December 21, 2006

December 21, 2006

Dear Families,

This week we worked some more on the letter Cc. We can now read the words cat, can, mad, man, if, fin, fit, and fan. They were decoded (sounded out) in the workbook last week. On Wednesday we went to the nursing home to sing some Christmas songs with the third grade classes. We have begun working on evaluations for the report cards. The boys and girls need to know or be able to do the following for their report cards: addresses, birthdays, days of the week, phone numbers, count to 50 (100 would be even better!), identify pennies and dimes and their values, identify the letters we have learned so far Aa, Cc, Dd, Ed, Ff, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn,Oo, Tt and two January letters Uu and Ss, associate sounds to the letters c, d, f, h, l, m, n, t and s (a future letter), identifies the numbers 0 - 16, identify left and right, and count objects to numbers between 0 - 18.

After Christmas the kindergartners need to bring in new crayons if they haven’t done so already. They may bring in a box of 16 or a box of 24. Check with your child to see if he or she needs a new glue stick. We have been doing many gluing projects, and some glue sticks need replaced.

We will see the kindergartners again on Wednesday, January 3rd! Notice the sharing list at the bottom of the sheet! When we return will will be learning about the letter Uu. Because that week is so short, we will NOT have sharing!

Have a wonderful break!

Ms. Howard
Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Herink


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January Sharing Schedule

January 3 - 5: No Sharing (Uu week)
January 8 - 12: Something that starts with the letter Ss in a secret sack (Please help your child think of clues.)
January 15 - 19: Something that starts with a Ww (It could be a winter item!)
January 22 - 26: Something that starts with the letter Jj
January 29 - February 2: Free choice (Yy week)

December 15, 2006

December 8, 2006

Dear Families,

What a delightful week! We learned about dimes. We enjoyed talking about dogs. The boys and girls practiced following directions. The booklet Dogs Can was read and colored. This week the kindergartners learned to read the word and. The “and” flashcard is attached to this newsletter. We practiced sounding out the words Dan and Dad. We reviewed the words Nan, a, an, that, and I.

Next week is Ee week. For sharing the boys and girls may bring a free choice item.

We have used glue sticks a lot recently, and many children need replacements. Please send some more glue sticks to school with your kindergartner!

Don’t forget about the Elementary Christmas Program on December 13th starting at 1:30. The children will be singing 3 songs that they have been practicing with Mr. Gardner. For the program the boys and girls do not need any special costumes or outfits; they only need to be dressed nicely. After their part of the program the kindergartners may sit with their families, or they may sit with the teachers on the bleachers. It would be helpful to let us know if they will be sitting with the family or with the teachers.

As stated in the North Tama Elementary newsletter, there will be an opportunity for the elementary children to shop in a Christmas store. All kindergartners will have the opportunity to shop on Monday, December 11th from 8:30 - 9:30. IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO SHOP, PLEASE SEND MONEY IN AN ENVELOPE OR BAGGIE. This is a good time to talk with your student about being a good consumer. If he/she does not see something that they want to buy, he/she does not have to buy anything! Items cost between 25¢ and $1. Families may also donate items for the store. Send your donations to school with your child, and we will put them in the correct place.

On Friday, December 19th, the kindergartners may participate in a Christmas party with the FCCLA group. This party is right after school. We help the boys and girls get to the party. More information and a permission slip should be coming home soon (It MAY be attached to this newsletter!

School will be dismissed early Thursday, December 21st. The town students will be dismissed at 2:20 and the bus students will be dismissed at 2:25. Please mark your calendars! Any leftover students will have to help pick up the classroom for the custodians!!!

We will have our classroom Christmas party on Thursday, December 21st. Please send the gift for the exchange sometime between December 11th and 21st. In a recent newsletter we told about how we handle the student gift exchange. Girls may bring a gift for a girl, and boys may bring a gift for a boy. We do a “grab bag” type of gift exchange. Families may spend up to $2 on the gift.

On December 20th we MAY be going to the Traer nursing home to sing our Christmas songs to the residents. The third grade classrooms normally join us. If it is a nice day, we will walk. If the weather is inclement, we will be taking a bus.

Please make sure that your child is ready for the winter weather. Boots, hats or earmuffs, gloves or mittens, coats, and snow pants keep the boys and girls warm and dry. PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON ALL WINTER ITEMS!

Have a delightful weekend!


Ms. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink



Copies of the North Tama Kindergarten newsletters can be found online at www.northtamak.blogspot.com.

December 8, 2006

December 8, 2006

Dear Families,

What a delightful week! We learned about dimes. We enjoyed talking about dogs. The boys and girls practiced following directions. The booklet Dogs Can was read and colored. This week the kindergartners learned to read the word and. The “and” flashcard is attached to this newsletter. We practiced sounding out the words Dan and Dad. We reviewed the words Nan, a, an, that, and I.

Next week is Ee week. For sharing the boys and girls may bring a free choice item.

We have used glue sticks a lot recently, and many children need replacements. Please send some more glue sticks to school with your kindergartner!

Don’t forget about the Elementary Christmas Program on December 13th starting at 1:30. The children will be singing 3 songs that they have been practicing with Mr. Gardner. For the program the boys and girls do not need any special costumes or outfits; they only need to be dressed nicely. After their part of the program the kindergartners may sit with their families, or they may sit with the teachers on the bleachers. It would be helpful to let us know if they will be sitting with the family or with the teachers.

As stated in the North Tama Elementary newsletter, there will be an opportunity for the elementary children to shop in a Christmas store. All kindergartners will have the opportunity to shop on Monday, December 11th from 8:30 - 9:30. IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO SHOP, PLEASE SEND MONEY IN AN ENVELOPE OR BAGGIE. This is a good time to talk with your student about being a good consumer. If he/she does not see something that they want to buy, he/she does not have to buy anything! Items cost between 25¢ and $1. Families may also donate items for the store. Send your donations to school with your child, and we will put them in the correct place.

On Friday, December 19th, the kindergartners may participate in a Christmas party with the FCCLA group. This party is right after school. We help the boys and girls get to the party. More information and a permission slip should be coming home soon (It MAY be attached to this newsletter!

School will be dismissed early Thursday, December 21st. The town students will be dismissed at 2:20 and the bus students will be dismissed at 2:25. Please mark your calendars! Any leftover students will have to help pick up the classroom for the custodians!!!

We will have our classroom Christmas party on Thursday, December 21st. Please send the gift for the exchange sometime between December 11th and 21st. In a recent newsletter we told about how we handle the student gift exchange. Girls may bring a gift for a girl, and boys may bring a gift for a boy. We do a “grab bag” type of gift exchange. Families may spend up to $2 on the gift.

On December 20th we MAY be going to the Traer nursing home to sing our Christmas songs to the residents. The third grade classrooms normally join us. If it is a nice day, we will walk. If the weather is inclement, we will be taking a bus.

Please make sure that your child is ready for the winter weather. Boots, hats or earmuffs, gloves or mittens, coats, and snow pants keep the boys and girls warm and dry. PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON ALL WINTER ITEMS!

Have a delightful weekend!

Ms. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink


Copies of the North Tama Kindergarten newsletters can be found online at www.northtamak.blogspot.com.

December 1, 2006

December 2, 2006

Dear Families,

During Mm week we made Mm booklets. We read many books written by Mercer Mayer and Robert Munsch. The boys and girls graphed using M & M’s and made months of the year booklets. This week the boys and girls started dictating letters to Santa. The Santa letters are being typed on the computer. The letters are mailed to Santa at the North Pole. (The Post Office will deliver letters addressed to the North Pole to Santa. If you do this at home with other children, make sure that you have your address on the letter!) Santa normally finds time to write back. Sometimes Santa mails his letters directly to the kindergartners. Sometimes the kindergartners’ letters from Santa come to the school since we mail the original letters all together.

Next week we will be studying the letter Dd. Sharing for next week needs to be an item that starts with the letter Dd. During Dd week we like to turn our dramatic play center into a doctor’s office. (It has been a house.) Many families have doctor kits or other doctorish items at home. If you would like to send the doctor items to school, please put your child’s name on each item. These things will come home before Christmas.

Winter weather will soon be here. Remember, when there is measurable snow on the ground, boots are required. Children stay warmer and drier when they wear snow pants. Please send hats, earmuffs, headbands, mittens, gloves, etc. every day. Please write your child’s name on every item!

Stay warm and safe! Notice the December Sharing Schedule at the bottom of this paper!

Mrs. Owens, Ms. Howard and Mrs. Herink
____________________________________________________________
December Sharing Schedule

December 4 - 8: An item that starts with Dd
December 11 - 15: Free choice item (It will be Ee week.)
December 18 - 21: An item that starts with the letter Cc (Friday students may bring their sharing any day!)