Greetings From the Kindergarten!

After a wonderful and relaxing break, it is great to be back working with the children. Our first day back we celebrated the 100th day of school with a variety of activities in our classroom and with the first grade. The children brought in very challenging Mystery 100 items, and both classes had lots of fun guessing each other's items. Some were very tricky. We also made fruit loop necklaces and masks, each project enabling the children to practice counting by tens to 100. With the first graders, we counted how many times we could perform certain physical tasks in 100 seconds including jumping jacks, hopping on one foot and push-ups. It turns out that 100 seconds is much longer than we all imagined! Other math work this week has included estimation and more practice counting on from larger numbers and counting by 2s, 5s and 10s.

In our writer's workshop sessions, students have been working on color poems and have completed extended journal entries. The class is really moving forward as we discuss the writing process -- how do we think of ideas and how do we begin to put our ideas on paper? We have been focusing on choosing events from our own lives for our writing, as these are things we know best. Students begin with a drawing and then move through the stages of labeling their pictures or writing sentences to describe what is depicted. We are just starting to talk about the structure of a story, as I read aloud several different versions of The Three Little Pigs and we discuss the stories' differences and similarities.

On Monday, March 7, The Reading Challenge begins and will conclude on Friday, April 1. For those of you who are new to this program, it is an opportunity for students to set goals for reading outside of school for a four-week period. They keep track of their reading each day, and I ask them to speak at meeting about the books they are reading. Materials explaining the program will come home tomorrow in backpacks. Included are contracts for students and for any adults who would like to participate. While I know you all read with your children regularly, the Reading Challenge is fun for all. It is not required, but I hope you will all consider participating.

On March 22 and 23, a string quartet from Yellow Barn in Putney will be coming to school to work with each class and perform for the school. This will be a wonderful chance for students, particularly those in this class who are so interested in string instruments, to talk with the quartet about their instruments. The group will also perform some original compositions submitted by Grammar School students to Vermont's Opus competition.

Late in March, you will be receiving a Progress Assessment letter from me. This letter is intended to be a component of an ongoing dialogue and record of your child’s approach to learning and academic development. This is an opportunity for me to highlight your child’s individual strengths and to address any issues that may be pertinent to his or her transition to the next grade level.

On a personal note, the children overheard me speaking of a musical I am in that opens this weekend in Saxton's River at Main Street Arts, and they asked me about it. I am in the chorus and it is a fun show for all ages, though I want to let you know that a small gun appears in the show for a moment and there is a brief slapstick fight. I like to let folks know this who might consider bringing children. I thought I'd send a link in case you would like to attend. It runs for two weekends. Please do not in any way feel obligated to come.
http://www.mainstreetarts.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=107

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Feel free to call or e-mail if you need to reach me.