December happenings

Reading

Reading groups are well on their way.  You should see a book coming home for your child to read to you.  Please remember to return the books as soon as possible.  Another round of testing will be begin in January, and results will be posted on your child's report card. We did an author study on Ezra Jack Keats and are now reading different versions of the Gingerbread Man.  

Writing

We are writing stories about our lives - real events that happened.  We are recalling details and adding them to our pictures and our words.  We are writng with a beginning, middle and end and using speech bubbles to show dialogue. 

Math

We are counting and counting.  Our end of year goal is to get to 100.  We are also measuring objects.  We use things like paper clips or cubes instead of inches.    

Science/Social Studies

We finished our unit on the globe and maps.  We are now exploring land forms like mountians, hills, caves and volcanoes and will then look at oceans, rivers and lakes.  

                                                                   ESOL

In December in ESOL, we will be reading, writng and retelling stories in sequence, learning about maps, globes, landforms & bodies of water, talking about our homes & families as well as practicing our letters and sounds.

Dates to Remember:

December 23 – Last day of school

January 3 – First day back to school

Go Noodle

One of our favorite shake breaks is a website called Go Noodle.  Now you can get the Go Noodle app for apple products.  Click the link below to get the app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gonoodle/id1050712293?mt=8

Hearing and Vision Screening

All kindergarteners in Maryland schools receive a vision and hearing screening.  The technician will be at Singer on Wednesday, Nov. 2 through Friday, Nov. 4.

If your child wears glasses, please make sure he/she brings them to school.

If a follow up exam is recommended, you will receive a note from our school nurse.

Character Week is Next Week

Along with Red Ribbon Week, Singer is having Character Week to teach the 6 Pillars of Character.

Monday, Oct 24 - Respect - Wear wacky or bright colors
Tuesday, Oct 25 - Responsibility - Dress like a superhero (no masks please)
Wednesday, Oct 26 - Caring - Wear a hat
Thursday, Oct 27 - Fairness and Trustworthiness - Wear wacky socks
Friday, Oct 28 - Citizenship - Wear our school colors, purple and white, or a Singer T-shirt

Firefighter Visit

This is Fire Prevention Week so we had a visit from  Station 719.  We saw a fire truck (with the ladders), a fire engine (with the hoses and water) and a fireman in his fire gear. We learned to call 911, too.

October News

Reading

Our first reading tests are over and we all started our small reading groups.  Your child will be grouped with students with similar skills and needs.   We are working on the characters and setting of the story, sequencing events, and nonfiction texts. When your child brings a book home on Friday, please return it to school on Monday.

Writing

We have been working on drawing, adding details and labeling our pictures.  Up next, we will be writing with beginning sounds and working our way to words and sentences.  Please practice letter formation at home with your child.

Math

We are continuing to count and making connections between the number word, the numeral and the quantity.  We will be subitizing numbers – quickly recognizing formations as a quantity (for example, three dots in a diagonal on a die is 3).  

Science/Social Studies

We are finishing our weather unit  with seasons and the water cycle.  We will be starting a unit on American Symbols, which includes the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, the bald eagle, the American flag, and the Liberty Bell.  

                                           ESOL

In ESOL pullout groups, we will be learning letters, sounds and the words that go with each letter.  We will also review the seasons and the weather, US symbols, and practice speaking in sentences.

Dates to Remember:

October 10 – Columbus Day – Open House

October 12 – No School

October 19 – Heyser Farm field trip for Pierson, Goldberg, and O’Neill

October 21 –Heyser Farm field trip for Orenstein, Ramienski, Lim and Burnsky

October 24-28 -  Book Fair in media center

October 31 – Fall festival

Remember to send in the signed permission form and $12 for the Heyser Farm field trip.

If your child will not be participating in the Fall Festival, please let your teacher know.  Alternate activities will be available.

September Work

September Updates

We had an exciting first week of kindergarten!   Here’s what’s coming up in September…

Reading

 Our formal reading testing window opens up next week.  We will use the data to group your children with others at their level and to start our small reading groups.  Read, read, read at home!  They more you read to them, the more they know!

Writing

Our writing workshop will begin with drawing and writing letters, words and sentences.  We write every day, but we will hold the writing in school in your child’s writing folder.  You will take it home when you come in November for your child’s conference.

Math

In math we are learning position words like top, bottom, above and below. We are counting and writing our numbers 0 – 10.  We are sorting objects in different ways.  We are completing and creating patterns.  Practice with your child at home – count grapes or veggies, count cars or flowers – have fun.

Science/Social Studies

In science, we will learn about the weather and the seasons. In social studies we learned about why we have rules and we worked together to make classroom rules.

Homework

Weekly homework will start in October.

ESOL 

ESOL stands for English to Speakers of Other Languages.  This month we will be evaluating students whose families use a primary language other than English in the home to determine which students are eligible to receive ESOL services.  We work with students both in the classroom and in small groups to teach the academic language needed to succeed in school.

Welcome to Flora Singer Elementary School.

This blog will be your window into your child's kindergarten experience.  We will post academic news, dates and reminders for all things Kindergarten.  

You can check back to this post at www.singerkindergarten.blogspot.com or click on the subscribe button and emails will be automatically sent to you.  

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CHANGE IN FIELD DAY and Tomorrow's Color

Because of rain, field day is now scheduled for TUESDAY, MAY 24.

For tomorrow, we are dressing like a rainbow - WEAR AS MANY COLORS AS YOU CAN!

Field Day Info

What is Field Day?  Field Day is a daylong event on Tuesday May 17.  We will be outside and in the gym playing games, showing class spirit, and dancing and having fun.

What should my child wear and bring on field day?  Kindergarten’s team color is white.  Your child should wear a white t-shirt and sneakers (No flip flops or sandals).  They can bring a hat and sunscreen but teachers are not allowed to apply the sun screen.  The best plan is to put it on your child at home.  If they need to reapply, they will have to do it themselves.  They can bring a water bottle, but they will be responsible for carrying it all day.  Make sure they’re name is on it.  If they do not bring one, they can get water from the water fountains.

Can I volunteer to help on Field Day?  YES!  Please let your teacher know if you are able to be here in the morning, afternoon or all day.   If you already filled out and returned the volunteer form, it did not ask for times, so please let your teacher know.  

ABC count down to the end of kindergarten

We're getting close to the end of kindergarten!  We're counting down 26 days starting this Friday.  You should have received a calendar in your child's folder.  Each day is a different theme.  Please check each evening so your child is prepared the next day.
(For May 17, it is field day, so your child's teacher will let you know what your team color is).
If you have any questions about any of the days, please contact your teacher.  We went over it with the kids and they are super excited.

No School Thursday and Friday

Its Orientation time again.  Can you believe you did it a year ago?

Our next little ones will be coming in, so please remember there is no school on both Thursday and Friday of this week.

Sorry, I missed ESOL in the newsletter

ESOL

In ESOL during April, students will be asking and answering questions about animals, including “What covering does it have?”  “Where does it live?” and “How does it move?”  We will be reading non-fiction texts about animals.  Toward the end of the month, we will introduce vocabulary related to transportation and travel.

April Happenings

Reading

·         Our comprehension skills will focus on making connections between the books we read and our lives.

·        We will start a unit on folk tales and read different stories and different versions of each.  Please  remember to return the guided reading books back to school.

                                                           Writing

·         We will be writing fiction and nonfiction text, and writing about the characters, setting, and problem/solution of a story.

·                                                                                                                                                              Math

       We are starting a new unit that includes ordinal numbers (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc.) and composing and decomposing numbers (adding and subtracting).

Science and Social Studies

         In Science, we return our focus to animals and compare similar animals to each other and animals to humans.

                                        Dates to Remember

·         April 26 – No school

·       May 5 and 6 – No school – New Kindergarten student orientation

Here's Whats Happening in March

Reading

·         Our comprehension focus turns to nonfiction books to correlate with our nonfiction writing.  We are also working on reading new words and understanding their meanings.  Please remember to return the guided reading books back to school.

Writing

·         Our writing will focus on nonfiction topics like  animals, plants, habitats, and community workers. 

Math

·         We started 2D (flat) shapes and are now introducing 3D (solid) shapes.  We learn, not only the names of the shapes but also the attributes of each shape and how they are the same and different. 

Science and Social Studies

  In Science, we finished up our habitat unit and are learning about the animals and plants that live in Maryland.  In Social Studies, we are focusing on economics by learning about community workers and goods and services.

                                                   ESOL

·         In ESOL this month, we will continue to work on stretching words to identify sounds, as well as reading books, discussing vocabulary and asking and answering questions about community helpers and good or services in the marketplace.  

Dates to Remember

·         March 4 – Field Trip

·         March 5 – Science Fair

·         March 21-23 - Career Days

·         March 24,25 – No School

Early Release Day tomorrow

We have an early release day on Friday, February 26.  Kindergarten dismissal will be at 1:15.

Spirit Week for Dr. Seuss' birthday

We always celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with a fun spirit week - school wide.

Spirit week starts Monday, Feb 29-March 4.

The kids love dressing up (and so do the teachers)!

Monday - Pajama Day (no slippers)
Tuesday - Crazy Sock Day
Wednesday - Wacky Clothes Day
Thursday - Wear as many stars as possible
Friday - Spirit Day - wear our school colors - purple or white

Have Fun!

Report Cards

Your child's report is going home today in his/her folder.  Please sign and return the envelope.  The report is yours to keep.

Museum Field Trip

By now, you should have the permission form for our next field trip on March 4.  Please note, we need a lot of chaperones for this trip. In the past, parents have come from work, met us at the museum for  a couple of hours and went right back to work.  This works perfectly for us, too.

If you prefer, below is the link for online payments for the field trip.

http://osp.osmsinc.com/MontgomeryMD/BVModules/CategoryTemplates/Detailed%20List%20with%20Properties/Category.aspx?categoryid=BY192

If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.

Have a great day!