HIGHLIGHT FROM LAST WEEK:
- Having many students become “Zipper Club Members” (when the students have shown they can consistently do up their zippers and get dressed independently, their names go up on our giant zipper wall display)
- Using our “Sharing Caring Windmill” strategies (Take Turns, Do it Together, Or Do Something Else)
- Playing new Alphabet Bubble game on ABCYA.COM
- Printing our first capital letters F and E in our HWT books!
- Hearing an Aboriginal story about the changing seasons and emotions with Ms. Boyer (Parkcrest’s Aboriginal Educ. Support Worker)
- Attending a presentation by Michael Bortolotto about being kind and including others
- Practicing printing our first names the “Grade 1 Way” (initial capital letter followed by lowercase)
- Building patterns with cubes, blocks, chains, cars, music, our bodies and more!
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK:
This week’s Jolly Phonics letter and sound is “Hh”. We will continue with “Frog Jump Capital letters” D and P. This week we begin a new morning routine of practicing printing our first names the “grade 1 way” (initial capital letter followed by lowercase letters) after we have finished putting away our belongings.
In Math this week, we will continue on being “Pattern Detectives” and identify, extend and create simple patterns in a variety of ways. Zero the Hero will make another appearance on Monday for our 50th day of Kindergarten! We also have the special Count on Me Math event for Kindergarten parent/family members at 8:30am on Friday in the library. Adults will learn some simple, positive strategies to help their children with math at home. Parents will have the opportunity to practice the strategies with their child at the end of the session (registering in advance allows the facilitator to bring a bag of resources for each family)
We will continue our Social Responsibility theme this week and talk more about bucket-filling, empathy (seeing and caring about how others’ feel, then trying to help), and how to react to our feelings in appropriate ways (e.g., it’s ok to feel angry/sad/upset/frustrated, but it is never okay to hit/punch/bite, etc.). We will learn more about “Anger Mountain” and strategies that help us calm down. We will read some story books about emotions and continue with “Caring Sharing” (the kids loved playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors” as a way to problem solve when we are having a hard time taking turns). We will also discuss what being “assertive” means and what we can do when we need help problem solving as well as saying sorry and making it right if we were bothering someone. We will talk about TILT and WALK, TALK, SQUAWK. These are all similar strategies to WITS (although different acronyms) for what to do if someone is bothering you, use TILT (Tell them to stop, Ignore, Leave the area, Tell an adult) or WALK, TALK, SQUAWK
1. WALK - Try to ignore/walk away/play somewhere or with someone else
2. TALK – in an assertive tone, say his/her name, ask them to stop the specific behaviour
3. SQUAWK – ask an adult for help. We will discuss “tattling” vs. “telling” and when each is necessary/not necessary.
WINTER CONCERT
Our class will begin practicing two songs for the holiday concert: “Colourful Mittens” and “Reindeer Hokey Pokey”. I will send a copy of the lyrics home this week so you can work on them at home (The Colourful Mittens will be sung without music, so the kids can practice the lyrics with you at home and the tune with me at school ;) ). We have set aside several blocks of time to practice over the next three weeks so the students will be ready to perform on December 20th and 21st!
To keep “costuming” simple, the kids and I are going to try and make paper Reindeer headbands (unless I can track down a class set of fabric antler headbands). For clothing, our class will wear black pants/skirt/tights and a white or red shirt (please avoid logos - or turn the shirt inside out). Girls can wear a red or white party dress if they’d rather. Also keep safe footwear in mind, the kids will be walking up and down some metal stairs and bench-type risers independently so high-heeled party shoes can be dangerous.
HOW PARENTS CAN HELP/REMINDERS:
- Review the HWT newsletter and help your child print his/her first name the “grade 1 way” (with an initial capital letter followed by lowercase letters)
- Practice our holiday songs at home (I will be sending home lyrics this week)
- Please send your child dressed for the weather (snow pants, winter coats, toques, waterproof mittens and boots). Please have your child practice putting on their own snow gear and doing his/her best to zip up his/her own zippers -we have really been working on gaining independence with dressing this past month! :)
- Remember to Label your child’s snow gear so it can be returned to the owner if anything is lost
- Mrs. Shantz’s Gr.. 5/6 class is organizing a “Winter Bundles” care package drive (a small white piece of paper listing items they are looking for was taped to the Back and Forth Folder last week). There is a collection box located at the front entrance of the school
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
Monday – 50th Day of Kindergarten!
-PAC Purdy’s Chocolate orders due
Tuesday - Roots of Empathy visit with Wayne
Wednesday – Library with Ms. Bond
- P.E. with Mrs. Brkovic
Thursday – P.E. with Mrs. Brkovic
Friday – “Count on Me” Math Program (8:30am in library)
- P.E. with Mrs. Brkovic
-Tribal Visions Dance (Art Starts Performance - this was paid for as part of school fees)
- PAC Poinsettia Orders due
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Dec. 4th – Pro-D Day (No school)
- Dec. 5th - Complete and return the November Homework Calendar by Dec. 5th to be part of our class prize draw (this will be a monthly event)
- December 15th - Term 1 Report Cards sent home (please read and keep the paper report, then sign and return the envelope to school)
- Dec. 20 and 21st - Parkcrest Winter Concert (Primary and Intermediate classes have been divided up into 2 separate concerts to allow for more audience space and shorter concert times).
- Dec. 19th - 9:00am Primary Concert Dress Rehearsal
- 9:00am, Dec. 20th - Primary concert in gym
- 1:05pm, Dec. 21st - Primary concert in gym
- Dec. 25 - Jan. 5th - WINTER BREAK (no school)
- School re-opens January 8th
See you tomorrow!
-Ms. Gartrell