What's Happening in February?

Themes - Valentine's Day, Winter, 100th Day, Pink Shirt Day,

Personal and Social Responsibility - continue to work on following classroom routines and behaviour expectations and exploring more with Kindness Counts activities

Our Classroom Mission Statement:

We come to kindergarten to be happy, helpful and respectful like Superflex. We share, take turns and play with many friends.

Early Literacy
-We will learn more of the letters and sounds with Jolly Phonics program. (Nov: L, F, E, H, T, I, C; Dec: U, G S; January: N, Y, O, Q, J, D, P, B, R; Our February Goal is to finish all the uppercase letters: M, K, V, A, W, X, Y, Z) 
-In our Morning Message, we are practicing sounds with a focus on the sounds in words (first the beginning sounds, then ending sounds, lastly the vowel sounds in the middle of small words). 
-We will continue to practice onset and rime by working through a few rime families and breaking words apart and putting them back together. 

-We are beginning to talk about characters and parts of the story. After The Mitten by Jan Brett was finished, we did a massive retell of the story. We broke it into the beginning, middle and ending. Then will read other winter stories.

Early Numeracy - We will continue to work through the different ways to represent number to 10. We will continue to subitize Dot Collections by talking about how we see the dots quickly. The goal when subitizing is to see groups of dots and to not count the dots 1 by 1. 
-We continue to talk about 3D shapes in the environment, folding, sorting, describing and tracing shapes. We are practicing ABB patterns, counting backwards and forwards to 10, and reviewing sorting concepts.

Physical Skills and Well Being in the classroom - encouraging and strengthening pincer hand grasp (using large tweezers, placing marbles on tees, placing buttons/gems in a line formation), and scissor use. - identifying healthy choices for morning snack. 

Creative Expression

- dramatic play within our Valentine's and Winter themes. Valentine's and Winter themed crafts. Daily songs with dances and movement breaks.

- Art is accomplished through letter, Valentine's and Winter themed crafts.

Environment and Community Awareness - participating in a variety of centers to explore properties of materials (such as sand, water, playdough, beans, rice, and many different building toys) and using a them safely and properly. We are even learning about some aspects of Space.  

Citizenship and Identity - We began Star of the Week/All about Me activities in December with Abby and Annie. Thank you to their families. This month, Gavin, Hali, Jack and Julian will have their turns.
This project is great for finding out how we are similar and unique. Thank you for helping your child talk to us!
The note is saved "Ways to help at home" if you would like to refer to it.

Technology -We have used the Smart Board all year to show we are here, dress the bear. We are starting to use Google Slides to lead each other in practicing beginning and ending sounds in short words.
- We have learned to use Seesaw. We log in using a QR code. Find the lightbulb for our activities. Listen to the instructions and then Add Response.
Thank you for supporting us with our Seesaw activities!

What's Happening in March?

Themes - Dr. Suess, St. Patrick's Day, Bears, Weather/Spring,

Personal and Social Responsibility - continue to work on following classroom routines and behaviour expectations and exploring more of Kindness Counts, Superflex and Bucketfilling activities.

Our Classroom Mission Statement:

We always try to be nice, helpful and responsible. We listen quietly, wait our turns, share and play with many friends.

Early Literacy
-Nov: L; Dec: F, E, H, T, I. Jan: N, Y, U, C, S, O, Q Feb: G, J, D. March goal: To learn the rest of the letter sounds) We are practicing sounds with a focus on the sounds in words (first the beginning sounds, then ending sounds, lastly the vowel sounds in the middle of the words).
- We are moving our major focus to sounds in words - beginning and ending. We will introduced to Stretchy Snake to slowly sound out letters of small 3 letter words.

- We continue to practice name printing focusing on beginning our name with a capital and the rest of the letters are lowercase with proper formation using name templates.
- We are practicing rhyming words by thinking of a new word that rhymes.
- We are practicing syllables in words.
- We are listening attentively to stories, and participate in class discussions. We are talking about characters and trying to remember 3 things that happened in the story.
-  Our Morning Message routine has changed to identifying the letters at the beginning of words and circling them with the green marker. We will move into identifying the words that we know (Sight Words) in the message.

 Early Numeracy
- We continue to focus on numbers 1-5, understanding the numerals and representing them in different ways. We are working with Chunkits. Understanding their shape and they space they use to represent numbers 2-5. We continue to subitize Dot Collections by making the cards and talking about how we saw the dots quickly. The goal when subitizing is to see groups of dots and to progress past counting the dots 1 by 1.
-We are practicing ABB patterns as well as ABC patterns.
-We are continuing to practice counting backwards and forwards to 10.
-We practice sorting through many different activities: paper and SMARTboard.

Physical Skills and Well Being in the classroom
- We are focusing on lowercase letters by looking at the letters that start with a straight line down.
- We are encouraging and strengthening pincer hand grasp (using large tweezers, placing marbles on tees, placing buttons/gems in a line formation), and scissor use
- identifying healthy choices for morning snack.

Creative Expression
- dramatic play within our St. Patrick's Day and Bear themed crafts. We listen to songs to dance and have movement breaks.
- Art is accomplished through St. Patrick's Day and Bear themed crafts.

Environment and Community Awareness
- participating in a variety of centers to explore properties of materials (such as sand, water, playdough, beans, rice, and many different building toys) and using a them safely and properly. 

Citizenship and Identity - Thank you for the completed Star of the Week presentations. Children will see the completed presentations in this order: 
If you haven't completed these Seesaw Activities, please make time to do these with your child. Don't hesitate to ask me for help. Every child wants to have their time to shine in our class.

Technology
- We have used the Smart Board all year to show we are here, calendar activities and movement activities. We are starting to use slides to lead each other in practicing sounds in words.
- We have learned to use Seesaw. We log in using a QR code. Find the lightbulb for our activities. Listen to the instructions and then Add Response.
At home, please login using your child's Gmail and password. It should be on their folder.
Thank you for supporting us with our Seesaw activities!

Link to the
Class Monthly Calendar

Welcome New Kindergartner's

Mrs. Dudley’s Supply List Tips

1.   A pair of non-marking indoor runners -Please write their name somewhere on their shoes. If your child can’t tie laces, please choose velcro so they can put their shoes on independently. I cannot stress enough that your child must be able to put on and take off their shoes all by themselves. Thank You!

2.  Lunch kit - Please no containers with multiple compartments. It is difficult to regulate healthy snack in the morning when it is packed with treats or lunch food.

3.  Backpack -Please choose one that is big enough for a lunch kit, Library book, ski-pants in the winter etc and all things going back and forth from school and home.

4.  Markers -Please make sure 1 pencil case fits all of your markers. Put your child’s initials on each marker and crayon. They get dropped, forgotten about, and lost easily. These will be saved for your child to use in January.

5.  1 pkg of 24 crayons  -Please make sure the other pencil case you choose fits your crayons.

6.  Scissors -Please write your child’s name on the blades

7.  Water Bottle- Please make sure that the spout is dependable. If it isn't, your child can fill it at school. Much dryer backpacks that way.

8.  I would love a few SMALL freezer bags instead of large bags -I am often putting left-over food or I organize hands-on activities with them. Thanks.

9. If the large glue sticks are hard to find, please send 10-15 small glue sticks. They are much easier for little hands to use at the beginning of the year.

10. Dry Erase Markers - Please name

Thank you!