Week of 3/28

We are heading into our last week before Spring Break. I always feel like after we return from Spring Break, the weeks just fly by! We have a lot to pack in during our remaining 44 school days, so keep supporting your children at home by reinforcing concepts and doing lots of reading & writing.  

Language Arts
This week, we will continue looking at words with the "Bossy R" or "R-controlled vowels." We will be studying the three that make the same sound: er, ur, and ir. Words such as bird, corner, her, and hurt have these sounds. Our sight word this week is little.

Math 

We are continuing with the subtraction unit. We've been using 10 frames, number bonds, fingers, and other manipulatives to develop subtraction fluency. Thank you for your continued support with this concept. Parent tips for this module can be found here.

 

STEAM 

We will return to the Makerspace again this week to have another session with the Rigamajig. A big part of STEAM activities is collaboration. This is often hard for kindergartners, as they want the project to be exactly what they want, instead of compromising with group members. We will continue to encourage cooperation & collaboration with various STEAM activities.

Spring Fling
This Friday, we will have Spring-themed centers to have a fun send-off to Spring Break. Children will be planting seeds, and enjoying Spring crafts & activities.  

Cornerstone
We have another Cornerstone lesson this week with Kassie & Agnieszka. 

Kimochis 

Last week, we learned about disappointment and the Kimochis® kotowaza— or Japanese proverb—that accompanies this feeling: “Maybe next time.” This kotowaza helps to inspire and encourage children to “bounce back” when disappointed. Disappointment can seem unbearable for young children because they do not have the range of experiences older children have that allow them to understand that the situation may not be so bad. However, experiencing disappointment actually teaches children to be resilient. Your child learned to do a little snap of the fingers (or at least the motion) for a small disappointment and a big snap for a bigger disappointment. This can be paired with words such as, “Maybe next time” and “Oh, well.”

 

Alta Vista Online Auction 

The online auction, supporting the enrichment programs at Alta Vista, is up and running right now! If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, please do! One of the items being auctioned is a movie night in my classroom on April 22nd, from 5:00 to 7:30. This is a fun evening in the classroom. Pizza will be served beforehand, followed by a movie. I'm hoping all the students will be able to join, but you have to bid on a ticket to come to this event! The auction ends on Tuesday the 29th, so make sure you check it out before then.

**Children should return library books by Tuesday, so they can check out a new book on Wednesday

**We have P.E. every Monday. Please send your children in shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

**Grasshopper t-shirt day/AV Spirit Day is every Wednesday. 

Helpers & Activities This Week
Monday: COVID testing in the cafeteria, PE with Mr. Field
Tuesday: Return library books, Cornerstone (Kassie & Agnieszka), Centers (Kassie & Agnieszka)
Wednesday: Grasshopper t-shirt day, Rigamajig in the MS, 9:45-10:30 (Virginia, Valeria, Carlene, Arthisre?), PAWS assembly
Thursday: Centers (Sarah & Zoe)
Friday: Special Spring Fling Centers (Tiffany, Shelley, Emily & Deanna) 

Upcoming Events   

Tuesday, 3/29: AVHSC Auction ends 

Wednesday, 3/30: Rigamajig in the Makerspace

Friday, 4/1: Spring Fling

4/4-4/8: Spring Break

Friday, 4/22: Kindergarten Movie Night (need to have a ticket to attend)

Friday, 5/6: Multicultural Fair

Week of 3/21

Last week was an exciting week, full of creativity, leprechauns, STEAM, and rainbows! This week, we will have more STEAM-focused activities, with another trip to the Makerspace, and some STEAM activities during classroom centers. We also have the Be Seen & Heard assembly on Thursday and Spring Picture Day on Friday. 

Language Arts
This week, we will be looking at words with the "Bossy R" or "R-controlled vowels." We will be studying both ar and or. Words such as form, farm, hard, and corn have that sound. Our sight word this week, are, also has an r-controlled vowel. 

Math 

We began our subtraction unit last week.This is often a harder math concept for children and could use additional reinforcement. Parent tips for this module can be found here.

 

STEAM 

We will return to the Makerspace again this week to use a building tool called the Rigamajig In years past, this has been a very popular activity, as children can create large projects with this tool. Thank you to Emily, Deanna, Agnieszka, and Tiffany for their help on Wednesday. We will repeat this activity again in the MS next Wednesday the 30th. If you're interested in helping, I just opened those slots on the Sign-Up Genius. Just a reminder that you need to be on the pre-approved list to help at any of our class activities. Please contact me if you still need to be added to that list.

In class, we will also be doing a few STEAM activities. Some, we have introduced already. We introduced a new coding app on the iPad last week called Codespark Academy. We will continue using this coding app. We will also use another coding tool in class this week called the Bee-Bot. Additionally, we are excited to introduce using Osmo in class this week.  

Kimochis
This week, your child learned about feeling mad and the Kimochis® kotowaza—or Japanese proverb—that accompanies this emotion: “It’s okay to be mad, but it is not okay to be mean.” This kotowaza validates that it is acceptable to have angry or mad feelings (all humans experience them); however, it is not okay for anyone to express those feelings by being mean or unkind to others. We all know how easy it is to use our eyes, face, voice, body language, words, and actions to express anger. Your child learned a communication tool to express mad feelings in an effective way—namely, to use a Serious Face and Voice to help send a message that is strong and clear, but not hurtful. Your child will need guidance and patience to remember how to use these newfound tools when expressing intense feelings 

**Children should return library books by Tuesday, so they can check out a new book on Wednesday (some children returned them last week).

**We have P.E. every Monday. Please send your children in shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

**Grasshopper t-shirt day/AV Spirit Day is every Wednesday.

Helpers & Activities This Week
Monday: COVID testing in the cafeteria, PE with Mr. Field
Tuesday: Return library books, Centers (Kassie & Ryan)
Wednesday: Grasshopper t-shirt day, Library time, Rigamajig in the MS, 9:45-10:30 (Emily, Deanna, Tiffany, Agnieszka), PAWS assembly
Thursday: Centers (Kim & Valeria)
Friday: Centers (Alexis & Van) 

Upcoming Events 

Wednesday, 3/23: Rigamajig in the Makerspace

Thursday, 3/24: Be Seen & Heard Assembly (Zoom)

Friday, 3/25: Spring Picture Day

Wednesday, 3/30: More Rigamajig in Makerspace

Friday, 4/1: Spring Fling

4/4-4/8: Spring Break

 

Week of 3/14

We are excited to welcome some new parent helpers into the room in the upcoming weeks! This week, we return to centers and we also have our leprechaun trap making activity in the Makerspace. Please see a new section at the bottom of the weekly email, which lists the helpers for the upcoming week.  

Language Arts 

This week, we will be looking at words with r blends, for example, trap, cross, brown, and drip. Our sight word is run. Continue reviewing those high frequency words posted on the website with your children.

Math 

This week, we return to Module 4 in Eureka Math for the subtraction component. Subtraction is our last big math concept to introduce this year, and often needs additional reinforcement at home. Parent tips for this module can be found here.

Mask Mandate 

As you know, beginning Monday, the mandatory mask mandate for inside the classroom has been lifted. Mask-wearing on any USD campus is now advised, but not mandatory. We have had several discussions around this in class revolving around the theme of respecting everyone's choices. Please be sure to discuss your preference with your child before Monday, as I am unable to enforce or encourage any behaviors around wearing/not wearing masks.  

 

Class t-shirt Wednesdays

As a reminder, we are now wearing our class t-shirt every Wednesday to show our class/school spirit! Alternatively, you can wear blue & gold or an Alta Vista t-shirt. Whatever you wear, Wednesdays are the day that we show our Alta Vista School spirit at the afternoon PAWS assembly (on Zoom) each week.

STEAM
Last week, our first trip to the Makerspace for the Strawbees activity was a success! We are going to continue going into the Makerspace to use some of the tools there to create and design. This week, we are excited to return to creating leprechaun traps after a one year hiatus! This is an annual favorite for the kindergartners, and we are looking forward to seeing this year's creative designs. I may add a few upcoming dates to the Sign-Up Genius for Makerspace Wednesdays. Those activities will all be between 9:45 and 10:30. If you were unable to get on the helper schedule and you have some time on an upcoming Wednesday between 9:45 and 10:30, please email me so that I can reserve a spot for you. Otherwise, look out for the Sign-Up Genius with some added dates soon! 

Kimochis 

This week, we talked about feeling left out and the Kimochis® kotowaza that accompanies this emotion: “Make room for everyone.” This Japanese saying inspires children to push themselves to get included and to seek to include everyone in play. These are the steps your child learned that can help him/her get included in play: • Choose a person who looks friendly or who you know and stand where they can see you. • Call this child’s name. • Give a Communication Tap and wait for eye contact. • Smile and ask, “Can I play?” • Respond with a friendly-sounding “Thank you” and a smile.

**Children should return library books by Tuesday, so they can check out a new book on Wednesday.
**We have P.E. every Monday. Please send your children in shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

Helpers & Activities This Week
Monday: PE with Mr. Field
Tuesday: Return library books, Centers (Kassie & Emily)
Wednesday: Grasshopper t-shirt day, Leprechaun Traps in the MS, 8:30 to 10:00 (Arthisre, Tiffany, Deanna), PAWS assembly
Thursday: Centers (Agnieszka & Sarah)
Friday: Centers (Daniel & Josiah) 

Upcoming Events 

Wednesday, 3/16: Leprechaun Trap Making in the Makerspace 

Wednesday, 3/23: Rigamajig in the Makerspace 

Thursday, 3/24: Be Seen & Heard Assembly (Zoom)

Friday, 3/25: Spring Picture Day

Friday, 4/1: Spring Fling

4/4-4/8: Spring Break

Week of 3/7

I have enjoyed meeting with half of you already for parent-teacher conferences, and I am looking forward to meeting with the rest of you this week-- it's great to share your child's successes with you. It's hard to believe that we are already in our last trimester of kindergarten. The time will pass quickly in this last 3 months, and before you know it, we will be moving on to first grade! After we meet, please be sure to praise your children for the progress they've made, and also continue to support them in areas where they still need reinforcement to meet end-of-year standards. If you need to confirm your time next week, click here. Remember that the 1:15 dismissal time will continue through Friday the 11th. Also, we have placed a cone in the gate where the students normally enter & exit, so you can access campus through that gate now for conferences.

There will continue to be no centers this week due to parent-teacher conferences. We do have an Art Vista lesson this Friday the 10th, and I would like a couple of volunteers to help with Strawbees in the Makerspace on Wednesday from 9:45 to 10:30. Let me know if you are available to help on Wednesday.

Language Arts
Our sight word this week is they. We will be working on s-blend words, such as: small, ask, spot, step.

Math
We continue with to review in math before introducing subtraction next week.

STEAM
This Wednesday, we will go to the Makerspace to use a building tool called Strawbees. Please email me if you'd like to help with this.

Upcoming Events: 

3/7-3/11: Parent-Teacher Conferences, 1:15 Dismissal 

Wednesday, 3/9: Strawbees in the Makerspace 

Wednesday, 3/16: Leprechaun Trap Making in the Makerspace

Wednesday, 3/23: Rigamajig in the Makerspace

3/24-3/29: Online auction to support AV enrichment programs

4/4-4/8: Spring Break