Hello Kindergarten Families!
We’ve had an exciting couple of weeks filled with learning and laughter! Here’s a quick peek at what’s happening in our classroom:
The weather is changing, and we’ve seen some unpredictable days recently. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather each day and consider sending socks, gloves, hats, or even an extra set of clothes in their backpack, just in case they get wet or muddy during recess.
Welcome: We are thrilled to welcome a new friend to our kindergarten family—Ezekiel! We are so happy to have him join our class. Please ask your child about their new classmate and how they can help make Ezekiel feel right at home.
Reading: We’re pausing our regular Reading Workshop to focus solely on decoding strategies using Lucy Calkins’ approach. These strategies help students tackle tricky words. Ask your child about their “Eagle Eye” or “Sidekick Power”—these fun strategies encourage children to use clues like pictures and letter sounds to decode unfamiliar words. We’ve also emphasized comprehension skills, helping students understand and discuss the stories we read together.
Phonics: This week, we are working hard on vowel sounds. Understanding vowels is crucial as they act like the “glue” holding words together, enabling your child to successfully sound out and read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Practice these simple words at home, and you’ll be amazed at your child’s progress!
Writing: We have been diving into “How-To” stories, teaching readers step-by-step ways to do everyday tasks. This writing style strengthens sequencing skills and clarity. Your child might write about simple tasks like “How to brush your teeth” or “How to build a snowman.” Last week, we wrote a silly “How to Eat a Piece of Candy” story. Ask your child about the time I humorously ate the candy wrapper—don’t worry, I didn’t really swallow it! This was a funny and memorable way to remind students of the importance of including all necessary steps.
Math: In math, we’ve been learning about 3-D or solid shapes and adding numbers together. You can support your child at home by encouraging them to use their fingers to add, which is a practical way for young learners to understand addition.
Science – Forces in Motion (Push and Pull): Our current theme revolves around exploring forces in motion, specifically pushes and pulls. This week, we’re building a creative “Push and Pull Leprechaun Trap” to capture a mischievous visitor on Monday. Science has never been this fun!
Special Visit: A big thank you to Ahmed’s dad, Dr. Elhage, who visited our class to talk about teeth and dentistry. The students loved it and were excited to go home with a new toothbrush and a goodie bag. Thanks again, Dr. Elhage!
Assessments and Important Reminders: The past two weeks have been busy with assessments as we prepare for report cards. Your child should now know how to read the snap words: “come,” “here,” “look,” and “said,” and should also be able to spell “went” to be at grade-level expectations for our next reporting period.
Keep up the fantastic work on iReady at home and practicing those snap words—your support makes all the difference!
Keep up the fantastic work on iReady at home and practicing those snap words—your support makes all the difference!
I also just realized that most of you probably read this newsletter on your phone while I write it on a computer! If you ever hop onto a computer and visit MrEubanks.com, you’ll find more activities and resources to help your child grow as a learner.
Warmly, River Eubanks
