Short a week - Madeline

March 30 - April 2

Sound of the Week – short a
Book of the Week – Madeline
Habit of the Month – Truthfulness
Mom of the Month - Bonnie Pruitt


This week begins our specific look at short vowel sounds.  We will cover one each week…until the end of the year.  I can not believe how few weeks we have left! We’ll be focusing on one vowel per week – listening for short vowel sounds, reading and spelling short vowel words.

We will still have a Book of the Week:
a –Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
e –Seven Chinese Brothers by Mahy
i –The Story about Ping by M. Flack
o –Bonnie’s Big Day by James Herriot
u - Rumplestiltzkin by Paul O. Zelinsky

We will not be sending home these books, as we want your children to begin to do Narration Journal entries from class readings only. So, just as with the books all year, please don't get the book to re-read at home. It will seem "hard" at first, but this really is part of the way we learn to process material. This leads to very valuable comprehension and study skills down the road! These are wonderful books, great authors, and important genre of literature you may want to explore this spring and summer!!

This week’s book is Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans.  This is a very special book for me!  I remember my Granddaddy reading this delightful story to me over and over again when I was a little girl. We will all have fun learning and saying this rhyming story of Madeline and the “old house in Paris that was covered in vines.”  We will revisit rhymes, explore the many sights of Paris found in the illustrations, and look in-depth at the Eiffel Tower.  We’ll look briefly at human anatomy – muscles, nerves, bones and organs – even pictures of a healthy and diseased appendix!  We’ll count by twos, talk about emotions and things that make us smile, frown or be afraid.  We’ll see that God made us “fearfully and wonderfully” – emotionally, physically and spiritually!  (It’s a good week to review home address and to learn your home phone number!)

There are several other Madeline books – Madeline and the Bad Hat (lots of short a words - and bad behavior - in that one!) and Madeline in London (a fanciful story with a delightful look at many of London’s famous sights!)  Explore – and enjoy!

Don't forget about Kite & Rocket day this Thursday, April 2!  This is a family event for K-2.  We will not be going as a class.  We will have regular carpool on that day.  Please pick your child up as usual, whether you are planning to attend Kite & Rocket day or not.  We will not be able to take students to the event.  As with any day, we also can not release kindergarteners to older siblings.  Thank you for helping us make certain all children are dismissed safely!

I enjoyed our conferences this week.  Your children are such a precious blessing to me!  I am so grateful for all of you!

B Week, Conferences & Blueberries for Sal

March 23-25

Sound of the Week – B

Book of the Week – Blueberries for Sal

Habit of the Month – Truthfulness

Mom of the Month – Emily Truong

Even though it is a short week, B Week is Big!  Thank you Emily Truong for our delicious blueberry muffins.  We enjoyed them outside today while we read our Book of the Week, Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey.  This classic story by the author of Make Way for Duckings takes us on a blueberry-picking adventure with a mom and daughter.  On the other side of the  mountain is a mother bear and her cub getting their fill of berries.  They are all so involved with gathering their berries, they don't notice that something surprising has happened!  You may want to check out your own public library for other books by Robert Mccluskey.  They're all wonderful!  

We will continue working on "spinners" and writing our own stories.  Please don't miss the chance to have your child read the words on their spinners and their own books to you when they bring them home.  They are so very proud of their work!    We are also working on some basic addition.  Look for things at home that you can add.  Count them together and write number sentences.  Again, your children are so proud of all they are learning!  

I am looking forward to meeting with you for our conferences this week!  I am blessed to spend time with your children!

"I" Week and Poetry Recital!

March 9-12

Sound of the Week – I

Book of the Week – Inch By Inch

Habit of the Month – Truthfulness

Mom of the Month – Emily Truong

We had a wonderful celebration of our 100th day of school!  In fact, we were so busy having fun I forgot to take any pictures.  Thank you to Emily Truing, our Mom of the Month for helping us celebrate 100!

We also loved our preview of the ballet Cinderella!  We especially enjoyed meeting with my niece Jenna and her friend Lisa.  They visited us in costume and told us about how they practice, answered questions about how they stand on their toes and let us see their beautiful costumes up close.  (And I appreciated your sweet children making Jenna feel so special!)

This week our book of the week is Inch by Inch.  We will talk about measurement and the art of collage.  It is a wonderful book to go with our taste of spring weather!  

This is also the week we have been working and waiting for...our poetry recital!  We are so excited to recite for you on Tuesday!  Please remember to have your child wear "Sunday clothes".  Emily Truong is coordinating refreshments for our reception in the classroom immediately following the recital.  The recital will start at 8:40.  We will leave from the foyer promptly at 8:20 that morning and head down to our classroom to get ready.  Please make every effort to have your child at school by 8:20 and please give us those few minutes to get ready for you before you join us in the classroom.  I am looking forward to this special day!

H Week, 100th Day & Ballet!

March 2-5

Sound of the Week – H

Book of the Week – Harold and the Purple Crayon

Habit of the Month – Truthfulness

Mom of the Month – Emily Truong

We enjoyed celebrating Maggie's birthday this week!  It was a treat that her grandparents could come too!

We also loved our visit from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra!  Thank you to Susan Crist for working to make that possible!  Your children especially enjoyed the William Tell Overture!

We have an incredibly busy week this week!  Wednesday we celebrate our 100^th Day of Kindergarten!!  We will have lots of fun with 100 all day…from counting and writing to jumping jacks to steps to snacks to number-lines!  Fun, fun, fun!  It’s also H week, so we’ll be having fun with H…hands, heads, hearts, and hugs!  We have a fun new song:  “Ho ho ho hosanna!  Ha ha hallelujah! He he he He saved me, I’ve got the joy of the Lord!”

 

Our book of the week this week is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.  This classic children’s story may have been one of your childhood favorites!  Harold and his imagination take us all on a wonderful journey.  We’ll be talking about things we think about at night when we are in bed, about our imaginations, and about our homes….and learn that we don’t really draw on the walls of our homes with crayons!  J

On Thursday we will get a preview of the Perimeter Ballet's presentation of Cinderella.  I have even arranged for my favorite member of the ballet company, my niece Jenna, to visit our class after the performance.  She will show them her toe shoes and answer their questions about the ballet.  

Your children are doing a excellent job memorizing their poems for our poetry recital on March 10th.  Please continue to help them practice at home, speaking slowly and introducing themselves and their poems.  We are practicing at school too!  Our recital will start at 8:40 on the morning of the 10th.  Please plan for your child to wear "Sunday clothes".  Our Mom of the Month, Emily Truong will be contacting you about sending in some refreshments for our "reception" after the recital.