Newsletter: September 22

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - PE

Tuesday - STEAM

Wednesday - Music, Library

Thursday - Art

Friday - PE

Coming Up...

• Maize and Blue Day and Popcorn Day: Friday, September 29.  Please have your child wear his/her Hudsonville gear, or maize and blue!

• Book Orders Due: Friday, September 29
• Fire Safety: Wednesday, October 4
• Hearing Testing: Thursday, October 5
• Early Release and Walk-a-thon Assembly: Friday, October 13
• Picture Retake Day/BPC Skating Party: Thursday, October 26
• Classroom Halloween Party: Tuesday, October 31

Walk-a-thon:

• It was a HOT morning for the Walk-a-thon, but it was a lot of fun!  We were able to drink lots of water and eat candy as we walked (and ran!) around the track, and we enjoyed a cool popsicle for a treat afterward.  Thank you so much to all the parents who came to help out and support us!  Thanks also for all of your donations!!  The last day to turn in pledge envelopes is next week Friday, September 29.  

This week in Kindergarten...

Writing Workshop:

• In writing workshop, we are planning our stories across our fingers and then sharing stories out loud with a partner.  This week we began drawing pictures of our stories too.

Math: 

• Our first math unit is all about counting and cardinality.  We have been counting and drawing objects.  We have also been putting our number parade in order from 1-10 and then using our red and blue tiles to show "partners" of 5, 6, and 7.  

Handwriting:

• We finished learning how to correctly form all of the "Frog Jump Capitals" this week.  These are F, E, D, P, B, R, N, and M. 

Constitution Day:

• On Monday, we learned that the Constitution is the supreme law of our country and we are citizens of the United States.  We made a citizen craft in honor of Constitution Day!

Literacy Centers:

• This week we began literacy centers and practiced working with a partner.  It is important for us to learn how to help each other and work cooperatively.  Here are some photos from literacy centers this week.

Newsletter: September 15

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - Art

Tuesday - PE

Wednesday - STEAM

Thursday - Music

Friday - Art

Coming Up...

• Walk-a-thon: It is next week Friday, September 22.  We will be walking at 9am.  Please have your child wear comfortable shoes to walk/run in that day.  We will spending roughly 45 minutes outside and our goal is to stay moving the whole time!!  Also, you can have your child turn in his/her pledge envelope anytime this week.  All pledges should be turned in no later than Friday, September 29.  Pledges submitted by this date will be eligible for our raffle drawing as well as classroom and individual prizes. We would love it if you could join us at the Walk-a-Thon to cheer us on.  We could even put you to good use and have you help mark the lap tracking cards as students race past the finish line.  We hope to see you there!

• Picture Day: Picture Day is September 20th.  Feel free to return forms anytime.  

• Maize and Blue Day: Friday, September 29.  Please have your child wear his/her Hudsonville gear, or maize and blue!

• Book Orders Due: Friday, September 29

News from Parent Club...

Bauer Elementary has a new Facebook group! We look forward to using this group to create community and connections and to keep parents informed about all the happenings at Bauer Elementary. This group is intended for parents/guardians of current Bauer students and is maintained by the Bauer Parent Club. If you are not already a member, please go to www.facebook.com/groups/bauerelementary and click "Join Group" and an admin will approve your request. If you are not on Facebook, please email Katie Terpstra at katie.terpstra@gmail.com, and she'll add you to an email list. We're looking forward to a great year!

This week in Kindergarten...

School Families: 

• We started our Bauer School Families. Each Early Release Day we will be moving around into groups PK-5 to learn more about one another and the 7 Habits. These groups will remain the same all year long. Today we got to know the members of our family and played a name game. Ask your child if they can tell you who their School Family teacher is and some of the other students in their group.

Bus Safety: 

• We had a bus safety lesson.  We learned about how to safely cross the street and ride the bus.  We also took a quick bus ride so that we could practice what we learned!  

Handwriting: 

• We began working in our handwriting books.  So far we have done the capital letters F, E, D, P, and B. All of these are "frog jump" letters.  You make a big line down, and then frog jump back up to the top!

Writing Workshop: 

• We have been working on oral storytelling.  We learned how to sit eye-to-eye and knee-to-knee with a partner and share personal stories.  We practiced using our fingers to tell what happened first, next, then, etc...  Our oral storytelling unit lays the groundwork for writing workshop.  Through talk, writers can think about what to write and how to write.  

Math: 

• We began our first math unit.  Each student has their own container of math manipulatives.  We learned how to use our number tiles to make a number parade across the top of our math trays.  We also learned how to use red and blue squares to show quantities of a number in different ways.  These are called "partners."  

Reading Workshop: 

• We continued to practice being respectful readers during our reading workshop time.  We learned how to be book lovers, not book bullies!  We are "reading" the pictures in books right now.  

Newsletter: September 8

We had another great week of Kindergarten!  We are settling into our routines and I am enjoying getting to know each and every student.  We are going to have an awesome year!   Thank you so much for all of the supply donations you have sent in!  Thanks also to all the parents who signed up to volunteer in the classroom this year.  I will be contacting you in the next week or two.

Next Week's Specials...

Monday - Art

Tuesday - P.E.

Wednesday - STEAM

Thursday - Music

Friday - P.E.

Coming Up...

• Early Release Day: We have our first Early Release Day next Friday, September 15.  Dismissal is at 12:15.  If your child will be ordering a sack lunch to bring home, please let me know before school starts on Friday.  Also, if your child will be getting home a different way, please let me know ahead of time.  
• Bauer Be Awesome T-shirts: I will pass them out next week Friday and have your child put it on over his/her shirt.  He/she will be able to take it home that day.  Please have your child wear it each Early Release Friday.  
• Walk-a-thon: Packets went home today.  This is an awesome fundraiser for our school.  we will walk on Friday, September 22.  We will be walking at 9am.  You are welcome to join us!
• Picture Day: Picture Day is September 20th.  Information sheets went home in folders today.  Feel free to return forms anytime.  
• Maize and Blue Day: Friday, September 29, please have your child wear his/her Hudsonville gear, or maize and blue!

Reminder...

• Please have your child wear velcro shoes to school if he/she does not know how to tie shoes.  Quick laces work great too! 

This week we...

• learned about CHAMPS behavior in the classroom!  We talked about each of these questions several times throughout the day and changed our CHAMPS board to reflect what we are doing. 
• C - Conversation (How loud are we talking?)
• H - Help (How do we ask for help?)
• A - Action (What are we doing?)
• M - Movement (Can we move around the room?)
• P - Participation (What is our job?)
• S - Success!!
• read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We began a coconut tree craft today by painting the leaves, trunk, and coconuts.  We will add the letters of our name to the tree next week!  Look for it to come home next week Friday.  
• counted the letters in each of our classmates names.
• worked with a partner during center time.
• began Reading Workshop and learned and practiced routines and procedures for our reading time. 
• learned and practiced how to hold a crayon/pencil correctly.  We also learned how to make Mat Man.  Everyone took a turn adding one piece to build him!  Mat Man helps us remember all of the body parts when drawing a person.  
• had our first library day today. Beginning next week, Wednesdays will be our library day.  Be sure to put library books in a safe space and return them each Wednesday. 

Here are some photos from our week...