TK/Kindergarten, Room 1

Back to School Night is September 1 at 5:00 - 5:40 in Room 1

aris.wilson@sanjuan.edu 

 Mrs. Wilson's Bumblebee Class

Welcome to a brand new school year: 2022-2023.

I am so excited about going on this grand adventure with you. 

TK/Kindergarten may feel a little different as we adapt to our ever changing world, but some things always stay the same. We are all unique learners. Together, we will explore and learn and laugh. 

We can do this! 

Ready, Set, Go! 

Please scroll down for movement videos, a new read aloud that will reassure your child's worries about kindergarten (or anything new) and additional information including upcoming family projects for a great overview of our tk/kindergarten year!

 

Mrs. Wilson 

 

"I believe that we will win!"

 

 

We get to have Sami for the rest of the year! We got this!

Tuesdays are Sami days !

 

Episode 6 The Power of Positivity

 

Episode 5 

Sami continues to motivate us with exercise and words of encouragement. Exercise makes us happy! 

Episode 5 I believe that we will WIN!

 

  

 

Click on the link below for information and dates for all of the Family Nights

https://www.samiscircuit.com/familynightcalendar

 

 

Sami is connected to Coyle! To get connected to Sami, see the link in our Google Classroom each week. 

Here is the link for Episode 4

Episode 4 When Things Go Wrong

 

 

Here is the link for Episode 3

Sami Circuit Episode 3

 

You Got This! 

 

  

Explore our site to answer the 3 questions below. You can draw or write the answers on a piece of plain paper or email me: aris.wilson@sanjuan.edu

  Thank you so much for helping your child explore our webpage.  

 

1. What is Rule #1 for Everyone?

(Hint: Just scroll down on this page!)

 

2. Go to the About Me page in the menu on the left hand side. 

How many grandkids does Mrs. Wilson have?

3. Go to the Resource page. Look at the picture. 

What animal do you see on the open book?

Bonus question! What is that animal doing??? 

 

 

 

Rule #1 for Everyone

Be Kind

 Click on the link below for a reminder in kid language what we all need now.

May 31, 2020 

Kindness is a Muscle Music Video

 

  

We all need to take care of ourselves. If you need  help with emotional support for yourself or your kiddos, reach out to San Juan for help: Click on the link below for more information:

 

A flier is available 

 

Here is a new book, perfect for talking to kids about this very different season.

Click on the link below for  Read Aloud  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyFOytBagg

 

Everything Will Be Okay

 

aris.wilson@sanjuan.edu    

Feel free to call or text me, during virtual office hours, as well.

Just as there are many ways to learn, there are more options now than ever before: Explore, Discover, Do! 

 Go back to favorite links any time. For example:  Stories from Space, real astronauts reading books from the International Space Station. Here is the link:

Stories from Space

I think you will love it! 

Keep doing what you are doing - visit the sites that you love the most often. Explore all of the possibilities and share what you like the best so I can pass it along to others. 

There are lots of additional resources for parents and guardians who are looking for online activities to keep their children learning during this season:

Go to sanjuan.edu   Click on Updates and Announcements

Click on Free Online Enrichment Resources for families. There is a complete comprehensive list of online places you can use to help your child at home. 

Remember that reading to your child is the best, easiest way to help them become successful readers. We know kids love digital games too. Here are some of our teacher favorites:

ReadWorks.org 

https://brainpop.com

www.scholastic.com/learnathome

www.suessville.com

www.abcya.com

www.storylineonline.net 

www.highlightskids.com

www.funbrain.com

You can also check out the apps and the resources found in the resource tab on the left of this page. Starfall is a classic favorite!

Also,  scroll down for a list of some of the awesome apps we use on our tablets during the one day a week 15-20 minute small group iPad time. Remember to limit screen time and make sure that what your child is spending time on will help their brains grow. The apps below are terrific for extra practice for what they know and challenges for what they need to know. 

Great Educational Apps for Kids 

Remember to limit screen time to no more than 30 minutes per day – screen time includes tablets, phones, video games on the TV. 

In Room 1, we use the following apps. Most are not the free version, as I have found that the free version is usually just a tease and a promotion for the full version – lots of limitations and pop-ups. However, most of the apps are very reasonable in cost - $1.00 to $10.00 with most falling somewhere in between that range. 

ABC Circus 

ABC Phonics  

Bugs and Buttons (fine motor, eye hand coordination)

ABC Magic Five (good for oral matching sounds) 

Endless ABC (love this one!)      

Find the Difference (fun visual noticings) 

Kinder Town       

                                                              Letter Quiz                                                                     

Montessori Crosswords (excellent!) 

Montessori Numbers (math) 

Patterns 

Reading Ninja 

Reading Raven 

Teach Me Kindergarten 

Wheels on the Bus

Word Wagon (great!)

Writing Wizard (good for fine motor, too)

Heads Up!

Family Projects:

Watch for a letter cut-out for you to decorate in September. It will be your child's first initial letter. Decorate it with things or pictures which begin with the same letter sound.

October Word Boxes

 Word boxes are super important as way to store and use the many word cards we will send home this year. A few minutes every day studying and playing word games is the key to successful reading. The words with stars on them will be the ones we assess for proficiency. The complete word list is available on our class webpage.

Homework!

Nearly every Friday I will send home a little taste of what we are doing each week in the form of a math or language arts page, along with flash cards of the new words as we learn them. This way, you are aware of what your child is learning and your child has the opportunity to practice what they are learning. Complete the homework together and return it to me for pink Pawsitives. Pawsitives are coupons that students earn to spend at our classroom Pawsitive store 3-4 times a year. You may return the foldout paper math  games with the completed review activities for Pawsitives, as well, or keep them to play at home. The only homework that I record for report cards is the Reading Log which is due at the end of every month. Thank you so much for all you do! 

 

Scholastic Book Order Flyers!

From time to time, we send home flyers for you to choose books for your child to build your home library. They are very inexpensive and very motivating for kids. The easiest way to order is online. See ordering information on the flyer for more details.  

For many families, kindergarten is a child's first experience with school - very exciting! . Kids need 8-10 hours' sleep to do their best thinking, handle upsets with grace, and minimize grumpys. If you haven't already, start a regular routine of bath, book/s/, and bedtime to acquaint your child with the joy and wonder of reading.

Did you know that our children may have breakfast before school beginning at 7:30 AND will receive lunch after our day ends at 11:05?

Thank you so much for sharing our vision and working with us to provide healthy meals for our awesome kindergarten kids! 

Reading Logs/Family Projects/Volunteers 

In October,  our family project is to make a book box for a safe place to keep the orange word cards. Kids who practice just a little each day become fluent readers. When your child has finished decorating a tissue box (or other appropriate box), send it to school so they can also share how they made it. (Speaking and Listening practice!) After they tell all about how they made it, they bring it back home along with a very cool bookmark. Speaking of reading:

 

 Reading Logs are due on the last Thursday of each month. Return the completed reading log. Don't forget to have your child sign their name along with your signature! As you read each book, it is your child's job to color in one of the little pictures on the front to document each book they read with you. This helps them be accountable.  Studies have proven that reading together regularly is the best way for your child to become a lifelong lover of reading. Please read with your child often.  Be sure to write the titles on the back.  This completed form will be the primary basis for your child’s report card homework grade.

 

I am so thankful for all of the parents who are able to help us out each year. If you would like to join this amazing team, just let me know. We love extra hands and eyes! We need adult helpers each day from 8:20 to 9:45. Kids learn best in small focused groups. Your presence allows us do this and enables us do fun and interesting art and science projects, as well. Please let me know which day you can give either each week or every other week. Thank you!!!  

See you soon! 

Mrs. Wilson

Looking ahead:

 EXPECTATIONS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR STANDARDS and some suggestions for ways you can help your child at home.

Reading: To be ready for the rigor of 1^st grade, your child must be able to recognize and write all 52 letters and know the sound of each. We teach the short vowel sound of a, e, i, o, and u ( /a/ as in apple, /e/ as in elephant, /i/ as in insect, /o/ as in octopus, /u/ as in under. We are working on our second word list (Yellow words) for a total (to date) of 30 words. Our goal is to teach 75 + words by the end of the year. Your child should also be able to decode (sound out) two and three letter words, recognize and reproduce rhyming words and be familiar with Concepts of Print. Pointing out individual letters, individual words, and individual sentences, knowing the direction to read, and tracking words by touching them as they read are important Concepts of Print skills. As you read together for the Monthly Reading Log, these happy habits help build your child’s reading fluency. Of course, the more words that your child has mastered, the more prepared he/she will be for rigorous reading next year.

Writing: Encouraging your child to write daily will build his/her writing fluency. Your child should be able to neatly write her/his name using a capital letter at the beginning and the rest of the letters all lowercase with the letters starting at the top and ending at the bottom of a line unless a letter dips under the line like the lowercase letters y, j, p, g. Your child needs to be able to use the sound of letters to write words (invented spelling is ok – it indicates a solid letter/sound relationship). Lists, notes to grandparents, daily journals, etc., are great authentic ways to practice writing skills all year long.

Math: Your child should be able to count out loud to 100 and count 30 objects. He/she needs to be able to write the numerals to 20 and recognize the numerals to 30. Skip counting by 5’s and 10’s to 100 will come in handy right away in 1^st grade.  Adding and subtracting numbers below the number 10 with ease is another important math skill. Your child should be able to understand and use words like more, less, and equal to compare sets of numbers.  The ability to read a calendar, tell time on a clock to the hour, and know the days of the week are also important math skills.

Sincerely,

 Mrs. Wilson

aris.wilson@sanjuan.edu      

Successful Practice: Constructive Collaboration 

Constructive collaboration is working together. We do this when we turn to a partner to talk about a story, think deeper about a math question, and put heads together to build a puzzle or a project. People who collaborate become better thinkers because, as my mom always said, "Two heads are better than one!" 

 

Successful Practice: Gratitude/Respect

November is the month we celebrate gratitude but it is a quality we want to practice all year long. Gratitude is noticing and appreciating when people do things for us -big things and little things. It is appreciating the beauty and wonder around us, as well, as the people who help us and love us for who we are. We show respect for people who help us, teach us, and protect us. Respect is treating people the way we would like them to treat us. 

 

Questions? Please email me at aris.wilson@sanjuan.edu

Together,

Mrs. Wilson