December 18, 2015

Dear Families,

Thank you all for coming to the Christmas performance this week. I believe it to be the first year in my fifteen that there has been 100% participation in the concert. Well done!

Books Read: Countdown To Christmas, Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, The Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express

During writing time they are; using patterns like-"I like" and "I see" to make books to share with their friends. The pattern of language and staying on one topic while exploring this kind of writing are the key concepts.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were; Lou Lou Moose and Woody Woodchuck.

In math we are discussing volume and capacity using the rice table and weight using the pan balance, working with teen numbers, formation of numbers, making pictures to match the number written, addition and subtraction practice and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

Monday December 21-We will be having some fun with the story, The Polar Express. The students are allowed to bring their pajamas to change into here at school.

Tuesday December 22- A VERY low-key “Party”-NO GIFTS- We also will have some healthy snacks, so if you are interested in sending in a healthy snack or juice or cups or plates, let me know at ssample@rsu1.org

December 23-January 4- Vacation-Enjoy family and friends! (My middle son will not be home from his overseas mission until summer, but will be able to spend time with my other children and my two granddaughters.)  Blessings all!

December 11, 2015

December 4, 2015

                                                                                 

Dear Families,

We have been having so much fun learning about the solar system this week! We know what makes day and night and that the sun is our closest star. How exciting!

Books Read: Out In Space, Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, Stars! Stars! stars!, Eight Spinning Planets, Good Night Moon, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, There's No Place Like Space, Sun: Our Nearest Star, What Makes Day and Night?

During writing time they are adding words (letters) to their pictures, rehearsing what they want to say about what they wrote, taking turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners, going back into their writing pieces and revising what they have written by changing or adding to what they wrote and continuing to build up their confidence as writers. We are ALL writers!

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week are Ellie Elephant and Thick Thorny Thing.

In math we are working with teen numbers, playing games with partners, formation of numbers, making pictures to match the number written, addition and subtraction practice and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

December 15- Christmas Concert here at WCS

December 23-January 1- Vacation

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~Happy Thanksgiving~

November 20, 2015

Thanksgiving dinner at lunchtime was simply delicious today! We were able to slow down our busy day and eat a huge feast together as a class. The food was wonderful and the company was even better! 

If you have not signed up for conferences yet-please do, or if you are having difficulty logging into the system to sign up, please let me know. I look so forward to this time of year and being able to look at where we are now and setting some common goals for the next few months. Exciting!

Books Read: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims, The Night Before Thanksgiving, T is for Turkey, Clifford's Thanksgiving

During writing time they are; finishing writing their nonfiction texts and reading them to their writing partners as well as their eighth grade reading buddies to get some feedback from many sources. We began writing "I am thankful for..." books and we will be sharing those at conference time. We sure do have a lot to be thankful for. 

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were; Gilda Goose and Crazy Camel.

In math we are working with teen numbers, formation of numbers, playing a "spin a number" game, addition and subtraction practice and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

November 23 & 24 Parent & Teacher Conferences-1/2 days for students (lunch served)

November 25, 26, 27 No School for Thanksgiving Break

November 13, 2015

Happy Friday the 13th! What a wonderful day we had today with all of our Grandparents and Grand Friends arriving for activities and lunch~

Dear Families,

In science we are learning about the changes we see in fall and learning many facts about animals of our choosing. 

Books Read: We're Going on a Leaf Hunt, Clifford's Good Deeds,  Alphabet Adventure, and Branches of the Military, 

We have emerged ourselves into writing non-fiction texts using animals we are interested in. We study professional authors texts and notice the types of writing they use. Bold words, labels, arrows, different font, etc. all make for interesting reading. Sketching, labeling and writing about our chosen animal are the skills we have worked on this week.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was; Baby Barnaby.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-50, writing numbers to 10 and draw symbols/pictures to represent the number, reviewed spatial vocabulary and concepts (top, below, between, next to, around, over, under, left, right), compared representations of numbers a d reflected on their thinking as they solved the problems. Continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Items we could use in our classroom:

Markers, Clorox Wipes, Tissues

Upcoming Events: 

November 23 & 24 Parent/Teacher Conferences- be sure to sign up if you haven't already!

November 25,26,27 Thanksgiving Break-No School

November 6, 2015

Welcome November! What beautiful weather we have had! It is so nice to be able to continue our treks outside on these beautiful fall days. We have been taking the role of scientist as we spend time observing the season using all of our senses. 

Thank you to all of our Veterans. I hope this Wednesday will be a time of celebration and pondering of these brave men and women. The picture above is my middle son who is currently serving overseas. He is not yet a veteran, but I am still very proud of him and his selfless service. Enjoy the day!

Some of the family turkey projects have made their way to school. I can't wait to see the rest of them!

If you have not signed up for conferences yet, please do. I can't wait to walkabout your student's first quarter of kindergarten. 

During writing time we are playing the role of a scientist and using our observation skills to write nonfiction texts. We are adding words (letters) to our pictures, rehearsing what we want to write, taking turns sharing our discoveries and writing with partners, going back into our writing pieces and revise what we have written by changing or adding to what we wrote and continuing to build up our confidence as writers. We are ALL writers!

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were; Kimmy Kangaroo and Farley Fox

In math we are working with teen numbers, recognizing teen numbers through movement, formation of numbers, addition and subtraction practice and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

Wednesday November 11- No School- Veteran's Day

November 23 & 24 Parent Teacher Conferences

November 25, 26, 27 No School for Thanksgiving Break

October 30, 2015

Dear Families,

Our walk at school activities today were so much fun! To have students from Kindergarten to 8th grade all joining to gather for a morning full of fun and imagination is exactly what WCS is all about! Have a safe Halloween and remember those pesky clocks!

In science we are learning about the changes we see in fall and the life cycle of a pumpkin.

Books Read: Growing Pumpkins, In a Dark, Dark Wood, Bony Legs, Georgie's Halloween, Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat, Click, Clack, Boo!

During writing time they are starting to; observe objects found in nature, draw a real life representation of that object and label it like a real scientist. They are working hard during partner time to practice sharing their piece of writing and give important feedback back to their partner in order for our writing to be full of detail and understanding. We talk a lot about being BRAVE writers and adding more and more letters to our words and words to our sentences. 

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was; Jenny Jaguar.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-50, sorting, using math manipulatives, created and solved number stories, reviewed spatial vocabulary and concepts (top, below, between, next to, around, over, under, left, right), and continued our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Items we could use in our classroom:

Markers, Clorox Wipes, Play-dough

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday November 11- No School

Friday November 13- Report Cards home

November 23 & 24- 1/2 day for students- Parent/ Teacher conferences

November 25,26,27- No School- Thanksgiving Break

October 23, 2015

Dear Families,

In science we are learning about the changes we see in fall and the life cycle of a pumpkin. Special homework: Please have your child collect 4-5 items that represent fall for them. (Some examples- colorful leaves, seeds, seed pods, pine cones/needles, acorns, etc.) 

Books Read: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever, When The Leaf Blew In, Autumn's First Leaf, Pumpkin Patch Puppy, The Silly Scarecrow

During writing time they are starting to; visualize places and people to write about, add words (letters) to their pictures, rehearse what they want to say about what they wrote, take turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners and show movement in their drawings for a fun effect. We talked a lot this week about being BRAVE writers and adding more and more letters to our words and words to our sentences.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was; Arnie Aardvark.

In math we are getting to know numbers, sorting, using math manipulatives, worked with 10 frames, composing and decomposing numbers,  identifying shapes, reviewed spatial vocabulary and concepts (top, below, between, next to, around, over, under, left, right), and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Items we could use in our classroom:

Tissues, Clorox Wipes

Upcoming Events: 

November 11- Veteran's Day- Thank You

November 23 & 24 Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break

October 16, 2015

Dear Families,

We have been learning about fire safety this week and we were joined by the Woolwich Fire Department on Wednesday. We learned about the fire truck and how to keep safe. Some students were unsure if they their family has an outside meeting place if they have to evacuate their house. Do you have one? Have you practiced your escape route with your family? Have you changed the batteries in your smoke detectors lately? I care a lot about you all and want you to stay safe!!!

Books Read: Firehouse, Curious George at the Fire Station, Clifford the Firehouse Dog, My Fire Engine

During writing time they are starting to; visualize places and people to write about, add words (letters) to their pictures, rehearse what they want to say about what they wrote, take turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners and show movement in their drawings for a fun effect. We talked a lot this week about being BRAVE writers and adding more and more letters to our words and words to our sentences.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were; Rosie Raccoon and Hippy Hippo.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-30, sorting, using math manipulatives, identifying shapes, reviewed spatial vocabulary and concepts (top, below, between, next to, around, over, under, left, right), and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Items we could use in our classroom:

Markers, Clorox Wipes, Playdough, Sidewalk Chalk

Upcoming Events: 

October 30- 1st quarter ends
November 11- No School-Veteran's Day-Thank you!

November 23 &24- Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break

LUCKY and not even St. Patrick's Day!

Eliot found a 4 leaf clover here at school this morning and was so very excited about it!

We are pressing it in hopes to make it last and stay together. 

We found a super cool yellow and white fuzzy caterpillar on the playground yesterday as well! 

Mrs. Sample's Kindergarten is not ready for cold weather or any of that other stuff~maybe we will just skip on to spring...

October 2, 2015

Rocky Ridge Orchard

Dear Families,

A huge THANK YOU for those who traveled to Rocky Ridge apple orchard with us this week. It was so much fun! I hope you heard all about it! Ask your student what their favorite part was. I hope the flooding this week didn't cause problems for any of you, we made out fine at my house. Keep a weather eye for the upcoming storm, please!

In science we are learning about the life cycle of the butterfly and continuing our apple unit. Eric Carle author study is still alive and well!

Books Read: Big, Red Apple, Mr. Brown's Magnificent Apple Tree, Apple Countdown, Apple Trouble, Johnny Appleseed, The Very Busy Spider, The Very Quiet Cricket    The song: APPLE (sung to the tune of BINGO!

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was; Timmy Tiger.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-10, sorting, discussing a graph, using math manipulatives, finger counting, working with shapes and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 12- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

September 25, 2015

Dear Families,

We followed the adventures of the Very Hungry Caterpillar by eating a huge, healthy fruit salad. THANK YOU to all who sent in fruit! It was delicious!!! (I posted pictures on mrssampleskindergarten.blogspot.com)

In science we are learning about the life cycle of the butterfly. 

Books Read: Butterfly Express, Gotta Go! Gotta Go! Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and a variety of Eric Carle books.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week are; Max the Ox/Felix Fox,  Actress Annie and Daisy Dragon.

In math we are getting to know numbers, comparing sizes, patterns with color and shapes, working with 5 frames, describing shapes and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

September 29- Rocky Ridge Apple Orchard- (Please send back permission slip & $5 if you have not already) 

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 12- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

Butterfly~Gotta Go, Gotta Go, Gotta Go To Mexico!

It is always hard to say goodbye to friends! This is our long awaited appearance of our visitor who has been with us for a few weeks. I took him home (yes it was a boy) and released him in the exact spot where I found him.

Then... today in the mail, we received the itty-bity baby caterpillars we ordered through the mail, so we will watch them get hungry and big and (hopefully) we will have a warm fall so we can release them before it gets too cold.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad

Following the sequence of one of our favorite Eric Carle books, we created our very own fruit salad. Thank you to all of you who donated fruit for this fun (and delicious) activity!

The End

September 18, 2015

Hello Everyone!

It was so wonderful to see you all last night at open house! It was the best attended open house I have had in my 15 years here in kindergarten! Thank you all for making it such and collaborative event.

A paper copy of this newsletter comes home on Fridays, but the blog has more than just what comes home. Visit mrssampleskindergarten.blogspot.com for pictures of quality work and fun happenings that you won't see anywhere else! We take daily nature walks and look for specific items that will be posted on there as well. Feel free to leave your comments and join in the fun.

To clarify, folders only come home on Friday unless there is important information that needs to get home to you sooner! This week please look for the permission slip to Rocky Ridge as well as a request for a certain kind of fruit you might bring in for our "Very Hungry Caterpillar fruit salad" we are making on Monday. 

Books Read: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, A Caterpillar's Wish, Butterfly Suits, I'm a Caterpillar, and Butterfly Life Cycle .

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was Mimi Mermaid.

In math we are getting to know numbers, introducing attributes and sorting, multisensory counting, counting backwards, patterns and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

Sept. 21-Very Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad Day (Please see request and help if you are able)

Sept. 29 Rocky Ridge Field trip- (Please sign and return the permission slip) If you want to join us you must fill out a "Volunteer Form" 

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 12 - NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

September 11, 2015

Dear Families,

Books Read: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Miss Bindergarten Stays Home From Kindergarten, Have You Filled A Bucket Today?, Creak Said the Bed, and Freight Train. 

We became scientists and used our observational skills to observe our monarch caterpillar in his container. I told the children I can tell if the caterpillar is a boy or a girl only after he makes his transformation, so we are anxious to find that information! On Thursday afternoon he decided to go into his "j" formation in preparation for making a chrysalis.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The character we learned this week was; Ollie Ostrich and we learned how to do a Magic draw." Fun!

In math we are getting to know numbers, introducing measurement comparisons, multisensory counting, patterns and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

September 17- Open House at WCS 5:30-7:00

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 12- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

We Love Kindergarten!

WOW! What a fantastic first week of Kindergarten! I am so impressed by the way we are blending together as a community. We are learning our schedule, classroom expectations and how to be a good friend. Our word for this week has been-Responsibility-

All of the students will be assessed this week and next in the areas of reading and writing. These assessments are fun for them and act more as a game then stressful work. They will probably be tired and hot this afternoon when they come home but know that they have spent 4 days adjusting to a new schedule and a whole new life. Exciting!

You have noticed a flurry of paperwork coming home. Please take time to fill it all out and send it back to me. Having updated addresses, telephone numbers and other important information is the key to keeping your child as safe as I possibly can. Thank you!

The best way to get in touch with me is through email at ssample@rsu1.org. I check my email a few times a day and I will do my level best to get back to you as soon as I check it. I feel like too much information is better than too little.

Our specials are: Monday-Art
                           Tuesday- PE (if you haven't sent in sneakers to keep at school, please do)
                           Wednesday- Guidance
                           Thursday- Music
                           Friday-Library (Please help your child keep his/her library book in a safe place and      enjoy spending time reading with them.) Books are due back the following Friday.

I will try to add to this blog each week as well as when there is any special event going on. When I receive your paperwork about publishing pictures, I will know who I can and cannot publish on this blog. Paper copies will come home as well.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Sarah~

Welcome To Kindergarten!

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer up to this point with lots more fun and adventure to come! I thought you might like to have an overview of what our school day is going to look like and what supplies you will need as you enter Kindergarten.

School begins at 8:40 am every day except Wednesdays. All schools in RSU1 have a late start on Wednesdays and we begin that school day at 9:40 am. The end of our day is 2:50pm.

The bus schedule is usually in the newspaper in August. If you have any questions about busing, please contact our front office.

We have a snack in the morning and again at the end of the day. Please send in healthy snacks and drinks in a lunchbox labeled with your child's name. Breakfast and lunch are available every day.

PLEASE make sure I know where to send your child at the end of the day. If there is a change of plans for after school please send a note, send me an email or call Betsy at the front desk. My main goal is the safety of your child. Please help me do that!

Supplies:

***Back pack (labeled with name)
*** lunch box (labeled with name)
***(thick)markers and 2 glue sticks- these will go into the community supply so you will not need to label these!
***a 2-pocket folder for home/school communication (labeled with name)
*** head phones (for use with iPads. We find the head phones stay better than ear buds- but that is up to your family to decide) (labeled with name)
***a pair of sneakers that will stay at school and only be used for P.E.
In the past, some parents have sent a change of clothes in for those unforeseen mishaps. If you do this, a large ziplock bag labeled with your child's name works very well.

As the year goes on, we will need other supplies (Lysol wipes, tissues, paper products) but I will address those needs as we progress through the year!

We will be having a bus run on Wednesday August 19th at 1:00 pm. We will all meet at school and the children will ride the bus, go to their classroom and visit the cafeteria for a snack. They can bring their supplies on that day if it would make the backpack a little lighter! I hope you all can make it!

If you need to contact me:
ssample@rsu1.org
or
(207) 443-9739
or
mrssampleskindergarten.blogspot.com

We came as strangers, we leave as friends...

Dear Families,

My youngest son is graduating from high school tomorrow, so I will not be in school. An early newsletter for you!

Wow! I can't believe we are wrapping up our Kindergarten year together! Assessments are going to be key for the next weeks.

Continued to focus on farms and why they are important. Hope your bean plants are in a good place to continue growing! We also have been doing a lot of scientific observations and documentation of what we are observing. I think the students are loving these activities!

Books Read: Click Clack Moo, Thump Quack Moo, Dooby Dooby Moo, The Lorax (Persuasive writing mentor text), Any Questions?, and many different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk.

During writing time they are; thinking of problems we are having in the classroom/school and thinking of solutions to those problems and why: "You shouldn't run in the hallway, because you may get hurt. Walk in the hallway", adding words (letters) to their pictures, rehearsing what they want to say about what they wrote, taking turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners, adding spaces between words and punctuation at the end of a sentence, going back into their writing pieces and revising what they have written by changing or adding to what they wrote and continuing to build up their confidence as writers.

In math we are working with two digit numbers, formation of numbers, addition and subtraction practice, counting and number recognition, solving number stories, and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week.

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

June 5- Visit Pen Pals in Pittston- more information coming soon!

June 19- Last School Day

NO SCHOOL for K MAY 21 & 22

Remember!!! No school tomorrow or Friday (May 21 & 22) for Kindergarten students only.

Our bean plants will be traveling home with your student today. I hope there is someplace they can plant and observe as the bean plant continues to transform! 

Drawing our observations in scientific notebooks allows us to look closely at details. 

Recording our observations in our scientific notebooks is a wonderful way to document what we are observing!

Scientists use many different tools to observe the world around them. We are all scientists!

May 8, 2015

Dear Families,

May 21&22 NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ONLY (KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ARE INVOLVED WITH KINDERGARTEN SCREENING)

Please check the blog this weekend for a collection of photographs from our trip to Wolfe's Neck Farm. THANK YOU for all who attended!

Books Read: Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Is Your Mama a Llama?, Click Clack Moo, Jack and The Beanstalk (many different versions).

We have been wearing our scientist hats this week as we discover unknown (to us) information about egg layers, farm life and plants. 

During writing time they are; writing to Pittston pen pals, writing to Nurse Sherwood in honor of Nurse Day and writing to Wolfe's Neck Farm to thank them for a wonderful field trip. We are visualizing places and people to write about, adding words (letters) to their pictures, rehearsing what they want to say about what they wrote, taking turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners, adding spaces between words and punctuation at the end of a sentence, going back into their writing pieces and revising what they have written by changing or adding to what they wrote and continuing to build up their confidence as writers.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. We have been writing words and sentences using our characters.

In math we are getting familiar with our 1-110 number grid and playing fun “I Spy” games trying to find out the number, playing with standard and nonstandard measurement, working with two digit numbers, formation of numbers, addition and subtraction practice, counting and number recognition, solving number stories, and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week.

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

Happy Mother's Day!

May 22&23 NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ONLY (KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ARE INVOLVED WITH KINDERGARTEN SCREENING)

May 25th- NO SCHOOL- Memorial Day

May 1, 2015

Dear Families, 

Happy May Day! I am looking forward to warmer weather and digging in my garden this weekend. I hope you have time to enjoy some outside adventures!

We learned a BIG word this week! Oviparous. Animals that lay eggs and hatch from eggs.

Books Read: What Hatches From an Egg, Chickens aren't The Only Ones, First The Egg, Chick Life Cycle, Egg to Robin, Sea Turtles, Frog Life Cycles, One Tiny Turtle

During writing time they are; writing to Pittston pen pals, adding words (letters) to their pictures, rehearsing what they want to say about what they wrote, taking turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners, adding spaces between words and punctuation at the end of a sentence, going back into their writing pieces and revising what they have written by changing or adding to what they wrote and continuing to build up their confidence as writers.

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. We have been writing words and sentences using our characters.

In math we are using calculators, playing with standard and nonstandard measurement, working with two digit numbers, formation of numbers, addition and subtraction practice, counting and number recognition, solving number stories, and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week.

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

May 5- Field Trip to Wolfe's Neck Farm-If you told me you want to chaperone, PLEASE show up! Thank you~

May 21 & 22- NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ONLY (KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ARE INVOLVED WITH KINDERGARTEN SCREENING)

May 25- No School- Memorial Day