Alphabet Countdown to Summer

 A look at our learning...

Fundations: as we continue working on our spelling words, I wanted to share a quick update. We have just three more weeks of introducing new spelling words, and then we will shift into reviewing all the words we’ve learned this year. During the final weeks of school, students will take an end-of-year spelling assessment that includes every word we’ve learned this school year. Students will be expected to spell each word correctly and also be able to read them when shown on flashcards.

This is an important skill as these words are considered foundational for moving forward—students are expected to have a strong understanding of them as they leave kindergarten and enter first grade. Continued practice at home, both reading and writing the words, will make a big difference in helping your child feel confident and prepared.

Shared Reading: this week we read the Big Books Lucy Did It! and Do You Play? Both stories featured our new spelling words, and while we enjoyed them both, Lucy Did It! was a class favorite! Ask your child to tell you about the mischievous cat and dog in the story—who they thought was causing all the trouble and who it actually turned out to be. We were all surprised! Talking about books at home is a great way to build comprehension and excitement for reading.

Next week's new spelling words:

was

for

Writing Workshop: after a week of research we began our informational writing booklets about penguins.  Students are writing a 5 page book, all on their own!  They designed their own cover, learned how to write an opening page, 3 pages of facts and an ending.  We will finish these up next week and I can't wait for you to see them!  

Math: in math this week, we continued working on identifying and describing the attributes of 3D shapes. Students are becoming more confident noticing features such as the number of faces, edges, and corners, and using that vocabulary to describe what they see.

We also spent time working with double ten frames to build number sense and strengthen counting strategies. In addition, we played a “mystery number” game on several days where students worked to figure out a number Ms. Brinkman was thinking of. They used clues and important math language like “greater than” and “less than” to narrow down their choices and make logical guesses.

We have also learned several new math games that reinforce all of these concepts, and students play them regularly throughout the week during math time and morning work time.

Alphabet Countdown to Summer: hard to believe, but we are on the final countdown to summer.  This week we created art on A day and chewed bubble gum and blew bubbles outside on B day. Here are a few photos, but even more photos and videos are posted in our class Facebook group. 

Next week students will need to bring a flashlight or lantern from home on Thursday for F is for Flashlight Day and one board game or card game on Friday For G is for Game Day.  Electronics not allowed. Please make sure their name or a your last name is marked on each item they bring to school. Students do not need to bring anything Monday-Wednesday, it will be provided at school. 

Lunch with the principal:  yay Kennedy!  She was chosen to have Lunch with the principal for the month of April.  On Monday she enjoyed lunch with Mrs. Isenogle and these other kindergarten friends! 

Miss Brinkman:  over the past two weeks, Miss Brinkman has been the full-time teacher in our classroom, and she has absolutely rocked it! I have popped in and out of the room here and there to observe, check on things, and make sure she doesn’t need anything, but for the most part it has truly been all her running the day-to-day learning and routines.

I do still come in during reading group time, since we both pull small groups, but outside of that she has taken full ownership of the classroom and has done such a wonderful job. The growth I have seen in her confidence, classroom presence, and instructional skills has been incredible, and I am very proud of her.  Not to mention, the students are thriving! 

We are also excited to announce that she has accepted a first grade teaching position for next school year back in her hometown of Springfield!

Over the next few weeks, we will begin a slow release process where she will gradually hand back a couple of subjects at a time until I am fully back in the lead role again. This is the same process we used when she first started, just in reverse. It helps both students and teachers adjust smoothly to the transition while keeping consistency and routine strong for the class. Her last day with us is May 7th and then she will graduate from Mizzou!  We have loved having her!    

More fun at school

Birthdays, Planetariums and more!

A look at our learning...

Fundations: using the knowledge we’ve gained this year, we are focusing on building and reading sentences independently. Students are learning that they don’t always need an adult to help them spell or read, and that’s pretty exciting!

It’s still natural for them to ask, “How do you spell…?” or “What does this say?” When this happens, I encourage you, the grown-up, to gently refrain from giving the answer right away. Instead, remind them that they know their letters and sounds—they are readers and writers now! Encourage them to “tap it out” and give it a try.

There will always be new words they don’t know yet, but there are many they do know. Phonetic spelling is developmentally appropriate, unless it’s a word wall word they have already learned.

Please refer to the parent packet in the Friday Folder for practice ideas. I encourage you to use these activities over the next few weeks—you may be surprised by what your child can do! They have learned so much this school year, and I am so proud of them!

Reading & Spelling: the kiddos are becoming strong readers and are now reading longer books with more words on each page—so exciting!

We are focusing on being problem-solvers when we come to an unknown word. Instead of skipping the word or mumbling through it, we are building a bank of strategies to help us figure it out. Students can look at the picture, tap out the sounds, and think about what would make sense—but we do not skip the word.

When your child is reading at home and comes across a tricky word, please encourage them to use these strategies. If they’ve tried them all and still can’t figure it out, then it’s okay to tell them the word. We don’t want them to feel frustrated, but we do want them to try first.

Next week's spelling words:

do

did

Writing Workshop: we began our third and final writing unit for Kindergarten; informational writing.  We are learning that informational means non-fiction.  We are learning the components of a non-fiction text.  A few key components we are learning about: table of contents, headings, diagrams, labels, bold words and captions.  This week we read a variety of non-fiction books to learn about penguins and began writing our own informational books about penguins! 

Math: we are continuing our study of 3D shapes! Students are working on comparing and contrasting 2D and 3D shapes and discussing their characteristics, including the number of faces, edges, and vertices.

This week, we had a lot of fun bringing our learning to life! We played a 3D shape Bingo game to practice identifying shapes, and we also did a hands-on 3D shape sort using real foods. Students loved exploring and sorting the different items by shape—it was such a fun (and delicious!) way to learn.

Thank you so much for your food donations to make this activity possible. The kids loved it, and we truly appreciate your support! 

Please refer to the math parent packet in your child's Friday Folder for ways to extend their learning at home.  

Counselor:  on Friday, Mrs. Bernier and the class had a fun discussion about careers and future job choices! Students explored different types of jobs and talked about what they might like to be when they grow up. 

Classroom Update: our student teacher, Miss Brinkman, has fully taken over teaching this week and will continue leading the classroom next week, and she is doing a wonderful job!

I am still at school each day, observing and supporting, but I am also spending more time working outside of the classroom so she can take full ownership of the lessons and classroom routines. During this time, I’m pulling students for one-on-one support, much like a classroom aide, which helps ensure Miss Brinkman is fully seen and experienced as the teacher.

The students have been doing a great job adjusting to this transition, and we are so proud of them! If your child mentions Miss Brinkman at home, I encourage you to ask them about what they are learning with her—she has been working very hard to plan engaging and meaningful lessons.

Thank you for supporting her during this exciting time!

RBHS planetarium: on Thursday, we visited the Rock Bridge High School planetarium! Students learned all about space, astronauts (including the recent space launch), and constellations.

Field trips are always such a fun and exciting experience in kindergarten! When we returned to school, we enjoyed a picnic lunch since our regular lunch time was during the field trip, and it turned out to be a beautiful day for it.

Be sure to ask your child to tell you all about our planetarium visit—we learned so much!

Thank You: a big thank you to my amazing class and families for making my birthday on Tuesday so special!

We loved the donuts (thank you to our head room parent, Kayla!), and I am so grateful for all the sweet cards, flowers and thoughtful gifts. You all truly made my day!

I always say there’s no better place to spend a birthday than in an elementary school—it’s the best way to feel extra loved! Thank you again!

Countdown to summer: hard to believe it, but we are almost ready to begin our countdown to summer!  Please check your child's Friday Folder for a detailed note about this.  Some items are provided at school (food, materials, etc.) and some you will need to do at home (dress up days, picnic materials, etc.).  We are so excited to continue this Beulah Ralph Kindergarten tradition!  Such a fun time and memory for the students! 

More fun at school