Sunday, April 14, 2019

Can It Be Spring?

Hello all!  As I sit here typing up this new message,  I am looking out my living room window as the snow is coming down fast and furiously.  It is a wet, heavy snow, so it is sticking to the ground and to the trees.  It does look pretty, but not when I think about it being mid April!  I am ready for green grass and daffodils!

As we head into the home stretch of this school year,  a few things to keep in mind: 

1. Be sure your child has appropriate clothing for outdoors.  When the weather changes so much from day to day, and even from morning to afternoon, it is hard to keep up with how to dress.  It is probably best to dress your child in layers, and maybe just send an extra sweatshirt to keep at school for those afternoons when it warms up nicely and they don't want to wear their winter coats.

2. The end of the year is a busy time. We will be finishing up our normal station routine of going over a letter or two each week, in just a few more weeks.  We are really focusing on strengthening our foundational reading and writing skills, as we finish up this kindergarten year, and begin to think about being prepared to be first graders.

3. On May 16th, all the kindergarten classes will be going together to the Midland Center for the Arts. Weather permitting, we will go to a park in Midland for lunch and a little play time.  The bus will leave at 8:30 and return to school around 2:30. We welcome parents to join us!

4.  Track and Field Day is always a fun time!  This year the K-2  day is May 29th, beginning at 12:30.  Please come to join us, as we cheer the children on!

5.  Keep on sending the Take-Home Reading folders back to school each day, after you have read through the book at least once with your child.  Every day, as they bring their signed folder back, each child gets to bring home a new book to read out of the 5-6 books they have already "shopped" for earlier.  The children have learned to shop for "good fit" books.  Good fit books are books that they are interested in, and ones that are neither too hard nor too easy for them.  They should be books that they know many of the words, but not all of them.  They should be practicing their reading strategies when they come across unfamiliar words (like getting their lips moving, stretching out the sounds, flipping the vowel, using the picture, etc.).   They are really excited to bring  home a new book to read with you!

6. We will be starting the end-of-the-year assessments soon.  Please be sure you are practicing skills at home that you know your child has shown some weakness in in the past.  Even if your child is doing well, reviewing letters, letter sounds, blending sounds, sight words, counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s,  recognizing numbers to 20, writing numbers to 20, etc, are all good skills to review. 

If you have any questions or concerns that I can help you with, feel free to write me a note, email me, or contact me by phone through the elementary office. 

I am looking forward to finishing the year strong with this wonderful group of children!  I have truly enjoyed spending time with your child this year!