Here is what is going on this week (Sept. 30-Oct. 4)

Reading
We are reading Plaidypus Lost. (the reason it is spelled wrong is because the platypus in the story is a plaid stuffed animal. We will learn more about communities in the book. I will also be assessing students on their knowledge of the parts of a book. Here is what they will look like:

Identifies:

          Cover page____

          Back of book____ 

Title page____

          Where to start____

          Left/right____

          End of the line____

Explains:

          What does the author of a story do____

          What does the illustrator of a story do____

So practice this at home.

Math

Starting chapter 2 which is numbers to 10. We will focus on 6 and 7 this week. Patterns and calendar.

Phonics

The letter I. Blending 3 letter words. 

Science

Playpuses

Social Studies

Community places and workers.

Mr. E

We made it through the land of Read to Self

The kids built up their reading stamina and can now read for 15 minutes by themselves! I am very proud of them. Way to go kids.

September 23-27

Reading
We are reading Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip With Kindergarten this week. This week will mark the start of our community helpers mini-unit and will introduce people and places in our communities. The comprehension skill we are learning is: identifying illustrations and how they support the text. We have already been learning how to "read the pictures" during daily 5 time.

Writing
During writing this week, students will learn to share writing ideas with a partner. Also, we will be making a book about what we like to do with our families. At the end of the week we will continue to learn how we can tell more through our illustrations.

Phonics
Are letters of the week are S and C. (I will also be sending home the A phonics packet for your child to do at home because we didn't get to it on Friday) We are also learning rhyming, syllables, beginning sounds and ending sounds through our daily call and response phonological awareness time. (this is ongoing over the entire year)

Math
Numbers to five and spotting small differences. (different-new vocabulary word)

Social Studies/Science
Community/community helpers and our five senses.

Mr. E

Our city and vehicle creation

September 16-20

Reading
We are reading a great book this week called This is the way we go to school. It is about how different kids around the world get to school. We are still focusing on the parts of a book with a special focus on the author and illustrator. We get to discuss and explore geography and different climates/habitats that people around the world live in. We will be creating something on Thursday and Friday pertaining to the book. Check out last Friday's creation in the video bar to the right. It was a lot of fun!

Phonics
Letters A and P

Math
Reviewing/learning numbers to five. Same vs. not the same. Playing "match me". (play it at home)

Social Studies/Science
Understanding feelings. Geography. Land forms.

Have a great week.
Mr. E

September 9-13

Reading
We are reading The Little School Bus this week. It is a fun rhyming book that the students will love. We are learning about the features of a book. (title page, cover page, binding, author illustrator, back) Students will also continue to build their reading stamina as we up our "read to self" time to 5 minutes.

Writing
We start our "Being a Writer" curriculum this week as students will hear books that will give them writing ideas. They will begin to share their writing with others too.

Math
We will start our math curriculum by learning/reviewing numbers 1 and 2 as well as matching, sorting and learning colors and shapes.

Phonics
Letters M and T and rhyming, as well as starting our fun oral phonological awareness time.

Mr. Edwards

Classroom updates

9/8/13

Dear parents/guardians,

Here are a few updates from room 100.

Updated schedule

Our specials schedule changed a bit from back to school night. Here is the updated schedule:

Mon.-Library, Tues.-Art, Wed.-Computers, Thur.-P.E., Fri.-Lib

Room Parent(s)

Please email me if you would be interested in volunteering as a room parent for my classroom.

Mail for Mr. E

Please designate a system to get papers back and forth from you to myself. I ask the children every morning to check for mail for me but it is something they need to get used to doing. Feel free to use the folder given to you at the beginning of the year or another filing system that works. If you would like another folder made for your child with “home” and “return” labeled in it just email me and I can get one in their backpack. Hopefully in a week or so the students will learn the procedure of checking their backpack for papers.

Sight words

Sight words are extremely important to your child’s reading development. Please know/remember that the words on the “sight word” lists should be memorized by sight, not sounded out. The reason they are called sight words is because most are phonetically spelt and they are also words that your child will see the most when learning to read. We learn phonics in kindergarten to help reading and writing but sight words should be memorized. Thank you.

Homework

Homework from the homework calendar should be done in your child’s homework notebook. This notebook can stay at home or with the child and only needs to be sent to school/turned in upon request from me. (twice a quarter) Please don’t have your child hand in their homework daily.

September family project

I will not be supplying a “All about me” poster for your child. They are free to be creative with the project using whatever they would like to display their information. (poster, video, orally, etc.)

Emails

This is your last chance to get on the class email list. (which is how I will be giving information like this from now on) If you have not received any emails from me this year than you are probably not on the email list. If that is you, please email me (with all emails wanted on the list) at lredwards2@cps.edu stating please add me to the list.

Thursday dinner

LaSalle II PTO is having a fund raiser at Enoteca Roma (2146 W. Division) on Thursday. Please consider coming for a delicious meal. I will be attending with my wife and we would love to see you there.

That is all for now.

Mr. Edwards

Big puzzle center

First day of journal writing

Constructing with Legos

Reading together in the library

First day in the art center

3 ways to read a book

Creating together at the block center

Week of September 3rd

Well we survived the first week of kindergarten with a small amount of tears and a large amount of smiles. Students learned all about LaSalle II, room 110 and each other last week. This week we will continue to learn routines and procedures (some old some new) as well as learn and practice how to use items in the room. 

Some new things to look out for this week are:

-Bucket filling (the system I use in my room to promote a respectful caring environment)

-Students will get their first journal and we will write in it everyday

-We will begin our fun daily Phonological awareness time (a 10-15 minute time where I use call and response to help students develop phonics skills)

-The "Magic number game" (ask your child about this Wednesday after school)

This is the last week before we start our writing, reading and math curriculum. We will however continue to ingrain routines and procedures throughout the year. 

Please continue to be aware of what is sent home and papers that need to be sent back. Thanks.

Mr. E