Yesterday we enjoyed a children’s production at A Center 4 The Arts performed by Kennedy High School Students. Today we had a great morning Making Memories with Moms – thanks for coming! This week we have continued handwriting, word families, writing, middle and ending sounds and sound spelling, and rhyming words. Our new high frequency words are “with” and “my”. We are reading, reading and reading some more! Qq Show and Tell on Monday.

In Math we continue to practice with clocks, playing games with + and – signs, and counting. We will do more graphing, measuring, money exchanges and number sentences in the days ahead.

Next week we begin a Farm Unit. In addition to literature about them, we will make as many farm animals as we have time to complete! We look forward to our trip to the Juven Farm on Wednesday the 23^rd.

Next Wednesday morning we head to the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center for an outdoor study of what the wetlands is. Please have children dress appropriately for outdoors.

On Thursday we will go visit our adopt-a-class-sponsor, Lake Region Healthcare. If you can help us please let me know soon.

Next Friday is our big Olympic afternoon beginning at 12:30. Mrs. Lill can still use more help-if you are available, please let me know. You are welcome to come and observe at any time during this fun 80 minute event! Your kids did great Jump-roping for Heart and McKinley contributed around $1500.00!

I cannot believe we have only 12.5 more days of school! As you can see, we will be busy up until our last day.

On our last day, May 31^st, we will be dismissing at noon.  Report cards will be mailed the following week.

Looking ahead:

May 16 Fieldtrip to Prairie Wetlands Learning Center/Library books are due – No More Library check out 

May 18 Olympics 12:30

May 23 Juven Farm Trip

May 28 Memorial Day – No School

17.5 days left of school – I cannot believe that our school year is coming to a close!

On Friday, May 11^th, we look forward to Making Memories with Moms – remember that a grandma or special friend can come if mom cannot! We will begin at 9:30 and finish around 10:15 or so.

On Wednesday morning, May 16, we head to the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center for an outdoor study of what the wetlands is. Please have children dress appropriately for outdoors.

In two weeks on May 18^th, we will have our Olympic Games for McKinley Kindergarten students.  We need parent helpers for that Friday morning. Please let me know if you are available to help with that event.

We have enjoyed our study of butterflies, as we watched our caterpillars become a chrysalis. We are anticipating butterflies in the next week or two. We will continue in our Science Unit studying living things as we turn from insects to frogs and pond life, gardens and farm animals. We will culminate this study at the Juven farm on May 23^rd.

In TREASURES Reading we are reviewing many of the skills we have learned this year, as well as continuing to learn new word families and reading skills. We begin our last Unit on Monday. In Everyday Math we were introduced to the dollar bill and have practiced addition and subtraction. We use learning games to help reinforce skills in both reading and math. It has been interesting to see how growth and change have been involved in our Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies this month!

On our last day, May 31^st, we will dismiss at noon. We will be busy right up until our final morning!

Looking ahead:

May 16 Fieldtrip to Prairie Wetlands Learning Center

May 18 Kindergarten Olympic” Games at McKinley

May 23 Fieldtrip to Juven Farm  (make up May 25)

May 28 Memorial Day No School

May 31 Noon Dismissal Last Day of School

Happy May Day on Tuesday! Remember, Moms, that we have a special event, “Making Memories with Mom”, planned just for you, at 9:30 on Friday, May 11! We hope you can come and join us for a few little activities and snack.  If mom cannot attend, we welcome a Grandmother or special friend in mom’s place.

MAP tests are history – You will receive a copy of your student’s scores in their end-of-year Progress Report Cards mailed to you in June.

In Communication Arts this week we have been practicing writing short sentences, word families, sound blending. We are working on reviewing letter sound identification in beginning, medial and final positions in words. Our literature is closely tied in with our Science Unit on living things.

In Science we have watched to see what happens with our caterpillars as they fatten up and get ready to form their chrysalis. We also have discussed other insects and creatures

In Math we have worked with telling time. We also reviewed “number names” which is a base for math algorithms that will build over the next years. 

Please note attached calendars and support activities.

Thank you to those who have volunteered for May – have a great weekend!

Looking ahead:

April 30 Xx Show and Tell (good luck J)

May 11 “Making Memories with Mom” at 9:30.

May 16 Fieldtrip to Prairie Wetlands Learning CenterMay 18 Kindergarten OlympicsMay 23 Farm Visit (Make up if it rains-May 25)May 28 Memorial Day – No School

May 31 - Noon Dismissal - Last Day of School

Another busy week! We begin our MAP testing on Monday so make sure we all have a good night of sleep and eat a great breakfast. Miss Arielle from the Public Library will be here on Monday, too, for her monthly visit.

In Communication Arts this week we continue meeting and reviewing word families as well as sight words. It is exciting for me to see many of the students are using phonics skills as they try decoding new words.  Next week we work on reviewing letters, blending sounds, word families, and printing.

In Math we have number families, bundling tens, counting, and grouping for addition. Most students would benefit from practicing writing numerals, especially if he/she is writing a lot of reversals. Clocks and time will be introduced next week.

Our Science day today about PLANTS had us looking at seeds, root systems, sprouts and shoots as we examined a bean seed, sorted seeds and made prints from “tops” and “bottoms” (roots, fruit, seeds or stems) today. We also dug into soil to learn about nutrients to the plants. To recognize Earth Day we will discuss the environment  and how we can help keep it healthy on Monday.

We practiced a tornado drill yesterday – children can share with you how to do it so you can do so at home, too! Ask them about Mr. Colbeck’s friend, Tommy Tornado!

Save the date, May 11^th Then it’ll be just us, and our moms, heading back to our classroom for a time of making memories! (If mom can’t come, a special friend, grandma or dad, etc. would be welcome instead). 

Parent volunteer opportunities: I would love 4 parents to go with us to the Prairie Wetlands on May 16^th if you are available. We are at the PWLC from 10:00-11:00.

Looking ahead:

April 23 “Vv”  Show and Tell

April 25 Scholastic Book Orders are due – this is the last book order of this school year – you will notice April/May/June Firefly and Seesaw catalogues are attached.

April 30 Show & Tell

May 11 “Making Memories with Mom” for moms in our classroom

May 16 Fieldtrip to Prairie Wetlands Learning Center

May 23 Farm Visit

May 31 Noon Dismissal - Last Day of School

Thank you for your help with our “Fun In the Kitchen” basket and raffle ticket sales. Also for attending our Book Fair.

In Communication Arts we finished Unit 8 today. We are blending sounds more and more to reading words and that has been very exciting!  We have worked with many word families:  -at, -an, -op, -un, ig, -ox –en to name just a few. Some students are experimenting with others. Our new sight words are “little”, was”, here” and “said.” We are talking about sentences and punctuation marks.

We are working really hard at trying to understand tens and ones as we worked with bundling sticks of ten and putting them with single sticks.  It is really hard for some of us! When we have time we practice printing numerals in a book that we are working on.

In Science and Reading we have read books and poems about seeds. We will continue to learn about plants, animals, growth cycles, and farming and will continue until the end of the school year.

We have enjoyed being outdoors for recess. Please check temperatures daily before your child leaves for school so they are clothed appropriately, however. It is always good to have at least a light jacket.

Calling all Moms: Please save May 11^th 9:30 (45 minutes or so) to Make Memories with your child! If mom can’t come grandma, dad, or a special friend is welcome in mom’s place.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Looking ahead:

 April 16 Ww Show & Tell

April 23-27 MAP Testing

April 25 Show and Tell

April 30 Show and Tell

May 11  9:30 “Making Memories with Mom” in our classroom

May 16 Fieldtrip to Prairie Wetlands Learning Center – need helpers

May 23 Farm Visit – Student please dress to be outdoors – need helpers

May 28 Memorial Day – No School

May 31 Noon Dismissal - Last Day of School

Time is “springing” along so quickly! Enjoy an extra day tomorrow with your child! Progress Reports, along with high-frequency word flashcards, went home on Monday. Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

In Math we worked on ordering numbers, counting and recording, and comparison number stories this week. Today we did jellybean math.

Next week’s Show and Tell will be the letter name for Gg and the sound it makes at the beginning of the word “golf”.  We are reading more “decodeable” stories – stories written with words that we can recognize or “decode” from word families we have worked with, as well as our high frequency words.

We have left the rainforest and exotic animals behind as we take a look at seeds. Our Reading, Social Studies and Science Units will be overlapping as we look at how things change and grow.

Next Thursday is our McKinley Book Fair and Family night. Pizza is served from 5-7. See the attached flyer and let any PTO member know if you are available to help out on either Wednesday or Thursday (or with set up/take down the days before and after). Remember our class is to build a basket of “Fun in the Kitchen” to raffle off so any donations are welcome through April 11^th.

Enjoy a great weekend! 

Looking ahead:       

April 9  Gg Show & Tell. 

April 12 PTO Book Fair at McKinley with Family night after 5:00 on Thursday-See Flyer

April 16 Ww Show & Tell.

April 23 Begin MAP Testing

Please watch for PTO Walkathon opportunity combined with their May 19^th Fitness Event! Remember your child’s participation is an opportunity not a requirement

It’s snowing – APRIL FOOL! Report Cards are coming home with your child Monday. I will be including flash cards for our high frequency words for students to practice. Please call or stop in if you have any questions about anything on this progress report.

In Communication Arts this week we have been introduced to –ck at the end of words (dock, rock, etc.) Our new sight words are “little” and “said”. We talked about quotation marks. We are blending sounds more and more to read words and that has been very exciting! Some students are experimenting with others. I hope your child shared the little booklet “A Little Acorn” with you. Next week we work on the letter u, and the short sound heard in umbrella. 

In recent math lessons we have been talking about equal parts (halves, quarters, etc.) as well as using counters to complete addition problems. We reviewed two- and three-dimensional shapes and talked about the hexagon and the sphere.  Please look for these shapes around your house and neighborhood.

Later this April, students in all grade levels will be taking computerized yearend tests.  This information is helpful to us as we compare Fall scores with Spring, and examine areas of growth or areas which need more exposure. Please send headphones if your child does not have any.

We have a PTO Scholastic Book Fair coming to McKinley on April 12^th. Please come with the entire family, have a slice of pizza, and browse the Book Fair. Each Kindergarten teacher is collecting items for a basket that will be raffled off at the event. Our theme is “Fun in the kitchen/baking”. If you could contribute something to our basket I welcome your donations. Ideas include kitchen utensils, mixes, recipe cards, chocolate chips, nuts, or anything you can think of that looks like fun!  Items need to be to school by the 10^th. Raffle tickets will come home with each child to sell to friends and family. PTO does so much for our students, we encourage your support!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Looking ahead:

April 2 UuShow & Tell and our last March Madness week exercise record is due. We came close the first week to win the Dairyland smoothies but didn’t quite make it. Maybe next week??????

April 6 No School

April 9 Gg Show and Tell

April 12 Scholastic Book Fair and Pizza night

Happy Spring!  It’s finally here on our calendar, at least! Report Cards are coming home with your child Monday, April 2^nd.  Please call or stop in if you have any questions about anything.

Next week in Communication Arts we will work on the letter name for Kk and the sound it makes at the beginning of the word “kite”.  We are blending sounds more and more to read words and that has been very exciting!  We have worked with the following word families:  -at, -an, -op, ot, en, et, in, it, and ip. Some students are experimenting with others. We did a spelling assessment, which I enjoyed looking over.  It was exciting for me to see many of the students are using phonics skills in their inventive spelling. We also wrote and illustrated two sentences!

In Math we have worked on, shapes and solids, counting, and practicing printing numerals. Please help your child if he/she is writing a lot of reversals.  Look for these solid shapes around your house and neighborhood.

Our Social Studies and Science Unit has begun with our study of jungle animals. We have learned about the gorilla, rhinoceros, elephant, and hippopotamus.

 We have enjoyed being outdoors for recess. Please check temperatures daily before your child leaves for school so that they are clothed appropriately.

Two more Mondays to turn in slips for “March Madness” fitness challenge so be sure to get those in if your child has been participating. We haven’t won a smoothie yet but maybe next week … ?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Looking ahead:

March 26 Kk Show & Tell and March Madness slips due

March 28 Late Start 10:25

April 2  Uu Show & Tell and March Madness slips due

April 6 Spring Break

April 9 School Day – Make up for snow day cancellation