Kindergarten News
March 1-5

Weekly Theme:
Health & Safety

Kindergarten Registration
We will be having kindergarten registration on Wednesday, March 10th from 12:00-3:30. Please spread the word to those who have kindergartners attending South next year.

March

Because of SEP Week, remember that kindergarten will be held from 8:50-10:35 for the AM class and 12:45-2:30 for the PM class, even on Early Out Wednesday. The Extended Day Students will be dismissed each day at 2:30 also. Please bring your child with you at your scheduled time. THANKS! The PTA is holding the book fair in the gym during SEP week. The hours are printed on the flyer that came home with your child today in his/her homework folder.

Please remember to check out the South Elementary blog that can be accessed through the link on this blog for updated events happening at South. Our PTA does a wonderful job and we certainly appreciate all they do to help in so many ways!

We are having a great time learning in kindergarten and you are awesome parents. Your support is very much appreciated. It will be exciting to discuss your child’s progress during SEP’s. Please call the school or e-mail me if you need to change times to meet with me. I am looking forward to seeing each of you and your children during that time. Have a super week!

linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Feb. 15-19

Weekly Theme:
American Symbols

Kindergarten Registration
We will be having kindergarten registration on Wednesday, March 10th from 12:00-3:30. Please spread the word to those who have kindergartners attending South next year.

February

I hope you all have a relaxing holiday for President’s Day! We will finish up talking about American symbols this week. We will also continue to work hard on literacy and math skills as well as other aspects in the kindergarten curriculum.

Please check out the monthly PTA newsletter attached to our blog for important information from our wonderful PTA! They do so much for our school and are greatly appreciated!

A fun early literacy idea for this week is to help your child notice the print in their environment. Look at signs, displays, food packages, cans, jars, and other everyday items for a variety of words.

Thank you as always for your help and support at home. You are the best and are making such a difference in your child’s education!

linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Feb. 8-12

Weekly Theme:
Valentines/
Patriotism

Kindergarten Registration
We will be having kindergarten registration on Wednesday, March 10th from 12:00-3:30. Please spread the word to those who have kindergartners attending South next year.

February

We will have our Valentines party on Friday, February 12th. A letter will come home in your child’s homework folder on Monday giving you all the details. Please look for it. Thank you to those who have signed up to bring something! (If you did, a reminder will be attached to the letter).

We are doing another Scholastic book order. If you are interested in purchasing any books, please send one check (they do not accept cash) to Scholastic Books and return the money and order form by Tuesday, February 16th.

This week we will be discussing patriotism and the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln. We will talk about some of the things they did to contribute to our great country. We will also be learning about American symbols.

Last week we learned the sight words he/she/yes and next week we will add no/said. The students will also be practicing and reviewing the skills they have learned thus far in mathematics and literacy.

I love your children. Each one has a special place in my heart. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. As always, please continue to read to your child and have him/her read to you. Both are very important!

Thanks for your continued help and support at home. You are wonderful parents and I appreciate all of you.
linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Feb. 1-5

Weekly Theme:
Dental Health

Early Literacy Ideas
• Read rhymes, poetry, nursery rhymes and stories that “play” with language
• Sing songs together and do finger plays

February

Wow, it is hard to believe that February is already here! January was a very productive learning month for us. The DIBELS testing went well and we are now learning some first grade sight words. We have been working hard to master the 25 kindergarten sight words and the students are doing well with those. Our 3rd Quarter Kindergarten Assessment begins next week and will include the following skills:
• Identifying rhyming words
• Reading kindergarten sight words
• Writing last name
• Recognizing and writing numbers to 20
• Counting to 50
• Adding sums to 5
• Graphing

Please send your child’s January Reading Calendar back to school with your signature on it. Thank you to those who are reading to your child or having him/her read to you for at least 15 minutes a night, five nights a week. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is! Please also send the leveled library books back and forth each day.
Thanks for your continued help and support at home. We will continue to work on those skills not yet mastered and encourage you to do the same.

linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Jan. 25-29, 2010

Weekly Theme:
Ocean Life/Whales

Help your child develop comprehension skills

• Talk with your child about the story and pictures
• Have your child predict what a story will be about
• Have your child retell the important parts of the story

JANUARY

We have enjoyed learning about Antarctica, winter, and penguins. We will now begin studying whales and other sea mammals. The students are working hard. We are emphasizing the importance of always doing nice, neat work. The year is going by so very quickly! Thank you for making it so enjoyable and for helping your child have a successful year. Please continue reading with your child each night and send the take home library books back and forth. It really makes a big difference in your child’s reading success!

The students did well on their DIBELS assessment. It is exciting to see improvement in each child. We love to celebrate their successes! Have a wonderful week and thank you again for your support at home.

linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Jan. 18-22, 2010

Weekly Theme:
Penguins/Ocean Life/Whales

Thank you for sending box tops and Lin’s receipts with your children. It helps earn money for our school and is greatly appreciated!

JANUARY

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! Your children are making great progress and I am thrilled with the things they are doing. Next month we will begin our third quarter assessment. Please make sure your child can write his/her last name. Also, it would be helpful if you could look over the kindergarten assessment and review any concepts your child did not master in the first and second quarters. Thank you for your support!

We have learned all twenty-five-kindergarten sight words and will now begin learning some first grade sight words. The students are required to read all twenty-five-sight words as part of the third quarter assessment. Please look on the assessment for the list of sight words. If you need another copy, please let me know. We will also continue reviewing numbers from 11-20, graphing, and simple addition. We will continue with lots of practice on writing with a capital, spaces between words and punctuation when writing sentences. We will also continue to work on rhyming words.

I appreciate all you do to help unsure a quality education for your student!

linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850

Kindergarten News
Jan. 11-15, 2010

Weekly Theme:
Penguins

Early Literacy Idea
Encourage your child to write the names of the people in your family. Drawing pictures to go along with the names is fun too.

JANUARY

We had a great week back in school and the children are adjusting well after the long break. January is a good learning time and I am excited to see the continued progress of your wonderful children. Each one is improving. Please look over the second quarter assessment to review the skills your child has not mastered. It is a great help if you work on these skills at home (especially the phone number, birthday and address section) and we will continue to work hard on these skills at school too. Your help is greatly appreciated!

We will continue to talk about winter, Antarctica and penguins. We will discuss the characteristics of wintertime, fascinating facts about Antarctica, and learn about penguins and how to categorize animals according to similarities and differences. We will conclude that there are many different types of animals found around the world.
We will learn the sight word run this week, which is the last of the twenty-five kindergarten sight words! We will now learn some first grade sight words. What a great accomplishment for them!
On Friday the students can bring a toy to play with in P.E. that they are willing to share with the other children in our class.

Thank you again to all of you for your help and support at home! Please let me know of any questions or concerns!
linda.wood@ironmail.org
ginger.ekker@ironmail.org
586-2850