If anyone has extra glue sticks at home, we could use a few extra here in the classroom to finish up the year!  Thank you!

If you signed up to drive on our Field Trip to the Nature Center on Tuesday the 8th, a note went home with your student with more information.  Drivers, please come to the hallway outside the classroom at 8:40.  I will have your assigned riders and directions.  We will leave around then and return around 10:30.  Thank you so much for volunteering to drive!  :)

For the field trip on Tuesday, Kindergarteners may wear uniforms or jeans and a Magdalen shirt.  Please wear comfortable shoes for walking and bring a car seat.  We will be back in time to have regular lunch at school.  Thank you!

Phonics

We are learning about "digraph th" this week.  We will discuss that th can make different sounds, either like in the word "feather", or like in the word "thirsty".  We will do activities with these sounds.

Math

We will continue our unit on sorting, classifying, counting, and categorizing data.  We will also begin Topic 15, "Position and Location of Shapes."

Religion

We will talk about the fact that God is everywhere.  We will also go to the church to look at the stained glass windows and discuss the bible stories that they depict.  Since May is the month of Mary, we will talk more in-depth about our Holy Mother and the rosary.

Language Arts

We will continue activities about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and do activities related to this book and incorporate them into our science project of having caterpillars turn into butterflies in our classroom!  We will also begin reading our story "The Red Rose" and do some literacy activities related to this book.

Science

We will continue to observe and learn about our caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies right before our eyes!  We will also begin talking about plants and their needs.  We will grow a lilypad in our classroom.  We will also grow our own plants!

Important Upcoming Dates:

5/8 -  Field Trip to Nature Center

5/13 -  Scholastic Book Orders Due

5/18 - Kindergarten Roundup; NO SCHOOL

5/23 -  Field Day!

5/24 - Last Day of School; Mid-morning dismissal

5/25 - First day of Summer!!!! :)  Have a good one!

Thank you for all your help with our field trip to the Children's Theater!  The students had a great time!

Phonics

This week we are introducing a new concept.  We will learn about "digraph ck" and how this is another way to make the /k/ sound.  We will learn that it almost always occurs at the end of words and it follows a short vowel sound.

Math

We are continuing our measurement unit this week.  We will discuss height, capacity, and weight.  We will compare different objects by measuring these attributes.  We will also do some activities at center time related to measurement.

Religion

In our Promise magazine, we will discuss creation and how we can care for all parts of creation.  We will also relate this to Earth Day.  Also, we will read some Bible stories we have not discussed before and do some literacy activities related to these.

Language Arts

We will write an opinion sentence about whether we liked the book version or the play version of "The Three Little Pigs" and why.  We will also write in our journals.  We will write silly sentences at center time, which helps us make complete sentences using nouns and verbs.  We will start a new story, "The Three Little Ducks" and will do literacy activities involved with this story.

Science

We will discuss Earth Day and how we can take care of the Earth by doing things like recycling, not littering, etc.  We will relate this to Religion in the fact that God made the Earth and we should take care of it.

Social Studies

We will continue to discuss safety, specifically street safety.  We will discuss traffic signs and signals, as well as how to safely cross the street and ride our bikes.

Important Upcoming Dates:

5/1  First day with option to wear shorts

5/2  Jean Day

5/4  May Crowning; Adoration; Show and Tell

5/8  Field Trip to Nature Center

Phonics

This week we will learn a new rule to help us with sounding out unfamiliar words and with coding.  Our rule is: "A vowel not followed by a consonant is long; code it with a macron."  This is a completely new concept, especially because we have worked all year with short vowel sounds.

Math

We will continue our Measurement Unit by describing objects using different attributes, focusing this week on length.

Religion

We will discuss the gospel for the upcoming weekend and talk about how Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave them peace.

Language Arts

We will finish up our "Yes, Ma'am" book and make our own for a writing activity!  We will also do some literacy activities based on "The Three Little Pigs" to prepare for our field trip to watch the play on Friday!

Social Studies

Although it seems I am a week too late, we will discuss tornado and emergency safety this week.  It will be a good discussion with the kids having just gone to their tornado safe places at home.

Important Upcoming Dates:

4/16 - Last day to Order from April book order

4/20 - Jean Day; Adoration; Monthly Collection; Field Trip to Children's Theatre; Show and Tell

5/1 - First day that Kids can wear shorts with uniform

5/2 - Jean Day

5/4 - May Crowning; Adoration

I hope everyone had a very happy and blessed Easter weekend!  What an exciting time for Kindergarten!

Phonics

We have finished introducing all 26 letters of the alphabet!  We did an entire 4-day unit for each letter; I am so proud of the kiddos for their hard work!  This week we will do some fun review games and activities to celebrate!

Math

We will finish up our Unit 11 - Decomposing Numbers 11-19.  On Thursday we will begin Topic 12- Measurement.  This is such a fun unit for the students - I am very excited to start it!  Please continue to work on number sense and addition and subtraction problems at home to reinforce these topics.  They are working so hard in math - Way to go, Kindergarten!

Religion

Jesus is ALIVE!!!!! We will celebrate Easter by discussing that Jesus rose from the dead and after visiting friends on Earth, he went to Heaven to be with God the Father.  We will also discuss that He will come again for us!

Language Arts

We will begin a new poem and story this week.  Our poem is called "Fiddle-i-fee" and our story is "Yes, Ma'am".  The story focuses on high frequency words you and go, as well as rhyming, alliteration, word and syllable awareness, and concepts of a sentence.

Social Studies

We will complete our Second Step program with our final lesson!  We will also discuss being safe in our environment and in our community (gun safety, street safety, playground safety, etc.).

Important Upcoming Dates:

4/13 - Teacher Professional Development - NO SCHOOL

4/14 - Artesia

4/16 - Last Day to order from Book Order

4/20 - Jean Day; Adoration; offertory at Mass; Field Trip to Children's Theater; Show and Tell

Notes:

It is Spring in Kindergarten! :)

Please return your pictures or picture money to school no later than Thursday, April 5.

Please return the Children's Theater field trip permission slip by April 12.

Our Artesia basket for "Mom's Weekend" is coming together!  If you have items for the basket that you have not turned in, please send them to school with your child by Thursday, April 5th.  Thank you so much for your generous donations!

Phonics

Our letter for this week is q.  We discuss that q rarely is used by itself, but almost always as a part of "combination qu".  This is our last new letter to introduce, so we have completed a week of each letter of the alphabet!  We are so excited!  For the remaining days of the year, we will introduce sounds like "sh" and "the" and long vowel sounds.

Math

We will continue on our Topic 11, "Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19".  We will use ten frames and double ten frames to learn how to make parts from given sums.

Religion

We will discuss Holy Week and Easter!  We will complete our Stations of the Cross booklet and go to Church to walk through the stations as a class.

Language Arts

We will complete our story "Poor Old Polly".   We will also do some writing activities related to Easter.

Science

We will finish up our nutrition unit by completing our own "nutrition books" and doing games and activities related to nutrition.  We will sort foods into food groups and make our own shopping lists!

Important Upcoming Dates:

4/6, 4/9 - Good Friday, Easter Monday - NO SCHOOL

4/13 - Teacher Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL

4/14 - Artesia

4/20 - Jean Day; Adoration; Monthly Collection at Mass; Field Trip to Children's Theater; Show and Tell

Phonics

Our letter for the week is w.

Math

We will finish our unit "Composing Numbers 11 to 19."  We will also continue to work on basic addition and subtraction problems.  If your child has not mastered counting to 100, please continue to work on that at home.

Religion

We will discuss Palm Sunday and do some activities related to this special day of welcoming Jesus.  We will also begin discussing the Stations of the Cross and we will begin our Stations of the Cross booklet.

Language Arts

This week we will begin a new poem and story.  Our poem is "Peter Piper" and our story is "Poor Old Polly".  They both focus a lot on alliteration, and our story has a lot of rhyming.  We will write our own "Poor Old Polly" book and do other writing activities related to the story.

Science

We will discuss personal nutrition and how to keep our bodies healthy.  We will complete a nutrition booklet as we learn about ways to keep ourselves healthy and active.

Important Upcoming Dates

4/6 -  Good Friday, NO SCHOOL

4/9 -  Easter Monday, NO SCHOOL

4/13 -  Professional Development for Teachers, NO SCHOOL

4/20 -  Jeans Day; Adoration; Show and Tell

Thank you for the generous donations of play-doh!  We are definitely set now!  They are much appreciated!

Phonics

Our letter this week is x.  Please practice your reading lists and sight words at the bottom of the March homework page at home.

Math

We are finishing up our Topic 9 (Understanding Addition and Subtraction) and we will begin Topic 10 - Composing Numbers 11-19.  Please practice basic addition and subtraction facts whenever you have time at home! :)  We will also do some fun sorting and graphing activities related to St. Patrick's Day.

Religion

We will continue to talk about Lent and do our Promise magazine.  We will also learn about St. Patrick and how he used a shamrock to teach the Irish people about the Trinity.  We will learn the three persons in one God, which is one of our standards for Kindergarten Religion.

Language Arts

We will do some writing activities related to March and St. Patrick's Day.  We will also work on sight words a lot this week.

Science

We will discuss health and hygiene.  We have activity booklets from our Body Venture activity that we will work on.  We will finish up dental health.

Important Upcoming Dates:

3/16 -  Jeans Day; Final Pep Rally; Last Day to turn in money for March book order.

3/19-23 - Spring Break; NO SCHOOL

4/6 - 4/9 - Good Friday/ Easter Monday; NO SCHOOL

If you are ordering Casual Portrait pictures, please send in the "Picture Day Pose Selection Form" that was sent home last week.  Pictures are on Friday.

We are in need of some more play-doh for our classroom.  If you have any extra play-doh that you are not using at home, we would very much appreciate a donation to our classroom!  Thank you!

Phonics

Our letter for the week is "j".

Math

We are continuing to discuss "whole" and "parts" of number sentences.  We will think of different ways we can divide 6,7,8, and 9 into parts to make the whole.  Please continue to work on basic addition and subtraction problems at home.

Religion

We will read through our Promise magazine and do the activities inside.  The children will identify what is right and wrong in situations common to them, construct a cutout to use in retelling the Gospel story about Jesus standing up for the Temple, and the children will recognize the need of saying they are sorry.  We will also continue to discuss Lent and prepare for Easter!

Language Arts

We are continuing our celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday with more literacy activities related to his books.  We will read the Foot Book, and talk about different feet and how we can measure using feet.  We will read Green Eggs and Ham and To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.  We will do some writing and comprehension activities incorporating these books.

Science

We will continue discussing Dental Health.

Important Upcoming Dates:

3/9 - End of 3rd Quarter; Adoration; Offertory; Show and Tell; Casual Portraits

3/12 - First day for all Kindergarteners to attend class full-day

3/16 -  Jeans Day; Final Pep Rally

3/19-3/23 - Spring Break - NO SCHOOL

We had a great field trip to Catholic Charities Food Bank on Friday!  The students were able to learn about what types of foods they keep there, and who gets the food.  They were able to walk around and pretend to get the amount of food from the shelves that families are allowed.  Then we divided up our cans and stocked the shelves!  Thank you to all the volunteer drivers for such a successful trip!

Phonics

Our letter for the week is "v".  We will continue to practice all of our letter sounds, as well as our word lists and sight words.  In addition, we will focus on counting syllables in words.

Math

We will continue Topic 8 - "Understanding Subtraction", and we will begin Topic 9 - "More Addition and Subtraction".  We will continue to discuss vocabulary such as "addition", "subtraction", "minus sign", "plus sign", and "equals".

Religion

We will do our Promise magazine for this week.  We will discuss how we continually grow and change as a human being, and as a spiritual being.  We can have different feelings at different times.  We will talk about the gospel for this weekend, and how Jesus changed because of God's love for Him.  In the same way, we can change because of God's love for us.

We will also continue to color days on our Lent calendars in preparation for Easter!

Science

We will begin discussing Tooth Health.  We will learn about healthy foods that keep our teeth and gums healthy, as well as good habits for having healthy and clean teeth and mouths.  We will make a "tooth book" and watch a video about losing our teeth!

Language Arts

Dr. Seuss's birthday is March 2!  In celebration of this wonderful children's book author, we will ready many books by Dr. Seuss and work on lots of literacy activities related to Dr. Seuss's literature.

Important Upcoming Dates:

3/2 - NO SCHOOL - 6th grade vocation day

3/9 - Adoration; Offertory at Mass; Show and Tell

3/16 - Jeans Day; Final Pep Rally

3/19-3/23 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

Our field trip is Friday, Feb. 24th.  Thank you for those of you who are driving.  I will send a note home later in the week with more details.  Each student will need to bring their own carseat.  We will leave after Mass and return by 11:00.

Phonics

We are beginning the letter "d" this week.

Math

We are continuing our lessons on basic subraction.  We will work on number phrases and number sentences using drawings and manipulatives.

Religion

We will discuss Ash Wednesday and Lent.  We will talk about sacrifices and doing extra little things during this church season.

Language Arts

We will continue our "To Town" book and do writing activities involved with the story.  These include writing color words and sounds.

Social Studies

We will continue to discuss the presidents for President's Day, and we will make Abe Lincoln hats at centers!

Important Upcoming Dates

2/22 - Ash Wednesday; All-school mass

2/24 -  Field Trip to Catholic Charities Food Bank (in a.m.)

3/2 - No school (6th grade vocation day)

3/9 - Adoration and Collection at Mass; Casual Portraits; Show and Tell