Week 8: October 22-26, 2012

The Fire Circle where we sang and enjoyed a delicious snack. 

Kinderbees

News
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

We have enjoyed a very full week. With two mandated English Language Arts assessments (a new initiative from the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union), an early dismissal,  two field trips,  and a Scholastic Book Fair, we had our work cut out for us! Our nature field trip on Wednesday to Mrs. White’s property enabled us to tackle a variety of topics, which we will be following up on over the course of the next few weeks as well as throughout the year.  An overarching objective is learning about our five senses, living and non-living things, and change over time.  We also discussed our natural resources and how to be respectful and mindful of the gifts that these resources offer us.  We combined both classes into one and divided them up into two mixed groups. While one group hiked the nature trail with Mrs. White to explore these themes the other group went with me to her little pond to investigate pond life. I read aloud:  In a Small, Small, Pond, by Denise Fleming, and we talked about creatures that make their home in ponds or visit this interesting habitat.  Seasonality is also important as we discussed what we will see and won’t see at this point in the year.  Afterward we broke into groups of two to observe the pond life  and try our hand at painting what we saw.  They all did an outstanding job with their beautiful watercolor paintings!  I noticed they all worked hard and put forth their best effort in this creative task.  We also dug up some pond muck and scooped pond water into containers to make observations later in our classroom.  We look forward to observing any microscopic creatures up close.  I will keep you posted on our discoveries.   Many thanks to Kerridwyn’s mom, Stacy Wilber, for coming on our field trip to help out! 

Little Miss Muffet and the
Spider!

Language Arts (and Science ! ):  Nursery Rhymes play an important role in the kindergarten language arts curriculum.  This week we began reciting “Little Miss Muffet” and began exploring the topic of arachnids.  The children especially enjoyed taking turns role playing while we recited the rhyme.  We explored new vocabulary and even made curds from warming milk and adding a tablespoon of vinegar -- many liked it! Coming off of last week’s ELF science lesson studying insects, this was very timely.  We learned that spiders are different from insects in that they have 8 legs while insects have 6.  We made paper spiders which we used to decorate the hallway and bulletin board.   

Morgan taps  words
to write a sentence in his journal.

Phonics & Journal Writing:  The children are enjoying learning the new letter sounds and actions. This week I introduced: /s/ and 
/a/.  Starting next week we will begin to tap out words with the inclusion of our first vowel. Please note, the Phonics workbook is being sent home for your child to start working on the pages. We will begin with /s/ and
/a/ for this weekend. Feel free to have your child complete up to the first 6 pages if they are so inclined. However, having said that, it is by no means mandatory. I plan to introduce from 2-3 new letters a week so over time your child will be able to complete the workbook. My expectation is that they do one page a day during the week. Please keep the Phonics workbook in the neon bag so I can check on it and note their progress or challenges. I will also stamp completed pages and help them with letters that are more difficult  for them. 

We are also working on making connections to the sounds we hear in words and stretching words out (with our writer’s gum-- your child can demonstrate!) to write what we know on paper. Having only introduced a few sounds we are just in the beginning stages, however, they are making wonderful progress! 

A group digging effort.  Well done!

Garden:  We have finally dug up all our perennials and are getting our vegetable garden bed ready for the winter. I’d like to plant kale, spinach  and possibly garlic to be harvested in the spring. The children have enjoyed working together to clear the beds. They love to dig! 

Share:  Our busy week made it more challenging to find time to squeeze in the /b/ shares.  If your child forgets to bring in their share on their assigned share day, please help them understand that we will try to squeeze it in another day. I will do my best to accommodate everyone.     Next Week Share theme is the sound /m/. Please brainstorm with your child some things that begin with the sound /m/ and help them choose a share that fits our theme. Thank you! 

CALENDAR:

• 1^st Quarter Conference Sign Up:  Please see attached sheet to sign up for the upcoming conferences. Submit your first three choices. I will try to send a confirmation home by the end of next week. (Fall Back! -- turn your clock  back one hour on November 4th!) 
• Wednesday, October 31: Although we are not celebrating Halloween in the classroom (no costumes please), we will be having a seasonal celebration focusing on the harvest (pumpkins).  If you would like to send in a special treat, please coordinate with our classroom parent: Sara Doolan.  We will also begin studying nocturnal animals next week, so bats may be seen down by our wing by week’s end.  Watch out! 
• October Scholastic Book Order: Due Monday, October 27.

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Group Snack: Thank you to Lucia’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snack! We enjoyed wonderful choices throughout the week: green and red grapes, yogurt, honey wheat pretzels and a special carrot cake muffins! Next week’s snack will be provided by: Keira’s family.  Thanks to all for making our group snack possible the children are really enjoying it as well as benefiting from the opportunity to eat a shared healthy snack. 
• For those interested in the book discussion group, please see an attached note with potential times to meet. Review and respond by the end of next week. I hope to find a time that will work for all. I am looking forward to this opportunity to study and learn from this exceptional book as well as each other.  Thank you! 
• Outerwear and Water Bottles:  We still need water bottles! Please send your child to school with a water bottle, boots and raincoats. If it is raining we will still try to go outside for recess rain or shine.  Also as the colder weather approaches, please remember hats, mittens, etc. 

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Bodnar 

Week 7: October 15-19, 2012

Maeve and Isabelle play horse and driver during morning recess.

Kinderbees

News
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

This week seemed to fly by at record speed with no school on Wednesday. We finished our study of the rainbow colors on Monday with the color purple. We have made a book of each color.  If your child comes home with the book, please sit down and read with them.  Have them point underneath each word as they read and if they seem ready have them frame sight words (is, are, etc.) using their two index fingers.   

Autumn is here in full swing and with it we have transitioned from the study of the lifecycle of the butterfly to other cycles, for instance our field trip to Spring Brook Farm has opened the door to the lifecycle of the apple tree.   We are also beginning to talk about the changing and cycle of the seasons.  Our studies will begin to focus on how the change of seasons affect living things: people, animals and plants. 

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. 

Phonics: In an effort to try to incorporate the use of the new phonics program (Fundations) I have had to make some recent adjustments.  I apologize for any confusion over the last week.  As it turns out I will be holding onto the yellow Jolly Phonics workbooks until I have introduced the first six Jolly Phonics letters so the workbook activities will be in sync with the letters introduced. The Purple Sound books will be going home every day so that your child can practice the sounds and actions daily.  Included in the Ziplock is a parent reference sheet which will familiarize you with the different actions for each sound. You can ask your child to tell you about the story that goes along with each sound. The Fundations information sheet that is included in the folder (Keep at Home Pocket) will help you understand the proper letter formation.  It will also provide additional helpful tips for you as you help your child in their journey to reading and writing. Please keep these sheets home for reference while returning the Ziplock daily.  I will write in new letter sounds on the Reading Log.  If you have any questions or comments you can write a note  in the comments column and I will try to get back to you within a day or two. 

Thank you to Reid’s mom (Mrs. White’s Class and Lucia’s grandfather, (Mrs. White’s husband) for helping out with Thursday’s Apple Day.  The children enjoyed a variety of fun apple related activities.  They peeled and baked individual apple crisps, peeled and set aside apples for dehydration; listened to some stories about Johnny Appleseed, made painted apple prints, and learned about measurement and weight as well as estimation as they estimated and then counted the number of seeds in different apples.

Watching the ELF puppet show

ELF: Last week we also enjoyed our first ELF lesson with Conner’s mom (Lori), Kerridwyn’s mom (Stacey) and David Broder.  We learned about spiders and insects by watching a puppet show and doing a felt story activity and then making our own insects out of egg cartons and tissue paper. 

The Firefighter and Fire Prevention day went very well last week.  The children enjoyed meeting the firemen and learning about how to get down low in a building in case there is a fire. They told the children not to be afraid of the fireman as he is there to help.  They told children they should make sure their families have meeting places in case there is a fire at home, and NEVER go back into a burning building once they have made it safely outside. They toured the outside of the firetruck and got to sit in the truck. 

Share: The children this week brought in some fun shares that had the sound /t/.  Some notable /t/ shares were: a toy turtle, a Lego knight, a fire-stations, a trailer, a tanker truck, a trophy,  and TJ the Whale! Next Week Share theme is the sound /b/. Please brainstorm with your child some things that begin with the sound /b/ and help them choose a share that fits our theme. Thank you! 

Firemen demonstrate how to get down low below the smoke. 

CALENDAR:

• Wed., October 24th: Early Dismissal.
• Wed. October 24th.  Field Trip:--We are planning a Nature field trip to Mrs. White’s property in the morning (early dismissal day).  If you can chaperone this trip please let me know. We would like 2-3 chaperones if possible. 
• Lebanon Opera House: Please send in $5 for the upcoming LOH show (October 25) if you haven’t already.  Thank you! 

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Group Snack: Thank you to Bryant’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snack! We enjoyed wonderful choices throughout the week:,  Pirate’s booty, applesauce, graham crackers with peanut butter and lots of apples! Next week’s snack will be provided by: Lucia’s family.  Many thanks to all for making our group snack possible! 

• For those interested in the book discussion group I am currently working to determine a convenient time. If you are interested but didn’t return the form, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you!
  
• Outerwear and Water Bottles: Please send your child to school with a water bottle, rain boots and raincoats. If it is raining we will still try to go outside for recess rain or shine. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bodnar 

Week 6: Friday, October 8-12, 2012

Chance says good-bye to one of our
Painted Butterflies.

Kinderbees

News
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

We had a very busy week with butterflies who emerged from their chrysalises on Monday,  Color days and the introduction of sounds and letters throughout the week, a field trip on Thursday and as I write this yet to come, Fire Prevention day and an ELF class on Friday.  

We draw the final stage in the
Butterfly Lifecycle.

On Monday our butterflies had hatched from our chrysalises and we set to work drawing and writing about the last stage in the Butterfly lifecycle in our science journal page.  Your children enjoyed observing and documenting the change. We sat on the circle rug and watched them flitter and flutter inside their screened in habitat.  We reviewed the process of metamorphosis and discussed how the the caterpillars wove their chrysalis then transformed into butterflies. To complete the cycle we talked about how they will lay their eggs on leaves which will hatch new caterpillars. 

This week we started a color study celebrating a different color every day. We are working our way up the rainbow starting with red and will finish on Monday with purple. Each day the children were asked to think about different things that are made up of each of these different colors.  They illustrated and created sentences using their imagination. Each color day now has its own book which will make its way home to you to read with your child. Remember to ask them to point out different things they notice and maybe frame a sight work such as A, is, or are.  

Along with Jolly Phonics which is a language arts  reading and writing program that I am familiar using, I will be using Fundations.  This week I introduced the letters t, b, and f. The sounds are /t/, /b/ and /f/. Parent letters are included in your child’s Friday folder which will explain more details. Because I am introducing the letters following the sequence of Fundations, please have your child do the corresponding pages in their The Jolly Phonics workbook.   The purple Sound Book and reference tips for parents are included in the zip lock bag.  These will go home with your child on a daily basis.  Please sit down with your child and have them practice their letter sounds (and letter names) daily.  As we build on these letter sounds (roughly 3 per week) it will be important for them to practice them so that as new ones are added, the previously introduced ones are not forgotten. 

Tanner takes a big bite!

Our field trip to Spring Brook Farm was a lot of fun. We arrived around noon and met our host, Mr. Rob who gave us a brief introduction to the farm.  We walked across the road and learned how to expertly pick ripe apples. He told us it is important to gently cup the apple and give it a twist.  It should easily come off the branch and into our waiting hands.  Each group was given a crate and we set to work picking the apples.  The children enjoyed crawling beneath the apple trees and picking from underneath its canopy.  We quickly filled our 7 crates (4 children to each chaperone).   Thank you to Stacey Wilber for being a parent chaperone! See Calendar for next week Apple Day: Thursday, 10/18. 

It was quite windy and cold, so we took toured the barn, meeting its many cows and several calves.  Left over apple cores from our snacking were gladly given to the cows who enjoyed the unexpected treats.   Spring Brook Farm is having an Open House this weekend from 10-5pm, so if your family is looking for something fun to do, stop by. It is off Rte. 106 in Reading between Reading and South Woodstock and worth the trip! 

Keira and Kerridwyn chat with a baby calf . 

Share: The children this week brought in some fun /s/ shares! We had a slinky,  Lego soldiers, Strawberry Shortcake, squirrell, a favorite stuffy, outer-spaceman figures and a Lego Superman!  Next Week Share theme is the sound /t/. Please brainstorm with your child some things that begin with the sound /t/ and help them choose a share that fits the theme. Thank you! 

Calendar:

• No School: Wed., October 17th, Teacher inservice Day.
• Apple Day: Thursday, October 18. Mrs. White and I are planning a lot of fun apple activities as an extension to our field trip. If you can come in to help please let me know. Many thanks!
  
• Color of the week: We are celebrating the different colors of the rainbow.  Monday: Purple.  Please have your child wear clothing that matches the color of the day if they have them.  We will do fun learning activities related to colors.
  
• Lebanon Opera House: If you haven't already, please send in $5 for the upcoming LOH show as soon as possible.  Feel free to send in $10 for both shows (March 2013), if you prefer, as we will keep a record of payment. Thank you! 

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Group Snack: Thank you to Maeve’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snack! We enjoyed wonderful choices throughout the week:,  cheese, Crispy apples, carrots, Annie’s Goldfish, plums, and homemade butter cookies! Next week’s snack will be provided by: Bryant’s family.  Many thanks to everyone for signing up and making our group snack possible! 
• I am currently reading: Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson. I’d like to create a book discussion group with parents and caregivers throughout the year. Please let me know if you are interested so we could choose a time to meet on a monthly basis. 
• Outerwear: Please send your child to school with rain boots and raincoats if it is raining as we will be going outside for recess rain or shine. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bodnar 

Week 5: October 1-5, 2012

A hole is to dig.

Kinderbees

News
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

While we are waiting patiently for our butterflies to emerge from their chrysalises we found a Monarch butterfly and a woolly bear hiding out in our garden.  We talked about not touching the butterfly, because their wings are so delicate and fragile, but we took our friendly and hearty woolly bear into our classroom for a couple of days for observation.  We will hold him for a day or two and then let him go on a beautiful day next week. 

Skate.... Gate.... It Rhymes!

In Language Arts we continue to make class books. This week we are making a book about what we like to do. When a class book comes home with your child, please take the time to read it with them.  Ask them to frame specific words with their two index fingers and ask them if they know the letters that make that word. This will help them build up their sight vocabulary.   We also began tapping the sounds in words and practiced rhyming words. We listened to a few nursery rhymes and will begin memorizing them next week.  Along with rhyming we played a game of Rhyming Buddies. The kids had a great time finding their rhyming buddy as they learned to move safely on the rug while listening to their classmates to identify a rhyming word. 

3 yellow leaves and 2 green leaves
make 5 leaves!

Everyday we work with the calendar and Number of (school) Days chart. This will help reinforce our understanding of numbers and counting.  During this circle time we are also building a graph as we record the weather for the month. Last month we had 12 sunny days, while this month we are starting off with lots of rain! 

We have been working to develop an understanding of number by focusing on the numbers 1-5.  We worked as a whole group divided in smaller groups counting out 5 objects.  Each group was given a thematic box with counting pieces and boards. They learned that 5 can be made up of different groups. For instance: 5 and 0; 4 and 1; and 3 and 2.  We are also working on learning how to write these numbers properly.  We also practiced counting out the numbers 4 and 3.  On Friday, we will begin working on creating a new mini number book for writing the numbers 1-9. 

Sorting pick up sticks. 

We practiced sharing in small groups by offering each other compliments.  We also began practicing how to share and how to listen to each other,  ask questions, and make comments. This skill is still developing as most of them still have difficulty understanding the difference between a question and a comment. We will begin our share this fall with questions only for our share person and later in the year we will introduce the concept of commenting.   Each child will have a special share day.  With 14 children we have time for 3 children to share each day.   Next Week Share theme is the sound /s/. 

Share Schedule
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri.
Bryant	Hunter	Kerridwyn	Morgan	Tate
Chance	Isaac	Lucia	Paige	Tylor
Conner	Keira	Maeve	Tanner

       

Thank you Ms. Duranceau.

   Mrs. Duranceau, our para-educator in the two kindergartens has recently been reassigned to work in the 6th grade.  On Thursday we made her cards and thanked her for all her work with us these past several weeks. We will definitely miss her! Mrs. Lancaster will be joining the Kindergarten wing as her replacement.  We look forward to working and learning with Mrs. Lancaster. 

We unfortunately have had many days of rain, which has limited our ability to go outside.  Please send your child in with rain boots, raincoats and hats shouls we have inclement weather as we will be going outside next week--rain or shine.   If your child has garden gloves, please send them in as we will be starting to prepare our garden bed for winter. I am planning to be planting some plants with children that we can harvest in the spring. 

Next Friday, we will have our first ELF lesson.  Conner’s mom, Lori Beland, will coordinate the lesson with a parent of one of my alumni students. We are still in need of ELF teachers for our class.  If you want to be one for our class, please let me know.   Our first lesson will be on insects which ties in nicely with our study of butterflies. 

Look a Monarch butterfly!

Calendar:

• Color of the week: We will be celebrating the different colors of the rainbow next week.  Monday: Red; Tuesday: Orange; Wednesday: Yellow; Thursday: Green; Friday: Blue and Monday the following week: Purple.  Please have your child wear clothing that matches the color of the day if they have them.  We will do fun learning activities related to colors. 
• Apple Picking Field trip is scheduled for next Thursday, October 11th at 11:30 am.  We will be going to Spring Brook Farm in Reading,  VT.  This will allow us to eat lunch at school, pick apples, make cider and return by 2:00 pm. If you would like to be a chaperone, please let me know. The Farm to School program is providing the bus and any additional expenses for the trip. 
• Lebanon Opera House: We have two Field trips to Lebanon Opera House scheduled this year. The first is on October 25 and the other is later in the year in March. Admission is $5 per child per show. Please send in $5 for the upcoming show as soon as possible.  Feel free to send in $10 for both shows as we will keep a record of payment. Thank you! 

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:

• Group Snack: Thank you to Paige’s family for contributing this week’s healthy snack! We enjoyed wonderful choices throughout the week:,  Homemade blueberry muffins, Goldfish,  Granola bars, cream cheese & cinnamon raisin bagels, Pirates Booty! and a special thank you for hot cider packets for the teachers. Next week’s snack will be provided by: Maeve’s family.  Many thanks to everyone for signing up and making our group snack possible! 
• I am currently reading: Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson. I’d like to create a book discussion group with parents and caregivers throughout the year. Please let me know if you are interested so we could choose a time to meet on a monthly basis. 
• Outerwear: Please send your child to school with rain boots and raincoats if it is raining as we will be going outside for recess rain or shine. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bodnar