Welcome to Kindergarten!

I want to Welcome you all to my Classroom Blog.  I will be updating my blog weekly to inform you about all that happening in the classroom.  I typically update over the weekend, so please check the blog site Sunday evening for any updates.  Occasionally I may post an announcement of reminder during the week, so I suggest you check in regularly throughout the week as well.

Our first week of the school year was HOT and long!  I'm sure your little ones were all exhausted when they got home.  As we adjust to the new routines of school, this will improve.  During our first week we began establishing classroom routines and expectations.  Students learned about the letter Tt and the number 1.  In doing so, we learned how to do math stations (rotating from one activity to the next), and we met Echo the Owl (puppet) who will help us learn our letters and sounds.   Slowly, we will be adding to these routiness

Students also did guided discovery with pattern blocks and crayons.  During guided discover students are free to discover various ways to use the various materials in our classroom and how to take care of them. 

We read the book The Kissing Hand, and students shared how they felt on their first day of school.  We also read The Little Engine that Could.  We talked about how sometimes things are hard, but when we work hard and practice things, we accomplish new things.  This helps lay the foundation for one of our scholarly habit (Perseverance).  Students wrote and drew something they are proud they can do and these are displayed in the hall on our I Can ...train.

Next week we will be continuing some guided discovery and will build more routines into our day, such as: signing-in each morning, calendar,  signing up activities during Explore (play) time, and practicing working independently.  By slowly building these routines and being explicit in teaching the expectation, students will have much more success throughout the year. 

This week we practiced our first Fire Drill and Clear the Halls Drills.  The children did wonderfully with both drills.  Some children were worried about the fire drill and the sound it would make, but during the drill the children did very well.  They were quick to line up and evacuate the building.  Many children covered their ears, but no one cried or appeared scared during the drill.

Before the Clear the Halls Drill, I read the book We're Not Scared, We're Prepared.  The book was provided by the school district to help us prepare our students for this type of drill, and is age appropriate for our youngest students.  I only read select parts of the story which would pertain to our drill.  For now students are only hiding in their classroom during these drills.  Sometime later in the year, we may practice evacuating the room and going into the woods, but for now we are just hiding in the classroom.  The only difference in what we have done in the past is that we now have children hide around the room rather than in one clump together in the corner.  We practice this ahead of time and students have a designated spot to hide where they will go every time.  During the teaching of this drill, we learn that we are becoming prepared in the event there is a "dangerous someone" or "dangerous something" in the building.  We did not discuss what the dangerous someone or something could be and no one asked, so we did not go into any detail.  After practicing the drill in the morning, the children were remarkably calm and unconcerned.  They actually appeared more worried about the fire drill.  See the link below for more information about the book We're Not Scared, We're Prepared.

https://alicetraining.myshopify.com/products/copy-of-2-book-set-im-not-scared-im-prepared-im-not-scared-activity-idea-book

Lastly,  Your child brought home a folder on Tuesday and again on Thursday this week.  This is their Friday Folder.  It will go home at the end of each week and will contain your child's school work and any announcements or notices from the school including a monthly calendar and lunch menu.  Please read through the contents of the folder and go over school work with your child.  Return the folder on Monday. 

In your folder, I included a reading log and Family Fun Calendar.   I will try to send these home each month.  These are optional for students.  I do not require students to do daily homework, as I really feel students work hard enough at school all day, and research shows there is no added benefit to doing homework in primary grades. These suggested ideas are intended to be fun, family centered activities.  I encourage you to read to your children daily and as they become readers, have them read to you!   Play board games and card games with your children and enjoy spending time together.  This will benefit your child the most.