Newsletter January 2008 Kindergarden

SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you to our parents who chaperoned our trip to Staten Island Children’s Museum. It was great to share the experience with you.

LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE LEARNING THIS MONTH

Reading Workshop – The children will be reading “Just Right Books.” The children will be learning the following strategies:

1. Directionality

2. Holding ideas in our minds from page to page

3. How to find just right books at their level

4. Thinking about the book before they read. “What might this book be about?”

5. One-to-one matching by pointing under the words and labels in our books.

Writing Workshop – The children will be learning that writers write for many purposes. They will be writing lists and letters. The children will be learning to use the following strategies:

1. Stretching out all letters and sounds.

2. Rereading their stories

3. Labeling pictures

4. Checking the word wall for high frequency words.

5. Working with a partner to make their stories more readable.

Math – The children will be making and analyzing a bar graph, introducing addition and subtraction symbols, reinforcing and extending counting and numeral recognition, measuring and estimation, pobability and the introduction of attribute blocks.

Science – We will be studying ocean life. The children will be noticing the similarities and differences among sea animals. We will discuss the basic needs of these animals, their physical characteristics and their offspring.

Social Studies – we will continue our discussion of families. Please send in a family photo. Family photos are due on January 31, 2008.

SCHOOL CLOSED

School is closed on January 21^st.

TRIPS

January 18^th – Puppetworks. The cost is $4.00

February 6^th – Kingsborough Community College Theater. The cost is $6.00.

Parents are welcome to accompany us to the Puppetworks. Please see your child’s teacher if you are interested in chaperoning.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Please send your child to school with a healthy snack every day.

Folders should be brought to school daily as it a means of communication between school and home.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU

On the First Friday in January the children will be sharing the stories they published in writing workshop. Join us for our writing celebration

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

K-102

Bryanna – January 24^th

K-104

Joshua – January 1^st

Aurora – January 24^th

K-106

Melany – January 17^th

Niya – January 21^st

We will begin our 10-week residency with Making Books Sing.

On January 15, 2008 Liz Laehy from Making Friends will be visiting the Kindergarten classes. She will be talking to the children about people with disabilities and special needs.