July 2017
Dear Former Kinder-families,
Thank you all for a wonderful year! Enjoy your summer holidays and good luck to all our new Grade 1 students! I will miss you but you can always say hi in the hall or come see me in Room 144! :)
Take care,
Karen
June 17, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
Thank you to all the families who attended our Rocket-blasting Family Night. I hope you had as much fun as I did watching the smiles and hearing the giggles and shrieks of delight as the rockets took to the sky!
The fun is not done...we have our Splash Park days coming up this week - Afternoon kiddos will go on Tuesday, June 20 (regular Morning class) and Morning Kiddos will go on Wednesday, June 21st (regular Afternoon class). If we get rained out we will find something fun to keep us busy at school.
The Du-athlon and Fun Day are next week - Tuesday, June 27th. I will get an email sent out soon to let you know what your little person has picked (Cyclist or Runner) and the itinerary for the day. It is an ALL DAY event for both classes. We start with the Du-athlon at school and then walk over to Kingswood Park for fun games, a hike through River Lot 56, and time to cheer on our Grade 5 & 6 Buddies in their Duathlon. We will need enough food and water (lunch and snacks) for the day plus sunscreen, a hat, and bug spray. There will be a concession providing hot dogs, freezies, and drinks - I believe everything will be sold for $1 each; I will confirm this as soon as possible and let you know.
Wednesday, June 28th will be our last day in Kindergarten! We are nearing our Kinder Finish Line and I am full of pride at what 'our' children have accomplished this year. Growth looks different for every child and we have all taken giant steps forward since our Kinder Families formed in September. Your little person will come home with all their final art and work samples, their shoes, and spare clothes (these may not fit anymore!!), and our version of a report card. The children are assessed as "Meets Expectations" or "Developing" in a variety of curricular expectations. PLEASE do not misinterpret "Developing" as something negative...every child is leaving Kindergarten with a greater skill set than when they arrived; some skills just take a bit longer to master and this is only the beginning of the adventure! **The big kids (Grades 1-6) will return on the morning of June 30th to get their report cards but Kindergarten students do not have to attend that day. I will be in the building if anyone wants to stop by, however!! :)
Happy Father's Day wishes to all our amazing Dads and Grandpas! Enjoy your day tomorrow.
If anyone has questions or concerns please let me know.
Take care,
Karen
PS: If your holidays are going to start prior to June 28th please let me know so I can have everything packed up for your little person's last day.
May 23, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
When we added our fish to the fishbowl today we had to trade in 10 baby fish to make our bundle and we are at 150 days of Kindergarten! It has been quite a year already and we are not done yet! The fun never stops in Room 101!!
Thank you to all the families who made it to the Celebrate MOMs night - it was terrific to see the projects you created! I enjoyed watching those brave adults hold the nails while the children managed the hammers! These are the memories you will hopefully cherish forever. :) I hope the families that couldn't be with us had a good time creating the projects at home. If you are still confused on how to construct your caterpillars please give me a shout. Family Night #3 is coming up on Thursday, June 15th where we celebrate with bottle rocket creating and blasting and our last potluck of the year. I hope you will be able to join us - it is SO much fun!
Our Children's Festival Field trip is coming up next week (Tuesday, May 30th) - permission slips will be going home this week and they must be back by Monday, May 29th. This is an ALL DAY field trip so ALL my children must be at school by 8:50am. We will be boarding the bus at 9:10am for a day's worth of fun at the Festival. Please dress your child accordingly for the weather as we go rain or shine. Please put their green field t-shirt on them - the visibility factor increases with the bright green! Also, please pack enough food and water for the whole day - we will not be buying food or drinks or souvenirs so there is no need to send money. We will return to school by 3:00pm with the normal afternoon dismissal for pick up. Morning families - please pick up your little person by 3:25pm - there will be no bus service for Morning bus children..
We are continuing to work hard on our early literacy and numeracy skills. Your little person should be recognizing the letters in the alphabet, attaching sounds to the letters, and putting the sounds together to come up with little words. They should also be recognizing numbers from 0 to 10 and matching them to their respective quantities. We have started to work on 3D shapes and how they pop-up everywhere in our environment! This is the poem we are learning to help us remember our 3D shape names:
3D shapes are FAT not flat
A cone is like a party hat,
A sphere is like a bouncy ball,
A prism is a building tall.
A cylinder is like a can of pop,
A cube is like the dice we drop.
3D shapes are here and there
3D shapes are EVERYWHERE!
In science we are attempting to grow plants and explore the importance of insects and in Social studies we are focusing on our social skills and how we all have different talents and gifts that help us work together in our school Kinder-family. We are also continuing to work on being respectful of each others' space and not interrupting when others are speaking. There has been so much learning this year and the children have all grown so much, both physically and cognitively! I am so proud of each one of my Kinder-kids!
Just a quick reminder - this Friday, May 26th is the Grade 6 fundraiser to help fight child hunger. The "Silent Market" will be selling keychains, bracelets, pencil toppers, baked goods, etc for $0.50 to $1.00. If you would like your child to participate please send them with their money and we will make sure they have a chance to go to the Market.
Thanks for another terrific month! I appreciate all the volunteers who have made our learning so much fun.
Take care,
Karen
April 27, 2017 (Sent out originally as an email to all parents)
Dear Kinder-parents,
I hope everyone enjoyed the Oilers spectacular show of heart and determination last night! Go Oilers!
Thank you all so much for all the help and support your are providing at home to facilitate your child's school success. Also thank you to all our wonderful classroom volunteers! We appreciate you giving up your time and helping us.
Have a fantastic Thursday. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Take care,
Karen
April 2, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope everyone has enjoyed the time away from school and managed to fit in some fun and relaxation. I spent the first few days being sick with the stomach flu but have managed to be upright and productive for the last 5! Not how I had imagined things but that's okay. At least the germs are gone and I won't be sharing with your little people.
As we head back to school tomorrow we will be "roaring" into the last bit of our school year with our Dinosaur unit. I can hardly believe that it is April and we are in the home stretch of our school year - there is still a lot of fun to be had, messes to be made, and learning to accomplish. Kindergarten is an amazing place to be and I am looking forward to getting back to my kids and on with our adventures.
Dates to be aware of:
Monday, April 3 - Parent Council Meeting - 7pm
Wednesday, April 5 - NO KINDERGARTEN - Staff Meeting day.
Friday, April 14 - Good Friday - NO SCHOOL
Monday, April 17 - Easter Monday - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, April 18 - District-wide PD Day - NO SCHOOL
Friday, April 21 - Earth Day Assembly
April 25 & 26 - Kindergarten 2017-18 Test Drives - We get to show next year's Kinders what school is all about!
Thank you so much to all the people who have been volunteering in our classroom - your help and willingness to dive into the art projects and our everyday jobs is most appreciated! We could not do this without you!
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please get in touch.
Take care,
Karen
Monday March 20, 2017
Spring has sprung according to the calendar! Mother Nature has plans of her own but that is okay as Kindergarten gets ready for Spring Break! It has been a terrific month of learning about under the sea life. The kids are always so excited to tell me new sea facts that they have researched at home - I love it!
We also had a terrific field trip to the Bowling Alley - a huge thank you to ALL my super Moms, Dads, Grandmas, and Aunties who helped take the wrinkles out the day and make sure the children had a memorable and fun experience. You have my appreciation and gratitude!
Don't forget we have Celebrations of Learning this week - Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday after school (4:30 - 7:30). Please remember to book your appointments!
Also, please remember that there is no school on Friday, March 24 - this is the beginning of Spring Break. School resumes on April 3rd.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
We are now into March and the last part of our school year will be unfolding! February seems to have flown by and now we can turn our thoughts to Spring despite the latest trouncing of snow!
We have said good bye to our Penguin unit - I hope you have all enjoyed hearing about penguin life! We are moving on to Under the Sea so there will be many more interesting facts coming home. We have also been working very hard on recognizing letters by sight and sound, recognizing numbers up to 10 and their respective quantities, patterns, measurement, and early reading skills like putting the sounds to together to build words among other things like sharing, taking turns, and being 'a respectful audience member' during Show and Share. Thank you to all the parents who have been practicing letters and numbers, printing at home, and helping with Home Reading - I am noticing the growth and confidence in your little people and it is amazing to watch! Bravo, Kinder kids! I am so proud of you.
As a bit of 'housekeeping' we are really working hard on developing the children's independence - if you are running late and arrive after class has started, please sign your child in at the Office, stamp their hand with the stamper, and then walk them down to our room. Please say goodbye at the door and send your little person in to do their jobs as this minimizes the distraction for the other students and promotes independence for your child. Thanks for your help with this. Just a gentle reminder that Kindergarten starts at 8:50am for the Morning Class and 12:43pm for the Afternoon class.
A giant thank you goes out to all parents, grandparents, and aunties and uncles that have volunteered to date - We couldn't do everything without you coming in or taking things home to prep them. I appreciate all that you do to make our learning successful and fun.
Things to Look Forward to:
Monday, March 13 - Jump Rope for Heart - We will be practicing our jump rope skills during Gym time and then on March 13th we have a big jump celebration! All fundraising forms should be returned by this date.
Friday, March 17 - Kinder Bowling Field Trip ***There will be NO MORNING CLASS on this day. ***ALL my students need to be at the school by 12:35pm to catch the bus to the St. Albert Bowling Centre. We will be back to school by 3:15pm***. Please send your little person in their green Kinder-field trip shirt. The Permission slip will be coming home soon.
March 20 - 22 - Kindergarten Celebrations of Learning - One hour time slots are available for booking so you can come in and watch your little Star shine as they become the teacher and show you what they have been learning.
March 24 - April 2 - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
April 5 - NO Kindergarten
April 14-17 - Easter - NO SCHOOL
April 18 - District Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Take care,
Karen
Friday, February 3, 2017 (taken from my email sent out on Feb. 2)
Dear Kinder-families,
2017 is off to an incredible start in Kindergarten! I cannot believe that we are into February already - January was a fun-filled month of polar bears with lots of crafts, learning, ice cream bears, and an "at-school" field trip! We will be transitioning to penguins over the next few days which are just as much fun! I hope the children are coming home and sharing their new knowledge with you. I remember my boys coming home and telling me they did nothing at school all day but then at bedtime they would remember and want to share every detail! I miss those days! :)
I have a quick housekeeping matter to bring up - School start times are 8:50am for the Morning class and 12:43pm for the Afternoon class. If we have already left the lobby please stop and sign your child in (green binder on the front counter) at the Office so the Attendance record is accurate and our Office staff are not phoning you to make sure everyone is safe.
Upcoming things to remember:
Friday, February 3 - Kinder Grad Photos - the children will have their picture taken in little Caps & Gowns (and they are so cute!) and there is a casual pose as well. The children will bring home a code so you can see the pictures on-line and then order if you are interested. This is a voluntary choice with no pressure to buy. I will speak to the photographer about a “re-take” day for the children who are away on vacation. I will also make sure the children have clean faces at photo time.
Thursday, February 9 & Friday, February 10 - NO SCHOOL - Teachers’ Convention
Tuesday, February 14 - Valentine’s Day - Each class will have a party during their regular time at school. Our Volunteer Coordinators have emailed for class volunteers and food volunteers for that day. If you haven’t received the email please let me know and I will touch base with the Coordinators to make sure we all have the same address to ensure future communication is successful. Class lists were sent home last week in case you might need lots of time for the children to get their cards written.
Afternoon Class Party item updates since our Coordinator is going to be away:
juice boxes covered x 16 (Chantal N. - Maliya's mom)
one fruit tray (8-9 kids) (Akiko M - Brody's mom)
one veggie tray (8-9 kids) (Amy S - Noah's mom)
one sweet treat x 16 (Charlene H - Gavin H's mom)
We still would like:
one fruit tray - 8-9 kids -
one veggie tray - 8-9 kids -
one sweet treat x 16 -
cheese & crackers & meat tray for 16 -
***Please remember that all treats coming into the classroom must be nut-free and fish free.
Thursday, February 16 - Kinder Family Night - Kinder families return to school at 6:00pm and meet in the Gym to make a “whole-family” craft and share in the pot-luck and fellowship of being part of the Keenoo family. The pot-luck items are up to you (anything goes!) - we will provide plates, cutlery, and napkins for the group.
Friday, February 17 - Silver Carnival - This is an afternoon activity - Morning children are invited to come back to school to participate. The “big kids” set up games and centres in their classroom for us to visit. The games cost $0.25 and all the money raised goes to support Keenooshayo’s foster child, Kendy. If you have a Morning student who would be interested in coming to Silver Carnival please let me know and we can arrange groups to accommodate you.
Monday, February 20 - NO SCHOOL - Family Day
February 21 - 24 - Scholastic Book Fair in the school Library (coincides with the big kids’ Parent/Teacher Learning Conferences). **Kindergarten Celebration of Learning will not occur until March 20 - 22. More info will come closer to those dates.
Wednesday, March 1 - NO Kindergarten
Friday, March 17 - Kinder Bowling Field Trip ***There will be NO MORNING CLASS on this day. ***ALL my students need to be at the school by 12:45pm to catch the bus to the St. Albert Bowling Centre. We will be back to school by 3:15pm***. Please send your little person in their green Kinder-field trip shirt. More reminders will be sent closer to the date.
March 20 - 22 - Kindergarten Celebrations of Learning - One hour time slots will be available for booking so you can come in and watch your little Stars shine as they become the teacher and show you what they have been learning. I will send out an email when the On-line scheduling system will be open for booking a time.
March 24 - April 2 - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
As always, if there are any questions or concerns please let me know and we will work together to figure things out.
Take care,
Karen
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
Good morning everyone! I am not the most technology-savvy and I am the first to admit it! I don't know where my first January update went and I apologize for not getting it fixed sooner. It was here & now it's not...so we'll try again!
Welcome back! We are now into week 2 of our new year and things are going well! We are re-establishing our routines and remembering what an "inside voice" sounds like! We are working on remembering our letters and their sounds and how to sit at Circle without lying down or touching our neighbours! We are remembering that it is hard to share with 16-18 other people but that is our job at school! We are really working on remembering that we have to take turns talking and being respectful listeners when it isn't our turn! All things considered 2017 is off to a great start in Kindergarten.
Our Polar bear and Penguin theme is underway and we have found a website that let's us watch polar bears in their natural habitat in northern Manitoba (National Geographic Kids). We have been discussing the Earth, the polar ice caps, and the imaginary line around the middle (equator) where it is too hot for penguins or polar bears to live.
We have also started our Star of the Week in both classes. We will feature a student each week based on the paperwork packages "All About Me" that you completed before Christmas. Each child will also be encouraged to bring a Show & Share item each day of their Star Week to talk about with their friends. We will do a random draw each Friday to pick the next Star and I will send or email a note home to let you know when it is your child's turn!
Next week we have our At-school Soapstone Polar Bear field trip! It is so much fun and the children will be bringing home a cute keepsake. Thank you in advance to all the parents who have signed up to help. Please wear something that you don't mind getting wet/dirty.
Have a wonderful day. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Take care,
Karen
Friday, December 30th
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday and time with your family and friends to enjoy the best of the season. It has been very busy around the Gysens with little nephews up for Christmas and of course the excitement of a visit from the jolly man in the red suit! A grand time was had by all. We cleaned up from those festivities and then went to Airdrie to see the other side of the family where the children are older but nonetheless as much fun to visit with. We are finally home today and it is quiet; almost too quiet! Our festivities will continue as we celebrate our eldest son's birthday tomorrow by telephone as he will be in Wainwright working an ambulance shift. Hopefully we will actually see him in early January - it is tough as they grow up and begin their own lives. Cherish all the little moments now!
I would like to take a moment to thank you for all the wonderful presents - I was honestly overwhelmed by your generosity - thank you so much for everything, including the greatest gift of having the opportunity to be a part of your little person's life. I hope you all continue to enjoy the holidays and best wishes for a safe, happy start to 2017!
Just a reminder that we start school again on Monday, January 9th - normal schedules for both classes.
Take care & Happy New Year.
Karen
Friday, December 9th
Dear Kinder-families,
I want to share how proud I am of both my classes with you all - they were amazing on their respective field trips to the Library for the Christmas Around the World presentation and Gingerbread house decorating. If you are wondering about the elf stories that are perhaps being discussed at home we had the pleasure of being treated by the Library Elf to a candy cane in our boots at the end of our trip! Apparently there is a sneaky elf that eats apples and candy left on the volunteers' desks. We tried our best to be quiet and sneak out of the Library in hopes of seeing him but to no avail! :) The magic of Christmas is alive and well in Kindergarten! I'd also like to thank all of our wonderful volunteer parents and grandparents and all of you for sending in candy. Your generosity made our day wonderful!
We have another fun week coming up with our Christmas concert coming up next week. Please see the Home page for the details on times. **Morning children are invited/encouraged to attend the Afternoon performance on Thursday. If you are able to return your child to school by 1pm we would really like them to be here!
Please get in touch if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!
Take care,
Karen
Below you will find the words to our Christmas Concert song...the kids are off to a great start with learning the words and actions! If you are able to set aside time on December 15th to see the performance it will be cute! Your assistance with practice at home would be appreciated.
The Cookie Baking Song
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
Decorate, decorate,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
Decorate, decorate,
Eat, eat, eat, eat,
and sing the cookie baking song!
YUM!!!!!!
We will also be singing “Feliz Navidad” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” with the school for the concert finale.
November 27, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I can hardly believe that it is almost the end of November! We have 53 fishies represented in our School Days fish bowl and we have learned a lot in that time. I am so proud of all my children!
Recently we have been working on printing our names in a straight line from left to right with an Uppercase letter at the beginning (names start with an uppercase letter as it shows they are important) and all the rest lower case. If you have time at home please go over this with your child - some of us still need help remembering what letters are in our name and where they go. At this point we should be able to do our name from memory and some assistance at home will help make this happen.
We have also done some intense, focused work on the letters: Cc, Dd, Aa, Gg, Qq, Oo, Ss, Ff, and Ee. The children should be able to recognize these letters by name and by sounds - C says /k/ - cookie, car & /s/ - circle, centre; D says /d/ - dog, door; A says /ă/ - apple, ax, /ā/ - ate, ape; G says /g/ - grape, give, /j/ - gentle, giraffe; Q says /kw/ - quilt, quiet. O says /ŏ/ - on, off, /ō/- open, over, /oo/ - school, loop, /oo/ - book, hook; S says /s/ - snake, silly, song; F – says /f/ - fun, fantastic, fabulous; and E says /ĕ/ - egg, elephant and /ē/ - eek!, eel, and Easter. We have talked about English being tricky with all these sounds but we are smart and we can do it!! Please review these letters and sounds at home when you have the chance. We love to do word brainstorms at school where we think of all the words we can with a given letter or sound. Learning can happen anywhere – in the car while driving (riding) and looking at the signs, at the kitchen table – letters on food boxes, bottles, placemats, in the neighbourhood – while on our bikes, scooters, or sleds, street signs, and house decorations, even in the bathtub with magnet letters, soap containers, shampoo or bubble bottles! Paper and pencils are not required for learning to happen!
As we are learning more and more letters and sounds the children are noticing letters around the school and trying to sound out words - it is incredible to watch them expand their knowledge! ***Knowing how to read is not a Kindergarten requirement. I have received some very positive feedback about our Home Reading program from you - I would just like to reiterate that we are not trying to force the children to read but rather expose them to literature. If they tell you what is happening in the picture it counts. If you read the Home Reader to them it counts! If they pick out letters they know it counts! If they have memorized the words and read with you it counts! If they can read and track each word with their finger it counts! As adults we are facilitating their success by helping them love books - reading will happen when the child is ready if we give them the time, tools, and practice. In the Home Reading Logs please make one entry per day (night), date and initial the line and return the book to school so your child can pick a new one. If life intervenes, as it often does, and you don't have the opportunity to read every night don't worry about it! Read when you can - we want this to be an enjoyable experience for your child and you! Reading and comprehension becomes crucial in Grades 1 - 12 - let's start our children on the right path now by making/keeping literacy fun! If it becomes a “chore” or a contentious issue with your little person send me a note and we will pull back and try again later.
Thank you to everyone who attended Parent/Teacher interviews last week. I hope it was an insightful look into your child’s learning environment. I enjoyed the opportunity to have a chance to sit (in tiny chairs) and talk with you about your incredible child! Their growth as individuals in the Kindergarten community and as a class, both Morning and Afternoon, has been amazing so far and I am very proud of each and every one of them.
Things to look forward to:
Wednesday, December 7th – No Kindergarten (1st Wednesday Staff Meeting = Half Day for Grades 1-6)
Thursday, December 8th - MORNING CLASS Fieldtrip to the Public Library - Christmas Around the World – please have your child wear his/her green fieldtrip shirt.
Friday, December 9th - AFTERNOON CLASS Fieldtrip to the Public Library - Christmas Around the World – please have your child wear his/her green fieldtrip shirt.
***The children in all three Kinder classes will be decorating a personal-sized graham cracker ‘gingerbread’ house to bring home. Each child will need to bring a small bag of candies for decorating by December 6th. (If you have Halloween candies still hanging around this is a great way to get them out of your house!! Other options include: jellybeans, gumballs, Swedish berries, sour cherries, gumdrops, Smarties, etc.) Please do not send nuts. I will mix everything together and hand out the assortment of candies at the Library - this works on our goal of sharing and being part of a community. (I provide the graham crackers and the Library provides the icing.)
Thursday, December 15th - School Christmas Concert - Of course, I am not biased or anything, but we are the best part of the show! We have two performances – one in the afternoon, during school hours and another in the evening. Please drop your child off at the classroom at 5:45pm – we will keep them entertained until we go on stage. Morning children are invited and encouraged to participate in the Afternoon performance. More information on the finer details/logistics will be sent home closer to the concert date.
Thursday, December 22nd - Pancakes and Jammies at school! This is our traditional way of celebrating the last day before Christmas break. We come to school in our jammies and slippers, make pancakes, and have fun!
Friday, December 23rd – No Kindergarten! We will see everyone back on January 9th.
***We talk about Christmas and holidays that other cultures celebrate during this time of the year. If your family does not celebrate Christmas please contact me so I can include your family's traditions or celebrations in our talks.***
Thank you for all you do at home to make our year so successful. I am grateful for the time I have with your little person. If you have questions or concerns please do not ever hesitate to get in touch with me. Go Team!
Take care,
Karen
November 12, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I want to take a moment to express how proud I am of my Kinder-children for their utmost respect during the Remembrance Day ceremony at school and to thank one of our Dads who spoke during the ceremony - Well done! As an "army wife" for 20 years I will never forget the impact of what our CF members strive to achieve both here and abroad. Even now with my husband retired from that life it is still a most important day for us. My Kinder-children in both classes, despite their tender ages, were able to sit, listen, and show respect during our discussions leading up to Remembrance Day - I am so very proud of all of you! I'd also like to thank my kids for coming to say hi on Friday morning after the city ceremony - it was great to see you there.
***Onto another serious topic - upon dismissal when your children are playing at the front of the school please do not let them climb on the brick ledge of the flower beds or dismantle the tiles leading to the front doors. For obvious safety reasons we cannot have the children in the flower beds or on the retaining wall bricks and we are constantly working on being respectful of other people and property at school. Thank you for your assistance.
Starting on Monday, November 14th, the children will be bringing home our Home Reading books and Recording Log! One book per school night to help them get ready for the routine in Grade 1. It is very important to note that independent reading is NOT a Kindergarten requirement - our intent is to provide exposure to literature, introduce high frequency words, to practice finding letters we know on the pages, getting our mouths ready to say those letters, and to recognize that individual letters go together to build words and words go together to build stories. An introduction letter will go home on Monday explaining the program.
We have been working very hard on our letters at school - you may have noticed some of our efforts coming home with bingo dabbers and stickers, highlighters and crayons, and scissor work and glue! We are also using play dough, mini chalkboards, dry erase sheets, magnets, brainstorming sessions and games to help the children experience success. To date we have worked on Cc, Dd, Aa, Gg, Qq, Oo, and Ss intensively. Your little person should be able to easily recognize theses letter and their sounds. If you have a few moments at supper time, in the car, at the store, or even during bath time please work with your child to lock these letters in! Learning can happen anywhere! We use many approaches at school and do the letters in both ABC order (like the song) and out of order so the children can see each letter on its own - it is interesting each year to see how many kids think LMNOP is a single letter! We are making great progress and with your help and support to reinforce the concepts at home the children are well on their way.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Take care,
Karen
November 6, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
Welcome to November! The school year is just flying by! Halloween was well received by all the Kinder-kids - thank you to all my wonderful parents for dressing up your little person for the class parties and thank you to the parents who provided the food and treats. Your generosity is most appreciated by all of us. I have one square rubbermaid container left over from the Morning class without a name on it - if it is yours please let me know and I will get it back to you.
November is now underway and we are busy preparing our poppy art for the school's Remembrance Day assembly on Thursday, November 10th. All my children and families are invited to attend -> 10:30am in the Gym. If you are a CF member or member of police services please consider wearing your uniform and joining us on this special day.
As November proceeds we will focus on peace and celebrating each other's special gifts, recognizing that we are all people first and foremost. We will also start learning our song for the Christmas concert - The Cookie Baking Song! The words will be coming home for some extra practice for the the big performances on December 15th. We have a dress rehearsal and two performances, one in the early afternoon and one in the evening. More information will be provided closer to December.
In late November we start talking about cultural activities around the world in celebration of Christmas. If you have a special holiday tradition please talk to your little person about it and they can share it with us during our discussions. If your family does not celebrate Christmas please let me know and we can discuss ways to integrate what your family does during the holidays. We will be getting together with our Big Buddies to write letters to Santa in early December. Santa has always written back in the past and included your child's letter in case you were wondering about potential presents! ;) If Santa is not part of your holiday cheer please let me know and we will make alternate arrangements.
On November 22, 23, and 24th there will be Parent-Teacher Learning Conferences. These are 20 minute meetings where we get together to discuss your child's successes and areas that we will be working on over the course of our year together. The online registration system will be available for you to pick a time slot as of November 8th. An info letter will be coming home with how to access that system. If you have concerns of any sort I am here to work with you so your child's learning adventure is a positive experience.
Keep watching for updates and thank you to all the parents who have volunteered both in and out of the classroom. We couldn't be amazing without you!
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me.
Take care,
Karen
October 16, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend - it has been a bit of a guessing game as to what footwear and jacket to choose to match the weather! Please make sure your little person is appropriately dressed when they come to school - mittens, a hat, boots, and a warm jacket. Snow pants/splash pants may be necessary sooner than we thought (hoped) but are a critical part of the "stay dry and warm" factor. On that note, it would be really helpful if you could take some time at home to have your child practice putting on their snow clothes - for example: turning sleeves right side out, putting snow pants on before their coat, putting on their coat right side up, etc. We are developing our independence - the children need to show me that they are trying but I am here to help with the sticky zippers that like to "eat" the surrounding fabric, help with mittens, and getting backpacks on. We are still learning and it takes time to adjust to all the extra clothing winter in Alberta demands!
I would like to take a moment to congratulate all my little people for their outstanding behaviour at Prairie Gardens and on the bus rides - Kinder-kiddos, I am so proud of you! Despite the chilly weather and gloomy skies everyone had fun in the corn maze, gem mine, baby pumpkin hut, the train ride, playgrounds, petting zoo, Pumpkin Soup puppet show and for those who dared, the haunted house! A giant thank you goes out to all the helper parents/grandparents who made our day so successful -we really could not have done this without you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And thank you to Mary-Ann, Chrissy and Charlene for recruiting the volunteers!
As we have passed the mid-way mark in October we start to think of Halloween. One of our upcoming craft projects is a milk-jug monster. Please send in a clean, 4L milk jug as soon as possible so they can be prepped for decorating with our Grade 5 & 6 buddies. If you don't drink milk in this size please talk to your family and friends and see if they can save you one. Super Store also sells them filled with water if you are really stuck. We need the milk jugs by October 24th.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Have a great Sunday.
Take care,
Karen
October 10, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all my families are doing well and enjoying the weekend. I have had a houseful of family and friends and we took advantage of this day to have fun, cook enough to feed a battalion, and laugh at old stories! I am thankful for so many things!
**Just a reminder that there will be NO SCHOOL tomorrow, too (Tuesday, October 11). The teachers will be there for PD sessions but the children do not come back until Wednesday.
**And another reminder that we have our Prairie Gardens field trip on Thursday, October 13th. Please remember to dress for the weather as we are outside for the majority of the day. The forecasted temperature is between 2 and 5 degrees but if we are prepared for the cold we will still have fun! The children will need a full lunch, snacks, and enough water for the day.
Your little person, Morning and Afternoon classes, MUST BE AT SCHOOL by 8:45am and will be returned to you when we return by the end of the school day. Be prepared for a tired little one!
If you have "big kids" at Keenooshayo they have Parent Teacher Learning Conferences this week. Kindergarten conferences will be in November and I will let you know when our sign up is open. If you have questions or concerns at any time we can set up a meeting to discuss things.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and extra day with your little people. I'll see you on Wednesday.
Take care,
Karen
October 2, 2016
Happy October Kinder-families!
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. October is off to a lovely start and it will be a great month at school too.
I would like to take a moment to welcome our newest student in the Afternoon class - Kokoro and family, Welcome to Kindergarten and welcome to Keenooshayo. I hope you are settling in and enjoying your new home and school.
It has been a great week - all the Kinders did a fabulous job in the Terry Fox Run! I am so proud of all of you for trying your best and for supporting Terry's dream! You have all helped make a difference! :)
Coming up this week we will have our first NO KINDERGARTEN day. The first Wednesday of the month is a half day for Grades 1 - 6. We cannot offer programming to one class and not the other so to keep all "fair" we do not have any Kinder classes on these days. We resume as usual on Thursday, October 6th. If you forget and try to drop your little person off they will be sent home with you or if they are a bus student you will be called to come pick them up. This month I will be at District Office for a Kindergarten Meeting and will not be at the school that morning.
On Friday we will be having our annual kick-off to Thanksgiving with the Turkey Trot run! It is in the back field (where we ran our Terry Fox run) and we chase down a teacher in a giant turkey costume! It is all done in good fun! :)
Our October Scholastic book order will be going home tomorrow and is due back at school on Friday, October 7th. Hopefully we will get the books in time for Halloween. If your children are in my classes and you would like to use a credit card for payment, please remember to choose Mrs. Henneberry as the teacher (we share the account across all three Kinder-classes). There is no expectation or pressure to buy - this is a completely voluntary choice.
There will be no school on Monday, October 10 for Thanksgiving. There is also no school on Tuesday, October 11 for the children. Staff will be there for professional development (PD Day).
On Thursday, October 13 we will be going to Prairie Gardens! This is a fun, all day field trip so expect your little person to come home exhausted!
Have a great week, everyone. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
We successfully completed an entire 5-day week of school! Some of us were exhausted by Friday (and not just the children!). It was another great week and both my classes are doing quite well with adjusting to the routines and expectations of classroom life. We have worked on colouring, cutting, drawing Matman with the help of our Occupational Therapist team. We also learned what a lock-down was and practiced the procedure. Kindergarten is full of “firsts” and we are rockin’ them so far!
We have also started working on being independent – the children have to show us that they are trying to do various jobs first before asking for help… putting on shoes and coats, zipping back packs, opening snacks and containers for example. We do provide assistance with a “how-to” lesson as well. If you could please help us at home by allowing your child to do basic jobs like dressing himself or herself and sorting out inside-out coat sleeves we will conquer the independence issue much faster!
On a similar note, Kindergarten-age children should be able to independently manage bathroom hygiene like wiping themselves. In cases of illness-related bathroom crises I can call for assistance but on a daily basis it is not practical or reasonable in our learning environment for the whole class to stand in the hall and wait each time a bottom needs to be wiped. Thank you, in advance, for your help at home in achieving this important goal.
Thank you to Mary-Ann (Rhys’s mom) and Chrissy (Alexis’s mom) for offering to be our Morning Class Volunteer Coordinators. As soon as I get all the email address papers (it was a green sheet) back the coordinators, in both classes, will be in touch to organize classroom and fieldtrip volunteers. There will be many opportunities to help – in the classroom, at-home prep jobs, fieldtrips, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. Thanks for the great week.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Dear Kinder-parents,
The first full week of Kindergarten is successfully behind us and what an incredible week it was! We are working on daily routines, practicing our manners, learning what a respectful audience looks like, and learning about sharing and taking turns; basic life skills that will stick with us into adulthood. We have also jumped into art projects (with many, many more to come), we met our Grade 6 (Morning class) and Grade 5 (Afternoon class) Buddies who helped us shuck corn, survived a fire drill, and we have had our first “at school” field trip where we learned all about bus safety, “the danger zone”, and got to jump out of the back of a real school bus! I’d say our Kinder-year is off to a great start!
Kinder Stuff to Know About:
Although I am only with the children part time I am always available if you have questions or concerns. My contact information is: [email protected]; 780-459-3114 and your call can be transferred to me or you can leave a message, through the Kinder website contact form at http://kinderkaren.weebly.com, or in person.
Thank you all for an amazing first full week. I am looking forward to a fabulous year with our Kinder-kids!
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 4
Congratulations! We survived the first few days of Kindergarten and it looked like all the Kinder-kids had a great time during their staggered entry chasing those gingerbread cookies around the school. This is one of those fun experiences that will hopefully stay with them as they grow up - school can be a magical place! This year my favourite parts were when one exuberant youngster rushed into the Office saying, "What did you do with the cookies?" and when we opened the oven, the cookies were gone and a little one proclaimed, "Those cookies are very naughty!" I love my job so much and I am looking forward to an amazing year with your little person.
As we officially start with our first "full" class time on Tuesday there are some things to remember:
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the holiday Monday. See you Tuesday!
Take care,
Karen
Contact info: 780-459-3114, [email protected], http://kinderkaren.weebly.com, http://keem.spschools.org - look for Mrs. Gysen under the eTeacher tab.
Dear Former Kinder-families,
Thank you all for a wonderful year! Enjoy your summer holidays and good luck to all our new Grade 1 students! I will miss you but you can always say hi in the hall or come see me in Room 144! :)
Take care,
Karen
June 17, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
Thank you to all the families who attended our Rocket-blasting Family Night. I hope you had as much fun as I did watching the smiles and hearing the giggles and shrieks of delight as the rockets took to the sky!
The fun is not done...we have our Splash Park days coming up this week - Afternoon kiddos will go on Tuesday, June 20 (regular Morning class) and Morning Kiddos will go on Wednesday, June 21st (regular Afternoon class). If we get rained out we will find something fun to keep us busy at school.
The Du-athlon and Fun Day are next week - Tuesday, June 27th. I will get an email sent out soon to let you know what your little person has picked (Cyclist or Runner) and the itinerary for the day. It is an ALL DAY event for both classes. We start with the Du-athlon at school and then walk over to Kingswood Park for fun games, a hike through River Lot 56, and time to cheer on our Grade 5 & 6 Buddies in their Duathlon. We will need enough food and water (lunch and snacks) for the day plus sunscreen, a hat, and bug spray. There will be a concession providing hot dogs, freezies, and drinks - I believe everything will be sold for $1 each; I will confirm this as soon as possible and let you know.
Wednesday, June 28th will be our last day in Kindergarten! We are nearing our Kinder Finish Line and I am full of pride at what 'our' children have accomplished this year. Growth looks different for every child and we have all taken giant steps forward since our Kinder Families formed in September. Your little person will come home with all their final art and work samples, their shoes, and spare clothes (these may not fit anymore!!), and our version of a report card. The children are assessed as "Meets Expectations" or "Developing" in a variety of curricular expectations. PLEASE do not misinterpret "Developing" as something negative...every child is leaving Kindergarten with a greater skill set than when they arrived; some skills just take a bit longer to master and this is only the beginning of the adventure! **The big kids (Grades 1-6) will return on the morning of June 30th to get their report cards but Kindergarten students do not have to attend that day. I will be in the building if anyone wants to stop by, however!! :)
Happy Father's Day wishes to all our amazing Dads and Grandpas! Enjoy your day tomorrow.
If anyone has questions or concerns please let me know.
Take care,
Karen
PS: If your holidays are going to start prior to June 28th please let me know so I can have everything packed up for your little person's last day.
May 23, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
When we added our fish to the fishbowl today we had to trade in 10 baby fish to make our bundle and we are at 150 days of Kindergarten! It has been quite a year already and we are not done yet! The fun never stops in Room 101!!
Thank you to all the families who made it to the Celebrate MOMs night - it was terrific to see the projects you created! I enjoyed watching those brave adults hold the nails while the children managed the hammers! These are the memories you will hopefully cherish forever. :) I hope the families that couldn't be with us had a good time creating the projects at home. If you are still confused on how to construct your caterpillars please give me a shout. Family Night #3 is coming up on Thursday, June 15th where we celebrate with bottle rocket creating and blasting and our last potluck of the year. I hope you will be able to join us - it is SO much fun!
Our Children's Festival Field trip is coming up next week (Tuesday, May 30th) - permission slips will be going home this week and they must be back by Monday, May 29th. This is an ALL DAY field trip so ALL my children must be at school by 8:50am. We will be boarding the bus at 9:10am for a day's worth of fun at the Festival. Please dress your child accordingly for the weather as we go rain or shine. Please put their green field t-shirt on them - the visibility factor increases with the bright green! Also, please pack enough food and water for the whole day - we will not be buying food or drinks or souvenirs so there is no need to send money. We will return to school by 3:00pm with the normal afternoon dismissal for pick up. Morning families - please pick up your little person by 3:25pm - there will be no bus service for Morning bus children..
We are continuing to work hard on our early literacy and numeracy skills. Your little person should be recognizing the letters in the alphabet, attaching sounds to the letters, and putting the sounds together to come up with little words. They should also be recognizing numbers from 0 to 10 and matching them to their respective quantities. We have started to work on 3D shapes and how they pop-up everywhere in our environment! This is the poem we are learning to help us remember our 3D shape names:
3D shapes are FAT not flat
A cone is like a party hat,
A sphere is like a bouncy ball,
A prism is a building tall.
A cylinder is like a can of pop,
A cube is like the dice we drop.
3D shapes are here and there
3D shapes are EVERYWHERE!
In science we are attempting to grow plants and explore the importance of insects and in Social studies we are focusing on our social skills and how we all have different talents and gifts that help us work together in our school Kinder-family. We are also continuing to work on being respectful of each others' space and not interrupting when others are speaking. There has been so much learning this year and the children have all grown so much, both physically and cognitively! I am so proud of each one of my Kinder-kids!
Just a quick reminder - this Friday, May 26th is the Grade 6 fundraiser to help fight child hunger. The "Silent Market" will be selling keychains, bracelets, pencil toppers, baked goods, etc for $0.50 to $1.00. If you would like your child to participate please send them with their money and we will make sure they have a chance to go to the Market.
Thanks for another terrific month! I appreciate all the volunteers who have made our learning so much fun.
Take care,
Karen
April 27, 2017 (Sent out originally as an email to all parents)
Dear Kinder-parents,
I hope everyone enjoyed the Oilers spectacular show of heart and determination last night! Go Oilers!
- As for Kinder-updates, in case you didn't remember or see the little note in the Agendas or the posters in the school lobby, today (April 27) is Rice Krispie square day with the proceeds going to support the SPCA. The Grade 2s will be selling the treats for $1. If you choose to participate please send $1 with your little person. (This is completely voluntary).
- Our Winspear Field trip is coming up on Monday, May 1st! ALL my Kinder-children MUST be at school by 9am. Morning children please follow your regular school routine. Afternoon children please come to the classroom when you arrive. *Please make sure your little person has had an adequate breakfast - there is no food allowed in the Winspear and we are not allowed to eat on the bus so there is no need to send a snack or even their backpacks. We are also requesting the children wear nice clothes - no ripped knees, etc. We will be returning to Keenoo by 12:00pm. Morning children - Please advise your "pick-up" person of this slight change in our schedule. There will be NO Afternoon class.
- *******PLEASE do not send nuts to school in your child's snack. We have three children in the Morning and Afternoon classes who have life-threatening nut allergies and this does extend beyond peanuts - almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, filberts, Nutella, almond butter, etc - ALL NUTS and NUT PRODUCTS. We are talking anaphylaxis, Epi-pens, and ambulances - the safety of my kids depends on your co-operation. (This has been posted on the class website Home Page since September).*********
- If you are running late and arrive after class starts please say your good-byes at the door and send your child in. He or she is very capable at this point in the year of taking off their coat & dealing with their backpack and classroom jobs independently. We are here to support them and guide them. I know it is hard to let go but it is important that your little person grows and becomes independent and confident in his/her abilities. Your co-operation with this issue will also help minimize the disruption/distraction for the other children in the class. Class starts at 8:50am for Morning children and 12:43 for Afternoon children.
Thank you all so much for all the help and support your are providing at home to facilitate your child's school success. Also thank you to all our wonderful classroom volunteers! We appreciate you giving up your time and helping us.
Have a fantastic Thursday. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Take care,
Karen
April 2, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope everyone has enjoyed the time away from school and managed to fit in some fun and relaxation. I spent the first few days being sick with the stomach flu but have managed to be upright and productive for the last 5! Not how I had imagined things but that's okay. At least the germs are gone and I won't be sharing with your little people.
As we head back to school tomorrow we will be "roaring" into the last bit of our school year with our Dinosaur unit. I can hardly believe that it is April and we are in the home stretch of our school year - there is still a lot of fun to be had, messes to be made, and learning to accomplish. Kindergarten is an amazing place to be and I am looking forward to getting back to my kids and on with our adventures.
Dates to be aware of:
Monday, April 3 - Parent Council Meeting - 7pm
Wednesday, April 5 - NO KINDERGARTEN - Staff Meeting day.
Friday, April 14 - Good Friday - NO SCHOOL
Monday, April 17 - Easter Monday - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, April 18 - District-wide PD Day - NO SCHOOL
Friday, April 21 - Earth Day Assembly
April 25 & 26 - Kindergarten 2017-18 Test Drives - We get to show next year's Kinders what school is all about!
Thank you so much to all the people who have been volunteering in our classroom - your help and willingness to dive into the art projects and our everyday jobs is most appreciated! We could not do this without you!
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please get in touch.
Take care,
Karen
Monday March 20, 2017
Spring has sprung according to the calendar! Mother Nature has plans of her own but that is okay as Kindergarten gets ready for Spring Break! It has been a terrific month of learning about under the sea life. The kids are always so excited to tell me new sea facts that they have researched at home - I love it!
We also had a terrific field trip to the Bowling Alley - a huge thank you to ALL my super Moms, Dads, Grandmas, and Aunties who helped take the wrinkles out the day and make sure the children had a memorable and fun experience. You have my appreciation and gratitude!
Don't forget we have Celebrations of Learning this week - Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday after school (4:30 - 7:30). Please remember to book your appointments!
Also, please remember that there is no school on Friday, March 24 - this is the beginning of Spring Break. School resumes on April 3rd.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
We are now into March and the last part of our school year will be unfolding! February seems to have flown by and now we can turn our thoughts to Spring despite the latest trouncing of snow!
We have said good bye to our Penguin unit - I hope you have all enjoyed hearing about penguin life! We are moving on to Under the Sea so there will be many more interesting facts coming home. We have also been working very hard on recognizing letters by sight and sound, recognizing numbers up to 10 and their respective quantities, patterns, measurement, and early reading skills like putting the sounds to together to build words among other things like sharing, taking turns, and being 'a respectful audience member' during Show and Share. Thank you to all the parents who have been practicing letters and numbers, printing at home, and helping with Home Reading - I am noticing the growth and confidence in your little people and it is amazing to watch! Bravo, Kinder kids! I am so proud of you.
As a bit of 'housekeeping' we are really working hard on developing the children's independence - if you are running late and arrive after class has started, please sign your child in at the Office, stamp their hand with the stamper, and then walk them down to our room. Please say goodbye at the door and send your little person in to do their jobs as this minimizes the distraction for the other students and promotes independence for your child. Thanks for your help with this. Just a gentle reminder that Kindergarten starts at 8:50am for the Morning Class and 12:43pm for the Afternoon class.
A giant thank you goes out to all parents, grandparents, and aunties and uncles that have volunteered to date - We couldn't do everything without you coming in or taking things home to prep them. I appreciate all that you do to make our learning successful and fun.
Things to Look Forward to:
Monday, March 13 - Jump Rope for Heart - We will be practicing our jump rope skills during Gym time and then on March 13th we have a big jump celebration! All fundraising forms should be returned by this date.
Friday, March 17 - Kinder Bowling Field Trip ***There will be NO MORNING CLASS on this day. ***ALL my students need to be at the school by 12:35pm to catch the bus to the St. Albert Bowling Centre. We will be back to school by 3:15pm***. Please send your little person in their green Kinder-field trip shirt. The Permission slip will be coming home soon.
March 20 - 22 - Kindergarten Celebrations of Learning - One hour time slots are available for booking so you can come in and watch your little Star shine as they become the teacher and show you what they have been learning.
March 24 - April 2 - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
April 5 - NO Kindergarten
April 14-17 - Easter - NO SCHOOL
April 18 - District Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Take care,
Karen
Friday, February 3, 2017 (taken from my email sent out on Feb. 2)
Dear Kinder-families,
2017 is off to an incredible start in Kindergarten! I cannot believe that we are into February already - January was a fun-filled month of polar bears with lots of crafts, learning, ice cream bears, and an "at-school" field trip! We will be transitioning to penguins over the next few days which are just as much fun! I hope the children are coming home and sharing their new knowledge with you. I remember my boys coming home and telling me they did nothing at school all day but then at bedtime they would remember and want to share every detail! I miss those days! :)
I have a quick housekeeping matter to bring up - School start times are 8:50am for the Morning class and 12:43pm for the Afternoon class. If we have already left the lobby please stop and sign your child in (green binder on the front counter) at the Office so the Attendance record is accurate and our Office staff are not phoning you to make sure everyone is safe.
Upcoming things to remember:
Friday, February 3 - Kinder Grad Photos - the children will have their picture taken in little Caps & Gowns (and they are so cute!) and there is a casual pose as well. The children will bring home a code so you can see the pictures on-line and then order if you are interested. This is a voluntary choice with no pressure to buy. I will speak to the photographer about a “re-take” day for the children who are away on vacation. I will also make sure the children have clean faces at photo time.
Thursday, February 9 & Friday, February 10 - NO SCHOOL - Teachers’ Convention
Tuesday, February 14 - Valentine’s Day - Each class will have a party during their regular time at school. Our Volunteer Coordinators have emailed for class volunteers and food volunteers for that day. If you haven’t received the email please let me know and I will touch base with the Coordinators to make sure we all have the same address to ensure future communication is successful. Class lists were sent home last week in case you might need lots of time for the children to get their cards written.
Afternoon Class Party item updates since our Coordinator is going to be away:
juice boxes covered x 16 (Chantal N. - Maliya's mom)
one fruit tray (8-9 kids) (Akiko M - Brody's mom)
one veggie tray (8-9 kids) (Amy S - Noah's mom)
one sweet treat x 16 (Charlene H - Gavin H's mom)
We still would like:
one fruit tray - 8-9 kids -
one veggie tray - 8-9 kids -
one sweet treat x 16 -
cheese & crackers & meat tray for 16 -
***Please remember that all treats coming into the classroom must be nut-free and fish free.
Thursday, February 16 - Kinder Family Night - Kinder families return to school at 6:00pm and meet in the Gym to make a “whole-family” craft and share in the pot-luck and fellowship of being part of the Keenoo family. The pot-luck items are up to you (anything goes!) - we will provide plates, cutlery, and napkins for the group.
Friday, February 17 - Silver Carnival - This is an afternoon activity - Morning children are invited to come back to school to participate. The “big kids” set up games and centres in their classroom for us to visit. The games cost $0.25 and all the money raised goes to support Keenooshayo’s foster child, Kendy. If you have a Morning student who would be interested in coming to Silver Carnival please let me know and we can arrange groups to accommodate you.
Monday, February 20 - NO SCHOOL - Family Day
February 21 - 24 - Scholastic Book Fair in the school Library (coincides with the big kids’ Parent/Teacher Learning Conferences). **Kindergarten Celebration of Learning will not occur until March 20 - 22. More info will come closer to those dates.
Wednesday, March 1 - NO Kindergarten
Friday, March 17 - Kinder Bowling Field Trip ***There will be NO MORNING CLASS on this day. ***ALL my students need to be at the school by 12:45pm to catch the bus to the St. Albert Bowling Centre. We will be back to school by 3:15pm***. Please send your little person in their green Kinder-field trip shirt. More reminders will be sent closer to the date.
March 20 - 22 - Kindergarten Celebrations of Learning - One hour time slots will be available for booking so you can come in and watch your little Stars shine as they become the teacher and show you what they have been learning. I will send out an email when the On-line scheduling system will be open for booking a time.
March 24 - April 2 - SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
As always, if there are any questions or concerns please let me know and we will work together to figure things out.
Take care,
Karen
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Dear Kinder-families,
Good morning everyone! I am not the most technology-savvy and I am the first to admit it! I don't know where my first January update went and I apologize for not getting it fixed sooner. It was here & now it's not...so we'll try again!
Welcome back! We are now into week 2 of our new year and things are going well! We are re-establishing our routines and remembering what an "inside voice" sounds like! We are working on remembering our letters and their sounds and how to sit at Circle without lying down or touching our neighbours! We are remembering that it is hard to share with 16-18 other people but that is our job at school! We are really working on remembering that we have to take turns talking and being respectful listeners when it isn't our turn! All things considered 2017 is off to a great start in Kindergarten.
Our Polar bear and Penguin theme is underway and we have found a website that let's us watch polar bears in their natural habitat in northern Manitoba (National Geographic Kids). We have been discussing the Earth, the polar ice caps, and the imaginary line around the middle (equator) where it is too hot for penguins or polar bears to live.
We have also started our Star of the Week in both classes. We will feature a student each week based on the paperwork packages "All About Me" that you completed before Christmas. Each child will also be encouraged to bring a Show & Share item each day of their Star Week to talk about with their friends. We will do a random draw each Friday to pick the next Star and I will send or email a note home to let you know when it is your child's turn!
Next week we have our At-school Soapstone Polar Bear field trip! It is so much fun and the children will be bringing home a cute keepsake. Thank you in advance to all the parents who have signed up to help. Please wear something that you don't mind getting wet/dirty.
Have a wonderful day. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Take care,
Karen
Friday, December 30th
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday and time with your family and friends to enjoy the best of the season. It has been very busy around the Gysens with little nephews up for Christmas and of course the excitement of a visit from the jolly man in the red suit! A grand time was had by all. We cleaned up from those festivities and then went to Airdrie to see the other side of the family where the children are older but nonetheless as much fun to visit with. We are finally home today and it is quiet; almost too quiet! Our festivities will continue as we celebrate our eldest son's birthday tomorrow by telephone as he will be in Wainwright working an ambulance shift. Hopefully we will actually see him in early January - it is tough as they grow up and begin their own lives. Cherish all the little moments now!
I would like to take a moment to thank you for all the wonderful presents - I was honestly overwhelmed by your generosity - thank you so much for everything, including the greatest gift of having the opportunity to be a part of your little person's life. I hope you all continue to enjoy the holidays and best wishes for a safe, happy start to 2017!
Just a reminder that we start school again on Monday, January 9th - normal schedules for both classes.
Take care & Happy New Year.
Karen
Friday, December 9th
Dear Kinder-families,
I want to share how proud I am of both my classes with you all - they were amazing on their respective field trips to the Library for the Christmas Around the World presentation and Gingerbread house decorating. If you are wondering about the elf stories that are perhaps being discussed at home we had the pleasure of being treated by the Library Elf to a candy cane in our boots at the end of our trip! Apparently there is a sneaky elf that eats apples and candy left on the volunteers' desks. We tried our best to be quiet and sneak out of the Library in hopes of seeing him but to no avail! :) The magic of Christmas is alive and well in Kindergarten! I'd also like to thank all of our wonderful volunteer parents and grandparents and all of you for sending in candy. Your generosity made our day wonderful!
We have another fun week coming up with our Christmas concert coming up next week. Please see the Home page for the details on times. **Morning children are invited/encouraged to attend the Afternoon performance on Thursday. If you are able to return your child to school by 1pm we would really like them to be here!
Please get in touch if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!
Take care,
Karen
Below you will find the words to our Christmas Concert song...the kids are off to a great start with learning the words and actions! If you are able to set aside time on December 15th to see the performance it will be cute! Your assistance with practice at home would be appreciated.
The Cookie Baking Song
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
Decorate, decorate,
and sing the cookie baking song!
We like cookies, how ‘bout you, watch us now, we’ll make a few!
Everybody come along, and sing the cookie baking song!
Measure, measure,
Pour, pour, pour, pour,
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Pat, pat, pat, pat,
Roll, roll, roll, roll,
Cut, cut, cut, cut,
Bake, bake, bake, bake,
Cool, cool, cool, cool,
Decorate, decorate,
Eat, eat, eat, eat,
and sing the cookie baking song!
YUM!!!!!!
We will also be singing “Feliz Navidad” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” with the school for the concert finale.
November 27, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I can hardly believe that it is almost the end of November! We have 53 fishies represented in our School Days fish bowl and we have learned a lot in that time. I am so proud of all my children!
Recently we have been working on printing our names in a straight line from left to right with an Uppercase letter at the beginning (names start with an uppercase letter as it shows they are important) and all the rest lower case. If you have time at home please go over this with your child - some of us still need help remembering what letters are in our name and where they go. At this point we should be able to do our name from memory and some assistance at home will help make this happen.
We have also done some intense, focused work on the letters: Cc, Dd, Aa, Gg, Qq, Oo, Ss, Ff, and Ee. The children should be able to recognize these letters by name and by sounds - C says /k/ - cookie, car & /s/ - circle, centre; D says /d/ - dog, door; A says /ă/ - apple, ax, /ā/ - ate, ape; G says /g/ - grape, give, /j/ - gentle, giraffe; Q says /kw/ - quilt, quiet. O says /ŏ/ - on, off, /ō/- open, over, /oo/ - school, loop, /oo/ - book, hook; S says /s/ - snake, silly, song; F – says /f/ - fun, fantastic, fabulous; and E says /ĕ/ - egg, elephant and /ē/ - eek!, eel, and Easter. We have talked about English being tricky with all these sounds but we are smart and we can do it!! Please review these letters and sounds at home when you have the chance. We love to do word brainstorms at school where we think of all the words we can with a given letter or sound. Learning can happen anywhere – in the car while driving (riding) and looking at the signs, at the kitchen table – letters on food boxes, bottles, placemats, in the neighbourhood – while on our bikes, scooters, or sleds, street signs, and house decorations, even in the bathtub with magnet letters, soap containers, shampoo or bubble bottles! Paper and pencils are not required for learning to happen!
As we are learning more and more letters and sounds the children are noticing letters around the school and trying to sound out words - it is incredible to watch them expand their knowledge! ***Knowing how to read is not a Kindergarten requirement. I have received some very positive feedback about our Home Reading program from you - I would just like to reiterate that we are not trying to force the children to read but rather expose them to literature. If they tell you what is happening in the picture it counts. If you read the Home Reader to them it counts! If they pick out letters they know it counts! If they have memorized the words and read with you it counts! If they can read and track each word with their finger it counts! As adults we are facilitating their success by helping them love books - reading will happen when the child is ready if we give them the time, tools, and practice. In the Home Reading Logs please make one entry per day (night), date and initial the line and return the book to school so your child can pick a new one. If life intervenes, as it often does, and you don't have the opportunity to read every night don't worry about it! Read when you can - we want this to be an enjoyable experience for your child and you! Reading and comprehension becomes crucial in Grades 1 - 12 - let's start our children on the right path now by making/keeping literacy fun! If it becomes a “chore” or a contentious issue with your little person send me a note and we will pull back and try again later.
Thank you to everyone who attended Parent/Teacher interviews last week. I hope it was an insightful look into your child’s learning environment. I enjoyed the opportunity to have a chance to sit (in tiny chairs) and talk with you about your incredible child! Their growth as individuals in the Kindergarten community and as a class, both Morning and Afternoon, has been amazing so far and I am very proud of each and every one of them.
Things to look forward to:
Wednesday, December 7th – No Kindergarten (1st Wednesday Staff Meeting = Half Day for Grades 1-6)
Thursday, December 8th - MORNING CLASS Fieldtrip to the Public Library - Christmas Around the World – please have your child wear his/her green fieldtrip shirt.
Friday, December 9th - AFTERNOON CLASS Fieldtrip to the Public Library - Christmas Around the World – please have your child wear his/her green fieldtrip shirt.
***The children in all three Kinder classes will be decorating a personal-sized graham cracker ‘gingerbread’ house to bring home. Each child will need to bring a small bag of candies for decorating by December 6th. (If you have Halloween candies still hanging around this is a great way to get them out of your house!! Other options include: jellybeans, gumballs, Swedish berries, sour cherries, gumdrops, Smarties, etc.) Please do not send nuts. I will mix everything together and hand out the assortment of candies at the Library - this works on our goal of sharing and being part of a community. (I provide the graham crackers and the Library provides the icing.)
Thursday, December 15th - School Christmas Concert - Of course, I am not biased or anything, but we are the best part of the show! We have two performances – one in the afternoon, during school hours and another in the evening. Please drop your child off at the classroom at 5:45pm – we will keep them entertained until we go on stage. Morning children are invited and encouraged to participate in the Afternoon performance. More information on the finer details/logistics will be sent home closer to the concert date.
Thursday, December 22nd - Pancakes and Jammies at school! This is our traditional way of celebrating the last day before Christmas break. We come to school in our jammies and slippers, make pancakes, and have fun!
Friday, December 23rd – No Kindergarten! We will see everyone back on January 9th.
***We talk about Christmas and holidays that other cultures celebrate during this time of the year. If your family does not celebrate Christmas please contact me so I can include your family's traditions or celebrations in our talks.***
Thank you for all you do at home to make our year so successful. I am grateful for the time I have with your little person. If you have questions or concerns please do not ever hesitate to get in touch with me. Go Team!
Take care,
Karen
November 12, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I want to take a moment to express how proud I am of my Kinder-children for their utmost respect during the Remembrance Day ceremony at school and to thank one of our Dads who spoke during the ceremony - Well done! As an "army wife" for 20 years I will never forget the impact of what our CF members strive to achieve both here and abroad. Even now with my husband retired from that life it is still a most important day for us. My Kinder-children in both classes, despite their tender ages, were able to sit, listen, and show respect during our discussions leading up to Remembrance Day - I am so very proud of all of you! I'd also like to thank my kids for coming to say hi on Friday morning after the city ceremony - it was great to see you there.
***Onto another serious topic - upon dismissal when your children are playing at the front of the school please do not let them climb on the brick ledge of the flower beds or dismantle the tiles leading to the front doors. For obvious safety reasons we cannot have the children in the flower beds or on the retaining wall bricks and we are constantly working on being respectful of other people and property at school. Thank you for your assistance.
Starting on Monday, November 14th, the children will be bringing home our Home Reading books and Recording Log! One book per school night to help them get ready for the routine in Grade 1. It is very important to note that independent reading is NOT a Kindergarten requirement - our intent is to provide exposure to literature, introduce high frequency words, to practice finding letters we know on the pages, getting our mouths ready to say those letters, and to recognize that individual letters go together to build words and words go together to build stories. An introduction letter will go home on Monday explaining the program.
We have been working very hard on our letters at school - you may have noticed some of our efforts coming home with bingo dabbers and stickers, highlighters and crayons, and scissor work and glue! We are also using play dough, mini chalkboards, dry erase sheets, magnets, brainstorming sessions and games to help the children experience success. To date we have worked on Cc, Dd, Aa, Gg, Qq, Oo, and Ss intensively. Your little person should be able to easily recognize theses letter and their sounds. If you have a few moments at supper time, in the car, at the store, or even during bath time please work with your child to lock these letters in! Learning can happen anywhere! We use many approaches at school and do the letters in both ABC order (like the song) and out of order so the children can see each letter on its own - it is interesting each year to see how many kids think LMNOP is a single letter! We are making great progress and with your help and support to reinforce the concepts at home the children are well on their way.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Take care,
Karen
November 6, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
Welcome to November! The school year is just flying by! Halloween was well received by all the Kinder-kids - thank you to all my wonderful parents for dressing up your little person for the class parties and thank you to the parents who provided the food and treats. Your generosity is most appreciated by all of us. I have one square rubbermaid container left over from the Morning class without a name on it - if it is yours please let me know and I will get it back to you.
November is now underway and we are busy preparing our poppy art for the school's Remembrance Day assembly on Thursday, November 10th. All my children and families are invited to attend -> 10:30am in the Gym. If you are a CF member or member of police services please consider wearing your uniform and joining us on this special day.
As November proceeds we will focus on peace and celebrating each other's special gifts, recognizing that we are all people first and foremost. We will also start learning our song for the Christmas concert - The Cookie Baking Song! The words will be coming home for some extra practice for the the big performances on December 15th. We have a dress rehearsal and two performances, one in the early afternoon and one in the evening. More information will be provided closer to December.
In late November we start talking about cultural activities around the world in celebration of Christmas. If you have a special holiday tradition please talk to your little person about it and they can share it with us during our discussions. If your family does not celebrate Christmas please let me know and we can discuss ways to integrate what your family does during the holidays. We will be getting together with our Big Buddies to write letters to Santa in early December. Santa has always written back in the past and included your child's letter in case you were wondering about potential presents! ;) If Santa is not part of your holiday cheer please let me know and we will make alternate arrangements.
On November 22, 23, and 24th there will be Parent-Teacher Learning Conferences. These are 20 minute meetings where we get together to discuss your child's successes and areas that we will be working on over the course of our year together. The online registration system will be available for you to pick a time slot as of November 8th. An info letter will be coming home with how to access that system. If you have concerns of any sort I am here to work with you so your child's learning adventure is a positive experience.
Keep watching for updates and thank you to all the parents who have volunteered both in and out of the classroom. We couldn't be amazing without you!
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me.
Take care,
Karen
October 16, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend - it has been a bit of a guessing game as to what footwear and jacket to choose to match the weather! Please make sure your little person is appropriately dressed when they come to school - mittens, a hat, boots, and a warm jacket. Snow pants/splash pants may be necessary sooner than we thought (hoped) but are a critical part of the "stay dry and warm" factor. On that note, it would be really helpful if you could take some time at home to have your child practice putting on their snow clothes - for example: turning sleeves right side out, putting snow pants on before their coat, putting on their coat right side up, etc. We are developing our independence - the children need to show me that they are trying but I am here to help with the sticky zippers that like to "eat" the surrounding fabric, help with mittens, and getting backpacks on. We are still learning and it takes time to adjust to all the extra clothing winter in Alberta demands!
I would like to take a moment to congratulate all my little people for their outstanding behaviour at Prairie Gardens and on the bus rides - Kinder-kiddos, I am so proud of you! Despite the chilly weather and gloomy skies everyone had fun in the corn maze, gem mine, baby pumpkin hut, the train ride, playgrounds, petting zoo, Pumpkin Soup puppet show and for those who dared, the haunted house! A giant thank you goes out to all the helper parents/grandparents who made our day so successful -we really could not have done this without you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And thank you to Mary-Ann, Chrissy and Charlene for recruiting the volunteers!
As we have passed the mid-way mark in October we start to think of Halloween. One of our upcoming craft projects is a milk-jug monster. Please send in a clean, 4L milk jug as soon as possible so they can be prepped for decorating with our Grade 5 & 6 buddies. If you don't drink milk in this size please talk to your family and friends and see if they can save you one. Super Store also sells them filled with water if you are really stuck. We need the milk jugs by October 24th.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Have a great Sunday.
Take care,
Karen
October 10, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all my families are doing well and enjoying the weekend. I have had a houseful of family and friends and we took advantage of this day to have fun, cook enough to feed a battalion, and laugh at old stories! I am thankful for so many things!
**Just a reminder that there will be NO SCHOOL tomorrow, too (Tuesday, October 11). The teachers will be there for PD sessions but the children do not come back until Wednesday.
**And another reminder that we have our Prairie Gardens field trip on Thursday, October 13th. Please remember to dress for the weather as we are outside for the majority of the day. The forecasted temperature is between 2 and 5 degrees but if we are prepared for the cold we will still have fun! The children will need a full lunch, snacks, and enough water for the day.
Your little person, Morning and Afternoon classes, MUST BE AT SCHOOL by 8:45am and will be returned to you when we return by the end of the school day. Be prepared for a tired little one!
If you have "big kids" at Keenooshayo they have Parent Teacher Learning Conferences this week. Kindergarten conferences will be in November and I will let you know when our sign up is open. If you have questions or concerns at any time we can set up a meeting to discuss things.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and extra day with your little people. I'll see you on Wednesday.
Take care,
Karen
October 2, 2016
Happy October Kinder-families!
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. October is off to a lovely start and it will be a great month at school too.
I would like to take a moment to welcome our newest student in the Afternoon class - Kokoro and family, Welcome to Kindergarten and welcome to Keenooshayo. I hope you are settling in and enjoying your new home and school.
It has been a great week - all the Kinders did a fabulous job in the Terry Fox Run! I am so proud of all of you for trying your best and for supporting Terry's dream! You have all helped make a difference! :)
Coming up this week we will have our first NO KINDERGARTEN day. The first Wednesday of the month is a half day for Grades 1 - 6. We cannot offer programming to one class and not the other so to keep all "fair" we do not have any Kinder classes on these days. We resume as usual on Thursday, October 6th. If you forget and try to drop your little person off they will be sent home with you or if they are a bus student you will be called to come pick them up. This month I will be at District Office for a Kindergarten Meeting and will not be at the school that morning.
On Friday we will be having our annual kick-off to Thanksgiving with the Turkey Trot run! It is in the back field (where we ran our Terry Fox run) and we chase down a teacher in a giant turkey costume! It is all done in good fun! :)
Our October Scholastic book order will be going home tomorrow and is due back at school on Friday, October 7th. Hopefully we will get the books in time for Halloween. If your children are in my classes and you would like to use a credit card for payment, please remember to choose Mrs. Henneberry as the teacher (we share the account across all three Kinder-classes). There is no expectation or pressure to buy - this is a completely voluntary choice.
There will be no school on Monday, October 10 for Thanksgiving. There is also no school on Tuesday, October 11 for the children. Staff will be there for professional development (PD Day).
On Thursday, October 13 we will be going to Prairie Gardens! This is a fun, all day field trip so expect your little person to come home exhausted!
- I cannot stress enough to dress appropriately for the weather - we have had beautiful fall weather some years and not so beautiful other years. Please make sure your child has clothes appropriate for the weather on that day.
- As it is an all day field trip - ALL my children need to be at the school by 8:45am to board the bus at 9:00am. We will be back to school by 3:10pm. If your child is an Afternoon bus student they can take their normal bus home. All other children must be picked up by a parent/care-giver by 3:25pm (our regular afternoon dismissal).
- ALL my children will need a lunch, snacks, and water for the day. We do have breaks planned so the children will have time to eat.
- Thank you to all the volunteers who have signed up to accompany us - please bring a lunch and enough clothes for the day.
Have a great week, everyone. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Dear Kinder-families,
We successfully completed an entire 5-day week of school! Some of us were exhausted by Friday (and not just the children!). It was another great week and both my classes are doing quite well with adjusting to the routines and expectations of classroom life. We have worked on colouring, cutting, drawing Matman with the help of our Occupational Therapist team. We also learned what a lock-down was and practiced the procedure. Kindergarten is full of “firsts” and we are rockin’ them so far!
We have also started working on being independent – the children have to show us that they are trying to do various jobs first before asking for help… putting on shoes and coats, zipping back packs, opening snacks and containers for example. We do provide assistance with a “how-to” lesson as well. If you could please help us at home by allowing your child to do basic jobs like dressing himself or herself and sorting out inside-out coat sleeves we will conquer the independence issue much faster!
On a similar note, Kindergarten-age children should be able to independently manage bathroom hygiene like wiping themselves. In cases of illness-related bathroom crises I can call for assistance but on a daily basis it is not practical or reasonable in our learning environment for the whole class to stand in the hall and wait each time a bottom needs to be wiped. Thank you, in advance, for your help at home in achieving this important goal.
Thank you to Mary-Ann (Rhys’s mom) and Chrissy (Alexis’s mom) for offering to be our Morning Class Volunteer Coordinators. As soon as I get all the email address papers (it was a green sheet) back the coordinators, in both classes, will be in touch to organize classroom and fieldtrip volunteers. There will be many opportunities to help – in the classroom, at-home prep jobs, fieldtrips, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me. Thanks for the great week.
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Dear Kinder-parents,
The first full week of Kindergarten is successfully behind us and what an incredible week it was! We are working on daily routines, practicing our manners, learning what a respectful audience looks like, and learning about sharing and taking turns; basic life skills that will stick with us into adulthood. We have also jumped into art projects (with many, many more to come), we met our Grade 6 (Morning class) and Grade 5 (Afternoon class) Buddies who helped us shuck corn, survived a fire drill, and we have had our first “at school” field trip where we learned all about bus safety, “the danger zone”, and got to jump out of the back of a real school bus! I’d say our Kinder-year is off to a great start!
Kinder Stuff to Know About:
- Agendas need to come back to school each day. As they are one of our communication tools, please initial or sign them each day so I know that you have seen it. I know some of you have already started using it to let us know who will be picking up your child, if there are appointments that require early pick-up, known absences, etc - I do check them every class.
- Please send back the FOIP paperwork package ASAP. If you have misplaced yours please let me know and I will send another one home. The Office needs the information to make sure that we are complying with your wishes regarding the sharing of information, publication of your child in the newsletters, school displays or artwork, etc. **If I am missing yours there will be a note in your child’s Agenda.
- Thank you to Charlene H. (Gavin H’s mom) in the Afternoon Class for volunteering to be our Afternoon Class Volunteer coordinator. Once I have all the forms back I will be providing her with a class email list so she can start taking/organizing volunteer requests. We love having helpers come in. **We are still looking for a Morning Class Coordinator(s).
- Each child needs to bring a change of clothes in a labeled bag - socks, underwear, pants, and a shirt for those unexpected ooops! moments.
- Each child needs a pair of indoor shoes that they can put on & do up themselves. If you have already purchased ‘lace-up’ shoes please consider finding a pair lace clips. With 70 little feet coming into the classroom over the day we need to expedite this process and get on with the fun!
- We have a 10-15 minute snack time each day (sorry about Friday morning, we were busy jumping out of the bus). Please send 1-2 items that can be reasonably consumed in that time. The children have access to their water bottles and the fountain if they need a refill.
- Please LABEL EVERYTHING!
- School Picture Day is on Wednesday, September 14th. Every child gets their photo taken for the school yearbook. You will have a chance to order photo packages if you choose.
- Kindergarten fees for the year have been set at $220.00 This covers all the school supplies, field trip entrance and bus costs, and the Kinder t-shirt. These fees can be paid online with a credit card at the Parent Portal - please refer to the letter you received in the summer for your login information. They can also be paid by cheque or cash at the school with Mrs. Juse. Please make your payment as soon as possible.
- Please consider having your child’s vision and hearing tested as soon possible. Kindergarten learning has visual, aural, and hands-on components - if your little person is struggling to see or hear it will impact their learning. Vision tests are free for all children under 18 years old. There is also a program called EYE SEE, I LEARN that will provide a free pair of glasses to Kindergarten-aged children if they require a prescription. http://www.optometrists.ab.ca/children-youth
- Library will start this week! The children will go to the Library and choose a book to take home for the week. They must return it in order to take a new one next week. Please help them find a safe place to keep their book at home and have them pack it to come back to school.
- For the Morning Class - Library is on Tuesday so books should be back on Monday.
- For the Afternoon Class - Library is on Friday so books should be back on Thursday.
- Please send your child with outdoor clothing appropriate for the weather so we always have the option of going outside to explore and play.
- I am missing several email contacts for both classes. It is the most convenient and enviro-friendly way for me to keep in touch with you. A form will be coming home to complete and return as soon as possible. (Any group email correspondence is sent blind-carbon-copied (bcc) so your address will not be visible).
Although I am only with the children part time I am always available if you have questions or concerns. My contact information is: [email protected]; 780-459-3114 and your call can be transferred to me or you can leave a message, through the Kinder website contact form at http://kinderkaren.weebly.com, or in person.
Thank you all for an amazing first full week. I am looking forward to a fabulous year with our Kinder-kids!
Take care,
Karen
Sunday, September 4
Congratulations! We survived the first few days of Kindergarten and it looked like all the Kinder-kids had a great time during their staggered entry chasing those gingerbread cookies around the school. This is one of those fun experiences that will hopefully stay with them as they grow up - school can be a magical place! This year my favourite parts were when one exuberant youngster rushed into the Office saying, "What did you do with the cookies?" and when we opened the oven, the cookies were gone and a little one proclaimed, "Those cookies are very naughty!" I love my job so much and I am looking forward to an amazing year with your little person.
As we officially start with our first "full" class time on Tuesday there are some things to remember:
- Mrs. Herman will meet the Morning children outside by the brick wall flower bed. I take over at 9:30am on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday and 10am on Monday & Friday.
- I will meet the Afternoon children outside by the brick wall flower bed at 12:35pm. Mr. Erickson co-teaches with me and takes the children from 1:20 to 1:50 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday. Dress for the weather as he does take them outside frequently.
- Children need a snack, a non-leaking water bottle, a backpack, indoor shoes, and a full change of clothes (can be kept at school).
- LABEL EVERYTHING!! The chances of me reuniting lost items with their proper owner increases dramatically if they are labelled!)
- Please keep toys at home. Tears are no fun when toys go missing or get broken.
- Please return the FOIP form packages as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.
- There is a Kindergarten Parent Meeting on Tuesday, September 6 in the Library at 6:30pm
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the holiday Monday. See you Tuesday!
Take care,
Karen
Contact info: 780-459-3114, [email protected], http://kinderkaren.weebly.com, http://keem.spschools.org - look for Mrs. Gysen under the eTeacher tab.