May 29, 2015
Dear Parents,
This is the last VIP for the year! Your child should be able to fluently read all of the books I have sent home this year. Next year, their teachers will expect them to know the high frequency words that I have sent home in the last few weeks. (The words are on the report card.) They should be able to spell these as well. Please review the Fry Word List too. Don’t forget to review the sight words using my classroom website. The words will remain up throughout the summer.
I am sending home the journal your child has been keeping all year. As you read through it, you will see the progress he/she has made from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of kindergarten. At the beginning of the year, I had to help him/her a lot. By the end of the year, your child was writing independently. The journal also reflects what your child had on his/her mind that day!
A science journal will also be sent home. The writing reflects your child’s observations, predictions, and explanations for the science experiments we did.
A folder that has a sample of your child’s work for each month is being sent home too. This might be something you want to keep in a “time capsule,” along with the personal and science journals. (My son recently opened his “time capsule” and it was awesome to read and to see what he was thinking!)
If you don’t do anything else over the summer, please read to your child. You are a great model for fluency. Also, let him/her read to you. This improves their fluency. The math books I sent home recently can be used to review math concepts.
I have enclosed some information for the Anderson County Library. They have wonderful and interesting summer programs for the children.
I am attaching the summer library reading challenge. This is the challenge from our librarian, Mrs. Nash. You can use the same summer reading log for both challenges (library and Raz-Kids). Have your child bring the reading log back when he/she returns to school in August. Mrs. Nash will be presenting prizes for those turning in their reading logs. Remember that you have Tumblebooks available for your child to read on your computer.
www.tumblebooks.com/library
Username: wpes Password: books
Leveled books are available for your child on Raz-Kids. I have already entered your child’s reading level. Please use this site so that your child will not experience the “summer slump.”
Go to: https://www.raz-kids.com/main/Login Then click on your child’s name and follow the directions from there. Children who do not read over the summer lose a reading level or two. The first grade teachers tell me that the children who have not read will regress. First grade students are expected to read on a D level when they enter first grade. If your child is reading below this level, please help him/her to catch up this summer. If your child is reading on this level, please continue reading during the summer. Learning the kindergarten sight and Fry words will help tremendously.
Don’t forget to use the websites on my webpage for math games. These games will help your child to review skills over the summer in a fun manner.
Mrs. Heney and I have enjoyed working with your children this year. We feel they have made tremendous gains. It is so wonderful to hear them read and work addition and subtraction problems. We will miss their funny prospective on life events!
Reminders
_____Tuesday, June 2nd, at 1:00pm is our Kindergarten Recognition program. If possible, we would like for the children to wear a “Super Hero” shirt. After the program, we will show a video presentation of the children. The celebration will take place in the gym. After the program, you may come to the classroom to get your child’s diploma. You may take your child home with you if you would like.
____Early Dismissal: (Wednesday, June 3, Thursday, June 4, Friday, June 5)
The students will be dismissed at 11:00am. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria between 7:30 and 7:45. Sack lunches will be the lunch choice.
Report Cards: Report cards go home on Friday, June 5. If you want me to mail the report card to you, please give me a self-addressed stamped envelope. Make sure that you have paid for fees and for any lost books. The office will not allow me to give report cards until these items have been taken care of. Sorry!
Thank you for all you have done this year!
Your Partners in Education,
Tabitha Weston and Judy Heney