TheShining Stars

MAY NEWSLETTER 2016

Wow! The year is just flying by. It is hard to believe we've come to our last newsletter of the year! It is a very exciting time with lots of things going on in and out of the classroom. We are really working hard to gear up for next year. As always, the Shining Starsare working hard and trying their best. Here's what is happening in our classroom:

Language Arts

This month we will rap up our Houghton Mifflin units. The kids are making super progress using all of their letter sounds in phonics and writing including their vowels. Please continue to work on sounding out sentences, leaving spaces in between words and using lowercase writing at home. In our last monthly writing of the year we will be writing about what we have learned in Kindergarten.

Math

This month we will continue working on 3D Shapes and then move on to“Measurement” and then our last unit, “Classify and Sort Data.” We will continue practicing counting our numbers to 100 by 10’s and 1’s and begin to introduce skip counting by 5’s and 2’s in preparation for First Grade!

Social Studies

We will finish the year in Social Studies revisiting the theme of “Celebrating Me.” We do several projects to focus on what is special and unique about each individual child in the classroom. The growth that we have seen this year in all the children is amazing. We want the kids to leave kindergarten feeling confident and happy with themselves and their abilities. Each one of them is special and we can't wait to talk about how!

Science

We are continuing with our Science Unit, Animals Two by Two. Be sure to ask your child about our classroom visitors!

Congratulations

Congratulations toEden G.,Kashvi, and Renee. They received the Creative Kindergartener Award at the Spirit Assembly for April. Way to go and keep up the GREAT work! The final Spirit Assembly will be on Wednesday, May 25th at 8:30am in the Multipurpose Room. Everyone is welcome to attend! We will be honoring Abhi, Ian, and Lenny who have waited all year for their category to come around: Inquisitive Thinkers! We always appreciate, and have appreciated all year, the wonderful questions they have asked and stopped us to ponder and find the right answers to.

Reminders:

  • Kindergarten Assessments will be on May 2-6. There will be a 12:15 dismissal all week! Hot lunch will NOT be available for Kindergarten this week.
  • Please be sure that your child returns his/her library book. Your child will not receive his/her report card if there are any outstanding debts.
  • We will be having the Kindergarten Song and Dance Performance on Tuesday, May 17th. It will be at 8:30-9:40in the Multipurpose Room so keep that day reserved. Formal invites were sent home a few weeks ago.
  • Our end of the year party will be held on the Kindergarten Yard as a group Kindergarten Luau on Thursday, May 26th from 11:00-12:30. We hope you can join us back in the classroom from 12:30-1:15. Please note that it will be a 1:15 dismissal on this day. We will be playing games, eating food and making crafts. Parents are invited to attend. We are not able to have siblings attend though so please make other arrangements for brothers and sisters. Let this be a special time with your Kindergartner!! This is our way of thanking the class for an incredible year. Parents are not invited in the classroom on the last day of Kindergarten-Friday, May 27th.
  • The last day of school is Friday, May 27th. Our schedule for that day will be 8:15 –12:15 PM-the same dismissal time as the rest of the school, so please plan accordingly.

* A NOTE ABOUT 1ST GRADE! You will find out your child's teacher for next year a few days before school begins via registration and the school office. On the first day of school, your child will go directly to his/her classroom. School begins at 8:15 am and ends at 2:25 pm. You can meet your child outside their classroom or choose a designated meeting area (the lunch benches, flag pole, etc...) Remember to pack a snack for recess and a lunch! On the first day of school, you will be receiving more information from your first grade teacher about lining up for flag salute etc. The first grade day will be longer than kindergarten so be ready for some tired children.

* The office has asked us to please ask you to let the office know if you are NOT returning to Red Oak next year.

* Summer is a time to relax and have fun but don't forget to keep up on the skills that your children have accomplished this year. Please continue to read to your children daily. Continue to practice counting by 1's and 10's (and challenge 5’s). It's always fun to keep a summer journal. Draw and write sentences about what exciting things you did over the summer (if you do that I would love to see them in August). This helps to keep the phonics skills working along with their printing and writing. Also, continue reading the stories that came home weekly for homework, continue to practice number writing and if your child is still reversing letters or numbers, take the time to show them the correct way. My last piece of advice would be to review these skills in a fun and positive way. When it stops being fun, stop and pick it up at a later time. Have fun with your children!!!

THANK YOU!

*THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the parents who volunteered their time to help in the classroom or at home during the school year. Your continued support means more to the children and me than you will ever know. What an amazing group!!

Cooking: Mrs. Goodrich, Mrs. Pandey, Mrs. Nandagiri, and Mrs. Hand

Library: Mrs. Achmatowicz and all the parents that came and read to us

Art: Mrs. Litchauer, Mrs. Marino, and Mrs. Morey

Clerical: Mrs. Achmatowicz

Historian: Mrs. Marmo

*Thanks once again to our fabulous Room Moms: Mrs. Lazarus, Mrs. Hand, Mrs. Nandagiri, Mrs. Goodrich and Mrs. Marmowho helped organize and run many of our events this year!!

*Thank you to all of our home volunteers.

*Thank you to all who have donated books and/or games to the class in honor of their birthdays. What a generous gesture on your special day!

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Ms. Bauer, and Mrs. Kunesh who have truly been wonderful additions to the Shining Stars this year. They have helped us grow in so many ways!

If I forgot anyone I apologize and Thank You!

Have a fantastic month and watch those backpacks. There will be lots of information coming home over the next few weeks regarding the end of the year information. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Shining Star moms and grandmas!!!!!!!!

ONE LAST NOTE...

I have felt honored this year to be able to teach and get to know such wonderful children. Each child has shown tremendous personal growth and achievement. I know you are as proud of them as I am. Thank you for sharing them with me this year and also for all of your continued support throughout the year. It is because of you and your involvement in your children's education that they have grown and flourished and will continue doing so throughout their schooling. They are truly SHINING STARS!

Please have a safe and relaxing summer. Don't forget to stop by next year to say Hello!!

Fondly,

Mrs. Jones