Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all of the wonderful families and kindergartners in our class! Thank you for the wonderful months we have spent together in 2010, and I am looking forward to 2011.

Enjoy the winter break, spend time with your loved ones, and thank you for all you have done for your children!

Miss Kimpton

Cookie Baking Song

Snowpants Song

Music Program Tomorrow!

The students are so excited for their Holiday Music Program tomorrow! They will be wonderful.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Rhyming song, new Word Wall words: "a" and "I", matching Christmas words and pictures
Writer's Workshop
Christmas music and videos
Reading Buddies: "The Polar Express", draw/write the main ideas in sequence
Centers

See you all tomorrow for the program!
Miss Kimpton

Winter Program Rehearsal Today!

The students had a dress rehearsal today and performed their songs for the whole school. They were fantastic!

Morning Meeting: "Hello Around the World", "M" Greetings, Christmas Word List
Reading: "The 12 Dogs of Christmas", "Can I Pet Your Dog?"
Centers
Music Rehearsal

The Penny War!

We were so fortunate today to listen to a special presentation. Rebekah Redetzke, whose mother is a teacher at Sandstone, is going to Swaziland, a small country in Africa, in May during her summer college break to donate her time and work. Rebekhah is taking a team of 11 college students to Swaziland to help the children who have felt the impact of AIDS and HIV. They will be doing soccer day camps, spending time with orphans, and taking necessities to them; scarves, hats, shoes, tooth brushes etc. They will be working with the Swaziland people for 14 days... mainly in the political capitol of Mbabane, but also moving for a few days into a city called Manzini. They will also be doing service projects to help improve care points, which are facilities designated to help feed and educate the orphaned children of Mbabane. Each care point has 150-200 students. They will be working with 18 of these different centers. Care points meet children's medical needs, provide daily education, and supply one meal a day; often the only meal the students receive. There is a huge need in Swaziland, and the more money they can raise, the more they can take over/purchase there.
Rebekah gave us shocking statistics today about life in Swaziland, and the students want to be able to help the children over there. Our school is having a a "Penny War", and children are encouraged to bring spare change to school to donate. I know that resources are stretched during this time of year, but any little bit helps. We will collect change until Winter Break.

Morning Meeting: Syllable Greeting, "Hello around the World", Discussion about countries/globe
Reading: "For You Are a Kenyan Child", "Olive the Reindeer", "Can I Pet Your Dog?"
Math: Christmas Patterns
Social Studies: Life in Kenya and Swaziland (Rebekah's presentation)
Centers

Some of the children were pretty unsettled by our discussion today about life in different countries. We talked about ways that we are the same and different from people. I focused on the positives about how we can help other people and how Rebekah is going to be helping them, but this will probably bring up interesting discussions around your house. Please listen to your children, answer their questions to the best of your ability, and ask me to help in any way.

Welcome to the Week!

Reading: "Can I Pet Your Dog?", "The Twelve Dogs of Christmas", "My Christmas Tree"
Math: Writing 9, Dog Spots (Counting/Writing Worksheet)
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Cutting out the mittens for Art
Writing: Christmas Words
Practicing Songs for Music Program

Have a pleasant evening,
Miss Kimpton

I Am Thankful For....

I am spending the day at a technology class, and I was finally able to figure out how to post this to my blog and make it public so you can hopefully hear it! I am sorry that it is so many days after Thanksgiving...but it is still wonderful!

Holiday Program

I am so sorry for my misinformation about the music program. The performance will be the same students at 9:00 and 1:00 on Friday, but we will be featuring the different grade levels during the different performance times. So, Kindergarten students will be singing at each performance time, but they will have special focus on them at the 9:00 a.m. performance. Please email me if you have any questions, or ask me after school.

Art Friday!

Important Holiday Program Note:
This year, different grade levels will be performing at different times! Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, and 6th Grade perform at 9:00 a.m., and 1st, 3rd, and 5th perform at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, December 17. This is different than years past when each grade level performed at each time. Please remember this. Kindergarten will ONLY be performing at 9:00 on Friday.
Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for the program. They have been working so hard on learning their songs, and they can take pride in their performance. You do not need to purchase a special outfift, but send them to school in clothes suitable for a performance. Holiday colors (red, green, black, white) or appropriate holiday apparel will give us a united look.

Morning Meeting: "Is it a Word?" Song, Painting demo
Art: painting mittens and characters from the mitten
Music with Mr. Small
Math: Counting/Writing

Please make it a habit to check the blog at least 2-3 times a week, if not every day. I put important notices and the day's review that you need to know in order to support your child. I do not send home newsletters or reminders other than what is on the blog in order to limit the amount of papers you receive. If there are other things you would like to see on the blog, please email me or make a comment and I will be happy to put it on here!

Have a great weekend!
Miss Kimpton

It was a Pablo-riffic day!

The students learned a lot about dogs today, and they really enjoyed having Pablo in the classroom. The three kindergartens joined forces today as I introduced them to Pablo, talked about and showed how to take care of dogs, and modeled how to safely approach and pet a dog. I hope your children can use these techniques to be safe around dogs. Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to talk to kids about keeping their faces away from dogs' faces, staying quiet and calm around a dog, and being aware of what a dog is feeling.

Reading: "The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy"
Math: Writing 8, Position Words with Pablo
Dog Safety
Handwriting: Write sentences about Pablo using Word Wall words
Centers

Have a pleasant evening!
Miss Kimpton

Dog Safety Tomorrow!

Pablo will be visiting school all day tomorrow to help teach the kindergartners about dog safety. Today, the students learned the safe ways to approach a dog and ask for permission to pet the dog. Tomorrow, they will practice what we learned today as well as learning dog body language and generally being safe around dogs.
These are steps to approach a dog:
1. Walk to the dog.
2. Ask if you can pet the dog.
3. Let the dog sniff your hand.
4. Pet under the dog's chin and on the head.
5. Walk away from the dog.

Morning Meeting: Song, Dog Safety
Writer's Workshop
Math: Write the number 7
Story: "Polka-Dot Puppy", "Monkey Fun"
Art: Watercolor painting

Thank you for snacks! We should have plenty to last through the end of December.
Miss Kimpton

Morning Meeting: Greeting song, Rhyming Song, "Pp" poster
Writing: Introduce Writer's Workshop (compare to Santa's Workshop and find "tools" around the room to help kindergarters write)
Math: Journal (write 5/draw 5 objects), Calendar, Class Advent Calendar
Library with Mrs. Mayhall
Reading: "Monkey Fun", "The First Dog"

Reminder: We need snacks in our classroom for snack time. If possible, please send a healthy snack (whole-grain cereal, crackers, Cheez-its, Fruit Snacks) to school. We have a plentiful supply of animal crackers!

Reindeer Lane Is Open!

Reindeer Lane, our school gift shop, is open this Tuesday-Thursday if children want to buy presents for family or friends. All items are $1. This is strictly voluntary, and children do not have to purchase any items.

Morning Meeting: Rhythmic Greeting, Pictures for Ff poster
Handwriting: Diver letters: r, n, m, h, b, p and Magic C letter: c, a
Math: Journal - write 4, draw 4 items, Write 6 in Handwriting Book
Reading: "The Mitten" - identify characters and introduce story elements
Science: K-W-L chart about dogs

Enjoy the rest of your Monday,
Miss Kimpton

Fantastic Friday

We had a great day filled with learning! Your kindergartners are bringing home their purple poetry folders tonight, and they have two new songs to share with you. Thank you so much for reading these with your children. They have become a valuable learning tool. I have heard from so many of you that your kids love to read them! Also, I introduced to new words to learn for our Word Wall: can and the. Rigt after that lesson, the students were already finding the two new words in their new poems!!!!!!!!!!! I was as excited as the kids were.

Morning Meeting: New Greeting, Song "Hello Around the World", move like to the Word Wall (yay!), introduce can and the
Reading: Poetry Folders, "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Shell"
Math: Review writing 1, 2, 3, 4, write 5, counting 15-20, Domino Quickdraw, Number videos
Handwriting: lowercase and capital Pp
Centers

Our snack supply is beginning to dwindle. If you can send a box of snack with your child, that would be fantastic. We have plenty of animal crackers, but some other ideas are healthy cereals, cheez-its, crackers, fruit snacks, pretzels, goldfish, etc. It is best if you send a healthier version of snacks that have whole-grains or less sugar. Thank you for doing this!

Enjoy your weekend!
Miss Kimpton

And the experiments continue...

We had a science treat today with our melted snow! The students are determining what is in snow, and in order to do so, we filtered the water through a coffee filter which revealed tiny specks of dirt and even hair/fiber. They used magnifying glasses to see the dirt, and while they are still perfecting the technique of looking through a magnifying glass, most were able to see the dirt.

Our story today, "A Snowy Day", informed us that snow comes from clouds, which of course led us to the question "What is a cloud?". Some anwers that students gave are: cotton candy, fluff, fog, water, something fluffy, and ice. So, we covered our cups of water with plastic wrap, and tomorrow/Monday, the students will see what happens as the water evaporates. While these ideas are definitely difficult to understand, the experiments are allowing the kids to learn how to develop questions, propose hypotheses, and begin to understand the physical world. The kids are also finding that it is EXTREMELY important to be careful and follow directions in order to have the experiments work.

We had a guest in our classroom this afternoon, Mrs. Hetland, and she brought some dry ice in for us to see. As dry ice is actually frozen Carbon Dioxide, it does not melt but rather sublimates into gas form. The kids loved watching it "disappear", and, in the second experiment, blow up a balloon!

Science: See Above
Reading: "The Mitten" (and an activity to prepare them for Writer's Workshop tomorrow), "A Snowy Day"
Centers and Reading Tests to determine Reading Level
Math: Counting, Number Clues, Number Writing

Miss Kimpton

Science with Snow!

Yesterday, the students brainstormed questions they want to know about snow, such as: "How is snow made?" "Can we make snow castles" "How much does it snow?" "How much water is in snow?"

Today, we did an experiment to find out how much snow is in water by collecting snow in plastic cups, hypothesizing how much water would be in the cup when it melted, and then observing as the snow melted. The students learned that a cup of snow does not make a cup of water. They also learned that it is okay to have an incorrect hypothesis, and that is how we learn! This concept brought on a whole discussion of whether or not scientists can be wrong.

Morning Meeting: Focus test Level 3 (ask your child), naming random lettters and numbers
Science: snow experiment
Math: Solving Story Problems
Reading: "Where is Piggy", "The Hat" by Jan Brett
Reading Buddies: websites - Starfall, PBS Math, PBS Kids

Please note: The students are having difficulty with being respectful (interrupting each other and me) and listening and following directions. Please reinforce with your child that the reason he/she comes to school is to learn, and he/she can't learn if they are talking and not listening. We are losing a lot of valuable time practicing school skills and routines.

Enjoy the evening,
Miss Kimpton

The Annual Food and Clothing Drive starts this week and continues to Friday, Dec. 10. If you are able to donate gently used clothing or non-perishable food, please send it to school with your child. Thank you for helping those less fortunate!

Check the important dates as this time of year tends to get VERY busy, and it can be easy to forget special events. The Music Program will be on December 17, and we will have two performances that day at 9:00 and 1:00. This is a very important event, and if you can make it here to watch your child sing, that is fantastic! The students are working very hard learning the words and actions to their songs.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Silly Song: Tooty-Ta, Yes/No Activity to answer questions
Social Studies: discussing Attitude (what it is, how it affects us) and watching a video about attitdue and optimism
Handwriting: write a sentence structure: "I see _______________."
Library with Mrs. Mayhall
And........
A special Snow-Hill Recess!

Enjoy the snow,
Miss Kimpton

Welcome Back!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Respect video
Reading: "The Mitten", "Where is Piggy?"
P.E. with Miss Schaeffer
Handwriting: is, see, like, diver letters: r, n, m, p, h
Math:"3" poster
Centers

Brrrrrrr! It's cold.

What a chilly day! We did not go outside for recess today as the windchill was below 0 all day. Hopefully it will warm up a little tomorrow so we can enjoy the snow! Please, please, please have your child practice putting on their winter clothing. It helps so much.

Holiday Fun: Turkey puppets to accompany our turkey poems
Math: Writing the Number 4
Story: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Centers

Stay toasty warm!
Miss Kimpton

Our first Snow Day!

What a white, wintry day! Here are our snow rules for recess:

1. Children must have snow pants and snow boots in order to play in the field during recess. Otherwise, they stay on the blacktop and Big Toy.
2. NO throwing snow. Children can build snow forts, snow angels, etc., but they may not throw snow.
3. Stay off of the ice and leave ice chunks on the ground (again, no throwing ice).

A few tips to make your child's recess warmer and more pleasurable:
1. Warm gloves are a necessity. If you send your child to school with the inexpensive cotton mittens or glove (or any glove that easily gets wet), please send 2-3 pairs so he/she has a dry pair for each recess. Their hands get so cold wearing wet gloves.
2. Practice getting into and out of snow clothes as this can be a time-consuming activity. Have your child practice with zippers and putting gloves on.

Thursday/Friday Learning:
Morning Meetings: greetings, letter songs
Holiday: turkeys, turkey puppets
Readings: "Five Turkeys" Read Alouds, " A Turkey for Thanksgiving"
Math: Counting, Story Problems, Comparing Numbers
Centers
Extras: Recording VoiceThreads of things the students are thankful for

We did not send out purple poetry folders home this weekend as we are still working on new poems. The students will take them home for Thanksgiving Break.

Stay warm and safe this weekend!

Miss Kimpton

Miss Kimpton's Kindergarten

Morning Meeting: "Happy Wednesday" greeting
Writing: Finish the sentence: I am thankful for ....
Handwriting: "like", "n" (first and last sound)
Art: Turkey
Math: Counting Poem

Morning Meeting: Greeting, "Hello" Song, Letter Names and Sounds, Lettercise, Missing Letter/Survey Morning Meeting
Reading: "Thanksgiving is Here", "Nan the Nanny Goat", "Five Little Turkeys"
Handwriting: Diver Letters, "like"
Art: Turkey feathers for our turkeys!
Movie Recess this morning: Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space

KTVQ 2 News was in our fellow Kindergarten classroom today for Educator for a Day! Tune in to see them.

Stay warm in this windy weather!
Miss Kimpton

Brrrrrrr!

It is going to be chilly this week! Thank you all so much for sending your children to school with warm jackets, hats, gloves, etc.! It sounds like we may get snow this week or next. During the winter months on snow-accumulating days, students may play in the snowy field only if they have winter boots and snowpants. If they do not, they must play on the blacktop or Big Toy. Your child needs to know how to put on and take off their own snow clothing. Please practice at home with zippers and the like as it makes preparing for recess so much easier!

Morning Meeting: Snowball Greeting, Hidden Letter Game
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Math: Story Problems with addition, Writing 3/Drawing 3 items, Dominoe Quickdraw
Reading/Singing: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie (with a comprehension/question WS after we read), Nan the Nanny Goat, No Nap for Ned
Handwriting: Lowercase Diver Letters: r (dive down, swim up, and over), n (dive down, swim up, over, and down), and p (dive down, swim up, over, around, bump), as you practice writing these letters at home, use these descriptions to write the letter.
Centers: Intro computer centers

Stay warm this evening!
Miss Kimpton

Chili Night and Cake Auction Tonight!

The PTA Chili Night and Cake Auction it tonight from 6-8:00. The cakes look AMAZING! Please join us at Sandstone tonight for free chili, hot dogs, and drinks while supplies last and stay for the cake auction.

Morning Message: greeting with our "Ff" names (for example, I'm Frs. Fimpton), song, brainstorming/drawing/writing words that start with "Ff" with a partner
Art: make tipis with drawings of things we are thankful for
Reading: "Fun, Fun With My Friends", "Gobble, Gobble Song", "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Pie"
More Art: Turkeys

Have a fantastic evening! The poetry folders are coming home again with two new poems (can be sung). Remember, if you're child has difficulty with them, please help them read/sing, and with all that practice, they will quickly learn them!

Miss Kimpton

Cookie Dough Celebration!

Our class was one of the top-sellers of cookie dough, and we celebrated with popcorn!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Song, Mystery Letter Morning Message, "Fun Fun With Friends" song
Thanksgiving Activities: K-W chart (what do we Know about Thanksgiving, what do we Want to know?), started making paper turkeys
Math: Shapes with Turkeys
Reading: "Gobble, Gobble Song", "Five Little Turkeys", "Thank You Sarah"

Happy Thursday evening!
Miss Kimpton

Morning Meeting: greeting, Morning Message with missing letters, "Fun, Fun With My Friends" song, letter names and sounds
Reading: Fifi and Fido (drawing pictures over words to help with reading), "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (graphing activity), "Thanks for Thanksgiving"
Math: Graphing with Skittles
Calendar: Number 10! The number 10 shows 1 group of tens and 0 ones. :)

Enjoy the night!
Miss Kimpton

Morning Meeting: greeting, The Cool Itsy Bitsy Spider Song (teaching about never giving up), Morning Message (find the missing initial letter), move "is" and "see" to the Word Wall (a major step meaning that all of the kids can read and write it)
Letter Learning: highlight tape "Ff" in our song "Fun, fun with my Friends"
Math: write 3, die game (recognizing number pattern on a die)
New Centers: Artist's Alley, Flannelboard, Pocket Place

Thank you so much for sending your children with warm clothing today!

Have a relaxing evening,
Miss Kimpton

Welcome to Ff week!

Morning Meeting: greeting, Power Name
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Reading: "Fifi and Fido", student's book
Letter Learning: Ff, letter sound
New Centers: Pocket Place (rebuild/read pocket chart poems and songs), Names Nook (build names with different letters), Play Dough center (stamp letters to make names, build sight words, ABC's, build letters)
Math: pre-assessing for counting and number writing

The weather is changing quickly. Please make sure your child has enough warm clothes for recess. We go outside every recess unless it is raining or below zero degrees, so please send a warm jacket, hats, gloves, and snowboots and pants if needed.

Stay warm tonight!
Miss Kimpton

Report Cards Today!

In your child's folder, you will find the first Kindergarten report card envelope. In it will be the report card, blue and yellow sheets explaining what I evaluate, and two certificates for a free kids meal from Texas Roadhouse. Please keep all of the enclosed papers and sign and return the report card envelope. If you have any questions, we can talk about them during conferences. I also sent home a conference questionnaire to help organize thoughts about what you'd like to discuss. We have twenty minutes to meet, and the time usually flies by quickly, so the notes can help us focus on the most important topics.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, ABC letter/sound song, Morning Message
Letter Learning: draw pictures that start with "a" and label
Math: "1" poster, counting and writing 2, sing "The Pumpkin Patch"
Library with Mrs. Mayhall
Centers

Book Fair Week is this week Monday-Thursday. The students filled out wish lists today during Library, and they are in their white folders! See you all in conferences!

Miss Kimpton

A A A A A!

Morning Meeting: greeting, morning song, alphabet song, brainstorm "a" words
Reading: "Rat at Bat", "Five Funny A's"
Math: Counting, writing 1
Centers
P.E. with Mrs. Trollops

Have a great evening!
Miss Kimpton

Happy Halloween!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, new morning song, new ABC song
Math: counting, identifying numbers
Centers
Brain Booster: Halloween maze
Decorating Halloween cookies!

I hope everyone has a very special Halloween weekend, and stay safe!
Miss Kimpton

P.S. Don't forget that next week is Parent-Teacher Conference week. You should have recieved notification of your conference time in your child's folder. If you did not, please call the school. Your appointment time will also be on your child's report card.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Letter Sounds, Message (circle words in the message)
Handwriting: write see, is, capital B
Reading: Bambi, The Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin, Pumpkin, What Do You See?
Math: counting, write number 1 and 2
Centers

A note for tomorrow: Students may not wear costumes to school tomorrow during the day, but they are welcome to wear costumes to the Monster Mash in the evening.

Have a nice night,
Miss Kimpton

The Great Pumpkin Float!

We collected so many pumpkins yesterday, and we have many activities planned with them. Today, with our Reading Buddies, we turned into scientists and completed an experiment to see if pumpkins float. First, the students predicted whether the pumpkins woud sink or float, and then we put each pumpkin into the water. Many students began to see that all of the pumpkins were floating and changed their intitial predictions. Lastly, we put a pebble into the water. The class concluded that the material that something is made of affects whether or not it will sink or float, and they determined that one of the factors of the pumpkins floating is the hollowness of the pumpkin.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Writing Activity (students tell a story by drawing a picture and attempting to write)
Centers
Reading Buddies: Pumpkin Float
Math: Read The Pumpkin Patch, matching

Have a great evening!
Miss Kimpton

Dress for the weather!

The pumpkin patch field trip is tomorrow, and you will find a letter in your backpack about things you need to discuss with your child before the field trip. We will be guests tomorrow at J and K farms, and the students will need to act accordingly. We talked today about what it means to be a guest, and the students brainstormed ways to be respectful (say hello, ask permission, stay off of farm equipment, do not kick/hurt things that are not yours). Please talk with your child tonight about all of these things so we have a successful day tomorrow.

It will be cold and rainy tomorrow, so please send your child prepared for the weather. Your child will need a coat, hat, gloves, jeans, and tennis shoes in order to be warm. We do have a greenhouse where the students can get out of the weather and eat lunch, but we will be outside for the rest of the afternoon!

Morning Meeting: greet 3 students of the opposite gender, Morning Message
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Math: counting, "Which pumpkin is the ghost under?" game (learning number names)
Centers
Handwriting: write the word "see"

What can my child do at home to reinforce the day? Write "is" and "see". Our verbage for writing the letters are: "i"- down, dot,
"s" - little magic c, turn down, curve around, "e" - hit the ball, run the bases 1-2-3, stop. If your student has these letters in their name, help him/her practice writing his/her name with these lower-case letters.

What do you see?

I sent home the parent volunteer letters today for the Pumpkin Patch next Tuesday. If you volunteered to go and did not get an information sheet, please send a note with your child tomorrow so I know.

Tomorrow is an early out day, and we will be dismissing the students at noon. We will also be doing our evacuation drill tomorrow, so please send your child to school with comfortable walking shoes as we do walk several blocks to our evacuation site.

Morning Meeting: Mrs. Hilden/managing anger (When you're feeling angry, STOP, CALM (take a few deep breaths), and THINK (decide on a peaceful solution)
Letter Learning: review letters
Reading: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Silly Goose
Math: Counting
Handwriting: B
Centers

Enjoy your night!
Miss Kimpton

It's a short, short week!

This week will go by so fast as the students have no school on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday and Friday all day.

Morning Meeting: Greeting (shake 3 people's hands), Morning Song
Letter Learning: review Mm, Rr, Ss, Tt, and Bb
Math: patterns, counting
Centers
Reading: "Pumpkin Pumpkin", "The Silly Goose"

Next Tuesday, October 26 will be "Pack the Place in Pink" at Sandstone. As you already read in the pink handout, we are selling pink t-shirts to raise money for the Barbara G. Komen Foundation. That Tuesday we are going to the Pumpkin Patch, so we are actually packing the pumpkin patch in pink! Of course, the students are encouraged to wear ANY pink clothing they have, not necessarily the Skyview pink shirts.

I will send home information to the parent volunteers for the pumpkin patch tomorrow!

Enjoy the sun!
Miss Kimpton

The End of T Week!

Mrs. Lackman taught a fantastic lesson today on making pattern necklaces! You're kindergartners are so excited to show you their new noodle necklaces!

Letter Learning: Highlight Tt in "Tom Gets Wet", Tt worksheet, tissue-paper t's
Math: Patterns
Reading: Pooh's Pumpkins
Centers

I sent home two pink papers today. One is for sack lunches for the early out on Wednesday, and the other is to purchase a pink shirt (if you'd like) for your child to wear on October 26 (same day as the pumpkin patch) to "Pack Sandstone in Pink" to support cancer awareness and research.

Have a great weekend,
Miss Kimpton

Our first bus ride as Kindergartners!

Today we watched a bus safety video and listened to a presentation of how to be safe when riding a bus. After that, we went on a bus ride to the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks information center at Lake Elmo park to practice getting off the bus, crossing in front of the bus, and exiting out the back door in case of an emergency. Then, we had enough time to go into the visitor center and look at all of the stuffed animals, feel the different skins, and even see the lake! It was a very fun and learning-filled trip! The students will be ready to ride the bus to the Pumpkin Patch!

Morning Meeting: greeting, song, letter sounds, Morning Message (writing, circling words, underlining letters)
Handwriting: Capital and lowercase Tt
Math: Counting, matching numbers to amounts of objects, Five Little Pumpkins
Reading: "Pumpkins", "Five Little Pumpkins", Tom Gets Wet
Centers

See you all tomorrow!
Miss Kimpton

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Song, Mrs. Lemelin and Rachel's Challenge pledge
Letter Learning: Brainstorm /t/ words, T worksheet
Math: Counting, Ten Pumpkins Up On Top
Reading Buddies: Ten Pumpkins Up On Top
Reading: "Ten Apples Up On Top", Five Little Pumpkins

Have a great night!
Miss Kimpton

Pumpkin Patch!

I sent home the information letter and permission slip for the Pumpkin Patch field trip today. If you would like to volunteer to join us, I will send home more information as far as the schedule and outline of the day. Thank you in advance! It will be a great way to spend time with the class and see some fall activities.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Song, Letter Sounds, reading/writing words with letter sounds
Letter Learning: Tt, highlight tape Tt in names and ABC charts
Math: Comparing Patterns, Making Music Patterns
Reading: find "is" in "Tom Gets Wet", "The Leaves are Falling One by One"
Library with Mrs. Mayhall
Fall Activity: Decorate characters (to be continued tomorrow)
Puzzles

Enjoy the pleasant weather!
Miss Kimpton

We Have a New Face in the Classroom

I would like to extend a welcome to Danielle Lackman, our Junior Field student from MSU-Billings. She is in the Education Program and will be joining us this semester to gain experience in the classroom. Mrs. Lackman has already shown tremendous potential in the classroom, and we are so fortunate to have her! She will be working with small groups of children, helping with classroom duties, and teaching wonderful lessons.

It will be a T-rrific week!

Check your child's folder for the pink Conference Scheduling paper. Please fill out your preference for either Wednesday, Nov. 3 or Thursday, Nov. 4. If possible, send it back tomorrow, and I will send notification next week (Wednesday) of your conference time!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, New Song and Actions, Workout to the Letter Sounds
P.E.
Letter Learning: Tt, take-home book "Tom Gets Wet"
Math: Shape Patterns
Colors: paint favorite colors, cut-out green from magazines, and read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
Centers

The End of B Week!

The students did great on their first Picture Day! Your children looked superb for pictures.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Letter Sounds
Letter Learning and Math: beans on letter b in patterns
Handwriting/Reading: The Apple book: write "is" and circle the color words
Reading: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Centers

Have a wonderful weekend!
Miss Kimpton

Pictures Tomorrow!

Thank you for sending all of the apples. We made some delicious applesauce today, and the students learned so much (following a recipe, using an apple corer/peeler, measuring)! We also watched a fantastic farming video that showed us how apples grow and are processed. I heard some of the neatest comments, and seeing the world through a kindergartners eyes can be truly magical. They loved seeing the apples on the conveyor belts ("the rollercoasters"), enjoyed watching the pickers pick the apples ("that man is so nice to the apples), and wanted to know what it would be like if our school was an apple factory. I heard many say "I want to be an apple."

Morning Message: Greeting
Special Activity: Applesauce
Math: Measuring, Counting Down/Subtraction with Apple Poem
Handwriting: Whiteboards, write "is"
Reading: "The Apple" poem, "The Silly Goose" poem, "The Apple Thief", "The Bears"

Picture Day is tomorrow. If you want to send an extra change of clothes for your child to change into after the pictures, you may do so.

Have a great rest of your Thursday!
Miss Kimpton

Applesauce tomorrow!

Apples, apples, apples tomorrow! Thank you so much to those of you that sent apples today! If you have not sent an apple, please do so by tomorrow. The kindergartners are so looking forward to making applesauce.

Morning Meeting: Greeting (thumbs-up), letter names and sounds, morning message
Letter Learning: Letter B video sung by the Beetles (from Sesame Street), Bb worksheet
Math: Music and Movement Patterns
Reading: "Bears", Dappled Apples, "The Silly Goose"
Handwriting: Rainbow Writing "is"
Reading Buddies: Explore Starfall and PBS Math website
Centers
Calendar

Enjoy the evening,
Miss Kimpton

Check the dates!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Workout to the Letter Sounds, Morning Message, Read "The Apple"
Letter Learning: Brainstorming, drawing, labeling /b/ words
Math: Apple Taste Test, color graph, patterns
Story: "A Day at the Apple Orchard", poem "The Silly Goose", "The Three Bears"
Handwriting: practice "is"
Library with Mrs. Mayhall

Have a nice night,
Miss Kimpton

Apples, apples, apples!

We are focusing on apples this week with reading, math, and even cooking! We will be making homemade applesauce on Thursday, so please send an apple to school with your child by Thursday (Wednesday would be best). Green apples or a tart baking apple work best. We will be using a corer/peeler, and if the apple is soft, it will not turn on the corer, so please no Red Delicious apples or any that seem "soft".

Picture Day is on Friday. If your child is wearing really nice clothes for the pictures, you may send a change of clothes to change into after pictures. Please send the order form by Thursday so I have time to record the orders.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Shared Reading "The Apple", Letter Sounds song, review letter names of Mm, Rr, Ss
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Math: Sound and Music Patterns
Read Aloud: "Ten Apples Up On Top"
Letter Learning: Color in "Bears" take-home book, find Bb around room and in names
Handwriting: introduce whiteboards and write "is"
Calendar: birthdays, October song
Center Practice: Color Patterns with unifix cubes

Have a wonderful Monday evening,
Miss Kimpton

The End of S Week!

Today, I am sending many papers home from the week. Please go over each one with your children so they can show you how much they learned! There are two books to practice reading: Six Sisters and the Big S Book.

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Morning Message
Letter Learning: Big S book, S worksheet
Math: Patterns
Special Activity: Skyview Parade with Reading Buddies

Have a great weekend!

Miss Kimpton

And the dates keep changing....

Unmark your calendars! The pumpkin patch field trip is NOT going to be on October 14 as planned due to scheduling conflicts with our bus safety program. We are trying to find another date that works, so stay tuned!

Morning Meeting: greeting, Respect video
Letter Learning: star stickers on socks
Math: patterns
Art: tissue paper leaf painting
Story: Ten Red Apples

Enjoy the last day of September!
Miss Kimpton

How many /s/ words can you think of?

Morning Meeting: greeting, morning song, discussing what it means to "do your best"
Letter Learning: highlight Ss in Six Sisters book, brainstorm /s/ words, cut and glue /s/ words
Math: review sound and color patterns, introduce shape patterns
Story: Dragons and Dinosaurs and Fancy Nancy's ABC
Reading Buddies: explore www.starfall.com
Handwriting: tracing lines that start at a dot, follow the arrow, and end with a dot

Enjoy the sunny weather!
Miss Kimpton

Morning Meeting: Greeting, puppet show for problem solving
Letter Learning: Highlight tape Ss in names, look for Ss around classroom, Learning Letter Sounds song
Math: Counting and Numbers
Reading: The Stoplight Poem for Poetry Folder
Story: Dr. Seuss ABC and Apples

Have a great evening,
Miss Kimpton

Date Change for Pictures

The date has been changed for school pictures. It will be next Friday, Oct. 8. Paperwork for the pictures will be coming home soon.

Monday is P.E. Day!

We had a few students come to school today with flip-flips and sandals on, and I want to remind you that Monday is P.E. day. Students need to wear either tennis shoes (best) or sandals with straps on the back in order to be safe. I love that the weather is nice enough for sandals!

Morning Meeting: Greeting, Problem Solving: Ignore it
Letter Learning: Coloring and reading take-home book "Six Sisters"
P.E. with Mrs. Trollope
Math: Color patterns
Story: Ten Apples Up on Top and Clifford's First Autumn
Center Practice

Have a great evening!
Miss Kimpton

The End of R Week

Saturday Live is tomorrow at Pioneer Park. You should have received maps for the different activities in your child's folder. Please consider going tomorrow as all proceeds go to a good cause...your children! PTA uses the money earned from this to fund field trips, classroom grants, and school-wide needs.

Morning Meeting: Mrs. Goodhearts nephew, Gabe, visited with us about his disability and introduced us to his service dog, Ruth
Reading: My Red Bike (I love hearing the stories about your children reading these take-home books to their families and even the family pets! We practice all week long, so please celebrate your child's hard work. If they have difficulty with the words, encourage them to look at the pictures or sound it out. Much of reading at this stage is memorization, and that's great! Memorization and "tracking print" is the beginning of reading. Encourage your children to point to the words and move their reading fingers from left to right.)
Special Event: Read "Indian Two Feet" in the tipi. This story is about Two Feet and his wish to have a horse. His dad tells him that if he wants a horse, he needs to think like a horse. Thinking like a horse, Two Feet goes to the grass, then the river, then a tall hill, and finally rests in the shade where it is cool. He doesn't find a horse, but a horse finds him! The horse has a sore leg, so the boy has to walk (not ride) back to his tribe and then cares for his sore leg and feeds and waters him. Eventually the boy is able to ride him, and the whole tribe is so proud of him. In part of the oral tradition, the students have practiced retelling this story. Please ask your child to tell you this story. Remember, retelling can be very difficult for a young child, so prompt them with the description above and be patient with them. It is a skill that needs to be developed.
Story: The Alphabet Mystery
Handwriting: Correct way to hold a pencil
Music with Mr. Small
Math: Patterns
Letter Learning: Initial sound /r/

Have a great weekend!
Miss Kimpton

Thursday the Early Out Day

I hope you have had a wonderful afternoon with your children! Today we:

Morning Meeting: greetings, Respect video
Letter Learning: glue rice on red rabbits
Read Aloud: A isn't for Fox (thank you to the student who shared it...It was fantastic!)

Have a great evening,
Miss Kimpton

Wednesday, September 22

I'm sorry I didn't get this posted until this afternoon! Here it is:

Morning Meeting: greetings, Respect video
Hearing Screenings
Math: Read Ch. 2 Story (Scaredy Skunk) to introduce patterns, create own movement and sound patters
Centers: Puzzles to practice working together, cleaning up, and whisper voices
Fine Motor Skills: coloring and cutting /r/ words
Letter Learning: highlight all R's and r's in My Red Bike
Word Learning: highlight tape "is" in "Is Your Mama a Llama?"

Rachel's Challenge

We went to an assembly today called Rachel's Challenge, and there is more information for you in your child's folder. I highly recommend attending the presentation at Castle Rock (Thursday, Sept. 23, 7-8 pm) to learn more. This is not an appropriate assembly for children, but it will have a powerful effect on you. I had the opportunity to listen to Rachel Scott's father speak, and the message of Rachel's Challenge encourages some meaningful thoughts and discussions.

Morning Meeting: greeting, problem-solving skills
Letter Learning: Rr, brainstorm initial sound /r/ words, read "My Red Bike"
Library
Fine-Motor Skills: cutting out a red rabbit, coloring
Assembly: The kindergartners were AMAZING during the assembly and were fantastic listeners!

Enjoy the last evening of summer!
Miss Kimpton

Is that a bat? What is a bat?

We had a great opportunity to see a bat today outside a door at school today! Many kids had never seen a bat nor knew that they are, so we had an impromptu lesson on safety around wild animals and took a trip outside to see it. We will be learning about bats later this fall, so it was a excellent experience.

Morning Meeting: Practicing good mornings, skits to practice problem-solving skills (talk it out, apologize), Respect song/video clip
Letter Learning: Rr, the sound of /r/, finding Rr in students' names
Reading: New take-home book "My Red Bike"
Math: Picture Graph "How old are you?"
Reading Buddies: Starfall website
Handwriting: Drawing straight lines from point to point
Initial sounds worksheet

Have a great night, and thank you for your comments on the format of the blog!

Miss Kimpton

The End of M Week!

Although we will still be learning about Mm all year, using it in our writing, and practicing its sound, it is the end of the focus week. You will see many Mm papers coming home today. Please find an important place in your house to display these so the students can celebrate their accomplishments with Mm.

Morning Meeting: practice saying "good morning" using each other's names
Letter Learning: Mm, finishing My Mitten book, making marshmallow m's, initial sound WS
Art: beginning painting project of favorite colors (will be working on next week)
Math: sorting colored marshmallows, counting
Music with Mr. Small!

Have a great evening and stay warm and dry this weekend!

Miss Kimpton

P.S. As the fall weather changes each day, please send the appropriate clothing. Many students were very cold today, and it is better to be too warm than too cold!

We learned our first word!

It's always an exciting day in Kindergarten when the students learn their first Word Wall Word (otherwise known as Sight Word). Today, they learned "is", practiced verbally spelling it, and highlighted it in "Cat's Colors" and in their take-home books "My Mitten".

Letter Learning: initial sound /m/, cut and glue pictures that start with /m/
Math: sorting game "What's My Rule?'
Morning Meeting: practicing saying "Good Morning" with each other's names, asking others when you forget their names
Story: Cat's Colors and highlighting "is"
Centers

Cookie Dough Order Forms Due Tomorrow!

I am sure you saw that order forms for the Cookie Dough Sales are due tomorrow. I am so impressed with how many students have sold items. Thank you so much for your hard work to do this! One student in our class even won a gift certificate from Target for having her name drawn (pink slips that certifies that your child sold more than ten items) from the canister.

Letter Learning: highlight all of the Mm's in "My Mitten", make a capital M using paper strips, read Mm words poster
Fine Motor Skills: color in "My Mitten"
Social Studies: Morning Meeting, solving conflicts by apologizing (saying "I am sorry for..." and looking the other person in the eye)
Centers
Handwriting: right hand (shaking hands, lotion on hand as a tactile way to remember the right hand)
Reading Buddies: Weekly Reader, ABC/Library books

I am trying a new way of explaining our day rather than paragraph form. Give me feedback as to what you like best!

Enjoy the sun,

Miss Kimpton

The Sandstone Tipi

From Miss Kimpton's Kindergarten 2010-2011

Click on the image in order to watch the slideshow.

Thank you Mrs. Chesterman!

 

These are a few pictures I was able to take of Mrs. Chesterman as she read to the students.

What a great school!

I am constantly reminded how wonderful Sandstone School is! Today, as I was walking back to the classroom after eating lunch, I passed by the lunchroom. Tracy Chesterman, our head lunch clerk, was sitting in a chair, reading to ALL 69 kindergartners as they ate their lunches! I have never seen the kids so relaxed and peaceful at lunch as I did today. It is such a caring thing that she did, and the kids loved listening to her read.

The march towards learning the letter Mm is continuing on! The students are starting each day coloring and practicing reading their "My Mitten" books, and we made a poster filled with all sorts of items that start with /m/ (mouse, monkey, mug, marker, etc.).

During our Morning Meeting, we discussed and acted out ways to solve problems by talking them out. I modeled how to talk to a person that is causing trouble, and then we played through many scenarios of kids pushing, throwing rocks, or otherwise causing problems and the different things we can do in response. By using words to talk it out, the kids learned that the problem can be solved without anyone getting hurt. However, I did clarify with the kids (in one of the skits) that if someone is hurt or feels scared, they do need to get a teacher for help. The main goal is to stay safe!

We made our first graph today of our favorite colors! The students practiced coloring a color card, then we sorted the cards into color piles, and then put our data on a bar graph. Oh, the things we learn in Kindergarten! We will use this graph to talk about the concepts of more, less, and same, and we will make many more graphs in the future.

Have a great evening,
Miss Kimpton

It's an "M" kind of a Monday

Welcome to the fourth week of school! Today, we started our first "letter study" for the letter Mm. All week, we will be learning the letter Mm, its sound and shape, and brainstorming many things that start with "Mm". The students started coloring their take-home books, "My Mitten", filled with M objects, found all of the m's in our classroom names, and looked at Mm on www.starfall.com.

We also had a very special treat today-A Crow cultural team put up a tipi at our school today (one of eight throughout the schools in Billings) for students to use and learn about. We had the honor of watching part of the ceremony as they raised the poles and wrapped the canvas around the poles. We will use the tipi as a class for many different experiences. During recess, the tipi is off-limits to students.

We also read "Cat's Color's" that we will use to launch many other activities: graphing our favorite colors, painting our favorite colors and making a book with them, and learning the word "is".

Enjoy the sunny evening!

Miss Kimpton

What IS inside a coconut?

Well, after we read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (the alphabet climbs up a coconut tree), made coconut names, watched and listened to many different coconut songs...we finally opened a coconut! Three of them, to be exact!

This morning, we used our Five Senses to describe the coconut: feel, see, hear, smell, and taste (we had to leave that one blank until later today), and the students watched as I showed how to write, and then they discussed amongst themselves the different observations they made. We made predictions as to the color of the "liquid" (a new science word!) and whether or not the students would like the taste. Then, we drained the liquid (ask your child what color it is! Clear) and your brave students sampled small amounts. Only two of our 23 kids "kind of" liked it, but after Music, they will try the flesh.

The greatest part of the whole activity was their excitement! When we finally got the coconut open, most said," There's nothing in there!" We will scrape away at the "nothing" to get little bits of the white for them to try. You will need to ask them if they liked it after they try it!

Well, we had a fantastic day of Science learning the Five Senses, new words like predict, observe, and liquid, and both the students and I experienced something new: the inside of a coconut!

The students are bringing home their ABC books. Each Friday, the kindergartners will have take home books that they have spent the week coloring and practicing reading. Please celebrate their hard work with them by commenting on their coloring and listening/helping them read. These books help with their reading skills and also fine motor skills. They need to practice reading every day, even if at first it is memorization. This is a step of reading to be proud of.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you on Monday!

Miss Kimpton

PTA Meeting Tonight!

The PTA is meeting tonight in the Sandstone Library at 6:30 P.M. The PTA has funded many beneficial things for our school and classrooms, such as buses for field trips, classroom grants, document cameras and projectors in EVERY classroom, and much more! Please consider joining the PTA in order to get involved.

Water bottles are becoming an issue in our classroom. Each student has a cup and access to the sink. If you do send a water bottle with your child, it must have a secure cap that doesn't need to be removed in order to drink. Please do not send the disposable bottles with screw-on lids as they are spilled too often.

One more issue-the students are getting more comfortable with each other and are using their hands/feet to solve disputes (hitting and kicking). As a class, we discuss, practice, and implement better ways to solve problems, however, please talk about how to solve problems without violence. At Sandstone School, we do not hurt other people. It is just not allowed. As the weeks go on, the students will learn ways to solve problems, and hitting and kicking will never be a solution. Some ideas are: walk away, play another game, find another friend to play with, say "excuse me" if someone is in your way, ask a teacher for help, or discuss the problem.

The students were quite busy this morning. They have been coloring and practicing reading their ABC Stories book each day, and tomorrow they will take it home to continue reading. During the Morning Meeting, we sang our song about having a great day, and then the students cut out yellow pictures from magazines for our Yellow poster. During Math, the students learn to sort the same objects using different criteria (such as sorting by shape or color). After Lunch, the students and I read a Winnie-the-Pooh ABC book filled with rhymes about each letter. The students then worked in centers while I worked with small groups for Handwriting. After recess, the kindergartners finished their work for "Miss Kimpton's Letter Factory" to build a new alphabet strip of letters made with their bodies. I took pictures, and we will use this in our room. It was a great experience to build teamwork skills and solve problems. Some of the students are going to finish up their letters tomorrow and then they will get "paid" (treats!).

Enjoy your evening,

Miss Kimpton

It's All About the ABC's!

We are totally immersed in the alphabet in our classroom right now. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has been a favorite for the last week, and we are reading some great new Alphabet books. Today, we read "Handsigns", and the students had to guess the animal based on the picture and the letter of the alphabet it is pictured with. This is a great activity as it deals with letter names, letter sounds, initial sounds of words, and even showed us the sign language alphabet. I also "hired" the students today to work in teams to create letters with their bodies in order to make our own alphabet strip. The students did so well as they worked together to solve problems (How are we ever going to make a Q? -They haven't solved that quite yet), took turns being team captain, and truly experienced the letters. Hopefully they will go home tonight and invite the whole family to make letters! They only made a few letters, and we should be able to finish up tomorrow, and then it's payday for them! Treats!

I asked the students today as we started Math what "Math" means. I got a lot of "I don't know", "numbers", and " The white thing that moms and dads hold up and then you have to say the answer." That one was my favorite! We sorted colored alphabet letters today and then the students worked in pairs to sort their own. This was only a community-building activity as they practicing taking turns and communicating with each other.

Mrs. Hilden, the school counselor, joined us this morning to show us a video and discuss personal safety. We also practiced for a fire drill and worked in centers!

Enjoy the nice weather this evening.

Miss Kimpton

Back from Labor Day weeekend!

The students acclimated so well to school today after their long weekend. After we have worked so hard to know the routines and procedures, they knew exactly what to do today. This really helps them to adjust to the "school lifestyle". I posted a collage of pictures of an activity that we did today to practice building names. The students used paintsticks, clothespins with letters, and a namecard to scramble and then unscramble the letters in their names. They had so much fun rearranging their letters and then asking me what it spelled. What a silly time while learning!

We started off the day today coloring an "ABC Stories" book that I will send home on Friday. The students practiced poitning at each letter as we read the story. After that, we learned a new song today called "Have a Great Day" that we sing/move to during our morning meeting and afternoon wrap-up. In it, the students practice starting off the day with movement, smiles, complements, and a hand shake. We end the same way. Next, we read "Puddle's ABC" and then transitioned into our name building activity. After lunch, I introduced a matching and initial sound center and the students worked in their centers. I worked with small groups in readiness activities for Handwriting.

The students went to Library today with Mrs. Mayhall, and then finished watching the Letter Factory. We have really been working on letter names and sounds, and the students are starting to make some strong connections with letters they already know. We also practiced reading our Stoplight Poem, and your child may surprise you already by reading parts of it tonight!

Have a great evening!

Miss Kimpton

Building Names

 

Fantastic Friday

Thank you for visiting out classroom, watching the slideshow, and listening to me speak about some of the important things in our classroom. To recap, the expectations/assessments that I showed you last night will be sent home in the first report card so that you can see what I am assessing. You can also read the expectations for the rest of the year to give you an idea of how Kindergarten progresses. For behavior management, if a child is not following a rule, I will give a verbal warning/redirection, then each further "offense" causes a number of that rule to be placed beside the name of the child. For each number recieved, a student loses 2 minutes of recess. If a child has 3 numbers beside his/her name, I will send a letter home for you to read and discuss with your child. I found that many parents like to ask their students after school if they recieved any numbers. It really helps to open discussions about behavior. If you have questions about the numbers or want to know if your child received any that day, you are welcome to email you and I will respond as quickly as possible. I can SOMETIMES remember after school, but in the busy after school acitivities, my mind is mainly on making sure that the students get connected with their adults safely. The last topic I discussed was checking the white folder everyday after school, emptying it, and then sending it back to school the following day.

Today, we started off the day building and sorting with shapes, listening to "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten" on tape (preparing for the Listening Center), singing the song "Learning Letter Sounds", reviewing position words, shapes, and colors with our Stoplight Poem, listening to a story called "Jungle Bullies" (teaching the students about standing up to Bullies in order to share and play together), centers, Music, and watching the Letter Factory (teaching letter names and sounds).

Post the Stoplight Poem at home in a visible spot. We will continue to practice reading it at school, and soon your child will read it at home as well. Use our Math Words "under, on, above" to ask questions for your student to answer: ex. What color is under yellow?

Have a great long weekend and enjoy spending it with your children!

Miss Kimpton

Open House Tonight

The highlight of our day today was our Friendship Web. Each student held onto a section of yarn and passed the spool to another student, thus creating a web that showed the students that we are all connected together and each an important part of the team. It was so meaningful as students helped others to toss the spool or to pick up their section of yarn if they dropped it. I heard a student say during Centers when his group was all connected with a Sorting Circle: "It's just like the Friendship Web!" It was a powerful way to start our day.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom continues to be a big hit in the room as we continue to see and hear different song versions, add a coconut tree to our Magnetic Letter Center, and even handled real coconuts! The book has led us to different ABC books, and I have so many to share with the students. Today, we read "G is for Goat", an ABC book dedicated to goats. The kids loved learning that a boy goat is called a "billy" and that goat children are called "kids". We'll reexamine these ideas when we learn about farms.

Handwashing is such an important skill for children to learn. We watched Crawford the Cat today tell a story about washing hands before eating and how long to scrub hands (sing the Happy Birthday song two times). The students then colored Crawford the Cat. They did a marvelous job of staying on task and doing their best!

I will see you all tonight, and enjoy the nice evening!

Miss Kimpton

Windy Wednesday

Thankfully the rain stopped this morning after school started. As you have probably figured out by now, when the "ducks" are out, the students come into the school in the morning rather than walking the circle on the playground. This is only when it is raining or below zero degrees (in which case the images are snowmen).

The students learned 3 new centers today that they will work in to reinforce skills they learn. I introduced them to the ABC center (complete with a "fishing pond" to go fishing for letters, letter stamps, and LeapPads), Writing Center (furnished with fancy pens, markers, scissors, paper for cards or letters, and stamps), and the Magnetic Letter center (includes matching letters, sorting by color, and special picture magnets). I also read the story "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten" that is an ABC book of character names. It shows the students and the teacher as they get ready for Kindergarten. We will work with this book for the rest of the week. For Math today, we practiced counting forwards and backwards ( a daily activity with our cold lunches), and I introduced the words "over", "on", and "under". We used magnetic shapes and pictures of the my two dogs to teach these concepts.

To help review the day, ask your child these questions:
What are some things on the table? Can you crawl under the table? Can you hold _________ over the table? Ask your kindergartner to show you what over, under, and on means.

Terrific Tuesday

Good afternoon families! We had a busy day today that started off with a fire drill. The kids learned how to exit our room safely when they hear the fire alarm. The played a game named "Find Someone Who..." in order to learn more about the members of our school family. Mrs. Hilden, the school counselor, read a Kindergarten story to the class, and then I showed the students a document camera and projector as we practiced reading each other's names. After lunch, we watched a Chick Chicka Boom Boom animation on You Tube which the boys and girls LOVED! I know that the students would enjoy watching it at home again, so I have given you the link to do that. You will find that link on the right of the page under "Cool Kindergarten Sites". We made coconuts with our pictures and names on them in order to practice cutting, gluing, counting the letters in names, and arranging the letters in names.

The students are having difficulty after recess lining up in our ABC order and walking in line. I would appreciate your support at home to talk with them about the importance of knowing their spot in line and lining up quickly. Then, we have more learning time! Thank you for discussing this with your child.

I am looking forward to meeting with you all at Open House on Thursday!

Have a super evening,
Miss Kimpton

Monsoon Monday

Well, look at that rain! It's hard to believe it's August and raining so much. Because of the rain, we stayed inside for morning recess and part of lunch recess. We were able to make it outside at the end of the day for a much-needed recess break. The kids did such a nice job of staying out of the mud and the puddles, so they had dry shoes for the rest of the day.

Today, we practiced saying each other's names, reviewed the rules, went to P.E. for the first time (with Mrs. Trollope), read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom again, met the fifth-grade Reading Buddies from Mrs. Donald's class, and practiced cutting and then cut out red pictures from magazines to make a red poster collage!

Please review the rules every night so your child becomes very familiar with them.

Have a great evening and stay dry,
Miss Kimpton

The end of the first week!

I hope everyone had a chance to look through their child's folder to find the student information sheet and the goldenrod paper with information on it. In lieu of newsletters, I post on this blog, thus cutting down on paper waste and improving the timeliness of the material. I hope it works well for you. I would also like to post pictures of the students working and doing activities. I will talk more about this at Open House, but if you have concerns, please call me so we can discuss them.

Today we began learning about letters and letter sounds. We used our ABC chart for the first time today while practicing the song "Learning Letter Sounds". To go along with this, the students found specific letters around our room and read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as a whole class. Next week, we will continue focusing on letters with ABC books, letters in names, and letter activities. We also began making a book about the kindergartners in our room.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I will see you on Monday!

Miss Kimpton

Procedures, Procedures, Procedures

Today, we continued working on procedures to help our classroom run smoothly. The students learned the morning routine of checking backpacks, putting away folders, placing cold lunches in the bin, and then working on their warm-up (this morning it was to draw a picture or write a story). They learned the chant "Backpacks, Jackets, Folder, Cold Lunch, Sit Down" to help them remember what they need to do. The students are starting to know the ABC line-up better and better, and soon they will be able to go right to their spots in line.

We recited the rules today and rehearsed the actions that go along with them. Then, we played a sorting game to teach Rule Number 1: Be Respectful. The students had to determine if a picture showed respect or not and then put it in the proper place. We practiced the rules many times today in order for students to become very familiar with them.

As you have seen in their folders, we also made a book about our Kindergarten class. The students did a great job of sorting themselves and then counting the boys and girls.

First Day of Kindergarten

Welcome to my blog! I will use this page throughout the year to post our classroom experiences, special notices, and pictures. Please check it often so you are familiar with what is happening with this fantastic class! I will generally quickly post after school, so please be patient with my wording and spelling as you can imagine that I have many things to do after school, but it is important for me that you know what our days are filled with! Please make comments on this blog throughout the year so that I have feedback from you!

The first day of school went very smoothly. Kindergarten can be a difficult transition for children as they learn how to behave in the school environment. The first days and weeks of school will be spent practicing procedures (how we operate in the classroom), saying and learning the rules, and developing the community of our class. I spend this time structuring and organizing the classroom so the students will know exactly what they need to do in order to excel.

Today, the procedures we learned were: lining up in ABC order (the kids did fantastic and almost had it memorized by the end of the day!), getting drinks of water (I provide a cup for each student to keep throughout the year), snack time, lunch (we're still working on that one), and walking in the hall.

The students drew pictures of themselves on the first day of Kindergarten, made a paper dog (practicing following directions), and learned a new name song and the ABC disco (these kids can really rock!).

We have 24 students in our room with 11 girls and 13 boys. We have a large class this year, so it is imperative that students know the procedures and follow the rules. I am confident that they will be able to do this!