October 24, 2011

Hello, Everyone,

This week we have been working on letters Mm,Cc, and Aa.  We name them, say their picture word, and say the sound the letter makes.  We practice them during our handwriting time and brainstorm words that begin with these letters.

We spend lots of time acquiring oral language skills at school.  These are the foundation for building both reading and writing skills.  We have begun to practice saying what we want to write during Writing Workshop.  We say what we want to write to our writing partner.  Then, we repeat this, counting the number of words we hear on our fingers as we speak.  We are learning that words have a one-to-one correspondence and we are just beginning to try to put each of those words on paper, one at a time, in the sequence that we say them.  We use “Spacemen” in between our words to space them apart as we write.

So, if your child is putting the first letter of the first sound she/he hears in a word, on their paper, I am ecstatic!  This is a very slow process, so we share and celebrate tiny successes each day and are learning to be patient with ourselves. 

This process will take all year for most children.  So, please compliment any writing you see your child doing this year.  For most of the year, you will need to ask your child to read what he/she wrote back to you.  We will spend all year learning to understand that readers read their writing and that all writing is meant to be read.  We will also spend all year listening for the sounds the letters make, so if you are helping your child practice the names and the sounds of the letters that we have worked on at school, you will really be helping your child.

Reading to your child each day is the most important thing that parents can do to help your child learn to read.  You are your child’s role model and when you enjoy books together at home, it enhances our enjoying books at school.  We read together several times each day.  We enjoy rhyming books, predictable stories, and famous children’s literature authors and illustrators.  We will imitate many of these authors and illustrators throughout the year as we practice becoming authors, ourselves.

Please continue to check your child’s backpack for a Reading at Home bag.  Enjoy!  Then, please remember to respond in your child’s journal each time your child reads to you.  Thanks.  We have a new reader for our Home Reading Program, Mr. Andreasson, Thorsten’s dad.  He is really enjoying this experience and the children love it when he comes to school.  Thank you for joining our classroom of emerging readers!

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble at the Flynn Theatre was a wonderful play with music, live characters doing pantomime, and puppets.  Back in the classroom, we compared the play with the book.  The children found lots of similarities and differences.  Then, we illustrated our favorite parts.

  In Math, we continue to work on our calendar skills and counting the number of days we have been in school.  We have had 35 school days and we will continue to count them until we reach the 100^th day!  The children are beginning to learn how place value in our number system works.  And, of course, we count, count, and count together.

Last week we had our first Safety Drill, a new experience for the children.  We do this a few times each year in preparation for an emergency other than a fire.  In this drill, we stay safe inside the PPS building.  Your children did an excellent job and I am so proud of them!  It’s difficult to remain quiet and still for 15 minutes!

As part of PBIS, our Positive Behavior Intervention System at Porter’s Point, the four kindergarten classrooms made a slideshow and video of many students demonstrating respect throughout the school day.  We shared this with the first and second graders at our whole school gathering on Wednesday.

On Friday, Mr. Allbee’s class helped us to begin to learn “The Thoughtful Song,” a song they composed that describes all of the ways we are learning to show respect to ourselves, our peers, our teachers, and to our whole school community.  I will send home a copy of the words when we have them memorized. 

Thanks to all families able to participate in “Four Days To Bring Change.”  We hope to let you know of the total amount collected for Vermont’s Irene victims, soon.

Just a reminder…Although it is still early in the school year we are trying to build our stamina for learning.  Please see that child is in bed by 7:30 p.m. so she/he gets plenty of rest.  We do a lot each day and are very busy!

A few dates to remember:

October 28^th @1:45 – Halloween parade

November 3^rd- PTO Potluck Supper

November 14^th – Nov. 18^th - Scholastic Book Fair to support our library

November 18^th – Report Cards come home

November 21^st – Parent Conference day

November 22^nd _ Thanksgiving Break

As always, feel free to contact me with your questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Diane T.