A Great Trip to Wolfe Neck Farm

Hello Families!

Let's be thankful that our field trip to Wolfe Neck Farm was last week instead of this week!  We were very fortunate to have beautiful weather for our trip.  The children enjoyed learning about the different farm animals and picking their own pumpkins from a pumpkin patch!  Back in the classroom, children wrote about what they saw at the farm, and they did a pumpkin sequencing activity with their substitute teacher when I was out sick on Wednesday.





Last week in Reading we:

• Continued reading emergent story books and practiced telling a story using sequencing words (first, then, next, etc.).
• Began adding sight words to our word wall.  These are words that children need to be able to read, write, and spell by the end of Kindergarten.  The words we currently have on our word wall are: a, the, and see.  We will continue adding words to our wall each week.
• Learned about syllables in words and sorted words based on their number of syllables.
• Continued to identify and sort rhyming words.
• Continued to practice pointing when reading.
• Learned that readers can make connections between characters in different stories.

Last week in Writing we:

• Learned to use the words around the classroom as a resource when trying to spell words.
• Learned that writers can say their story aloud across pages in a booklet before they begin their drawing and actual writing.  This helps writers plan what will go on each page.
• Practiced writing the letter M and and the numbers 1 and 2 during handwriting.
• Discussed how writers can get ideas of topics to write about from connections they've made while reading.
• Wrote thank you letters to our bus drivers for Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Friday.

Last week in Math we:

• Spent most days exploring teen numbers.  We like to call them the "tricky teens."  Students have learned that teens are two digit numbers in which the number in the tens' place is always a one.  We have explored these numbers through counting games and picture books.
• Played "Number Match," a game in which students pick two cards and determine if the number of dots on one card matches the numeral on the other card.

Best of luck to you and your family with the upcoming storm!  Let's hope it doesn't hit us too hard.
~ Katie

Fall Trees

The children had two opportunities to observe fall trees this week as part of our science tree unit. 

On Tuesday, the children drew a scientific drawing of a tree.  Children had learned about scientific drawings in art, so we applied it to our tree drawings.  The children sat outside in front of a tree and drew what they saw.  I was impressed with the details the students included in their drawings.  They remembered to include the different parts of a tree: trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, and some children even drew roots (they know they exist even if they can't see them)!

 On Thursday we took another nature walk to learn about tree leaves.  We sat under two trees and talked about the characteristics of the leaves around us.  Children pointed out similarities and differences among leaves.  Then the children went on a leaf scavenger hunt to find six different types of leaves. 

In addition to continuing our tree unit, this week the children will be learning more about pumpkins!  As a reminder, our field trip to Wolfe's Neck Farm is on Tuesday.  Children will be back to school in time for lunch.  I look forward to having many of you join us for the field trip!

~Katie

I hope your child shared his/her many fire safety experiences this week.  Children had a chance to visit the Yarmouth Fire Station, go through the smoke trailer, and go up on the ladder of the ladder truck!  Many of you joined your child for the ladder and smoke trailer.  Thank you very much for your help supervising and transporting the children.  

Reminders:

• October book orders are due Wednesday, October 17.  Please use the Scholastic Book Clubs tab to order books.

• We will be going on a field trip to Wolfe's Neck Farm on Tuesday, October 23.  If you haven't already, please return your child's permission slip when possible.

This week in Reading we:

• Practiced identifying and sorting the letters d, k, and l.
• Practiced reading like storytellers.
• Became more familiar with returning and choosing new books from our classroom library.
• Used sticky notes to mark  spots in our books we want to share with a friend.

This week in Writing we:

• Brainstormed a list of writing topics for days when we can't think of what to write about.
• Worked on putting "finger spaces" between words to separate them.
• Discussed the differences between our best work and work that is rushed.
• Practiced writing the letters R and N during handwriting.

This week in Math we:

• Played "Spin a Number" with a friend.  Children spun a number on their game board and then moved that many spaces.  This game worked on number recognition, counting, and one-to-one correspondence.
• Went on a pattern scavenger hunt on our playground.  The purpose of this activity was for children to realize that patterns exist in the world around us.
• Played oral counting games to practice counting by ones through movement activities. 

Fire Safety Week

This week is Fire Safety Week at Rowe School.  On Tuesday we will visit the Yarmouth Fire Station.  On Wednesday a smoke trailer will come to Rowe School.

You can now order from the October Scholastic Book Order. Unfortunately, I did not receive any paper book orders from Scholastic, so all orders will need to be placed online. Please go to the Scholastic Book Club link on this page to order books.

Last week in Reading we:

• Chose our own books for our book bags.  I opened a section of our classroom library for children to choose from.  Children will choose new books at the beginning of every week.  Children will choose a combination of emergent story books and leveled readers.
• Continued to practice one-to-one correspondence.  I modeled using a pointer to read the words in a leveled reader.  The children are encouraged to read one word for every one word they point to (Even if they don't yet know all the words, children can still practice one-to-one correspondence by reading what they think the words say.). 
• Practiced retelling emergent story books I've read aloud.  The children are encouraged to read the pictures like a story instead of just pointing to the pictures and telling what they see.

• Practiced naming and finding letters in an alphabet linking chart.
• Practiced identifying and sorting the letters a, c, and h. 

• "Read the Room" for words with the letters c and h.

Children "Reading the Room

 Last week in Writing we:

• Began writing in booklets!  I taught the children that often writers can not write their whole story on one page.  When they have more to say they get another piece of paper and continue their story. The children were very excited to be able to add pages to a story and make their own books.

 

 

• Learned that all the pages in a booklet are part of the same story.  The pages go in a certain order just like the pages in a book.

• Learned that our pictures must match our words.
• Practiced writing the letter B during handwriting.
• Used the "Author's Chair" to share our writing.

Last week in Math we:

Using a ten-frame to show the number 10

• Practiced using a ten-frame for counting and showing a given number. 

• Began math centers!  On Tuesdays and Thursdays the children will rotate through three different centers in groups of two or three.  There are a total of nine math tubs, so it will take children three days to complete all the centers.  Each math tub contains an activity to reinforce/practice a skill previously learned. 

Making a shape pattern with paint at a math center

 

Showing a number with leaves

• Talked about and practiced using spatial words (next to, on top of, underneath, etc.).

Looking for pictures of circles
















• Continued our exploration of triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles.  At one of our math centers students search for pictures of these shapes in magazines.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of your children.  Just a reminder that I only posted pictures of children who had website permission.

~ Katie