Schumacher Kindergarten

May 2009 Update

It's May, it's May!!  This month is going to go by very quickly.

May 4 - 8

We will conclude our Pond Life Language Arts theme with a look at the frog's lifecycle.  We will then continue onto the Ocean Unit.   

We will practice writing neatly and writing at least two sentences following the writing rules: top to bottom, left to right, sound out your words, space the words, start with a capital and end with a period.

In math we continue to practice addition with reviews of telling time and graphing.

I am administering the DRA to each child to determine their reading levels.

Please contribute to the Spring Carnival class basket for the basket raffle.  This is a major component of the carnival which is Saturday the 16th.

Registration forms for next year will come home this week.  Please let me know now if your child will not be attending Baker next year.  Completing this form now will prevent you from having to register in person in July.

Be sure to return the registration form in the envelope it comes in.  We will use this envelope to send you your child's report card via USPS if you provide the postage.  Check the accuracy of the address and affix three (3) stamps.  You can opt to come by the school to pick up the report card after May 27th.

The GKIDS is finished.  The results have been collected.  You will receive your copy of your child's assessment along with the report card.

May 11 - 15

The Ocean Unit in Language Arts continues.

Writing practice continues. 

We will continue with math addition and subtraction with time telling and graphing reviews.

Tuesday evening is Baker Night at Sparkles. 

Field Day for kindergarten through 2nd grade is this week.  Thanks to those of you who volunteered to assist the PE department with this fun event.

The Baker Spring Carnival is Saturday, May 16th, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

May 18 -22

This is the last week of school.  We will continue to work hard all week. 

The final entry to our poetry notebooks will be inserted this week.  When the notebook comes home on Thursday, May 21st, it is an heirloom to keep at home forever!

Thursday is also Baker Night at Papa John's Pizza.

Remember that students cannot bring backpacks or lunchboxes to school on Friday. 

Make sure that you have provided postage along with the returned registration form.

 Look for a final farewell blog entry at the end of the month.  Send me relevant questions regarding anything school related and I will post the response on that final blog.

 

 

 

April Update

April News and Information

Spring is here, finally!  I hope you had a pleasant Spring Break.  Now, it is back to work for the final six weeks of kindergarten. 

April 13 - 17:

Our Springtime Theme for Language Arts and Science is "Plants."  We will investigate how plants function and what makes them living things.

Letter of the Week is Q,  Pictures of things beginning with the "Q" sound are due by Thursday.  This is the last entry into the alphabet dictionaries.  Look for a completion status noting any missing letters.  I will send that home sometime this week.

Tuesday, April 14,  is Baker Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A.  Be sure to tell them you are from Baker if you participate and get your evening meal there at the Chastain Road Chick-Fil-A.

Registration forms for the 2009-10 school year should be coming home sometime soon.  The forms will be in a large manilla envelope and I anticipate they will probably be dispersed on a Wednesday or Thursday, perhaps this week.  Fill out this form even if you are not sure if your child will be returning to Baker next year.  It is much easier to call to withdraw than it is to make a special trip to register on July 21st.   

April 20 - 24

Our Springtime Theme for Language Arts and Science is "Down at the Pond."  Again, we will be investigating living things with a special focus on "Insects" this week and part of next.

During the next five weeks of school we will focus on word families and phonics "tricks."   

Our class will lead the Pledge of Allegiance this week during the Baker News.  In order for your child to have a turn, he/she MUST be to school by 7:35 a.m. at least one day during this week. Students who arrive after that everyday will not have an opportunity to be on TV. 

The CRCT administration for grades 1 through 5 begins on April 21 and ends on May 1.  While we do not participate in CRCT taking, our daily schedule may be impacted.  This would be our lunchtime and specials time, NOT early dismissal.

The Kindergarten testing (GKIDS) will be complete by April 24.  At this point I am retesting and doublechecking.  When we find out how and when the results will be given to the parents, we will pass that information on to you.

Be sure to send in Box Tops and labels this week, or anytime you get a few.  We just put them in a bag in our classroom and send them in by the deadline.

April 27 - May 1

Our Language Arts and Science Theme continues with "Life in the Pond."  This week we will finish our look at various insects and continue on to "Frogs and Toads" and their life cycles.

Thursday evening, April 30th, the first grade will perform at the PTSA meeting.  It is also Baker Night at Papa John's.  Have pizza before the 6:45 meeting or pick some up pizza on your way home!  How easy is that!

 

 

100th Day of School Project

The 100th day of school is January 22, 2009.  We will celebrate this momentous occasion throughout the week of January 20.  Each child is assigned the following project to commemorate the milestone.

1.      Choose a subject of which you can easily and inexpensively

 

collect 100 (for example: stickers, rubber bands, erasers)

 

2.    Create a display of the 100 items (use poster board, a box, a 

 

 notebook)

 

3.    Bring the display to school any day during the week of the 100^th day (January 19-23)

 

 

4.    Present the display to the class.  Be sure to state how you came

 

up with the subject, who helped, and the process of creating the

 

display.

January 2009 News and Information

Welcome to the second half of your child's kindergarten year.

Look for the January calendar that should come home on Tuesday, January 6.

Watch for weekly newsletters to stay informed.

Week of January 6 - 9, 2009:

New friend, Elijah, joins us on Tuesday.

Letter, phonics, and math review.  Assessments for report card.

Winter Theme

January 6: Pizza Hut Book-It reading logs due.

January 7: Conference schedule letters come home.   Sign and return.  Adjust preliminary schedule if necessary.

Week of January 12 - 16, 2009:

Letter L.  Pictures for Alphabet Dictionary due by Thursday.

Winter Theme

Week of January 20 - 23, 2009:

No school Monday: MLK Holiday

Letter, phonics, and math review.  Conference preparation and assessments.

Winter Theme

Week of January 26 - 30, 2009:

Conference Week.  Early Release every day at 12:20. 

Letter F.  Pictures for Alphabet Dictionary due by Thursday.

Winter Theme.

Janaury 29: Baker Night at Papa John's Pizza.

January 30: Box Tops and Labels due

January 30: January Pizza Hut Book-It reading logs due.

Class List

Aiden            Emily

Anthony         Isabelle

Caleb            Julia

Elijah            Kalana        

Jaelin            Karen

Kenny            Molly

Miles            Taylor

Ryan

Taisei

 

 

December 2008 Calendar and Information

December Calendar

December 4:        PTSA kindergarten performance   at 6:45.  Please bring your child to the media center by 6:30 pm if he/she is able to participate.

December 5:     WAMU Banking Day

December 9:       3rd  Annual Holiday Craft Show

December 16:  Holiday Fun Skate Night at Sparkles

December 18:    Papa John's Pizza Night

December 19:   Class Holiday Party 10:30 - 11:30.                                                             

December 19:    WAMU Bank Day; Bodx Tops and Labels due

December 22:   Winter Break begins

January 5:       teacher work day; no school for children

January 6:        school resumes for children

December Phonics and Themes

Week of:

December 1:      Letter E; alphabet dictionary homework due by Thursday           Holiday Customs

December 8:    Letter R; alphabet dictionary homework due by Thursday            Holiday Customs

December 15:   Letter Review; end of quarter assessments

 

Additional Information and Reminders

PTSA is sponsoring a community outreach gift drive from December 2nd through December 16th.

November Calendar and Information

November Highlights

November 3          Field Trip to Performing ArtsCenter       

November 4          No School for Children

November 7          WAMU Bank Day                                                                                                                      

November  11       Picture Make Up Day                                                                                                             

November 11         Baker Night at Texas Roadhouse                                                                                                 

Nov. 13 - 20          Scholastic Book Fair                                                                                                                   

November 18        Kindergarten Friends and Family Thanksgiving Lunch                                              

November 20        Baker Night at Papa Johns                                                                                                       

November 21      Thanksgivingbreak                                                                                                                                                                              

December 1           School Resumes                                                                                                                     

December 1           November Pizza Hut Book-It book log due

December 4          Kindergarten sings at PTSA meeting at 6:45 pm

Phonics Letter of the Week                                                               

November 3    "S"                                                                                                                                                               

November 10  "B"                                                                                                                                                                      

November 17  "G"

Theme for the Month of November                                                      

Life in Early Times and Thanksgiving 

Additional Information

Remember Baker's Community Outreach Annual Food Drive                                              November 3 through November 19

Kindergarten will sing a few songs at the December PTSA meeting.  Get ready to hear a rousing rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by our class along with Mrs. McCord's class.  The PTSA meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening,  December 4 , at 6:45 pm.  Children who are able to participate will need to be at school in the media center by 6:30 pm.

October Dates

October 2008

Week of September 29:      Letter M; Fall Leaves                     

                                                             yearbook sales begin

Week of October 6:              Letter A; Apples

                                                          Chick Fil-A Night; 7th

                                                          School Pictures; 8th

                                                          PTSA meeting 9th; 6:45

Week of October 13:            Letter D; Pumpkins

                                                           Early Release; 15th; 12:20

                                                            Report Cards issued; 17th

Week of October 20:            Letter N; Spiders

Week of October 27:            Letter C; Bats

                                                          Family FunSpooky Bingo; 28th

                                                           yearbook sales ends; 30th

                                                            Papa John's Pizza Night; 30th

                                                           Box Tops/Label October deadline; 31st

                                                            NO HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!

Week of September 22, 2008

Welcome to our Blog.  I am glad you have taken an opportunity to check current information.

This week our Language Arts theme is "Fall." We are including a fun review of colors in a song called "Here, Kitty."  The children usually love this catchy tune.

The letter emphasized in phonics is "I."  Pictures for the alphabet dictionary are due by Thursday.  Thanks to those of you who sent in a couple of extras; they really helped out the one student who didn't have a chance to get the homework done.

Third and fifth grades are still testing in the mornings this week.  We are on a slightly different schedule this week.  Our specials and lunchtime are later than usual.  Specials are at 11:05 and lunch is at 12:05.

School Fund Raisers are due by Wednesday, September 24.

I plan to send home a hard copy of the class telephone numbers and e-mail addresses this week.  I previously sent you this list via e-mail, but I have since discovered that at least one of the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are incorrect. The persons whose addresses I wrote incorrectly obviously didn't receive the list so please check the hard copy for mistakes so that I can update the list and try sending it again.

Located on the list section of the blog site are the kindergarten sight words.  I am going to send you a hard copy but you can find the words here too in case you misplace the hard copy.

Be sure to add the phonics word list to the phonics notebook.  These lists generally come home on Fridays.  Assist your child in blending the sounds to sound out the words.  These are not sight words but they are words that will help your child learn how to sound out unknown words.

I am giving you the opportunity to get a B.U.G.S. (being and unusually good   student) ticket for your child.  You have read the blog.  Please write on a piece of paper this secret word: "Fall."  This will let me know that you checked the blog and, as a consequence, your child will get a B.U.G.S. ticket. 

Have a great week and, again, thanks for checking the web site. 

 

Week of September 15, 2008

We are beginning the sixth week of school.  We are half way to the first report card.  The school year is moving right along.

The phonics letter emphasized this week is "H."  Pictures for the alphabet dictionaries are due by Thursday.  For the last two weeks everybody had their homework.  Isn't that amazing?  I think it is a historic event, a record for the past five years.  Good work!!

The Language Arts theme for this week is "Community Helpers."  Make an opportunity to talk to your child about your work, both in and out of the home. 

Please take note of this September calendar update.  The specials are listed incorrectly.  Refer to the supplemental sheet sent home earlier this week.  In addition, I have taken the liberty of adjusting the Language Arts themes.  Last week was "Favorite Things," an addition to the "All About Me" theme from the beginning of the year.  This week is "Community Helpers."  The week of September 22 will be "Fall Colors" and the week of September 29 will be "Fall on the Farm," and the week of October 6 will be "Apples."

It is important that you remember that Tuesday, September 16, is our first Early Release Day.  Children will be dismissed two hours early.  The After School Program director requests that if you plan to send your child to After School on this day for the first time, please register ahead of time.  The After School Program will be available starting at dismissal. 

On Friday your child brought home a Phonics Notebook.  Please keep this notebook at home and use the contents to review and practice blending sounds.  Each week we will send home an addition to the notebook for you to insert and assist your child in practicing.  This is official kindergarten homework.  Practicing this skill will help your child tremendously.

Friday evening is Movie Night at Baker.  If you plan to attend  and   want to purchase pizza dinner, be sure to send in your food reservation by Wednesday.  You received a reservation form earlier last week.

Friday is a WAMU Banking Day for children participating in this program.