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| Kaitlyn and Brady work together on a Columbus Day Project. |
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
The rhythm of the school week and the beat of the day are becoming more familiar as we conclude our 6th week of school. Some of the routines may appear to be “old hat” and boring, but they are the foundation of our time together. For instance, choosing snack milk and lunch, checking in with attendance and doing the morning table task at first glance might appear to be a straightforward, but it is easy to become distracted. Reminders to stay on task continue to be a valuable tool.
Morning Message is more challenging, however, they are becoming more attuned to the details of print, its conventions and even its peculiarities. They enjoy reading to me, to their friends and to themselves. When creating the Question of the Day my goal is to engage their mind and their senses. I also believe it opens doors for conversations and for creativity.
Learning to tune their ear to hear rhyme as well as be able to generate their own rhymes is a precursor to reading. Aspects of our Morning Meeting include rhyming activities and games.
This week I introduced /c/ and /k/. Thank you for continuing to support your child on an ongoing basis as we introduce new sounds. I plan on introducing /e/ on Friday so that altogether they will have 9 letters/sounds to practice. Look for the Jolly Phonics workbooks in your child’s folder, which will be sent home for writing practice as we introduce new sounds/letters. You can check how far they should work in the workbook based on what letters have been introduced in their Sound Book. It is a good idea not to let them go ahead. If they want more letter writing practice for the letters that have been introduced, send me a note and I can create packets for them to work on at home.
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| Finn, Ava and Andrew take turns finding objects in the I Spy Book. |
The children are working at sharing and taking turns. After snack if there is extra time, students are dismissed to the rug to look at books. At first they had difficulty sharing books between them without a disagreement surfacing between 2 or 3 students. Now with more practice they are doing a much better job. We are also working on manners, saying, “Excuse me” and apologizing. Children at this age have a tendency to forget all that they have learned at home when they are at school amongst their friends. As a result, we work on reminding them to create a warm, inviting and friendly community. Taking responsibility for their behavior and making smart choices is also a daily practice.
Social Studies and Science:
We have been learning about cycles the past few weeks. First the butterfly lifecycle, then the lifecycle of the Apple Tree and now we have begun discussions about the seasons. Summer is well behind us and fall has more recently progressed with the brilliant colors of autumn’s leaves we are learning about the yearly cycles of the seasons. From these discussions we will also learn about how the seasons affect our lives and other living things.
Share: The Share theme this past week was /p/. What a plentiful and productive week we had at share! Some of the creative /p/ shares were: pumpkin, pink unicorn, puppy, pink pig, Lego policeman, a description of last night’s dinner (pasta, peas, plate, pudding), pictures, Leap Frog, pink jacket, purple, and vampire teeth! I was very pleased!
Next Week’s Share Theme: Something that begins with the sound /n/, (or has /n/ within the word).
· Monday: Ava, Hunter, Ian
· Tuesday: Kaitlyn, Andrew, Keira
· Wed.: Cashton, Finn, Maple
· Thursday; Brady, Kayla, Ryan
HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:
- Thank you to Kaitlyn’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snacks! Next week’s snack will be provided by Ava's family.
- Note: No school on Tuesday, October 18 due to Teacher In-service.
- Homework is limited at the time to the Jolly Phonics workbook and reading the sound book. However, please practice shoetieing and zipping jackets as we settle into our school year. Also, some laces have a tendency to unlace themselves more easily than others, and if they know how to tie their own shoes it will be a big help!
- The days are beginning to get a bit chillier. Make sure your child has proper footwear and layers for recess.
- Reminder: Please send in a water bottle with your child’s name on it. We will try to send it home on Fridays to get washed. Please return it on Monday. 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. In the right hand column is a growing list of helpful links. Finn’s family provided a link to the HOP, which has some free events on weekends. Check it out!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bodnar
Mrs. Bodnar
