Week of 8/22

We had a great first week reading books about showing respect and following rules, and we did a few fun art projects to go along with those books. On Friday, we enjoyed the stories, The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten, and made crowns afterward so that we could all be Queens/Kings of Kindergarten. That means that we brighten up every room we enter, we are always caring and kind, and we are helpful. This group seems to be off to a great start as Kings & Queens of kindergarten!

Fundations 

This week, we will begin the Fundations reading program. This will be an orientation week, where we will learn about some of the tools in Fundations. The program has a big focus on handwriting, and we will learn about letters that touch the sky line, the plane line, the grass line, and the worm line. We will also meet Echo the Owl, who helps promote student responses. A bit more about the program can be found here.

Handwriting/Name Writing This week, we will begin focusing on names and letters. We will be creating a book where children will practice writing their names correctly using different tools, One of our kindergarten standards is writing a name with one capital letter and the rest lower-case. I encourage you to reinforce this at home-- we try to drop the all-capital letter name writing as quickly as possible. The faster children can write their names correctly, the easier it is for them to get going on assignments, as we encourage them to write their names first. I appreciate your help with this.

We will also be reading the book, Chika Chika Boom Boom and doing some crafts and a STEAM project around this theme.

Scissor Skills/Fine Motor Tubs
Next week, we will launch our "fine motor tubs," which we work on first thing in the morning. Starting Monday, children will go straight into the classroom (no need to line up after I open the door-- just come right in) and start working on their tubs. Your children will want to come early so that they can get started on these tubs, as these are always very popular! They are a great way for us to sneak in some fine motor strengthening activities while having fun. One skill we will be focusing on is scissor skills. We have noticed that this is another skill that has been quite difficult for a number of students. Continue practicing scissor skills at home by drawing lines on papers to have your children cut on different types of lines, and insuring your child is holding scissors the correct way.

School Gates
Starting on Monday, all gates into the school will no longer be open before 8:05. This means that if you arrive before 8:05, you will have to wait at the front of the school or in the parking lot. The gates will be open from 8:05 to 8:15, and then they will be closed until dismissal time. If you arrive after the gates are closed, you will need to go into the office for a tardy slip before you can get onto campus. For security reasons, please do not prop the gate open or hold the gate for others coming in after the 8:15 bell has rung. 

 **For your upcoming scheduling: There is no school on Friday, September 2nd or Monday the 5th.

I am looking forward to another fun week with your children!