Kindergarten snow bunnies!

Yesterday we had our first SKI day at Targhee! It couldn't of been more perfect. It was sunny, warm and amazing. We never took a break in doors..we even enjoyed our snack outside in the sunny weather. For the next 5 weeks Mondays will a tiring way to begin our week. Please make every effort that your little K's get plenty of rest on Monday after a big ski day.

This week in READING...
We are focused on the comprehension strategy: Back up and reread
Our letter this week is still /Ii/!!! When we learn a vowel, we usually concentrate on it for 2 weeks so we can really master the sound.
Snap words: for, he
We are reading Whose Garden is it?
The text is Realistic Fantasy and we are learning more about text like that. We talk about how the things could all happen, but that animals don't wear clothing or actually talk to each other.
Today we will use the same text to begin learning more about about ASKING QUESTIONS before, during and after reading. We will be practicing this skill whole group and learning why readers even ask questions.

This week during writing we will be taking our PLAN of our small moment story and really focusing on the CHARACTER in our book. We will be doing a thoughts and feelings survey for our character so that we can really understand them so that they can really develop in their story.

During Math this week:
Measurement with objects and measuring the BLUE whale...
More Pocket problems (understanding addition and subtraction)
Number card games (sequencing and number recognition)
Continue using Math workbook (to practice skills and writing numbers)

Other things:
Way to go PARENTS for remembering all of your child's ski stuff....checks and snacks and/or snack money! You deserve a HUGE pat on the back! I am so fortunate!!!!

Wednesday, January 11th is our BANANA split day. We have been working hard on our goal of getting dressed in under 3 minutes...and we have consistently met it now for weeks. Wahoo! 

Thursday I will be out. Heather Dolman is my substitute. I am headed to Idaho Falls to check on my eyes after my lasik surgery last year. No worries...just a follow-up.

Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King's birthday. There is no school for students.

Monday, January 23 is National Handwriting Day.  Please help me by donating between now and then stationary, envelopes, pens, little notes...cards...etc. We will be celebrating by taking time out of our day to write handwritten notes, letters, cards to people that might need it in our school or in our community. This will be during handwriting/Writing time. Feel free to stop in and deliver your child a handwritten note or send one in their folder. Or you could just stop by and write with us.

A special visit...

Before Holiday break we had 2 special visitors come to our classroom. It was Bob and Laurie (Cecilia's grandparents from California)! They asked to come in and play guitar and ukulele and sing Christmas carols...well, no one in their right mind would turn that down right?!

It worked out perfectly because Kindergartners had just finished their Writer's celebration with the Big room!

The BIG room helped us out cause they know a lot of the songs.

Not to mention that Bob and Laurie brought us donuts! Yum!

They were so cute. It's so fun to have grandparents in the classroom.

Thanks you two! You are welcome back anytime!

Welcome back y'all!

You might notice that I sound more southern....well, that happens when I spend 10 days with my mom and dad. We had a blast hunkering down...cooking...baking...EATING...and just being together. I hope you had a nice break too!
It was nice to be back in a routine today as all settled in at school. I missed your little love-bugs and was happy to receive hugs, touches, smiles and snuggles! What a sweet little crew!

WE are are back at it here in Kindergarten!
This week in reading we will be learning the letter: /Ii/
Snap words this week include: for, he
This week we will focused on the plot of a story. We will be reading many texts as we discover what the sequence of events is. This is perfect too for writing as we will begin our "personal narratives" this week. Today we began by looking at our heart maps from the beginning of the year to make a list of ideas that we might want to STREEEETTTTCCCCHHHH out into a story. This will be our YOUNG AUTHOR's focus this year. I look forward to teaching this unit and having it highlighted in the Spring at our YOUNG AUTHOR's celebration.

Math this week includes:
Number practice
Domino concentration
Pan balance review
Measurement
Pocket Problems (simple addition and subtraction)

Other things to know about:
Skiing begins next MONDAY. Remember to dress your child accordingly and bring all appropriate equipment to school. Stay tuned for more about skiing later in the week.

Tardy note came home today. Please know that on 8 tardies your child will spend lunch/recess in my classroom. On the 10th, they have to stay after school. Yikes. Give your BEST effort to have your child here to school on time.

Classroom shoes are a must. Wet boots aren't allowed in the classroom. Please pack or leave a pair of shoes here for the classroom.

Classroom goal WAS to DRESS for RECESS in 2 minutes or less....we have spent 3 weeks in training and as a class we haven't met it...after spending some time today studying our goal...we decided that everyone is under 3 minutes so maybe we should change the goal...we did!
WE also said that if we can continue to dress in 3 minutes or less until next Tuesday then on Wednesday we will be REWARDED with BANANA splits...cause January the 11th is National Banana Split day....:)

Volunteers begin the week of the 9th...here is what I have:
Wednesday 9:15-10:00 Crista  10:45:11:20 Liz
Thursday 9:15-10:00 Kurt or Becky (I still have the 10:45 slot open...let me know if you are interested)

WANTED: Snowboarding instructor for the next six Mondays...let me know if you are INTERESTED...

ANNOUNCEMENTS and little things...

Parents...tomorrow night is the SCHOOL play! Wahoo! Have your child dressed and fed and dropped off at the Alta school by 6:15pm. We will take care of the rest. Entertainment will be provided beginning at 6:45 by Mr. Starks and other students. 

Have your child wear their pajamas to school on Wednesday for MOVIE MORNING. Please make sure they wear warm socks because at 1:15 we are headed out into the elements on a sleigh guided by Meredith Wilson and his team of horses. Please keep this part a secret as I haven't told the kids yet! I am so excited to do this with them. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Holiday break with their family. I am looking forward to the time off to spend with little Whitty, Jordy and my parents.

'tis the season!!!!
falalalalalala-Mrs. Griffin

Welcome Winter! We've been waiting!!!

Room happenings...

Last week we celebrated Ms. Vancie's birthday! Mrs. Beard made the whole school cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Ms. Vancie

ARE YOU WONDERING ABOUT this week?

It will not be your typical week at the Alta School. We are in FULL blown play practice mode. We practice everyday and by Friday we might even practice twice. Whoa!

This week in Reading we will be reviewing the things we have learned...
Letters: M,A,T,S,P,C
Snap words: am,a,I,is,little,like,my,the,to,we...student names...colors...easy decodables: pan, mat, Tam..etc.
We will be learning three new spelling games: BANG! Word WALL rockstar! and SPARKLE!
How to help at home: Make index cards with snap words on them and decodables and play a matching game...or just learn to read them!
Some new skills to use when reading....IF I GET STUCK...
Accuracy-Use the beginning and ending sounds
Accuracy-Do the words and pictures match?
Accuarcy-Skip the word then come back.
Accuracy-Trade a word/Guess a word that makes sense
Comprehension-Back up and reread!
Comprehension-CROSS checking: Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?

We have pretty much finished our first "ALL about" book and will be celebrating with the BIG roomers as our Thursday guests! We can't wait to read to them and have cake and candy canes! Wahoo!

Kids were introduced to their FREE writing journals two weeks ago and they have enjoyed coming in and writing in them to share their weekends. Sometimes there is a prompt on the board for them to follow and sometimes it's all student lead. I am excited about them writing words, sentences and even filling whole pages!

Yesterday we made REINDEER puppets...it's the little things right? I had made little reindeer cookies at home and brought them in for the kids. They seemed to enjoy that surprise.

We are working on some surprises for you that may come home this Friday or next week wrapped. Please stick it under the tree...

SPEAKING of FRIDAY...Kindergarten will be having TACKY CHRISTMAS day! WEar all of you Christmas stuff...mix and match...have fun getting dressed...and please mark down that next Wednesday we wear our pajamas to school. It's the day after the play...kids are tired (exhausted) and we also have a VERY SPECIAL surprise planned! At 1:15 I have arranged for a horse drawn sleigh to pick us up outside the Alta School. The kids have no idea. We will have a hot cocoa bar with sugar cookies...and load up the sleigh to go caroling around Targhee town! Please keep it a secret!!!

We have a full sleigh of kids and volunteers. Even my parents are going to join us!

Back on this week and the tiny bit of next...we will be REVIEWING....CRAFTING...CREATING...WRITING...PRINTING...celebrating...practicing...and REPEATING all the above....maybe...just maybe...there might be a CHRISTMAS movie!!! Maybe!?!

WE have been reading a bunch! Reading to someone is so fun! 

Cross checking to make meaning out of the text.

EEKK! Elbow...Elbow...knee to knee!

Little love bugs after tootie fruiti pattern necklas

Walking in a winter wonderland!

Oh man! I am in our classroom 2 days this week! I didn't really plan on it going like that...but...it is. Tuesday and Wednesday I will be Curriculum mapping in Jackson for Kindergarten. Friday I am taking a personal day to head to Lander, Wyoming. Our great friends live there and we are off for a little visit!

Back in the classroom during reading:
We will be reading Bear snores on. Monday we will begin to focus on plot and predictions as a whole group and as I read.
Kids are starting to get stuck more often during independent time while reading. This week we will continue to focus on what to do when a reader gets stuck. We will be using the HANDY reading strategies! I sent this home with you during your parent/teacher conference. I hope it comes in handy at home too. :)
See the family times for more information.

During Writing we will continue on our EXPERT book. Kids are wrapping up their first book. We learned all about making spaces when we write last week. We are trying to make spaces between our words every time we write. You can help your child at home with this too by reminding them of the 2 finger rule or making a spaceman like we did. We just decorated a tongue depresser with a little guy and our name and called it spaceman. He reminds us to make spaces when we write!
We will read ANIMAL babies during writing again this week. We will begin to brainstorm a list of what our EXPERT book has to have.
Things like:
titles, bold words, table of contents, labels, pictures...
We will review NONfiction and it's features. I hope to be publishing by this week or next. That will leave our PUBLISHING party before Christmas. The Kindergartners have invited the BIG roomers to this one. They are so excited about it!

During math we are...
Continuing to work in our NEW math books. Kids are pumped about a MATH book! We have just started writing our numbers. Kids are practicing estimating every other day. They are getting better at being educated guessers. Try this at home too. It's fun!
Review Roll and record where we practice our number counting and writing
You should be counting at home by: 1's, 5's, 10's and 2's and even backwards from 10.
Learning something new: THE PAN BALANCE (comparing weights of objects)
Domino concentration game
Monster squeeze

Other news:

Christmas play practice is underway. Last week we had SONG practice everyday, but this week we actually start to tackle the play. Kindergarten is only involved on Wednesday. As it gets closer we go to practice more, but for this week...just once.

I had my formal observation last Thursday with Mrs. P in our classroom. I was so excited to get observed....yet really NERVOUS too. It was the first time in 3 years since I had been observed. It went really well...I think. I will let you know if they will be asking me to leave anytime soon. :)

Happy DECEMBER!!!

Mrs. G