Weekly Newsletter for the week of November 30 - December 4, 2009

We are reading Little Panda in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is main idea. Our Amazing Words are: weigh, measure, healthy, bamboo, curious and explore.

We will have our Spelling test on Friday. This week the words are: bit, bat, tan, nap. At this time, we will stop having dictation sentences on our test.
Focus Letter Letters to review
Nn, Bb Mm, Tt, Aa, Ss, Pp, Cc, Ii

High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is we my like he for me with she

In Math we will continue with Chapter 7. We will compare and contrast numbers to 20 and count/write/identify/represent numbers 11-20.

Announcements
Please continue to save Box Tops, Best Choice, Tyson and Campbell's labels for our school.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the terrific break I had with friends and family:)
Don't forget that the school store is open every Friday morning if your child wishes to purchase something before school starts. I've seen lots of cool stuff!
Saturday, December 5 Pictures with Santa in the Elementary Cafeteria from 10:00-12:00. All profit will go to the American Cancer Society and the Research for Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

HOMEWORK Please help your child complete their homework each night and return the next day. Make sure their NAME is on their paper.

A few notes....

Sorry I didn't get the newsletter put online last week. I was out 3 days and I had a child sick with the flu:(

Thanks to everyone so far that has donated canned food for the Can Drive!! Extra kudos to Tanner's mom for hooking us up with 252 cans today!!!! Wowzers, thanks so much:) Don't think we have won yet because the buzz is going around how our class is in the lead. We have some real competitive folks here at BES and the challenge is ON! Keep those cans coming and help to support a great cause.

Also, mark your calendars on Saturday, December 5, 2009. I will be having Santa as a special guest in the school cafeteria. Bring your child to get their picture made with Santa and purchase a package for yet another worthy cause! ALL proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society and the RJDF (Research for Juvenile Diabetes Foundation) I can not wait to see all of the faces of your children light up when they see Santa and get to sit on his lap to tell him what they want for Christmas. It's that time of the year for giving, and I am extremely excited to be using my talents to give back to such great causes that mean so much to me. My mother in law is a Breast Cancer survivor and has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia. I am honoring her for the donation to the ACS. Our little friend Maggie is almost 4 years old. This summer, Maggie was diagnosed with Type I Juvenile Diabetes. Maggie is a triplet and is the same age as my daughter. It is in her honor that half the proceeds will be made to RJDF.

Weekly Newsletter for the week of November 16-20, 2009

We are reading Whose Garden is it? in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is realism/fantasy. Our Amazing Words are: garden, gardener, plant, seed, soil and blossoms.

We will have our weekly Reading and Writing test on Friday. This week the words are: tip, sip, pip, Tim. The sentence for this week is: The big pig is pink. Please practice nightly with your child.
Focus Letter Letters to review
Ii Mm, Tt, Aa, Ss, Pp, Cc

High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is we my like he for

In Math we will begin Chapter 7. We will compare and contrast numbers to 20 and count/write/identify/represent numbers 11-20.

Announcements
Don't forget to be working on your November Book-It!
Please continue to save Box Tops, Best Choice, Tyson and Campbell's labels for our school. November 20 Out at 11:00 Teacher In-service
November 25, 26 and 27 NO SCHOOL Happy Thanksgiving

HOMEWORK Please help your child complete their homework each night and return the next day. Make sure their NAME is on their paper.

October Student of the Month

Congratulations to Abigail for receiving the Student of the Month award for October. Our character trait this month was Self-Discipline. This trait includes: thinking about your words and actions, and then making choices that are right for you and others.

Abigail always makes good choices and she is very well behaved. She is also caring and helpful to her peers! Way to go Abigail!!! We are all proud of you:)

Weekly Newsletter for the week of November 2-6, 2009

We are reading Bear Snores On in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is realism and fantasy. Our Amazing Words are: sleep, winter, cave, woods, storm and blustery.

We will begin a weekly Reading and Writing test on Friday. Your child will have four spelling words to memorize. They will have to write them correctly on the lines using capital letters when appropriate. This week the words are: cat, cap, Cam, Mac. For the writing portion of the test, your child will have to write a sentence correctly using capital letters, spaces and punctuation in the appropriate places. The sentence for this week is: I like my cat.
Focus Letter Letters to review
Cc Mm, Tt, Aa, Ss, Pp

High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is we my like

In Math we will finish up on Chapter 5 and take a test on Wednesday. This chapter has dealt with numbers 0-10. On Thursday, we will begin Chapter 6. This chapter covers data, graphing and probability.

Announcements
Thanks for the wonderful treats and food that was sent for our party on Friday! We had lots left over to eat for snack this week.
November Book-It is being sent home. You have until the end of the month to return it.

HOMEWORK Please help your child complete their homework each night and return the next day. I appreciate your help with this matter! I love having responsible little kindergartners and parents, too:)

Weekly Newsletter for the week of October 26-30, 2009

We are reading Animal Babies in Grasslands in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is main idea. Our Amazing Words are: calf, grassland, cub, pup, joey and foal. Your child will be receiving word cards each week for the words we are especially working on. Keep these at home and practice nightly.
Focus Letter Letters to review
Pp Mm, Tt, Aa, Ss

High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is we my like

In Math we will continue with Chapter 5. We will make a table to solve problems, order numbers to 10 and count up and back from a given number using objects or a number line.

Announcements
Oct. 30 October Book-It forms are due! Read 10 books, return your log sheet and receive a complimentary mini pizza from Pizza Hut.
Oct. 30 Red Ribbon parade and Halloween party. I am sending home a party treat sign up sheet home. If you would like to send something for our party, please circle the item and send the sheet back to school ASAP! Thanks so much!

Parade and Red Ribbon Week dress up information is on the back of this newsletter.

We had lots of fun at the pumpkin patch last week. Be watching for our pictures on the blog very soon! The blog link is at the top of this page:)

HOMEWORK Please help your child complete their homework each night and return the next day. I appreciate your help with this matter! I love having responsible little kindergartners and parents, too:)

Weekly Newsletter for the week of October 19-23, 2009

We are reading Armadillo's Orange in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is setting. Our Amazing Words are: armadillo, burrow, tortoise, rattlesnake, grubs and insects. Your child will be receiving word cards each week for the words we are especially working on. Keep these at home and practice nightly.
Focus Letter Letters to review
Ss Mm, Tt, Aa

High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is

In Math we will begin Chapter 5. We will solve problems by using illustrations, count/write/identify/represent numbers 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. We will also practice counting and comparing numbers to 10.

Announcements
I enjoyed meeting with all of you on Parent Teacher conference day. I still have a few conferences left to complete before some of your children will receive their report card. Please contact me regarding this.
Oct. 20 Field Trip to Begg's Pumpkin Patch. The weather is looking to be beautiful and 70 degrees tomorrow! Please send your child in a RED SHIRT. Also remember to dress them in comfortable clothes and tennis shoes. No flip flops or crocs, please:)
Oct. 30 October Book-It forms are due! Read 10 books, return your log sheet and receive a complimentary mini pizza from Pizza Hut.
Oct. 30 Red Ribbon parade and Halloween party. Details to follow soon!

HOMEWORK Please help your child complete their homework each night and return the next day. I appreciate your help with this matter! I love having responsible little kindergartners and parents, too:)

Weekly Newsletter for the week of October 12-16, 2009

We will be reviewing the letters Mm, Tt, and Aa this week. Your child will need to identify the upper and lowercase letters and the sounds for Mm, Tt and Aa. We will review the words: I, am, the, little, to, a, is, have

In Math we will finish Chapter 4 on patterns and take a test.

I will be finishing up testing for report cards and we we will be reading books about Pumpkins also this week.


Announcements
October 15 Out at 11:00 Parent Teacher conferences begin at 1:00 pm. I still have about 5 parents who have not scheduled a conference with me. Report cards will not be sent home until we conference.

October 16 NO SCHOOL Teacher work day

October 20 Pumpkin Patch field trip has been rescheduled for this date. Let's hope there is no more rain! We are extremely excited about this trip!!

October 30 Red Ribbon Parade begins at 1:30. We will also have our Halloween party this day. More details to follow soon.

September Student of the Month

Congratulations to Shane for being the September Student of the Month. Each month, one student will be chosen from each class as SOM. The students that are chosen possess a particular character trait for that month. The character trait for September SOM was "Responsibility".

Shane is a very responsible student. I can count on him to always do the right thing and he always is eager and ready to learn. He turns in his homework each day and I can also count on him to be my right hand man.

Way to go Shane! I am proud of you:)

Weekly Newsletter for the week of October 5-9, 2009

We are reading Life in an Ocean in reading this week. Our comprehension skill is compare and contrast. Our Amazing Words are: ocean, crab, fish, world, shell and seaweed.

Focus Letter
Aa
High Frequency Words
I am the little to a have is
*new words for this week are highlighted*

In Math we will continue Chapter 4. We will solve problems by acting out patterns and describe/extend patterns. We will also use objects and illustrations to create a pattern.

Announcements
Oct. 5 PTO Meeting in the cafeteria 6:00 pm. All parents invited to attend
Oct. 7 Field trip to Begg's Pumpkin Patch
Oct. 9 End of 1st Quarter – I will be testing your children on their birthday, address, phone number, days of the week, months of the year, letters of the alphabet and numbers 0-10 during the course of this week.
Oct. 12 NO SCHOOL Columbus Day
Oct. 15 Out at 11:00 Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00 pm
Oct. 16 NO SCHOOL Teacher work day
Oct. 30 Red Ribbon parade and Halloween party. Details to follow soon!

Weekly Newsletter for the week of September 21-25, 2009

We are reading Julius in reading this week. We will work on comparing similarities and differences in characters. We will introduce nouns. Nouns are naming words for people, places or things. Our Amazing Words this week are: granddaddy, sharing, protect, crate, scary and sneaked.

We have introduced all 26 letters of the alphabet. Now we are going to focus on one letter per week. Our letter for this week is Mm. Our new high frequency words are: to, a. We will also review I, am, the, little.

In Math we will begin Chapter 3. We will solve problems by comparing and contrasting objects. We will also identify objects that are the same/different, sort objects by one and two attributes, and solve sorting problems by using logical reasoning.

Announcements
September 24 Picture retake day Your child will be coming home with an order form if they haven't had their pictures taken yet.

September 25 Apple homework project due
I am sending home another homework project for you to complete with your child. I will try to do this each month. Everything you need is in the ziploc bag. Once the assignment is completed, send all the supplies back in the ziploc bag with the finished product. You all did an excellent job with the August homework project where you made the rays on the sun and wrote 3 things that were special about your child.

Weekly Newsletter for the week of September 14-18, 2009

We are reading Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip in reading this week. We will continue to review character and setting. The comprehension skill of the week is classify and categorize. Our Amazing Words are: bakery, post office, fire stations, library, park and chaperone.

We will introduce the letters Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy and Zz. We will review all four of our high frequency words: the, little, I, am. Please practice these words at home. Also, don't forget to read the books that are sent home with your child for homework. Sign and return them the next day so we can add them to our reading bag of books we know how to read!

We will continue to practice writing our first names and writing the letters that we have been introduced to thus far.

In Math we will compare, order and review numbers zero through five. We will take a test on Chapter 2 on Thursday.

Announcements
September 18 Out at 11:00 Staff Professional Development Day
September 24 Picture retake day

Weekly Newsletter for the week of September 7-11, 2009

Mrs. Dodd's
newsletter
September 7-11, 2009

We are reading Plaidypus Lost in reading this week. We will continue to review character and setting. The comprehension skill of the week is sequence. Our Amazing Words are: platypus, around, lost, found, market and groceries.

We will introduce the letters Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr and Ss. We will learn two new high frequency words: the, little. We will review I, am. Please practice these words at home. Also, don't forget to read the books that are sent home with your child for homework. Sign and return them the next day so we can add them to our reading bag of books we know how to read!

We will continue to practice writing our first names and writing the letters that we have been introduced to thus far.

In Math we will work in Chapter 2. We will count, write, identify and represent the numbers to 5. We will solve problems by making a graph and learn about the concept of zero.


Announcements
September 10 Grandparent's Night 5:00-6:30 The evening will begin in the cafeteria for snacks. Then you will be directed to the classroom.
September 18 Out at 11:00 Staff Professional Development Day

Weekly Newsletter for the week of August 24 - September 4, 2009

Mrs. Dodd's
newsletter
August 31 – September 4, 2009

We are reading Fix-It Duck in reading this week. We will preview and predict, recall and retell, discuss setting and introduce syllables. Our amazing words for the week are: repair, steep, puddles, leak, ladder and shed.

We will introduce the letters Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm and Nn. We will continue to practice the letters A-E and review our high frequency words I and am.

We will continue to practice writing our first names and writing the letters that we have been introduced to thus far.

In Math we will review position and direction from Chapter 1 and take the test on Tuesday. We will begin Chapter 2 on Wednesday. In this chapter we will use illustrations to count and name a group of objects to 5, match sets of objects using one-to-one correspondence, and count/write/identify/represent numbers 1,2,3.


Announcements
September 7 No School Labor Day
September 10 Grandparent's Night 5:00-6:30
September 18 Out at 11:00 Staff Professional Development Day

Weekly Newsletter for the week of August 24-28, 2009

Mrs. Dodd's
Newsletter
August 24-28, 2009

Our focus in Reading this week will center around the topic “How do we get to school?” We will preview and predict, recall and retell, discuss character and introduce rhyming words. We will build our oral vocabulary by introducing Amazing Words each week. Our words this week are: first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth.

We will introduce the letters Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd and Ee. Our high frequency words for the week are: I, am

We will continue to practice writing our first names and writing the letters Aa-Ee.

In Math we will locate objects, solve problems and describe location of objects using position words. These words are: top, middle, bottom, inside, outside, in, out, over, under, behind, in front of, above, below, left and right.


Announcements
A big “thank you” to all who came to Open House!
September 7 No School Labor Day
September 10 Grandparent's Night 5:00-6:30
September 18 Out at 11:00 Staff Professional Development Day

Weekly Newsletter for the week of August 17-21, 2009

Mrs. Dodd's
newsletter
August 17-21, 2009

We will be working on our names this week. We have a name activity each day to reinforce certain concepts we are discussing. Please make sure that if your child is having trouble writing his/her name, that you practice writing it at home, too! We will be discussing capital/lowercase letters in our names, how many letters, compare/contrast our names to others in the class, and much, much more! At the end of the week, we will be making a class book that will include a picture that I took of your child on the first day of school.

In Math we will be recognizing and writing the numbers 1-5. This skill can also be reinforced at home.

We have worked very hard the past two days learning all of the rules and procedures in our classroom. Please make sure that you went over our Kindergarten Handbook with your child and sign and return the last page as soon as possible. Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I am available during my prep hour or before/after school for phone calls.


Announcements
August 18 Open House 6:00-7:00
August 21 Scholastic Book Orders Due
(you may write a check to Scholastic or send the correct amount for the order in cash)
September 10 Grandparent's Night 5:00-6:30
September 18 Out at 11:00 Staff Professional Development Day