Week #34: May 28-31, 2013

I want to "ite, ite, ite" iplles and ban-eye-neyes. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

It was fabulous that everyone was able to attend the Parent Appreciation concert.  If the children were nervous it did not show. They did a great job following directions and singing to the audience.  Mrs. Bernstein did a great job organizing and planning this annual event. Thank you to our room parent, Sarah Doolan and our ELF parents, Lori Beland, Stacey Wilbur, and Justus Keith.  A special “shout out”  to David Broder who has children in the upper grades who collaborated with our classroom ELF parents.   I’d also like to thank you, our parents, who supported your children’s learning throughout the year. 

We had another busy short week with only four days.  Along with our end of year ELA writing and comprehension assessments that we completed last week, this week I assessed your child individually for text reading. I am very pleased with the progress they have made this year.   This is a critical time of year as their enthusiasm may wane a bit with the change of schedules from the routine of daily reading at school and at home to a more loose schedule during the summer. If at all possible, please try to keep reading a part of their daily routine. From reading at night to them to also having them read their own small books and writing in their jounal.  Just like any new skill, they will get rusty if they aren’t practiced. I have included in their Friday Folder their first journal that was started in the beginning of the year. Included are additional blank pages for them so they can continue to write in it throughout the summer.  The Home to School Journal should continue to come back to school.  I will send it home the last week. 

A Hole is to Dig

I will continue to assess the students 1:1 for Math concepts and skills.  

Next week we have a bike helmet safety assembly planned.  On Thursday morning, I will be working with the other K-2 teachers in the District during the morning reviewing the ELA assessments that were completed during this pilot year.

  

Next year’s class assignments should be sent home shortly. The annual  “step-up” is planned for June 12 -- this gives each child an opprortunity to visit their new teacher along with the other children that will be in their class.  This activity lasts approximately 30 minutes in the morning. 

Report cards will be sent home on the last day of school. 

Cross Curriculum: Science, Math & Language Arts 

We are currentoy working on a small unit related to Family, Home and Community.

Share:  This week’s shares were about what or who they want to be when they grow up. Not everyone shared a related topic but some highlights were that Maeve wants to become a veterinarian, Tanner wants to be a flute player,  Tate wants to be a fireman, and Kerridwyn wants to grow up to be just like her mom!  

Math:  We continue to practice writing number sentences and how to represent numbers using pictures, tallies and Arabic numerals.   Our Spring Math Journals have given us great opportunities to solve problems. Many of the Numbers 1-20 books have been completed and have been sent home.  When counting objects at home (pennies, dimes, etc. ) have them group them in sets of 10.  Help them understand the concept of teen by grouping 10 and adding what is left over.  10 + 3 = 13. 

Isaac and the bean stalk. 

Centers:  Our beans grew wonderfully in the window green boxes. The children worked with their lab partners and grew different kinds of beans: lima, pea and edamame. Many have been sent home. Hopefully all will be home by today so you can plant them in your gardens. 

CALENDAR:

• Group Snack: Tate’s family will be provided our healthy snack this week.  We enjoyed applesauce, peanut butter and Ritz crackers, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), yogurt. 

• Future Snack Weeks:   Keira’s family the week of 6/3 and Chance’s family the week of 6/10.  THANK YOU ALL AGAIN! 

• PTSF 4th Annual Book Swap:  Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students! It was a big success! The kids were so very excited to pick out books on Thursday. 

• Our classroom buddy George went home with Morgan during the week.   The children seem to really enjoy their house guest! Thank you for taking such good care of our classroom friend! 

• Kindergarten End-Of-Year Celebration:  Tentatively scheduled in our classroom for June 13th (1/2 day of school).  I will sending home invitations next week. Weather permitting, I am planning to have a gathering outside our classroom at 10:00 AM to give the children certificates. We will sing a few songs and then enjoy lunch at our regularly scheduled time of 10:45 AM.  If the weather cooperates we can picnic outside on blankets or just eat inside on the tables.  Dismissal is at 12:00.  8th grade graduation is at 2PM.  Friday, our last day of school is also a noon dismissal. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar 

To view online: go to mrsbodnarskindergarten.blogspot.com/      

Week #33: May 20-24, 2013

Kindergarten Rocks!

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

Although we struggled last week with our classroom rules, I have seen a marked improvement this week. We have been talking a lot about first grade expectations and how we can be kinder and friendlier toward our classmates. This can be a very difficult time with the children anticipating summer vacation, the warmer weather,  and cyclical full moon! They have made great strides this year both academically, as well as socially and emotionally.  As I look back through the year’s newsletters and photos, I am reminded of the incredible growth they have made and successes they have achieved. 

We have been very fortunate to be able to visit Mrs. White’s property here in Hartland 3 times this year:  fall, winter, and now spring.  She has quite a large piece of property with a natural wooded landscape that includes a small pond, a vernal pool and beautiful wooded trails. 

Bryant and his dad while walking on the trail. 

While on our field trip last week we were each able to dig up a small wild violet or plant of their choosing (even a dandelion!) and bring it back to the classroom.  Mr. White had cut a medium size tree and made what we call “tree cookies” or habitats out of the trunk. As an extension to our trip they each made a nature scene on the tree cookie incorporating their plant. I suggested that they keep it outside as that would be the best way to keep the moss moist and the plant watered. At some point the tree cookie may be returned to nature in a compost pile, but we hope it has given them a fond memory of their field trip.  The children enjoyed building their habitats from gifts from Mother Earth. 

We have been practicing our songs for the Memorial day assembly this Friday morning. The children in grades K-2 will lead the audience in “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “On Memorial Day We Remember. “  Lucia shared a display about a recent exciting event in her family when her father became a citizen a couple of weeks ago. His native country is El Salvador.  We used that as an opportunity to discuss citizenship, freedom and our country.

Cross Curriculum: Science, Math & Language Arts 

With the completion of our plants unit we will be starting a unit on family and community for the next few weeks.  We will try to schedule a walking field trip to the local town hall, post office and library. 

Share:  Thank you for the creative nature shares. They enjoyed the wonderful things that are handmade: handknit scarves, gloves, potholders, and the full belly pot they made in art earlier this year.  Next week’s share: something that represents their family or what/who they want to be when they grow up.

Math:  We continue to work in our Spring Math Journals and work in our Numbers 1-20 Book.  We are learning about number sentences and how to represent numbers using pictures, tallies and numbers. 

The focus on numbers greater than ten is the concept of  “teen.” That being a bundle of 10 and a number less than 10 that is left over. They are working hard to finish these books and will be bringing them home as they complete them. 

Centers:  Our centers this week have included a variety of phonemic and phonics activities with rhyming puzzles as well as sorting words that are made with ee and ea. They continue to work on their colored pencil cases and use this valuable time to work in small groups. 

ELA:  We completed our fourth and final ELA spring assessment: Narrative Writing.  We read a short story thinking about the elements of beginning, middle and end,  then they wrote their own story thinking about those elements.  At their age of development their ability to tell a story greatly outweighs their ability to write a story. You can practice at home by relating to them at dinner what you did during the day. Then have them tell a story about their day.  Focus on the people in the story, and the sequence of events.  This will help them develop the concept of sequence. They also drew pictures to support their writing. 

Writing Works! 

CALENDAR:

• Group Snack: This week’s healthy snacks were provided Kerridwyn’s family.  The children enjoyed refreshing and fun healthy snacks: strawberries and yogurt, oranges, Tate’s family will be providing our healthy snack next week. 
• Future Snack Weeks:   Keira’s family the week of 6/3 and Chance’s family the week of 6/10.  THANK YOU ALL AGAIN for all your delicious and healthy snack contributions throughout the year. 
• Wednesday, May 29th - Early release at noon

• Wed. May 29th: Parent Appreciation Concert-children should be in the classroom by 6:15 PM
• PTSF 4th Annual Book Swap:  Please donate your gently used children’s and young adult books.  We are accepting used books until May 29th for the Book Swap. The swap will be held on Thursday, May 30. The children will all come home with one or two books. Book Swap books are priceless in more ways than one. Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students! 
• Our classroom buddy George went home with Kerridwyn during the week.   The children seem to really enjoy their house guest! Thank you for taking such good care of our classroom friend! 
• Kindergarten End-Of-Year Celebration:  Tentatively scheduled in our classroom for June 13th (1/2 day of school).  Time TBD. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar 

Conner and his mom Lori enjoying a snack with others on the field trip.

Lucia on "her" trail at her Grandma "Mita's" property. 

To view online: go to mrsbodnarskindergarten.blogspot.com/      

Week #32: May 13-17, 2013

Maeve and Lucia make some creative fun with Cuisenaire Rods.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

Spring fever has erupted with the excitement of warm weather. Although we were awarded with the Certificate of Achievement last week, this week has been more challenging.  I have been emphasizing first grade expectations -- quiet bodies, quiet hands and quiet mouths.  Having said that we are also doing a lot of movement activities, and having extra recess time.  Our jump rope participants are fast becoming experts. Some of us have reached above 30 jumps! Great job! 

Bizzy Bee reminds us online on our website with Kindness Tip #2: we should offer to help our friends if they need help instead of running past them on the way to recess.  She also congratulates Keira on her Writing Award from Vermont Public Television! 

Los estudiantes juegan con los numeros.
(The students play with numbers.)

Cross Curriculum: Science, Math & Language Arts 

We are finishing up our plants unit, learning about the lifecycle of plants and what plants need to grow big and strong. We made connections to ourselves and what we need to grow big and strong.  We compared how we are alike and how we are different from plants. 

Share:  Thank you for the creative nature shares. They enjoyed the wonderful things from nature: flowers, shells, gems and rocks. Next week’s share: something that is handmade.

Math:  We continue to work in our Spring Math Journals and work in our Numbers 1-20 Book.  As we work in our Numbers Book we are learning about how to group numbers together and how to bond numbers together to make bigger numbers. For instance: 8 is made with a group of 5 and a group of 3, and 17 is made witha  group of ten and a group of 7. 

Centers:  We continued working in our centers from last week.  We also started reading in groups. These books we read at school do not go home, but please continue working with your children to read with them their sight words and small books and please continue to read to them.  Continuing those activities will be important as they develop an understanding of stories as well as learn to read. They have made a lot of progress throughout the year.  They should be very proud of their accomplishments!

Spanish: Senora has been working hard to teach the children fun songs, numbers, colors, ani,mal names and more! Mucas gracias senora!

ELA:  We completed our third ELA spring assessment: Informational Writing.  They read a book called Trees and chose one fact they learned. They also drew a picture to support their writing. 

Ms. Hill reads aloud during library class. 

CALENDAR:

• Group Snack: This week’s healthy snacks were provided Maeve’s family.  The children enjoyed wonderfully healthy snacks:   Annie’s Cheese Crackers and Graham cracker bunny cookies, Vanilla Greek Yogurt with straweberries and berry applesauce.  Kerridwyn’s family will be providing our healthy snack next week. 
• Future Snack Weeks:  Tate’s family is providing snack the week of 5/27.  Keira’s family the week of 6/3 and Chance’s family the week of 6/10.
• Sunday, May 19th: Carol Witherington is retiring. If you would like to wish her well meet at the Rec. this Sunday, May 19,  from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.
• Tuesday, May 21st come meet the candidates for our new principal 
• Wednesday, May 29th - Early release at noon..
• Wed. May 29th: Parent Appreciation Concert-children should be in the classroom by 6:15PM
• PTSF 4th Annual Book Swap:  Please donate your gently used children’s and young adult books.  We are accepting used books until May 29th for the Book Swap. The swap will be held on Thursday, May 30. The children will all come home with one or two books. Book Swap books are priceless in more ways than one. Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students! 
• Our classroom buddy George went home with Tanner during the week.   The children seem to really enjoy their house guest! Thank you for taking such good care of our classroom friend! 
• Kindergarten End-Of-Year Celebration:  Tentatively scheduled in our classroom for June 13th (1/2 day of school). 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar 

To view online: go to mrsbodnarskindergarten.blogspot.com/      

Week #31: May 6-10, 2013

Mr. D. presents us with a Certificate of Achievement

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

What a difference the warm weather makes! We have been enjoying our recesses like never before and we even were able to get outside for an impromptu walking field trip on Wednesday to the “17-Acre Wood Trail” behind the school.   This is the trail that Micah Heaney and the Conservation Commission built last year.   The trails are recently raked and offer a wonderful opportunity to explore our natural surroundings.  The children are making great strides towards our end of year goals -- academically, socially and emotionally.   They are becoming better listeners with the exception of intermittent uncontrolled jubiliation that spring usually brings -- they are right on track. I am very proud of their efforts.  Mr. Driscoll is also very impressed with their progress and on Tuesday awarded the class with a Certificate of Achievement that he reserves only for the very best.  He said it was their very best day and he has seen considerable growth over the past several months. I hope to see their efforts continue moving forward in the final weeks of the year.  Great job Kinder Bees!  

I’d like to also point you to our new classroom web mascot online.  “Bizzy Bee”  is an animated mascot -- you will find her in the right hand column on the web page.  She will offer online tips to help our students make smart choices and great ideas for being helpful and kind.  She will try to be current and up to date to highlight upcoming news and events for the class. I introduced the class to Bizzy Bee on Thursday and they should be able to help you find her on the page. Just click the “Play” button to hear her talk. 

Maeve and Tanner add details to their drawings. 

Cross Curriculum: Science, Math & Language Arts 

We are currently working on the lifecycle of plants, making connections to living things, and learning more about what living things need.  They will also be learning about the parts of a plant, and seeds. This week they sorted seeds and graphed them. 

Share:  Thank you for the creative /ch/ share sounds. They enjoyed seeing little toy/stuffed chickens, learning the french word for hat “chapeau,” charge cards, and a chain.  Next week’s share will be something related to springtime: plants, flowers, gardens to connect to our science unit.   Our Farm to Garden Coordinator, Kelly Meacham will be teaching a lesson on spinach later today. 

Math:  We continue to work in our Spring Math Journals.   This week’s math journal question asked the children to consider how many wings on a butterfly and then to determine how many wings altogether on 3 butterflies. numbers.  They also had to create an ABB pattern by coloring a series of caterpillars. 

Tate stitches his colored pencil case

Centers:  Our activity centers included Cuisenaire blocks,  Rhyming puzzles, Stitching their colored pencil cases, and plant lifecycle booklets.  The children are really enjoying the opportunity to make their felt pencil cases.  As a reward for completing their Jolly Phonics workbooks, they choose a felt square color, embroidery thread and a button. They are working hard to complete their cases and then once completed are awarded a new box of colored pencils. 

ELA:  We completed our second ELA spring assessment: Opinion Writing.  We read The Little Red Hen. They chose their favorite character and then wrote why.  They did an outstanding job attending to this challenging task. Great job!  Please have your child read their Home to School Journals this weekend.  They can add any fun things they did on a new page. Thank you! 

CALENDAR:

• Group Snack: This week’s healthy snacks were provided Morgan’s family.  The children enjoyed heatlhy homemade muffins, pretzels, Goldfish, and applesauce! Thank you! Maeve’s family will be providing our healthy snack next week. 
• Future Snack Weeks:  Kerridwyn’s family the week of 5/20, and Tate’s family week of 5/27. We are still looking for snack donations for the weeks of 6/3 and 6/10. 
• Next Friday, May 17th, Mrs. White and I are planning another seasonal field trip (spring/summer) to her property. We are planning to leave at 12:30pm and will return by 2:00pm. We are tying in the ELF curriculum on frogs and ponds. If you would like to chaperone, please let me know! Thank you! 
• PTSF 4th Annual Book Swap:  Please donate your gently used children’s and young adult books.  I am accepting used books until May 29th for the Book Swap. The swap will be held on Thursday, May 30. The children will all come home with one or two books. Book Swap books are priceless in more ways than one. Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students! 
• Our classroom buddy George went home with Conner during the week.   We continue to enjoy hearing about all the fun he has when he travels to your homes.  Thank you for taking such good care of our classroom friend! 
• Carol Witherington is retiring. If you would like to wish her well meet at the Rec. on Sunday, May 19,  from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. 
• Tuesday, May 28th: Parent Appreciation Concert: Grades K-5, 6:30pm. Student’s should arrive to our classroom by 6:20 PM. We will walk to the assembly and sit together. As with the Winter concert children should remain seated with our class and will walk back to our classroom to be picked up. 
• Kindergarten End-Of-Year Celebration:  Tentatively scheduled in our classroom for June 13th (1/2 day of school). 
• If you haven't clicked on Artsonia in the right-hand column yet this year, please do. You will be brought to a website that shows a selection your student's work in artclass for the year. You can search using your child's first name or you can scroll through the class. Both Mrs. White's and my class are grouped together. Enjoy the beautiful artwork! 
• P.S. Mother's Day gifts are tucked in the left hand side of the folder (A paper tulip card with hand made gift tucked inside.) The story: In the heart of the seed... is also part of the gift. I struggled with how to have them wrapped. We hope you enjoy!)

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar 

To view online: go to mrsbodnarskindergarten.blogspot.com/      

Week #30: April 29, 2013

Paige Jumps High!

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS  

I have introduced new circle songs and games for our morning meeting. It involves the opportunity for them to follow directions and allows for them to be moving safely, cooperating with each other, and learning poems and songs. The theme this week is spring as we sing a song about a little flower seed.  We are learning a hand game, “Peas, Porridge Hot, Peas, Porridge, Cold” and another “Pitty, Patty, Polt.” It is great to hear their giggles and see them concentrate on these rhythmic movements. At recess they are becoming quite the jump ropers as well!  

Lucia and Morgan work together to plant
perennial flowers in the corner of the yard. 

Cross Curriculum: Science & Language Arts 

We continue to make more connections to the water cycle with the introduction of the life cycle of plants.  The children are enjoying the opportunity to dig  along the fence line and re-plant some of the perennials from the garden bed that were dug up last fall.  The red wheelbarrow that was given to the kindergarten classes from Farm to School has been getting a lot of action!  As a connection to Earth Day and the upcoming 

Vermont Green Up Day this Saturday, (see Calendar Notes for more information) we have been reading a number of wonderful books.  As a writing response to these books they wrote a sentence about how they can take care of Mother Earth and illustrated it.  Mrs. White and I will display them in Damon Hall this Saturday for viewing when volunteers gather for lunch at 11:30am. 

Share:  This week’s shares were from Nature. We were treated to some forsythia and a deer skull and rack. Next week please have your child bring in something that begins with the sound /Rec./ or /ch/. 

Math:  We continue to work in our Math Journals working as a whole group to read a problem, and offer different ways to solve the problems. Then they work independently to solve the problem and show their thinking. I recently made new number writing books to give them more practice understanding the number concepts of 0-20.  Not only is the goal to master the writing of numerals correctly, but also  understand the concept of ten and teen numbers.  This involves place value and understanding that the numbers 11-20 involve a bundle of ten and ones left over.  

Chance works hard to illustrate
and write a sentence. 

Centers:  Our activity centers included a writing center, sentence puzzles, sewing our their colored pencil cases, and 

ELA:  As a follow up to our fall English Language Arts assessments, we completed our first language spring assessment. They did an outstanding job attending to the task and doing their best work. 

CALENDAR:

Tate is quite a jumper! 

• Green Up Day:  Damon Hall, Singing with Mrs. White’s Class at 11:30 and viewing our writing and artwork. 
• Group Snack: This week’s healthy snacks were provided Lucia’s family.  The children enjoyed bananas, Cheese-its, cheddar cheese and Ritz Crackers, Pretzels, Grapes, Apples and more.  Thank you!  Morgan’s family will be providing our healthy snack next week. 
• Snack Sign Up Needed: We will have 5 weeks left of school and will need more families to sign up for one more week. Please let me know if you can sign up for  the following weeks:  May 6, 13, 20, 27,
  June 3 and 10. 
• PTSF 4th Annual Book Swap:  Please donate your gently used children’s and young adult books.  I am accepting used books until May 29th for the Book Swap. The swap will be held on Thursday, May 30. The children will all come home with one or two books. Book Swap books are priceless in more ways than one. Thank you for putting more books into the hands of students!
  
• Our classroom buddy George went home with Paige during the week.   We enjoyed hearing about all of his adventures!  Thank you for taking such good care of our classroom friend! 
• Carol Witherington is retiring. If you would like to wish her well meet at the Rec. on Sunday, May 19,  from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. 
• Tuesday, May 28th: Parent Appreciation Concert: Grades K-5, 6:30pm. Student’s should arrive to our classroom by 6:20 PM. We will walk to the assembly and sit together. As with the Winter concert children should remain seated with our class and will walk back to our classroom to be picked up. 
• Kindergarten End-Of-Year Celebration:  Tentatively scheduled in our classroom for June 13th (1/2 day of school). 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Bodnar