K3 The Place To Be!

Hello K3 Families, 

It is hard to believe that we have already completed week two of kindergarten! The children are becoming used to our day, right when we are going to switch up the schedule! Next week we will begin our early/later friends schedule. Please remember that the early friend’s schedule is M,T,Th,F 8:15-12:45, and Wednesdays the schedule is 8:15-11:45. Later friend’s schedule is M,T,Th,F 9:30-2:00, and Wednesdays the schedule is 8:15-11:45. I know this is a lot to remember, but it will soon become second nature! Starting next week, we will be having snack and lunch each day. Please plan accordingly.  

Each day in kindergarten we are working on building independence. This could be putting on your backpack by yourself or opening your snack. Doing something independently can help your child develop a sense of self-identity, self-esteem, and confidence. It can also help them feel in control during times of uncertainty and prepare them for adulthood. Please keep on encouraging your child to do routine daily activities without adult help. 

Our week has been all about our names and learning our friend’s names. We are learning that in kindergarten, you always write your name with a capital letter followed by lowercase letters. This may be a new concept for your child, and for some, it will take much practice to master this. Please keep encouraging your child to write their name the “kindergarten way” when writing at home.  

We began our new phonics program this week, Bridge to Reading. We focused on the alphabetic principle. Children’s reading development is dependent on their understanding of the alphabetic principle – the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language. Learning that there are predictable relationships between sounds and letters allows children to apply these relationships to both familiar and unfamiliar words, and to begin to read. We talked about how there are capital and lowercase letters, vowels and consonants. We explored how many vowels and consonants we had in our own names.  

In social emotional learning this week we explored what it means to “think thoughts” and “feel feelings.” We talked about how someone can have more than one feeling at the same time. We also explored how our bodies feel with different feelings. Sometimes we can feel “sad” in our throats, or “happy” in our tummies. Knowing how you feel and being able to name a feeling helps us regulate our emotions. We read the book Color Monster by Anna Llenas. This story is about a colorful monster that has so many confusing feelings inside and a kind child helps it identify and unravel its feelings. After reading we drew our own monster and then painted it to represent our own emotions. 

On Tuesday our wonderful councilor, Mrs. G came into class and talked about feelings too! 

We ended the week with our Big 5th Grade Buddies! The students had a great time meeting their buddies and interviewing each other. This was a highlight of the week, and it is such a great program we have at Springhill!

Next Thursday is Picture Day! You found a handout in your child’s Friday bag last week that explains how to order pictures. Please remember to return your child’s Friday bag each Monday and library books are due each Wednesday.  

Please don’t forget to sign up for a Parent Teacher Conference slot! The Sign Up Genius is on our classroom website.  A huge thank you to Alissa Campbell for putting together All Things K3. This will be a great resource for what’s happening throughout the year.  We will be starting Classroom Volunteers in the beginning of October, so please stay tuned for that sign up as well. 

Starting Monday, our Kindergarten play yard will be closed before school. This is the gathering space for TK students' arrival and to support Mrs. Kornow, with the transition, please head straight down to K3 on arrival.  I am excited to see the  students coming into the class more independently, it will continue to make the transition much smoother. 

I am looking forward to our new schedule and routine next week. Have a lovely weekend! - Meghann