9/30/11

Looking at the spiders up close through a magnifying glass. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

On Wednesday our Painted Lady butterflies began to emerge from their chrysalises. We will be setting our butterflies free from the confines of our butterfly pavilion on Friday. Some children have found caterpillars of their own and have brought them into the classroom to share with their friends. Our terrarium is now filled with a variety of caterpillars. In addition another woolly bear made his way into our classroom and is now a resident as well. Throughout the week we read both fiction and non-fiction books to learn more about the butterfly. The children loved Eric Carle’s classic The Hungry Caterpillar. We also read a big book Butterflies to learn more about the specifics of its life-cycle.  The students are in the process of making a life-cycle wheel, which they will bring home by the end of next week.  I wrote a rhyming story about a woolly bear, which I will read aloud on Friday. Woolly Bears turn into the Isabella Tiger moth, so they will have a chance to think about how moths are different and/or the same as butterflies. Another concept discussed throughout the year is Same/Different. At home you can explore this theme with just about any subject.

Recreating an orb web and how spiders catch their prey. 

        

We had our first ELF lesson on Thursday, which was co-taught by Maple’s mom, Leah Gartner, Hunter’s dad, Tom Haley, and Finn’s grandmother, Judy Hills. They did a fabulous job with the exciting world of spiders. ELF’s theme this year is Designs in Nature. The focus was not only about spiders but also how and why they are different than insects. Another Same/Different learning opportunity in the making!

Jolly Phonics: The children are excited about the new letters as they are being introduced. This week we introduced three new sounds: /a/, /t/, and /i/. The Sound Books are going home every night for practice. Inside the sound book envelope will be a reference sheet so you can practice the “action” with your child. Your child will most likely be excited to share what they have been learning with you and to be the “teacher” showing you how to make the actions. Feel free to ask your child questions (and don’t be shy to ask me!).

We continue to work with math concepts during Calendar time working with the date, the weather (graphing) and tracking the number of days we’ve attended school. We are building a color-coded number line on the wall with each day at school.

The children are still learning to settle into their morning routines. They are learning to go from their table task to the Morning Message board without taking detours. It is still early in the year and I will be working with them to help them follow through on their “jobs.”  Morning Message is a challenging activity for them, but they are stepping up and doing a great job. They enjoy the process of reading the predictable words as well as using context clues to others. They have been practicing new sight words: I, is, what, & we. Others more recently introduced are: and & the.  

We started basic handwriting activities learning about straight and curved lines both big and small. We explored the use of small chalkboards and will be using these tools more in the next few weeks.

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

•  Thank you to Finn’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snacks! Next week’s snack will be provided by  Cashton’s  family.
• Upcoming field Trip to Wellwood Orchard on Tuesday, October 4^th. Please pack a bag lunch. We will eat at the orchard. 
• Please send in a water bottle with your child’s name on it.  It will help make our transitions more efficient. Thank you.
•   Please note share schedule on reverse side.
• We will not have Library on this coming Monday due to the Spelling Bee. We will try to get to the library at another time during the week to take out new books. Please return your books as scheduled.  Thank you!

Kinderbees News are now available online via the staff pages link on the Hartland Elementary School Website: www.hartland.k12.vt.us.  Just click on Staff Pages and then click on my name: Jennifer Bodnar.

Share: The Share theme this past week was /s/.  The children brought in a variety of creative and fun connections to the sound /s/. A scuba diver toy, silly glasses, a slinky, a skid truck toy, a rubber snake, and even a life-like baby doll named Sophie. This at-home activity provides an opportunity for you and your child to explore the sounds in words which are an important skill (phonological awareness) when learning to read.

Next Week’s Share Theme:  Something that begins with the sound /t/, (or has /t/ within the word).

Monday: Ava, Hunter, Ian

Tuesday: Kaitlyn, Andrew, Keira

Wednesday: Cashton, Finn, Maple

Thursday; Brady, Kayla, Ryan

If you miss your share day for any reason, you can share on that Friday. J

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bodnar

9/23/11

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

               The children are being exposed to many wonderful treasures that I hope they will hold close to their hearts throughout their kindergarten year as well as their life. One being the beauty of patience. For example on Monday we opened up the box that held two plastic jars with 8 caterpillars inside. Over the course of the week we watched them slowly weave themselves into chrysalises. They are now in the pupa stage and we must wait for the day when they emerge from their cocoons.  In the meantime, the children have drawn pictures and have dictated their observations to me to write on their journal pages.  We are looking forward to their next metamorphic stage!

               We also are learning to sort and count individual items into egg cartons. They worked in pairs as they sorted the items from small boxes and counted out the correct number of pieces written in each egg cup.  Learning to take turns, share and assisting others is embedded in the lesson.

               On Thursday I introduced our first letter and sound: /s/. We identified several words that begin with /s/. When a word was suggested we checked by repeating the word and making the “action,” (hand motion in the s shape). Some words had it in the beginning, some in the middle and some in the end. We made a chart on the white board of the words and where the sound was located. Some of our beginning /s/ words were:

Spot, Stick, Snake, Seven, Sixty, Spider, Sun, and see. Every time we said a word that began with the /s/ sound we slowed down to repeat it and made the “action.”

As the sounds are introduced they will be put into a Sound Book that will be sent home daily for practice. Please practice these sounds with your child. It is a wonderful time for your child to share with you what they are learning in the classroom! Daily practice will be important as more sounds are introduced. There will be a total of 44 when the book is complete. Attached is an information sheet on Jolly Phonics for your reference. Let me know if you have any questions.

The children are learning to maneuver the ins and outs of the cafeteria: standing in line, choosing from the variety of healthy offerings, carrying their trays, as well as sorting out their compost foods, their dishes and utensils, throwing away their garbage, and putting away their trays. They are working hard to learn proper lunchroom etiquette, as well as safe ways to move in such a busy arena. Kudos to the Kinderbees!

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Thank you to Keira’s family for contributing this week’s snack! We enjoyed a variety of healthy snacks throughout the week. Next week’s snack will be provided by Finn’s family.
• Open House was great fun. Thanks for coming!
• Picture Day is next week: Tuesday, Sept. 27^th.
•  Please send in a water bottle with your child’s name on it.  It will help make our transitions more efficient. Thank you.
• Scholastic Book orders are due Monday, September 26^th. Attached is an information letter to help you place your online orders. Let me know if you have any problems or questions.
• Field Trip: Wellwood Orchards on Tuesday, October 4^th. Please let me know if you would like to chaperone! We’d love to have you join us!  

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bodnar 

9/9/11

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

               This has been a very exciting week. Along with meeting new friends and teachers, learning new tasks, and getting accustomed to a new school the students have been settling in and learning some new songs and activities during our Morning Meeting and Closing Circle. As new songs are introduced they will be added to your child’s binder.  The binder will be kept here at school during the week and will be go home monthly so they can share their songs with you at home. To start Morning Meeting we are singing: “Good Morning Dear Earth...” At closing we are singing, “Yellow the bracken...”  At morning circle we are learning fun new activities such as “Oliver Twist” and a game called “Toe to toe.”

               This week the children observed some woolly bears that I recently caught and put in our class terrarium. They drew a picture of their observations and dictated a sentence to describe what they saw. This will become the first page in their September Journal. The pictures are currently posted on the bulletin board above their cubbies. If you have time in the morning during drop-off, come and view their work!

               Centers have been “opening” as we are able to instruct the children in the use and care of the materials found in them.  I am using guided discovery lessons to introduce a variety of classroom materials such as pattern blocks. Next week we will begin to create our Hopes and Dreams while also thinking about how to create an inviting and friendly classroom community that will support each of our Hopes and Dreams.

No homework thus far, except please remember to make time every day or night to read aloud to your kinder before bedtime.  10 – 15 minutes is perfect!

                

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Thank you to Maple’s family for contributing this week’s snack! We enjoyed a variety of healthy choices like cheese sticks, apples, peanut butter, clementines and pretzel sticks throughout the week. It has really made snack an enjoyable community event as well as simplified the coordination of lunch boxes and clean-up, with less wrappers and packaging going into the garbage.  Next week’s snack will be provided by Ryan’s family.  The following week is available for sign up.
• Specials: An updated “Specials” schedule is posted separately. Please help your child remember to return their library book on Friday (so they can take out another one the following Monday). They should also wear (or bring) sneakers Wednesdays and Fridays for PE.  We go outside for recess everyday unless it is raining. If your child has an extra pair of sneakers it is a good idea to keep a pair at school. If in the case that they are wearing sandals or dress shoes on a given day, they can easily change into sneakers to play.
• Please send in a water bottle with your child’s name on it. It will help cut down on time spent at the water fountain. 
• Scholastic Book orders are due Monday, September 26^th. You can order directly online at: www.scholastic.com and click on Book Clubs, then click on the purple button (Parent Sign In).  Create your personal username and password.  You will be asked for our class code so our class will be able to earn points. It is H9K3R. Let me know if you have any problems or questions. If you don’t have internet access and would like to place an order let me know. Thank you!
• The fundraiser (look for the large white envelope in your child’s backpack) helps provide money for special craft projects, parties, field trips, and magazine subscriptions.  Please don’t be shy when promoting Hartland Elementary School to your family and friends!
• We will be planning a variety of field trips throughout the year. Please let us know if you are interested in joining us as a chaperone. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar & Nanette Andrews

Welcome to Kindergarten!

I truly enjoyed our Open House on Friday. Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoyed meeting your classmates and fellow parents. I look forward to working with you throughout the year.  We will have lots of fun together!