September Pre-K News
Welcome back for a great 2011-2012 school year! I am very excited to be teaching pre-k again this year. Last year was filled with great memories and I am anticipating another fantastic year. I believe a child's first ventures into formal education should be enjoyable as possible and this program has been structured to allow for lots of fun.
This month a lot of time is spent on getting to know our school, our room and our friends. Keep in mind the procedures for saying good-bye when dropping your child off. The shorter the time spent saying good-bye the easier the transition from home to school will be. Tears are contagious in Pre-K so I tend to dry them up as fast as possible.
Our theme this month is apples and Johnny Appleseed. We will learn the lifecycle of an apple and read many stories about apples. Classes have already started zoo phonics and counting on our number line. Also, we have been beginning our day with the "Pledge of Allegiance" and the "Lord's Prayer". It would be helpful if families find time to practice these at home too.
Our first parent in the classroom day will be Wed. September 28th and Thurs.
September 29th. It will be the last 45 min. of their regular class time. AM- 10:00 PM- 2:00. I will need a few supplies, so a sign up sheet will be posted in the hall.
Each class will go up to the library and check out books with Mrs. Figarelle.3-day will visit on Wednesday and 2-day Thursday.
Book Orders: Every month I will send home a book order with your child. Please send one check made payable to Scholastic Books Clubs (NO CASH). The Scholastic program has great books at very reasonable prices. Turn around time is usually 2-3 weeks.
- Journals I have received a few journal pages. Please complete 2 pages with your child and return as soon as possible. We will be starting our "super star" of the week beginning Sept. 8th.
*Important Dates - NO SCHOOL
· Sept. 5
· Sept. 26
If there are any questions regarding your child or what we are doing in the classroom, don't hesitate to call. I will not take calls during class, but I will return any messages in a timely manner. My extension is 207 e-mail brown@holyspiritcs.org
October Pre-K News
Welcome to autumn! There has been a definite nip in the air lately, but we are enjoying our recess time anyway. Please remember to send a jacket with your child. We will continue to go outside until the weather is too cold.
October is a busy month in Pre-K. We will be learning all about the changing of the season and of course our circus unit, which includes clowns, circus animals and circus food. The children will work on some basic tumbling and balancing. Classes will be having our special event – the circus. The circus will be held on Thursday, Nov. 3rd for both 2day classes & Nov. 4th for both 3day classes. During our circus we will be combining both morning and afternoon classes together at 8:00 and our performance will be around 9:15. Before our circus we will be watching the video “Dumbo” to learn about the circus and feelings. We will continue with Zoo-phonics throughout the month. All in all, it is fun, and exciting!
The circus is my alternative to Halloween. So, for the circus, each child needs to dress up as a circus character. I have a lot of ideas for inexpensive and easy costumes if you are having trouble finding something. Action heroes and power rangers don’t belong at the circus so steer your child away from those ideas. Acrobats, animals, and clowns are great ideas. Please keep in mind that the children will be tumbling so the less head gear the better. Slippers or slip on shoes work really well that day.
*Important dates in October:
- October 20 & 21 NO SCHOOL
- October 27&28 School Pictures
For math, we are continuing with our counting on the number line (1’s, 5’s, 10’s).
We will also continue with sorting and separating when we clean up. Patterns are still a big topic of conversation. These groups are awesome!
November Pre-K News
This month classes will be focusing on "giving thanks". Discussing with the
students why we celebrate Thanksgiving and it's importance. Also, we are continuing
with our zoo phonics, but I have introduced "the big 5" (vowels) and also started word building. Students are enjoying segmenting words, stretching sounds, counting thesounds and creating rhymes. These are great pre-reading skills all students will use in Kindergarten. Classes will continue counting using our number line. Also, we have been tracing numbers 1-20, and students will start writing 1-20 independently. Have your child practice these new skills at home too.
This month we will begin our reading calendar. Each month you have
opportunity to turn one in. Keep up the hard work!
Thank you to all the families that came and joined us for the circus. The students and
had a blast!
*Important dates in November:
Book orders due Nov. 16th
Nov. 11,23,24, & 25 No SCHOOL
December Pre-K News
This is a very exciting month for everyone. Our classes will be discussing the
celebration of Christmas, focusing on the birth of Jesus. Also, classes will be reading and
comparing a variety of Gingerbread stories: Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread
Girl,Gingerbread Baby,Gingerbread Friends and Gingerbread Pirates. Ask your child to tell
you about their favorite version. The parent in the class day for 3day, will be Monday,
December 19th and 2day will be Tuesday, Dec. 20th the last 45 min. of regular class time.
We will be singing a few Christmas Carols and having hot chocolate.
Important dates:
CHRISTMAS BREAK – begins December 21th & classes resume January 3rd
· Journal pages are needed
· Practice writing letters, small words, numbers, counting, and reading during the break.
We will start handwriting Jan. 3rd. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Pre-K
January 2012
Welcome back! Another year has quickly passed and I hope all of you enjoyed the time you've spent with family over the holidays. This month pre-k will be focusing on penguins. Learning about their habitats, diets, and comparing the different kinds. Over the next few weeks, each class will be completing a K-W-L chart. This tool will enable students to build from their prior & ongoing knowledge of penguins. Also, we will begin daily handwriting. Using the D'Nelian style, students will be working on lower and upper case A,B,C, and D. Transitioning to daily handwriting can be a challange. Practice at home on days off and also, encourage and give positive feedback to your child. As for math, we are still practicing our number recognition 1-30 using our number line and playing # B-I-N-G-O. Ask your child to count by 10's, 5's, or backwards. We have made a lot of progress with our numbers.
As for the parent in the classroom day, this month each has reached their goal for a classroom party. They have been earning marbles as a class when all students (whole group) have followed the rules exceptionally well. I have decided to have a pajama party. Students can wear school appropriate pajamas, slippers, and bring one small stuffed animal. Girls can wear thier nightgowns, but pants or shorts will also need to be worn. 3day classes will have their party Jan. 30th and 2day classes will have their party Jan. 31st the last 45 min. of normal class time. At a later date students will get to vote on the video that we will watch during our party.
*Important dates in January:
- Jan. 16th & 23rd NO SCHOOL
-Book orders due on Jan. 18th
Please remember to sign up for conferences. The sign up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board right outside of the classroom. I plan to meet with parents for 10 minutes to discuss your child's progress.