December Recap

What a fantastic December! During our final week of class, we accomplished so many tasks and had several visitors.

The students enjoyed practicing the sound of "p" with the Peter Penguin puppets they made. Peter only likes to eat foods that begin with "p" and the students enjoyed figuring out what treats Peter would enjoy.

Mrs. Thornton's first graders visited on Wednesday and performed three different versions of the Three Little Pigs. Thank you first graders for entertaining us...and thank you Mrs. Thornton. My boys and girls cannot wait to come back and perform for the new kindergarteners next year.

Thanks to each and every parent who made our holiday parties so successful! The students had impressive goody bags to take home, and lots of candy canes for prizes. The snacks and juice were a huge hit as well.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, safe New Year's. I can't wait to see my students again in 2012. All the best to you and yours!

December happenings...

Oh, there is simple too much to share! What a wonderful December we've had in kindergarten...

We are having so much fun in math! The students built shapes out of marshmallows and pretzels. In our discussion of 3-D shapes, we enjoyed eating ice cream cones (cones) filled with mini-marshmallows (cylinders). The class agreed that math is mighty tasty! We are practicing counting and writing numbers from 1-20 each day to prepare for our end-of-quarter test in January. Also in math, we are learning fun songs and games to count back from 5-0. Five Little Gingerbread Men and Zero the Hero are two of the students' favorites.

In literacy, we have been focusing a great deal on sequencing, and determining the difference between fantasy and realism. The students are doing well with these skills--I am so proud of them! While studying hibernation, the students discovered two new activities that they cannot get enough of..."Wake Up Sleepy Bear" is a game in which one child "hibernates" and has to guess which classmate woke them up and "Bear is Sleeping" has become their favorite song! In fact, we performed the song for Miss Lynne's preschool class this week. The kindergarten performance was a hit! They did a terrific job. Mr. Mack joined us for one performance and he was so impressed with all of the boys and girls!

Next week we will have our holiday parties. Please fill out the form that was sent home this week if you would like to help.

Thanks!

Turkey Time

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Last week, the students showed off their creativity by making hand-print turkeys. The students practiced counting back from 5-0 while acting out "Five Little Turkeys"--they were so excited to pretend to be our little feathered friends!

We reviewed letters/sounds of: a, m, t, s, and p. We also practiced counting to 20 and identifying the following shapes: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, and hexagon. Next week we will begin studying 3-D shapes and learning about hibernation. While we study hibernation, we will be celebrating the fact that the students earned 15 Cardinal Cards for great behavior! We will have pajama day on Tuesday, 11/29 ("B" day) and Wednesday, 11/30 ("A" day).

Three-day Weekend!

In honor of Veteran's Day, school will be closed tomorrow (11/11/11). I hope that you all enjoy the long weekend! Next week will be a full week, and "B" day students will attend on Friday.

This week, we used the short week to complete some fun activities. The students made some adorable scarecrows! They are such creative kindergarteners. We continued to practice identifying the first sound in a word. The students are mastering this skill, and I am so proud of their hard work. In math, we practiced counting backward with a fun poem about squirrels and with the always-fun game "Zero the Hero." Please ask you son/daughter about this game--I think it may be the students' new favorite activity! It's a terrific way to practice counting back from 5 to 0 and loads of fun all at once.

I am almost completely booked for fall conferences...I look forward to seeing many of you on Tuesday evening. Have a terrific holiday weekend!

Hello Second Quarter!

Tomorrow is the first day of the second quarter! Report cards will go home on Wednesday with "A" day students and on Thursday with "B" day students.

This is an unusual week, so be sure to mark your calendars. There is no school on Tuesday. Teachers will have an in-service day and the school will be a voting location. There will also be no school on Friday. The "A" day students will attend on Monday and Wednesday, as usual. The "B" day students will only attend on Thursday. For this reason, "B" day students brought home their homework on Friday.

Enjoy the sunshine today!

It's nearly November...

Wow--the first quarter ends on Friday, 11/4/11. The year is moving quickly! Report cards will be sent home for "A Day" students on Nov. 9, and "B Day" students on Nov. 10.

This week we have really emphasized the letter names and sounds for a, m, and t. Next week we will add "s" as a focus letter/sound. The students are beginning to blend letter sounds together to "sound out" words.

We introduced "informational text" with the nonfiction big book, Flowers. I am impressed with how well the students recalled facts from the text. We also focused more on comparing and contrasting. The boys and girls are picking this concept up with ease! Way to go kindergarten smarties!

News and Notes

Four day weeks go so quickly! We had a busy week in room 201. We have now learned the correct way to write all of our numbers from 1-10 (always top to bottom). This is an essential skill and will be tested throughout the year. Please practice at home on rainy days, or whenever your child says the words "I'm bored." I know how parents love to hear that phrase. :)

While we were practicing our number formation, we read some fun counting books. In the picture above Mrs. Capps reads a book aloud, while students act out the story. This is always fun and we will do this many times throughout the year!

In reading, we studied the book Dig, Dig, Digging and discussed the ways that machines help people do their work. I was impressed with the many ways the students identified. We also focused on the letters m, t, and a. We emphasized the sound they make and identified words that begin with these sounds.

Many of you have been wondering if we have a Halloween party in class. This is not one of the events that we celebrate in class, though we will do some fun Halloween-themed activities this coming week. In kindergarten we have two parties--December holidays (the day before December break) and Valentine's Day. If you would like to help with either of these events, please let me know. The more, the merrier!

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall...

To celebrate the season, the "B" students created their very own ghosts. The "A" group will do this on their next Friday session.

In class,we are emphasizing identifying the beginning sounds in a word. We are continuing to practice reading and writing upper and lower case letters. We are also practicing reading and writing the numbers 1-10. All students must be able to write their full first name by the end of the quarter, so we are practicing this skill each morning for bell work.

Thanks again to all the parents who sent in snacks for our class! The students are really enjoying them each afternoon.

Patterns and Letters and Names, oh my!

Hello all!

It has been another great week in kindergarten. We have been working on patterns in math. This is such a fun skill to practice at home. I recommend taking most any kids' cereal (Froot Loops, Lucky Charms) and using them to make patterns (by color or shape of those yummy marshmallows). When they have finished practicing patterns...instant snack time! Leggos, crayons, and building blocks are also great for pattern practice.

The students have met all of the letters from A-Z now. We are focusing on naming the letters, writing the letters, and practicing their sounds. Next week, the students will bring home a letter practice book for their homework. This will be theirs to keep so that you can practice whenever you have time. By the end of the third quarter, students are expected to be able to read, write, and identify the sounds of all 26 letters. These skills would be excellent to practice on their "off days."

We are also practicing writing our first names in class. The students will be asked to do this without looking at a model at the end of October. Please keep in mind, the students need to use a capital letter at the start of their name and lowercase letters for the rest. We have been discussing this a great deal. As I tell the students, their names are special becuase they are special! That is why their names begin with a capital letter.

Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Welcome October!

I cannot believe how quickly September has passed. Our first month of school has been incredibly busy! I am so proud of all of the students for learning our routines so quickly. They have gotten many compliments from other teachers in the building for their exceptional behavior. Great job boys and girls!

This month we have rapidly moved through a lot of academic skills. In math, the students have matched, sorted, subitized (determined "how many" without counting),and counted objects. In reading, we have learned the letters a-s. The students have learned the following sight words: I, am, the, little. We have studied the concepts of "character," "setting," and "sequencing."

September has been a wonderful month and I cannot wait to see what awaits us in October!

Open House

Wow! I was so glad to meet so many kindergarten families tonight at Open House. What a huge turnout! I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you throughout the year. See you next week!

Supplies

Hello all!

Just a note to say that you are welcome to bring your child's school supplies to Open House next week. Please put them in a bag with their name on it, so I can keep track of which things came from each student.

Also, there will be a "wish list" outside of my door of items that would be helpful for our classroom. Each item is listed seperately on a sheet of paper shaped like the globe. If you would like to contribute that item, simply take that paper with you. Thanks in advance!

Looking forward to seeing all of you next week!

Get ready!

The 2011-2012 school year is almost here! I am so excited to meet a new group of kindergarten students and catch up with former students. I hope you are all ready for a fantastic school year. The class lists are posted at school, the supply lists are printed, sales on supplies are at every store--I can't wait for school to start. Hope to see many excited faces at Open House next week. Until then, enjoy your last days of summer!

Attention Kindergarten Parents:

Wanted to share this opportunity with all of you. Just click on the flier to enlarge it. I know that this year will be different from the past, but this may help.

Summer Greetings

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer. I am (as usual)taking classes this summer, and I have been greatful for the heat wave becuase I don't feel so down about being inside. This made me think that the heat is a great excuse to convince your son or daughter to do some reading, writing or math practice. School will begin in just over a month. At least ten minutes of practice a day will keep students' skills fresh and get them geared up for school!

Looking forward to hearing about the wonderful things everyone did this summer...


Stay cool!

Ideas and such...

Ahh, rainy days. I love them, because I don't feel like I am missing out on being outside when I am indoors studying and writing papers. But, I remember how much I disliked rainy days when I was a little munchkin. My mom probably heard "I'm bored" a zillion times on those damp days. All I wanted to do was run around outside with all the neighbors.

I was reading Family Circle magazine, and thought I'd share some of the tips that they offer. Hopefully, it will help this rainy summer be a little brighter!

~Check out Borders bookstore. They have a "Double Dog Dare Summer Reading Challenge." Students get a free book after reading ten.

~Go to scholastic.com to find out more about their on-line summer reading challenge.

~Lowe's and Home Depot both offer programs for youngsters who love to build.

On-line activities

Worried about keeping your child's skills fresh over the summer? Check out www.kindersite.org. They have educational games for children of all ages. If your child is entering kindergarten, they may enjoy "Alphabet Zoo"--matching lower and upper case letters, and "Hatch"--a fun matching game. If your child is entering first grade, try "Can You Fill It"--a volume estimation game, or "Count Us In"--good for subtraction practice.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Summer's here!

I hope you are all enjoying the first week of summer vacation!

I will update this blog periodically with reading tips, math fun, and kids' events around Cincinnati.

It was a joy to teach this group of students. They were so excited about learning, and cared so much for one another! I loved watching them grow as learners. Their personalities meshed so well with one another! It was a wonderful year!

See you in the fall!

Summer Reading

I love to watch the kindergarten students grow as readers each year. I enjoy seeing how excited they are about learning! This summer, the Union Township Library is offering some programs that I think may interest the students.

On Saturday, June 4th, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., there will be a summer reading carnival. Students can sign up for the library's summer reading program. There is going to be face painting, crafts, snacks, and carnival games. This sounds like a great event!

On Mondays, July 11th, 18th and 25th, the library will be having crafts from around the world for students in grades K-4. These events will be from 1-4 p.m.

On Saturday, August 6th, the library will have it's summer reading "wrap-up." Students who complete the summer reading challenge can celebrate with Paul Adams, the Reading Genie, from 2-3 p.m.

Happy reading!

Field Day!

What a wonderful day we had today! The weather cooperated to give us a fantastic Field Day! Thanks to Mrs. D'Argis, Mrs. Mansfield and the PTO for planning such an awesome day filled with fun events. Thanks to PTO for providing t-shirts for each student. It was so nice to see a sea of pale blue t-shirts as the kindergarteners played. Many students were heard saying "This is the best day EVER!" I am so glad they had such a great time.

This week, we focused on science and social studies. The students discussed how many objects are made of different parts. To take this concept further, the students built their own boats. We also discussed natural and man-made products, as well as goods and services. We have some future scientists in this class!

Next week, there is no school on Monday, to celebrate Memorial Day. I hope everyone has a great 3-day weekend. Next week we will have school Tuesday-Friday. I am looking forward to having a great final week of school. This is an amazing group of students!

Right to Read Week

This week was Right to Read Week. We had many fun activities including: author visits, dressing as story book characters, guests readers, and buddy reading with other grades (see photos). Thanks Mrs. Wallace and Miss Jackson for planning such a fun week!

We are completing many of our end-of-year assessments for report cards and the students are doing a phenomenal job! Keep up the good work kindergarteners. Reminder: if you have not paid school fees, please do so in order to recieve your child's report card.

Next week will be focused on science and social studies. We have many exciting activities planned. I can't wait!

Also, next Friday is Field Day. Please be sure to have your child wear gym shoes and comfy clothes. All children are allowed to wear a hat, and I encourage you to send water bottles and make sure they have plenty of sunscreen on. We are supposed to have a warm, sunny day, according to the forecast this morning. Great news!

If any parent has a wagon that you would be willing to let me borrow for the day (to hold water bottles), please let me know. I would really appreciate it!

Have a super weekend!

May 13, 2011

Wow! What a sunny week. Please feel free to send in a water bottle with your child in this warm weather.

This week we have had a blast adding and subtracting. The students are becoming math masters so quickly. I know they will do well in first grade.

In social studies, we discussed maps and globes. The students were successful in their first attempt at map-making. They created some adorable "maps" of our classroom.

Be sure to check your child's book bag for information regarding Right to Read week and the Walk-a-thon/Field Day. These are sure to be fun events for all!

Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the sunshine--finally! Thanks to all of you for making this such a wonderful teacher appreciation week. It has been filled with fun surprises.

This has been butterfly and bugs week. The students have been learning lots of new scientific facts! Please ask them to share some with you. I am sure we have many future scientists in our class.

I am impressed with our wonderful writers in class. This is an extremely creative group of students and I always enjoy reading their pieces. This week I was even more impressed with the amazing things that they wrote about their butterfly pictures. I had to add some of these to the Brantner's Best Wall because they were so amazing! Great work boys and girls!

I would like to send an early "Happy Mother's Day" to all of my students' moms. Thank you for raising such amazing children!

Congratulations and Thanks...

Congratulations to Miss Farley--she got engaged this weekend! What exciting news!

Thanks to all of you who have made this such a wonderful "Teacher Appreciation Week." Each day has been filled with wonderful surprises. A huge thank you to PTO for organizing such a great week!

Rally Info.

Tomorrow night, join West Clermont families for the "Say Yes to Kids Rally."
When: April 29, 2011
5:00pm-7:00pm
Where: Union Township Park

The weather is supposed to be beautiful and there will be food, a raffle, and live music!

Pizza!

Today all of the students were rewarded with a pizza party for their great behavior. They have earned so many cardinal cards this year, it is certainly worth a tasty treat! Yum!

Theater Time!

What a great week! We did a lot in three days! We have been reading several books by Kevin Henkes, author of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. We have been practiciing our addition and subtraction skills. We have even begun working on missing addends in math. Wow!

Today topped off a great week with a visit to the Aronoff to see a live version of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. The show was wonderful and the students had a wonderful time! I am so glad that we were able to take this super field trip!

Tomorrow is the first day of "Spring Break." We will be back in school on Monday, April 25, 2011. I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Showing off our spirit!

Today was "Royal and Regal" day. Students wore their fancy clothes and great big smiles! Our little princes and princesses really looked the part today (see above).

Reminder: tomorrow is our field trip day! All kindergarten students will attend from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00. Please remember to send a packed lunch to school with your child.

Go Cardinals!

Welcome to spirit week! Today was sports teams day. The students were adorable representing their favorite sports teams. Miss Farley (see photo) and I were happy to get in the spirit, as well.

I can't wait to see the students tomorrow for "Royal and Regal" day.

Thanks to Megan, Charnise, Cody and Abram for helping me with the school announcements at the end of the day--you did a super job!

Looking for something to do over spring break?

The Union Township Board of Trustees is happy to announce an afternoon of magic and fun for the younger set as Grammy-nominated Zak Morgan returns to the Union Township Amphitheatre at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21. Zak Morgan delights children and parents alike with his wonderful wordplay and his magical live performances. His love of reading and imagining and his motto, “I can do it,” are contagious. The Zak Morgan concert is free to the public. Tell your neighbors; get your play groups together. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, snacks and beverages and be prepared to be regaled by magical Zak Morgan. In case of rain, the concert will be held in the Civic Center gym. Food is not permitted in the gym.

Dino-mite!

This week was "dinosaur week" in Room 201. The students made a dinosaur graph, learned facts about dinosaurs, and discussed how dinosaurs behave when they go to school. We also went on a mini-fossil hunt.

In keeping with our scientific week, the students practiced using their five senses. On Friday, the students used their five senses to determine what was in various mystery bags. See the photo above. The students have had a very scientific week!

Our classes have been working on subtraction this week. The students are mastering this skill at a rapid pace. Great job boys and girls!

The students are now attending library and are so excited to be allowed to borrow books. Please check the April calendar for the dates that we go to library.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the warm weather.

Happy Baseball Season!

Before I start talking about school, I have one thing to say. Go Reds!

This has been a very productive week in class. The students are really doing well with addition. I am impressed with how quickly they are learning this skill. Great job boys and girls!

We have now concluded whole-group Read Well (small groups will continue). Next week we will be focusing on reading comprehension strategies. This is a skill that we will emphasize throughout the rest of the school year.

Today is science Friday. We studied baby animals and the ways in which they are similar/different from their parents. Each child received a baby animal dictionary and mini-book which they will bring home with them today. The class enjoyed their new books.

Please review the school rules at home with your son/daughter. "Brantner Cardinals are respectful, responsible and safe."

We are now on day two of the fourth quarter. April's calendar is coming home today. Be sure to note that we will now have library for our cultural arts classes.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. And again, Go Reds!

What a week!

We have certainly had an interesting week! The weather has been wild, and we have been learning many new things. We discuessed the scientific concept of needs and wants. The students jumped into addition with enthusiasm. I am so proud of how quickly they are learning to add and show their work. We are writing sentences independently each Thursday. I am impressed with the number of students have mastered the concept of writing a sentence. Many remember their punctuation and spacing. The students are also working on sounding out words they don't know. It's fantastic!


This morning, students from Cincinnati Public Schools came to visit. Six students read to the students and shared coloring pages with the class. Thanks to the students for visiting!

Reminder: spring picture day is this coming Wednesday, 3-30-11.

March 18, 2011

Hello all!

I hope that everyone had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day. To celebrate, our class had two types of homemade Irish Soda Bread (thanks mom). The students tasted both kinds of bread and voted on their favorite type. The morning class preferred the plain bread and the afternoon class preferred the bread with dried fruit. See the photo above.

If you have not turned in your permission slips/money for the Aronoff field trip, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you!

Picture day is coming...

Hello!
Spring picture information went home with the afternoon students today, and will be sent home with the morning class tomorrow. Picture day is March 30, 2011. We will have a photo taken of the entire class. If you want to purchase a class photo, please fill out the order form and return it to school. Note: individual student photo packages are also available.
Enjoy this gorgeous weather!

March 11

Hello all! What a wild week of wacky weather! It has certainly made graphing our weather each day a little more interesting.

In math this week, the highlight of the week was "Roll and Record." The students love this activity! The students take turns rolling dice, counting "how many" and recording the data on a graph. We also had the opportunity to practice counting back from 10 to 0 with "Zero the Hero." The kindergarteners had a great time in math this week!

In literacy, we have been emphasizing the middle sounds in words. One of our new activities allows students to identify the correct vowel sound by holding up the appropriate letter card.

We said good-bye to two of our morning students this week. Hopefully we will keep in contact with them and learn about their lives in Arizona.

Reminder: Aronoff Center permission slips and fees were due today. If you need another form, please let me know. Thanks!

Happy Dr. Seuss Week!

Hello! The class enjoyed Dr. Seuss week! We read many fablulous Dr. Seuss books, including The Foot Book. After reading, we traced one another's feet and created a list of the many things we do with our feet (walk, run, skip, etc.). On Wednesday, (the anniversary of his birthday). we had birthday treats. Yum!

In math, we practiced many skills, including counting on and creating numbers in various ways. We used beads to explore the various ways to make 5--four and one, and three and two. The students really enjoyed the lesson: see the picture above.

Reminder: $3.50 is due for the Aronoff by Friday, 3-11-11.

Short weeks fly by!

Hello! I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend last week for Presidents' Day! Please be aware that students do not have school tomorrow, 2-25-11. Teachers will be working at an in-service day. I am sure that boys and girls will enjoy the time off.

It was a short week, but we accomplished a great deal. I am glad to announce that we began working with word families today. Word families are words that share the same ending with a different beginning sound. Today we focused on "-ig" words. We read a mini-book called "A Pig" and practiced the words: big, pig, dig and wig. Please have your child share the book with you. I am impressed by how many students were able to read the book independently.

Next week is Dr. Seuss week in our class. To get ready for the fun to come, we used the Smart Board to go to seussville.com where we played "Fox in Socks." This was a fun way for the students to practice their rhyming skills.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Until next week,

Miss Stepaniak

What a great time for a long weekend!

Wow! What a beautiful day! I hope that the weather stays this nice so that everyone can enjoy our four-day weekend.

The students had a fantastic time at their Valentine's Day parties. (See photo above.) The boys and girls became the Princesses and Princes of Hearts for the day! They loved their crowns and looked very regal. Thanks to all of you who helped make the party a success! The treat bags were filled with goodies, and the craft was a hit. Thank you to the "room moms" who volunteered to help with the festivities. The students are still talking about how much fun they had.

The short week has moved quickly and next week will be another short week. This week we "met" the sight word "she," and next week, we will concentrate on "is." We continue to focus on writing sentences with the correct structure. The students are creating some interesting sentences! I am so impressed with their progress.

February 11, 2011

Reminders:
1. We will have our Valentine Parties on Monday, 2-14-11. If you would like your son/daughter to bring Valentines for the rest of the class, please sign his/her name in the "from" portion only. We will deliver the cards in a train fashion, placing one card in each students' bag. There are 23 morning students and 22 afternoon students.
2. There is no school on Friday, 2-18, or Monday, 2-21. Happy Presidents' Day!

The students are quickly mastering the teen numbers. I am proud of how hard they are working! Each day we are counting to 65. Soon we will be counting to 100 each day. Many students have already mastered this skill. Way to go kindergarteners!

The boys and girls are becoming expert sentence writers! Each day we practice creating sentences. I am impressed with how well they are mastering what it takes to make a good sentence--they must make sense, use space between words, sound out words they don't know, begin each sentence with a capital letter, and end each sentence with a period.

Enjoy your weekend--the weather is supposed to be lovely!

Please vote!

Several Brantner teachers recently attended a technology conference and have created a video to enter our school in a contest for a free SMART slate. Please go to: http://www.facebook.com/SmartEdServices?v=app_2392950137#!/video/video.php?v=195221820504900 and vote for Brantner. The contest ends Monday, 2-14-11.

Thank you!

It's February

Hi all! Happy February! It was great to get to talk to many of you at conferences on Wednesday and I am looking forward to seeing more of you next week. Reminder: there is a PTO meeting on Tuesday.

We are really emphasizing smooth blending words and identifying the last sounds in words. The students are improving at these skills, but additional practice at home would be helpful as well. Also, be sure to practice your Read Well books as often as possible. This will help your child improve their fluency to earn strong passes on their unit tests.

In math, we are focusing on teen numbers and counting by ones to 100. Soon we will dive into addition! I can't wait. The students' math skills are so strong, I know that they will enjoy addition.

Thanks to all of you who sent in donations for the Valentine's Day party. The students are going to have incredible treat bags to take home!

This week was out of this world!

Yesterday all of the students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade had the opportunity to visit PNC's traveling planetarium. What a neat experience. Sesame Street characters, Big Bird and Elmo, led the students on an imagianary trip to the moon. The students learned about the stars and learned a bit about China, as well. Each student expressed how much they enjoyed the event and their cheers during the presentation displayed what a great time they had!

We are beginning to emphasize the ending sounds in words, now that we have beginning sound experts in class! This skill is a bit more difficult, but I know my munchkins will catch on quickly. In math, we are beginning to discuss teen numbers. Soon we will be writing the numbers 11-20. The students are amazing me with their counting skills. Many can count to 100, our end of the year goal!

Have a great weekend!

It's a new quarter!

Hello all! Today marks the end of the second quarter. It is incredible to me that the school year is half over. Due to the snow days, second quarter report cards will go home on Tuesday, February 1. If you have not paid your child's school fees, please do so as soon as possible. Fees are $40.00.

Due to the snow days, our next cultural arts classes will be this Thursday. Morning students' parents: please make sure your child wears sneakers for gym class.

We had our mid-year DIBELS benchmark assessments last week, and the students did a terrific job! Being a kindergarten teacher is so exciting, because I get to see such tremendous growth from the students throughout the school year. I am so proud of them for all of their hard work. Their efforts are paying off. I have no doubt that they will each bloom in first grade next year. I am looking forward to watching them achieve more great things during the second half of kindergarten.

I found some fantastic new beginning sound "centers" recently. The students are having a blast showing off their skills at identifying the beginning sounds in words. See the photo above. Learning is fun!

Friday 1-7-11

Happy New Year! I hope that 2011 is a wonderful year for each of you. Our kindergarteners are off to a fantastic start. They returned to school refreshed and ready to learn. The students have done a great job remembering our school rules and making good choices. The morning class has even earned their fourth set of cardinal cards! I am so proud of all of the students for making such great choices at school!

In math this week, we practiced comparing weight (heavier/lighter) using a pan balance. The students really enjoyed using the pan balance and making predictions about which object would be the heaviest.

In Read Well, students are striving to read fluently (correctly and quickly). As we progress through the units, the students must complete timed reading passages. Please have your child practice reading from their Read Well practice books so that they may build fluency.

The students will soon be writing sentences independently. We have been practicing as a class for months to use all of the conventions to make a good sentence. Students should be able to: use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence, put space between words, write their sight words correctly, and use a period at the end of their sentence.

The end of the second quarter is drawing to a close. We will be completing quarterly assessments over the next two weeks and reviewing the skills that we have learned in the past few months.