Schumacher Kindergarten

March 28, 2011

Our Language Arts theme is "Signs of Spring.”  This theme will include standards associated with living and nonliving things.  It will also segue into a look at insects.  This week we will include the life cycle of the butterfly.

In phonics we are focusing on the letter “Z" and word families.  Homework for the alphabet dictionaries is due on Thursday.  We only have one more letter to go: Q.

I have noticed that many of the poetry notebooks are looking a little worse for wear.  I am glad they are being read and handled.  I will not be offended if you want to upgrade the notebook to a small three-ring binder or even a vinyl covered binder.   I think we may have gotten our money’s worth with the 5-cent folders I purchased at the beginning of the school year.

Also in our math block continue to work with addition activities.  We will focus more on the process than memorizing facts.  The memorization will come naturally with practice.  This week the children will begin writing their own animal addition books. 

Our Spring Carnival is scheduled for Saturday, May 7.  One of the highlights of the event is the class baskets that are in a raffle.  Be on the lookout for donation and/or assistance requests from our room parent. 

Thank you for your prompt return of the report card signature cards.  The final report card will be mailed to you during post planning at the end of May.  We will be asking for postage when we send home the registration forms for next school year.  You can simply affix the stamps to the big envelope in which the forms will be sent.  These forms will be sent home sometime in the next few weeks and will save you the trouble of coming to school in July to register your first graders.

Remember that next week is Spring Break.  School will resume on Monday, April 11th.  I hope you have a very pleasant week off.

March 21, 2011

Our Language Arts theme is "Signs of Spring.”  This theme will include standards associated with living and nonliving things.  It will also segue into a look at insects.

In phonics we are focusing on the letter "Y" and word families.  Homework for the alphabet dictionaries is due on Thursday.  We only have two more letters to go: Z and Q.

I have noticed that many of the poetry notebooks are looking a little worse for wear.  I am glad they are being read and handled.  I will not be offended if you want to upgrade the notebook to a small three-ring binder or even a vinyl covered binder.   I think we may have gotten our money’s worth with the 5-cent folders I purchased at the beginning of the school year.

Also in our math block continue to work with addition activities.  We will focus more on the process than memorizing facts.  The memorization will come naturally with practice.

I made a mistake on the specials schedule for March.  I misunderstood the scheduling for the inclement weather day and thought that we would just continue on with the rotation after the insertion of a PE day.  I was wrong.  The PE day for us was inserted but then we were to return to the original schedule that was made out in August.  The bottom line is, we go to PE again this Monday.  I hope we don’t have too many kids wearing inappropriate shoes for PE participation.  I do apologize.  Here is a revision: 

M 3/21 PE	T 3/22 art	W 3/23 music	Th 3/24 salsa	F 3/25 PE
M 3/28 art	T 3/29 music	W 3/30 salsa	Th 3/31 PE	F 4/1 art

The third quarter report cards will be issued this Thursday.  Please sign and return the signature card.  The report is yours to keep.  Feel free to ask questions.

It’s time for spring picture day.  We are scheduled to have our class and prepaid individual pictures taken a little after 9:00 a.m.  on Friday, March 25^th.  Be sure to send in the order form next week if you want to purchase a class picture and/or have individual pictures taken.

That's all the news I can think of.  Thanks for checking the blog.

March 14, 2011

Our Language Arts theme is a continuation of "Weather" with the addition of “St. Patrick’s Day, Leprechauns and All Things Green.”  We will have some fun acting out “My Pot of Gold” as well as keeping a look out for those pesky leprechauns

In phonics we are focusing on the letter "V" and word families.  Homework for the alphabet dictionaries is due on Thursday. 

In Math we will examine calendars and review seasons, both ways of measuring time.  We will also weave in some addition activities.

The art show was a great success.  If you weren’t able to attend and/or could not purchase your child’s framed artwork, be assured the art has gone back to the art show company to be “un” framed and returned to you.

Most of the children know their addresses and telephone numbers now.  Please keep reviewing this information as well as their county, nation, and continent.  They have to know four of these items for this report card.  I appreciate your assistance helping them achieve this requirement. 

The third quarter ends next Friday, March 18.  Report cards will come home the following Thursday.

Registration for rising kindergartners and students new to Baker is March 30^th.  You do not have to register your children at that time.  We will send home 2011-12 registration forms in the backpacks toward the end of May.

Have a great week-

Mrs. Schumacher

March 7, 2011

Here's what's up for the week of March 7th.

Our Language Arts theme is "Weather."  I certainly hope that the adage "in like a lion, out like a lamb" holds true.  The last day of February certainly was lion-like.

In phonics we are focusing on the letter "X" and word families.  Homework for the alphabet dictionaries is due on Thursday.  Feel free to include pictures of things that end with "x" also.  There are not a lot of words that begin with x.

The children are making great strides in typing text and inserting pictures.  We use Word for this technology requirement.  The task has really motivated many of them to write more sentences, especially when I can let them print their product.  (thanks to the Rasmussen and Sacchetta paper donations)

In science we are going to examine rocks.  Phillip will be able to point out characteristics to us as we read some rocks books in our Guided Reading sessions and use magnifying glasses for closer looks.

We have been examining the features of analog clocks and the children have learned to tell time to the hour.  This week I hope to extend their lessons to include time to the half hour.

Also in our math block I intend to introduce addition activities.  We will focus more on the process than memorizing facts.  The memorization will come naturally with practice.

There is an art show on Thursday.  Every child has something on display.  If you attend you will have the opportunity to purchase your child's framed art work.  You will get the artwork unframed sometime after the art show.  Information about this event came home this past week.

Most of the children know their addresses and telephone numbers now.  Please keep reviewing this information as well as their county, nation, and continent.  I appreciate your assistance helping them achieve this requirement.

That's all the news for this week.  Thanks for checking the blog.