Weekly Peep Report

Happy Friday, Kindergarten Families!

We've had another great week in Kindergarten! There is a fine layer of glitter coating everything in the classroom this afternoon, but that's the way it should be this time of year! We've completed our travels around the world learning about different holiday traditions. The boys and girls know that America is a big "melting pot" of different cultures...and each group of people who settled in the United States brought different traditions with them. So there are many different ways to celebrate the holidays. And "different" is OK!

Kindergarten Weekly Report

December 4, 2015

ABC's and 123's

Reading and Writing
This week, we've been thinking about the difference between books that teach us how to read because they're written with a predictable pattern, and books that really tell a story. When we read in our Guided Reading groups, we read lots of books with a pattern that helps us read better. In our writing during Writer's Workshop, though, we're writing stories that have a beginning, middle, and ending, and are written across several pages. It's challenging work, because we are not writing predictable pattern sentences...we're writing to tell a story! I'm so proud of the way that the Peeps have been noticing the way books are different, and working hard to tell stories. They are very smart!

We have also been learning all about punctuation and capitalization. We know that names begin with capital letters, and the first letter should be bigger than the other letters in a name. In the big books that we read, we are looking at all of the punctuation marks that writers use. We know that quotation marks tell us when someone is speaking. That can be helpful when you want to change your voice for the different characters when you read!

Keep working on sight words at home to be sure that they are automatic. When children have mastered sight words, they can focus on the unknown words in a story.

Please be sure to take time during these busy holidays to read and practice school skills. Even five minutes counts! (Thank you to those who have set reading goals and started reading for December already!)

Math:
We're practicing counting to 50, and we're focusing on those numbers between 10 and 20. At home, you can help by counting with your child often. If your child can count to 50, practice counting to 100. If your child can count to 100, practice how to count to 100 by 10s, and then 5s. We have also been working on telling the difference between "teen" numbers, and numbers like 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, and 91. We've continued our study of shapes by learning about cubes!

The boys and girls were excited about the 70th day of school, but then Mr. Schoenekase burst into the classroom on Thursday to say that Zero the Hero had arrived. The children were absolutely shocked when Zero the Hero came into the classroom with Mr. Schoenekase. You see, they were all absolutely convinced that Mr. Schoenekase was Zero the Hero...and to see them both in the same spot was just crazy! (I'm not kidding...the kids were shocked. They usually greet Zero with cheers and high fives. On Thursday, they just sat in their seats with their mouths hanging open. Then they started telling Zero the Hero that he was too skinny and didn't sound right. It was SO funny! One friend said, "You just need to leave." But then Zero the Hero got out his "zero bites" to pass out to the children, and all was well.)

Social Studies:
We had a wonderful time in Mexico this week, and also Germany, Israel, Africa, and India! We learned how poinsettias come from Mexico, and decorated Christmas trees come from Germany! Many of the traditions we have in the United States come from other places...just like all of the people who live in our country. It's a wonderfully diverse place! On Wednesday, we traveled to Israel to learn all about Hanukkah. Then on Thursday, we learned about Kwanzaa as it's celebrated in the United States. Kwanzaa celebrates African cultures. Then today, we traveled to India to learn about Diwali. Each of the children has a suitcase full of souvenirs to show you! They were so excited to use their passports and travel to a new country each day!

The next two weeks of Kindergarten are going to fly right by...we have lots of new skills that we're going to be working on! Be sure that your child gets plenty of sleep, in the midst of the holiday fun!

A Peek at Next Week:
Monday: E Day (Library/Technology)
Tuesday: A Day (Art)
Wednesday: B Day (Music) EARLY RELEASE DAY (Dismissal at 1:40)
SHOW AND TELL
Thursday: C Day (P.E.)
Friday: D Day (P.E.)

Have a great night, and enjoy your week!

Kelley