This week, January 31th - February 4th, we will be rereading stories from the theme “Whatever the Weather”. Each day we talk about the weather and we will discuss seasonal changes.

We will learning about different clouds. We will be drawing and painting them!

Our sight words this week are: you and look

To help your child learn these sight words, you can do these activities at home:

* Write and Read each word together.

* Give your child a clue about each work. For example, say “This word rhymes with book.” Then have your child point to and read the word.

* Ask your child to read you or look. Then together, think of rhyming words.

In Math we will be working on numbers from 10 – 30. We will be putting the number in order from 1 to 30 and then counting and arranging them backwards. Practice putting the numbers in order at home, too! Have your child practice writing each number. First, have them write the numbers in order and then randomly say any number between 1 and 30. Have your child write that number.

I am going to be adding another Medallion - Counting backwards from 30 to 1! If you have something you want your child to work on and it isn't on the Medallion list, please let me know. I can add it to their goals!

The class is excited about earning the Medallions!

We will read the book, "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats.

This week:
We will be reading Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling and Bear Snores on by Karma Wilson. The students will be learning about how the land, plants, and animals change for colder winter weather.

Our Sight Words are: where and do. We will be using and writing these words in sentences all week long. Where are we going today? Where will you line up? Where will we go? What will we do? Do you like cats? Where do you line up for the bus?

Our new vocabulary words are: arrives, creep, nestle, slumbering, delight, and blustery.

We will be working in our Literacy Centers, too. The students will be listening and then talking about a story. They will be reading, then writing and rereading sight word sentences. The students will be focusing on writing their letters from the sky down to the ground. Also they will be trying to space their words in a sentence and end it with the right punctuation mark. They will be working on memorizing the words "where" and "do". In the Letters and Sounds Center they will be building and writing words with the short i sound. I will be working with small groups using our decodable books.

January’s “Caring for Our Community” has been a huge success. The students are enjoying the dollar days and the Give Like a Rock Star photo booth. It’s been great to have this additional fun and excitement during the month of January. Thank you for your support of Cents for Heart! Thursday bring a dollar and dress like a "Rock Star"!

CULVERS NIGHT

Wednesday, January 26, is our next Culvers Family Night. Please stop by between 4:00 and 8:00 pm for some good food and good company. Remember, a portion of the evening’s sales is donated back to Shirley Hills. We are still in need of some volunteers to help bus tables and serve meals. If you can help, please call 952-472-3469.

IMAGINATION FAIR

If your child plans to participate in the Imagination Fair on February 10th, remember the entry form is due in the office by Tuesday, February 1st.

This week we are starting a new theme: Theme 5: Whatever the Weather. We will be reading "What Will the Weather Be Like Today?" and "When a Storm Comes Up". The students will be learning about different kinds of weather in these books.

We will be learning and writing the letters Bb and Kk.

High Frequency Words: me, for. Work at home with your child by using the words in sentences. Put the sight words, me and for, on your refrigerator. Have them read them and try to think of words that rhyme with them each day.

The students will learn the vocabulary words: prefer, fading, warn, whirl, perhaps, property.

I will be asking the students:

*Show me which you prefer - to whirl or to stand still

*Tell how a meteorologist might warn us about the weather

*Tell about something that perhaps might fade in the sun.

*Tell about your property. (Your backpack, your toys, the things in your room)

In Math, we started Chapter 6 last week - Numbers 10 - 30. The students will be learning how to group numbers using ten-frames and writing them.

Mackenzie brought in a fifty-cent piece on Friday to share with the class.

Mackenzie's Mom came in and read a book to the class to celebrate Mackenzie being Star of the Week! She did a great job! Thanks!

Luke's Dad came in today and read "Three Billy Goats Gruff" to the class! He did a great job! Then the student acted out the book. The class had a great time!

What a great day! We went on a word hunt to find all the rhyming words in the -ip and -it word families. We talked about the vowels a, e, i, o and u and listened for them in the middle of words. We wrote a short poem inspired by Sam's new puppy. In Math, we took a quiz on the different geometric shapes we have been talking about and then we talked about Fractions. So, if any of your children asked for pizza tonight, they wanted to impress you and show you how to cut it in half, in quarters and in eighths.

This week we will be review some things we learned before the holiday break and last week.
We will review our sight words: like, come, to, here, this, he, a, I, my, the and go.

We will work on word building using the phonograms: -it and -ip and we will listen and try to isolate the middle sound in words.

We will reread our Big Book Stories and work on comprehension using graphic organizers to remember what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the stories.

We will also review our vocabulary words: squabble, anxious, mischief, huddle, uproar, moans, tend, productive, soggy, idle, wobble and scrumptious.

We will be working in our Literacy Centers and Guided Reading Groups too.

Mrs. Swanson explained what "Cents for Heart" was to the Kindergarteners.

Wow! Our class ROCKED at giving for "Cents for Heart"! The photo booth was a huge success! Thank you! Friday, January 14th, will be "Hats on for Heart" day. If your child wants to wear a hat during school on Friday have then bring in a dollar for Cents for Heart.

PASTRIES WITH PARENTS

Pastries for Parents will be held in conjunction with Caring for Our Community this month. Come in on Thursday morning, January 13th, to the Shirley Hills Dining Room from 7:45 to 8:45 am. This is a nice opportunity for families to socialize over a light morning snack.

To tie into our Caring for Our Community month, families will be able to participate in a service project for the Ronald McDonald House. That morning, we will be decorating and assembling “Breakfast Bags” for families to eat while they are at the house or the clinic. We are asking families to donate the following supplies to fill the bags: granola bars, cereal bars (i.e., NutriGrain bars), juice boxes or pouches (100% juice only, please), and individual servings of apple sauce, nuts, or trail mix. If you can help with donating supplies, please bring them to the school office by the end of the day Wednesday, January 12th. A huge THANK YOU to our wonderful PTA for coordinating this fun and meaningful event!