Jingle All The Way!

Healthy and Happy!

We are so happy to see all of our Super Skyhawks healthy and ready to learn and celebrate before the upcoming holidays. We are looking forward to our Holiday celebration lunch this Thursday at our lunch time. All kindergarteners are invited to wear their favorite pajamas for this special day. Please be sure to wear tennis shoes. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers for providing this special time for all of kindergarten.

You are invited to join us this Friday, December 18 for an all Lower School Sing along in the gym at 10:30. Friday is a noon dismissal. After the Sing A Long in the gym please meet your child in their classroom for dismissal. Below you will find the invitation.

Families Helping Families

Kindergarten had a ball last Friday wrapping and preparing gifts for the Families Helping Families Project. A great big thank you to all of the parents that helped to support this project.

Academic Awareness

During this final week before the holidays, all classes are catching up on missed skills and reinforcing ones already learned.

In our Sight Word Study we are learning the last of the blue words.
as, for, from, was, do, they
 Please reinforce these words at home by making sentences then practicing writing and reading them. We will be adding the purple set in January.

Don't Forget to READ, READ, READ over the holiday!

Merry Math this week involves introduction of the Dime. You will find the Dime Poem below.

Dime Poem

Dime, dime

Little and thin,

 I remember

  You're worth ten.

                                                                                                                                                                                

                    

 



 

Happy Holidays to all our Kindergarten Skyhawks!

See you next year

You Know Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixon

Kindergarten Reindeer?

Be sure to check out Santa's reindeer all lined up in the hallways.
HO! HO! HO!

Merry Math

During the month of December, the kindergarten classes will enjoy problem solving activities to develop logical thinking while integrating reading skills with mathematics. We will be counting with understanding and recognizing "how many" in sets of objects. We will use a variety of methods and tools to compute, including objects and mental computation, as we develop and understanding of adding and subtracting whole numbers. Holiday baking is an ideal time to give your child hands on experience using math skills!

Below are a few  holiday recipes for you to try at home. Enjoy!!

Edible Reindeer

Ingredients:

1 half piece of bread (cut diagonally)
2 raisins
1 cherry
2 pretzels
Peanut butter

Directions:

1. Spread peanut butter onto one side of the bread.
2. On one corner of the bread, place the cherry.  This is your reindeer's nose!
3. Add the 2 raisins for eyes.
4. Attach the pretzels to the long side of the bread so that they stick up like reindeer ears.

---

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon and Sugar mixed together

Directions:

1. Give each child one  rectangle section of dough. This will represent the cloth wrapped around Jesus' body.
2. Give each child one large marshmallow. This represents Christ's body.
3. Let each child roll their marshmallow in the melted butter.  Then, dip the marshmallow into the cinnamon sugar mixture.  This represents the oils and spices that prepared Christ's body for burial.
4. Have each child place the marshmallow on their section of dough and carefully wrap it.
   Make sure all edges are pinched tight!
5. Place the rolls in the oven. Tape the door shut and place a guard - stuffed animal or child. The oven represents the tomb.
6. Bake the rolls, following the directions on the package.
7. Open the tomb/oven.  Only the cloths remain! Christ's body is no longer there! 

Read accompanying passages from Scripture, such as John 19: 38-42 and John 20.

 

---

Snowman On a Stick

Ingredients:

3 large marshmallows
1 skewer
White icing
1 thin mint
1 mini Reese's Cup
1 6 inch strip of a Fruit Roll-Up
Squeezable tube icing
Plastic knife

Directions:

1. Slide one marshmallow onto the skewer.
2. Spread a little bit of white icing on the top portion of the marshmallow.
3. Slide on the second marshmallow.
4. Spread a little bit of white icing on the top portion of the second marshmallow.
5. Fold the Fruit Roll-up to resemble a scarf and then slide it onto the skewer.
6. Spread a little bit of white icing on top of the scarf (only near the skewer!).
7. Slide on the third marshmallow.
8. Slide the thin mint onto the skewer - carefully and very slowly so as not to break the mint in half!
9. Slide the mini Reese's Cup onto the skewer.  (This is his hat!)
10. Use the tube icing to make two eyes, a mouth, and some buttons on your snowman!

 

Sight Word Study

with, this, of, said, on, you, his

• Have fun creating your own holiday story using the sight words studied this week along with the remainder of the blue set of words.

December is Here!

Welcome Back!

 We have enjoyed hearing all about the special family time had during the Thanksgiving holiday. Our journals are filled with exciting entries.

 

 

My Family's Traditions

This winter season we ask that you please share a special holiday tradition that you celebrate with your families and friends. 

For example, a special tradition our Hammond School Family celebrates each year by participating in Families Helping Families.  We will discuss different traditions with our students over the next few weeks.

Some examples include:

·         roasting marshmallows by the fire

·         baking cookies with your grandparents

·         decorating your Christmas tree

·         visiting the soup kitchen

·         cooking potato latkes for Hanukkah

·         hanging holiday lights

 

We look forward to sharing these holiday traditions with your child

 

    

     Since December is here and it is a very fun-filled time of the year, we ask that all toys (including Elf on the Shelf and Elf Magic dolls) remain at home in order to keep them safe.

     Thank you for your understanding and support. 

Writer's Workshop 

The kindergarteners are beginning to write their own creative stories. We are encouraging them to use their best "kindergarten sounds" for spelling words. some of the spelling strategies we are using in the classroom are:



• Stretch out the word - listen to the sounds you hear
• Think about what the word looks like
• Is it a short or a long word? How many syllables/parts does it have?
• Use spelling patterns (word families: at, ag, am, etc.) 
• Use resources in the classroom (word wall, dictionary, or ask a friend)

Sight Word Study December 1st-8th

 

Number words six-ten
(Please note that the number words, with the exception of one and two, are not blue or purple words. We will be studying these sight words at school this week. The children will be making their own number word flash cards to bring home and practice.

Merry Math

     During the month of December, the kindergarten classes will enjoy problem solving activities to develop logical thinking while integrating reading skills with mathematics. we will be counting with understanding and recognizing "how many" in sets of objects. We will use a variety of methods and tools to compute, including objects and mental computation as we develop an understanding of adding and subtraction whole numbers. Holiday baking is an ideal time to give your child hands on experience using math skills! Have fun with Math!

Happy Thanksgiving from Hammond Kindergarten!

 

 

A Published Author visits Hammond Kindergarten

A great big thank you to the author of the book

 Charley's Columbia Backyard,

Caroline Bennett,

 for visiting kindergarten last week. The children enjoyed hearing a story about their city, Columbia. It was very exciting for our young writers to hear how a professional author publishes a book from start to finish. If you would like to purchase an autographed copy of her fantastic book please turn in the order form that was included in this Tuesday's envelope.

 

 

Successful Field Study To City Roots

All Kindergarteners had great time experiencing the only sustainable, organic farm in Columbia. It may have been a chilly morning, but these Skyhawks learned so much! We were able to visit with the hens,  dig up worms in the greenhouse where microgreens grow, and watch the honey bees fly around their hives. This was a fabulous, fun trip that reinforced many of the facts we have been learning about in science. We also learned many new things about how farmers grow and maintain their crops on a sustainable farm.

 

 

 

 

 

We are so thankful for the opportunity to be with your kindergarteners each day.

 We are filled with

THANKFULNESS.

We wish for each of you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

We are looking forward to hearing all about your special time with family and friends.

Please return the Tuesday envelopes and clean rest mats on Monday, November 30th. 

 

November News In Hammond Kindergarten

Columbia, Our Capital City

We are very excited about our special guest author, Mrs. Caroline Bennett, visiting with us this Friday. She will be reading her book, Charley's Columbia Backyard. This is a perfect introduction activity for our Social Studies curriculum as we introduce our study about the city in which we live. We will be discussing why our city is important to the state of  South Carolina and sharing our favorite places we know about in this big city.

                         

Sight Word Study November 17th-24th

Number words one-ten (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten)

(Please note that the number words, with the exception of one and two, are not blue or purple words. We will be studying these sight words at school this week. The children will be making their own number word flash cards to bring home and practice.

New!
 Please share any of your ideas on activities reinforcing sight words.
Simply send a note in to your teacher and we will be happy to post new ideas to our list.
Have fun learning your sight words!

Suggested Activities and Games to reinforce sight words

While riding in the car, have your child look for familiar sight words on billboards and signs. If you keep a Magna Doodle or a small writing pad in the car, have them write the word when they see it.

See if your child can find the words on items around the house (cereal boxes, packaged goods, newspaper headlines, magazines, etc).

Science Update- Field Study Next Monday, November 23rd

All Kindergarten classes will visit City Roots next Monday, November 23rd. City Roots is the only self-sustainable farm in Columbia. Please be sure to have your child wear their red shirt. Thanks!

NEEDED ASAP!

Please send in to school a WINTER change of clothes. With the cooler temperatures here, we are in need of an extra change of clothes for those "just in case" times.

Thank you!

November Happenings In Kindergarten

Diwali Celebration!

Last Friday the entire Lower School enjoyed an exciting day of celebrating Diwali. We experienced dances, stories and a fashion show. Kindergarteners had a ball decorating their classroom doors in honor of Diwali.

Run, Turkey, Run!

As you can see our wall are decorated with all kinds of different characters, not turkeys! All kindergarten Skyhawks did an amazing job disguising their turkey for Thanksgiving.

Math in Kindergarten

In class we have been learning the number poems for proper formation of numbers zero through ten. We encourage children to say these poems as they are writing numbers because we find that it can greatly reduce reversals. Please remind your child to say these poems when practicing at home.

A copy of the "Number Poems" will be inside today's Tuesday envelope.

Sight Word Study - November10th- November 17th

brown, gray, white, pink

Field Study to Whole Foods

What a great trip to Whole Foods! The Darling Doxies and the Ducklings experienced organic fruits and vegetables after they had been picked, cleaned and shipped from small and large farms. The staff let us taste various nutritious foods offered by the store. They even showed us the frozen octopus!
The Bear Cubs and Busy Bees will visit the store tomorrow, November 11th.

More Fall Fun!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Fancy Nancy aka Your Kindergarten Teachers!

The kindergarten classes enjoyed every minute of Halloween last Friday! Thank you for the special Halloween treat provided by Homeroom Moms. As you can see below, the costumes were awesome!



Happy Halloween from The Ducklings

    

Happy Halloween from The Darling Doxies







Happy Halloween from The Busy Bees

                           

Happy Halloween from The Bear Cubs

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Update

Last week the kindergarteners enjoyed eating the various parts of plants. We tasted the seeds (sunflower and pumpkin), roots (carrots), stem (celery), leaves (spinach), flowers (broccoli), and fruit (tomatoes). This was a fun activity for all, and we were excited to learn which "parts" grew above the ground, and which grew below. Each class read the book Tops And Bottoms, by Janet Stevens which fittingly opens from top to bottom instead of from side to side making it the perfect choice for understanding where various foods grow.

Field Study Fun

As an enrichment activity to our study of Nutrition, Hammond Kindergarten will be visiting Whole Foods on Garners Ferry Road. This Thursday, November 5th, The Ducklings and the Darling Doxies will be touring Whole Foods and learning where our food comes from. Next Wednesday, November 11th, the Bear Cubs and the Busy Bees will be touring.

Reminder

We have enjoyed seeing the disguised turkeys which have been strutting into our classrooms! As a reminder, please return your turkey no later than tomorrow Wednesday, November 4th. The "turkeys" will be displayed in the hallway then sent home before Thanksgiving break. Have fun and be creative!

Math Matters

Now that November is here we will introduce the Nickel.
The children are learning this nickel poem. You may enjoy practicing it at home.

"Nickel Poem"

Nickel, Nickel

Thick and fat

You're worth five cents

I know that.

 

 

 

 

Sight Word Study November 3th-10th

Black, green, orange, purple

New This Week!
 Please share any of your ideas on activities reinforcing sight words.
Simply send a note in to your teacher and we will be happy to post new ideas to our list.
Have fun learning your sight words!

Suggested Activities and Games to reinforce sight words

While riding in the car, have your child look for familiar sight words on billboards and signs. If you keep a Magna Doodle or a small writing pad in the car, have them write the word when they see it.

See if your child can find the words on items around the house (cereal boxes, packaged goods, newspaper headlines, magazines, etc).

It's Always A Great Day To Be A Skyhawk

Kindergarten's First Guest Speaker

Your Skyhawks enjoyed a special treat last Thursday!  Mrs. Mary Ann Grainger is a registered dietician, and she helped us understand how to make healthy choices with the foods we eat. We played informative games and learned how to check the grams of sugar and fiber content in packaged food items. Don't be surprised if your child asks you to check the food labels and requests that you make another choice if the sugar content is more than 10 grams! They may even request 100% fruit juice or whole wheat bread!


     As an extension activity to our study of Nutrition and healthy eating habits, the kindergarteners will experience how we get food from plants. We will discuss and taste the edible parts of various plants (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers).

 

 

First Field Trip Rescheduled for November 16

Our upcoming field study to City Roots has been rescheduled for Monday, November 16 due to the weather. We looked forward to learning all about the only in-town sustainable farm located in the city of Columbia.

Sight Word Study

this, that, will, red, blue, yellow

Suggested sight word activities and games.

• Place sight words in a container. Invite your child to shake the container, spill out the words, and read the ones that fall face up. Give your child a score that is equal to the number of letters in the words he/she reads. Record the total, then place the remaining words back in the container, shake and spill again. Add the total to the first score. Continue until all words have been read.
• Choose a newspaper article and see if your child can spot one or two sight words at a time. Use a highlighter and count how many times the word appeared.
• Turn the sight words into rainbows. Ask your child to write a sight word on paper in big letters. Using different crayons, have your child trace around the word again and again, reading the word each time.

Happy Halloween!

We look forward to seeing all kindergarteners all dressed up this Friday, October 30st. We will start the day off with a fun Halloween Parade that will begin promptly at 8:15. Please send in a uniform change of clothes for your child to wear after the parade. Be sure to label all parts and pieces of the costume with your child's name. Please remember no masks or weapons of any kind can be brought to school.

Reminder

We have enjoyed seeing the disguised turkeys which have been strutting into our classrooms! As a reminder, please return your turkey no later than this Friday, November 7th. The "turkeys" will be displayed in the hallway then sent home before Thanksgiving break. Have fun and be creative!
Have your child write the sight words on the driveway using sidewalk chalk.

Healthy Skyhawks!

Welcome back!

We hope everyone had a very fun, restful Fall Break!

The kindergarteners are continuing discussions about healthy eating habits and the importance of good nutrition. This Thursday is an exciting day! We have our first guest speaker coming in. Mrs. Mary Ann Grainger, a registered dietician, will be here to talk to the kindergarten about how to make healthy choices. Be sure to ask your child what they learned about a rainbow of foods.

 In an effort to encourage our students to try new healthy foods, we are offering a food badge for each NEW food tasted at home. Please send in a note stating which food your child tried. You can jot the name of the food on any piece of paper, then have your child draw a smiley face or a frown to indicate what they thought about the new food.
 Happy Eating!




 

 

 

 

 

   

Science Update

Using cross curricula connections, the kindergarteners will be spending the month of October learning about healthy eating habits. Eating is the most important thing we do each day, and this unit of study will explain why.

We will find out:

• Which foods you need to eat everyday
• Where food goes after you swallow it
• Why it's good to eat breakfast
• What vitamins and other nutrients are for
• Why you can't eat only candy!!

Sight Word Study for the Week of October 20th

•  be
• have
• he
• she
• we

Looking Ahead to November

It's Turkey Time

In this week's Tuesday envelope, you will find a letter with directions for your family to disguise a turkey so that it won't get eaten for Thanksgiving dinner! This has proven to be an exciting project for the kindergarten students and their family members to enjoy each year. Please return your turkey no later than Monday, November 2nd. The "turkeys" will be displayed in the hallway then sent home before Thanksgiving break.

 Have fun, and be creative!

The pictures below are a few examples of turkeys from years past.

 

Kindergarten Skyhawks Are Back In The Swing!

 We are so excited to be with our Skyhawks! 

So thankful for our many blessings!

Healthy Days Ahead!

Hammond kindergarteners are beginning discussions about healthy eating choices as we begin to study Nutrition. We will learn that healthy habits include getting plenty of rest, eating healthy foods, brushing our teeth, and exercising. This unit of study is always a favorite!

Sight Word Study for the Week of October 7th

• are
• go
• here
• to

Be sure to look back at our first post for ideas and activities to reinforce these words. Don't forget to practice the sight words we have previously studied. We are learning how to make sentences with all of the words we know. We can even write them!

Math in Kindergarten

We have started introducing money. We are beginning with the penny. The children are learning this penny poem that you may enjoy practicing at home.

"Penny Poem"

Penny, Penny

Easily spent

Copper brown

And worth one cent.  

 

A Special Opportunity From Dr. Lynch 

Your Child is invited to join the statewide 2015-2016 “Read with the Gamecocks” reading program!  This program is designed to encourage reading among elementary students Kindergarten through sixth Grade.

Rules: From Tuesday, October 13 – Friday, October 23 each student will record the number of pages read on the Reading Log sent home in this week’s Tuesday Envelope. This reading time can also count for their regular classroom reading.  (Parents or guardians should initial the student’s reading sheet.)  Please total the number of pages read on the Reading Log and return it to your child’s homeroom teacher by Monday, October 26.

Prizes will be awarded to the highest reading heroes, Kindergarten through sixth grade at the literacy games (Women’s Basketball Game, 11/15/15 and Men’s Basketball Game, 11/16/15)  All reading Heroes will receive two vouchers (one for child and one for adult) for free admission to the select Literacy Games.

Join us as we “Read with the Gamecocks” and encourage our children to enjoy a good book!

Bonnie Lynch

Walker Library

Map Time!

Classroom and Bedroom Maps

Kindergarteners have been busy mapping our classrooms. We are enjoying reading Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney which gives us an overview of our foundational Social Studies unit. We have also read As the Crow Flies by Gail Hartman which gives a bird's-eye view of the world around us to help the children understand this perspective.
Now that the children have created a map of their classroom, we invite them to create a map of their own bedroom to share with the class. These maps should be drawn on the paper supplied in today's Tuesday Envelope, then colored to reflect various items in your child's room. Please help your child label the larger items such as a bed, dresser, table, toy box, etc. We would love for all maps to be completed by this Thursday, October 1st.

Thanks so much for helping our students gain a better understanding of map making. We hope that you enjoy working together on this activity!

 

September 29th- October 6th  Sight Word Study

in, is, it

• Place sight words in a container. Invite your child to shake the container, spill out the words and read the ones that fall face up. Give your child a score that is equal to number of letters in the word he/she reads. Record the total, then place the remaining words back in the container, shake and spill again. Add the total to the first score. Continue until all words have been read.

Fire Truck Visit

In preparation for Fire Safety month coming up in October, Hammond Kindergarteners had a special visitor on Monday. Kindergarten's very own Busy Bee, Mya Walker, knows a very special firefighter, her dad, Gregory Walker. Captain Gregory and his crew visited Hammond yesterday and talked with kindergarteners all about being a firefighter, their fire truck and even some fire safety tips. Thank you so much for all you do to make our community safe and sound! We look forward to seeing you again in October.