Welcome to kindergarten at the East Hartford/Glastonbury Elementary Magnet School---a year of amazing discoveries! Students are busy working together and sharing their many ideas. We describe our school as a caring community and work together to see that all show kindness and respect towards ourselves and others.
We follow the golden rule and practice treating others the way we want to be treated. Our friendships continue to grow as we work and play together. Our Community Song reminds us of positive behavior we are always looking for at the Magnet School.
Here are the words to the song I composed:

Oh we belong to a community where people work and share.
We belong to a community where all the people care.
The golden rule is golden. We take care of you and me.
With a handshake and a welcome smile
Come join our family---C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y, community!

As a community of young scientists, we are continuing our year-long science unit---Weather! We are watching changes taking place as the seasons change and keeping Weather Bear dressed to fit the day.“What is the weather like today?” Just ask any kindergarten student at the Magnet School. These young scientists are observing and recording daily weather conditions throughout the entire school year. They will be studying the clouds, using thermometers to record temperature, and even measuring the amount of precipitation. If you want to know what the weather will be, or what to wear and do during specific weather conditions, just ask our very own meteorologists---the kindergarten students! 

The kindergarteners recently had an exciting time working in our school-wide take apart lab.  They were given computer keyboards in small groups and were guided by our wonderful parent volunteers in taking them apart.  They first thought about what problem someone was trying to solve when inventing the keyboard.  They shared ideas on what the keyboard was used for and what they would find inside that made it work.

Then wearing safety goggles and using real screwdrivers, the students got to take apart the keybords and find answers to questions that were raised. To quote a few enthusiastic scientists, "When you press a key, it pushes down on the squishy stuff.  It follows the track to the cable and tells the computer what letter to print.  This was cool!  This was fun!  Now we can reuse the parts to make other inventions like a car or artwork or even a robot!"
These are just some of the activities in our exciting science program which is integrated with reading, writing, math and the arts. 

Kindergarteners are busy reading a variety of books.  Some are books I write for them on different levels and are books they may keep to read over and over.  The children have been given blue book pouches that should go home with them each day.  They will choose a book to read and will put it in the pouch.  Each day the books are brought back, a new one is chosen.

At the start of each week I will continue to send home a packet of homework. I hope the children find the activities fun and engaging. Please encourage your child to choose an activity he/she would like to do each day. Homework should be returned in your child's folder on Friday or the following Monday. You may help your child with the writing portion of the homework when needed. As ideas are dictated, you may jot them down.

Please have your child continue spending 15 or more minutes a day with a book. As you know, reading to your child is so very important. Your child can read along, fill in rhyming words, point to pictures and tell the story. Listening to you read helps your child know what reading is supposed to sound like. Studies show that children who are read to become the best readers. Thank you for all you do to help in so many ways!

Most sincerely,

Eileen Packard
Kindergarten Teacher