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Classroom News
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September 6, 2008 Dear K3 Families, Your children are now officially kindergartners. Congratulations! For the past two days, they have been learning the routines and procedures of our class. The children have practiced lining up, walking in the hallway, arrival and dismissal procedures, lunchtime routines, and many of the foundations of appropriate behavior in kindergarten. We read David Goes to School by David Shannon and discussed the rules we needed in our room to ensure a safe environment that is conducive to learning. We also squeezed in some literacy learning this week. In Reader's Workshop, we read a number of school-themed books including First Day, Hooray, The Kissing Hand, and My School's A Zoo. I also introduced the concept of "prior knowledge" and the importance of activating your prior knowledge before reading a story to help you better comprehend the text. The children discussed their prior knowledge for the topic of "bedtime." They then recorded some of their prior knowledge using pictures and words. We read Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. The illustrator, Clement Hurd, creates a pattern of colored and black-and-white pages which the children noted. He also shows the passage of time by darkening the colored pages. The children identified this book as a rhyming book and used this knowledge to help remember the text. Reader's Workshop will be a time throughout the year when we study published works (both fiction and nonfiction) to learn how to interact with text to become better readers. The children will learn strategies to help them comprehend different types of text, learn about story elements, understand how an author uses these elements to create the writing piece, learn about literary language, and engage in author and genre studies. We will also use this information to become better writers during our Writer's Workshop. Yes, this is kindergarten! In Writer's Workshop, we discussed the concept that all stories that are recorded on paper can be told verbally. I began choosing children to tell a story to the class. It is important for children to understand that stories can be about any little occurrence during their day. I modeled by telling a story of my son who wanted garlic bread for breakfast on the first day of school. Two of our classmates told stories of a baby sister who rolled over for the first time and a younger brother who hates to have his diaper changed. We will continue telling stories throughout the year. We will begin recording our stories on paper after every child has verbally shared a story with the group. I am utilizing two resources for Writer's Workshop this year: Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe and Units of Study for Primary Writing by Lucy Calkins. In Religion, we practiced making the Sign of the Cross and praying the Our Father and Grace before meals. We have "prayer leaders" who share their special intentions with the class each day during our morning meeting. Our new Assistant Pastor, Father Moore, has stopped in each morning to pray with us. Father Moore also accompanied our class to Adoration on Friday in the chapel. Adoration is a time of quiet reflection of God's blessings and silent prayer. The children were complimented by Father Moore on their prayerful attitudes! We will be attending Adoration each Friday. I introduced Brain Gym to the children this week. Brain Gym is a series of physical exercises that enhance learning ability. Brain Gym was developed by Paul E. Dennison, Ph. D., an educational therapist, who was looking for ways to help children and adults deal with stress and improve memory, concentration, reading, writing, organization, and listening skills. I have been certified in Brain Gym 101. We have been using some of these exercises after our morning meeting to prepare our minds and bodies to do our best learning. If you ask the children about Brain Gym, they will probably tell you that it involves taking slow, deep breaths to get oxygen to the brain. They will probably also tell you it is like "Simon Says." We cross the midline of the body to touch the opposite knee and then some other part of the body. For example, I might ask the children to touch their "knee and then their ear." Whenever you cross the midline of the body, both sides of your brain have to work together. This integration of the right and left brain assists in learning. We will continue Brain Gym throughout the year. The kindergarten classes eat lunch at 12:40 each day. We have the last lunch because we are then able to stay in the cafeteria to finish lunch if needed. Many of the children have been complaining of hunger in the late morning. It would be helpful if you could send in a bigger snack each day. Kindergarten is very hungry work! Also, please remember to send in a drink for snack. Thank you! Several parents have asked if K3 is a nut-free room. Recently, one of our students was diagnosed with a tree-nut allergy. Tree-nuts include walnuts, hazelnuts, pistacchios, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and cashews. For the safety of all of our students, K3 will be a "tree-nut free" room. I ask that you not send any of the preceeding nuts in to school as a snack. Also, any foods processed in a facility or on equipment that processes tree-nuts are not allowed in our classroom. Please be vigilant as you check labels for shared birthday or holiday party treats. Tree-nuts do NOT include peanuts or peanut butter. These products are safe for K3. If you have any questions about this policy, please give me a call or send in a note. Thank you for helping to keep all our students safe. Each weekend I will be posting my newsletter for the week on the St. Pius X School website. I will also send a copy of the newsletter home with the children each Monday. I look forward to sharing with you our classroom activities. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call me at school or send in a note. Have a great week! Meg Smith
Mrs. Smith's Kindergarten
St. Pius X
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