Twin day in K!

We dressed up as twins to celebrate Red Ribbon Week! 

"Drug free is DOUBLE the fun!" 

Even if our clothes didn't match, we put on stickers so that we could all match in some way today. 

Purple clothes, shoes, and stickers twins! 

Pink pants twins! 

Monkey on a scooter shirt twins!

Orange shirts and stickers twins! 

New Directions shirts twins! 

Field Trip!

We had a great time on our field trip today! Here is a recap through pictures. I may be adding more as they come my way so check again later this week!

Fun on the bus!

 First, we went to Heckrodt Wetland Reserve.

           This trip gave us so many ideas for writing like scientists!

We looked at animals.

We answered questions and played games.

We felt fox fur. 

It was a beautiful day! 

We dug for bugs. 

We turned over logs to find even more bugs!

There were lots of earthworms. 

And we weren't afraid to touch them! 

We took notes like scientists.

We used tools like magnifying glasses.

We played on the nature playground.


After lunch in the pavilion, we loaded the bus to head to the Kaukauna Fire Department. We talked about fire safety and explored the different trucks. 

We learned about all the gear a fireman has to wear! 

We explored a fire truck. 

We looked in an ambulance.

We counted as a fireman climbed all the way to the top! We counted 72 steps. 

October 26th, 2015

Hi Kindergarten families! 

Looks like we will have a fabulous day to go Heckrodt Wetland Reserve if this weather keeps up! Please remember that students and chaperones need a bag lunch and drink (no lunch boxes) unless you preordered a bag lunch from schoolJ

This Friday, we will have our Fall Celebration! We will meet our 3^rd grade buddies from Miss Linton’s room. We will read with a flashlight and have a snack. Your child can bring a flashlight and a book to read from home! Then, we will all head to the gym for dancing and fun!

Upcoming events:

·         Tuesday October 27^th: Heckrodt Field Trip

·         October 28^th-October 30^th: Red Ribbon Week

o   Wednesday: Wear Red

o   Thursday: Dress like a twin

o   Friday: Wear orange and black

·         November 10^th and 12^th: Conferences

·         November 16^th: Half day—11:30 Dismissal

·         November 25^th, 26^th, and 27^th: NO SCHOOL

What’s happening in Kindergarten this week?

Reading: Now that are books are filled with labels, we will talk about going back to reread the post its while reading the book! These labels really helped tie word work and writing skills into Reader’s Workshop. We will continue this work as students begin to write sentences that go with what they see in their books. Linking reading, writing, and word work reinforces the concepts we are working so hard on throughout the day!

Writing: The writers are working hard to use books to learn more and add to their writing. Students are encouraged to look through a book on their topic and find a place where they can find a new word. We will work on stretching out words, then reread to make sure we hear every sound. Towards the end of the week, we will begin to explore writing different kinds of teaching books. We will get ideas by looking through mentor texts.

Math:

1. Students will be working on writing numbers and showing the numbers in a drawing using activity pages from the Math Expressions book.
2. Using activity pages from the Math Expressions book, students will tell math stories for addition and subtraction.

3. We will be showing numbers in a ten frame. They will create the dots with bingo dotters. This is great for visualizing numbers and finding partners!

4. Students will be building numbers and comparing them using 5-groups tiles and number cards.

Word Study: We will learn a few new ways to sort this week in order to be ready for sorts next week! The kindergarteners are doing a great job learning the routines of sorting.  These are the sight words we have this week: it, me, here, can, & we. You can keep searching for our “old” sight words in books while you read! Here is an ongoing list of our sight words: http://kindergartenroom82.blogspot.com/p/our-sight-words.html

Social Studies: After introducing the new social studies centers, students will have a chance to work in each center this week. Students will create building block structures of where our school community helpers work. We will create webs that describe the work of the school community helpers. Finally, students will look at an assortment of pictures, determine the problem, and decide which community helper(s) could be called to fix the problem!

October 19

Hello Kindergarten families!

There have been a number of books going back to the library wetL I believe it is from leaky water bottles. Please put water bottles in a plastic bag to save the books! If you need a large plastic bag, just let me know because I have some at school!

 We do not have school on Thursday or Friday! Enjoy your long weekendJ 

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday October 20th: Family Night
• Thursday October 23^rd: No School
• Friday October 24^th: No School
•  October 26-30: Red Ribbon Week
• Tuesday October 27^th: Heckrodt Field Trip-Remember to return forms/payment please by WEDNESDAYJ
•   October 29th: Rollerskating at Skate City from 5:30-8:00

PSC News

 ● Skate City, October 29th 5:30-8 pm. Don’t forget to let us know if you can join the skating fun! RSVP here:​  ​https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JBGNGM2

● Keep collecting your BoxTops and Campbell’s Soup labels. ​BONUS:​ NDLC will get double points for all Campbell’s/Labels for Education UPCs sent in by November 6.

● Upcoming events to put on your calendar:
    ○ Book Fair November 10th and 12th (during conferences)
    ○ Family Yoga night November 17

● UC Mission
    ○ What participating businesses give the highest return to NDLC? 
        ■ Ethel’s Pub and Grill in Chilton
        ■ Papa Murphy’s Pizza (5 local locations, including here in Kaukauna)  Each of these       businesses give 10% of any purchase back to NDLC!
    ○ Register at ​www.ucmission.com/join​, click “Join Now,” select “New Directions Learning Community” as your program to support. Register your existing Visa or Mastercard credit cards and use for all purchases.

● Questions? Email ​NDLC.PSC@gmail.com

What’s happening in Kindergarten this week?

Reading: This week in Reader’s Workshop, we will be adding sticky notes with labels and phrases to our books! This is to help remind us which words are important to the story. This also allows students to see the importance of the text on the page and how it connects to the pictures. Readers will label and write phrases for how the character feels and what is happening in the story.

Writing: We will dig deeper into using books to add to our writing. We will sort books about all different categories such as leaves, apples, trees, etc. Then, they will find a book that will help them find words to use in their own writing! We will emphasize that writers don’t just copy other writer’s work, but can use it to help them stretch out their own thoughts and words.

 Math: We will finish work on the centers we started midway through last week. We will practice telling and acting out math stories. Finally, we will discuss the patterns we see in numbers 1-10 using the number parade, ten frames, and our fingers.  

Math Morning and the math work we did with the staff developer, Mr, Ryan, was wonderful! Here is a picture of the students working with him on Friday afternoon.

Word Study: Our sight words for the week are here, we, me, it, & can. Look for those words while reading with your child!  We will introduce sorts this week. Starting in November, students will be in word sorts that will support them in letter sounds and spelling. This week, we will sort food/drink pictures just to learn the routines for our sorts.

Social Studies: Since we are done with our interviews, the students will be discussing what we have learned about our school community helpers. We will finish up all of the school community helper books. We will read the books and discuss all that we have learned thus far about our school community. We will read a Time for Kids magazine about different schools around the world.

Pumpkin Fun!

Instead of free choice today, my grandma visited to do a fall project with us. It was so much fun! 

October 12

Hello K families!

 I will be doing PALS testing this week Wednesday and Thursday. There will be a sub in our room but I will be just down the hall so I will be able to stop in and make sure everything is running smoothly. PALS focuses on literacy concepts/skills such as letter sounds, beginning sounds, word identification, and so on. I look forward to sharing the results of this screening with you at conferences.

Also, our math staff developer will be here on Thursday and Friday. We are excited to learn from him on Thursday afternoon and have him come into our classrooms on Friday!

Please remember to send back the following papers if you did not yet:

• Conference Forms
• Field Trip Form with $8 to cover the bus and field trips expenses. 

Upcoming events

10/16 Math Morning 7:30-8:15
10/20 Family Night: Grandparents, Goodies and Games 4:30-5:30
10/22 & 10/23 No School for Students
10/26 to 10/30 Red Ribbon Week
10/29 Rollerskating at Skate City from 5:30-8:00

PSC News

•         Roller skating at Skate City, October 29th 5:30-8 pm. NDLC has reserved Skate City for the evening! Cost will be $4 plus $1 skate rental/skater (normal cost is $4.50/$2). Nonskaters will not be charged. (Money will be collected at the door.)

o   Let us know if you are coming by responding here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JBGNGM2

•          Keep collecting your BoxTops and Campbell’s Soup labels. Forms to compile your Labels/BoxTops can be found on the NDLC website (www.ndlccharter.org). Under the “Parent” tab, select “Parent and School Committee” and scroll to bottom of page. ​NOTE:​ NDLC will get double points for all Campbell’s Soup labels sent to school by November 6.
•          Consider signing up with UC Mission. You simply shop at participating local businesses and a percentage of your spending comes back to NDLC.

o   Register at ​www.ucmission.com/join. Click “Join Now,” select “New Directions Learning Community” as your program to support. Register your existing Visa or Mastercard credit cards and use for all purchases. 

o    Examples of some participating local businesses: Pizza Hut, Darboy Club, Papa Murphy’s Pizza, Cherry Berry, Culver’s, Copper Rock Coffee, Express Convenience Stores, MotoMart . . . and so many more! Check out a complete list of participating businesses at ​www.ucmission.com​. 

•          The next PSC meeting is Monday, November 2, at 6 pm in the school library.
•          Questions? Email ​NDLC.PSC@gmail.com

 

What’s happening in Kindergarten this week?

Reading: Students will work on rereading parts of the book that get confusing. We will discuss looking closely at the picture to help us remember how the story goes. Partner reading time is one of my favorite parts of the day. As I walk around the room, I am listening to students read using some of the exact words from the book and not missing a beat of the story. Then, they talk about the book with a partner!

Writing: On Monday, students will collect a bag of artifacts from outside and will use them for writing like scientists do. This week, we will be encouraging the students to move from labeling the pictures to writing sentences on their books. They will use vocabulary sheets to help them get started and encourage them to think carefully about the words they are using. Finally, we will begin to look through books to find more information about the topics/artifacts we are writing about!

 Math: I continue to be impressed with our class math talk. Ask questions like, “How do you know?” or “Can you show me another way” to get your mathematician’s brain workingJ The following are the new centers for this week:

1. Five Finder: Students need to look quickly and be able to identify a group of five objects. They will be searching for five groups in pictures, circling them, and writing and equation to match the picture.

2. Students will create a counting book with objects for numbers 6-10.
3. Students will be given a piece of paper with an equation at the bottom. They will trace their fingers on the page to match the equation.

     4.Students will roll two dice with numbers 0-5 on them. They will show the numbers using tiles and then add or subtract using the tiles.

Word Study: We will continue to practice our sight words I, a, the, and, & is. The students have already excitedly pointed out sight words in the books they are using during Reader’s Workshop. We will be doing a ‘sight word hunt’ in books from our classroom library. We will work on sorting letters, words, and sentences. Finally, students will use our classroom iPads to work on letter sounds.

Social Studies: This will be the final week of interviews and creating books on school community helpers. It is fun to see how excited the students get when they see familiar faces in the hallJ Next week, we will start our School Helper centers.

Sight Word fun!

We practiced writing our sight words in shaving cream! 

Senior Citizen Event

Help spread the word!

New Directions Learning Community will be offering a free event

for senior citizens in the Fox Valley.

On Thursday November 5^th  from 8:30 – 9:15 am

seniors are welcome to visit our school.

Coffee and pastries will be served while they

learn about how school is different today than it was when they were young.

The rain can't stop kindergarten writers!

This morning, we ventured outside to write like scientists. We made observations and jotted pictures and words to teach about what we were writing. It started to sprinkle but they were determined to finish their writing! 

We write like scientists! 

October 5, 2015

Hello Everyone!

I can’t believe we are starting a new month already! The students will be excited because we have new seats today.

On Monday, look for your child’s homework calendar in his/her folder! These homework calendars will come home at the beginning of each month. These calendars give you the flexibility to do the activities when you have time during the week. Even the little ones have busy schedules! In addition to the daily activities, please read to your child each night or listen to your child read aloud so they can practice the new reading skills they are learning in the classroom.

***Please remember to send towels back for rest timeJ

Upcoming events:

• October 9: Homecoming- Wear Black and Orange and Crazy Hair
• October 9: Homecoming Parade
• October 16^th: Math Morning
• October 20: Grandfriends and Goodies Family Night-Tell your grandfriends to mark their calendarsJ
• October 22-23: No School
• October 27th: Field Trip to Heckrodt Nature Center

o   If you are interested in attending field trips or volunteering in the classroom this year, let me know and I can send home a background check form!

PSC

·         Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Simon's Cheese fundraiser! Whether you helped host, came to shop or sent others to shop, your support was much appreciated.

·         Join us! The next PSC meeting is Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m. in the school library. 

·         Save the Date: Roller Skating at Skate City, October 29th 5:30-­8pm. Come join us for a fun school-wide event.

·         Questions? Email ​NDLC.PSC@gmail.com   News

Reading: We celebrated the end of our first reading unit on Friday! Look for the video on NDLC’s Facebook page!  Here is a picture:

The students are getting really good at retelling their old favorite storybooks. This week, we will focus on what characters say and do in books. We will talk about how these give readers clues to figure out how the characters feel. As you read with your child at home, you can practice echo reading. This is where you read the page, then your child can read the same page and try to add more of the story. Students are enjoying books like Harry the Dirty Dog, Caps for Sale, and Bunny Cakes.

Writing: I will be sending home work from the last writing unit. If you are able, look through it with your child. They worked really hard! We begin a new writing unit this week and I believe it will be extremely exciting for the kiddos! The writing unit is called Looking Closely: Observing, Labeling, Listing. Students will learn that writers are like scientists because they look closely at what they are writing about. We will be taking nature walks, gathering items, and writing about what we find. Using Fall objects will be a great way to integrate science into our writing. Hopefully the weather corporates!  

 Math: In math, we will work on adding, subtracting and number order.

1. Students will create a number parade of their own. This is the “number parade” that we reference throughout our math lessons and other parts of the day as well.

2.  Students will use pictures to tell addition and subtraction math stories. They might see a picture of three cars. They could say, “There were three cars. One drove away. How many are left?” Try doing these story problems at home tooJ
3. This center will be filled with supplies for the students to create their own shapes. The will be able to use all sorts of materials to create and identify characteristics of circles, rectangles, square, and more.
4. Students will work on dot to dot pictures to practice number recognition and sequencing. They will also practice forming numbers using playdoh.

Word Study: This week, we will begin studying sight words in word study. These sight words will help us to gear up for reading! Our sight words this week are a, the, is, I, & and. We will spend time each day working with these sight words. We will also continue to work on identifying all the letters of the alphabet and saying their sounds. The students will work on color words as well.

Social Studies: The students have been interviewing school helpers and creating books about each person we interview! It is great to visit the different offices in the school to learn about what our school helpers do. This week, the students will be writing and illustrating books about our school nurse, custodian, and an educational assistant! It is exciting to see how things we are talking about in writing, such as speech bubbles, are transferring to the work we do throughout the day, especially in these books!

Feel free to email or call me with any questions or concerns!