Rockwell Elementary

Home of the Rockets

Look Back, Leap Forward

2008-2009

Let's all join forces and help our children reach for the moon!

 

Impotant Dates to Remember

 

December 18: Santa comes to visit

December 19- Holiday celebration and last day of school for winter break

December 22 - Jan 1 Winter Break/No School

Jan 2- Teacher Workday/No School (Make-up Day)

Jan 5 - Students Return to School

December

Seth

November

Junior

Jacob

October

Maddy

September

Sam                Leigha

Braden                Chandler

Tyler                   Aiden

and

Johnny Appleseed

 

CHARACTER TRAITS:

During these months and all year long, your child should try to show these character traits.  Students who do, will receive a special character tag that they get to wear on Fridays!  Encourage your child to work on these traits and build great character.

September- Responsibility

October- Respect

November- Kindness

December- Self Control

January- Courage

February- Friendly

March- Effort

April- Honesty

May- Positive Attitude

Basic Kindergarten skills to practice with your child at home:

*Memorize pin number

*Tying shoes

*Zipping coat

*Opening ketchup packets

*Opening milk cartons

*Home address & phone number

*Birthday

*Formation of uppercase & lowercase letters

*Days of the week & months of the year

*Writing first & last name correctly (lowercase letters throughout name with a capital letter at beginning of first and last name)

The following words are the 25 high frequency words that your child will learn to read AND spell this year: 

the of  and  a  to  in  is  you  that

it  he  was  for  on  are  as  with

his  they  I  at  be this have from

             

What is your child learning about???

We are finishing our study of the popular book, The Gingerbread Man.  We have been comparing and contrasting the many different versions of this story.  

After Christmas, we will begin our study of Nursery Rhymes

• Book and Print Awareness

• Numeral Recognition and Formation
• Ordinal numbers 1st-3rd
• Counting one-to-one correspondence
• Rote counting 1-30
• Counting by 10s
• More, less, and equal
• Adding 1 more
• Color words
• How to write their first name and last name
• Learning classmates' names

Continuing to reinforce zoo phonics and recognizing beginning and ending sounds

        Zoo Animals
          A - allie alligator, B - bubba bear, C- catina cat, D - deedee deer, E - ellie elephant

        F- francy fish, G - gordo gorilla, H - honey horse, I - inny inchworm, J - jerry jellyfish

 K - kayo kangaroo, L - lizzy lizard, M - missy mouse, N - nigel nightowl, O - olive octopus

P - peewee penguin, Q - queeny quail, R - robby rabbit, S - sammy snake, T - timothy tiger

U - umber umbrella bird, V - vincent vampire bat, W - willie weasel, X - xavier fox, Y - yancy yak, Z - zeke zebra

        

Daily Reminders

1. Please remember to check your childs S.T.A.R. notebook DAILY for notes and other important information. Also please check your childs agenda on the corresponding day for their daily behavior & initial beside it.

2. Please remind your child to place their S.T.A.R. notebook in their bookbag each night.  Your child is responsible for bringing their notebook to school each day and taking out any notes or money that I need to see in the morning. The S.T.A.R. notebook stands for Students Taking Active Responsibility.  

2. Please remember to read with your child each night, even if I do not send home a specific book for you to read together. Also ask your child questions about the story to make sure they are comprehending what they are reading. 

3. Don't forget to send lunch money with your child each day, week, etc. The cafeteria will send home a notice when your child has run out of money on their account and have to charge. Also, Wednesday is our ice cream day! ($0.60)  If you do not want your child to get ice cream please let me know in their agenda. Ice cream can not be charged.

 

 

READ! READ! READ! 

A child can never be over exposed to books!
Ask your child questions after reading to help build comprehension!  
Here are some great questions to ask:
           Who are the characters in the story?  Where is the setting or where is the story taking place?    What happened at the beggining, middle and end of story?  What was your favorite part and why?  What was the problem in the story and how was it solved?  What does this story make you think of?  Is this book like another book you've read?

Writing   

Detailed Drawings - We are learning to FIRST, THINK about something they have done.  Then children should sketch a detailed picture representing their story.  Drawings should include a character (most likely themselves), details to show where they are, details to show what they are doing, and be neat enough for others to notice what is going on. Be thorough and colorful!  Children should be able to look at their picture and be able to verbally tell you their story.

We are learning to listen for the beginning sounds of words.  Students should start to write a letter to identify the beginning sound for the words they are using in their stories.

 

 

Here are the sayings that we say as we write the numbers:

By: Dr. Jean "Sing to Learn"

Come right down and that is all.  Come right down and that is all.  Come right down and that is all, to make the numeral 1.

Curve around and slide to the right.  Curve around and slide to the right.  Curve around and slide to the right, to make the numeral 2.

Curve in and around again.  Curve in and around again.  Curve in and around again, to make the numeral 3.

Down, over, down some more.  Down, over, down some more.  Down, over, down some more, to make the numeral 4.

Down, around, put on a hat.  Down, around, put on a hat.  Down, around, put on a hat, to make the numeral 5.

Curve in and around again.  Curve in and around again.  Curve in and around again, to make the numeral 6.

Slide to the right and slant it down.  Slide to the right and slant it down.  Slide to the right and slant it down, to make the numeral 7.

Make an "s" then close the gate.  Make an "s" then close the gate.  Make an "s" then close the gate, to make the numeral 8.

Circle around then come right down.  Circle around then come right down.  Circle around then come right down, to make the numeral 9.

Come right down, then make a zero.  Come right down, then make a zero.  Come right down, then make a zero, to make the numeral 10.

 

Monday: Art & AIG Enhancement

Wednesday: Guidance & Music

Thursday: PE and Media

Kindergartners can ALWAYS use...

Zip-Loc baggies, all sizes!

Disposable cameras

Small 6-inch paper plates

Shaving cream

Band-aids

Baby wipes

Paper towels

Magnets

Prizes - no candy, please!

Handsoap

Play-doh brand dough

Thank you for your kind efforts and donations!

Ways you can help your child at home!

*Talk to your child about what he/she is learning in school.

• READ! READ! READ! You can never have too many books!
  *Read with your child daily! Ask questions when you read.
  Here are some great questions to ask:
  Who are the characters in the story? Where is the setting or where is the story taking place? What happened at the begining, middle and end of the story? What was your favorite part and why? What was the problem in the story and how was it solved? What does this story make you think of? Is this book like another book you've read?
  
• Let your child help you write the grocery list. This gives them more practice with writing, and we can never get enough practice.
  
• Have your child write you a letter instead of always "telling" you about their day. Again, this gives them more practice with writing.
• Have your child count various objects in your house. (1-30)
• Have your child sort things by color, shape, size, and by their own rule (such as, things you wear, eat, play with, etc.)
• Find patterns in your home and let your child help you. Also, see if your child can continue/extend a pattern that you create.
  
• Print out the flashcards on this site, by clicking on the word flashcards at the top of this page, and practice them with your child.

Would you like to volunteer in our classroom this year?  If so, please read the following Q&A for volunteers!

Q: What will I be doing? A: Volunteers in our classroom will work with an individual student or a small group of students to practice math or reading skills.


Q: How long will I have to work? A: Usually parents volunteer 30-45 minutes at a time.

Q: When can I come? A:We encourage volunteers to contact us in advance to set a time for them to come. This way we can have things ready for them to work with students instead of stopping what we're doing to find something for them to do.

Q: Can I grade papers or cut things out? A: In kindergarten, we encourage students to be more independent so they will do most cutting for themselves. Occasionally we will ask volunteers to help make things for centers. Mrs. Yates and I check all papers, so we can assess each student's academic progress.


**If you have any other questions or would like to volunteer please e-mail (gilbertcl@rss.k12.nc.us) or call me at school (704-279-3145).

* We Love Volunteers!*

 School Policies

TRANSPORTATION: You must send a note with your child or call the school by 12:00 if your child needs to go home a different way than usual. This is EXTREMELY important!

*All visitors must sign in at the office and wear a dated visitor pass

*STUDENTS MAY NOT LEAVE THE CLASSROOM WITH A PARENT UNLESS A PASS IS GIVEN FROM THE OFFICE. There are no exceptions.

***Thanks for your cooperation and understanding on these issues. When we work together, we can ensure that your child has a safe and productive school day!***

If I can be of assistance through the year, please feel free to contact me.  The most convenient and effective means of communiction is via E-mail.  This can be read and responded to daily, with no disruption during the school day.  E-mail is read daily, and questions would be responded to after school hours.  If you have an immediate need or concern such as a change in transportation, please write a note in the planner located in the child's STAR notebook.  This can be read and responded to daily, with little disruption during the school day.  If your concern requires a phone call or classroom visit, please respect your child's learning environment by scheduling an appointment before school or after school.  This allows for uninterrupted teaching.  Thank you for your continued support!

Mrs. Catherine Gilbert- Rockwell Elementary School-Kindergarten.

114 Link Street, Rockwell, NC 28138 gilbertcl@rss.k12.nc.us(704) 279-3145