Mrs. Matulis' Kindergarten

Sunday, November 20, 2011

In Math we made another paper quilt with blocks of squares and blocks with trees. This will be on display in the hallway soon, where you can check out the students' observations about the quilt they made.
In Language Arts we are reading many Thanksgiving books. Some are fiction and others are non-fiction. The rebus stories are great because they have part words and part pictures.
In Social Studies this week the three Kindergarten classes will switch and learn something about the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Make sure you ask your child what they learned.
November Book-It: Take time to "gobble up a good book" and read over Thanksgiving break.
Heart Words of the Week: Review words from previous weeks.
Special Theme of the Week: " Thanksgiving"
Thank you to Mrs. Rydzinski and her third graders for inviting us to their play last Friday. We loved talking afterwards about the setting and characters from that play.
Gift Exchange: There won't be a gift exchange between students in Kindergarten for the upcoming holiday party. Instead, I encourage your family to participate with the Giving Tree in the school lobby.

Math: We heard the story, Butterfly Countdown, and also learned about number words. This week we will make pattern block designs.
Language Arts: We are learning how to make and confirm predictions of stories we read. We also take time to point out "rhyming words" in poems and books we read.
November Book-It sheet: It's in the green jungle folder. Happy Reading!
Heart Word of the Week": "see"
Theme of the Week: "Thanksgiving"
Kindergarten Progress Reports: They will be given to the parents at the November Parent Teacher conferences this week. A formal report card will be sent home at the semester break in January.
Conferences: They have been scheduled. If you are unable to make the conference, please notify the school. These will last only 15 min. It is very important to arrive on time so that we keep on schedule for all the conferences. Thank you!

In Math we are learning about tally marks and how they are used for counting. A new Workplace called, "Bucket of Frogs", was recently introduced. Here the students are sorting them by color, size, or other markings. They are using the counting mats to count them in groups of ten.
In Language Arts we are learning how to identify the "character" in a story. The students will learn about the "beginning", "middle", and "end" of a story.
The November Book-It sheet was sent home last week. Happy Reading!
Heart Words of the Week Review: "a" and "like"
Special Theme of the Week: "Seasons"
Kindergarten Progress Reports will be given to the parents at the November Parent Teacher Conferences. A formal Report Card will be sent home at the semester break in January. Any questions or concerns for the conference may be given to me ahead of time.
The Halloween Parade and Class Party were a huge success and lots of fun! Thank you to all the adults who helped make it a wonderful time for everyone!

In Math we wrap up this first marking period with review of counting, making patterns, understanding shapes, and enjoying Math Workplaces.
In Language Arts we continue to review beginning sounds in words,. This week we will practice "p", "s", and "a" as we read and write. We will focus on "compare and contrast" in our stories. This will allow us to tell how things/people are alike or different.
The "October Book-It" calendar may be turned in by November 1. The November calendar will be sent home this week.
Heart Word of the Week: "a"
Special Theme of the Week: "Basic Needs of Living Things"
Kindergarten Progress Reports will be given to the parents at the November Parent Teacher Conferences. A formal Report Card will be sent home at the end of the semester in January.

In Math we worked on counting and sorting with Ten-Frames. Students used Unifix Cubes to create patterns. Ask them how to make an ABAB, AABB, ABC, ABBA, or an ABCD pattern.
In Language Arts we "Word Sweep" down our arm. We first sound out the beginning, middle, and final consonant sounds of the word, and then we "sweep" the whole word down our arm. "Characters" in a story tell us who does what in the story. We will learn more about that and review the "Setting" of a story.
This is the final week to complete your "October Book-It" calendar! Return it back to me for a free personal pan pizza coupon from Pizza Hut.
Heart Word of the Week: "like"
Special Themes This Week: "Bats" and "Spiders"
The Pumpkin Centers last week were so much fun! We took a survey of which one was the best one. Most liked Scooping Out the Pumpkin. Others enjoyed Pumpkin Poetry, Pumpkin Sequencing (how the pumpkin grows), Pumpkin Glyph (designing the pumpkin face in a personal way), Pumpkin Stories, and Pumpkin Labels (what parts of the pumpkin are called).

In Math this week we will continue practicing patterns, sorting, counting, and using graphs.
In Language Arts we continue to write every day. Students are making progress with adding more details to their writing and illustrations. We also talked about the "setting" of a story, where it took place.
October Book-It: Keep reading! There are only a couple more weeks in the month to complete your calendar and return it to school.
Heart Words for the Week: Review "we" and "the"
Theme for this Week: "Pumpkins"
Our room parents, Mrs. Iliff or Mrs. Petzke, will be contacting some of you soon to donate items for the Halloween party, give you the opportunity to assist in the classroom prior to the parade, or work at the class party.

This week is "Fire Prevention Week". Grades K-2 will learn more about this from the firefighters on Tuesday. Take time as a family to practice a fire drill at home. Don't forget to check your smoke alarms!
Congratulations to Ella whose ticket was drawn at the Harvest Fest last week for the scarecrow our class made!
"October Book-It" calendar is clipped inside your child's green jungle folder. Happy Reading!
Heart Word of the Week: "the"
Special Theme of the Week: "Leaves/Fall"
Kindergarten Room Parents: Mrs. Iliff and Mrs. Petzke They will work with the teacher to plan the upcoming class parties. They will also notify parents to donate items or to volunteer on the day of the party.