for other important reminders.  Please check your child's homework folder on Monday; we will have several important papers inside, including a name activity that is due Thursday.  

   Our first sight words are: I, am, & can.  Please review these words with your child each night.  We will practice identifying these words in class and they will be checked on our first assessment.  There are several activities listed in the homework folder to help practice sight words.  We will be learning about our names by counting, comparing, and identifying the letters in our names.  An activity that you may want to try at home for extra practice that incorporates our sight words, name work, and writing for the week is to have your child draw a picture of their self doing something they are good at, then write "I can___."  Don't forget to have them sign their name to their masterpiece before displaying it on your refrigerator!  In reading, we will complete activities that correlate with the books we read each day.  Be sure to ask your child what books we read and see if they can retell their favorite story.  I encourage you to check out some of their favorite books from the library this school year.  Students always enjoy getting to share school experiences with their families.  We will be learning about math through counting, graphing, and problem solving.  Have your child practice counting objects in your home, such as how many chairs are at your table.  Our first writing will include using details, illustrations, and labels to communicate a thought.  We will also spend time each day learning about school rules, procedures, and expectations.  As you can see it is going to be a busy week!  Get plenty of rest and I will see you early Monday morning!  

Welcome to Kindergarten!!!

    Hi! My name is Mrs. Watson. I look forward to setting sail with you and our kindergarten crew very soon! This will be my thirteenth year teaching. I have been teaching kindergarten at OES for eleven years. Prior to teaching at OES, I taught 1st grade in Cherokee county for two years. I have a Master's degree in early childhood education from USC Upstate. I have been married to Mr. Watson for 18 years. We have two daughters, Becca is in  7th grade and Abigail is in 2nd grade at OES. We have 2 dogs, named Kensley and Sam, and a rabbit named Thumper. You will hear lots of stories about my family and pets this year because I like to write about them when we write in our journals. 
     We are very fortunate to have Mrs. Ward share our classroom with us. I have worked with her every year that I have been at OES. She is an excellent teaching partner! Mrs. Ward has been at OES for eleven years. Prior to working at OES, she was a 4 year old kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Ward also has a Master's degree in early childhood education. Mrs. Ward has been married to Mr. Ward for 22 years! They have four children, two girls and two boys. Mrs. Ward's children have all graduated from OES. She has a dog named Jake and a brand new puppy. You will also hear lots of stories about Mrs. Ward's family and pets this year.

   We look forward to sharing our classroom with you! We will have a great year together!  We have been busying planning lots of fun and exciting learning activities for you. Get ready to set sail with us on a 180 day journey!  See you soon!