January Kindergarten News Letter
Dear Kinder Families,
Wow! This month is flying already. I am hoping that your family enjoyed your time together during the Holiday.
January, February and March are my very favorite months of the year here in Kindergarten. We’ve learned the routines and can just hunker down and GROW!
Writing: We have just begun a new genre, Informational Writing or we just refer to it as “How to…” writing. We think about areas where we know something well enough that we could TEACH someone else “how to” do it. Perennial favorite topics include: How to Brush Your Teeth, How to Make Your Bed, How to Get Ready for School, but these young authors write some other interesting titles like: How to Make a Pizza Face and How to Make a Dress. It will be fun to see what books your children write to teach the rest of us.
We completed our Math Module 2 which covered flat, 2D shapes and 3D shapes. Stay on the lookout for real world examples of hexagons, squares, rectangles, triangles, cones, pyramids, cubes, rectangular prisms and cylinders.
Now we are working in Module 3 focused on making comparisons using length and weight and volume. We use some non-standard measuring tools like cubes, pennies, string and popsicle sticks. We work to use the “compare language” as in: “My 5 cube is longer than my 3 cube and the flip: My 3 cube is shorter than my 5 cube.”
Being Mindful is a concept we are developing here at IVE, hand in hand with our GROWTH MINDSET about which I wrote in an earlier email. Anne Taylor, our school counselor, is visiting our room regularly to work with the children about topics which help them to be more mindful students. How to be active listeners. How to be a good friend. How to decide if I’m being a “tattler” or a “reporter”.
ART DOCENTS will work with our class tomorrow, Tuesday. THANK YOU to the PTA and to our own docents for planning and facilitating these art experiences for our class. The children LOVE the experience and it’s so good for their growing brains. If you’d like to help tomorrow, our session is from 10:30-11:25. I promise that you’ll love it and your child will love having you here~even once. Just show up and we’ll put you to work.
Science to Go~ On Thursday, we have our second lab of the year. This next study is about Liquids and Solids. Again, THANK YOU PTA for providing these labs. They are invaluable! And, fun!
The Mitten Tree is the basis for our next art lesson with artist-in-residence Betsy Mathias of Betsy and Mei. Students will have a lesson about different kinds of lines in art and work with pastels to decorate their own pair of mittens. Look for these out in our hallway.
Weekend Power Pack
The Issaquah Food Bank is donating weekend food packets to IVE. These packets will be discreetly disseminated to the eldest child in the family. If you are a family in need or know of a family in need, please contact Anne Taylor, IVE Counselor, at 425-837-6656 to have food sent home with your child on the weekend.
Later this week I will send home a ziplock of goodies for you and your child to use at home. These activities are OPTIONAL and include:
IXL login information. This is a math website sanctioned by the ISD. It’s flexible so your child can work at his/her independent level.
RAZ Kids login information. This is a reading website that we use in the classroom. I have designated the appropriate level for your child.
SIGHT WORDS Keys. I love to see kids using their sight word during writing. Keep working, key rings are growing!
Take Home/Bring Back reading practice program. Again, there is a letter in the bag explaining the program, as well as a log for you to record the time your child spends practicing reading. Your child can earn reward “books for keeps” when he/she completes an entire page. THANK YOU PTA for these giveaway books.
That’s plenty of news for now! Best wishes to each of you in 2017!!
March 20
Dear Parents,
The second term in our school year has flown by. Report cards are complete and available online. Friday, I sent home a handout to remind you how to access your child’s report card online. Please check your child’s backpack for the handout.
Thank you,
Kate Rudie
IVE Kindergarten
March- April
Dear Kinder Families~
I can’t believe that this is the LAST week of March. Attached is our calendar for April. Parents are invited to come in to help listen to children read during our literacy rotations, !0:30-11:20 on M/T/W/Th/F. Please let me know if you’d like to join us.
Math~We are learning to decompose numbers using Number Bonds. See the attached Eureka parent tip sheet for information about the work we are doing.
You tube video about Number Bonds can be found at:
Writers Workshop~ We are writing All About… books. All About Dogs. All About Cats. All About Snow. All About Dinosaurs.
Science~On March 16th, our Science to Go lab launched our final Science Domain. The essential question we are pondering is: How do plants and animals meet their needs?
Art Lesson~Our visiting artist, Betsy & Mei, guided us through a directed drawing of a castle and then we used water colors. Our work will be on display this week in our hallway. Once Upon a Time….
Our Art Docents led us through a lesson using clay to make a pinch pot. IVE has our own kiln after firing, the children will have the opportunity to glaze their work.
Community-tree. Our PTA is sponsoring an ALL SCHOOL art project. Ellen Young, our lead Art Docent, will come in on Wednesday to read The Crayon Box That Talked and then lead us through an art lesson. Ultimately, our art work will join the work of EVERY OTHER CHILD at IVE to create a community work of art. We did a similar project a few years ago with the Salmon Art on the Fence.
Report cards were posted on Family Access on the 17th. Instructions for access were stapled to the front of your student’s Take Home folder. Please let me know if you need assistance.
A few dates to mark on your calendar:
4/7/17 Last Day to check Lost and Found. Then items go to Clothing Bank.
5/12/17 PTA Variety Show. This is ALWAYS a super fun event.
5/23/17 Kindergarten Musical. 6:30. Another DO NOT MISS show!
6/20/17 Last Day of School~adjusted for Snow Day Makeups… Students come for 2 hours.
Dear Kinder Parents,
Some RED LETTER dates are coming up:
“Getting Down with Mother Goose” ~Kindergarten Musical Performance~is next Tuesday, May 23rd in the Multipurpose Room at 6:30. Please have your Kinder here about 6:15 for lineup. The program lasts about ½ hour.
Memorial Day is May 29th. No school.
Our class Kindergarten Promotion will be Thursday, June 15th from 10:30-11:20 in our classroom. It’s a fun, low-key celebration to acknowledge your child’s amazing growth this Kindergarten year. **Since it is a special occasion, feel free to take your child with you after the celebration for a special lunch and/or afternoon. I’ll have a sign-out sheet here in the classroom to make that easy for you.
The final day of school this year is June 20th. School will be in session that day from 8:30-10:30. No lunch will be provided.
Other Class News:
SUNSCREEN: Just in case the sun does decide to shine… it is now permissible for your child to bring and apply sunscreen without a prescription. However, it would be helpful for you to let me know in advance. Children will NOT be sharing sunscreen. Please put it in a ziplock bag.
The last PTA meeting of this year is tomorrow night, May 18th at 7PM in the IVE library. All are welcome!
Our own Jane Brammer, kindergarten teacher, has been named an Educator of the Year along with 3rd grade teacher extraordinaire: Suzanne Thoburn. There is a reception for Golden Acorn and Educators at 6:45, prior to the PTA Meeting.
IVE PTA Night at McDonalds is Wednesday, May 31stst from 5:00-8:00. IVE Teachers and Parents will be manning the stations (NOT COOKING!). IVE PTA earns 20% of the proceeds that night and 100% of the cookie sales. I plan to serve from 5:30-7:00 so I hope to see you there!
This morning we had our resident artist, Betsy Mathias of Betsy & Mei, comein for an underwater seascape lesson using water colors and salt. THANK YOU, PTA for providing this opportunity for our budding artists!
NUMBER CLUB BOOKS!! Students who can write their # to 100 independently with no reversals, will earn 100 stickers from Mrs. Rudie! Writing numbers really helps students begin to see patterns and place value~which are not kindergarten standards, but many children are ready to dip their toes.
That’s about all the news that’s fit to print for the moment.
Kate Rudie
IVE Kindergarten
Look for your invitation to our Kindergarten Promotion in your child’s backpack.
The ceremony will take place at 10:30-11:20 in our classroom on Thursday, June 15, 2015.
Warmly,
Kate Rudie
IVE Kindergarten