Kindergarten Weekly Newsletter
Dear Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break and enjoyed some meaningful time together. The past few weeks in our classroom have been full and productive as we completed report cards and continued our learning. I truly appreciate your patience with the pause in newsletters during that time. This part of the year brings a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, and I am grateful for your understanding. I am happy to be back to sharing all of the important and exciting work happening in our classroom.
End-of-Year Behavior
As we approach the end of the school year, you may notice some changes in behavior. This is very common for young children. As students see incoming kindergarteners visiting and begin to realize that they will soon have a new teacher and different classmates, it can bring up a lot of emotions.
We are continuing to support students through routines, reassurance, and conversations to help them process these changes positively. Thank you for your continued support at home as we work together to finish the year strong!
In reading and phonics, we have been focusing heavily on vowels and something called word chains. A word chain is when we take a word and change just one sound—most often the vowel—to create a new word. For example, we might start with “cat,” then change the vowel to make “cot,” and then again to make “cut.” This work is incredibly important because it helps students understand that vowels carry a lot of power in words and that even a small change can completely change the meaning. This strengthens both their reading and writing skills, as they begin to look more closely at how words work. Alongside this, we have been working on blends and digraphs. Students are learning that blends are when two sounds are pushed together, like “bl” or “st,” and digraphs are when two letters work together to make one sound, like “sh,” “ch,” and “th.” These are essential building blocks for reading, and I am seeing students become more confident and independent as they apply these skills when decoding new words. We are working toward finishing this unit, and the growth has been wonderful to see.
In writing, we are wrapping up our How-To unit. The students have worked hard to learn to write step-by-step instructions in a clear, organized way, thinking carefully about how to teach someone else to do something. You should have received a large packet of your child’s writing, and I hope you enjoyed seeing their progress, effort, and attention to detail. It is always exciting to see how much they grow as writers. As we move forward, we are beginning our persuasive writing unit. This is a meaningful shift, as students will now begin to express their opinions, support their ideas with reasons, and think about how to convince others. This kind of writing encourages deeper thinking and helps students find their voice, which is such an important part of their development as communicators.
In math, we continue to build a strong foundation in number sense by focusing on making ten, addition, subtraction, and using a number line to support problem-solving. One of the highlights has been learning and playing a game called Top It, which is similar to the card game War. Students flip over cards, then either add or subtract the numbers, depending on the lesson’s focus, and determine which total is greater. This game has been a wonderful way to make math both engaging and meaningful, as it encourages quick thinking, mental math, and strategy. Through these activities, students are not only practicing skills but also developing confidence and flexibility in their approach to math problems.
In social studies, we recently completed a unit on basic economics concepts that were thoughtfully introduced in a way that is meaningful for kindergarten students. We explored the difference between wants and needs and discussed how people make choices based on those ideas. We also learned about consumers and producers, helping students understand how goods and services are created and used in everyday life. These conversations led to thoughtful discussions, and students were able to make real-world connections, which is always our goal.
Homework Update
As we head into the final stretch of the school year, homework will be coming to an end. However, this does not mean that learning should stop at home 😊
Continuing to practice on iReady is one of the best ways to help your child stay strong, get ahead, and build meaningful skills at their own pace. Just a little consistent practice can make a big difference!
We will be taking our final iReady assessment in mid-May, so this is a great time to keep those skills sharp.
Thank you for your continued support at home!
End-of-Year Calendar
Here is the calendar for the remainder of the school year. Please note that there may be changes, and I will keep you updated if anything changes.
On days when a substitute is listed, I will be in an all-day meeting and will not be available to respond to text messages during the school day.
Please also note the summer birthdays and how we will celebrate them.
Thank you for your support!
Sing and Share is a special day when families are invited into the classroom to celebrate all the learning that has taken place this year. Students will proudly share their leadership notebooks, poems, and writing, giving families a meaningful look at their growth and accomplishments.
Our goal is for every student to be represented and celebrated, so please be sure to save the date. Sing and Share is a special day when parents are invited into the classroom to celebrate all the learning that has taken place this year. Students will proudly share their leadership notebooks, poems, and writing, giving families a meaningful look at their growth and accomplishments.
This event will replace both the end-of-year party and the kindergarten graduation. Our goal is for every student to be represented and celebrated, so please be sure to save the date.
It continues to be such a joy to watch your children grow in so many ways. They are becoming more confident learners, stronger thinkers, and more independent each day. Thank you, as always, for your support and partnership. It truly makes a difference.
In the coming weeks, I will be transitioning to paper newsletters. After 10 wonderful years, I am considering retiring our classroom blog because maintaining it has become too costly.
I will continue to keep you informed and connected to our classroom through regular paper updates sent home. Thank you for your understanding and continued support!
Warmly,
River