October Newsletter

Our first month of Kindergarten has passed by quickly and I have noticed a number of changes in the students. They are learning to become good friends and interact positively, they are learning about school routines and rules, and they are becoming more independent! Children have also become more comfortable in the school environment and are eager participants in all sorts of activities. At present, the Kindergarten students are learning to take care of outdoor clothing and library books, and to empty their book bags when they come in the morning. Please remind your child to set any notes or important papers on his/her table top first thing in the morning.

October themes will be Thanksgiving, Autumn, and Halloween. We will be learning about the letters O o, M m, X x, and the words pup, pop, mom, ox. I encourage you to put these letters (and the ones we studied last month -- U u, P p) on flashcards and ask your child regularly what the letter names are and what sounds they make. This will be part of my report card evaluation in November and I will begin testing near the end of October. You can then identify which letters and sounds your child may be having trouble with and give him/her extra practice at home in preparation for the report card. You may also want to put the words we study on flashcards and have your child practice “reading” these to you too, although word reading will not be part of Term 1 evaluation.

Coming home this month is a “Homework Calendar”. The work from this calendar will reinforce what I am teaching in the classroom. After your child has completed 4 activities from each week, your child may return the calendar back to me to choose an item from my “treasure box”. Each completed activity should be initialled by a parent, and the calendar will need your child’s name and parent’s signature on the bottom. Completing this calendar is optional! It simply transfers to home the things we are studying here! Good luck! We will not be studying the letters A a, D d and T t until November, so the calendar does not need to be returned at the end of October!

Other academic skills we will study at school this month include: say full name (first, middle, last), recognize the 8 basic colours, recite the alphabet, sort 3-D objects using a single attribute; identify, describe and reproduce patterns; predict and extend patterns, and create own patterns. Children are also working hard at printing their first name. I always tell the children that the first letter is a capital, and all the other letters that follow are lowercase (small letters). Feel free to practice all of these skills at home, as well. Name printing will also be part of my first report card evaluation.



Reminders:

1. Be prepared to dress your child warmly for outdoor play. Although the past week has been very warm, the weather will soon begin to change and noon hours outside can seem very long if a child comes to school without a jacket, socks, hat, or even stretch gloves on a cool fall day.

2. Library is always on Day 1. You may return library books on or before this day so that your child can sign out new books.

3. Our classroom will be bowling during the month of October. A note with more details regarding this will be sent home soon.

4. There is no school this month on Monday, October 11th due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Children will return to Kindergarten again on Wednesday, October 13th.

5. Early Dismissal this month is Thursday, October 14th . This is not a Kindergarten day.

6. Family Fun Night at our school is Thursday, October 7th from 6:30 - 8:00. Come out and join in our school fun and activities. You can also join your child for the book fair in the library!

7. Our Halloween party will be held during the afternoon of Friday, October 29th. The school parade will begin at 1:15 and our classroom party will follow. Another note will soon be sent your way sharing more details of our Halloween party. Come out to see all the great costumes for our Halloween parade!

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please feel free to contact me.

Have a great month!