Independent Writing

We have daily lessons to help the children take their good writing and make it even better. Each writing piece is a true story from the author's own experiences. This week we will focus on including details in our pictures to tell the whole story. This should include characters, setting, and action. Up until this point, the children have mostly been labeling their pictures. Now we will include adding a sentence to further enhance our stories. The words are written using the children's own phonetic spelling.
The children are enjoying exploring "Just Right Books" which are neither too difficult nor too easy for them to read. This offers the child an opportunity to grow as a reader. The children read privately, with partners, and to the teachers from their self-selected books.
Thank you for all your loving thoughts and prayers for my family at this difficult time. I will be returning to Detroit next week to take care of my infant grandson, Jaxon, who will be coming home soon. For the next seven weeks I will be in for one week and then out for the next week. Mrs. Kiernan along with a substitute teacher will continue with my plans while I am away. We are very proud of how well the class did last week in my absence. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Friday's favorite color day was a big hit. We graphed our results and added pages to a class book. Today we entered data into our Birthday and How Old Are You graphs. Beginning with the Months of the Year Macarena dance, and finishing with comparing which months have the least and greatest birthday celebrations. In addition we are sorting, introducing patterns, and continuing with sets of 6-10 items. Encourage your child to demonstrate an A/B pattern, so far the hum clap has been a favorite. Tuesday we will honor International Peace Day with a symbolic dove at a ceremony surrounding the courtyard. Wednesday marks the beginning of fall, so look for the summertime beach pictures to be coming home. Be sure to wear your green and gold, Friday the 24th is Spirit Day.
In Writer's Workshop we have been adding additional details to include characters, setting, and action. We encourage the children to write down the sounds they hear within a word and move on to the next word. This week's science focus continues with our senses. In the kitchen we will be baking apple grahams in honor of Johnny Appleseed's upcoming birthday.
Thank you for your outpouring of support and kind words regarding Mrs. Minke's loss. Today the children created welcome pages for Mrs. Minke's grandson Jaxon. A family friend will be delivering them on Friday.

Sad News

Dear Families,

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you today. As many of you may already know, Mrs. Minke’s daughter past away suddenly late last night after prematurely giving birth to a baby boy. Mr. and Mrs. Minke have traveled to Michigan to be with their family at this time.

Today I explained that Mrs. Minke was spending time with family, and she will return to us as soon as she is able. Ms. Cynthia Apter and I continued with Mrs. Minke’s lesson plans and classroom routines. The kindergarten team is ensuring that our classroom has all the materials and support necessary to continue our learning endeavors.

In lieu of flowers, it is my understanding that an account is being established for those wishing to contribute to deferring the costs of funeral services. That information will be shared when it becomes available.

Please know that myself, and your child’s substitute teacher are dedicated to keeping this sad time as consistent as if Mrs. Minke where here.

Sincerely,

Darla Kiernan

Building Community Spirit

The life skill for this month is friendship. The crayon puppets have been giving us tips on what it takes to be good friend. It is so evident that the children in our class are embracing these lessons. Mrs. Kiernan and I see a great community spirit developing with our students. Friday afternoon was a perfect example of the harmonious atmosphere in our classroom. A large group of children spent about 45 minutes working together calmly, sharing, and taking turns to use ALL the blocks in the Lego table to construct a marvelous city. They were so proud of their finished product, and the teachers were so proud of their cooperative spirit. At no time was there a need for us to interven, and no one came to tattle. Our play time on Friday afternoon was a plesant experience for all of us.

The Crayon Puppets

The class has really enjoyed meeting the ten crayon puppets and learning about their difficulties. Several favorites are Greedy Green, Tan Tattle, and Yelling Yellow. Some of these may sounds familiar to you. Ask your child to name some of the other puppets that we have met. We have been talking about ways that we can help the puppets remember the rules by being good examples both here at school and at home.
One of our life skills this month is being a good friend. The children will be brainstorming what that means as we work and play with our classmates.