We will be having a Pajama Day on Friday, December 21st. Please send your child to school on that day wearing their pajamas and comfortable shoes. Keep in mind that we will be going outside to play, so bring boots for them to change into if you’d like. We have been studying hibernation, migration, and adaptation and will watch the movie Over the Hedge to celebrate the end of the unit.

December News

Kindergarten News

Curriculum Updates

Reading: We are working on a unit called Looking Closely at Familiar Texts.
Along with reading old favorites we are reading pattern books that are at their
independent reading level.  We are creating books that the have the students pictures
and that were written and created by the class. These book allow for students to make
personal connections to the stories.

Writing: .We have just finished writing like a scientist. Now we are  learning to write
pattern books just like the books we are reading!

Math: Everyday Mathematics Unit 4

Classifying by shape and size; Graphing and analyzing data; Representing numbers
on ten frames; Exploring teen numbers; Composing and decomposing numbers
with snap cubes; Exploring weight and capacity; Counting by tens; Playing
“Top-It” with number cards; Using the number grid as a counting tool

Integrated Studies:  Winter and Animal Adaptations

November Newsletter

Kindergarten News

Curriculum Updates

Reading: We are working on retelling old favorite storybooks! We have been practicing retelling familiar books. We are encouraging you to read many books to your child and have them bring the books in to share and retell to the class! We remind the students to look at the pictures, remember and read!  They are encouraged to try and remember some of the exact words the characters say and to sound like the character when they’re “reading” or retelling the book.

Writing:  We have been writing great stories! We learned to plan out our pages, sound out words , write labels and even make our characters talk using speech bubbles! Next week we finish our narrative writing and will start writing like scientists! We will zoom in on details to describe science objects like acorns, pinecones, leaves, and gourds. We will “Notice”, Wonder”, and “Think about” attributes of these objects and describe them in detail.

Math: Everyday Mathematics Unit 3

  Using ten frames to show combinations of ten

  Writing and representing numbers

  Measurement- length

  Positional language (under, above, between, etc.)

  Numeral recognition and sequencing numbers

  Greater than/ less than

Students will continue playing games to deepen their understanding of numerals. In “Spin a Number” and “Number Squeeze,” they will practice recognizing and comparing numerals.

Integrated Studies:  Our Community, Thanksgiving, Pumpkins, Fall Changes

                                                                                               

Kindergarten Students Use Hands-On Math Materials

As part of our "Everyday Math" program, students practice their math skills using a variety of materials. Using these concrete items helps students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Students also have fun in the process!

                                                  Students use sorting mats and buttons to
                                                  practice classifying by various attributes.

                                                 Students use geo-boards and elastics to 
                                                       construct 2-dimensional shapes.
   

Community Firefighters Visit Kindergarten

Our community firefighters came on Tuesday to talk about fire safety.  Students learned about "Stop, drop and roll", having a safety plan at home and the gear that the firemen use. We saw what they may look like and sound like in their full gear so we won't be afraid in an emergency. It was a great learning morning!

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Apple Picking

Our apple picking field trip was a huge success! We went through a straw maze, got to pick a gourd to bring home, went on a tractor hayride and picked a 1/2 peck of apples!

We picked Braeburn , Golden Delicious, Ruby Topaz, and Northern Spy apples, the Ruby Topaz seemed to be the favorite.

We learned so much about apples and the orchard. Did you know that porcupines and deer are two major predators of apple trees? Ask your child some of the ways that the animals can harm the trees! Farmer Earl taught us how he picks the apples without bruising them. He can hold 32 pounds of apples in his apple bag.

We made applesauce with some of the apples from the orchard too! It smelled so good cooking in the classroom all day. 

Invest in ME!

We had visitors in Kindergarten today from The Alfond Scholarship Foundation and Finance Authority of Maine.  Click the link to see a brief news story that will be featured on WGME & WMTW.

Invest in ME WGME   WMTW Invest in ME

Rescheduled!

Our apple picking field trip has been rescheduled for Monday, October 22nd! Please dress your child in warm clothing, the predicted temperatures are only in the 40s and we will be outside for this field trip and don't want anyone to be cold!

Curriculum Afternoon

Curriculum Afternoon

Please join us Thursday, October 18th 3:00-3:30 for a brief presentation on our Curriculum. We will go over the programs used in Kindergarten and be available to answer any questions you may have.

October News

Curriculum Updates

Reading: We are finishing up Kindergarten Jump Start! We have had a letter of the

day everyday where we focus on the letter identification, letter formation,

and letter sound.  We are starting Reading Workshop this month, the first unit is

called “We are Readers!” The goal of this unit is to create kids who want to learn to read

and who believe that they can do it.

Writing: We think, We Draw, We Write!

We have begun the writing workshop! We are learning  that writers can write a story by

1.) Thinking of something that you want to write about

2.) Make a picture in your mind

3.) Drawing the story across pages of paper.

We are also learning to stretch out our words to hear as many letter sounds as we can.

This helps us write stories just like the authors we read everyday.

Math: This month we are extending early counting experiences by counting sets

of objects in different arrangements. We have introduced a tool called a “ten frame.”

Students will use ten frames to see and show numbers in a variety of ways. We are

playing math games to reinforce skills and develop problem-solving techniques.

We are working on strategies to solve number stories by using objects and drawings.

We are working to identify properties of shapes and recognizing the same shape in

different sizes and orientations.

Integrated Studies:  Apples, Pumpkins, Fall changes, Fire Safety

 

Kindergarten News

Curriculum Update

Literacy: For the first six weeks of school we are using Kindergarten Jump Start
curriculum. Each day students are exposed to high quality literature. They will
focus on one letter of the alphabet at a time and learn the sound and how to write
words using that letter.  They are introduced to concepts about print and practice
the skills of being a reading, writer, and illustrator.

Math: This month in math we are practicing daily mathematics routines. We are
learning how to count and keep track of the days of school. We are practicing the
days of the week and months of the year. We have begun to keep track of the date
on our classroom calendar. We are also collecting, recording, graphing and analyzing
weather observations on our daily weather graph. These routines will continue
throughout the school year as part of our “Everyday Math” program. Over the
course of the year, children will engage in many hands-on activities related to
a range of math topics, including counting, numeration, operations, geometry,
and measurement.

Centers: Fine motor centers with a focus on ABCs and shapes using clay, scissors,
and math manipulatives.

Integrated Studies: Classroom Community, Weather

Important Dates

Sept 20- PTO meeting @5:30 in the Media Center

Sept 26- Early Release Wednesday

Oct 5- Field Trip to Merrill Auditorium

Keep In Touch!

Mrs. Kalloch: kalloj@portlandschools.org

Ms. Nealey: nealej@portlandschools.org

Mrs. Burke:

burken@portlandschools.org

Mrs. Gallagher

gallac@portlandschools.org

Garden Harvest

Kindergarten helped to harvest potatoes and leeks for the upcoming Maine Harvest Lunch Week. We learned that potatoes are a major crop in Maine and that they grow below the soil, they are called tubers and have a very large stem that grows above the soil. 

      

We had to dig up the potatoes and then rinse them in a bucket to get the dirt off, we harvested potatoes of many different sizes.

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Leeks are in the onion family and grow above and below. We can eat the white part that grows underground and the light green part above the ground. The leeks were sometimes hard to harvest, the roots didn't want to let go of the soil!

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Maine Harvest Lunch Week is September 17-21 and a yummy potato salad that we helped to harvest will be on the menu!

Off To A Great Start!

We are entering day 5 of Kindergarten and we are off to a great start! We are focusing on a letter each day and doing fun activities to help us learn the letter name and sound. We are also focusing on developing and strengthening our small muscles to become better writers!

       

We're writing words that start with the letter of the day! We are also being exposed to sight words, such as can, is and me,  that will help us with reading in kindergarten.

Ripping paper and using scissors both help with our small muscles ( fine motor) to becoming better writers!

Making playdough letters and belly writing with our friends. We know that our letters start at the top!

In math we're talking a lot about shapes and sizes. We LOVE pattern blocks and all the cool things that we can make with them.

Don't Let the Summer Slide Happen to You!

 Now that the school year is over and your child has made so many gains, please don't let the Summer Slide happen to them! There are easy ways to keep your child engaged in learning even during the fun summer months. Here are a few tips!

#1)Use what’s free and close by.  The library is your best friend!  Visit it every week or every two weeks so your child can check out new reading material. Many libraries have summer reading programs with incentives (prizes!).  Use the internet to search for other opportunities in your area. There was a flyer that was sent home, check their backpack!

#2 Read, read, and read some more! When choosing books that are just right for your soon-to-be first grader, have your child read aloud the first 2 pages to you.  If each page has just a few sentences on it, your child should be able to read all but about 2 of the words.  If there are more than 3 tricky words on these two pages, this is a good indication that the book is too hard for your child and will frustrate him/her.  You’ll want to choose a variety of books, of course – some that are too hard for your child but that you can read aloud to her, and some that are just right for your child to read independently.  

#3  Integrate learning into everyday activities.  For example, your child can easily practice writing by helping you make a grocery list.  You can dictate what you want on the list, and your child can write down the words. Don’t focus too much on correct spelling, what is most important is having your child practice listening for the sounds in words and then writing them down.  Other fun summer writing ideas:  have your child keep a daily or weekly journal, write a postcard/letter to a friend or relative, or about something fun they've done this summer.

#4 Let's not forget about math! Get out the deck of cards or the old board games and start playing. Games like Go Fish, Top It and Crazy 8s are great games that you can play with a simple deck of cards and they are easily purchased at Dollar Tree. Board Games like  Chutes and Ladders or Candyland are great for counting and Sorry helps with strategy as well. Many of these games can be found at yard sales or second hand stores!

#5 Take it outside! Any of these activities can be done outside and may even make them more exciting. Our Beach Reading day at school was a huge success :) 

Enjoy the summer with your child and have them share what they have learned with you this year!

End of the Year Celebrations

We had a great end to our Kindergarten year! We worked so hard and learned so much that we celebrated the end of the year with some outdoor fun!

    

Field Day had a ton of activities where we needed to use team work and cheer on our classmates. It was super hot out but we made sure to stay hydrated and had a great morning!

      

      

We also had a Beach Reading Day! We brought our beach towels/blankets, hats, and books and read outside in the sunshine. We enjoyed our books for over an hour and then got a popsicle treat to cool off after our beach reading.

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Thanks for a great school year!