Hello,

This week we are entering our second week of learning about dinosaurs.  I was very impressed with the things the children were able to tell me about dinosaurs last week and even more impressed with all of the things they are recalling this week!  We have been very busy in our classroom finishing up with quarter 2 testing and grading.  You can look for your child's report card to come home Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  Please remember to sign and return the envelope.  The report card is yours to keep!

The children have been anxiously counting down the days until we embark on our very first field trip!  On Wednesday and Thursday of this week we will be heading to the Broadway Theatre to watch Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.  Some have seen it and for others it will be the first time!  Regardless, they are so excited to eat popcorn, have a glass of root beer or fruit punch and watch the movie on the giant screen!  It should be a great time!  If you haven't turned your child's money in yet, please do so as soon as possible as we are taking it with us on Wednesday and Thursday!

Monday and Tuesday during our morning meetings, we made a big, long list of the things we learned or could recall about dinosaurs.  Below is the picture of the Monday/Wednesday class' list.  I will post the Tuesday/Thursday list tomorrow!  It is amazing to see the growth in each and every one of these kids.  :)

Monday/Wednesday list

Tuesday/Thursday List (pardon my spelling of paleontologists and archaeologists.  Those words are sometimes even tricky for teachers!)

 

 

 

We also began something new this week with our letter books.  After completing them, we always read them together as a class.  Today, the children were able to take their independence to the next level as they read their book to a partner!  As a large group, I explained how we read with a partner by doing "Knee to knee, elbow to elbow."  This is where the children sit with their knees touching and elbows touching, so that each partner can see the other partner's book.  It really went well!  The kids seemed to enjoy it!!

Monday/Wednesday Pictures

Ethan and Nathan enjoying their books.

Rylee, Kayelee and Cooper take turns reading in a group of 3.

Cole listens to his partner, Paige.

Tuesday/Thursday Pictures : Due to the late start on Tuesday, we did not have enough time to read through the books with a friend.  I will snap some pictures next week!  :)

Games

This week in Pre-K we focused on games.  We worked on counting, following directions, taking turns and most importantly.......sportsmanship.  The children were able to play many familiar games such as, Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherrio, Memory and Chutes and Ladders.  They were also introduced to some new games which were fun and challenging!  On Wednesday our class was joined by our high school friends and on Thursday by middle school friends.  Each day we went to the media room and played board games for about 40 minutes.  The children stayed with their groups and were able to rotate through 3-4 different games.  They seemed to really enjoy it!  Below are some pictures from both days! 

Snow and Snowmen

Greetings Pre-K Families,

This week we will be learning about snow and snowmen, as well as focusing on the letter "Ss."  Our review of numbers began last week with #1.  This week we will review numbers 2 and 3.  Please continue to work on counting and number recognition with your child at home.  :)  This week we will be doing a number of activities including making "My Ss Book", deciding which snowmen are the same and which ones are different, making a paper plate snowman and also playing a new game called Avalanche!  Be sure to ask your kids about the game.  They are all very excited to play it during centers! 

Please remember that homework for Pre-K is optional.  It is not a requirement by your child's teacher or by the school.  We supply your child with a few extra activities to help reinforce concepts that we are teaching at school and also to give them practice since they only come to school two days a week.  If your child is unable to complete some of the work due to busy schedules or for other reasons, please know that we are happy to receive the work back at any time.  As always, I appreciate all of the help you give your children when they are not at school.

UPDATES AND REMINDERS: 

• We have been VERY busy in our classroom with quarter 2 testing as well as testing on letters and sounds.  The kids are so cooperative and try their hardest!

• Book orders are due back on Wednesday, Jan. 16th or Thursday, Jan. 17th.  Remember that Scholastic is giving each child a coupon for one free book!  Be sure to check it out!

•  Please continue to send your child with clothing appropriate for the outdoors.  This would include: snow pants, winter jacket, hats, mittens, and boots.  We have recess twice a day.

• Please send back blankets and pillows, as well as an extra set of clothes to keep here at school.

• The January Families Being Involved (FBI) workshop is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, January 18th.  Information was sent home last week.  Please be sure to return the slip this week if your family will be attending.

• There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, January 26th for all grades.  

• We will be taking our first field trip to the Broadway Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 30th and Thursday, Jan. 31st.  More information will come home soon!!

Arctic Animals

Welcome back!  I hope your holidays were joy filled!  Although I wasn't sure if I was ready to come back, it is definitely nice to see the kids and their smiling faces again.  We will spend a little bit of time on Monday and Tuesday talking about our Christmas celebrations, the Rose Bowl and about a few of the gifts we received. The kids are so excited to share all of their stories and experiences!

This week we will be learning about "Arctic Animals" such as polar bears, penguins and walruses.  Since it is a short week, we will not be learning a new letter, but instead, will review all of the letters we have learned thus far.  We will begin to review the numbers 1-10.  Please continue to practice counting, letter and number recognition and writing at home!  I appreciate all of the hard work you do with your child when s/he is not at school!  The kids have already grown leaps and bounds since September!

Have a wonderful week, and try your best to stay warm!  :)