tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34062976002361274432011-08-01T11:15:30.365-07:00Powers Kidsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406297600236127443.post-61913687833919982172008-12-18T15:00:00.001-08:002009-09-16T14:21:07.814-07:00September....<br />Welcome to a new year at Eunice Smith. We are excited to be back at our 2400 N. Henry address. Our building is fresh with new paint, tile, and bathrooms. We are enjoying our computers more through the use of the wonderful LCD projectors that are installed for classroom use.<br /><br />Our kindergarten class is working to learn the rules and expectations of the classroom and the school. We are focused on learning the 3 Rs: Respect yourself, Respect others, and Respect property.<br /><br />We continue to use our "Homework and Behavior" sheets each week. Please talk about them with your child. We ask that each parent look at this sheet in the Homework folder each evening and sign that you have seen it and please discuss the information with your child. For the first few weeks we will struggle to use the sheet, but soon we will master the process.<br /><br />We also have a little homework each day. It may be reading from the reading bags or practicing writing our names, or counting, but whatever it is, we need parent support to be sure that practice is done correctly. What you teach them now becomes the foundation for their future.<br /><br />We have started moving between the three teachers for reading groups. Mrs. Hall is also reading with kids and our Grandma is providing extra practice with letters and individual reading.<br /><br />We have PE on Thursdays and Fridays. Please help out by having them wear sneakers. They miss out on activity when they are not wearing safe shoes.<br /><br />The State of Illinois has set goals and objectives for public schools to follow in our curriculum. If you have any questions about them, you can check out the ISBE.net website under state standards to get an idea. This may help you understand why we teach what we do. The Alton District has taken those Standards and divided them a little more by grade level. We do follow them.<br /><br />For science this week we have been talking about what sinks and what floats. We have discussed water and will talk about the tie dye process on Thursday and Friday.<br /><br />Social Studies has been focused on the Presidents. We have talked about the presidents on coins and our current president. We will continue with this next week again and then review during February.<br /><br />Reading, writing and phonics are through our reading series called Story Town. It is a complete program that we use each day. Our vocabulary and popcorn words are included. Home practice includes the reading bags, weekend Poetry Folder, and the Ocean of Fame reading charts that you fill out recording all home reading that is completed with your child. We encourage reading every day. Let us know if you do not have enough books at home and we will help.<br /><br />Math is Saxon and for the beginning of the year, we focus on calendar counting and format. You have also seen some number writing as homework and of course we realize that you are counting at home whenever you get the chance. Please try to direct them from left to right and when counting place a finger on each object to show one-to-one correspondence. Right now we are having trouble with that. We are also working on making patterns. This will lead to seeing patterns everywhere.<br /><br /><br />Please make sure that your child is getting plenty of sleep and comes to school with a positive feeling about learning. Discussing what happens at school will help with this.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your child with us. We will do our best to help him/her learn and enjoy the year.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3406297600236127443-6191368783391998217?l=powerskids.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Powers Kidsnoreply@blogger.com