Firefighters visit

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share a few pics from the firefighters visit on November 6th.  Students were very excited when the firefighters came to visit the classroom.  The students were exceptionally well behaved and learned a lot about fire safety.

Students were shown all of the equipment that is stored on the truck.

Students were also allowed to enter the cab of the firetruck and sit in the captain's chair!

At the end of our visit the firemen posed with the class for a final photo before leaving us.

A great big thank you to all of the firefighters who took time out of their very busy schedule to visit with us!

Halloween and the previous week

Dear families;

tomorrow our day is going to be busy and fun filled with games and activities.  Please bring students to school in costume.  Children many wish to take off their costumes throughout the day so bring a change of clothes. 

Our class will be sharing a Halloween snack so please send a small amount of one othe following items for our Monster Mix:

Cheerios
raisons
dried cranberries
pretzels
shreddies
small fruit gummies

Please let me know if your child is allergic to any of the items listed above and I will make a batch with the item.

If you would like to bring another type of snack make sure it does not contain nuts, or a lot of artificial sugar. 


For the weeks following Halloween try not to provide snacks that contain a lot of sugar, and consider a 'one sweet treat' minimum for school.  Sugar really does affect students ability to concentrate and focus on school activities.



Unit of Inquiry
In our unit of inquiry on "How We Organize Ourselves" my students were very successful in understanding how our school is organized and how we learn and play safely.


Gingy

Our beloved mascot 'Gingy' went on an adventure around the school last week after reading the class "The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School", our mascot decided to take a trip.  After searching the classroom, we decided to put up posters around the school to find our mascot.  Many of the older students in the school were very helpful in our search. 

I am happy to announce that my students demonstrated how knowledgeable they were about the people and places within the school by putting up their poster in a place that was familiar to them.  They were able to recognize teachers and staff that they came into direct contact with weekly, by name.  They were also able to explain the safety rules in the classroom, gym, and playground. 

Our mascot 'Gingy' was found by the class, during music with Mrs. McFarlane, in the music room. He had quite an adventure! I think he even learned a new musical instrument!

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish all of my students and their families a very happy, and safe Thanksgiving!

Letter of the week
Letter of the week has been a great success, students have been very diligent and creative with their items.
This week is C. Please encourage your child to explore around the house and find items that begin with C.
Ask them to sound  out the item to discover the beginning letter sound.

Patterns
Students are learning about patterns around them.  Items may include colour, shape and size.  Ask your child to point out a pattern and have them explain the pattern.

Rhyming
We are also learning about rhymes in class.  Students can make up words, called nonsense rhymes or use actual words.  Students learn  to create rhyming words by changing the beginning letter sound and replacing it with another letter.  Try asking your child to rhyme their name by changing the beginning letter sound from other letters in the alphabet.

Scholastic
I sent home scholastic order forms on Friday.  If you would like to order from this brochure please have your cheque in by October 22nd.

School forms
Please get your forms in to me before the end of the week!  I would like to  get these forms into the office soon, they are taking up valuable table space in the classroom.

Kindergarten fees
This is probably my least favourite part of  teaching kindergarten, asking parents for $. These fees are used to purchase class supplies for the entire year.  If you would like to purchase supplies on your own, please check with the office for a list of items. Also,  let me know if this is your plan so I can budget appropriately for the class supplies.

Outdoor clothing and a change of clothes is very important at this time of year, children are outside every recess and lunch.

Hot lunch
Please provide your child with a water bottle, snacks and utensils on Fridays. The hot lunch does not include snacks and utensils.

Thank you parents for the great support at home!

Have a great week,
Wendy Rogers

The week of October 6-10

Show and tell
Friday marked our first show and tell of the year, and was very successful! From wisdom teeth to owl pellets, the children really made it interesting!

I appreciate the thought that went into each item, well done! I look forward to next week!

This week our class will continue to explore fall and all the great things it brings! We will focus on leaves, colours, rhyming, shapes, the letter B, and of course Thanksgiving Day.  Ask your child the name of the new month and what special days we celebrate this month.

Letter of the week
Please encourage your child to sound out the letter B and think about items around them that start with a B.  Parents can facilitate learning letter sound recognition by asking their child to point out the letter B during story time and sound out words that start with a B.

Student folders
I am happy to say student folders will be ready to go home this Friday. Each student has an individual folder that will be sent home on Fridays and returned the following school day.  Student work, messages home, and communication from school will be placed in the folder. Please remove all contents weekly.  Feel free to send a note or e-mail me with questions or concerns.

Scholastic books
I will be sending home scholastic book order forms on Friday. Scholastic books are a good way to encourage a love of reading, at a very reasonable price, but please don't feel obligated to purchase these books.

Sight word booklets
Students will be bringing home sight word booklets throughout the year.  This week is about leaves.  Each booklet contains simple sentences with frequently used words (the, a at, ect).  Ask your child to point out the sight word on each page and practice reading the booklet with your child.

Reminder
All school forms and fees are due! Please return all forms and school fees to me directly.

Entertainment books
If you wish to purchase the entertainment book sent home on Friday, fiil out the form and include the fee inside the envelop provided, then slip it into the PAC information box in the hall, directly across from the main office. Parents that do not want to purchase a book, return the book inside the bag provided, to me ASAP. PAC will collect them from the classroom.

Have a great week!

October is here!

The second week of kindergarten is underway and my students are adapting to the routines of full-time kindergarten very well! 

Just a reminder:
- if you have not yet filled out the seemingly endless amount of paper work necessary each year, please try to complete it asap!  Also a reminder that the kindergarten supply fee of $45.00 is also due. 

IB curriculum night Thursday October 2, 2014
I will be here from 5:00-5:30 to discuss the kindergarten curriculum

The six units covered this year include:

1. How we organize ourselves

2. Who we are

3. How we express ourselves

4. How the world works

5. Sharing the planet

6. Who we are in place and time

Before I begin each unit I will send a letter home summarizing the unit and how you can support your child's learning. 

At the end of each unit I will send home a report.  This report is not a formal evaluation, it is a way of explaining your child's understanding of the unit.

If you have questions about any of the units, or anything else please e-mail me.

The first week of school

The first week of school went very well.  It has been a pleasure getting to know my new kindies and their parents!

This week we focused on getting to know our classmates, the classroom, school and establishing morning routines and expectations for school. Ask your child about 'monster manners' and have them give examples of 'above the line', 'below the line', and 'bottom line' behaviours.

On Monday we will begin our 'letter of the week' starting with A.  I have asked students to bring something from home that begins with A, which we will share during carpet time. They were asked to conceal the item in a brown paper bag, or container that isn't transparent.  This is not mandatory, but helps children to look around their environment to identify things that start with the letter of the week.

Library days are Tuesday and Friday. Students may take out one book per visit. Books may be exchanged during visits to the library, but ONLY if they return their original book.

Music is on Thursday

I'm still waiting to find out gym times, and will let all of you know as soon as I do.  I encourage parents to provide indoor shoes that can be functional and appropriate for the gym.

I am unable to attend Tuesdays IB curriculum night, due to a previous commitment.  I will however be available on Thursday from 5:00pm-5:30pm to meet with and discuss IB and the curriculum with those parents that are interested in attending.

Thank you to all parents for their support and encouragement, I am looking forward to the new school year!

Wendy Rogers

A brand new school year 2014-2015... Welcome all parents and students!

September 24^th, 2014

Dear Parents/Guardians;

I would like to take the time to welcome you and your child to a new school year!  Kindergarten is a fun and very exciting time for everyone involved.  I am happy to be back teaching and look forward to a brand new group of students! 

I would like to thank all of you for supporting my instructions for dropping off and picking up your child each day.  Your support really helps the students learn independence during their transition to full-day kindergarten. 

*Just a reminder all students and parents are asked to enter the school no earlier than 9:45, and please say your good-byes outside of the classroom.  During regular school hours, I will continue to walk the children to the front entrance of the school, and dismiss them at 2:55 (1:55 on Wednesdays).

*Starting Thursday children may bring an extra change of clothing and indoor shoes.  Indoor shoes should be something they can go outside in, in case of an emergency, and can be worn during gym class.  Indoor shoes are to remain at the school, on the shelf outside of the classroom. 

*Please let me know if your child has any dietary concerns.

Starting next Friday children are invited to bring an item from home for show and tell. I encourage students to bring something ‘unique’ or ‘different’.  I ask that parents help children make an appropriate choice that does not include toys, or stuffies. 

I do not know at this time when children will have a regular gym, or library time but will let you know ASAP. 

I look forward to getting to know your child throughout the year.  Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at wrogers@sd44.bc.ca. Also check out my blog for any new information regarding our class at teacherrogersw@blogspot.com.

Sincerely,

Wendy Rogers