We had a great first two days. We are headed toward a much longer week so we will be building stamina for being in school every day. I have already sent a few emails to the whole class, so if you didn't get them, let me know. Sometimes my emails go into people's junk mail. That is another good reason to keep up with the blog so that you stay informed.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) Wednesday will be the first short day. We will get out at 12:30. For Wednesdays only, kids only need one snack and lunch. Kindergarten goes to lunch last, so we will be walking back from lunch and almost immediately it will be time for them to go home or ESS.
**Please turn in paperwork as well as the Roadrunner folders ASAP. These folders will be used every Wednesday in the future to send home homework packets, flyers, etc. Please send the emptied folder back to school by Monday or Tuesday at the latest so that my volunteer can prepare the folders for going home on Wednesdays.
2) Lunch numbers should go home on Wednesday. The first homework assignment is for them to memorize their lunch number. I will be asking kids if they are buying from the cafeteria. The word is very similar in Spanish and I will be making a C with my hand so they know. They will raise their hand if they are buying so that I can put it in with attendance.
Topics for the week:
1) Language Arts: We will be introducing the whole alphabet through songs, Chica Chica Bum Bum activities, the "sonidos iniciales" chart (which is on the cover of their work folders), and a read-aloud big book called "Por la calle abecedario." This is simply an intro. They will have a letter a week for most of the year where they will learn about each letter in great depth. They will also practice the words "Yo" and "soy" = "I am" and writing their names.
2) Math: They will be tracing and counting the numbers 1-5 with a Coco book. We are also practicing the routines of our daily calendar lesson. In this routine, we count how many days of school, track the weather, and practice the days and months in Spanish.
3) Social Studies: Rules and procedures! One thing they will be practicing a lot is cleaning up and transitioning to the next activity such as going the rug or lining up quickly and quietly. They will also practice sharing during afternoon free play time (blocks, legos, slides, puzzles, etc.).
I created this blog to have a
digital space where I can freely communicate and share with you what is
happening in your child's Spanish Immersion class. This is where I will
keep you updated about current events happening in our class or school.
I usually post every Sunday evening about the topics and happenings
for the following school week. I also posted information about our
classroom (routines, behavior management, rules) so that you can
reference later. For future reference, if you are not sure about what is
going on in class, please refer to the blog first and then email me if
there is still uncertainty or questions. I am usually good about
posting consistently and thoroughly. I occasionally send update and
reminder emails, but you will stay more informed by checking the blog
weekly.
Homework: We have minimal homework in
K-3. This will give you the opportunity to focus on reading to and with
your child and you can reinforce and teach English concepts to your
child to supplement the Spanish homework that I will provide. I will
provide challenge work at times in case your child wants to do more
homework.
You will find all of the homework under the
"Homework" tab. Because we customize some of the homework, especially
writing, we are asking that if you have a printer, to please help us
save paper by printing it out yourself. You can easily download the
weekly homework as a Google doc, print it, and have your child return it
to class. As the students become more independent writers, there will
be less to print because they will be able to write on any lined paper.
Feel
free to email me at any time with questions or concerns. Thank you and
I look forward to getting to know you throughout the year.
Getting Ready for the First Day of School
If you missed out on orientation or would like to review the slides again, here is the Orientation Presentation. Please watch the movie with your child and discuss the procedures over the next few days to get ready for the first day.
Here you will find very detailed information about how thingsABC's of Kindergarten.
The flip book from Orientation is all the most important concise
information in just a few pages. It is a thorough reference guide for
everything you need to know about the school year. It will stay in the
"Getting to Know our Classroom" tab for future reference or you can
download it as well. Please also explore the blog, and please complete
the Parent Survey by Monday evening, but the sooner, the better: Ready for Kindergarten - Parent Survey.
work, so you can always reference this later:
What to Bring:
**All necessary school supplies will be provided
by the teacher, including pencils, crayons, glue, etc. Individual
supplies should be left at home for homework. If you would like to
donate supplies to share with the class, they are always appreciated,
but not required. Here is a list of things to bring so that your child
has a successful first day of school.
1) Backpack (labeled)
2) Lunchbox (labeled)
- we recommend bringing a lunch the first week of school until your
child gets used to lunch procedures and learns his/her lunch number.
These will go in the large lunch bin.
3) Two healthy snacks (labeled-one
for morning and one for afternoon). These will go in the smaller snack
bin. We recommend using reusable snack bags so the kids can easily
recognize their own. It also helps them remember to take their bags home
at the end of the day. Leftover snack food is often left in the basket
at the end of the day.
4) Small pillow, towel, or blanket (labeled) for our short rest time after lunch. These will be stored inside the students' desks.
5) Water bottle (recommended)
- I allow water bottles on students' desks as long as they don't become
a distraction. Reusable water bottles with a spill-proof lid are most
recommended. Please label them.
6) Extra change of clothing in a ziplock bag in case there is a bathroom accident. These will be left in their backpacks at all times. Accidents even happen at the END of the year!
7) Shoes -
Please consider buying shoes without shoe laces. Students usually do
not know how to tie shoes and they often get untied, creating a big
distraction for them and others around them. With so many students to
attend to and keep an eye on, I will not be able to tie shoes.
The Kissing Hand for the first day of school
Here is a video of someone reading the book The Kissing Hand. If
you'd like, you can show it to your child to get her or him ready for
the first day. When they see your hand that you made during
orientation, it may bring them some comfort to know that you are
thinking of them.
