September Endings in Kindergarten

September Endings in K

Gingerbread

We read five (5) versions of “The Gingerbread Kid” stories in Kindergarten, and introduced story maps, story drama, retelling, and t-charts to compare stories.  The students all demonstrated an excellent ability to retain details from stories and make comparisons to events and characters.  Regular checking of the gingerbread house in the classroom has become routine to see if Gingie has escaped from our classroom once again.  Introduction to the maps in every room of the school has also sparked some excellent questions about globes and other maps, which we will visit again briefly later in the year.  A gingerbread poem and patterning will also be part of our learning activities in the weeks ahead.

Some recommended reading for Kindergarten families who would enjoy sharing some of the stories at home include:

The Gingerbread Girl (much favoured by the students for its happy ending, even while the boys expressed skepticism initially, given the title of the book)

The Gingerbread Kid Loose in the School

The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Boy

The Gingerbread Baby

Apple Tree, Apple Tree

One of the major science units of the Kindergarten curriculum is trees, and autumn provided an excellent opportunity to begin our work with this theme.  The children learned an introduction to the growth of an apple tree, and were especially fascinated by the role of bees, birds, and breezes in turning flowers into apples!

Our first “Chime In” of the year is a simple song that the children learned, and that we will use for some children to connect print to spoken (or sung) word, and for other students who are ready for the challenge to begin printing their number words.

Printing and Reading

The students were introduced to “The Printing House”, which we will refer to often as we focus on correct lettering of uppercase and lowercase letters.  We have begun working with the sounds /s/, /a/ and /t/, and have even begun to make small words using these sounds.  For those students who are ready, more focus was given to the writing of words using these initial sounds, and the correct relative sizing of letters.

We have been practicing TOP-DOWN LETTER FORMATION, and support in doing this at home is very beneficial for the students’ success.  Reminders to begin every letter at the top will assist your child in following directions, printing, drawing, and fine motor development.

Safety Drills & Terry Fox Walk

Our entire school participated in the evacuation practice on a sunny Friday morning last week, as we made our way to Nordale School gym while the Nordale students simultaneously did this important safety drill in reverse. We also had another fire drill practice, and practiced a fun “Stop, Look, Don’t Forget to Listen” song that you can also view on Youtube with your child if you wish:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1f9NACD0l8

 Thank you for supporting the idea that "little people can do big things" with your completion of the "Tasks for Terry" sent home with your child.  At BSLS we strive to create a culture of caring, conscientious students,and school-wide support of the Terry Fox Walk and Tasks for Terry demonstrate an excellent start to a year of mission-oriented projects that add depth and richness to the academic pursuits of all grade levels.

Chapel, Grace and Devotions

Several of the children met Pastor Schnarr last year, and others met him at the Kick Off Sunday at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.  This past Wednesday marked our first chapel service of this school year, officiated by our school pastor, Cameron Schnarr. 

Our grace themes have expanded, and the children now have a repertoire of five from which the personal assistant for the week is given an opportunity to choose once each day, each in a different style: Brown Cow (country twang), Come Lord Jesus (preying praying shark), Johnny Appleseed (stomping clapping country), Our Hands We Fold (short, traditional prayer).  Hopefully your child has had an opportunity to share these with you at home, too!

We have read two versions of “The Animals Came in Two by Two” and added the big bass drum to our reading.  Watch for video and audio clips of the students’ animated reenactment of this Old Testament story as we work to integrate technology into a variety of aspects of our learning.

Scholastic Orders

Thank you for your orders in September.  These book clubs are always optional, and will be sent home occasionally through the school year.  The books tend to be very competitively priced, and your purchase helps expand and/or replenish our extensive class library. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I welcome your note in your child’s bookworm bag, an e-mail, or please stop in to speak with me any day after school!

God bless you,

Mrs. Lorianne Butterfield

Kindergarten Teacher, BSLS