November 17th, newsletter featuring Pictures and Songs by our class. Remember on Wednesday to send your Stone Soup item.

River Eubanks’ Kindergarten Weekly Newsletter

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I hope you’re all doing well! I want to apologize for not sending out a newsletter last week. We’ve had so much going on, and I hope the adorable pictures and videos included this week will more than makeup for it! Be sure to check out the heartwarming video at the end!

This Week’s Theme: Kindness

Our week was filled with learning, compassion, and community spirit! We celebrated Veteran’s Day on Monday, honoring the brave individuals who have served our country. On World Kindness Day Wednesday, we focused on spreading kindness to our friends and community members. The week’s highlight was Recycling Day on Friday, where we learned how small efforts can help care for our planet.

Remember to send in your food item on Wednesday for one of the students’ favorites: the making of Stone Soup. Below is the note I sent home, incase it did not make it.

Stone soup family letter (1)Download

Safety First: ALICE Drill

This week, we practiced an ALICE drill, part of our school’s safety procedures. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. We used age-appropriate language and a reassuring approach to ensure our students felt safe and comfortable. The goal is to prepare them for emergency situations calmly and confidently.

Weather Wonders Continue

Two weeks ago, our theme was Weather, and we’re still exploring this fascinating topic as part of our science unit. We’re learning to track and predict the weather using tools like a rain gauge, flags to measure wind direction, a thermometer for daily temperatures, and the “coat check” to decide if we need our warm layers. The students are becoming little meteorologists, and watching them connect their observations to real-life weather patterns is so exciting!

A Gentle Reminder

I want to let you know that if your family ever needs food, clothes, winter gear, or presents, please reach out to me. I will keep everything confidential, and we have many resources here at PLE to support you. As the weather gets colder, please start looking for winter gear before it sells out. Remember to label every piece of clothing you send to school; nearly everyone has a black or pink coat, and labeled items make life much easier!

Reading & Phonics

In reading, we’re working on 1-to-1 correspondence, which means that as we read, we’re pointing to each word to ensure we match our spoken words to the text. We’re also starting to dabble in decoding strategies, like cross-checking. This involves looking at the picture, thinking about what makes sense, and then checking the letters to ensure our reading is accurate.

In phonics, we focused on the ending or last sound in words. Soon, we’ll dive into word families, which will help your child’s knowledge of words grow. One of the most challenging hurdles is spelling words phonetically rather than “book spelling,” so please encourage your child to use sounds when they write at home.

Writing Growth

Our writing skills are blossoming! We’re using sight words to write simple books, and the students add surprise endings where the pattern changes. It makes a massive difference if your child practices their weekly sight words at home. Remember to cut out the sight words I send home each week and keep them in the bag I sent home to review regularly.

Math Fun

In math, we’ve been working on addition and subtraction story problems. We’ve also had fun learning about shapes. The students collaborated in teams to make shapes using a rope, which required teamwork and problem-solving! We started exploring measurement concepts, comparing objects to determine which are taller or shorter, and arranging items from longest to shortest. Seeing the students using new vocabulary words and applying their learning has been excellent.

Oops Moments

If you ever receive a note from me about missing iReady practice or forgetting a snack, please know I’m never judging. I understand how busy life can be. The note is just to inform you, especially if your child has had to eat from our emergency snack bin.

Thanksgiving Preview

Next week, we’ll explore all things turkey and celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving. The week of Thanksgiving, no new sight words will be sent home. I’m so grateful for each of your amazing children and for your support at home.

Remember to send in your food item for Stone Soup on Wednesday!