Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone!

First, I want to say congratulations to all of the 2nd-5th grade drama students. They performed "Santa's Holiday Hoedown" to a nearly sold-out crowd. I am so proud of them. The students worked for 3 months to create a wonderful production. Great work boys and girls!

Second, today is the last day before vacation. We will return to school on Monday, January 3, 2011.

Third, thank you to all of you who contributed to our parties. They were a huge success. Many of you helped during the parties to make things run smoothly. The students seemed to have a lot of fun! It was a great way to spend our last hour before vacation. I am sure that the students will be talking about our games--"Pin the Nose on Rudolph" and the "Candy Cane Toss." They created some adorable ornaments with their photos to decorate your trees.

Happy Holidays!

Friday 12-17-10

Well, it has been an unusual week. Two snow days changed our schedule a bit, but from what I have heard, the students enjoyed their time off! I hear that many snow people were built and there was a great deal of time spent on sleds. What fun!

We began listening to different versions of the "Gingerbread Man" this week and will continue into next week. The students are learning new vocabulary words, comparing the stories, sequencing, and more.

The students learned how to play "Zero the Hero" this week in order to practice counting back from 5 to 0. I think we have a new favorite activity!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the snow.

One last reminder: next week is a four day week. We will not have school on Friday, 12-24-10.

Friday 12-10-10

The cold weather is here, but the class stayed cozy on Thursday with pajama day! Congratulations to both classes for earning their third set of 15 Cardinal Cards.

This week we have been learning about the December holidays, Kwanzaa and Hannukah. The students have been learning new vocabulary words and discussing the many holidays that people celebrate.

Our sight word of the week was "and." The class has been reading the word and using it to write sentences this week.

In math, we have been mastering identifying and creating patterns. We also began using "feet" for measurement. We have discussed both nonstandard and standard feet. See the photo above for a glimpse of the students measuring the carpet using standard feet.

December 2010

Hi all! What a chilly start to December! We are staying warm in class and learning, learning, learning. In math we are focusing on 2-D shapes (rectangle, square, circle, triangle, and hexagon), 3-D shapes (cube, cylinder, sphere, and cone) and patterns! Today, we built shapes using marshmallows and pretzel sticks--check out the photo above.

We are practicing the sight words "see," "me," "I'm," and "was." The students are practicing writing sentences using correct spacing, and punctuation.

In reading/science we have been learning about the 5 senses. Next week's homework packet will focus on the senses.

Holiday parties are quickly approaching, and we will be taking a field trip in the spring. If you are interested in helping with either event, please visit the district office to have a background check. You may go to the district office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Please take your driver's license with you and explain that you are volunteering at Brantner.

Another great week!

Hi all!

This week we continued to study 2-D shapes. We examined attribute blocks and sorted them in a variety of ways: shape, color, size (small or large) and thickness (thick or thin). We also began discussing patterns. Our class will continue to study patterns, shapes and sorting throughout the year.

We are practicing writing sentences as a class. The students' goals are to begin sentences with a capital letter, put two finger spaces between their words, and end sentences with a period.

Our morning class is enjoying music. Today they "wowed" me with their version of "5 Fat Turkeys" with Mrs. Walters. They were adorable singing and dancing together.

The afternoon class is having a great time in gym with Mrs. D'Argis. Each time I pick them up, the students are eager to share what activity they participated in that day. Yesterday, they were pretending to be squirrels running between two trees.

Just a reminder: next week is a 3-day week. We will have school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We will be off on Thursday and Friday to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Welcome to the second quarter!

This four day week ushered in the new quarter. Now that the second quarter has begun, the morning class will have music class and the afternoon class will attend gym class for their cultural arts time each week.

In math, we began discussing 2-D shapes and their attributes (how many sides, corners, etc.). The students must master the following 2-D shapes: square, triangle, circle, rectangle and hexagon.

Next week we will continue to explore 2-D shapes, practice identifying the first sound in words, and focus on blending letter sounds to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, such as mix, hat and run.

I will see many of you at conferences on Tuesday! When I checked my schedule today, I was happy to see that I am completely booked on the 16th. I am looking forward to discussing your child's progress with you!

November 5, 2010

Hi everyone! The first quarter ends on Monday, which means conferences are just around the corner. Forms were sent home with each student with instructions on when to call the office to schedule an appointment. I was glad to see that many of you have scheduled a conference!

This week we began "whole class" Read Well. With this program, we will be reviewing each letter/sound, as well as practicing sight words, sounding out words, and comprehension skills.

We discussed the meaning of the word "magnetism" and the students had some very interesting ideas regarding what they would like to attract to them. Some of their answers included pizza, rainbows, a circus and their parents!

In math, the students have now practiced writing, identifying and comparing numbers 1-9. Next week we will dive into 2-D shapes.

Have a great weekend!

October 31, 2010

The first two months of school have flown by! The first quarter is almost over and the students have learned so much. I am impressed by their hard work and determination!

This week we will finish learning the correct way to write numbers 1-9. Please practice these at home, particularly 6 & 9--students often reverse these numbers. The more practice they have, the better.

Both classes have earned their second set of Cardinal Cards for fantastic behavior. The students have gotten many compliments for their outstanding behavior, both in the classroom and in the hallways. They are very proud of themselves, and rightfully so! The classes rolled the dice and will have the chance to watch a video next week as their Cardinal Reward. They are so excited!

October 15, 2010

The students have now learned the correct way to write the letters a-w. Next week we will complete the alphabet and then we will move on to writing words and sentences!

In math we introduced reading the numbers 1-9. We also began using "5 Frames" to subitize, count and match. "5 Frames" are tools that we will use to help us learn throughout the year.

In reading the students learned that the term "events" means things that happen in a book. The students did a wonderful job identifying important events in the books we read this week.

Last night, Brantner had a special presentation called "Bats!" This was presented by the Cincinnati Museum Center's Karen Venetian. Miss Karen (pictured) shared many facts about bats with us. I was so excited about all of the things that she brought to share, particulary the two live bats!!!! What a great evening.

Friday 10-8-10

This week the students learned how to write the letters n, o, p, q, and r. Their handwriting is improving by leaps and bounds!

In math we practiced subitizing and counting. I have pronounced the students "Super Duper Subitizers!" They are quickly learning to name how many without counting using the dots on dice and dominoes.

In reading we learned about characters (the people in the story) and setting (the places in the story) as we read books from the always funny "Froggy" series of books.

The students are enjoying their reading groups. They will be bringing home the magazines from Read Well as they pass each unit. These are great materials to have at home for extra practice.

Today, Mrs. Owens, visited our class to work on motor skills. (See photo above.) The class enjoyed her visit and we are hoping to have her return on Fridays as her schedule permits.

Art Announcement

Hi Kindergarten Families!
Please check your calendar for the next day that your child has art class. The students will be painting and the art teacher has recommended that the students wear old clothes.
Thanks a million!

A week of sequencing fun!

This week the students learned that sequencing means putting things in the order that they happen. To practice sequencing, we read several funny versions of "I know an old lady" books. We practiced sequencing using puppets and illustrations from the books. The students enjoyed the silly stories--there was a lot of laughter this week!

We had our first full week of reading groups and the students are quickly adjusting to our new routine.

In math we have focused on comparing items based on their size. The students are becoming experts on identifying items that are longer/shorter, bigger/smaller, etc. They especially enjoyed building towers with blocks and comparing their height.

Next week we will practice counting skills and learn about characters and setting. I am looking forward to another great week!

Thursday 9-23-10

Hello! We have had an enjoyable, although hot, week. The students did so well with their first guest teacher on Monday. I was in the building administering assessments, and the students were doing a great job each time I stopped by the classroom. I am so proud of them!

This week we developed our sorting skills--there are some super sorters in the class! The students' handwriting skills continue to improve as we meet new letters. We have now had an introduction to letters a-h. Next week we will practice i-m.

Art class is a highlight of their week. I am amazed by how creative they are. The students pictures based on Miro paintings were out of this world! The students are so lucky to have Mrs. Mansfield. She is such an incredible art teacher. I am always excited to see what amazing creations they bring back to our classroom.

This week we also began our reading groups. We use a program called "Read Well." For thirty minutes each day, the students work in small groups learning about letter sounds, sight words, and "smooth blending" sounds to read words. The reading teachers in the morning are: Mrs. C., Miss Jackson, Mrs. Wallace and Miss Stepaniak. The reading teachers in the afternoon are: Mrs. E., Miss Jackson, Mrs. Wallace, Miss Farley and Miss Stepaniak.

Just a reminder: there is no school for students tomorrow. Teachers will be at an in-service. I can't wait to see them again on Monday! Have a fun three-day weekend!

Friday 9-17-10: What a week!

This has been a wonderful second week of school. The students are learning the school rules quickly and becoming good friends to one another! The morning class did well during our first fire drill and the afternoon class was so respectful of our guest at our first school assembly. Great job boys and girls!

Congratulations to Brooke in the morning class and McKay in the afternoon class. They were our first "Students of the Month."

In math, we developed our matching and sorting skills. The photo at the top is of some of our wonderful students matching with Winnie the Pooh memory. We had an introduction to letters A-E. On Friday we read Please Play Safe and the class helped create a poster for the hallway of ways that we can be Safety Super Stars.

Both classes had art class for the first time this week. Everyone had a great time in art!

This week your child brought home a packet for our school fundraiser. I must share that the wrapping paper is really wonderful! I buy some each year and always get compliments when I give my Christmas gifts to family and friends.

I have to share my favorite quote of the week: one of our afternoon students looked up at me and said, "My mom and dad were right. Kindergarten really is fun!" We are off to a great start and I am looking forward to more wonderful days with this amazing group of kindergarteners.

The First Week of School 2010-2011

Wow! What a wonderful week. It was so exciting to meet all of our new kindergarteners. I just love their enthusiasm and excitement about going to school. The first few days focused on completing assessments and learning some of the fundamentals of going to school. We also practiced matching in math on Friday. I am so impressed by how many students are already experts at matching!

Next week we will begin introducing a letter each day--what it looks like, the sound(s) it makes, and how to write it. We will continue matching and begin sorting in math. We will also learn the school rules and routines.

Thank you to all of the families who sent in items from our wish list! These supplies will be used in our classroom throughout the year.

Just a reminder...the first P.T.O. meeting is on Tuesday. I hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you to all of the families that came to our Information Night this evening! It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet lots of new families as well!

I am happy to announce that Mrs. Acheson will be joining our kindergarten team this year! She will be teaching morning kindergarten at Brantner and afternoon kindergarten at Holly Hill. Welcome to the Brantner family Mrs. Acheson!

A new school year...

I am looking forward to starting a new school year with two new groups of students! We have several new adults joining us this year as well. I want to welcome Ms. Michael, who will be teaching the morning class across the hall. We are so glad to have her join us at Brantner! I also want to welcome Miss Farley. She will be working in my classroom this year as a student teacher while she works toward her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am sure that you will all have the chance to meet Miss Farley soon.

I am looking forward to a great school year! Be sure to check the blog often for photos and information about class happenings.

The last day of school, May 28, 2010

What a wonderful last day of school! Thank you to all of the family members who came to our classroom "carnival." The boys and girls seemed to enjoy their last day and I was so glad that so many of you were able to be there to share the special day with them.

Keep checking the blog this summer. I will be adding updates and videos that will help incoming kindergarteners as well as keep the soon-to-be first graders' skills fresh.

Happy summer!

Last week news

Wow--the last week of school arrived so quickly! I cannot believe how the year has flown by. I was looking at the students fall photos and am amazed by how much they have grown and changed.

This week the class will be celebrating all that we have learned this year and having fun food-filled lessons. On Thursday we will be having a pizza party as a reward for great behavior/bringing in the most box tops in the school! We will also have "show and tell" on Thursday. Students can bring in one item that is special to them to share with the class--please, no pets. :)

Friday is the last day of school. Report cards will be sent home with all students who have paid school fees. If you have outstanding fees, please pay them as soon as possible.

Thanks to all for a fantastic school year!

Pancakes with jam!

What a wonderful Wednesday. Mrs. Muncy is continuing to read Eric Carle books to the students this week. Today she read Pancakes, Pancakes. Then she made some delicious pancakes for the students. They sampled them with butter, strawberry jam (just like the book) and syrup. The students then made a graph representing their favorite pancake topping! Who doesn't love learning with pancakes?

Celebration!

A huge congratulations to Mrs. Muncy (formerly Ms. Case) who graduated on Saturday, May 8! She has earned her Master's Degree and proved that she will be a masterful teacher. The students and I are so excited for her! This photo is of Mrs. Muncy and the head of her program, Mr. Parks.

This week, Mrs. Muncy and the class are exploring the wonderful books of Eric Carle. I can't ruin the surprise, but I think the class will find Friday's lesson easy to sink their teeth into.

Summer suggestions

With summer break just 4 weeks away, I keep hearing about neat day camps...I wanted to share some of them with you:
Mad Science Summer Camp--www.madscience.org/Cincinnati
Fun times for little scientists!

For space fans, there is the iSpace program. Check it out at ispacescience.org

The next time you are leaving the grocery store, pick up the May issue of Cincinnati Family--it has a huge list of summer offerings!

To keep your learners on track for first grade, make games for rainy days. How many letters can you read in a minute? Have them look through a magazine for kids and circle all of the words that they can read...Half Price Books is a great place to find inexpensive magazines for children. Write letters on index cards, mix them up, and make 3 or 4 letter words (real or make believe) and have your child sound them out.

What a fun week!

Last week was such fun...
Mrs. Muncy planned a week of ocean-themed activities. She read A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle and the students showed off their listening skills by creating illustrations of the sea creatures decorating hermit crab's shell. On Thursday, the students were taken on a "journey" to the beach by using their five senses to observe buckets of seaweed and sand. The afternoon class agreed that the best word to describe the seaweed was squooshy!

Friday was field day/walk-a-thon. Mrs. D'Argis, our gym teacher, and the PTO planned a day of fun events that the students enjoyed. Thanks to PTO for giving a t-shirt to all of the students--they looked precious in their matching shirts! Thanks to all of the parents who helped or visited--the boys and girls loved having you there.

Earth Day is tomorrow!

All week Ms. Case (Muncy) will be focusing on topics related to Earth Day.

The class had a blast on Tuesday. Ms. Case created a "worm bin" with the class. We will be studying our new "pets" and make observations of them using our senses of touch and sight. After creating a class worm bin, the students made their own edible worm homes with pudding, graham crackers, Oreos, and, of course, gummy worms! The day was topped off by creating "worm art"--the students used wet pasta (the worms), instead of brushes, to create some beautiful abstract paintings.

Today Ms. Case discussed garbage and recycling. Ms. Case created a landfill with each class. The morning class named their landfill Mount Brantner and the afternoon named theirs Mount Stinky. In a month, we will unearth the contents of our landfills to investigate what items decomposed and what items did not.

The class also sorted objects into two groups: those that can be recycled and those that cannot. To finish the day, each student was given several items from Rumpke Recycling--a pencil, coloring page, tattoo and trading card. Thanks Rumpke!

Zoo

On Wednesday, April 14, all of the kindergarten students visited the zoo! We had a great visit and fantastic weather. One of the highlights of the trip was getting to interact with some animals in one of the zoo "classrooms." The zoo volunteers helped us to talk about animals' similarities and differences--a concept we have focused on all year.

I have to give a giant "thank you" to the moms and dads that went with us to chaperone the trip.

Congratulations Ms. Case!

Congratulations to Ms. Case, our fantastic student teacher! Ms. Case got married over Spring Break...we are so excited for her! Ms. Case has decided not to change her name at school to make things easier on the students. Then they would not be able to refer to their teachers as Stepacase and Caseaniak!

Spring break

I hope everyone is having a good spring break!
Last week the students had a lot of fun with Easter-themed projects, like creating edible birds nests. The students had a good time making them, and an even better time eating them.
When we return to school on Monday, we will be learning about animals. We will focus on the ways in which animal babies are like their parents. We will also be discussing habitats and treating animals with care and respect. This will all get us ready for our big trip to the zoo....I cannot wait!

Literacy Night

Thanks to all of the families that came to Literacy Night this evening! It was wonderful to see so many students and their families. I am so glad that I got to chat with so many of you. We were so fortunate that we were able to have such a wonderful event--thank you Title One teachers for planning it. Pizza, free books, and we got to see a performance of "Hansel and Gretel." What fun!

Mrs. McGregor

On Friday, March 19, Mrs. McGregor visited the morning class to present a lesson on inferring--a reading comprehension strategy. Mrs. McGregor is one of our district's literacy specialists and shared a lesson with the class from the book that she wrote to help teachers instruct students on comprehension strategies. Mrs. McGregor's visit was a treat! Thanks Mrs. McGregor!
Check back soon to view video from her lesson.

Green Eggs and Rolling Potatoes

What a delicious time we have had lately! Last week, we read more Dr. Seuss books and we ate green eggs and ham. Almost every child gobbled them up! The class decided that we do like them anywhere!

This week we have been reading books about St. Patrick's Day. In honor of the holiday, we had "The Great Potato Roll!" The students decorated potatoes with their names. Then we went outside and the students formed two lines. Each child rolled his/her potato across the grass. We discussed distance (farthest and closest) after each pair of students rolled their potatoes. Each class had a girl and a boy with the farthest rolls, and a good time was had by all!

Today, we were fortunate to receive a visit from COSI on wheels. Each student had the chance to participate in hands-on science activities. The theme of the day was "Space." Thank you to all the kindergarten parents who helped lead these activities!

Ms. Case

Today marked Ms. Case's first "official" day of student teaching! The class is making the transition with ease. Ms. Case has a wonderful relationship with the students. I know that Ms. Case will do a great job leading the class through the remainder of the year.

NED

This morning, Brantner students had the opportunity to see the NED show in the gym. NED stands for "Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best." This motto supports our OLWEUS anti-bullying program. This year we have stressed that Brantner kindergarteners are BUDDIES not bullies. The NED show was a fun way to learn about being your best self and supporting others through a story told with a yo-yo.

Dr. Seuss

The class will be studying Dr. Seuss books this week and next! On Tuesday. 3-2-10, we will celebrate the author's birthday with cupcakes. Yum!

We are continuing to add new letters and sounds each week in our whole group Read Well program. In small groups, each student should have mastered the following "sight words"--I, I'm, see, said, was.

Some of the challenges that the students are taking on in math include: counting by 5 to 25, identifying 3-D shapes (cubes, prisms, spheres), reading/writing numbers from 1-20.