September 20, 2007

Dear Kindergarten and First Grade Families,

            Well, we have been working very hard this week despite the fact that I have been out sick.  The kids have done very well for the guest teachers.  Kindergarten continues to work on their alphabet study.  This week they completed activities for the letters Ee, Ff, Gg and Hh.  First grade was introduced to a new story from their basal series, “Annie, Bea, and Chi Chi Delores.”  They completed a variety of activities relating to the story, an alphabet book about what we do at school.

            Our Enrichment Schedule is finally done.  Please look for it as I put it in the folder for you today.  I have not gotten to the master list for holiday parties.  Be looking for that next week.

            We have started math and have a unique routine.  Our math time is 10:00 to 11:00 every day.  Mrs. N and I are team teaching math with all the first graders.  The kindergarteners go over to Mr. K’s class to do math activities with him and his students.  This gives us a nice opportunity to work with one grade during a very important academic area.  In addition to this hour a day, there are plenty of other opportunities throughout the day to engage in math activities.

            We have a school store that has a variety of items for kids.  There are pencils, folders, colored pencils, notebooks of paper, etc.  All the money raised from the school store helps to pay for the fieldtrips we go on each year.  Our class will be able to shop at the store on Friday’s from 2-2:30.  If any of you are willing to help them at that time I would appreciate it.  I would like 1 or 2 people to come in on Friday afternoon’s so that I can still be in the classroom working with students.  Please let me know if you can help out with the school store.

            I have decided to eliminate the morning snack.  We have so much academics to get through in the morning and that extra time is precious.  Please be sure your child eats a hearty breakfast so they can stay focused until lunch.  Continue to provide your child with a snack for the afternoon.

       First graders will begin having homework next week.  Please bring in a 2 pocket folder to be used to bring homework back and forth between home and school.  They will fill-out a homework sheet every day and you must sign it indicating they have completed the work.  If the homework sheet is not signed I will ask them to stay in for recess and complete the homework.

Questions to ask your child this week are the following:

Kindergarten

• 1)      Can you tell me 3-5 things that begin with the letters Ee, Ff, Gg and Hh?

• 2)      Can you draw all the shapes you know? 

First Grade

• 1)      Can you tell me about the story Annie, Bea, and Chi Chi Delores?

• 2)      Can you tell me about the games you learned to play in math?

• 3)      Can you read the following words? All, the, jump, up, time, run

Sincerely,      
Mrs. Lyman

klyman@manistee.org
889-5521