Week of 9/30

The Alta Vista Walkathon is just two weeks away, and you won't want to miss it! Over half our class is already signed up-- Go Grasshoppers! You will be amazed to see how many laps your children will walk. There are special charms for a necklace that they earn each lap, and they are very motivated by these! Every five laps earns a different type of charm, and the kids love wearing their necklaces the following week(s) to show off all their charms. Please come out and support our school's enrichment programs by signing up here.

**Remember that there is no school this Friday the 4th.

Language Arts
This week, we will start rolling out our literacy centers which enable me to provide small group instruction in reading. We will start this week with an app called Lexia Core 5. I will gradually introduce the other centers over the next few weeks, which include "Word Work" (literacy games), a writing center, other independent literacy work, and meeting with me. Once all centers are introduced, a small group of students will be meeting with me each day while the rest of the class is engaged in the other literacy centers. Your children will be receiving lessons targeted for their ability level in a small group instruction setting.

In Fundations, we will introduce the letters Cc and Oo. The letter c is important in handwriting, because many letters start with the "magic c," as we call it. The letters a, d, g, o, and q are all "Magic C" letters. 
 
We will introduce our first sight words this week! Your children will be exposed to over 40 sight words this year. Using the phonics knowledge they already know, sight words will be taught through "orthographic mapping." This means that children will listen to how many sounds they hear in a word and then apply their phonics skills to "map" out those sounds. Each week, when we introduce new sight words, they will only contain sounds that we've already learned. This week's words are it and in. You can find the sight words we will be introducing on this website. Go to the tab called "High Frequency Word List."

Math
We will begin Topic F this week in math. Topic F provides space to practice counting while students learn to write 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Students count things that happen over time, like a person’s jumps or the runs in a baseball game, and see that writing numbers is a good way to record and remember that information

Art & Clay

We will have our first Clay lesson on Monday. We get to do two clay projects in kindergarten over 4 sessions (two "project creation" lessons, and two glazing lessons). Thank you to Evelyn for leading the clay program this year, and Meeta, Tomoko, and Emily for helping out.

We will also have our first Art Vista lesson on Tuesday. Art Vista lessons start with looking at prints from professional artists, followed by a lesson on some aspect of those prints (foreground, line, color, etc.) Thank you to Emily for coordinating these lessons, and to Kevin, Shelbie, and Mallory, Evelyn (and others!) for helping with Art this year. 

*Remember to return your child's library book by Tuesday each week

This Week's Helpers & Activities

Monday: Clay @ 12:20 (Evelyn, Tomoko, Emily)

Tuesday: Art Vista @ 10:25 (Kevin, Shelbie, Emily, Mallory & Evelyn)

Wednesday: Library @ 9:10 (Renuka-Reader & Emily-Checkout)

Friday: NO SCHOOL

Upcoming Events

Friday, 10/4: No School

Tuesday, 10/8: Field Trip to YSI Vasona

Saturday, 10/12: Alta Vista Walkathon

Thursday, 10/31: Halloween Parade & Party

Friday, 11/1: No School

Monday, 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

Week of 9/23

I hope many of you were able to enjoy Movie Night on Friday night! This week, we have Picture Day on Tuesday. If you wish to order pictures of your child, you will be able to see a proof first before deciding if you'd like to order. See below for more information.

​Language Arts

We are beginning the 3rd week of the Fundations program this week. So far, we've introduced the letters and sounds of: Tt, Ff, Bb, Mm, and Nn. This week we will introduce our first vowels: Ii and Uu. This means that we can start blending the sounds we've learned so far to read words like: fun, but, it and in. Please check in with your children and make sure they recognize all the letters we've introduced so far, as well as know their sounds. For helpful resources to reinforce learning at home, please check out the activities mentioned each week in the Fundations Family Letter. In this week's letter, there are some great ideas about how to build print awareness and rhyming skills, which we've also been working on in class.

We will wrap up our Drawing Unit this week as well. Children are ending the unit by drawing a character with a setting. This will help us with our story creating as we begin adding labels and eventually sentences to our drawings.   

Math
This week, we will begin Topic E: Counting Up to 10 Objects. Topic E builds on the work of topic B as students apply number core concepts to sets of 6 to 10 objects. As the size of the group gets larger, tracking the count becomes more challenging. Students consider how to choose an accurate counting strategy.

Science

This week, we will begin our TCI Science program with Unit 1: Plants & Animals. We'll learn what plants & animals need to survive and where they live. This unit will help prepare us for our field trip on October 8th. 

Field Trip

Thank you all for returning the permission slip so quickly for the trip! There is still plenty of time left to get those in-- please return them by the end of the week, Thank you Emily & Awais for chaperoning.

Kimochis                                     

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Huggtopus will join our classroom to teach your child about the feelings silly, frustrated, excited, and proud. Huggtopus (or Huggs) is our Kimochis® Character who is strong and affectionate, but she sometimes gets a little carried away with her big, friendly personality. She might hug too tightly or play too roughly, which upsets her friends. This can be confusing and frustrating to Huggs because she doesn’t know why her friends say, “Don’t bother me.” With Huggtopus, your child is learning to read social cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and sounds from peers. Huggtopus also teaches children how to celebrate our differences. Huggs is a six-legged octopus and is proud that she is so unique!

Walkathon

Alta Vista's Walkathon is coming right up, and I hope to see everyone out there! The Grasshopper Team continues to get more and more members. Go Grasshoppers! Continue registering at this link. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 12th, and plan to come out for this great community-building day-- your child won't want to miss it! This is an event for the whole family so bring your chairs, blankets, pop up tents or canopies and hang out for the day! Every student that registers by the deadline will receive a Walkathon t-shirt and the first 100 students that register receive a pair of Alta Vista sunglasses!!

And...since I've heard many of your children talking about soccer, I wanted to let you know that if you have to leave for a soccer game (or come a little later because of soccer) please let the people at the check-in desk know. Your child gets 10 laps of credit for soccer games or other outside sports obligations that they have during the walkathon event.

**Please return your child's library book by Tuesday each week so children can check out a new book when we go to the library every Wednesday.

This Week's Helpers

Library Reader: Emily

Library Check-Out: Meeta

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, 9/24: Picture Day

Friday, 10/4: No School

Tuesday, 10/8: Field Trip to YSI Vasona

Saturday, 10/12: Alta Vista Walkathon

Friday, 11/1: No School 

Week of 9/16

Recently, the Alta Vista staff has noticed an increase in cars parked in loading zones or blocking driveways, which can create congestion and safety concerns for both children and other drivers. Even during morning drop-off, you cannot leave your car if it is in the loading zone, between the school garden and the other school parking lot by the office. If you'd like to park your car and walk your child to class, you can only park on the opposite side of Blossom Valley OR on the surrounding streets (Westchester, Blossom Glen, Blossom Wood, etc.)  Please do not park a car and leave a younger sibling in the car while you get your kindergarten student. In summary:

• Please avoid parking in loading zones or blocking driveways because these areas need to remain clear for buses, emergency vehicles, and smooth traffic flow.
• Consider carpooling with neighbors or friends if possible. Children LOVE it. This reduces the number of cars around the school and makes the drop-off / pick-up process quicker for everyone.
• If possible, try walking or biking to school for students who live nearby. This can be a great way to get some fresh air and exercise before class.
• Arrive a few minutes earlier to allow for more time to park safely or to find parking a short walk from the school entrance.

By working together, we can make the morning routine smoother, safer, and more efficient for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation!

Language Arts

In language arts, we continue introducing letters and letter sounds, along with the handwriting of those letters, using the Fundations program. We have introduced Tt, Bb, and Ff, which are all "sky-line letters" and this week, we will introduce Mm and Nn, which are "plane-line letters." If you'd like more information about the formation of these letters to support your student at home, as well as posters that are similar to the ones we use in the classroom, please read this week's home support letter. 

We will wrap up our drawing unit this week. Next week, we will begin moving onto labeling our pictures using phonetic spelling. We encourage children to sound out words on their own using their knowledge of phonics, and we encourage you to do the same. Rather than spelling words for beginning writers, have them listen for the sounds they hear in that word. If they spell "goat" as "got" at first, that is ok! This is a stage in writing, and we want the focus right now to be on developing their independence as writers.

Math

This week we will begin Topic D: Decompose Numbers. Students explore number relationships. This begins with the familiar context of sorting and then moves to story problems. Students begin to use number sentences like 5 is 2 and 3. These early experiences with problem solving set the stage for work with addition and subtraction concepts in modules 4 and 5.

Kimochis

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Cloud will join our classroom to teach your child about the feelings happy, sad, and mad. Cloud is the Kimochis® Character who can be moody, so sometimes it is hard for him to get along with his friends. When Cloud is happy, he spreads sunshine everywhere, which makes everyone feel fantastic! But when Cloud feels mad or sad, he might snap or yell. Because he has a hard time controlling his anger, he might do things that hurt feelings, even though he doesn’t mean to. Cloud helps children develop patience, tolerance, and understanding for friends who are still learning how to express upset feelings in positive, healthy ways.

Library Books

Our first trip to the library was a success! Thank you to Shelbie for reading a story & helping with check-out. Remember to return your child's library book by Tuesday at the latest, so that they can check out a new book when we go to the library again on Wednesday. This week, we have Emily as our reader, but we still have an opening for the check-out person. This is a super easy job-- just scan the child's book & help reshelf the books that get returned. Please see the Sign-Up Genius for openings in both library and centers. Remember that other family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents, nannies, etc) are welcome too!

Class T-Shirts

Don't forget to submit your child's t-shirt size to Shelbie so that she can get our "Grist's Grasshoppers" t-shirt ordered! For those of you who have older siblings who were Grasshoppers, we keep the t-shirt design the same so that you can use your older child's shirt if you still have it. :) The XS shirt size is a good size for most kindergartners.

Upcoming Events

Friday, 9/20: Movie Night @ Alta Vista 

Tuesday, 9/24: Picture Day

Friday, 10/4: No School

Tuesday, 10/8: Field Trip to YSI Vasona

Saturday, 10/12: Alta Vista Walkathon

Friday, 11/1: No School 

Week of 9/9

We wrapped up our week of discussions & videos around the "Zones of Regulation" by making our own "thermometer" on Friday that you hopefully all found in your child's backpack. We have one of these "thermometers" in class for children to utilize when they are having difficulty. It's a communication tool for them to express which zone they are in. I suggest you have them hang their own thermometer in a spot at home where you can also use it as a tool for your child when they are having big emotions.

Language Arts

We launched the Fundations program last week, and the children are doing so well with learning the routines and language of Fundations. 

We used our Fundations whiteboards and notebooks last week to practice correct formation of the letter t. This week, we will be introducing b and f. Check that your children are holding their pencils correctly, as well as forming their letters correctly, by looking at the resources in the Fundations Home Support letter. We will share these home support letters weekly with you-- they are definitely worth checking out.

We will also continue with our drawing unit. This week, we will be working on drawing a house, school, and even a park.

Math

In last week's Wednesday envelope, you should have received parent tips for Topic A & B of Module 1. This week, we move onto Topic C. You will receive another newsletter, along with some number cards and tools to practice math at home. In Topic C, students begin to write numerals and experience more complex counting situations, like counting sounds and words that can be heard but not seen. They count out objects to match a given number. They also count to find out whether they have enough of something.

Kimochis

This week, we will introduce our first Kimochi (Kimochi means "Feeling" in Japanese), Lovey Dove, who will teach your child about the feelings proud, kind, and friendly. Lovey is the Character who is sweet and nurturing. She is very wise and calm. She likes to cuddle and make everyone feel better when they are upset. But sometimes Lovey Dove worries. Children who have a temperament like Lovey’s can benefit from staying compassionate and learning to worry less. Lovey will teach your child how important it is to greet people using their name and a “Friendly Signal.” Friendly Signals are communication tools, such as a smile, wave, head nod, or saying hello. Being friendly is a rewarding habit that children can learn to develop and use throughout their lifetime.

Classroom Help Update

We still need your help!!! Last week, I sent out the sign-up for library readers & check-out desk helpers. There are still openings on this sign-up, including one for a reader on Wednesday the 18th. 

We also still need a lead for the Halloween party and the Holiday party. Both these parties are pretty easy to plan because I have many center ideas. You would just need to coordinate the sign-ups for food and/or craft and game supplies, and be there at the party as a helper. Shelbie, our room parent, will also be able to assist, but she (and I) would appreciate one other person on the team to help coordinate things. 

Thank you to Evelyn for volunteering to lead Clay and Emily for leading Art Vistas! These great school enrichment programs are funded by your generous donations to AVHSC through the CAGE drive. Although the CAGE drive officially ended yesterday, it's not too late to donate! Your donations help make these extra programs possible at Alta Vista, and any amount is greatly appreciated. Please consider donating here if you haven't already.

Finally, our room parent, Shelbie, is putting together a distribution list to send updates out about classroom parties and events. I sent a link yesterday (it is now working if you had trouble previously) for you to give your permission to Shelbie to have your email address. Please fill out this form to let me know if I can share your email address with Shelbie. 

Be Seen & Heard Assemblies

As you have heard in communications from Union School District, the district will be hosting the "Be Seen & Heard" assembly virtually (we will view the livestream in the classroom) this Thursday, 9/12. Here is a brief summary about the K/1st grade content: This assembly will address the dangers of child sexual abuse, the differences between a safe and unsafe touch and a safe and unsafe secret, strategies to stay safe, and how to identify trusted adults. The phrase “sexual abuse” is not used. Please refer to the message sent through ParentSquare if you have any further questions about this assembly.

Library

This week your children will visit the school library for the first time! They will check out one book, which they will bring home on Wednesday. This book is due back by the following Wednesday. Children must bring back their book to check out a new book the following week, so please make sure you send back your child's book each week-- they get very disappointed when they can't check out a new book.

This Week's Helpers

Wednesday: Shelbie (Reader), Emily (Check-Out)

Upcoming Events

Thursday, 9/12: Be Seen & Heard Assembly

Tuesday, 9/24: Picture Day

Friday, 10/4: No School