Good-Bye, Kindergarten...You're Movin' On to First Grade!

Thank you for coming to our Musical, I Like School! The students did a great job learning and performing the songs!  We hope you enjoyed it.

As we said at the Musical, thank you for entrusting your children with us this year!  We have enjoyed working with them and have been delighted with all the progress they made.  Please enjoy the poem below and the growth of a flower represents your children's growth.


I've worked with your flower,
And helped it to grow.
I'm returning it now,
But I want you to know...

This flower is precious
As dear as can be
Love it...take care of it
And you will see
A bright new bloom with everyday
It grows in such a special way.

In September...a bud,
Mid year...a bloom:
Now...a lovely blossom
Comes home to you in June.

Remember this flower
As dear as can be,
Though rightfully yours...
Part...belongs to me!

Thanks and Good-bye!
Mrs. Nygaard & Mrs. Rossitti

Save the Date

You won't want to miss our end of the year Kindergarten Musical!  So please add this date, Thursday, June 2nd to your calendar.  The Musical will be at the end of the day, 2:50, approximately, in our school gym.  Parents, grandparents and other special guests are invited to attend.  A invitation will come home sometime in May.

Fun with Volunteers

Thank you to the many parent/grandparent volunteers that have come on Field Trips with us or help in our classes! We so appreciate the time you have given which helps our classrooms run more smoothly!

This month, we have been fortunate to have Junior Achievement and Read-it, Plant-it come to our classes as well.  Mrs. Rossetti's class had Mrs. Schneider, and Mrs. Nygaard's class had Mrs. Nevers for Junior Achievement.  For JA, students have learned about money, trading, earning money and saving money too.  Thank you Mrs. Schneider and Mrs. Nevers for coming to teach Junior Achievement to our classes.

We also had a program called, I believe, Read-it, Plant-it come.  This was sponsored by the United Way.  Our business partner was J & D Tube Benders, Inc.  Several volunteers from J & D Tube Benders came to our classes.  They read us a book (which we each got a copy of) and planted seeds in a glove with us.  Our seeds sprouted, and this week we planted them.   Soon we will bring them home.  We hope to plant some of the pea and bean plants in our school garden as well.  Thank you J& D Tube Benders for coming to our classrooms with books and supplies for planting.  The pictures below are from our planting experience.

 

 

Science Fun

Tearing the paper

Shaking to make paper mush

Pressing out the water

In Science, we have been learning about paper.  We found out that paper comes from trees, and learned how it is made.  Students had fun making their own paper using toilet paper (clean of course, :)), and water.  To make it, students tore the paper in little pieces and put it in a small bottle.  After water was added to the bottle, students enjoyed shaking it until the paper turned to mush.  Then, they poured the mixture onto a screen and gently pushed out the excess water.  Once the paper dried, students could decorate it.

After Spring Break, the kindergartners will be learning about Living Organism.  They will be excited to tell you what living organism we have in our classrooms to observe and take care of.

Superkids Club

Students have enjoyed becoming better readers.  The Superkids now have a club and a Supernoodle (leader);  they've gone on a "Hunt" and we are excited to see what their next adventure will be. Again, we encourage your child to visit the Online Superkids Fun.  On this site, students can read the books we have in class, play educational games that reinforce reading concepts taught in class.  Also, please have your child read through the stories (and other pages) in their Superkids Club Books.  The books don't come home as often, now, and there are 2-3 stories in them as well.  Thank you for working with your child on the Fluency Folder!  We have noticed the improvements in reading for those who are consistently doing it.  As we say to the students, "why do we practice reading?"  Their response is "so we can get better at it."  They all have made great gains!  Continue reading to your child and listen to them read too!

Busy February

For being the shortest month of the year, February always seems to be the busiest month in Kindergarten with the 100th Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day and Dental Health Month. In addition to that, the kindergartners enjoyed three field trips this month:  Grand Theater, Bowling (pictures to the left and below) and the Teddy Bear Clinic.

100 Days of Learning, 100 Days of Fun!  We practiced counting by 10's to make our Fruit Loop Necklaces and 100 Day Stamp Book.  The students did a great job stamping their 10's like the 10 Frame we use in Math.

We also enjoyed using the iPads for Digital Learning Day.  For Math, we played a game called Math Slides on the iPads.  Later, we went on a QR Code Scavenger Hunt.  After scanning the code, we were able to do an activity on the iPad as well.

For Superkids, we've met all the Superkids and now are having Superkids' Club Days.  On those days, students have independent work while the teachers meet with small reading groups.  The books we read with the students are available on Superkids Online Fun.  Please have your child go to the Superkids Online Fun site or use the app.  It has fun literacy games, and the books we've read in class.  It is a great way for students to practice their reading.

In Social Studies, we have been learning about George Washington and Abe Lincoln.  Both classes made life size Abe Lincoln's.  With his hat on, he was over 7 feet tall!  We learned interesting facts about both of these presidents, and how they are an important part of our history.

15 Ways to Say "I Love You" to Your Child

Valentine's Day is coming soon.  Here are some ways you can say, "I Love You!"
1. Always remember to kiss your child good-morning, good-bye, hello & good night.
2. Laugh at your child's jokes even though they make you question his/her sense of humor.
3. Use your time in the car for special activities, i.e., play rhyming games, sing songs or just TALK.
4. Make reading to your child a part of every day.
5. Send a card to your child at our school.  They'll feel like a celebrity.  Our address is 2701 Robin Lane, Wausau, WI 54401.
6. Take a cuddle break everyday for at least 10 minutes.
7.   Take your child to your office (or place of work) to visit.  Make sure you have family   pictures displayed.
8.   Take your child out on a "date." Let them choose the restaurant or movie.
9.   Make cookies together.
10. Praise your child when he/she is and isn't within earshot.
11. Always ask your child what kind of day they had...and LISTEN.
12. Let your child choose the menus once a week.
13. Ask your child's teacher about some of the activities they do in the classroom and do them at home.
14. Make positive statements to your child rather than negative.  Exchange "Don't throw the blocks" to "Let's make a tower with these blocks."
15. You can never say "I LOVE YOU" too much to your child.  Add it to every hello or good-bye and sprinkle it in, every chance you get!

In Kindergarten...

In kindergarten, we talk about why we keep practicing reading and our math skills.  The students know this is so we can get better at it.  Here are some of the skills Kindergartners CAN DO to this point:
* Blend letter sounds together to read (decodable) words. These would include the words in their fluency folders.
* Read some or all of the Superkids' sheets and books they bring home.
* Write words by saying it slowly and writing the sounds. (Some words may not be spelled correctly but as they hear the sounds).
* Add numbers equally up to 5, fluently (fairly quickly).
* Subtract numbers from up to 5, fluently.
* Orally count to 30, and probably beyond.
* Write numbers to 20.