October News...

What's A Word Wall? and Sight Words

A word wall is a systematically organized collection of words displayed in large letters on a wall or board in our classroom. It is a tool designed to promote group learning.  A word wall consists of words that children frequently see when reading and use when writing.  Each week words are added to help children appropriate spelling and sight word recognition skills.  Some words help children learn rhyming word families (at, hat, fat, cat, etc.), while others do not follow phonetic spelling patterns.The purpose is to help children learn to spell high frequency and vocabulary words as they begin to use the words in their daily writing. 
Please remember to review sight word flash cards with your child as often as possible.
You may want to play games with the sight words to make learning fun.
Hang the words on a wall and ask your child to say the Flashlight, flashlight poem (we practice this when working on our sight words) and shine a flashlight on the word.  Encourage your child to use the words in sentences.  (Verbally or if they are ready have them write their sentences.)
Your child can chat or sing their words.
Create a SIGHT WORD JAR.  Add sight words to the jar and have your child pick a word and chant it. 
Post the words in various rooms in your house and say, go to the _________room and tell me the word.  Or what was the word in the ___________?


Here is a websites that you can download game boards from and create your own game.  Your child could write in their own words!  :)
http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/games_to_make.htm

Our Five Senses

In science we are currently learning about Our Five Senses: Sight, Touch, Taste, Hear,Smell
Ask your child about the experiments that they have conducted in class and about their ongoing work in their Science Notebooks.  
It is amazing to see the children making observations and recording their learning just like "seasoned" scientists.
Here are some great books about senses:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by B. Martin, Jr.
The Five Senses (It's Science) by Sally Hewitt
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole
My Eyes Are for Seeing by Jane Belk-Moncure
My Five Senses by Aliki
My Five Senses by Margaret Miller 
Space Exploration by Carol Stott

Singing Into Learning

Many of you have asked about the educational songs that we are using to promote learning in our classroom.  Please visit Jack Hartman's website: at http://www.jackhartmann.com. There are many cd's to chose from.  
 We also use other educational songs from Dr. Jean:  http://www.drjean.org/  
During our writing time we often turn on our writing lights and listen to classical music and the Curious George sound track.  

Room Parents

Thank you to our room mom's for creating our morning and afternoon class rosters.
Our morning class room mom's are : Ellen R. (Evan's Mom)and Julie S.(Riley's Mom) and our afternoon class room mom is Cecilia C. (Emilie's Mom).
If you do not see your child's information on the roster please let our room parents know so that they can revise them.  


Room parents will be contacting you over the next few weeks.  

Calendar Time

We are really enjoying our calendar time! 
Please remember to review with your child the following math skills:
Counting from 1-10( Make sure that they are not skipping any numbers.)  Please practice counting beyond 10 with those who are ready.
Creating and identifying 2 and 3 part patterns
Saying the days of the week and the months of the year
Does your child know his or her birthday?
Writing tally marks for the correct number of days we have been in school.  (Today was the 13th day!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_mark
Identifying numbers 1-30 (Try naming them out of order.)

Read Aloud

Our class is enjoying My Father's Dragon. 
To learn more about this story please visit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Father's_Dragon

Please ask your child to tell you about the story.  

Learning is happening!

We are currently learning about sorting words and letters, counting, writing numbers 0-10 the school way, sorting objects by their attributes, writing and drawing in a daily journal, responding to what we read in our Reader's Workshop notebook, learning about our five senses and recording our learning in our Science Notebook.  The children are learning to think like scientist.  Ask your child to tell you about making observations.

Daily Five is underway!  During Read To Self children are practicing looking at the pictures, reading familiar words and phrases, and retelling what they remember about what they have read. They are also participating in Listening To Reading using Tumblebooks.

Wondering About Tumble Books and Bookflix?

Tumble Books and Bookflix are  two very special learning tools we use in class.  We watch Tumblebooks and Bookflix on the smartboard.  
 The great news is that you can also use Tumblebooks and Bookflix at home with your child. Please email me if you are interested in using either at home, and I will email you the login and password.

I am attaching a video clip about Bookflix that Mrs. Rose, one of the kindergarten teachers created to help all of our Kindergarten Families understand what we do in the classroom with these wonderful tools. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJP1k88SqrI

Mystery Reader Update

Thank you to everyone who responded to our Mystery Reader volunteer time.

I had many people asking for the same dates.  

I tried my best to find a date that was close to what you asked for however, November, December and part of January are booked.  

I am trying to honor all birthday requests.  

If I send home a date that you did not ask for please note that I am doing my best to include everyone on a first come first serve basis.  

FFO Folders

Beginning tomorrow (Thursday)your child will be coming home with an FFO folder.  This is a folder that will contain all important information that comes from the office and the PTA.  The folders will come home almost every Thursday. Please empty the contents and return the folder to school on Friday.
Please do not put classroom paperwork or notes to me in this folder.  
This folder is completely different from our daily class folder. 

Learning About Math

'Today we read The Quilt Story.
We learned about shapes and patterns.
Please ask your child about the following shapes:
circle, square, rectangle, hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid,oval, and triangle.

Please practice creating 2 and 3 part patterns with your child.

Reading Logs

"It's Falling Into Reading!"

It is so important that children be exposed to books and reading each day in order to develop a love of literature and reading skills that will last a lifetime.  In an effort to kindle the spark for September and October, our classes will be participating in a reading nightly for twenty minutes as we are “Falling Into Reading In Rainbow Valley.”

The goal is for each child is to read twenty-minutes per night with an adult. You can read to your child, your child can read to you, or you can do a little of both.  We are asking that you record your child’s reading on the reading log.  Once your child has completed his or her reading log please return it to school in their folder, and he or she will be awarded with a reading leaf for their efforts, and a new reading log will be sent home. 

The success of this program would not happen without our wonderful parents.  Thank you again for your continued support of your child’s reading habits.  It is truly wonderful to see their excitement grow as they become more self-confident with their reading.

Happy Reading!

Paperwork and More

Many forms went home to each family today. Please sign and return all paperwork and return it to school by Friday. 


All school supplies need to be sent in by Thursday.


Kindergarten students do not need a binder. (That was a mistake on the supply list.)


Did you E-mail Mrs. Chiaverotti yet?  No? Please E-mail me so that I have your E-mail address.

The First Day

Please make sure you send your child to school with their bus tag.  We need to know how they are getting home.  Please include their bus # to and from school on their bus tag.


Please send in a small snack and drink each day beginning tomorrow.

Open House Movie