Last day in January and here comes FEBRUARY!!!!

January has been busy....Friday was filled with painting paper for our Young Author's books.

We had the BEST volunteers working hard.

We also got to pretend to be HAROLD....and decided what to do with our purple crayon.

More paper making for our books.

Paint...paint and more paint...

Can you believe it's almost February? Yikes. I am out of the building until Wednesday. I have "TEACHER training" in Kelly, Wyoming. I am bummed to be gone, but Ms. Cammy Lawson is my sub. The kids know her well now.
Monday is our SKI day. Be sure to be prepared. Please send your child with a snack or a dollar for the general store. Please do not send more than 2 dollars so that your little one doesn't load up on sugar. WE would love to have more FREE ski VOLUNTEERS that show up around 2:30 and ski until 4pm. If it works for you, just show up. THANKS.

Reading this week:
We will read SEEDS by Ken Robbins. WE are talking about how people, plants and animals grow and change this week. While we read, we are working on drawing conclusions. Remember that when your child reads to you at home.

Letter of the week: /Oo/
Comprehension skill: Draw conclusions
See the FAMILY times for more. 
Folders come home Monday. 


Writing this week:
We will take a YOUNG AUTHOR's break while I am gone on Monday and Tuesday. Kindergartners will be working on WRITING about READING. They will write about what they learned in SEEDS and also get to do some "FREE time" writing where they can write about what they want to write about in their ANYTIME journals. 
Wednesday we will resume with YOUNG Author's workshop. Kids are in the middle of "WRITING the WORDS" in their practice books. WE talked about how this book will be different because I am typing the words when they are all done. They are very excited about that.
Kindergartners will also be working on the ART that goes with their books this week. They will be making a CLOSE-up of their character, an action scene, the setting and a COVER page all using the CUT and PASTE method with their "MADE paper"...it should be fun.


MAth this week:


*Using slates to practice 2 digit number writing
*Guess my number ( a game used to develop awareness of equivalent names for numbers)
*Review the pan balance
*Subtraction on the number line
*Count with Calculators
*Measurement with Children's feet


Have a wonderful week. 
Mrs. Griffin

BEST "1st" ski day EVER

ON our way to the PERFECT ski day!!!!

FREE ski with the 2nd graders

Sun and Smiles

Nothing like a groomer

Kindergarten boys...

SKI DAY today...GREAT way to start a week.
TODAY in Computer class your child will be taking the MAP test. I will share these results with you during the first week of March at our CONFERENCE.

Friday: Allison and Martha will be volunteering in our class from 10:15-11:15 for PAPER making. This is part of the YOUNG author's project, so stay tuned to see the final products.
This week conferences:
Wednesday: MacMillans and Gilletts
Thursday: Arnolds and Daytons
Friday: Heberts
Looking forward to catching up with you.

This week in Reading: 
We are reading Farfallina and Marcel today. We will be discussing how friendships change.
Phonics: Ff
Comprehension skill: plot
See the FAMILY times for more.
READING homework comes home Tuesday - Thursday. Please read the book with your child and SEND it back to the FOLLOWING day. We reread these books in our reading groups so it's important that they come back each day. Thank you for your help with this.

This week in Math:
What's my rule? (a game that helps children think about sorting rules)
Number stories (develop more understanding of mathematical symbols and language for addition and subtraction)
Two digit numbers (practice reading, writing and representation of these numbers)
Order of Events (increase awareness of the passage of time)
*On Wednesdays Jodeen Tebay (PEAK teacher) has been visiting our Kindergarten room to help enrich some students' math skills. She is working along side me at times and pulling out during others.

This week in Writing:
We are continuing on with our YOUNG AUTHOR's planning.
Some mini lessons include:
*How to have a good beginning
*Conventions
*Telling the story across your hand, touching the page, then WRITING it down.
*Author's craft

Have a wonderful week.
mrs. g

MLK week

Did you know that the FREEDOM MARCH is an hour from Mrs. Griffin's hometown? Today...this week...DO SOMETHING KIND for someone just because. Hope you enjoy your day off it you have it...and if not...consider it a DAY ON...and Pay it forward.

This week will be a short week at the ALTA school. We will resume WINTER SPORTS January 24th so be READY!

January 24th is also C.R's last day in Kindergarten at the Alta school. We will be celebrating her BIRTHDAY and having a "going away" party on Friday the 21st at lunch. DO NOT PACK LUNCH for your child because we will have a PIZZA party in my classroom. We will enjoy cupcakes at the end of the day for her b-day. I am so sad to see this family leave. We love the "R" family. 

Another person we are sad to see go is Melissa Christensen...our AWESOME janitor. Her last day will be Tuesday. Another Christensen is in training and will start Wednesday. Her name is Sheena. Be sure to say hello.

This week I will begin my mini-conferences during SPECIALS and after school...please be prompt as I am taking my planning time to meet with you. This will be a more informal meeting just to catch you up and talk about your little one. See you then.

LET me know if you can volunteer next Friday, January 28th from 10:15 - lunch for PAPER making. 

Reading:

We are reading "SEE HOW WE GROW" by Katacha Diaz

Genre: Biography

We will be talking about how we have grown and changed since we were a baby. Please send a baby picture, toddler picture and a RECENT picture in to school. We will be sharing them this week. 

PHONICS: Dd/Kk

Comprehension: Cause and Effect

Snap words: see and look

See the  FAMILY times that comes home Tuesday night for more. 

ANNOUNCEMENT: SUPER CRITTERS MOVED...THEY ARE ALL IN THE SUN'S RAYS...COME SEE FOR YOURSELF ON OUR BULLETIN BOARD!

Writing:

We will pick up where we left off with our character development. Last week kids chose a character that they want in their story, molded it out of clay, drew it, wrote about it....AND THEN added other characters too. Kids also began the brainstorming process for their story idea....there are some good ones this year. Stay tuned. 

This week we will talk about settings and create one for our story and also begin story mapping. 

MATH:

This week we will be engaging in the following activities

*Shape comparisons 

*The Subtraction symbol

*Slate activities

*Introduction to attribute blocks

**THINGS you can do at home include:

counting by 1's, 2's 5's and 10's backwards from 20...and by 1's from any number...

Addition with snack or with toys...

Continuing to practice # and address

Hope this post finds you well...and I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Mrs. Griffin

Celebrations

Last week we had some celebrating to do....BECAUSE...we EARNED 20 PIRATE SHIP points. Kids worked for an INDOOR ICE-skating party. We had sooooo much fun.

Moving to the music

FREEZE skating...when the music stops....so do you.

Then we celebrated BEING AUTHORS with our parents.

Reading our EXPERT books to our family.

Celebrating TODAY!!!!! Just because!!Scroll on down to the next post to view our VIDEO surprise for our parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experts.m4v

Griffin Gazette

It's cold outside...great day to kick off our ANNUAL ski program. :)
VOLUNTEERS will resume this week. Please let me know if you are unsure of the schedule.


This week in Reading:
Concept question- What new things can you do as you grow and change?
Book-Little Quack 
Letter of the week-R
Comprehension skill-Plot
See the Family times for more or CLICK here!

This week in Math:
Interrupted Counts (introduce interrupted counting)
Graphing Dice Rolls
Meet the Calculator (practice reading and entering numbers)
Revisit TEENS and two digit number reading
Roll and Record with 2 dice (practice adding, graphing outcomes, and probability)
Body and Rope Shapes
Symmetrical snowflakes

This week in Writing:
A big congratulations is in order for KINDERGARTEN's first EXPERT book publish....they look great and will be on display in the Library for a week or two. This week we begin our LONG road down YOUNG AUTHOR's. The entire school is working to create a story of their very own beginning with character development, brainstorming and setting and a problem for their story. We will be PAPER-making at the end of the month. *Think Eric Carle's style like in THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. Stay tuned about VOLUNTEERing for this annual and fun event.  This project is HUGE and kids and teachers put a lot into it. You will be invited to the school-wide celebration in April.

Next Monday is Martin Luther King day and there is no school for kids. Therefore, we won't be skiing.
Please help your child remember classroom shoes everyday.
Tuesday is PE day and your child needs tennis shoes or gym shoes. Thanks.

2 FOR 1 DEAL

 LG packing up her entire cubby before leaving for Christmas break.

 HM sipping hot cocoa post sleigh ride 

Nothing like a little Christmas story to seal the deal....

And that was all 2010....

Happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2011! I hope your Winter break was relaxing, enjoyable and adventurous. Mine sure was. I will spare you the details...and spill them all to your "little critter" tomorrow morning. 

Griffin Gazette First post '11

This week in Reading...

We will be reading Little Panda from Unit 3 *WATCH ME CHANGE* on Monday morning and honing our comparing and contrasting skills. 

Letter(S) of the week- B and N

Snap words- me, with, she

Comprehension skill- Comparing and Contrasting

A few new routines will fall into place this week:

1. After lunch instead of NAP time...Kindergarten students will now focus on their independent reading time while I float around conferring with kids. If your child needs a rest, it will be offered as a choice during CENTER time later in the afternoon.

2. Students are practicing their daily 5 (FIVE days a week)

The Daily Five Consists of:

Reading to self

Reading to a friend

Writing about reading

Word work

Listening to books being read

3. Books will begin coming home again Tuesday - Thursday. Please help by listening to your child read and SENDING the book BACK the FOLLOWING day even if you forgot to read it. This is our reading routine and we use the book during our small group time. 

This week in Writing...

We WRAP up our first "Nonfiction EXPERT BOOK" unit and would like to invite you to our Writing Celebration on Friday at 1:45 in the Kindergarten room. We will be having a MUSEUM-type share with a FUN little activity. Hope you can make it. 

This week in Math...

We start Unit 4 and it includes the following areas of study this week:

Number line (addition and subtraction strategies)

Top it (introduce a game that reinforces number recognition)

Pattern block template 

Addition symbol 

Follow my pattern

*Ways to help at home

1. Count by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's

2. Count backwards

3. Ask your child the NEXT number...if you say 44, ask them what the next number will be.

This week's DETAILS...

BE PREPARED for the TARDY letter that is coming home Monday from Mr. Starkey. We are enforcing this so to be aligned with the rest of the district.

WINTER sports begins MONDAY, January 11th...stay tuned for more on this. 

ALL children must have CLASSROOM shoes besides their WINTER boots. Please help me with this as it keeps our carpets warm and toasty. 

Library books are DUE every Wednesday.

PE shoes should be left at school for TUESDAYS. Mr. Hoffman appreciates your cooperation. 

I will be out of the building on WEDNESDAY, January the 5th. I am taking a personal day. Ms. Lawson will be my sub. She is awesome!!!!

Welcome back. I've missed you. 

See all my VOLUNTEERS the week of January the 10th!!!! Is everyone good on the schedule?

Mrs. Griffin