First week of Kindergarten

Our first few days in kindergarten have been filled with joy, laughter, and exciting learning experiences. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve been up to:

Being Learners: We’ve been practicing what it means to be learners in our school. From listening attentively during story time to practicing taking care of our belongings, our little ones are embracing their roles as curious learners.

We also had our first severe weather drill this week and they did an amazing job!  

Learning recess rules and expectations

Learning cafeteria rules and expectations

Severe weather drill

Practicing how to walk in the hallway with "bubbles & tails"

Building Classroom Communities: Together, we’re creating a supportive and inclusive class community. Our students are learning about kindness, empathy, and the importance of working together.

P.E. with Coach C

Fun Games and Friendships: During playtime, we’ve played games that encourage cooperation and teamwork. Friendships are blossoming, and it warms my heart to see the children bonding.

As we move forward, I’m confident that this year will be filled with growth, discovery, and memorable moments. 🌈

Important Reminders:

1. Take-Home Folders: Please check your child’s take-home folder every night. Empty out any contents, and then make sure the folder is back in their backpack for the next school day.

2. Friday Folders: Normally we have a School Wide “Friday Folder” however they did not come in on time. (Expect them next week) Please look at your child’s daily take home folder this weekend, as I used it for their normal Friday Folder papers. There is a kindergarten team newsletter and important PTA information you won’t want to miss. We respectfully ask that you please note the section in the kindergarten newsletter about arrival to school next week.  Your support and cooperation will help us start each day successfully.  

3. Cubby Pictures: Help your child choose a family picture for their cubby. It’s a fun way for them to personalize their space in the classroom!  A detailed note about this, and what size frame you should send, was in your parent packet from Meet the Teacher Night.

4. Daily Snacks: Remind your child to bring ONE healthy snack to school every day. Some friends have had multiple snacks and then are upset when I ask them to choose one and put the rest away.  Helping them pick just one item each day will help us in the classroom. 

5. Just in Case bags: Please check your child’s just in case bag and make sure they haven’t used any of it, and if they have please re-stock their just in case bags and put them back in their backpacks.

6. Dismissal Plans: If you need to change your child’s dismissal plan, please email me directly and also notify the school office before 2 p.m. daily. Safety first!

Thank you for your cooperation, and let’s make this year a fantastic one! 😊🎒📚 If you have any questions or want to share any stories about your child’s experiences, feel free to reach out. Thank you for being part of our kindergarten family!

Before the first day of kindergarten

After the first day of kindergarten

That's a wrap!

 I can't believe how quickly this past school year went by!  It's official, you have 1st graders now!  I have been fortunate to teach many students over the years, but I do have to say that this class ranks up there as one of the best.  I highly contemplated looping to 1st grade with them.  If I knew that I could stay in my classroom and go back to kindergarten the following year, I would have in a heartbeat.  This is a truly special group and it was really hard to let them go.  We spend 9 months building this little family, only to say goodbye in May.  There may have been a few tears this past week.  Thank you for sharing your amazing children with me.  I love them dearly, will never forget them and hope they never forget me.  Please keep in touch.  I can't wait to watch them grow and follow them on their journey through life.  Also, a big THANKS to all of you for being so supportive and an incredible group of parents.  Your support means so much!

A look at our final days in Kindergarten...

Drone photo: one of our Beulah traditions is taking a drone photo in the shape of how many years the school has been open. This was year 8.  Everyone in the school is in the photo: students, teachers, admin, support staff, etc.  We took this years photo on Monday.  It will hang in the main hallway going towards the music room.  Our class is near the bottom of the number 8 on the right hand side. 

Breakfast with Ms. Imhoff: on Wednesday, we enjoyed breakfast with Ms. Imhoff.  All school year, at the end of media class, every class receives a score based on how their class did that day.  It is a 5 point scale using the attributes you see in the first photo below.  The class also helps decide how many and which stars they earn. 

Our class earned the most points out of ALL grade levels at Beulah Ralph!  Wow!  Second place went to a 4th grade class!  That right there shows you how amazing this class is!  I'm so proud of them! 

They enjoyed sausage, bacon, fruit, quiche, muffins, donuts, juice and more!  It was quite the spread! 

5th grade graduation: our 5th graders graduated on Wednesday evening.  This is always such a special night and I love seeing my former Kindergarteners.  In the blink of an eye, your sweet kindergarteners will be at their 5th grade graduation and I will be there cheering them on as well! 

5th grade walk:  Thursday morning our 5th graders took their final walk through Beulah Ralph.  Everyone in the school lines the hall and we cheer them on!  Such a fun tradition!  The next time they walk the halls like this will be when they are Seniors in high school and hopefully come back for their elementary walk through like our first group of Beulah seniors did last week! You can find the video on our class Facebook page. 

Kindergarten Celebration: thank you to everyone who attended the Kindergarten Celebration on Thursday!  Having you there meant so much to your children!  The musical performance, lead by Mr. Fears, was adorable and I hope you loved the slideshow from the year as much as I enjoyed making it!  We had the perfect weather for the family picnic afterwards and even had an appearance by Flash the Timberwolf! 

Class Awards: on Thursday, we celebrated our uniqueness and special talents with class awards.  Every child has an award specific to them and no awards repeat themselves.  This came home in your child's Take Home Folder on Thursday, be sure to check it out! 

Alphabet Countdown: during the final week of school we had W for Workout day and we walked/ran a mile on the track, did a GoNoodle workout and Cosmic Kids Yoga in the classroom  On X for eXchange autographs day we had fun signing and looking at our yearbooks, on Y for Year End Sale day they brought home all the things (you're welcome lol) and said goodbye to Kindergarten on Z for Zip up your Backpack and Zoom into Summer day! 

Kindergarten hopes and dreams: during the first week of Kindergarten we discussed what each child hoped to learn during their first year in school.  We wrote them down and they hung up all year!  On the last day of school we went over the list and most discovered that they learned what they hoped to! 

Butterflies: our butterflies finally came out of their chrysalis!  The students who stayed at school after the Kindergarten family picnic were able to witness this!  Their wings needed time to dry, so we could not release them that day.  I came back to school on Saturday and released them.  I thought they would love being released by the beautiful flowers that Mr. B planted in front of school.  Check out our class Facebook page for the video and PLEASE show your child.  I promised them I'd record it and share it! 

The beautiful flowers that Mr. B (aka Evelyn's papa) planted outside our school.

May Sneaky Reading Challenge: yes, school is over, but that doesn't mean that reading should stop!  If your child hasn't completed May's sneaky reading challenge, read outside, I encourage them to do so this week and ask that an adult snap a picture and post to our class Facebook page! 

They have become such amazing readers this school year.  To continue this momentum, it is important that they read and are read to daily this summer!  Make it a goal to read for 15-20 minutes per day.  Quiet time for mom and dad and building their confidence as readers!  A double win!

The Daniel Boone Regional Library does a summer reading challenge and the kids can win some amazing prizes!  I encourage you to check it out here. 

Summer School Open House: if your child is attending summer school, open house/meet the teacher is on Tuesday, May 28th from 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Have a wonderful summer and I hope to see you at the summer playdates! 

Some final photos from our last week.