December

         

Dear Parents,

           

We were very happy to see many parents during our interviews on Nov.6th.  It was so nice to touch base with you to discuss your child’s progress in Kindergarten. 

Our focus for this month will be Advent and Christmas.  We will discuss the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate.  “Jesus is the reason for the season!”  Please check the section "Les chansons que nous aimons" for the French songs and vocabulary.  

On Wednesday December 10^th, you are invited to celebrate “Deck the Halls” here at St. George School.  It starts with a light breakfast, followed by the Performance Choir.  We are then inviting the K2 parents to join us during the children's snacktime followed by a Christmas songs and a story.

As mentioned in the St. George’s Newsletter, the grade 6's are hosting a Christmas Shopping Day on Wednesday, December 16th.  You can donate new or gently used items to the office as well as wrapping paper and ribbons before December 12th.  On December 16^th, students are asked to bring money to purchase gifts for their family members.  Items will be selling from $1.00 to $5.00 and will come home wrapped and labeled ready to put under your Christmas tree. 

A list of popcorn words were sent home to use as a reference when reading simple pattern books that repeat.  Here is an excellent site which will encourage your child’s reading abilities.  It’s fun and it’s free! Check out www.starfall.com.  The boys and girls have begun to write in their own journals.  These journals have been introduced as a way to encourage the students to write.  We emphasize the fact that writing comes in many different stages and so they are expected to write at their stage of writing:  pictures with scribed sentences, string of random letters, intial letters, etc.  SKs especially will be encouraged to stretch out the sounds in the word as they write the matching letters.  Like all beginning skills: practise, practise, practise!

In JK, we will continue with counting sets to 5.  Ask your child to ‘show you’ groups of 3, 4, 5 or more items whenever the opportunity arises.  Look for numbers on labels and containers. In SK we’ve been talking about what makes 5 using our five frame tool. Their use encourages counting strategies beyond counting by one or counting on each time they are asked to identify a number or work on an addition or subtraction type math story. These number relationships help build the foundation for the development of more complex mental computations. Students start with the five frames before moving on to ten frames and may explore double ten frames later to develop a better understanding of place value.  SKs, here is a great site to practise this skill:  http://illuminations.nctm.org/activitydetail.aspx?id=74 – five frames interactive website.

The playdough table has been very popular.  Therefore, we would appreciate any donation of playdough to keep this popular centre open.  Should you require the recipe, please let us know.  Store bought playdough is welcome too.  The students are not picky!

Friday, December 19^th is the last day of school before the Christmas break and we are back at school on Monday January 5th, 2015.

We wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas.  Enjoy your time together.  The very best for 2014!

            

God bless,

Mrs. McGuinty, Mme Dolgos & Mrs. McAteer

With the cold weather here, it is really important for all the children to dress independently for outdoor play. Here is the french song we sing to help the children remember the order in which they get dressed. (To the tune of "Are you sleeping") Ask your child to sing it while they get dressed for school!

We have been busy adding our French songs to the "Les chansons que nous aimons" section on the right hand side of the blog! Please review them at home with your child.

Here is the story of the 3 little pigs in French. We have been putting on the play in class. Ask your child to act it out at home!

November Newsletter

In November, we will be talking about Remembrance Day and practising our letter writing by writing postcards to our Canadian war veterans.  We will also be participating in the Remembrance Day Ceremony at school.  Your child brought home a poppy that will be displayed in the gym.  Please help your child select the name of someone he/she would like to remember.  Write this name on the poppy, cut it out and return it to school. During the second week of November, poppies will be sold to support the veterans of Canada.  If you wish your child to purchase one, simply send in a small donation. 
To broaden the theme of peace, we will be reading the Shubert series (Conscious Discipline) which is a unique set of books designed to help children find strategies to solve problems and create a peaceful and kind environment in the classroom and with their friends. If you are interested in learning more about Conscious Discipline, there is a presentation being held at the Ottawa Catholic School Board on Friday, November 28th from 7 to 9 pm.  Please go to the Board website and register before November 15th if you are interested.

Every day, we choose a special student who is the leader/ami special for the day. We use the letters in the child’s name to help with letter recognition. Thank you to those parents who have been helping their child with the writing of his/her name. The students are so proud when they can write their name independently. In addition to writing their name, all students are being asked to say the letters in their name. Some could benefit from additional practice at home. Have your child read the letters to you, once they’ve printed them. Touching each letter as they do so would help to encourage this skill. All children should be writing their name using ONLY lowercase letters except for the first letter (for example: Johnny). Something to challenge the SKs is to practise the writing of their last name or writing the names of other family members. They enjoy writing their friends' names here at school using a name card as a guide.

 

In Math, we have been graphing, measuring and counting. We have sorted and graphed different shapes of leaves and measured pumpkins. We’ve even used pumpkins to find out how tall we are. Ask your child how many pumpkins tall he/she is! At home, you can practise sorting and graphing. For example, sort the laundry. Sort out different laundry items from the laundry basket (socks, shirts, pants). Count the items to see if there are more coloured socks than white socks; more shirts than pants. Show it on a graph! November and December will have more focus placed on number sense and numeration: the JKs will be doing activities to help with counting and showing sets to 5 along with numeral recognition. With the SKs, the number focus will be on numbers between 10 and 20. Please keep in mind that any and all strands of math occur on any given day in a play based learning environment!

In French, we are talking about parts of the body, emotions as well as clothing and we are planning to review the senses and healthy habits.  We are also are working on the play of the Three Little Pigs.  The play is in the French corner of the blog so feel free to practice the lines as well as the songs at home with your child!

The weather is getting colder and so, the students have more articles of clothing. Labeled items are easily returned to students when they get misplaced. We ask that you continue to support your child in getting dressed (zipping zippers and buttoning buttons AND getting shoes on independently). Very soon, children who can zip their own zipper will become part of our Zipper Club. We know it isn’t always easy, especially when you’re in a rush, but your effort now will save time later. Please save the laces for grade one when students’ fine motor skills are much more developed. The ratio of teacher to student does not support the use of laces in kindergarten. It really delays the flow to our next transition.

We would like to send a big thank you to parents who sent in canned foods, who helped at the dance-a-thon as well as to parents who returned the dance-a-thon pledge form envelope. If you did not return the envelope, please do so as soon as possible.

In Kindergarten, there are no progress reports. We meet with all the parents on interview night, Thursday, November 6th.

 

Reminders:

1. Please ensure that all of your child’s belongings (coats, sweaters, hat, mitts…) are labeled with his/her name.
2. Please help your child practise putting his/her coat on independently. Winter wear is often much more difficult to get on and do up than light spring/fall jackets. Please take the time to show him/her how to reverse a sleeve that has turned inside out. Something to keep in mind… Scarves are very difficult for young children to put on in a safe manner. Serious injuries have occurred involving young students wearing scarves on a bus or play structure.
3. Please ensure that your child sends his/her note tote to school every day.
4. Please continue to send a water bottle with your child. Water is such a great choice for replenishing fluids in any temperature.
5. To avoid frustration, Velcro shoes are HIGHLY recommended for both indoor and outdoor use! Curly laces are available at all Payless and Walmart stores if purchasing Velcro shoes is not an option.
6. Please check your child's backback everyday for important mail.  Also, we have some beautiful materials in our classroom that sometimes go missing.  If you find them in your child's backpack, please send them back to school with a note in the notetote.

We appreciate the support you are providing at home! Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of us any time before or after school.

Sincerely,
Mrs. McGuinty
Mme Dolgos
Mrs. McAteer

 

September/ October Newsletter

September has already come and gone. The children are noticing the changes in the seasons, bringing in leaves, acorns, twigs and all of nature's beautiful things.  We have begun to reflect on the things that we are thankful for while we prepare for Thanksgiving.  During this month, we will continue to watch for the signs of Fall and we will explore pumpkins as we approach Halloween.  We would appreciate donations of various sizes of pumpkins and gourds for our Science and Math investigations.
In Math, the children will be learning about patterning.  Seeing patterns involves recognizing repeating parts, predicting what comes next, and extending a pattern.   Some things you can do at home is look for patterns with your child (for example: on bedspreads, curtains, rugs, wallpaper, clothing, tiles).  You could use common household objects like buttons, paper clips, and toy cars to make patterns with your child.

Thank you to the families who have sent in pictures for our family tree.  If you have not sent in your picture, please do so as soon as possible as the children are so proud and happy to have them.

Please remember to send your child to school in appropriate clothing for play and for the weather. Fall is a tricky time of year where it is chilly in the morning and warm by the afternoon and students are sometimes uncomfortable by being too cold or too warm.Dressing in layers such as sweaters that can easily be removed may help.

Important Dates for October:
10th: PD day (no school)
13th:  Thanksgiving Monday Holiday
31st:  Halloween! Wear orange and black to school (no costumes)
Dance-A-Thon Fundraiser

Happy Birthday in October to:
Addison:  5th
Colleen:  28th
Eve: 31st

We are looking forward to seeing what the month of October will bring to our classroom.

Mrs. McGuinty, Mme Dolgos, Mrs. McAteer,  Mrs. Leduc

Welcome!

Welcome to the K2 Kindergarten class blog. We are settled into our routines. Our Sk's have been great leaders for our new Jk's. Everyone seems to be enjoying the new school year, getting to know each other and exploring all the learning centres. The class voted on a class name. We are The Beautiful Butterflies!

We welcome Mrs McGuinty to our class. The children get to spend Mondays, Wednesdays and alternate Fridays speaking and learning in French with Mme Dolgos and Tuesdays, Thursdays and alternate Fridays speaking and learning in English with Mrs McGuinty. The children spend every day with me, Mrs McAteer, the Early Childhood Educator. We also welcome Mrs Leduc who is the Educational Assistant with us every morning. 

The class has already done many fun activities. We worked on self-portraits. We created our alphabet using various found materials. We are doing various activities to practice our names ie: using magnet letters, coloured transparent letters on the light table, writing our names in shaving cream. We are working on a class book about us. We received a few Monarch caterpillars and 1 chrysalis. Our Chrysalis has already turned into a beautiful Monarch butterfly which we set free last Friday.

Here is our flow of the day: 

8:55-9:20 Outdoor play while children arrive

9:25 Enter school and settle in

9:35 Carpet time: O Canada, Prayer, pick a leader, calendar, lesson 

950 Learning centres and snack, small group lessons

11:00 Tidy up and sharing time

11:30 Recess

12:10 Enter school and settle in for lunch

12:20- 12:50 Lunch, washrooms

1:00- 1:30 Quiet time. Relaxing music plays and lights are off. Children can look at a book quietly

1:35 Carpet time, lesson

1:50 Learning centres and snack, small group lessons

3:00 Tidy up, sharing time and getting ready for home, outdoor play if time permits

3:30 Dismissal

We have gym on Tuesday for 35 mins. We also have many opportunities to do physical activities in class. We enjoys Just dance routines from You tube! We will start yoga again soon. 

We will start taking out books from the school library (learning commons) as soon as it is set up and running. We will visit bi-weekly on Fridays. 

Please remember to subscribe to the blog to receive all updates and news letters and follow us on Twitter as this is our #1 way to share daily activities with families.                 

k2kindergarten

 @stgeorgefdk

Looking forward to an exciting school year!

Hello parents,

As part of the curriculum, we must practice and present a dance. The class voted on the Gummy Bear song. Please try to practice dancing to this song at home so that your child will be ready to present it in 2 weeks to the other Kindergarten classes. 

Thank you for your cooperation!

Kindergarten Newsletter May/June 2014

Kindergarten Newsletter May/June 2014

We can’t believe that June is almost here! Our students have come a long way, and learned many new things this year, thanks in part to your continued support.

The tomato plants we planted are growing well.  First there were roots, then the stem and finally leaves.  They are getting bigger now and we will be sending our results to the Tomatosphere Project and find out if the seeds that grew the best were from space!

We also received Painted Lady caterpillars and were able to observe the life cycle as the caterpillars got bigger and then formed a chrysalis.  After about 7 to 10 days, beautiful butterflies came out of the chrysalises and we were able to set them free!

In French we will be practising a play called “Mistigris”.  The words are posted in the vocabulaire section of the Blog. Please practice it at home with your child so he/she is able to say all the parts fluently.

Dates to remember:

Tuesday May 27^th: Used books sale: You may bring in used books until Monday May 26^th and on Tuesday May 27^th, students may purchase books for 0.50$ each.  So make sure your child doesn’t forget his/her money!

Tuesday June 3^rd: K3 and the jk's from K1 will go to the Ottawa Gymnastic Club (12:00-2:00), please complete and sign the permission form and indicate if you can come and help (we will need a few parent volunteers)

Wednesday June 4^th: Last day to order French Scholastic Books

Thursday June 5^th: Family Dance at 7:00 pm

Friday June 6^th: P.D. Day (No school for the students)

Tuesday June 10th: K2 and the sk's from K1 will go to the Ottawa Gymnastic Club (12:00-2:00) ), please complete and sign the permission form and indicate if you can come and help (we will need a few parent volunteers)

Thursday June 19^th: Scientists in School will be in with K2 (AM) and K3 (PM).  Please complete the volunteer form if you are able to come and help.

Friday June 20^th: Scientists in School will be in with K1 (AM). Please complete the volunteer form if you are able to come and help.

Monday June 23^rd: School Play Day (if raining it will be on Tuesday June 24^th)

Thursday June 26^th: End of year mass (SKs will walk to St. George Church for the 10:00 am mass)

Friday June 27^th: Last day of school! During the summer months, continue to read to your child.  Have them point out familiar words (like “and”, “the”, “he”, “she”, “was”, etc.) in the story.  Have your child predict what will happen next, or have them “tell” the story by “reading” the pictures.  Play rhyming games or sing nursery rhymes together! RAZ kids will continue to be available until the end of August!  So please take advantage of it. Children can count, sort, and classify things like shells, rocks and sticks they find.  They can add and take away objects, or count how many umbrellas there are on the beach.  Dreambox will also be available for use until the end of August.  Keep things light and fun, and your child will be eager to learn again in September!

Housekeeping items:

Hat and sunscreen:  We’ll be taking advantage of this beautiful weather after having been cooped up all winter.  Please send a hat, water bottle, and apply sunscreen before your child leaves for school in the morning.

Water bottle:  very important and brought daily, especially as the temperature rises!  If you don’t have one, send in a plastic cup labelled with your child’s name – to go home daily.

 Report cards:  will be sent home the last week of June.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very safe and fun-filled summer.  It was our pleasure to be part of your child’s learning this year!  

God bless,

 

The Kindergarten Team

Used book sale

The used book sale will be tomorrow. You can send a loonie or a toonie in your child's note tote and they can purchase a few books.

May 6th book fair

The scholastic book fair will be on Tuesday May 6th. If your child is participating please send in money in a ziplock bag labelled with their name. Thank you!

Castle inquiry!

 The class was very excited about St George day last week. They had many questions. The girls  have also been making crowns and long Elsa hair (from the movie Frozen). So when we voted on what we wanted to change our market into next, the majority voted for a Castle!

We have started painting our boxes to create a castle in our classroom. Many of the students have participated. We are doing research on what a castle looks like, what we need to put in it, who are the people that live in castles. We have many books and images to help inspire us.

At our art easel,  the class was encouraged to try and draw a castle of their own. We were so impressed with the student's work!

The class have also been making many crowns, shields and royal fans!

Jacob brought in this drawing he made at home. Great work Jacob the knight!

Here are some of our french vocabulary words we are using.

Here is a song we have been singing:

We will post pictures when the castle is complete. 

Tech night

Just a reminder that tomorrow night is our tech night. We will be talking twitter, the blogs and other type of technology we are using in our Kinder classes. It should be a fun night!

Technology

Hello parents,

I had the opportunity to sit down with someone from the board this afternoon who taught me many new things in technology.  I have added links on the right side of the page to: raz-kids, dreambox, as well as the St George website, the Full-Day Kindergarten curriculum and the transportation website that tells you if buses are running.

She also introduced me to twitter. (yes, I had never been on twitter) If you would like to follow our class on twitter here it is:  @stgeorgefdk

It was a great afternoon of learning for me.

Mrs McAteer

Counting by 5

We are working on  counting by 5's. Here is a video that you can watch at home to practice.

                                

The children know that we skip count by 5 because it is a faster way yo get to 100!

Popcorn day

Hello, we will be having another popcorn day on Friday, April 11th for Ok Clean Water. Please bring a toonie!
*To avoid frustrations could you please send the toonie in your child's note tote . This way it won't get lost. You can even tape it to the notebook and leave the notebook open.
Thank you!

Tomatosphere 2014

The k1 class has been given the opportunity to conduct an experiment with tomato seeds.  There are 2 groups of seeds. One is labeled "T" and the other "V". One spent 22 months in space aboard the International Space Station. They left on July 8th 2011 and returned with Commander Chris Hadfield on May 15, 2013. The other half did not. We do not know which ones did or not. We have planted all the seeds from group 'T' and group 'V' and will take note of the growth.  We will then send submit our results to the Tomatosphere website.

It has been a great opportunity to talk about space. We watched a fun video on YouTube recorded in space showing us where the astronauts eat, sleep and exercise. 

Here are some students helping Mme Dolgos plant some seeds.

We will add pictures as they sprout!

The Farmer's Market

The St George Market! Le Marché St George!

Our flower shop has now transformed into a Farmer's Market! We still have flowers but we brainstormed what we find at the Market. We have added various fruit and vegetables. We have taken the opportunity to talk about french vocabulary of fruit and vegetables.

We read "La chenille qui fait des trous" this week. Many of the children had already heard the story in english. We used french vocabulary of fruit and other food. The class was really excited about the art in this book. We created the caterpillar from the book on Tuesday and the butterfly on Wednesday. They turned out so nice!

                                          

Here are our Hungry Caterpillars:

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Here are our butterflies: