Study Strategies

As the school year begins, new skills are learned and tests are taken.  Here is a link to some study skills to help you get ready for those tests....good luck!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K5LlzDp1PyHVBOaHsk_B8lIIsrXkNg5_iDpNKC5ief0/edit?hl=en_US

10 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR CHILD FOR SCHOOL!

http://www.parents.com/kids/education/kindergarten/prepare-your-child-for-school/

Starting school can be a difficult time for children. Every child is hesitant to go somewhere new and see people she's never met before. Here are some helpful ways to prepare your child for her first day of school:

1. Let your child know what his schedule will be like. Tell him what time school begins and ends each day.

2. Ask your child about her feelings -- both the excitement and the concerns -- about starting school.

3. Visit the school with your child to see his new classroom and meet his new teacher before school officially starts.

4. Point out the positive aspects of starting school. It will be fun and she can make new friends.

5. Let your child know that all kids are nervous about the first day of school.

6. Leave a note in your child's lunchbox that will remind him you're thinking of him while he's at school.

7. Reassure your child that if any problems arise at school, you will be there to help resolve them.

8. Try to have your child meet a classmate before the first day of school so she will already have a friend when school starts.

9. Arrange for your child to walk to school or ride together on the bus with another kid in the neighborhood.

10. Find out about after-school activities that your child can join. Will there be a back-to-school party? Can she join a sports team?

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5-12, by Edward L. Schor (Bantam, 1999)

Checking out the chicks!

Our kindergartener classes were raising some chicks. We were able to observe and hold the chicks. My students were very concerned about one of the little chicks that had a hurt foot. What a good time!

Valentine Letter Delivered

Valentine's day is a day to show someone how much you care. My students wrote letters to their teachers from previous years. Then they delivered them to the teachers. In this photo Brandon, Quinten and Makenna delivered their letters to Mrs. Smith - their kindergarten teacher.

On February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil was predicting the upcoming weather for 2011. The students in Mrs. Smith's class did some predicting of their own. First, they guessed how much snow fell in January 2011. According to statistics, Cincinnati had 21.5 inches! Based on what we had, the students predicted how much snow will fall in the month of February. Looking at the graph, they are predicting quite a snowfall. Let's hope they are wrong and spring will be arriving soon!

The Five Senses

After completing our Reading Street lesson on the 5 senses, we started to read individual books on each of the senses. In addition to reading about the 5 senses, we explored our senses. Here is a picture of some of the items we used while exploring the sense of touch - cotton, sandpaper and ribbon. Then we used ALL of our senses with popcorn!!