I will keep this page updated with the latest information I have sent home, as well as other items of interest.
Here is a link to the Jolly Phonics songs we'll be working on this year. Your child will also be given a ring of the songs, which will be updated with each new letter. Please practice these songs at home to help reinforce the sounds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGpsVmWLRFA
Trent Teacher Candidate and Fleming ECE Student– You have probably been hearing about Mr. Bateman and Katelyn. We are really enjoying having them in our class. Their last day with us will be April 18th. A sad day, indeed!
Hatching Eggs – We will be hatching chicks (hopefully)! Very exciting! The eggs arrive on April 18th and should take around 20 days to hatch. I’m sure you’ll hear a lot about this.
Science – We are working on learning about our five senses. Then we’ll be moving into life cycles. The eggs will fit well with this!
Class Trip – We have a class trip planned to the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre (it is located out by Trent University) on Wednesday, April 25th. We will be learning more about life cycles (tying into to our exploration with hatching chicks really well) and well as creating some art form using natural materials found in the forest. These trips are always great – filled with lots of hands-on learning. We will be needing parent volunteers on the trip, so if you are able to come, please let me know. The cost of the trip is $8.50 per child (parent volunteers are free). Camp Kawartha has offered us a special deal – it is usually $10/child plus the cost of the bus. They are charging us $8/child and giving us $50 towards the bus to help reduce costs.
We have had some difficulty getting forms/money returned. Only half of the class sent back forms and money for the Scientist in the School experience. We were fortunate not to have to cancel, because administration agreed to pay the rest. Also, because the Scientist was coming to us, we didn’t require permission forms to be returned for each student. However, since this one is off school property, a permission form MUST be returned in order for your child to attend. If the finances are a difficulty, please talk to me about it. I’m sure we can come up with a solution together. Thanks so much.
Jackson Park – Speaking of trips, before our lovely teacher candidates leave, we would love to take our class to Jackson Park for some great learning experiences. Most of you filled out the form at the beginning of the year indicating whether your child could go off school property, and many of you indicated the need to be informed. I am attaching a little sheet that I would like you to return. We don’t know which day we’ll be going as it will be based on the weather, but it will be before April 18th. However, if it goes well, I will likely do it again before the end of the year. We will make sure that we have enough volunteers to go on such an excursion safely.
Jolly Phonics – We’re back on track. I am sending home all the songs for April today.
Popcorn – Popcorn is for sale every Friday. It costs $1 and the money goes towards the Build a Well project (building a well in Equador) with Free the Children, Adopt a Village.
Math – We’ve gone back to the basics again. Some children have their counting down pat and can easily represent various amounts, however, some children are still struggling. You can support them at home by counting, counting, counting. Lots of practice is the key.
We will be doing some more work with money. The dramatic play centre is now a restaurant with a menu to order off of. Prices will be posted and children will also be playing with money, paying for what they order. Again, reinforcement at home (by helping with small change when purchasing something, and just talking about it) would be helpful.
Garden – We are adopting one of the garden plots at the front of our school. We will be looking for volunteers to help us with our planting. Our own kindergarten garden! Very exciting!
Mitten Glyph – Our mitten glyphs are being sent home today. Here’s what it means:
Favourite Season: blue mitten = winter, green mitten = spring, yellow mitten = summer, orange mitten = fall
The Mitten by Jan Brett: cotton on the cuff shows that I like the book, no cotton on the cuff shows that I didn’t like the book
Mittens vs Gloves: Circle on mitten = I wear mittens, Triangle on mitten = I wear gloves
Number of heart stickers indicated how old I am
Please keep working on these sight words:look, at, me, I, am, the, is, little, on.
Conference – I will be away on April 12-13 at the Annual Kindergarten Conference in Toronto. The children will have a supply teacher on Friday, April 13th. The teacher candidates will still be here as well.
Volunteers – Our class has been blessed with many volunteers this year. I would like to congratulate Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Tripp, and Ms. Webb as they all got on the supply teacher list with our board. Although they won’t be volunteering anymore, maybe the children will see them as a supply teacher sometime. A big thank you to Miss Duesling for all her help this year. She will be moving back home at the end of this month to begin an exciting job planning programs for children at a museum. My parents have also been volunteering but they will be on a trip for a month so we will see them back mid-May. Ms. Lockington has been volunteering on Mondays but will be looking after her baby niece until May. As you can see, our classroom relies on volunteers. If you are able to
donate an hour or two a week, we would really welcome your help. Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks!
March Calendar – Sorry I'm a little late with this calendar! Things were a little crazy last week and our family has been sick. I think we're all on the mend now! I hope you are all keeping healthy, too.
New Student – I'd like to welcome Hannah to our class. She started on Monday. Looks like friendships are forming already!
Trent Teacher Candidate – We sadly big farewell to our teacher candidate, Laura Appleton. We have really enjoyed having her in our class! She has done lots of teaching and we‟ve learned so much from her. We wish her all the best. Lucky for us, her next placement will be down the hall with Mrs. Mather, so we will still get to see her around!
Fleming Student – We welcome Katelyn MacDougall to our class. She is an ECE student at Fleming College and this is her final placement. She will be with us for 7 weeks. We're extremely excited to have her!
March Break Activities – There are many activities going on in the Peterborough area. If you haven't checked out the Family Resource Centre, this might be a good time to do so. Located at 201 Antrim Street, they have a variety of free drop-in programs. The Family Play to Learn program is offered on Tuesday morning from 9:30-12:00 and on Thursday afternoon from 1:00-3:30. The Play to Learn program offers a craft area, circle time and lots of toys to play with (not to mention other children to play with, too). Their resource library is also open at these times and they have a wide variety of toys, games, books and activities that can be borrowed. The Peterborough Public Library is offering special events each day over the March Break. Many of them require
registration and several programs are already full. There is still room for the Robert Davis Kids Music and Comedy Show on Tuesday, March 12th at 2 pm and for Ocean's Alive – a Conservation Show on Wednesday, March 13th at 2 pm (this one is for ages 5+). Both are free but you must register in person. I suggest that if you're interested in either one to visit the library ASAP. I'm hoping to take my boys to the Robert Davis show. There is also a Giant Drop-in Storytime on Tuesday, March 12th at 10:45 am, which does not require registration. The Peterborough Museum offers free family programs from 1-4 on Sunday afternoons. The Galaxy Theatre offers special Family Favourites movies at 11:00 am on Saturdays for a discounted rate of $2.50 per person. They are showing Shrek on Saturday, March 11th and E.T. on Saturday, March 17th. There are many Day Camps offered in Peterborough (fees apply): Cooking days at Loblaw's Superstore, Programs at the YMCA and Peterborough Sport and Wellness
Centre, Theatre camp at Market Hall, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough Museum and Archives, Camp Kawartha Environment Center to name a few.
Me to We Trip – I had a wonderful time with the group of Grade 6-8 students in Montreal last week. The We Day was amazing and we have come back inspired to make positive changes in our world. It was a great experience and I thank you for your understanding of my absence. It sounds like things ran very smoothly with Ms. Appleton in charge.
Scientist in the School – We need to send a big thank you to Ms. Matthews and Ms. Padgett-Goddard (principal and vice-principal) for helping financially to make this experience available for our students. Please ask your child about it. They will be participating in many hands-on activities, learning all about “Marvellous Machines”. It is a very rich learning opportunity.
Jolly Phonics – We‟re a little behind in our Jolly Phonics from the plans posted on the February calendar. Please see this March calendar to see where we are at. Updated pages with songs will hopefully be sent home today. Please continue to practice these letters and songs at home. You can see all of the songs on the link above.
Math – We‟ve been learning all about measurement lately. Students are getting quite good at predicting how many spoonfuls of something (e.g. sand, water) it takes to fill a container, as well as how many of an item it takes to balance a scale. Words like “more”, “less”, “equal”, “heavier”, “lighter”, “weight” are being heard in our classroom! You can reinforce this at home by using these vocabulary words. You can also help them make reasonable predictions of how many, how much, etc. Students have also been really getting into designing their own surveys during free time. We often have a child bring in a stuffed animal for the class to help name. The class comes up with 3 or 4 possibilities and then the child takes a survey and reports on
the results. It's awesome!
Supporting your Child – There are many ways you can support your child in their learning. As mentioned above, you can use the words we‟re using in math, as well as regularly counting objects with your child. You can even start helping your child add groups of objects together. Reading every night is also important. When you return a home reading book, I send another one home. If you are not doing this program because you have lost a book, please let me know and we can get things back on track. Letting your child help with writing lists (e.g. grocery lists) and identifying words when you are out and about is also helpful. There will be an increasing focus on reading and writing sight words this term, especially for the SKs. Focusing on the following words would
be very helpful: look, at, me, I, am, the, is, little, on. I also have another program that only some children have signed up for, and that is the special homework bags. These are special bags filled with various activities to do with your child to support their learning in language, math or science. The only thing I require is a commitment on your behalf that the materials will be looked after and returned in full. If you are interested, please let me know. Thanks very much.
Have a wonderful March Break! I look forward to seeing the children back again on Monday, March 19th.
Pajama Day – We had a great day! Too bad only 9 of us were here due to the freezing rain! If your child was here, they brought home a retell stick of the story, The Napping House. Ask your child to retell the story. If you are interested in hearing the whole story, you can see it online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9xh_gxBm5I.
Breakdance Lessons – We had a wonderful time in our four lessons with Jimmy Chapman. I’m sure your child has been talking about it. I have to say a big thank you to th e school and School Council for paying for these amazing lessons. If you are interested in pursuing this further, Jimmy offers lessons. The next series of lessons starts on February 2nd (see www.nrgbreakdancing.com/classes or email Jimmy at jimmy@nrgbreakdancing.com for more information).
Valentine’s Party – We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on Wednesday, February 15th. My hope is that every child can bring a valentine for each member of the class. I am including a class list. It is best to start early and have your child do a few each night as this may be labour intensive for some. If it is too much for them to write the name of each class member, they could just sign their name (you can fill in the name, or just leave it blank). This is a great experience for them to see that writing has many purposes. If you are unable to do this, please let me know. I know lives are busy!
If you would like to volunteer to help with the party (11:30-1:10), or can send in a treat, please let me know. Many thanks!
Home Reading – If you can’t find the book listed in the recent reminder, please let me know. It is really important to try to do this program. Grade 1 is just around the corner! Thanks!
Report Cards – These will be sent home on February 17th. The three ‘grades’ are NY (not yet), DV (developing) and CN (consistently). Please expect to see mostly DV. This is appropriate for this time of year. Few children will receive CN, but hopefully by June, many will! Please read over the report card carefully and let me know if you have any questions. I would be happy to meet with you to give you more ideas on how to support your child at home. Please sign and return page 3. Thanks very much!
Anti-Bullying Day – National Anti-Bullying Day is February 29th. Your child is encouraged to wear pink that day to show their support. Please note that I will be away that day as I am helping on a trip, taking some intermediate students to Montreal for Me to We Day.
Family Day -There are lots of Family Day events offered around Peterborough. Events are happening at the YMCA, Sport & Wellness Centre, Trent University Athletic Complex, Galaxy Cinemas (9am movie), Canoe Museum, Centennial Museum to name a few. You can find more information at http://www.peterboroughpromotions.com/aaadaily/022012.html.
Valentines List
Ali
Andy
Bailey-Anne
Chantelle
Cole
Evelyn
Jayla
Lizzy
Logan
Lucas
Paige D.
Paige G.
Romeo
Rowyn
Trisy
Zoe
Zylaa
Ms. Zomer
Miss Appleton
Mrs. Tripp
Miss Duesling
January 2012
If you have been looking at my webpage over the last couple of weeks, you will see that it has been a bit of a mess! Something strange happened when trying to insert a table and it has just been fixed. My apologies!
Pajama Day – We’ll be celebrating Family Literacy Day on Friday, January 27th with a Pajama Party. Your child should wear their pajamas, bring a teddy bear and their favourite book. It will be a fun-filled day!
Literacy Day - Peterborough Family Literacy Day activities will take place January 21, from 9 a.m.-noon at Peterborough Square. The free community event will include book give-aways, music, children’s entertainment, refreshments, raffle prizes and literacy displays, including one by KPR. For details, please call the Peterborough Family Resource Centre at 705-748-9144.
Peterborough Snofest -Celebrate the 35th anniversary of Snofest Peterborough with fun events throughout the month of January 2012.
Some exciting new events planned for this year include: Pony Rides, a Curling Bonspiel, Sno Jamming Family Day at Armour Hill, a Youth Art Show and Sale and a Library Story time, plus even more family fun at the Carnival on the Hill at the Peterborough Museum and Archives on January 21, 2012.Check out the website at http://www.peterboroughsnofest.ca/ and the event brochure at http://www.peterboroughsnofest.ca/downloads/Snofest_Brochure_2012.pdf
Breakdance Lessons – Our school is having special physical education classes in breakdancing this month! Our class will join Mrs. Fraser’s class every Monday for a combined lesson. Should be a lot of fun!
Learning Bags – For those of you involved in the Learning Bags program, you will get a new bag on Wednesday. Please continue to return the bag every Wednesday. If you are interested in this program, please come and talk to me. Thanks.
Home Reading – The home reading program will start again this week. Please remember to keep return the book when you are ready for a new one. I am appreciative of your efforts to take this special time with your child.
Special Helper – We are starting Round 2 of Special Helpers. Your child will get a turn at being a special helper sometime soon. Watch for the chart paper and Object of the Day box. Everyone did a great job with the Object of the Box during the first round and we look forward to so more guessing. Thank you for writing out the three clues and keeping it to just one object in the box.
December Calendar – It is difficult to believe that December is already here! Please post the calendar somewhere in the house where you can refer to it often. There is a lot of important information on it.
Holiday Party– We are planning another party! We will have a holiday celebration with Mrs. Fraser’s class on Friday, December 16th. It will take place in the middle block of the day, from 11:30-1:00. If you are able to volunteer we would LOVE your help! Please let me know if you are able to help (police check needed). Thanks so much!
Interviews– I really enjoyed meeting with each of you and sharing your child’s wonderful progress. If you were not able to meet with me, please let me know if you would like to try to schedule another meeting, or if we can have a phone interview. Thank you.
Holiday Concert – Our holiday concert is on Wednesday, December 21st at 7pm. Please plan to attend if possible. We will be working hard to get ready for our special performance!
Home Reading – Please remember to keep return the book when you are ready for a new one. I am appreciative of your efforts to take this special time with your child.
Learning Bags – For those of you involved in the Learning Bags program, I exchange them every Wednesday. I hope you are enjoying them!
Things to ask your child about:
- the mini English muffin pizzas we made today
- the special Eric Carle art we did (ask what animal they made)
- the work we do with our special math bins
- the picture and sentence they did about what they want to be when they grow up
- ‘Bob the Builder’ game in gym
- their favourite Eric Carle book
- their favourite centre during activity time
- the community helper book, “People Who Help”, they are learning to read
- why we cut the ribbon each day
- hunting for ‘is’ ‘it’ and other words in the morning message
- the ‘Rules Rap’ and ‘Tooty Ta’
- dancing the ‘chicken dance’
- the pizza parlour and bakery
- the little boy from our school who was in the newspaper
- drumming in music class with Ms. Hutchinson
- our latest Jolly Phonics songs
- our special cheers
- the estimation centre in math
- our morning survey
- using a wireless mouse on a cookie sheet, so our big screen is like a SMARTboard!
- all the volunteers that help in our class
- what a poppy means
- their favourite puzzle
- the special library wizard who helps Mrs. Barrie
November Calendar - The November calendar is finished. Please post it somewhere in the house where you can refer to it often. There is a lot of important information on it.
Hallowe’en– We had a wonderful Halloween party and parade. A big thank you to Lizzy’s mom, Bailey-Anne’s mom and Jackson’s mom for helping out! We couldn’t have done it without you! The cupcakes sent in were delicious! I hope you all had a good evening with your children. If your house is anything like mine right now, you probably have a lot of junk food lying around. Please resist the temptation to send it to school. It really does affect your child’s learning. Thanks!
INTERVIEWS – I am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet with each of you to discuss your child’s transition to SK and how they are progressing so far. I have set aside two evenings this month; Monday, November 21st and Wednesday, November 23rd. I have included a form where you can state your preferences for interview times. If none of the times work for you, please let me know so that we can find another time that will work for both of us. It is really important that we meet. I will be giving you an informal checklist/progress report at the interview which we will discuss. Please return the form on Monday, November 7th so that I can start setting times. Thanks so much!
November Topics – We will be learning about community helpers this month. Our author of the month is Eric Carle. In math, we will continue to focus on recognizing digits to at least 10, and being able to count out that many objects accurately. We will also continue working on graphing. By mid-month we hope to move on to shapes (two-dimensional and three-dimensional). In science, we’ll be looking at objects that float and sink (think about this at bath time and feel free to let your child experiment with objects from home). In language, we will continue to work through the Jolly Phonics letters (p, n, c/k, e this month). We will continue working on rhyming, reading the pictures, recognizing simple words and writing simple messages. We will also talk about healthy snacking
and proper hygiene in health. In phys ed we will continue to work on cooperative games and small motor skills used in handling hoops and beanbags.
Weather – Colder weather is on the way, I’m afraid. Please send your child with warm clothing. They play outside for two 20 minute periods each day. Feel free to send extra socks or mittens (if you’d like me to keep them at school, just put them in a ziplock with their name) or you can just leave them at the bottom of their backpack. Please label all hats, mittens, boots, etc. Thanks!
Home Reading – Your child will receive their first book for the home reading program on Monday in the BEE bag. Instructions will be included. Please take good care of the book. When you return it, I will send a new one.
Learning Bags – In the summer, I put together special learning bags that include math and literacy activities that you and your child can do together. I put a lot of effort into these and I would appreciate them to be well taken care of (e.g. bag returned with all pieces included, etc.). I understand that not every family may wish to take on that responsibility or simply may not have time for an extra activity. For this reason, I would like you to return the attached note IF you would like to participate in this program. The learning bags would be kept for one week, and returned every Wednesday. I will check the contents on my end so you can be sure that you will only receive bags with all of their contents. Thanks for your understanding.
INTERVIEWS
Please indicate your first two preferences for interview times. I will do my best to accommodate your requests.
Monday,
November 21st
4:00- 4:15
5:00 – 5:15
6:00 – 6:15
4:15 – 4:30
5:15 - 5:30
6:15 – 6:30
4:30– 4:45
5:30 – 5:45
6:30 – 6:45
4:45 – 5:00
5:45 – 6:00
6:45 – 7:00
Wednesday, November 23rd
4:00- 4:15
5:00 – 5:15
6:00 – 6:15
4:15 – 4:30
5:15 - 5:30
6:15 – 6:30
4:30– 4:45
5:30 – 5:45
6:30 – 6:45
4:45 – 5:00
5:45 – 6:00
6:45 – 7:00
Please return on Monday, November 7th. Thank you!
Nancy
October 26th, 2011
Dear Parents,
We made it to the pumpkin patch on Monday, even though it was raining! The children did a great job of listening and were in great spirits! I think they are glad that we went. A big thank you to Jackson’s mom, Katy, for volunteering! I’d also like to thank Ms. K (student teacher), Ms. Webb (classroom volunteer) and my mother for volunteering. I know that there are many of you who would have come if your police check had been returned in time. For some reason, it seems to be taking an extra long time this year. Thanks for your patience.
On that note, I am looking for volunteers for Monday’s Halloween Party. It is from 11:30 – 1:00. If you can come, please let me know (I’m keeping my fingers crossed that those police checks are returned this week!) . We are planning on doing a Halloween Parade through the school during the first block of the day, and then have the party in the middle block. This will be combined with Mrs. Fraser’s class. If your child doesn’t have a costume, please let me know as I can bring some extras in.
Ask your child tonight about our apple taste test (we are doing a taste test and making a graph of which type we like the best). On Friday, we will follow up by making apple crisp and doing some measurement activities with some long strands of apple peels. There is always something exciting happening in kindergarten!
Thanks!
Nancy
P.S. My ‘jar of joy’ is filled. Students will be expecting a special surprise soon (I will likely combine it with Halloween festivities)! Great job, SK’s!
Things to look for next week:
November calendar
Interview booking sheet
Home reading program and special homework bag information
October 17th
Dear Parents,
A few items this week:
The pumpkin patch trip was cancelled on Friday due to the wet weather. We have rescheduled the trip for Monday, October 24th. A new permission form was sent home on Friday. Please return the forms on Wednesday. We still have your money, so just send the permission form. Thank you!
VOLUNTEERS!!!! We REALLY need parent volunteers for the trip. Our class didn’t have any volunteers for the trip, while the other JK/SK class had 12! Those volunteers were the only reason the trip was going to be able to go ahead. Please, please, please, consider volunteering.
You need to have a current police check. I know a few of you have already started this process, so hopefully those will be done on time. I have heard that going to the Lakefield police speeds up the process and in some cases, can be done on the spot. I have included the form that you need to bring to the police station to get the process started. Please let me know on Wednesday if you will be able to come. Even if you can’t come on this trip, please consider still starting the police check process so that you may be available for future events. Thanks!
Make sure you refer to the October calendar I sent home to see which Fridays we attend school, as well as other plans. We were planning to do apple taste testing and make apple sauce this week, however, we will be doing that next week instead.
Halloween is coming! If you are able to volunteer during the middle block of the day (11:30-1:00) for our Halloween party on October 31st, please let me know (police check needed).
Lunches and snacks – Please try to send healthy snacks and lunches to school. There is definitely a direct link between foods that are high in sugar and preservatives and behaviour. I really notice changes in behaviour and attention based on what the children have eaten, as I’m sure you also see at home. On that note, I respectfully request that Halloween treats be kept at home. I’m sure you can imagine what it might be like to try to teach twenty children on a sugar high by yourself!
In math, we continue to work on counting, patterning and sorting. A great time to reinforce these skills is during dinner preparation and dinner (counting foods, making a pattern – peas, carrots, peas, and sorting like foods together – by colour, type, etc.).
In language, you will see the new Jolly Phonics jingle for Ii has been added to the ring, along with the words at, I, and am. Pp and Nn will be the next two letters introduced over the next two weeks.
Thanks again for your support! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by calling the school (705-745-1353), emailing me (nancy_zomer@kprdsb.ca) or speaking to me after school.
Hello everyone! It is difficult to believe that September is already over! We are really settling into routines nicely. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Open House! If you were not able to make it, but would like to see the classroom, please let me know and we can make arrangements. Also, as always, please stop me after school if you would like to discuss something, or give me a call/email to set up an appointment. I think communication is so important and I really like to deal with issues right away.
Drop Off: Thank you for your efforts in getting your child to school on time! I have had very few children arrive late recently and I really appreciate! It makes a difference to our day!
Jolly Phonics: We have completed letters s, a and t. We will be working on ‘i’ this week and next. The songs are on the sound ring. Please practice them and reinforce the sounds with your child. Have your child look for things in the house that start with these sounds. You will see new words added to the ring this month as well.
Calendar: Pay attention to the Friday schedule for October. Due to the PA Day and Thanksgiving the Fridays may not be on the dates you expect.
Trip: I apologize for the quick turn around on the trip form. We are planning to go to McLean’s Pumpkin Patch on Oct 14th and the forms are being sent home today. They must be returned on Wednesday! We don’t have school again until the following Wednesday, so they must be in this week. Please let me know if you can volunteer (police check is needed).
You will also see a trip planner come home on Wednesday. This will outline the trips that we have tentatively planned for this year. Our class and Mrs. Fraser’s JK/SK class will be going on these trips together. We have made efforts to keep the cost reasonable. Our hope is that this gives you an overview of the expenses over the year, so there are no surprises and you can plan accordingly. If you have any questions, please let me know. Also, keep in mind that the trips can only happen if we have sufficient volunteers.
Homework: Some parents/guardians have asked about homework. I am hoping to start the home reading program as well as a special take home program this month. More details will follow about these. In the meantime, you can support your child’s learning by practicing the Jolly Phonics songs, reading to them nightly, counting with them daily, having them practice writing their name, letters and words they know (e.g. is, at).
BEE Bags: Most children are doing an excellent job of returning the BEE bags every day. Please take the time to read the notes I’ve sent home and remove them from the bag. When the home reading program starts, I will also be using these bags to send the books home. It is the most important tool we have to keep each other up-to-date.
Author of the Month: We are wrapping up our study of Robert Munsch. We are hoping to finish a class letter to him today. He often writes back so we will wait and see. This month’s author is Donald Crews. His books feature few words and bold pictures. We should be able to read some of his books together by the end of the month.
Read the Pictures: There are three ways to ‘read’ a book (read the pictures, read the words, retell the story). We have started to learn about how to read the pictures. Basically, the child goes through the book page by page, studying the pictures and really thinking (and talking) about the story that the pictures are telling. You can support this by having your child ‘read the pictures’ of a book to you.
Class Alphabet book: If you haven’t sent in a picture for something that starts with the assigned letter, please make an effort to do so soon. Thanks!
F – Bailey-Anne Q – Jayden
G – Andy S – Jayla, Kaitlynn
H – Chantelle T – Lizzy
I – Cole, Daemein U – Lucas
M – Damien V – Logan, Paige D.
N – Evelyn W – Paige G., Zoe
O – Jackson X – Rowyn
Y – Zylaa
Discussing the Day: If your child is anything like mine, it is often difficult to get much information about what they have done at school all day.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Ask your child about:
the cheers we do in class (firecracker, trucker, cheese grater)
the morning survey
the pirate game in gym
filling somebody’s bucket
what Ms. Zomer carries in her tool belt
the ribbon of the day
our magic plates and the special glove eraser
the pattern I made out of beads and pasta
the pattern I made out of stickers, and other classroom items
the Good Morning song
the Special Person of the Day
where I put my library book
the author we are studying
the rules at recess, especially with the tricycles
the Rules Rap!
September 17th, 2011
More September News
Hello everyone! I am really looking forward to meeting you at the BBQ/Open House on Wednesday night. The BBQ is from 5-6 and classes will be open from 6-7. This will be a time for the children to show their parents/guardians around the classroom. I will be working with students to practice what this will look like since it will not be a time to come in and play (a difficult thing for many students!), but rather a time for them to show you what their day looks like and what types of things they’ve been working on.
Drop Off/Pick Up: It is very important that your child arrives to school on time. We do a lot of learning in the first block of the day, when the children are fresh. When your child arrives late, they have missed that important learning and their arrival can disrupt the class. I know there are times when this cannot be avoided (e.g. doctor appt, etc), but please make every effort to arrive on time on a consistent basis. Thanks so much! Thank you for your patience at the end of the day as I dismiss the students one at a time. I really appreciate your support.
Jolly Phonics: Please remember to keep practicing the songs, sounds and sight words included on the ring sent home in the BEE bag. Please make sure this keeps coming back to school so that I can continue updating it. Thanks so much! If you’re interested in seeing more Jolly Phonics songs, you can check them out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGpsVmWLRFA
Math: We are currently working on patterning in math. You can help your child by noticing patterns in daily life or by making patterns with simple objects (e.g. “Every night we always do bath, story, bed – that’s a pattern each night”, “We can make a pattern with our snack – apple, carrot, cheese, apple, carrot, cheese”, etc.). As always, we count as much as we can throughout the day in kindergarten. Counting at home can really help reinforce these skills. We are also working on estimating groups of objects up to 10. Your child can show you our estimation centre at Open House.
Science Table: We have a science table in our class where we put interesting objects. I just brought in a piece of a wasp nest, and a couple of wasps to examine under a magnify glass. If you have anything of interest that you would like to send in, that would be great!
Lunch Helpers and Volunteers: We have 3 student helpers starting today during our snack and lunch times. These students are from Grades 7/8 and we welcome their help. We also have a few volunteers coming in at various times throughout the week. We welcome Mrs. Cunningham and Mrs. Tripp. In the coming weeks, we may have a few more start coming in, including my parents! If you’d like to volunteer, please let me know. The police will be at the BBQ on Wednesday night and you can fill out a police check on the spot!
Music: Mrs. Hutchinson is our music teacher. She will be coming in once or twice a week to teach the students. On occasion, she will be taking the children out for dismissal at the end of the day, so please be patient as she gets to know everyone.
Birthdays: We have celebrated one birthday in our class already. Kaitlynn turned 5 last week. Upcoming birthdays include Bailey-Anne on September 28th and Logan on October 2nd.
Special Person of the Day: As some of you already know, we have started the Special Person of the Day. That person gets to bring home our morning message as well as the Object of the Day box (which they bring back the next day with a mystery object inside). The children have done an amazing job so far! Everyone will get a chance, so watch for those special items to come home.
BEE Bags: Thanks for the consistent return of the BEE bags each day! It’s so important that the bag, the duotang, the Jolly Phonics sound ring and any other items are returned each day. It is essential for us to keep in touch; for you to know what is happening in our classroom and for me to be informed if there is anything I need to know about your child. Thanks!
Robert Munsch: We continue to enjoy books by the author of the month, Robert Munsch. We are planning to write him a letter this week. Ask your child which book is their favourite so far.
Leaves: Please help your child collect 3 leaves to bring in on Friday. We will be doing some counting, sorting and art with them. Thanks!
Class Alphabet book: We will be working on a class alphabet book in the coming weeks. Your child’s picture will be used for their letter. I ask that each child bring in a picture of something beginning with another letter that they are assigned. It can be a photo, a picture cut out of a magazine, a drawn picture, etc. Anything goes! Please aim to send these in on Friday as well, if possible (otherwise, Monday is fine). Here is the letter that your child is responsible for:
F – Bailey-Anne Q – Jayden
G – Andy S – Jayla, Kaitlynn
H – Chantelle T – Lizzy
I – Cole, Daemein U – Lucas
M – Damien V – Logan, Paige D.
N – Evelyn W – Paige G., Zoe
O – Jackson X – Rowyn
Y – Zylaa
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? – I shared an interesting book with the children today. It is called, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The idea is that everybody in the world is carrying around an invisible bucket. This bucket holds their feelings. People can fill other people’s buckets by giving them compliments, helping them, etc (they are called ‘Bucket Fillers’); they can also empty other people’s buckets by saying mean things, being negative, etc. (they are called ‘Bucket Dippers’). I plan to use this concept this year to help the students learn to be treat each other with kindness. You will see a display I am starting at Open House. I will be using this language with the children and encouraging them to do the same (so if you hear ‘bucket filler’
or ‘bucket dipper’ at home when your child is telling you about something, you’ll understand). We also made a friendship fruit salad today and enjoyed eating it together!
Thanks everyone! Nancy
Monday, September 12th, 2011
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Hello everyone! I hope your child enjoyed their first week back to school! We are working hard at learning new routines and getting back in the swing of things. Most children were very tired and are adjusting to those three 100 minute blocks of time. This might take a while but we will all get there!
Thanks for the prompt return of all of that paperwork sent home last week. If you haven’t returned it yet, please do so as soon as possible.
At the beginning of the day, I’d like to remind you that parents/guardians are supposed to stay outside of the fenced kindergarten area. I know this may be difficult, but please say good-bye at the gate. You are still welcome to hang around, talk to your child over the fence and watch until the students enter the school.
The end of the day is a bit chaotic! As parents/guardians saw on Friday, I will be lining the students up and dismissing them one at a time. I hope this process will get faster as the year progresses. But for now, I really appreciate your patience. It is very important that I know that each child has been picked up by someone who is allowed to pick them up. I have to be very diligent about the safety of each child, as I’m sure you can each appreciate.
At the same time, all of this makes me feel like I haven’t been able to connect with each of you. If you would like to talk for a few minutes, please just wait at the end of the day until I have dismissed each child and I would be happy to touch base. I will also continue to make phone calls to check in with each of you.
We are hoping to start a few more things this week. Jolly Phonics will resume, which I’m sure you are already familiar with. I will start at the beginning again, but will be going through them at a faster pace now that the children are in SK. I will be sending home a special ring in their BEE bags which will include the song and action for whatever letter we are currently working on. I will add to it as the year progresses and will also add sight words that we are working on. Please review this on a regular basis with your child. Please keep it in the BEE bag so that I can update it as needed. By the way, thanks for the great job returning those BEE bags!
We will also start the Special Person of the Day this week. Each child will get a chance to be our Special Person. They will be the topic of our morning message and will get to bring home the message to read with their family. They will also bring home a special case to put the ‘Object of the Day’ for the next day. Instructions are right in the case. Please make sure you return it when it is your child’s turn so that it can be sent home with the next Special Person. Thanks!
Each month we will have a special Author of the Month. For September our author is Robert Munsch. We will be enjoying his books and writing him a letter. If you have any of his books at home, please follow up by reading these with your child.
That’s probably enough information for now! I have lots of exciting things planned and will continue to share information as we start new things. Please feel free to contact me at any time and remember that our Open House/BBQ is next Wednesday, September 21st from 5-7pm. Also, please let me know if you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, on trips, or even if you can help from home by preparing play dough, etc. The extra help is appreciated. You just need a police check and I can send you the forms, or you can pick them up at our Open House.
Hello everyone! I hope your child enjoyed their first day of school. Im sure they came home quite exhausted. This is completely normal and they will adjust as the month goes one. You can help support this by making sure they get enough sleep each night and are eating well.
You will see that there is a lot of paperwork to go through tonight. Thank you so much for taking the time to look through this information carefully and for returning items promptly. Investing this extra time now will ensure that the school year will start off smoothly. I know that everyone is busy and understand that it is not easy to find the time to do this. Thanks again for making that effort.
Registration Forms: You will see the white form with the information we currently on file. Please look this over carefully and make any needed changes to addresses and phone numbers. We need to be able to contact you in case of emergency, so please make sure this information is up to date. This form needs to be returned on Friday.
Survey and Information Form: You will find a Multiple Intelligence Survey as well as Student Information Form to fill out about your child. Please take the time to fill these out and return them on Friday as well. This gives me important information about your child’s strengths and needs as well as the way they learn best. It helps me in my planning.
Pick up at end of day: Our class exits out of the regular primary doors (not at the kindergarten playground, where you drop them off in the morning!). Confusing, I know! I will line them up outside and have a clipboard to check them off when they are safely picked up. Please do not call your child over to you.You need to come and see me so I can check you off and then I will call your child over. This is so important for the safety of all children. Also, you must let me know the names of the people who are allowed to pick up your child. I cannot release them to anyone that I do not know has permission to pick them up. Please also be on time at 3:30. I have two boys of my own, whom I have to pick up from day care on time as well. Thanks so much for your understanding.
Labelling childs belongings: Please label everything! I have some permanent markers in the classroom if you’d like to come in early and use them.
BEE bags: The bag that your child brought home today is called their BEE (Bring Everything Everyday) Bag. Your child needs to bring it to school every single day. Important notes and other items will be sent home in it. You also need to use it to send paperwork and other items back. There is a duotang inside in which you can write any messages to me as needed. Please do not send them in on slips of paper – it’s much easier to keep track of everything if we use that book to communicate.
Summer mailing: I hope most families received the summer mailing I sent you in early August. I know that it did not reach all of you and that we had several students who just registered. I’ve included it for those whom I know did not get it. If you did not get the summer mailing and it is not included in today’s BEE bag, let me know and I will send a new one home.
Barbeque and Open House: Our annual barbeque and open house will be on Wednesday, September 21st from 5-7. Please mark it on your calendar and plan to come and see our classroom. There is also a spirit day on Friday (Sept. 9th). If your child has a Queen Mary shirt they can wear that, or they can also dress in Queen Mary colours which are blue and white.
Volunteers: I welcome volunteers in any capacity that they are able to help! Please let me know if you (or someone else you know) would like to come and volunteer in the classroom on a regular basis or even just for special occasions and/or trips. If you are not able to come into the classroom, but would still like to contribute, there are other jobs you can help with, such as making play dough, etc. Just let me know and I can give you a job. Having help makes the kindergarten program run much more smoothly and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this support. If you would like to volunteer in the classroom or on trips, you must have a current police check on file at the school. I have included a form in case you are interested. You just need to fill it out and drop it off at the police
station. Thank you so much.
Indoor shoes and change of clothes: If you haven’t already done so, please send an extra pair of running shoes that we can keep at school for your child’s indoor shoes. Please also send a change of clothes in a ziplock bag that I can keep in case of accidents. Even though your child is fully toilet trained, they can have an accident from time to time when they are so focused on a task that they forget to go!
Your names: I am working on learning all of the parent/guardian names and which child belongs to whom, but it will likely take me a little while to get it all straight! Please be patient and remind me if necessary! Thanks so much!
Author of the Month: Each month we will be studying a different author. This month we will be enjoying books by Robert Munsch. If you have any of his books at home, please read them with your child.
Mail: We love getting mail! If you are taking a trip, or if a grandparent of family friend is travelling, please ask them to send up a postcard. In fact, they don’t even have to be travelling to send us a note. It’s very exciting to get mail and it helps children get excited about writing. The school address is:
Ms. Zomer’s SK Class
Queen Mary Public School
1445 Monaghan Road North
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 5M8
Special Person of the Day: Each day, I will write a morning message which will reveal who the special person of the day is. This is a big deal for students. Everyone will get a turn, but obviously it will take about 20 days to get to everyone. When your child is the special person, they will be bringing home the morning message as well as a special object of the day box. There will be instructions with these items. Please complete the activities and send the items back on the very next school day. This is really important, especially since the special object of the day box will need to go home with the next special person.
Scholastic orders: I will send home Scholastic brochures soon. I enjoy this program and think the quality and price of the books are excellent. If you do not want to receive the brochures, though, just let me know. Scholastic is completely voluntary, of course! If you are purchasing books that are gifts, just let me know and I will give it to you directly, rather than sending it home with your child. Books make great gifts.
Information to come: This is probably enough information for one day! Watch for more info coming about the special homework bags, home reading program and gym/library schedule.
A summer mailing was sent out in August. You should have received the following information.
August 7, 2011
Dear Parents/Guardian of SK students,
Hello! My name is Nancy Zomer and I am excited to be your child’s teacher this year. This is my first year at Queen Mary and I am excited to be here. I have been teaching for about 12 years and love my job! I live in Peterborough and have two sons; Lucas, who is almost five, and Marcos, who will be two years old in September. Lucas will be entering SK this year too, so I have a good understanding of both the wonderful and challenging moments of raising a child of this age.
Your child will be in the Monday/Wednesday and alternating Friday class. The first day of school will be Wednesday, September 7th.
Please read the enclosed information with your child. I hope they are as excited as I am about the upcoming year, and enjoy the note and stickers I have included. I have also included some basic information for you to help you prepare your child for the first day. I communicate with parents through regular newsletters, as well as frequent notes. I will be sure to post this information on my teacher page on the Queen Mary website as well. The best way to contact me is through email at nancy_zomer@kprdsb.ca. I check it frequently. You can also call the school at 705-745-1353, however, I am teaching part time this year and will only be at school on Mon/Wed and alternate Fridays.
Thanks very much! I look forward to meeting everyone in September. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
August 2011
Preparation for Senior Kindergarten
Queen Mary Public School
Here are some suggestions, ideas, tips to help you and your child prepare for Senior Kindergarten:
* Talk to your child about the kindergarten year and remind them of all the fun they had in JK.
* Read to your child as much as possible. Make book time a special time.
* Say and sing the alphabet often.
* Count, count, count everything; always have your child touch as he/she counts objects.
* Foster independence wherever possible- teach and encourage them to do whatever they can (zippers, buttons, boots, clean up, chores, help set the table, choose their clothing for the day, dressing, packing their backpack)
* Encourage them to talk, talk, talk about their day and experiences (make sure you share, too) - conversation is so important!
* Toilet training and personal care practice are important.
* Puzzles and family game time develops many skills and teaches children to wait and take their turn.
* Develop a bed-time routine now (snack, bath, teeth, story, bed) - this will help you and your child after a long day at school.
* If you suspect speech concerns you should contact Five Counties Children Centre now- there is usually a long waiting list.
* It is a good time to get your child's eyes and ears tested to make sure there are no problems.
* Use the language of math whenever possible in everyday routines and experiences (more, less, greater, taller, shorter, heavy, full, empty, how much, positional words - over, under, beside, between, behind, in front).
* Notice numbers, patterns and shapes in the environment.
* Provide opportunities for your child to play and interact with children their age.
* Assist and talk to your child about how to solve problems or conflicts that arise with siblings/peers.
Additional information are found below in this PDF.
KPR Home
|
