Dear Kinder-Parent,
As we begin exploring our community, it is a great opportunity for family and friends to volunteer and speak in our class. If you are/ know a doctor, nurse, dentist, or fire fighter, please let me so that we may schedule a presentation.
This week, Kindergarten is continuing its Arctic Adventure. We are learning about animals and their survival skills in the cold winter. Today begins the Chinese New Year, and we will also be celebrating day on Thursday! Our letter of the week is C, and our new popcorn words are get and where. Our spelling words are cap, can, cat and cow. Please help them practice writing these words at home!
Please continue to help your child with memorizing the Lord’s Prayer. A great tool for memorization is practicing with your child and having them fill in the words aloud (i.e. Dad “Our father” child-“Who art in Heaven..)
Our Show and Tell presenters on Friday are Ella, Amran, Benjamin, Daisy and Rheena. Please bring an item of your choice!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
On January 10th, 2012, Ms. Rivas gave birth to a healthy baby girl! Amelia Cristina was born at 7lbs, 5 oz and 19 inches. Please keep her and her family in your prayers!
Dear Kinder-Parent,
As we move toward the end of the month, I will be taking time to assess each child one-on-one. Please take time to review with your child the skills I have listed in this packet. Report cards will be distributed Friday, February 3rd. I am very excited to closely examine all of the progress we have made!
Students are beginning an Arctic adventure this week! We will explore icy habitats and learn all about Arctic animals. Our reading packets will review short a and short i words. Our spelling words are big, bag, bat and bit. We will take a math test on numbers/concepts 1-10, and continue our work with larger numbers.
Next week, we will begin to learn about our community. If there are any parents who can help organize the following presentations, please let me know! I am still looking for a fire-fighter, doctor/nurse, dentist and mail carrier. Presentations will be organized throughout February.
Show and Tell will be given by Franklyn, Caden, Natalie and James. Please bring in any item that is special to you!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Mcgee.Teacher@gmail.com
Report Card Practice
-phone number
-birthday
-numbers 1-15 (identifying)
-counting 20 objects
-letter/sound identification
-reading 3 letter words (short a and i)
-reading popcorn words
-patterns
-shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval, cone, sphere, cube, rectangular prism)
Popcorn Words & Number Words
Am Go One New Words
Blue Have Red A
But Is Six Up
Big It Seven
Can In The
Do I Two
Eight Like Three
Five Not Ten
Four Nine
Dear Kindergarten,
Today is our test on number words! If your child does not bring home a 4, please take more time to review these words at home. Identifying number words is crucial in developing the ability to read sentences.
As you have probably seen by now, Student Council has organized a toy drive for our sister school Mother of Sorrows. Please donate 1 toy appropriate for your child’s gender and age. Please see our class website for details.
Our reading curriculum this week is a short-a word review. Please encourage your child to spell these simple 3-letter words. Our spelling words are bat, fan, tap and two. Big and in are our new popcorn words. We are continuing to explore numbers and talking about the season of Advent as well.
Our Christmas Program will be next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Please bring your child by 6:45 p.m. I am very excited about our selection this year! Each student will have a chance to shine with “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Students are to wear their “Christmas/Sunday bests.”
This week, mass will be on Thursday. Please dress your child in his/her school uniform (not P.E.) on Thursday.
Our Show and Tell presenters on Friday are Ella, Amran, Bejamin, Daisy and Rheena. Our theme this month is bring an object that was your favorite gift to receive.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Welcome back! As we move into December, students will be tested on many skills before our Christmas break. Please observe the testing dates and help your child with these skills at home as much as possible. Practice makes perfect!
With our normal schedule residing, we will be learning words that begin and end with the letter P this week. We are beginning a new math chapter that focuses on numbers 1-10. As advent begins, students are beginning to talk about the Holy Family and the meaning of Christmas. Our spelling words this week are pan, pat, cap and map.
On Friday, students will attend mass at 8:00 a.m. Please be sure to drop your child off at school by 7:45 a.m. Our Show and Tell presenters will be Franklyn, Caden, Natalie and James. The theme for this month is to bring in the best gift you have ever received.
Kinders will not be receiving report cards this week with the rest of the school. The first Kindergarten report card will go home in February.
Upcoming Tests
December 5th- Students will read number words 1-10.
December 12th- Students will recite and write phone numbers.
December 14th- Students will answer questions about the Holy Family and the meaning of Christmas.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parents,
I want to thank you all for taking the time to meet with me last week. I believe that student progress is best achieved with good parent-teacher communication, and you are all doing your part. While that is the only formal Parent Conference time, please know that I am always available to discuss your child.
On the Monday we return from Thanksgiving break (November 28th), I will be testing students on number words. They will need to read (not write) number words 1-10.
Our curriculum plate is quite full this week. We will be doing a review of beginning sounds and continuing to explore patterns. Our new popcorn words are do and not. There will be a spelling test this week on the words fan, ran, fat and rat. Please practice these words at home.
Our social studies unit continues to study Native American and pilgrim practices. Next week we will conclude our unit with our Annual Thanksgiving Feast! Tomorrow I will be sending home your child’s food assignment. If you are unable to bring in that dish, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may provide it.
Show and Tell on Friday will be given by Maniya, Isaiah, and . The theme this month is an object that he/she is thankful for.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parents,
Due to parent conferences and Veterans Day, our schedule for this week will be very different. Students will get out at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and there will be no school on Friday. I look forward to meeting with you all this week!
Despite lack of time, Kinders will be learning a lot! We are beginning to reflect on the first Thanksgiving and explore how the Native Americans came together with the Pilgrims. Our letter of the week is N, and our new popcorn words are have and it. Spelling words will resume next week when we have a complete schedule. In math, we are beginning to learn early algebraic skills with patterns!
On Thursday, Student Council will be selling caramel apples for $2.00.
There will be no Show and Tell or mass scheduled this week. Have a wonderful extended weekend!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
What a wonderful Halloween we had! Kindergarten did a fantastic job at the Halloween parade. I hope you all got plenty of pictures in the Parent Paparazzi section. We will bring home our fun Halloween projects today!
We have so many new and great themes in November. We will be exploring scarecrows this week, and what being thankful means. Our letter-sound is F, so we will be discussing families and the food pyramid. This is a great time to involve students with making food choices, as they are learning about healthy eating.
I was so pleased with Kinder’s success on our first spelling test last week. Let’s keep up the good work! This week’s spelling words are fan, fat, fun and five. Students will be tested on number words at the end of the month, so I will be sending home a lot of number word practice pages.
Next week is Parent-Teacher Conferences. To sign up, please fill in a slot on the papers hanging in the same hall as the Kindergarten room. If you are able to come in the daytime, please leave evening and early morning slots available for Mommies and Daddies that work all day. I am looking forward to meeting with you all!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This week is an important week for reading development in Kindergarten. We are beginning to write and read 3- letter short-a words (i.e. mat, can, cap). On Fridays, there will now be spelling tests with 4 words for Kinders to write independently. This week’s words are cat, sat, rat and bat. There is a practice sheet in this packet, but please encourage your child to practice these words as often as necessary. Spelling words are different from popcorn in that they need to be written. Our new popcorn words this week are ‘go’ and ‘the.’
We will also be completing some fun Halloween projects and closing our unit on nocturnal animals. Our math chapter is continuing to explore 3-dimensional shapes and patterns.
We are out of glue sticks! We would be happy to receive any glue stick donations!
Also, there will be no mass on Friday. We will have an awards ceremony on Thursday at 8a.m.to honor our virtue winners for the month: Natalie and Franklyn! For the month of October, they were our most “fair” friends!
Show and Tell will be given by Frankyln, Caden, Natalie and James. Please pack something special that fits in a backpack!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This week we are beginning a new math chapter about 3 dimensional shapes. Tomorrow, please send your child to school with 1 object shaped like a sphere, cone, cylinder, cube, or rectangular prism.
We are also learning about the letter T sound this week. Kindergarten is continuing its unit on nocturnal animals, focusing on owls. There are no new popcorn words, but please take this time to review our list.
Although Kinders will not be learning about the food pyramid and healthy eating habits until November, it is never too early to begin teaching our kids healthy habits. Please include your children in the selections made for their lunches. Encourage them to find things that are a part of all food groups, and discuss with them daily about what food choices they made. We are helping mold habits that will shape a happy lifestyle!
Our Show-and-Tell presenters will be Maniya, Isaiah, and . Please pack them 1 special item that fits in a backpack (free-choice!).
Have a wonderful week!
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This week, students will be exploring their sense of hearing. On Friday, please send your child to school with 1 object that makes a noise (i.e. paper bag, horn, wrapper, etc.) We will be using these noise makers for a science experiment.
In case you read the blue bulletin last week, all Kindergarten students did receive a progress report. They were not only for struggling students.
.This week in Kindergarten, we are learning the letter-sound B. In science we will begin our discovery on bats and sound. Our new popcorn words are but and I, and we will be finishing our math chapter on sorting. On Friday, I will be retesting any students who would like to re-do the sign of the cross test or the popcorn words test. Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Ella, Amran, Benjamin, Daisy and Rheena. Please pack your child an object that reflects a place they went to over the summer.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
I was very pleased with student’s popcorn word test results on Friday. All students who came in with flash cards received a 4! Your help at home really does make a difference. If your student did not earn a 4 on his/her test, I will be re-testing on Friday.
This week in Kindergarten, we are reviewing letter-sounds M, R and S. We are continuing our math chapter on sorting by shape, color and size. In science we are learning all about pumpkins, as well as exploring our sense of touch.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Franklyn, Caden, Natalie and James. Please pack an item that tells us about a place he/she went to over the summer.
Love,
Mrs. McGee
This is my suggested list for students
Books About Me
• I Like Me! by Nancy L. Carlson • I Like to Be Little by Charlotte Zolotow • The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle • My Five Senses by Aliki • Owen by Kevin Henkes • When I Get Bigger by Mercer Mayer
Family Stories
• Just Me Books by Mercer Mayer • Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
Predictable Books
(Stories with a pattern using rhyme or rhythm.)
• Curious George by H. A. Rey • Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg • The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone • Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown • Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág • What’s in Fox’s Sack? by Paul Galdone
Beginning, Middle, and End Concept
• Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole • A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen • Love You Forever by Robert Munsch • Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins • The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Color and Counting Books
• Each Orange Had Eight Slices: A Counting Book by Paul Giganti Jr.
• Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert • Frog Counts to Ten by John Liebler • Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni • Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? by Tana Hoban
• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert • Ten Bears in My Bed: A Goodnight Countdown by
Stanley Mack • Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood • 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban
Caldecott Winners and Honor Books
• Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert • Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans • More, More, More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams • Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman • Swimmy by Leo Lionni • Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes
• James Marshall’s Mother Goose by James Marshall • My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie and Rosemary
Wells • Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola
Folktales and Fairy Tales
• Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg • Cinderella by Marcia Brown • The Hare and the Tortoise by Brian Wildsmith • Henny Penny by H. Werner Zimmermann • The Little Red Hen by Margot Zemach • The Three Bears by Paul Galdone • The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Peter Christen Asbjornsen • Three Little Pigs by James Marshall • The Three Little Pigs by Rodney Peppé • The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
Stories in Rhyme
• All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka • Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema • Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk
Friends
• Benjamin and Tulip by Rosemary Wells • We Are Best Friends by Aliki • Who Will Be My Friends? by Syd Hoff
Fabulous Science Books
• Cars and How they Go by Joanna Cole • Eyewitness Juniors Amazing Frogs and Toads by
Barry Clarke • Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole
Dear Kinder-Parents,
This is week will be a short one, but full of learning! In honor of Memorial Day we will be discussing patriotism and American symbols. Our May Crowning mass will be on Thursday, so please be sure to send your child in his/her school uniform and not P.E. attire. To conclude our month of honoring Mary, students will be reciting the Hail Mary on Thursday. Please continue practicing at home!
Our language arts curriculum will introduce students to long vowel sounds. This is when you can hear a vowel say it’s name within a word (i.e. r/o/se). Our spelling words will be cake, bake, bike and rose. We are also beginning a new unit on time. Students will be learning to tell time to the hour, as well as focusing on sequencing events and identifying items on a calendar.
There will be no Show and Tell this week due to no school on Friday. I hope you all have a wonderful 4-day weekend!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Kinders had a fantastic time last week building their own tacos and exchanging Spanish words for our Cinco de Mayo celebration. I hope all of our Mommies had a fantastic Mother’s Day; we worked very hard on our tea kettle presents!
We are continuing to learn about dinosaurs this week. We will be learning about words with the short u sound, so our spelling words are sun, bug, rug and bun. Next Wednesday, students will conclude their math chapter on money with a one-on-one assessment. Each kindergartner must be able to identify the quarter, dime, nickel and penny as well as it’s value. Please practice this skill at home with your child to ensure success.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Victoria, Sean, Alana, Dinobi and Mariah. They may bring any object that is special to them.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Kinders: How many popcorn words are in this letter? Circle and write the number here: _________
Dear Kinder-Parents,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a fantastic vacation and is returning well-rested and ready to go! We are approaching the end of the school year, which can be the most challenging time for Kindergartners. To make a successful transition next year, we will be practicing First Grade behavior these final months.
This week we begin one of my favorite units: dinosaurs! We will learn about their habitats, eating habits and how we have come to know about them. Our language arts lesson for the week will cover letter-sounds x,y and z. Our spelling words are fox, box, ax and yellow. Yellow and my are also popcorn words. We will be continuing to work with money and reviewing addition and subtraction as well.
May is the month of Mary, and so students will be learning to recite the Hail Mary in class. There will be a test on May 26th. I have included the prayer at the bottom of this paper.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Alvin, Jordan J., Lorden, Mary and Dillon. They may bring anything they like!
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Dear Kinder-Parent,
I was thrilled to see such a great turnout for our class mass yesterday! The children sang beautifully and did a wonderful job representing our school. Thank you for my welcome back gift- I am so grateful to be teaching your children again!
This week we will be reviewing beginning sounds J,V,W and Q. On Friday, we will have a test on all popcorn words. Please see the website for the complete list. We will be introduced to the quarter and dime this week and practice addition with pennies. We are also continuing our unit on animals that lay eggs.
As we discuss lent and what the time of Easter means to us, please have these conversations with your child at home as well. Kinders love to tell how the egg is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
I am looking forward to reading your oviparous animal reports! On Friday each student will have time to present his/hers. This is a wonderful project that your students will need lots of assistance with!
Our Show and Tell presenters on Friday are Nnenna, Aidyn, Amaka, Jordan H. and Michael. Have a wonderful week!
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This week in curriculum, we are concluding our chapter on subtraction. Our test will be on Wednesday, please review your child’s math packet. Our letter of the week is E, and our new popcorn words are that and you. Our unit on the life-cycle of a plant will kick off with students using a recycled water bottle and turning them into mini-greenhouses! They will plant seeds and watch them grow over the next few weeks. Our spelling words for the week are get, egg, hen, jet and that.
In case you are curious about last week’s spelling test the students wanted a “bigger” challenge for the bonus word so I gave them 3.
Please begin to practice shoe-tying, students will be tested after our Spring Break. This should allow plenty of time to practice!
For April Fool’s Day, I would like all the students to memorize a joke and recite it on FRIDAY! Please help your child select one that he/she is comfortable to tell in front of the class.
Show and Tell will be on Friday. Our presenters are Mary, , Sean and Alana. Please send your child with something that is special to them, and fits in their backpack.
Love,
Ms. Rivas
Dates to Mark:
March 31st: March Assembly in the Backyard
April 1st: APRIL FOOL’S DAY – Please memorize 1 joke
APRIL 10th: FAMILY MASS (Please return the blue paper to sign up)
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Our caterpillars are here! Each student will have his/ her own to watch go through its metamorphosis over the next 4 weeks. Our letter of the week is J. Our spelling words are “jar, jump, black and five.” Our new popcorn words are “we” and “at”. Please be sure to practice writing these words at home. This week we will begin our new math Chapter: Subtraction Readiness and we will continue reviewing addition.
Reading Logs will be sent home every week. Please record that you have read at least 1 story with your child every night, or a total of 4 books per week.
Tomorrow is our Pancake Breakfast. If you are volunteering, please arrive before/at 8am to set up and to begin cooking. The kids are very excited! On Wednesday, we are going to Mass for Ash Wednesday. Please arrive by 7:45 so we can walk to the church. Mass begins at 8am.
Our Show and Tell presenters on Friday are Vincent, Leilani, Ruth, Tamairick and Chaz.
Have a wonderful week!
Ms. Rivas
On Wednesday, March 16th we have Gateway to Art. If you would like to Volunteer, please email me at mrivas.sjs@gmail.com. Gateway to Art is from 8am-10am.
Dear Kinder-Parents,
On Thursday Kindergarten will be tested on addresses. Your child will need to recite the house number, street and city where he/she lives. Please practice with your child frequently to assure a 4 on this assessment!
I am very excited to begin our computer class this week. Students will also begin Writers Workshop, where they become authors and illustrators of their very own books! You can look forward to some fantastic stories coming home with your son/daughter.
Also this week, we are learning the letter-sound L. Wednesday; we will take a math test that concludes our Chapter on Numbers to 31. Please check the Review test and review any concepts your child missed. Our social studies focus will also be on our Presidents. Our new popcorn words are one and what. Our spelling words this week are like, love, lit and log.
In preparation for Valentine’s Day, Kindergarten will learn about postal workers in our community. Please send in a box on Thursday; (ex: a shoe box or cracker box) something they can use to make a mailbox for their Valentine cards.
Arts and Crafts are a big part of our learning curriculum. Our Kindergarten room is running low on glue sticks. If you can send in a pack of glue sticks with your child this would be a big help!
Show and Tell presenters will be Tamairick, Chaz, Madison, and Nnenna. They may bring something they love.
Have a wonderful week!
Ms. Rivas
Dear Kinder-Parents,
This week, we are continuing our unit on the community. Kindergarten will begin learning their address. If the address you provided at the beginning of our school year has changed please correct the handwriting sheet and have your child practice their new address. Address test will be on February 11th.
This week in kinder-curriculum, we are learning the letter C and beginning to count numbers 21-30. Please practice making and counting groups of 10. With our 100th Day of school right around the corner this practice will help your kinder not only review our math concepts but prepare for that special day. Our new popcorn words are “get” and “where.” Spelling words are can, cap, cat and cab.
Gateway to Art last Wednesday was a big success, thank you to the family and friends who volunteered. The Kindergarten class really impressed me with their take on Impressionism.
We are also continuing our Arctic exploration. This week we will review our facts about penguins and learn about the Polar Bear and other Arctic animals.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Ms. Rivas
Calendar Dates to Mark:
January 25th – General Parent Meeting in the Parish Hall 6:00pm
January 28th – Mass 8:00am, Assembly in the Backyard 9am
January 30th – Catholic Schools Week Family Mass at 9:00am
Students who check in at Mass will receive Non
Uniform dress on Tuesday, February 1st
January 31st – Students will be tested on Our Father Prayer
Dear Kinder-Parents,
Today, we kick off our community unit. If you are interested in coming into our class and teaching us about your career, please send me a note. We will also begin learning about Martin Luther King Jr and his influence on our community.
Short I is our letter-sound of the week. Students will be encouraged to write words with the short I sound independently (i.e. pig). Spelling words for the week are wig, pig, pin and tip. Please practice writing these words at home. Our new popcorn words are “up” and “a.” We are continuing to practice numbers and will also be completing our “Animals in Winter” books.
In Religion, Kindergarten will begin reciting the Our Father. Please take time to practice the Our Father with your child, maybe include prayer time in your morning or night time routine.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Mariah, , Vincent, Leilani and Ruth. Please bring in your favorite Christmas gift (that fits into a backpack) or Christmas Photo.
Love,
Ms. Rivas
Dear Kinder Parents,
I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas! I am excited to be here for the beginning of the New Year with all of you. I know everyone is excited to hear about Mrs. McGee and when the baby arrives I will be sure to inform you all. But the time has come to get our journey into full swing!
Our small reading groups will resume. When you see readers go home on Friday, please have your child practice reading them to you. This is important review on popcorn words and everyday words they will begin using in their class journals. Remember: reading daily with your child is the most important form of teaching you can do!
We are diving right into our curriculum beginning with the letter G. Please practice all popcorn words, as they are used daily and we will be testing soon on all our words. Our spelling test will be on the words go, gum and tag. Please practice writing these words at home.
Our Math chapter will begin on the numbers 11 & 12 and continue on. Please review numbers 1-10 to enforce our new chapter. Our science lesson for the week will teach us the ways in which animals prepare and live in winter.
Our show and tell presenters this week are: Dillon, Victoria, Sean, Alana and Dinobi. Please bring in your favorite Christmas gift (that fits into a backpack) or Christmas Photo.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Ms. Rivas
Dear Kinder-Parents,
Thank you so much for all of your contributions toward my baby shower on Friday! Your children are my world, and to share such a special event with them means a lot to me. I am also so grateful for your very generous gift. I cannot think of a better place than Babies R Us for everything I am in need of!
On Friday, there will be no school. Thursday will be the last day before Christmas vacation (and sadly mine!). I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your children and share each day with them. I love each of them so much and will be thinking of you all in the next 3 months. I am looking forward to observing all of the growth and achievements that will take place while I am gone!
On Thursday, our Christmas program will be at 7 p.m. Please arrive at the church at 6:45 so that I may organize them before the performance begins. For performance attire guidelines, please see our class web-site for specific instructions. I look forward to seeing you there!
Despite all of the Christmas excitement, there is still much learning to do! We are learning words beginning with H, reviewing numbers 1-10, and discussing the meaning of Christmas and the Holy Family. Please encourage your child to describe the meaning of Advent and what we are learning about in our Religion class.
There will be no Show and Tell this week. Have a wonderful holiday season! I look forward to retuning in the Spring!
Merry Christmas,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kindergarten,
This Wednesday is our class field trip to see the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker Ballet. Please be sure to send your child to school with a sack lunch with his/her name on it. The container must be disposable (i.e. brown paper bag). Also, please make sure your child eats a full breakfast, as our schedule will prevent them from eating at the time that they are accustomed to.
Our reading curriculum is reviewing short-a words. Please encourage your child to spell these simple 3-letter words. Our short-a spelling words are map, hat, fan and tag. Students will have a reading test on number words one-ten on Friday. Big and in are our new popcorn words. We are continuing to graph and learning about the meaning of Advent as well. Our new science unit explores properties of water and the water cycle.
Our Christmas Program will be next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the church. If you would like to help your child practice the songs at home, please see the web-site for the lyrics to our songs. The dress-up theme for our group is Christmas attire with a 50’s twist. Some girl ideas include: Christmas dresses with hair up in green/ red scarf or green/red scarves worn around the neck. Boy ideas: Rolled jeans with green/red shirts. Please go to the December page of our web-site for a more thorough description.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Michael, Alvin, Jordan J., Lorden and Mary. Our theme this month is bring an object that was your favorite gift to receive.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Welcome back! As we move into December, students will be tested on many skills before our Christmas break. Please observe the testing dates and help your child with these skills at home as much as possible. Practice makes perfect!
With our normal schedule residing, we will be learning words that begin and end with the letter P this week. We are beginning a new math chapter on using tally marks and graphs to record information. As advent begins, students are beginning to talk about the Holy Family and the meaning of Christmas. Our spelling words this week are pan, pot, cap and cup.
On Friday, students will attend mass at 8:00 a.m. Please be sure to drop your child off at school by 7:45 a.m. Our Show and Tell presenters will be Madison, Nnenna, Aidyn, Amaka and Jordan H. The theme for this month is to bring in the best gift you have received.
Upcoming Tests
December 3- Students will write phone numbers.
December 13- Students will read number words one-ten
December 16- Students will answer questions about the Holy Family and the meaning of Christmas.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parents,
I hope you all had a great 4-day weekend. This week we will resume a normal schedule, with mass on Friday at 8 a.m. After mass we will have a Virtue Award Ceremony and honor Aidyn, Isabella, Mariah and Victoria for demonstrating the most respect in the months of October and November!
Our field trip was rescheduled for Wednesday, December 8th. Please re-sign the attached permission slip and return Friday with the packet. If your child will not be able to attend now, you will be reimbursed.
Our curriculum plate is quite full this week. We will be doing a review of beginning sounds and continuing to explore patterns. Our new popcorn words are do and not. There will be a spelling test this week on the words fan, ran, fat and rat. Please practice these words at home. We are also practicing writing our phone numbers. Students will be tested on December 3rd by writing their numbers down.
Our social studies unit continues to study Native American and pilgrim practices. Next week we will conclude out unit with our Annual Thanksgiving Feast! Tomorrow I will be sending home your child’s food assignment. If you are unable to bring in that dish, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may provide it.
Show and Tell on Friday will be given by Madison, Aidyn, Nnenna, Amaka and Jordan H. The theme this month is an object that he/she is thankful for.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Please be sure to sign up for parent-teacher conferences this week in the hallway across from the Kindergarten room. Times slots fill up quickly, and I am very eager to meet with you all next week! If you did not do so today, please take time to reserve your conference time tomorrow.
Our field trip to the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker will be on Thursday, December 9th. All chaperone spots are filled. I have received some notes about interest in attending but unfortunately there will only be room for 3 (Dillon, Sean and Alana’s mommies). I am hopeful I can give you another opportunity in the spring. Thank you for you interest!
This week we will begin with our first spelling test on the short a sound. Our letter of the week is F and we will begin exploring patterns in math. In science we are exploring the food pyramid and health eating. Our social studies theme is scarecrows and harvesting. We will also be learning about ’s celebration of El Dia de los Muertos.
On Friday, our Show and Tell presenters are Sean, Alana, Dinobi, Mariah, and Vincent. Our theme for the month is something that you are thankful for.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This Friday, we will have our annual Halloween parade! Parents are encouraged to come and take pictures of this exciting event in the backyard at 8:30 a.m.. Students may come in their Halloween attire. I look forward to seeing you all!
This week is an important week for reading development in Kindergarten. We are beginning to write and read short A words and will have a test next Monday. There is a practice sheet in this packet, but please encourage your child to practice these words as often as necessary. Our spelling words are cat, rat, bat and sat. Spelling words are different from popcorn in that they need to be written. Our new popcorn words this week are ‘go’ and ‘the.’
We will also be completing some fun Halloween projects and closing our unit on nocturnal animals. Our math chapter is continuing to explore 3-dimensional shapes and patterns.
There will be no Show and Tell this week or mass on Friday. Have a happy Halloween!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
I hope you all had a restful 3-day weekend. On Friday, students were tested on the sign of the cross. Thank you for helping students prepare for this at home. Testing results are attached to this packet for your viewing.
This week we are beginning a new chapter about 3 dimensional shapes. Tomorrow, please send your child to school with 1 object shaped like a sphere, cone, cylinder, cube, or rectangular prism.
We are also learning about the letter T sound this week. Kindergarten is continuing its unit on nocturnal animals, focusing on owls. There are no new popcorn words, but please take this time to review our list.
If you have not submitted your permission slip yet for our Dec. 10th field trip, please do so ASAP. Please send me a note if you need a new permission slip.
Our Show-and-Tell presenters will be Michael, , Mary, Dillon and Sean. Please pack them 1 special item that fits in a backpack.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
This week, students will be exploring their sense of hearing. On Thursday, please send your child to school with 1 object that makes a noise (i.e. paper bag, horn, wrapper, etc.) We will be using these noise makers for a science experiment.
This week in Kindergarten, we are learning the letter-sound B. In science we will begin our discovery on bats and sound. Our new popcorn words are but and I, and we will be finishing our math chapter on sorting. On Friday we will conclude our week with a test on making the sign of the cross. Please be sure to practice at home with your child to ensure he/she is doing it the correct way.
Our Show and Tell presenters on Friday are Madison, Jordan H., Michael, Alvin, and Jordan J. Please pack your child an object that is special and fits inside a backpack.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
Today we celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day! Thank you for your apple contributions. We practiced sorting and graphing with our apples and then transformed them to make some yummy applesauce. We will continue to learn about John Chapman this week as we create our Johnny Appleseed books.
On Thursday, Kinders will attend the school mass for . Please make sure they are wearing their school uniform and not P.E. attire. We will not be going to church on Friday.
Students will be tested on making the sign of the cross on October 15th. Please help your child practice this at home. I will send home a rubric to help you understand exactly what is expected from your child.
This week in our curriculum, we are beginning a new math unit on sorting objects (chapter 1, Progress in Mathematics). We are learning the letter/sound S, and will be reviewing our 6 popcorn words. On Friday, students will be tested on their 6 popcorn words by reading the list aloud.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are , Vincent, Leilani, Ruth and Tamairick. Please see the attached paper bag for instructions.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee
Dear Kinder-Parent,
If you have not done so already, please visit our classroom website at www.sjskindergarten.shutterfly.com. This is a great opportunity for you to see the activities your student is working on, as well as access any important classroom information. It provides links to math and reading practice, up-to-date popcorn word lists and any newsletters you may have missed. If you did not return the internet permission slip, your child’s picture and work will not be included in our web-site. This year, we will not be displaying names on student work due to the high volume of parents with the desire to leave that information out.
This week is our first Virtue Award assembly. Each month, 2-3 students who have received the most check-marks for showing respect are honored in the backyard following mass (about 9 a.m.). This month our winners are Dillon, Amaka and Alvin. Parents are welcome to join and take pictures on Friday.
Every week, students are tested on the letter and popcorn words of the week. Please keep an eye out for these assessments as they are crucial in understanding how your child is performing in class. Last weeks is attached to this packet, and has a score of 1-4. Please see the Kindergarten Handbook for a rubric of how our grading scale works.
Our new popcorn words this week are red and blue. Be sure to add these to the flash cards you are creating at home. We will be learning beginning sound R, and concluding our math chapter on position words. As we continue to explore apples, we will be identifying the seasons of the apple tree.
Our Show and Tell presenters this week are Victoria, Sean, Dinobi, Alana and Mariah. Instructions will be sent home on a brown paper bag.
Please assist your child with their handwriting by encouraging them to use 2-finger spaces between letters/words/numbers and using the lines as guides. Also, it is important to use a pencil for practice.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Mrs. McGee