It has been another wild week in kindergarten. The students have been introduced to more new routines as well as continuing behavior expectations that will hopefully carry us through a year of lots of learning!
Reader's Workshop
This week the students are learning to independently follow our literacy station board. This routine is very important because this is when I will be meeting with reading groups later in the year. At this point in the year you will notice students are doing activities that focus on their name, turn taking, and fine motor skills. One of their stations is also snack time.
Students at the book station. 
Students at the puzzle station. 
Students at the game station. 
Students at the snack station.
Math
We are focusing this week on identifying, building and writing the numbers 0-4. Please have your child practice writing these numbers at home. This is often a very challenging skill. To make it easier we have some number rhymes that we say to help us remember.
0- Around we go to make zero.
1- A straight line down is so much fun, that's the way we make a one.
2- For a 2 go right around and make a line across the ground.
3- Around a tree and around a tree, that's the way we make a three.
4- Down and across and down once more, that's the way we make a four.
Muscle Words
This week the students were introduced to their first 2 muscle words. Muscle words (also know as high frequency words) are words that we explicitly teach to students to help them with their reading and writing. We often have movements or saying that go along with them. This weeks words are I and a.
Fire Drill
This week we had our first kindergarten fire drill practice. We read a book called Arthur's Fire Drill and practiced walking outside to the back of the playground quietly. This took a lot of impulse control to not run and play on the equipment once we were outside. When it is time for our first real fire drill we will give the kids a heads up so they are prepared. In a few weeks, on September 20th, we will have our first school evacuation drill at 1:30pm. For this week will walk the students over to the Cambridge Community Center and line up outside by the gazebo.
Here we are practicing lining up for a fire drill.
Name Writing
This week we have been working a lot on writing our names. This is a very important skill for kindergarteners. We are expecting that beginning now they should be attempting to make the letters with correct formation. Please have your child practice writing their name at home. If you see them making a letter incorrectly (ex. and o from the bottom) please correct them.
Donations
I often have parents ask what they can contribute to the classroom. Below you will find a list of a few things that we use frequently and will need throughout the year. If at any point in the year you would like to donate one of these items it would be greatly appreciated (Please do not feel obligated to do so.)
Colorful Duct Tape – We will be using this to make duct tape reading bags.
Liquid Hand Soap – The foaming hand soap that the school provides is very drying to little hands. We wash our hands a lot so I have a small soap dispenser of liquid soap that I have next to the sink and I purchase the large refill bottles to fill it. We go through a large bottle every 2-3 weeks.
Gallon Size and sandwich size Ziploc bags – We will be using these for our duct tape reading bags and so many other things!
Plastic Forks and Spoons
Board Books- These books are great for us to use for shared reading.
Plants- I am hoping to add some greenery to our classroom this year. With minimal sunlight in our classroom, plants that require little direct sunlight would be great. I am happy to provide a pot to put a start in.
Thank you! It's going to be a great year!!!
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