October 11-15, 2021

Our day begins with a look at our schedule and the class list as we look to see who came to school today. We are practicing reading the pictures on our schedule and the names on our class list.

Our conversations about fall continued as we see more signs that things that were growing in summer have started to die and the land is getting ready for winter. We even noticed that the rabbits in our neighborhood are getting more white fur.

After reading this book about fall activities by Zoe Hall, we looked at a series of pictures that told a fall story and then talked about what might happen next in the story. Learning to look closely at pictures and “read” the story is in important step in learning to understand stories and be a “word reader”.

As you read with your child at home, take a walk through the book after you have read it and invite your child to retell the story using the pictures. 

We continued learning about patterns by creating patterns using a variety of materials including math cubes and loose parts.

This is an AB pattern and an ABB pattern.

After reading the book Gathering Up the Harvest by Jennie Eaglespeaker we created patterns using the seeds from plants. We learned that plants follow a pattern…. Seed, sprout, flowers, and then the fruit or vegetables that make the new seeds.

On Thursday, we read and listened to a song called Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

Then we practiced using scissors to cut out some leaves to attach to a fall tree that we had colored. Coloring and using scissors are skills we need to practice a lot in Kindergarten to build the small muscles in our hands.

Building the small muscles in our hands also helps us with printing. We finished our week by practicing making the straight lines in the lower case letter "i". 

 

Free choice centres are a regular part of our Kindergarten day. It’s a chance to learn to play with other children and tell stores together. Talking about our ideas and listening to others helps us learn to get along with one another.

Learning how to put our things away when we are done is also an important skill.

Many of our observations about fall happen outside as we go to the playground. Thank you for helping ensure that your child has warm clothing for outdoor play is also important as we really enjoy our time at the playground. Please help your child dress independently and LABEL EVERYTHING.

The Eye See, Eye Learn Program...

80% of learning is visual, which makes having a comprehensive eye exam an important start to a child’s learning journey. The first step is to book an appointment with a doctor of optometry.  They will check your child’s vision and eye health during an examination.  These exams are covered by Alberta Health*.  If it is determined that your child requires eyeglasses, they will receive a free pair through the program.  The doctor of optometry will order the glasses for you once the examination is complete.  The glasses are covered by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. You can find out more by going to https://www.optometrists.ab.ca/@/AAO/ESEL

Things to Practice at Home:

1. Names (First letter is uppercase and the rest are lowercase)

2. Patterns with toys or other items (AB, AAB, ABC)

3. Cutting and hand strengthening activities (playing with playdough, using things that squeeze like eye droppers or tweezers, coloring, or using small toys.)

4. Zipping coats and putting on boots and shoes independently

Important Kindergarten Dates: 

LIBRARY EXCHANGE DAYS ARE TUESDAY & THURSDAY

Please consider bookmarking our School Calendar

 Monday October 18- Non- Instructional Day- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Friday October 22- PM class attends

October 25- Photo Retake Day

October 28/29- Halloween and Pumpkinella (more details to follow)