Memories....

We need all of our kindergarten friends to bring in their 10 memory pictures tomorrow.
Thanks so much to all of our kindergarten friends who have already sent in their pictures.  :)
Parents, please, please, please send them in.  

February Math Homework

The February Math Homework Packet went home today. 
The first assignment is to be completed on February 1st and is due to us on February 2nd.  You will see at the bottom of each assignment which need to be returned to school and which do not need to be returned to school. Please do not send in assignments early.  (Or late :)~

Mixed Matched Day

Tomorrow is Mixed Matched Day. Please encourage your child to wear mixed matched socks or clothing. 

We look forward to sharing in the mixed matched fun!

A Day Filled With Learning Through Movement and Song

We had an exciting day in kindergarten the children enjoyed experiementing to find out what creates a shadow using flashlights and various objects.
Then, we enjoyed yoga and exercise during P.E. The children practiced counting.
Next, they enjoyed free choice writing time with quiet "thinking" music being played in the classroom.
Finally, Mrs. Gordon our wonderful music teacher had the children use scarves and create movements.
It was a day filled with energy, thinking, and learning.

Listening for instructions.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...

Adding details to make my writing more interesting.

Authors at work

What is in a shadow?

Today we began exploring shadows. We discussed what is needed in order to make a shadow.  We need a light source and a solid or something to block the light.
The underlined words are our key vocabulary words that the children learned today.
Tomorrow we will discuss what types of things create shadows.

Creating a shadow with a light source

Solids make shadows because they block the light.

Activating Our Schema

Today we enjoyed reading a story called My Favorite Bear. 
First, we activated our schema and shared what we already knew about bears.  We wrote this down on our schema graphic organizer and shared it with a partner. Second, we read the story.  Third, we turned and talked and shared with one another something new that we learned or Built Our Schema.
Last, we created a list of animals that we already have schema for and that list will become our writing topics for this week.

Brrr...It is cold outside!

It is cold outside these days and the children at times go outside for P.E. and during dismissal.  It is important that your child is able to put on his or her coat.  

If your child is having difficultly with this task please allow some practice time at home.  

Thanks so much!

Shopping For Just Right Books

Today the children enjoyed shopping for Just Right Books.
They will use these books during Daily Five Read to Self and Read To Someone.

Details, details, and more details!

In kindergarten we are working on adding details to our writing.  (The 1st grade teachers love details! ;)

What does that look like you ask? 

Our first lesson began with saying "Bye-bye to boring." Boring? You ask? Yes.  Boring! (It ran out the door!)

A sentence that says I like apples.  That is boring.  (The kids loved saying BORRRING!)

We want to make our sentences filled with details.  After several shared and guided writing exercises where we practiced adding details to our sentences the students practiced writing sentences with details.  Here is an example of a student's writing in Rainbow Valley. "I love red juicy apples because they are yummy."  "I love chewing them because my teeth fall out."  Now, that is what we call DETAILS! 

Here is a website that is great for word choice: http://www.marisamontes.com/fun_with_words.htm

Our Timeline Project

The children enjoyed narrating their timelines.  We did our best with speaking loudly. ;)

Visualizing Changes

Today our Kindergarten Friends enjoyed reading White Rabbit's Color Book and mixing paints.

Retelling the story. 

Reading Logs

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much for supporting our monthly reading program.  Many students have turned in their reading logs and the snowflakes are beginning to cover our wall in the hallway.  I would like to see more reading logs coming in from each family.  It is so important that every child read for 20 min. each day. If 20 minutes is too long start off with 10 minutes and increase the minutes every few days.  Please ask your child about what he or she has read.  They love to share the details from their books.   It is so exciting to watch the excitement on the children's faces when they hang up their snowflakes. 

Thanks so much!

Mrs. Chiaverotti and Mrs. Stinard

Learning In Rainbow Valley

Today we enjoyed building our schema for Rosa Parks.
What is schema you ask? I have included a great article written by a Virginia Beach Reading Resource Teacher that you may find helpful.


Before your child reads a story ask them to Activate their Schema.  This strategy really gets them thinking.  Once they are reading ask them to Build their Schema.  

Schema

Schema is what we think we know. It’s what we’ve seen before, heard about, or experienced in our life. We all have different schema, because we’ve all lived and experienced different things. You can have a lot of schema or a little bit of schema for something. Or you can have no schema at all.
When we “activate” our schema, we think about what we already know. It’s like we have a whole bunch of little file folders in our head labeled with different topics. One folder might be labeled “grandma” or “dolphins” or “worms”. If we activate our schema for “worms” then we pull that file folder out of our head and open it up and see what we already have inside it.
When we “build” our schema, we add new information into those files. We do this by reading a book about that topic, talking with a friend, or by simply experiencing something.
When we “revise” our schema, we take out any information that was wrong and replace it with new information. For example, we might have had in our schema that dolphins are
fish. But when we built our schema and read a book about dolphins, we revised our schema when we found out that dolphins are mammals.
-Article By Amanda Yates

Eye On The Alphabet

Your children were introduced to a fun project called EYE-ON THE ALPHABET. This kit was created by Leslie Law, our gifted resource teacher. Last year the alphabet books that my students created at home with their parents were amazing and the kindergarteners shared their projects in the foyer for the whole school to enjoy. This project is optional, but it is a worthwhile activity to do with your kindergartener and makes a sentimental memento and a fun learning tool.  The envelope that was sent home with each child must be mailed and you will need to provide a stamp in order to do this. PLEASE DON NOT SEND IT TO ME I CAN'T ACCEPT IT.  Don't forget to check out http://thelearninglens.com/ to see the creative examples of letters found in everday objects.  If you are a JBD parent and are unable to pay full price for a kit, please email me for alternative prices/options.

Having Fun Learning About Martin Luther King Jr.

Throughout this week we learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream.

Read aloud

What We Learned

I show kindness by...



We are all the same because we show respect, kindness, and fairness.



I am fair...

Gathering Ideas For Writing

Today the afternoon class enjoyed reading the story Lunch and drawing and labeling the food they like to eat.  The children practiced visualizing the foods prior to writing and drawing them.  Tomorrow they will write stories about their favorite foods.
Please talk about this with them today when they come home.

Delay and Schedule

EDK begins at 11:10 as well as afternoon kindergarten.
There is no morning kindergarten today.
Thank you. 

Bye-Bye Bullies

Today Ms. Booth shared a lesson all about bullying.  Ask your child about this lesson. 

Show Your School Spirit !

Come One Come All!

Mark Your Calendar!

Make plans to attend the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Parent Connection conference on Saturday, January 29 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Landstown High School. The event is free and open to all parents and families in Virginia Beach. Parents will gain valuable insight and advice on a variety of parenting topics from some of the area’s most prominent doctors, financial counselors, child and family development experts, and educators. Among the “can’t miss” sessions are:

• 101 Ways to Stay Connected to Your Child (A Guide to Positive Discipline)

Dr. Katherine Kersey, Old Dominion University Professor of Early Childhood Education

• Financial Literacy for Families

Karen Munden, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educator

Virginia Cooperative Extension/ VA Tech – VA State
• Moving Forward After the Diagnosis of Autism

Dr. John Harrington, Division Director of General Academic Pediatrics - Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
• Less Stress (More Fun) for Your Family

Molly Brown, Parent Educator - Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters

• Surfing the Internet Safely for Family-Friendly Fun!

Janene Gorham, Instructional Technology Coordinator, Virginia Beach City Public Schools


Registration is not required for this family-friendly event. For additional information about Parent Connection, visit vbschools.com or contact Melissa McQuarrie, Director of Community Relations, at 263.1936.

A Blizzard Of Books!

January reading is underway!  Please read for 20 minutes each night and record your reading on your reading log.  Congratulations to John and Rachel for already completing their reading logs! Way to go!
We are looking forward to seeing the snowflakes fill the hallway.

Learning To Visualize

We have begun our unit on visualizing. Visualizing is an important reading comprehension strategy.  Below is a newsletter explaining how you can help your child practice this strategy at home. I did not write this beautiful newsletter- it was written by Jennifer Jones at www.hellofirstgrade.org.

Here are some of the books we have used to teach this strategy.

Having Fun With Measuring

Today our kindergarten friends had fun measuring with non-standard units.

Our Day Today

Wow! Today was a very busy day in Kindergarten.  (What day isn't?!?) 
We enjoyed learning a new Daily Five called Read To Someone.  During this time we get to choose a partner and read and ask questions about our Just Right Books.

We also enjoyed reading I Went Walking.  We used our sense of sight and explored our classroom and school hallways looking for different things to write about.

Each student participated in Turn and Talk and shared with their partner what they saw. We shared the marker and wrote as a class I see a....sentences, lastly the students independently wrote in their journals three I see a sentences.

Writing should be something that every kindergarten student is doing daily at home. 



Learning On IPADS

Our classes enjoyed working on Language Arts activities using our brand new Ipads.

Writing Time!

Marble notebooks are due tomorrow, Monday, January 3rd.  Please remember your child may decorate his or her journal at home.

We will be using them tomorrow!