GO Kindergarten!

What a busy day!  We were introduced to Visual Phonics, participated in PE, learned about fire safety at school, worked on some special projects for Open House next week AND... we were introduced to our first high frequency word, GO.  Did you know that the letter C is hiding inside of the letter G?  We do!  We had such a fun time practicing our Go Kindergarten chant that our class thought it would be fun to show you a glimpse into our day.  Enjoy!

  

Our First Two Days of Kindergarten

It has been a pleasure to be back at school with such a creative and caring group of kindergartners!  It is going to be a great year of learning and growing.  We are taking the time to learn about one another and how to take care of our classroom. The focus of the first two days of school was building the foundation for a cooperative and caring classroom community. 

The first block of our morning is always spent on a class meeting and our literacy block.  During the first two days of schools, we completed projects during our literacy block.  We enjoyed reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and making our own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees.  We watched a short Chicka Chicka Boom Boom video clip (see video on right).  Below, Sadie, Alice, Lucy and Henry show off their school buses made on the second day of school. 

Clara and Lia have fun while working on self-portraits.

Snack and recess are always a favorite part of our morning.  A great deal of time goes into teaching the routines of snack and recess.

Henry and Lucas R. enjoy snack together.

Lucas L. and Henry test out the soccer field on the first day of school.

Joe climbs on the playground structure.

Alice and Rose find some shade under a slide.

Ayler and Joshua get a push on the tire swing.

After recess and lunch, kindergartners head back to the classroom for some quiet time, usually lasting 30 minutes.  Most of this time is spent listening to a read-a-loud.  For most of September we will read different types of picture books.  As the year moves along, students enjoy listening to chapter books during quiet time.  The last ten minutes are spent reading quietly or on some days drawing.

Sadie and Madison enjoy a book during quiet time.

Lucy reads a book too!

An important part of our afternoon is participating in learning centers.  During our first two days of kindergarten we spent time exploring different areas of the classroom.  It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about each other, classroom routines and expectations.

Henry, Summit and Rose work together using pattern blocks.

Lia and Lucas L. work with unifix cubes.

Summit shows off his pattern block creations.

Samantha and Joe play with the tree house.

Charlie, Joshua, Summit and Lucas R. explore in the block center.

Alice and Madison cook up a creation in dramatic play.

Sadie, Ayler, Rose and Samantha create a game in the tree house.

Samantha sorts animals by size.

Charlie and Summit discover they know a lot about cars and trucks!

On a really hot afternoon students were introduced to TumbleBooks.  The TumbleBook Library is an online collection of animated, talking picture books that students love.  Harold Martin pays for a subscription to this website but you can use it at home too.  The link is on the right.  The username is: haroldmartin. The password is: hms.

Classroom Odds and Ends:

We are very lucky to have Mrs. Cowan, Mrs. Bayly and Mrs. Odgen working in our classroom this year.   Mrs. Cowan spends the entire day in our classroom while Mrs. Bayly and Mrs. Ogden each help out for half of the day.

Our classroom is in need of a few supplies.  If anyone is interested in sending in Clorox wipes, tissues, spoons or snacks for students who forget theirs, it would be greatly appreciated. We could also use a new batch of play dough. Please see the recipe below.

Remember your home-to-school folders everyday!

If you have not returned the paperwork sent home on the first day of school, please do so ASAP. 

Last, but not least, I would like to thank everyone for their patience as we develop our classroom routine.  It takes time teaching four, five and six year olds all of the different parts of our day.  Soon they all will be very independent and know exactly the type of milk they drink and how they are getting home.  Until then, all of the notes and emails about where your child is headed after school are VERY helpful. 

I'm looking forward to a great year!

PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

2   cups     flour

1   cup       salt

4   tsp.       cream of tartar

2  Tbsp     cooking oil

2  cups     water

Food coloring

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in medium size pot.  In a separate bowl, mix water, oil and food coloring.  Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir.  Cook over low to medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes.  Keep stirring until the mixture forms a solid ball.  Place on counter top and gently knead warm dough until cool to the touch.  Cool completely before storing in a plastic bag or covered container.  This recipe can easily be doubled so you can have play-dough at home too!

Welcome!

Harold Martin Kindergarten

Welcome to kindergarten!  I look forward to working with you and your kindergartner this year.  For those of you who don’t know me yet, this is my 13th year teaching and my fourth year at Harold Martin School.  I live here in Hopkinton with my husband and three children. Two of my kiddos attend Harold Martin School and my oldest is at Maple Street School.

Here is some general information about Harold Martin School and the Kindergarten    program that will help for a smooth transition at the start of school.  I apologize that some of this information may be a repeat if you attended the Kindergarten information night in the spring.  More specific information about our classroom and daily routine will be sent home at the start of school.

- Our full day session will run from 8:00am - 2:35pm.

- All visitors and parents are required to use the front door by the main entrance, opposite the flagpole.  For safety reasons, we have locked the other doors.  Please

sign in at the office and receive a visitors badge.  Thank you for helping to keep our school safe.

- If you need to pick up your child early, please remember to go to the office where Ms. Ball (Administrative Assistant) will call the classroom to dismiss your child.

- If your child is tardy, please walk your child to the office to sign him/her in for the day.

- If there is a 2 hour delay of school in the morning, school will begin at 10:00am.

-  A note is necessary when there is a change in dismissal routine.  For last minute changes, please call the office.  There can be no changes in dismissal routine without a note or a phone call.

-  Please send a backpack each day.  It is the lifeline between school and home and needs to be checked daily.  May we suggest a durable backpack that can fit the home to school folder, snack, a library book, sneakers and projects?  Please label your child’s backpack and articles of clothing.  Please complete and attach the “pink bus” that you received in the summer mailing, to your child’s backpack.  

-  We provide a classroom full of educational material for your child to explore.  Please keep toys at home.  However, if a small toy would help make the bus ride to and from school enjoyable, please pack one. It will need to stay in his/her backpack during school time.

- Birthdays are recognized by classmates and their teachers. Each classroom has birthday activities to make the day special for your child.  (We are no longer able to have birthday treats from home come into the classroom.)  We do, of course, sing “Happy Birthday” and clap the correct times for the new age!  Please do not send birthday party invitations to school.

-  Book orders are sent home bi-monthly.  If you choose to order, please make a check payable to Scholastic Book Club.  Sorry, but we cannot accept cash.

                                                                                                  

-  Sneakers are needed for gym class.  Non-skid soles are suggested.  We will let you know which day your child has gym.

-  Sneakers or shoes are required for school.  Please do not send your child to school in flip-flops.

-  Please pack a healthy snack and lunch (and drink, if not ordering a drink from school) for your child to enjoy each day.  Kindergartners can purchase milk or juice for 40 cents. Choices of drinks: 1% Low Fat Milk, Fat Free Milk, Fat Free Chocolate Milk, apple juice and orange juice. 

The month’s lunch menu and lunch envelopes will be sent home at the beginning of each month.  You can also always find the lunch menu on the school web site. Head to our web site address at http://www.hopkintonschools.org/haroldmartinschool/ and search for “HMS Lunch Menu Sept. 2014”. 

- Kindergarten students are able to participate in the afterschool program, Tween School N Home, as long as there is space available.  For more information, head to: http://tweenschoolnhome.com

- The classroom has a cracker jar for anyone who forgets their snack or needs a little more food to fill their tummy.  Contributions are appreciated throughout the school year. Clorox wipes, sponges, paper towels, spoons, tissues, and Ziplock bags are welcomed donations throughout the year. Thank you!

I look forward to working with you this year.  If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to call the school at 746-3473 or email me at sduval@hopkintonschools.org.