Kindergarten Newsletter- Week 1

What an incredible week we’ve had! This past week, our classes began to feel the "rhythm" of Kindergarten. We are excited to see our scholars' enthusiasm and confidence starting to grow, as they practice daily routines, get to know each other better, worship in Chapel, experience art, music, PE, Spanish, library, Innovation Lab, and Godly Play. Next week we will begin digging into math and language lessons. Our scholars are amazing us with their curiosity and spirit! We are looking forward to sharing this very special year with them. Thank you for the trust you have placed in us!

There are many simple activities you can do at home to help foster your child's independence. Have them practice self-help skills such as peeling bananas and oranges, zipping zippers and buttoning buttons, tying shoes, and taking their plates to the sink after meals. Ask them to get their uniforms and backpacks ready at night as part of their bedtime routine. Resist the urge to do for them those things they can do for themselves. This will be a big theme throughout our year. Support your child's academic progress by reading to and with them every night. Read each week's newsletter to find out our skill and content focus, and ask questions about what they are learning. Check SeeSaw every day, and talk about what you saw with them. Showing interest in your child's education sends the message that you value their learning. When school and home work together, we will make great strides in your child’s learning journey here at SLES!

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Blessings,

Mrs. McIntire and Mrs. Pruitt

Next week in math our lessons will focus on comparing and sorting objects by similarities and differences in color, shape, and number. Our scholars will explore where numbers can be found in the world around them and practice writing numerals 0 through 9. Our goal is for them to be able to name and describe characteristics of objects, use counting to quantify groups, and form numbers correctly.

To reinforce their learning at home, gather objects such as buttons, stuffed animals, rocks, small toys, etc. together and have your child practice sorting them into groups. Ask your child to describe why they sorted them that way, count them, and tell how many are in each group. Go on a number walk to find numbers around your house or neighborhood. This will help them practice identifying numbers in real-life settings. Ask questions such as 'Which group had more?" "Why did you sort (the objects) that way?" or "Can you tell me what that number is?" These questions will help your child think creatively about colors, shapes and numbers.

Sight Words: the, of, and, a, to

In Language Arts we are focusing on letter recognition and formation, exploring the sounds that vowels and consonants make, identifying sounds heard at the beginning, middle and end of words, and introducing the above sight words. (If your scholar did not master these words over the summer, this is their task for next week!) Mastering alphabetic phonograms (sounds) is a crucial step in building their early reading and writing skills. Our goal this year is for scholars to recognize, name and write all the letters of the alphabet, to associate all letters with their sounds, and to develop a mastery of sight words in order to become confident readers and writers.

At home, you can support your child by playing a simple game of 'I Spy' with letters and sounds. For example, you might say, "I spy something that starts with the letter A." This game will help them practice identifying beginning sounds in a fun and interactive way. Have them practice writing letters using sidewalk chalk, drawing them in a platter of sand, or a favorite color of marker. Encourage the "alligator" (three finger) pencil grip. Ask "Can you think of three words that start with the sound of (select a letter sound)?" "What do you notice about the upper case and lower case letter forms?"

Our current focus in social studies is "Me and My Community." This week we talked about our classes as a community of friends, and learned some of the interests and abilities that made each of our children special and unique. We discussed how God made each of them to be a very particular, special, and unique child of His. They can now proudly proclaim "There's nobody like me in the whole, wide world!"

Next week we will continue talking about the many communities where we all belong-our school, our city, our state, and our nation-and how each of those are similar, yet different. To reinforce a part of next week's lessons, please help your child memorize their home address and your phone number. Thank you for helping your child feel confident in this important safety knowledge!

List of Important Events:

Sept. 1 - Parent Council Coffee 8:30

Sept. 7 - School holiday (Labor Day)

Sept. 15 - Dot Day (wear dot clothing)

Sept. 16 - Sept. Monthly Birthday Celebration

A huge Hilltop THANK YOU to our wonderful parent volunteers for serving as your grade-level Class Captains! Please be sure to join the Kindergarten Group on the St. Luke’s App to stay connected and receive important updates and communication throughout the year.

Rebecca Allen - Rebecca.allen0706@gmail.com

Katy Ray - Kateray922@gmail.com