Kindness Week

  A look at our learning this week..

Fundations: we focused on the trick words and, are and to.  We call them trick words because they are tricky to spell.  You can't sound them out and just have to know how to spell them.  We will be learning more trick words over the course of 3rd trimester and will tie them into our weekly spelling words.  We also continue to work on tapping out 3 letter words to read and write and correct lowercase letter formation.  

Next week's new spelling words

is

his

Shared Reading: we learned the poems Jack and Jill and Roses are Red and read the big book What Animals Eat to help us practice our new spelling words and more practice using our reading strategies when we come to a tricky word. In the pictures below we are reading our new book with a buddy.  Our buddies know to prompt us to "try again" and use our reading strategies if we get stuck on a word.  If we try and are still stuck, our buddies can help us.  I encourage you to do the same when reading at home.  While we never want them to become frustrated when trying to read, it is important they try to figure it out before we just tell them. 

Writing Workshop: we have started our Informational/Non-Fiction Writing Unit.  Check out the anchor chart below to see what we have learned about this type of writing.  We researched penguins on the PebbleGo app and worked with a buddy to write down a few things we know or have learned about penguins. 

Ask your child to tell you 3 facts about penguins. 

Math: it has been a fun week learning about subtraction!  We have learned that subtraction means to "take away" and you end up with something less/smaller.  We have learned about the minus sign as well.  We did subtraction story problems together and used snap cubes and our fingers to help us solve the problems.  We then recorded our subtraction sentence on paper and brought those home on Wednesday.  We have also learned a fun new snap cube game called Disappearing Train to help us with the concept of subtraction.  We will continue to touch on the basics of subtraction throughout 3rd trimester.  We will work with numbers within 10. 

Library books: a reminder that students need to keep their library books in their backpacks at all times, unless reading. We definitely want them enjoying their books at home, but ask that they go right back in the backpack when finished, rather than a nightstand or place at home.  Often times students don't have their books on library day because they aren't doing this.  This also ensures books aren't lost or damaged.   

We will not have library check out next week due to the Scholastic Book Fair being set up.  We will get to preview the book fair during our checkout time instead.  

Valentine's Party: we had a fun day on Tuesday handing out valentines and during our party. Thanks to all who volunteered or sent supplies!  Here are a few photos, but more are posted on our class Facebook page.

Thursday craft: we read the book Love Monster, made our own Love Monsters and wrote what it means to be a friend.  This is such a great book about friendship; perfect for Kindness Week!

Kindness Week Assembly: we had our first whole school assembly on Monday for 1st grades service learning project to help Children's Grove.  We heard from student essay winners about what kindness means to them, Columbia mayor Barbara Buffaloe and Councilman Roy Lovelady.  Mr. Lovelady's dance troupe also performed. All dances were set to music about friendship, self love and positivity.  It was wonderful!  I posted even more photos and videos on our class Facebook page earlier this week.

Fun from our week

100 Days of Kindergarten

 A look at our learning...

Fundations: tapping, tapping, tapping!  An important skill to become readers and writers and one we continue to practice during Fundations.  I am seeing more and more students apply this skill to their every day writing and not just during Fundations time!  Check your child's Friday Folder for ways to practice at home.

Shared Reading: we read the big books Moms do so much and Going Places to help us learn our new spelling words go and so.  Tapping out, as mentioned in Fundations, is a skill we work on when reading our books as well.  When we come to an unknown word, we can tap it out to help us read it. 

Next week's spelling words:

and

are

to

Next week's words are tricky, especially the word are. I strongly encourage you to begin practicing this weekend to help your child be successful on next week's test.  The test will be on Thursday, due to no school on Friday.  All 3 words are Fundations trick words.  Trick words were explained in last week's Fundations Parent Packet and flash cards came home for you to cut out and use throughout the rest of the school year.  Please refer to those to help you practice these words as well. 

Writing Workshop: we have learned a lot of information about penguins as we begin our informational/non-fiction unit of study in writing!  Next week, we will begin writing informational books about penguins.  We will learn how to write an opening sentence, 3 facts about penguins and a closing sentence.  We will also discuss how non-fiction pieces often have a table of contents, labels and headings. 

Ask your child what they know about penguins to help them start brainstorming what facts they will include in their writing!

Math: this week we did some more graphing and really focused on 3D shapes.  The shapes in the song below are the shapes all Kindergarten students should be able to identify by the end of the school year.  They won't be assessed on these shapes for the end of 2nd trimester report cards, but they will be for the end of 3rd trimester.  If your child has mastered 2D shapes, learning their 3D shapes is a great thing to work on next!  

Super Bowl Spirit Week: it was a fun week celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs going to the Super Bowl!  The participation in our class is outstanding!  I love their spirit!  Go Chiefs! 

 

Next week is another spirit week that supports 1st grade's service learning project.  We don't typically do 2 spirit weeks in a row.  1st grade had theirs planned well in advance and we just couldn't pass up cheering on the Chiefs, as many schools around Missouri did this week.  Thanks for being understanding and embracing the fun!  It's all in good fun, easy ideas and totally optional!  These times are what the kids will remember about their elementary school days! Thank you for being supportive and embracing the positivity and fun! 

Valentine fun: this week we read the book The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond and made a cute "Bee Mine" craft to decorate our classroom. On Monday, we will decorate our Valentine's bags.  Don't forget to work on Valentine's this weekend to send in on Tuesday.  Please do not send before Tuesday.  

100th Day of Kindergarten: we had a super fun day on Wednesday celebrating the 100th day of Kindergarten!  We sure do have some cute grandmas and grandpas in our class!  I loved their outfits!  We spent the day doing literacy, math, fine motor and art activities that centered around the number 100.  Enjoy a few pictures from our day!  I posted even more photos on our class Facebook page, be sure to check them out! 

Lunch with the principal: Yay William! He was chosen to have "Lunch with the Principal" for the month of February!

More fun from the week