I hope you have all been enjoying a nice week off to recalibrate before we welcome all the children to the classroom on Monday! I am so excited to see everyone in K2 and look forward to welcoming my students who did not participate in the Explore & Discover program, as well as three new students. We have 24 total students, and will have 12 AM students, and 12 PM students.
Schedules
- M, Tu, Th, F AM Schedule: Arrive between 8:15 & 8:25 (don't be late, or the gate will be closed) at Gate F. Dismissal at 10:45. 30 minutes of asynchronous work after class-- see below for details.
- M, Tu, Th, F PM Schedule: Arrive between 12:15 & 12:25 (don't be late, or the gate will be closed) at Gate F. Dismissal at 2:45. 30 minutes of asynchronous work after class-- see below for details.
- Wednesdays for all students: Zoom Meeting from 8:30 to 9:00. It will be the same Zoom link students have been using this whole year. Those students who are new to the class will receive a Zoom link in SeeSaw. After the Zoom meeting, students will complete a work packet for their 2.5 hours of asynchronous work. See below for details.
- All students will receive a calendar on February 22nd with different "choice menus" attached for their 30 minutes of additional work. Please keep the choice menus in a safe place, as we will be using those for the next few months. Every day, students should read independently, plus choose an activity from the menus for their asynchronous work. Many parents have expressed concerns to us about the amount of screen time and app usage students have had in the past 6+ months. We are trying to offer options that are off-screen for asynchronous work with these choice menus. However, if you prefer your child spends time on Lexia, Raz-Kids, eSpark, Happy Numbers, etc. for his/her additional work, that is fine with us as well. Work completed during asynchronous time does not need to be submitted in SeeSaw. If your child would like to turn in work to us in the classroom to show us any special projects they have completed, that is fine with us, but we will not be using SeeSaw very often as we transition to in-person instruction. Work feedback and work review will all be done in-person now.
Wednesday Asynchronous Work
- Students will receive a work packet each Tuesday in the classroom. A cover sheet will be on the packet that gives any specific directions needed. Students will return the packet to class on Thursday. For this Wednesday, students will be using worksheets that they picked up in the last materials pickup. They will still receive a cover sheet on Tuesday for the work they will be completing, but no worksheets will be attached since they already have them. The use of work packets vs. SeeSaw will allow for more differentiation of work, and again, give screen-free options to students. As with the rest of the week, all educational apps continue to be a choice if you'd like your children to utilize those apps. **I will continue assigning a story in Raz-Kids each Wednesday. Please check to make sure your child listens to the story, reads the story, and takes the quiz. If all these things have not been done, the "My Assignment" spaceship will not disappear from the homescreen.
This Week in Class
Phonics Focus: Long "o" sound with silent e
Sight Word: here
Math: Subtraction
Theme: Presidents & getting to know one another & classroom routines
First Day & Beyond
For those of you who have been participating in the Explore & Discover program, the routine is the same. Children will arrive at the gate, answer their health check questions, sanitize, and enter the yard. Parents will have to say goodbye at the gate and cannot enter campus. I will be standing by the door and children will put down their water bottle & extra mask on the outdoor picnic table, then enter the classroom. If students need to take a drink or a mask break during the day, they will go outside to the picnic table to do that. The single-use restroom is in our classroom, and children can use it any time. Both classroom doors will remain open throughout the day for extra ventilation, so please have your children dress warmly. We will have one recess break per day, even if it is sprinkling outside. I found that the E & D students LOVED their outside time, and wanted to go out, rain or shine. Again, please dress accordingly.
Parking Lot
The parking lot near the kindergarten playground IS NOT TO BE USED for drop-offs or pick-ups. Students will be lining up partly in the parking lot, and it is a safety hazard to have cars driving in and out next to the line. Please plan accordingly, arrive early, and park on the street or walk.
Items to Bring
Please keep items brought to school to a minimum. All that is really needed is a water bottle and a baggie with an extra mask (in case of damage/soiling of first mask). Reusable water bottles are highly encouraged so that children can quickly identify & find their own water bottle. Labeling the water bottle and extra mask is also important. All other materials (pencils, crayons, whiteboard markers, scissors, gluesticks, etc.) will be supplied to your child in a personal supply box. These items will not be shared to greatly reduce germ transfer. **If you would like your child to keep the extra mask at school so that you don't have to bring it back and forth each day, please let me know and I will have your child keep it in his/her cubby. Also, all learning materials currently at home will remain at home, including iPads.
Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/22: Start of in-person instruction
Friday, 3/5: Report cards go home (completed and sent by your 2nd trimester teacher)
Wednesday, 3/17: Special asynchronous work project: Leprechaun traps (start saving boxes and materials for these)
April 5-9: Spring Break
