Save the Date!

the
KinderNews
Mrs Trydal
What to do at home?
School Pictures
October 14
Halloween Party
October 31
More information
will follow
School Days
Oct 10 & 31
These are the two
Fridays students
will attend this
month
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4
More information
will follow
Can you believe that September is already finished? It just flew by.
This is the first of a monthly series of newsletters that will provide
you with information about our plans for each month.
Although a huge focus for the entire year will always be routines
and learning to be a student, this month we will really begin to
explore concepts in each of the subject areas.
As you will see below, Kindergarten is a busy time. But, it is
essential that learning at this level is very connected to play. My
intention is to always limit direct instruction to short periods of
time, followed by time for the students to have hands-on practice;
-Read to your child everyday. Try
to discuss book knowledge concepts
(such as the ones listed on the next
page)
-Have your child help you to sort
objects at home (laundry, dishes,
toys, etc.)
-When driving or going for walks,
look for patterns (trees, signs on
stores, lines on the road, etc.)
-Continue to work on developing
skills of independence (zipping up
jackets, putting on shoes, putting
books in school bag, etc.)
-
www.kindertales.weebly.com
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2

October Highlights
The overall theme for October is All About Me. Of course we are also learning about Fall, Thanksgiving and Halloween.
Religion: Religion is how we begin each day. We always start with a prayer and special intentions. Each day we also learn
about becoming Followers of Christ and acting in Jesus footsteps. Our current focus is thankfulness, learning to be grateful
and thankful for the gifts we have in our lives.
Literacy: We will continue with daily work on letters and sounds. As the children begin to gain confidence with their letter
knowledge, we will begin learning to blend the sounds together to make words. We will also be spending a lot of time
examining the letters in our names and practicing recognizing and making our names. Also, we will work on the skill of
rhyming. One of the most important aspects of our literacy program is Oral Language: the skills of communicating with each
other. Students will be provided with many opportunities to ask questions and share their ideas. I will also spend a lot of time
reading to the children. During these readings, the emphasis will be on book knowledge: where is the front of the book? The
back? What is the title? Who is the illustrator? Where do we begin to read? When we finish a page or line, where do we go
next? What is a word? A letter? A sentence? Another focus in literacy is Writing. In this area, we are learning about how to
think of ideas, and illustrate them. When students are ready, they will be encouraged to label their illustrations with any
Numeracy: In this area, we will continue our daily work with the calendar. We are learning about the days of the week and
the months. We also spend time counting and exploring the weather. Our main focus for October is on sorting and patterns.
Although the formal instruction for these skills will end soon, this is something we will continue to explore throughout the
entire year.
Citizenship & Identity: This week you will receive information about our Citizen of the Day program.
Environment & Community Awareness: An obvious change in our environment at this time of year is the beginning of
fall. We will spend lots of time exploring the signs of fall, the holidays of fall, and taking nature walks to explore the
environment outside. Within the classroom we will continue with our Exploration Center where students can explore items
from nature.
Physical Skills & Well Being: Gym time!! One of our favorite times in Kindergarten! This month we will be exploring
activities in Creative Dance. Topics include Space (personal and general space), levels, and shapes. We are also learning
about stretching and cooling down after exercise. In our classroom exercise is not just for the gym. We also participate in
daily Brain Gym and Yoga exercises to keep our bodies and minds fresh and ready for learning.
Personal & Social Responsibility: This is a very important aspect of Kindergarten. It is this area where the emphasis is on
positive attitudes, practicing responsibility and independence, and working with others. In all activities, students will begin
to learn about self assessment. Students will be asked to reflect on their own behaviors and make their own judgments about
how they are doing. For ex- ample, students will be asked, Are you being a good partner during center time? How do you
know? What can you do to improve?