A look at our learning...
Field trip: We had a blast on our field trip to Peach Tree Farms and Bethel Park! It was the perfect Fall day! Thank you to everyone who donated supplies, transported things and assisted in any way with the field trip. A HUGE thank you to our PTA for paying the $7 fee for all students. This is why things like our circus and other fundraisers are so important. They allow us to do fun things like this without asking families to pay a fee. Be sure to tell a PTA member thank you. Even better, join PTA! Only $5 to join and you can be as active as you prefer!
Here are a few pictures from our trip, but many more are in our class Facebook page. If you aren't a member yet, please join! Search Facebook for "Concannon's Kindergarten 2025-2026." I post here often.
Fire Prevention Week: this week was Fire Prevention week and we had fun learning about all things firefighters, firetrucks and fire safety. On Thursday, we enjoyed a visit from the Columbia Fire Department. We learned about their job, fire suits, equipment and more! We even got to see them take an emergency call and leave with sirens on!! How exciting!! They came back afterwards to finish their visit with us. They encouraged the students to remind their families to practice two ways out of their house in case of emergency and discuss where their outdoor meeting spot is. Please take the time to talk about this with your family if you haven't. They also told the students to ask their families where the smoke detectors are in their house and ask if you have changed the batteries this year. If not, they told the students to remind you it is important to change the batteries twice a year-each time we have Daylight Savings. You can find more pictures in our class Facebook page.
Fundations: this week we learned the letter name, sound and correct formation for lowercase s and d. We discussed how b and d look similar, but b is a sky line letter and goes down first when we write it and d is a plane line letter and goes over first when we write it. It is common for Kindergarteners to confuse b and d and is nothing to worry about at the moment. Reversals at this point are developmentally appropriate. The goal is to have them mastered by the end of FIRST grade, so they still have time.
Please use these verbal prompts when helping your child form their letters:
d-over, around, up, down (or we learned we can also say "c turns into a d" because if they can write a c, they can turn it into a d)
s-over, around, curve
Spelling Words: I have been very impressed with the first two spelling checks! I appreciate your support at home and can tell many students have been practicing! Keep up the great work!
Here is a picture of our Word Wall that you often hear me mention. Once we have a learned a spelling word/word wall word, they go on this wall as a point of reference. If a word is on this wall, it means we should be able to read and write it "quick and fast!"
Next week's new spelling word:
see
Math: this week in math, we explored ways to make 5 using our number racks! We discovered a cool pattern — as one number goes up, the other goes down (5 & 0, 4 & 1, 3 & 2, and so on). We also began learning about tally marks and how they help us represent a group of 5 (and some more!). The kids loved noticing the patterns and connections between these ideas!
Science: we’ve been learning about living and non-living things. We focused on what living things need to survive—air, sunlight, food, and water—and explored the parts of a plant, using pumpkins as our example to prepare for our pumpkin patch field trip. We also learned about the life cycle of plants, especially how pumpkins grow from seed to full fruit.
Counselor: this week during our counselor lesson, we learned about how to be a kind friend! Students talked about how our words, tone, and actions can make others feel good or hurt their feelings. They discussed different situations and shared ideas for showing kindness and respect. One school-wide skill we are practicing is responding when someone speaks to you—like saying “hi” or “good morning”—instead of staring or ignoring. This small action shows kindness and respect to others.
Intruder Drill: we had our first intruder drill this week. Just like our fire and severe weather drills, this is a safety practice we are required to do. While it’s sad that this type of drill is part of our world today, our goal is always to keep children safe and to help them feel secure. I simply explained it to the class as a practice for what to do if someone who shouldn’t be in the building were to come inside. The children did a wonderful job following directions and were reassured throughout that it was just a drill. Everyone handled it calmly and beautifully.
PTA Pumpkin Patch: join us for the Beulah Ralph PTA Pumpkin Patch on Sunday, October 26, from 4–6 PM! This free event for our school families includes picking a pumpkin, enjoying a fun craft, and grabbing a tasty snack. Don’t miss it!
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