What were we up to this week?

Language Arts
In language arts, we continued our focus of print concepts (top to bottom/left to right directionality, front cover, back cover, title page, author, illustrator, identifying letters vs words) as well as introduced the concept of 'return sweep' (when you finish reading a line in book/poem and return back to the next line). In addition, we continued our focus on rhyming words and introduced making predictions about what the text will be about using the cover art, and using the pictures inside the book to help us understand and clarify what we are reading about. Look out for teach-able moments (moments that are apart of your normal day) that you can help reinforce these concepts with your child at home.

In phonics/writing, we were introduced to the letter Aa and Cc. We practiced how to write these letters, as well as what sounds they made. We also learned how every sentence starts with a capital letter, that there are spaces between words in a sentence, and that each sentence has an end mark. Ask your child what an exclamation mark (!)  and question mark (?) sounds/looks like.

We also introduced our very first sight words (I, a) that students should be able to read and identify by sight. Sight words are important, as these words are found in 99% of printed text. To help practice our sight words, we will be creating easy to read books that contain these words each week. Students will then put these books in their 'good-fit' bags that we use during read-the-pictures (read to self) time (see below for more info). Encourage your child to see if they can point out any of our sight words in catalogs, magazines, and/or TV commercials.

As a part of incorporating our Daily 5 structure, our students were introduced to the concept of reading STAMINA this week. We learned that in order to become better readers, we need to build our stamina. Using our previously agreed upon 'read the pictures' rules, our class increased their reading stamina from 45 seconds on Monday, to 4mins and 3 seconds today! That is quite an accomplishment, as it takes a lot of concentration for 23 kindergartners to do this all at the same time. If you have a chance, ask your child what they are most proud of themselves for doing during our 'read the prictures' practice this week.

Math
In math, we are continuing our understanding of numbers 1-10,  concepts of less/more/equal, and how groups of numbers are the same even if they are arranged in different ways (4 dots in a line is equal to 4 dots arranged in a square). Ask your child about the 'Count to 100' song we learned this week.

Science
In science, we introduced our 'properties' unit which includes our five senses. Students learned about our 5 senses and how they help us. Our focus this week was our sense of touch and hearing. We will continue to focus on our senses throughout the next few weeks.

Scholastic Books
*Don't forget to buy some scholastic books online! No sending in money, hoping it gets to your child's teacher. Just click on the link provided in my previous post, add the books you want to your cart, and VIOLA!!! It's that easy.


Volunteer Opportunities
*If you are able to volunteer on a weekly basis, please head over to www.signupgenius.com and look over some volunteering opportunities that are available. Thank you to Ms. Moose, Ms. Salpeck, and Ms.Walters for generously donating their time to volunteer and help us out : -)

It is truly a pleasure being in class with your children each day. Thank you for entrusting me to care and be apart of their lives each day! I hope you have a restful and relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Wish List2 gallon plastic bags (24) to use for library books,  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, protective sleeve covers, 2 packs of CLEAR spoons, 2 packs of WHITE spoons, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.
Thank you to Ms.Moose for donating 2 gallon plastic bags for our library books.
Thank you to Ms. Snyder for donating plastic protective sleeve covers and 2 gallon plastic bags.

Books Buddies

On Friday, we met our 4th grade book buddies from Ms. Stover's class. Our students got to meet their 'buddy' and were able to practice and reinforce our 'Read the pictures' lesson from earlier in the week. Book buddies are mutually beneficial to each group of students, as the older kids get to teach/reinforce their understanding of reading, while the little ones get to practice emerging reading skills. All that, AND the little ones get to forge a friendship with an older student who they normally would not have the chance to encounter during the day.

Starting the Daily 5, Going to the library, Fire Drills, and Lunch with Your Child!

Going to the Library
Today was our first day going to the school library. We meet our librarian, Ms. McCool and learned how to check out books. Students will take the book they checked out home over the weekend.

*We still need a donation of 2 gallon ziplock bags to tote our library books to and from school.

Starting the Daily 5
Today was our first day starting the Daily 5. For those of you who don't know, the Daily 5 is a structure that allows teachers to incorporate balanced literacy, which includes the following everyday:
-Read to self  (reading the pictures, reading the words, or re-telling the story)
-Read to others
-Listen to reading
-Word work
-Writing
The kiddos learned what 'read the pictures' looks like. We also created an anchor chart that helps explain what it looks like. The kids decided that when we 'Read the pictures', we should...
1.  Sit criss cross apple sauce
2. Eyes are down and looking at the pictures
3. Our voice is smaller than a whisper explaining what we see in the pictures.

We had some great modeling of  what 'Read to Self'  looks like from Ada, Hutton, Bella, and Will. Ask your child to show you what it looks like.

We will continue to gradually incorporate the elements of Daily 5 for the rest of this quarter.

Fire Drills
Our track 4 kindergartners had their first fire drill today and they did SPECTACULAR!! We talked about how although there was not a real fire, it is important to practice what we would do if one ever happened. We also talked about why the alarm is SO LOUD, how to line up QUICKLY and QUIETLY, and how follow our emergency EXIT ROUTE.

Lunch with Your Child
YAY! The first two weeks are over, so you can now start having lunch with your child. Many parents have asked if this is ok, and my answer is always YES. However, before having lunch with your child, ask yourself the following questions...
-Does my child seem to have adjusted to coming to school? Or does he/she still have some anxiety about school?
-Would my coming to school and then leaving help or hurt the rest of the day for my child?

If your child is taking a bit longer to warm up to school, it might not be in their best interest to have lunch just yet. Give him/her a bit more time to get used to our routines and procedures before you decide to have lunch with your little gal or guy. At the end of the day, you know your child best and what is in his/her best interest.

What are the kids up to this week?

Well, I'm glad you asked!

For literacy, our students are focusing on environmental print. That is, print/writing that the kids can recognize just by looking at it ("Walmart", "Crocs", "Fruit Loops"). Thank you to everyone who sent in examples to share. We are continuing with our print concepts including parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title page, reading left to right from the top of the page down) and rhyming words. At home you can look for 'teachable moments' with any of the above concepts. For example, when you are going to Target, ask if your child can read the sign (environmental print). When you are reading a story together, hold the book upside down or start at the last page and see if they correct you (print concepts). Play the 'name game' song at home, to review rhyming words.

In "Fundations" (our phonics program), we have added the letters "Mm" and "Nn" (in addition to "Ff", "Bb", "Tt"). We have been practicing not only what sound these letters make, but also how to write these letters.  In writing, we have continued to practice drawing pictures to represent a story. Students have been encouraged to add details to their drawings that help make it easier for others to understand what our story is about. Lastly, we have been learning about how to label our pictures with consonant sounds (for example, if a student drew a house, they would sound out the word and write the sounds they hear "H,S")

In math, we continue to work on our understanding of numbers. In addition, we have introduced graphing this week. We have have analyzed our graphs by asking  questions such as "Which has more?" or "Which has less?" Ask your child about the "M&M" graphing activity we did!

Scholastic Book Orders
Scholastic Book Order forms went home in your child's Friday folder. For those of you not familiar with scholastic books, it is an excellent opportunity to get great books at a discounted price. Flyers will go home 4 times this year with the first orders needing to be completed by Friday, September 28th. The order process is easy and doesn't require you to send anything back to school! AND...each order you place earns books for our classroom : -)
*Scholastic orders will ONLY be completed online AT HOME*

1. Preview the scholastic flyer with your child and pick out a book (or three!)
2. click on the link below
https://orders.scholastic.com/L684
3. Register using YOUR name and email address
4. Search for the books you previewed OR look for other books
5. "add to cart" and pay online
6. Books will come to Mrs.McGarry's classroom in about 2 weeks

Wish List
2 gallon plastic bags (24) to use for library books,  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, protective sleeve covers, 2 packs of CLEAR spoons, 2 packs of WHITE spoons, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.

Open House and Spirit Day

Thank you to all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to come to our Open House. I know it was pretty darn hot in our classroom (especially in the first session), but I hope you feel you received some valuable information regarding the ins and outs of Kindergarten, as well as our new Core Curriculum. Please feel free to email me should you have any questions, or if you would like to have a copy of our powerpoint to look over/review.

Mrs. Brown and I sincerely appreciate you showing your support of your child's education.

Every Friday is Spirit Day at BRES! To help show your school spirit, please wear blue, green, or your BRES T-shirt to school on Fridays:-)

Lost and Found Items

We have a few things in our lost and found that have not been claimed. Is your child missing...
-a red 3 cup Tupperware container
-a white "Chesapeake Homes" water bottle
-a turquoise sock
-"Golden Graham" granola bar

Scholastic Book Orders and other reminders...

Scholastic Book Order forms will be going home in your child's Friday folder. For those of you not familiar with scholastic books, it is an excellent opportunity to get great books at a discounted price. Flyers will go home 4 times this year with the first orders needing to be completed by Friday, September 28th. The order process is easy and doesn't require you to send anything back to school! AND...each order you place earns books for our classroom : -)

1. Preview the scholastic flyer with your child and pick out a book (or three!)
2. click on the link below
https://orders.scholastic.com/L684
3. Register using YOUR name and email address
4. Search for the books you previewed OR look for other books
5. "add to cart" and pay online
6. Books will come to Mrs.McGarry's classroom in about 2 weeks

Important Reminders:

Open House is tomorrow, August 16th. There are 2 sessions that you may attend.
Session 1 6:00-6:30
Session 2 6:30-7:00
The same information will be provided in each session to help parents with children in different grade levels.
The track 4 Kindergarten teachers will be holding their Open House together in Mrs. McGarry's room.

Ident-A-Kid is tomorrow, August 16th.
This is an excellent opportunity to get an id for your child in case of an emergency. Forms went home in last week's Friday folder. The class with the most participation earns a pizza party.

Your child and environmental print!

Next week, we will be introducing "environmental print". That is, letters, symbols, words or pictures in the environment that have meaning (for example, a stop sign "stop", golden arches mean McDonalds, the Target sign = Target) to our kids. Talk with your child about how even though they may not know all their letters/sounds, they already know how to read. If you have a chance, take a few moments with your child to help cut out/print some examples of environmental print that your child already knows to bring in on Monday.

Wish List
2 gallon plastic bags (24),  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, 2 packs of protective sleeve covers, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.
*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.

Week 2

The second week of school is here! This week we will continue our learning and practicing our classroom rules and procedures. In reading, we are using the story "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr to continue to introduce/review print concepts including, the title, author, front/back cover, title page, and right to left directionality. We will also be introducing rhyming and rhyming words to help with our understanding of words and phonics. In writing, we are continuing to learn how to communicate our ideas through pictures and labeling them with consonant sounds. In math, we are continuing our understanding of numbers and how to represent them using "Anno's Counting Book". Our social studies theme this week is "All About Me!" where we will be learning about our classmates (see this week's homework).

Reminders
Please make sure you send in a rest towel for your child each Monday. The towels will go home each Friday afternoon to be washed.
Ident-A-Kid is on Thursday. The class with the most participation will earn $40 towards a pizza party!

Wish List
2 gallon plastic bags (24),  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, protective sleeve covers, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Salpeck for donating the single-subject notebooks to use for our morning work.
Thank you to Mrs. Lamb for donating 24 pairs of earbuds for I-POD use this year.
Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Moose for donating extra snacks and pipe cleaners for our class.
Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Walters for donating scented markers for our class.

The first week of Kindergarten is almost over!

As I sit here on this Thursday night, I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday, making this first week of Kindergarten almost over! I hope that you, the parents have gotten most of your questions answered about the ins and outs of Kindergarten (pick ups, drop offs, snack, lunch accounts, etc...) and you feel a bit more comfortable about your kiddos heading off to 'big school'. I also ask that this Friday be the last day that you walk your child all the way down to class (however watching as they walk all the way down wouldn't be cheating...lol), so they can have the opportunity to gain self-confidence about knowing how to get around at their new school. Please know, you are more than welcome to email and/or call with any questions or concerns you still may have.

Many of you have already generously offered to volunteer in the classroom this year. I welcome every bit of help I can get, however I like to wait until the kids have a good hold on classroom routines, etc.. before I have parents come in to volunteer. In the meantime, I do have a few things that can be taken home to complete. Just email me to let me know if you are interested. And on the same line, I want you to know that I will be having our "Mystery Readers" this year. This will take place later in the year when rest time is phased out and a "Mystery Reader" (a surprise parent) comes in to read to our class. So, stay tuned for more information...

Again, thank you for all of your questions, emails, and offers of help/donations this week. I look forward to a great year together.

Our second day!

Hi everyone!

Our second day has come and gone. The students are learning the ins and out of 'how to be in school' including: what to do during arrival, how to line up and walk to the hallway, using the bathroom in school, proper noise levels, and class rules. If your child hasn't already told you, here are our class rules:
1. Listen when the teacher is talking
2. Follow directions quickly
3.  Raise your hand to speak
4. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself
5. Be safe, be kind, be honest

Snack Reminder
Please make sure your child's snack is labeled and in separate zip lock bag (not in their lunch bag). We have had some students accidentally eat their snack during lunch and/or accidentally eat their snack as their lunch, instead of their actual lunch.

Kid Connection Envelope
Please make sure you are reviewing and returning your child's envelope each day. The green student information forms are being sent home again for you to fill out asap.

Wish List
2 gallon plastic bags (24),  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.
*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Salpeck for donating the single-subject notebooks to use for our morning work.
Thank you to Mrs. Lamb for donating 24 pairs of earbuds for I-POD use this year.

What a great first day!

What a fantastic first day! I'm sure our kiddos are going to be tired tonight (I know I am), as there was so much we did today. Some of the highlights include touring the school and meeting our specialists, including our art, music, and technology teachers . We also read a story about Marty the Monster and how he learned our class rules (ask your child what his/her favorite one is and the hand motions for the rules). Lastly, we got to explore our developmental centers including blocks, housekeeping, and puzzles. 
.
The only bad part of the day was the darn copier :-(  Due to a copier mishap which has made the green student information cards unreadable, I will be sending home the GREEN STUDENT LOCATOR CARDS to be filled out AGAIN. Please fill these out asap as this is the ONLY means I have to get a hold of a parent in case of a student emergency. Thank you so much for your understanding with this matter.

Some friendly reminders...
Make sure to check your child's backpack and "Kid Communication" envelope tonight. Please make sure to place any money, transportation changes, notes, etc.. in it for me to see tomorrow morning.

Please make sure to send in a labeled snack with your child's name on it each day.

Please feel free to email or call should you have any other questions or concerns. I look forward to a wonderful year together.

Meet The Teacher and more...

Meet the Teacher
WOW! What a great turn out today for Meet the Teacher. It was so great to meet my students and their families. I am looking forward to seeing those smiling faces on Monday morning. Don't forget to put the special glitter you received from today under your pillow on Sunday night to help with those 'night before school' jitters.

Afternoon transportation
During staggered entry, parents filled out a form indicating how their child would be getting home in the afternoon. Please make sure to initial the 'afternoon transportation chart' confirming how your child will get home in Mrs. McGarry's room Monday morning.
*If you are planning on picking up your child via car pool, please make sure you have a number tag. If you do not, please contact the office.

Wish List
2 gallon plastic bags (24),  24 pairs of ear buds for use of I-PODS, etc.. (can be purchased at the dollar store), scented markers, magnetic tape, (24) *8quart dish pan/racks for under chair storage (can be purchased at the dollar store), wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, 24 single subject notebooks, and extra snacks for those days when a student forgets to bring one.
*Must be an 8quart dish pan/rack, as they are the only ones that will fit securely under student chairs.