Most Recent Month: November 2009
Previous newsletters are located behind the current month's newsletter
for reference
November Newsletter
2009
Some important dates to write down on your calendars are:
November 10 Boosterthon Fun Run Pep Rally
November 13 Class Native American Pow Wow
November 18 S.S. Play/Early Release Day
November 19 Boosterthon Fun Run
November 20 Thanksgiving Feast 9:00am
November 24 Slip Into Reading Day
November 25 Thanksgiving Holiday Break begins
Recess Notes:
Parents please make sure that your child has a coat or a sweatshirt for recess. Many children are coming in without jackets or sweaters and it’s getting chilly outside. Please make sure that your child is able to zip or button his/her coat. If they do not know how to do this, please spend some time helping them to acquire this skill. Also, many jackets and sweaters do not have names on them and are not being claimed by students when I hold them up. These jackets/sweaters can be located at our lost and found (by the cafeteria).
Science/Social Studies: This month, we will start two exciting units entitled “Veterans Day and Thanksgiving”The Veterans Day unit covers how and why we celebrate Veterans Day and the Thanksgiving unit explores different Native American tribes with their customs along with many exciting projects. We will also discuss Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims’ journey to America and their experiences in their new homeland. We will also have a Native American Pow Wow this month to celebrate our Native Americans. It is a fun filled event with many hand-on projects dealing with Native Americans.
Mathematics: We will be starting a unit about patterning. We will be exploring patterns, both at home as well as in the classroom. Our GPS unit is unit #4 and the essential questions are: (MKG1a), “How can you complete a pattern when a shape is missing?” (MKG3a),”How would you continue a pattern?”, “How can patterns be alike?”
Language Arts: We are diligently working on letter sounds, beginning and ending sounds, and rhyming sounds. The children are also learning reading strategies such as predicting what will happen next, sequencing a story, summarizing a story and explaining the beginning, middle and ending of stories. We are writing words and sentences as well. Our red birds have started more advanced reading material which presents a real challenge to them as well as answering some comprehension questions in complete sentences. We have covered the following letters so far this year: Mm, Ss,
Rr, Tt, Cc, Pp, Aa, Nn, Dd, Gg and Ff. Please make sure that your child is very familiar with these letters and the sounds of these letters. We have also covered the following sight words: “a,” “my,” “red”, “blue”, ”yellow”, “the,” “I,” “like,””and”, “away”, “go,” “we,” “on,” and “to.” In addition to covering GKAP sight words, we have a “Magic Word of the
Week” It is located in the “Magic Book” at our writing center. The children have fun using this word in a picture /sentence at our writing center.
Boosterthon Fun Run: This is a great fund raiser for our school! The students get pledges from family and friends and every student participates!! They run a race, count laps their individual laps, and record the amount of laps that they race. The money raised goes directly to the classroom for the students!! The children have a ball!!
Thanksgiving Feast: Our Thanksgiving Feast is set for Friday, November 20 from 9:00-10am. Please have your child wear a white shirt/blouse and dark blue or black slacks/skirt. They will be wearing Pilgrim hats and collars. event. This event will be held in the cafeteria this year. You will be receiving a note, in Thursday papers, about what to bring to the holiday feast Please include serving utensils and make sure that the item is in a bowl or on a plate ready to be served Please return the bottom portion of the paper as soon as possible. This will enable all of us to start planning the event.
Slip Into Reading Day: Our school-wide reading day is on Tuesday, November 24th. The children may wear their pajamas to school. Our theme this year is Dr. Seuss and we are asking each child to bring in two brightly colored/printed socks to display on our clothesline. You will get the socks returned to you so please have the child’s name on each sock. Parents and relatives will be coming in throughout the day to read to the class. Parents and relatives who are coming to read are welcome to wear your “jammies” and join the fun!! If you or a visiting relative wish to read to the class, please notify Mrs.McGinnis.It s also a P.E. day, the children must wear sneakers to school and not slippers.
Slip Into Reading Friendship Snack: On our special day, we would like to make a special snack. Please send in approximately two cups of your favorite finger food snack. The snacks will be mixed together to make our “friendship” snack. (Suggestions include: M&Ms, popcorn, peanuts, assorted cereals, raisins, fruit snacks, etc.)
Thank You: Many Thanks to all of the dedicated parents who are making this year a wonderful success. We really appreciate your time and your efforts.
Thank you...for everything!!
Mrs. McGinnis
Mrs. Miranda
Previous Newsletters (for reference)
September 2009
Dear Par Dear Parents,
We are off to a great start! Thank you to our wonderful CAT team, lead by Jen Finkelstein, who has already put together great volunteer calendars. Your volunteer work in the classroom (reading, special projects, computer, helping with bulletin boards, distributing the weekly papers, doing projects from the parent work bin) greatly enriches the classroom. Parent volunteer work also sets an important example for the children. It emphasizes to the children that you feel school is important and worthwhile. I also appreciate everyone who was able to attend Sneak Peek and Curriculum Night. Thank you for coming.
Please note that conferences will be coming up in October. Many parents signed up for a conference time during Curriculum Night. For parents who did not sign up during Curriculum Night, I will be contacting you this week to set up a conference time. If you need to speak with me before then, e-mail is the best way
to contact me. I will be glad to give you a call back. Also, please do not make dismissal changes by e-mail; rather, send a signed, dated note in your child’s daily folder or call the front office.
CURRICULUM NEWS
Language Arts: The children have been enjoying the “wonderful word” posters.
They were excited to discover that they could read so many environmental words.
The posters were shared for all to enjoy! Their presentations of
these posters were wonderful.
We are now working in small groups. The children rotate between their reading groups with me, working with Mrs. Miranda, and their independent centers.. The class also receives whole group instruction on reading strategies and phonemic awareness skills every day. The children are given ongoing instruction in handwriting, vocabulary, and language. The past two weeks we have focused on basic strokes in handwriting, rhyming words, learning to recognize a letter, word and sentence. We are learning to put "finger spaces" between words. The children have been introduced to action words and describing words. The children have also been clapping out syllables in words. We have introduced the letters /m/, /s/ and our first word /a/. The children are excited to be reading their first books.
Social Studies: We have finished our first Social Studies unit, Where We Live. The children learned we live on the planet earth, in the United States of America, in the State of Georgia, and in the town of Alpharetta They learned their street address and phone number through a lesson with the book entitled “Corduroy” and how to
map a simple room using our classroom as an example. The children really enjoyed looking at a room with a “bird’s eye view!” We also learned the purpose for school rules. The maps of their bedrooms were fantastic and the students enjoyed sharing their pictures with the class. Look for the Social Studies Performance Assessment for this unit included with Thursday papers. The children created a map of our classroom! This was challenging and they really rose to the occasion! It is very important that the children learn their telephone numbers and addresses. This is a tested skill on the upcoming report card as well as an important safety issue!!
Our next Social Studies unit is called Observing Labor Day. The students will learn the reason why we celebrate this holiday-to honor our workers. The children have learned the purpose of national holidays and all about how working people contribute to our community. They will learn that we need money to pay goods and services. They will learn the difference between needs and wants. You will be receiving a letter shortly to have your child think about what job he/she would like to be later in life and how it could help the community. The letter is asking you to send in you child with a few ”props” about his/her future profession and to share with the class.
Science: Our Science unit in September will be Physical Properties. The children will explore physical items in our world using many “hands on” activities!! We will be asking you to make “feely boxes “ soon to help with this unit.
Math: We have completed our study of relational words and have begun counting sets. The students are comparing sets to see if one set is more than, less than, or equal to the members in the second set. We will begin writing numbers 1 through 10 as well as the respective number words. Soon we will write the numbers 11 through 20. A unit on length and capacity is just around the corner. We will compare lengths of objects and explore the capacity of particular objects. Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s is continuously practiced. We are looking forward to some upcoming math days in “Pumpkin Math,” and “Harvest Treats Math” in October.
Computer lab: Our lab is scheduled for Wednesdays from 12:05 to 12:35 every week. We will use the lab for learning basic computer skills, math concepts, doing writing and phonics activities and learning many educational programs. Computer lab for Kindergarten starts at the beginning of October. We will be looking for a few parents to help supervise the children in the lab especially at the beginning of the year when they are “new learners”!
Specials Schedule:
Here is our schedule for specialists:
Monday: Art
Tuesday: P.E.
Wednesday interactive centers/guidance
Thursday P.E.
Friday Music
*Please wear tennis shoes on P.E. days.
A few practical reminders:
1) Thursday papers: For those of you who were not able to attend Curriculum Night, please be aware that the stapled papers which come home on Thursdays with the behavior report attached are to be signed and returned the following day (with the papers still stapled to the behavior report.) These papers are kept as part of your child’s academic file. We appreciate your help with this.
2) Classroom Snacks: Please note that we have children with allergies in the classroom. If you bring a birthday treat for your child to the lunchroom, please check with the lunchroom assistant. The children involved will bring their own special treats.
3) Names please: Please label all outwear, lunchboxes,and backpacks clearly. This is a great help to us. Please package snacks separately from lunch or label them clearly. It is sometimes hard to tell a deluxe snack from a lunch.
4) Lunch: Our lunch is from 11:28 to 11:58. You are welcome to join your child for lunch. Please meet us at the cafeteria. Please stop first at the front office so you may sign in and get a “Visitor” badge. You are also welcome to come up for breakfast from 7:20 to 7:50 a.m.
5) Discipline: We appreciate your support regarding discipline. We provide
positive reinforcement for good behavior as well as consequences for
unacceptable behavior. A time out during the week will result in an N or Needs
Improvement on the weekly behavior report. Note that hallway, lunchroom and
behavior at specialists also counts! We hope you will praise your children for
behavior and discuss areas that need improvement.
IMPORTANT DATES!!
Sept. 4th Picture Day
Sept.16th Early Release day
Sept. 18th Scarecrow Day
Sept. 25 Chick-Fil-A Nugget Party ( We won the most participants!!)
We look forward to a wonderful year. Kindergarten is a magical time for children.
You will be amazed at how your child will grow academically and socially. Most importantly, you will be amazed at his or her desire to learn. We will keep the class a safe, loving and nurturing environment for your child. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns.
Mrs. McGinnis
Mrs. Miranda
2009
Dear Parents,
Welcome to autumn everyone! Doesn’t this brisk fall air feel great?
The weather is getting cooler and we hope the leaves will soon start turning. We are planning and prepping many fun fall projects!
Important dates in October!
Oct.1 Spirit Day Oct 22 Report cards
Oct.6 Book Fair Preview Day Oct 26 Red Ribbon Week
Oct.9 Teacher Work Day Oct 28 Harvest Graphing
Oct.13 Book Fair Buying Time (12:30) Oct 29 Pumpkin Math
Oct.14 Early Release Day/Vocabulary Parade and Picnic
(Parents Invited!!)
Book Fair:
We will soon have a book fair here at New Prospect. It will be located in our Media Center with all sorts of wonderful books for every age level. Our time slot for previewing books is on October 6th at 12:00 p.m. Our time slot for buying books will be on October 13th at 12:30 p.m. You are welcome to come at this time to assist your child with his or her purchase. If your child wishes to purchase any books, they must have their money in an envelope with their name on it (include the list of selected books if possible) by Oct.13th. This isthe only time that we will visiting the book fair as a class to purchase books. Book purchases are, of course, not mandatory. Each teacher will also have a “wish list” assembled if you choose to make a selection and donate it to the classroom.
Class library Visits:
We have had our first visit to the Media Center with a wonderful story and lesson about books by our media specialist, Mrs. Range. We will
be going to the library on Wednesdays in the AM, when we do not have specials. Please make sure that the children have their books to be returned with them by Wednesday. You cannot get a new book unless you bring back your old one! You can bring it back earlier and keep it in your cubby until Wednesday. We are looking for parents who can volunteer on Wednesdays to bring small groups of students to the library at 8:30-9:00am.
VOCABULARY PARADE: Our Vocabulary Parade will be held on the morning of Wed. October 14th on the school grounds. You are invited to come and watch the parade as we march outside the school along the front circular drive. The children will look adorable in their “word” outfits!!
This year we are having a picnic following the parade and you are invited to come to eat with us. We ask you to please not bring outside food in and purchase a sack lunch here at school, if possible.
As Halloween approaches, please be aware of our school policy involving Halloween celebrations. I would like to ask the parents not to send their children in with costumes on, or to send any candy bags in to school. We will focus on fall in a variety of fun and creative ways without celebrating Halloween.
Have a wonderful and safe autumn season!!
Mrs. McGinnis and Mrs. Miranda
November Newsletter
2009
Some important dates to write down on your calendars are:
November 10 Boosterthon Fun Run Pep Rally
November 13 Class Native American Pow Wow
November 18 S.S. Play/Early Release Day
November 19 Boosterthon Fun Run
November 20 Thanksgiving Feast 9:00am
November 24 Slip Into Reading Day
November 25 Thanksgiving Holiday Break begins
Recess Notes:
Parents please make sure that your child has a coat or a sweatshirt for recess. Many children are coming in without jackets or sweaters and it’s getting chilly outside. Please make sure that your child is able to zip or button his/her coat. If they do not know how to do this, please spend some time helping them to acquire this skill. Also, many jackets and sweaters do not have names on them and are not being claimed by students when I hold them up. These jackets/sweaters can be located at our lost and found (by the cafeteria).
Science/Social Studies: This month, we will start two exciting units entitled “Veterans Day and Thanksgiving”The Veterans Day unit covers how and why we celebrate Veterans Day and the Thanksgiving unit explores different Native American tribes with their customs along with many exciting projects. We will also discuss Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims’ journey to America and their experiences in their new homeland. We will also have a Native American Pow Wow this month to celebrate our Native Americans. It is a fun filled event with many hand-on projects dealing with Native Americans.
Mathematics: We will be starting a unit about patterning. We will be exploring patterns, both at home as well as in the classroom. Our GPS unit is unit #4 and the essential questions are: (MKG1a), “How can you complete a pattern when a shape is missing?” (MKG3a),”How would you continue a pattern?”, “How can patterns be alike?”
Language Arts: We are diligently working on letter sounds, beginning and ending sounds, and rhyming sounds. The children are also learning reading strategies such as predicting what will happen next, sequencing a story, summarizing a story and explaining the beginning, middle and ending of stories. We are writing words and sentences as well. Our red birds have started more advanced reading material which presents a real challenge to them as well as answering some comprehension questions in complete sentences. We have covered the following letters so far this year: Mm, Ss,
Rr, Tt, Cc, Pp, Aa, Nn, Dd, Gg and Ff. Please make sure that your child is very familiar with these letters and the sounds of these letters. We have also covered the following sight words: “a,” “my,” “red”, “blue”, ”yellow”, “the,” “I,” “like,””and”, “away”, “go,” “we,” “on,” and “to.” In addition to covering GKAP sight words, we have a “Magic Word of the
Week” It is located in the “Magic Book” at our writing center. The children have fun using this word in a picture /sentence at our writing center.
Boosterthon Fun Run: This is a great fund raiser for our school! The students get pledges from family and friends and every student participates!! They run a race, count laps their individual laps, and record the amount of laps that they race. The money raised goes directly to the classroom for the students!! The children have a ball!!
Thanksgiving Feast: Our Thanksgiving Feast is set for Friday, November 20 from 9:00-10am. Please have your child wear a white shirt/blouse and dark blue or black slacks/skirt. They will be wearing Pilgrim hats and collars. event. This event will be held in the cafeteria this year. You will be receiving a note, in Thursday papers, about what to bring to the holiday feast Please include serving utensils and make sure that the item is in a bowl or on a plate ready to be served Please return the bottom portion of the paper as soon as possible. This will enable all of us to start planning the event.
Slip Into Reading Day: Our school-wide reading day is on Tuesday, November 24th. The children may wear their pajamas to school. Our theme this year is Dr. Seuss and we are asking each child to bring in two brightly colored/printed socks to display on our clothesline. You will get the socks returned to you so please have the child’s name on each sock. Parents and relatives will be coming in throughout the day to read to the class. Parents and relatives who are coming to read are welcome to wear your “jammies” and join the fun!! If you or a visiting relative wish to read to the class, please notify Mrs.McGinnis.It s also a P.E. day, the children must wear sneakers to school and not slippers.
Slip Into Reading Friendship Snack: On our special day, we would like to make a special snack. Please send in approximately two cups of your favorite finger food snack. The snacks will be mixed together to make our “friendship” snack. (Suggestions include: M&Ms, popcorn, peanuts, assorted cereals, raisins, fruit snacks, etc.)
Thank You: Many Thanks to all of the dedicated parents who are making this year a wonderful success. We really appreciate your time and your efforts.
Thank you...for everything!!
Mrs. McGinnis
Mrs. Miranda