1. September 30, 2016
Dear Parents,
It was a very exciting week in Kindergarten! Our class participated in the school-wide assembly, in which we learned the school rules. We took individual and class pictures on Picture Day. We sat on a school bus and listened carefully to the bus driver, Mr. Henry, who helped us learn about bus safety, and participated in our first Bus Evacuation Drill. We had great fun learning Spanish during our very first Spanish Class with Senora Morgan! We also participated in Makerspace activities in the Media Center and classroom.
We learned about a famous American, John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed), and participated in a variety of apple-related activities during Kindergarten Apple Week. We sorted and grouped our apples by brainstorming categories, such as type of apple, overall color, solid color or multi-color, size, shape, and stem or no stem. We graphed, counted, and compared our apple colors on a class bar graph, estimated and counted the seeds in our apples, measured the height and weight of our apples with cubes and scales, and made apple prints with paint. We discussed favorite apple foods, and made and tasted our own applesauce. We learned apple songs and played apple games, such as “Johnny, Johnny, Where Can Your Seed Be?” and ”Apple, Apple Nice and Round, Pick an Apple and Make Its Sound!”
In Word Study, we sorted and matched picture cards into rhyming pairs, singing along to a rhyming poem and using our language to articulate the reasons behind the way we sorted (e.g. snake rhymes with cake because they both say “ake” at the end of the word). We highlighted the sight words is, red, we, and go in texts and added them to our Word Wall and word rings.
In Writing Workshop, we continued to generate ideas, plan, and draft one-page teaching books. We learned that we can put print on the page by writing the first letter of a word (or stretching through a whole word) to label each part of our sketch. In Reading Workshop, we practiced lingering on the page and touching and naming everything we see. We also learned that we can observe and follow the action of the characters, as well as their facial expressions, to tell the story in our own words. In Math, we focused on the concepts of the same, same but a little different, and very different, as well as counting sets and writing corresponding numerals correctly.

2. Looking Ahead: Special Notes:
Wishing you safe and relaxing extended weekend and a very Happy New Year to those families who will be celebrating Rosh Hashananh!
Sincerely,
Linda Yelvington
Looking Ahead:
Rosh Hashanah-Schools Closed: Monday, October 3
Walk to School Day: Wednesday, October 5
NJ Week of Respect: Oct. 3–7
Wear favorite Sport’s Jersey: Tuesday, October 4
Wear Blue: Wednesday, October 5
Wear favorite hat: Thursday, October 6
Wear Washington School colors: Friday, October 7
Mums Donations due: Wednesday, October 5
Kindergarten Garden Planting: Wednesday, October 5
Writing Folder Collages Due: Monday, October 10
Special Notes:
Thank you for sending in apples for our Apple Week activities!
Please help your child practice reading and spelling sight words, as well as reading your child’s Book Buddy book selection with your child each night.
Kindly complete all school online requests at your earliest convenience. I will begin to post pictures on my web site once all OK to Photo/Do Not Photo responses are complete.