We have had a productive two weeks in Kindergarten as we implemented team teaching. Great learning is happening while we are able to address the needs of individual students. The students are performing quite well on their spelling tests each week.
Reading/Language Arts
We read a fun story, called "Little Quack," about ducklings who are apprehensive about making the first plunge into the water to swim with their mother. Afterward the students wrote in their journals about a time that they were brave and did something even though it was a little scary.
We also read "George Washington Visits" about a boy and his father who are preparing for a visit from George Washington on the eve of his presidential inauguration. The story used the literary device of flashback when the father recalled his service under Washington during the Revolutionary War.
We practiced using and writing adjectives to describe animals.
We responded to the story, "Animal Babies of the Grasslands," by writing about something we like to do with our moms.
Social Studies
We learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work for equality for all people. We wrote a dream that we have for our world to be improved. We created a FREEDOM acrostic poem and drew a picture of what freedom means to us.
Science
We began to study magnets and to discover what types of things will be attracted to magnets. We practiced the Scientific Method by observing magnets, making a guess about the materials attracted to magnets, and testing and recording our findings.
Math
We have been exploring subtraction and this past week we have begun to find all the ways that we can make various numbers. For example, 4 = 0 + 4, 4 = 3 +1, 4 = 2 + 2. We will continue this concept for all the numbers up to 10.
The Math Facts Timed Test is a new experience for us and many students are doing quite well with it. Some students are struggling to finish all the problems in the allotted time of 5 minutes. Please help your child practice these math facts at home, but don't panic if they are not able to finish the entire page of problems in the given time. Our goal here is to improve each week and to give the children the experience of a timed test, since they will be doing this regularly in first grade.
Once a child has accurately answered all the problems in 5 minutes, their time will be reduced to 4 minutes and then 3 minutes. After that, the type of problems will change and will again start at 5 minutes. We are currently focusing on sums that are less than 10. We will proceed to sums that are greater than 10 and then begin subtraction.
Religion
Last week we focused on the story of Jesus Calling the Apostles. This week we focused on the image of light that is presented in the Sunday Gospels for the next several weeks. We discussed how Jesus is the Light of the World and how we are each a light of Christ for others. We learned the song, "This Little Light of Mine," which we will sing when we visit the Nursing Home on Monday of Catholic Schools Week.
Upcoming Events
January 26 - February 1 - Catholic Schools Week. See Mrs. Schindler's Colt Express for details about this week.
February 13 and 14 - Parent - Teacher Conferences - Look for conference time request forms to come home in the coming week.
February 13 - Valentine's Day Party 11 - Noon. Look for information from the room parents. If your child would like to bring Valentines for the class, please have them sign their Valentines, but not address them to anyone specific. Handing out Valentines can be an arduous process at this age if they are addressed individually. We have 12 students in our class; 7 girls and 5 boys. Your child is welcome, but not expected, to give Valentines to the other class also. There are 15 students in Mrs. Leckey's Class; 6 girls and 9 boys.
We just ask that if your child does give Valentines that they give them to everyone in the class.
