Me and My World

Which Pole Has Which Animal?

The kindergarten classes now have a better understanding of where we are on the map in relation to our favorite polar animal friends. Through a variety of cross-curricula activities we have located the North Pole and the South Pole on the globe as well as learned which polar animals live at each of these locations. Be sure to ask your kindergartener who lives where? Below you will find a link to one of our favorite songs used during our investigating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF01mBSB8rY

 

 

Sight Word Study - January 26- February 2

your, so, all, if, or, her

Marvelous Math --- The Quarter Is Here!

Now that Quarter Wars have begun in the Lower School to raise money for Hammond's Stop Hunger Now! packaging event, kindergarteners are so thrilled to learn all about the quarter. Since we have studied the penny, nickel, and dime, we are encouraging our  students to earn quarters at home by lending a helping hand around the house so that they can donate to their grade level collection of Quarter Wars, but more importantly, purchase meals for hungry people all over the world. This is an excellent service project for the students, making connections between the classroom and the outside world.

Below you will find the Quarter poem.
See if your child can recite this
and the other coin poems previously learned.

Quarter Poem

 

Quarter, quarter

Big and bold.

You're worth twenty-five

I am told.

More January Fun!!

Where Is The Snow?

Kindergarteners are becoming terrific meteorologists as we check out the weather and watch the temperature drop, sometimes below freezing! We continue to hope for snow......maybe it will happen before January is over?? Keep thinking those snow filled thoughts!

Sight Word Study January 19-25

has, will, some, but, not, out

Please continue to practice reading and writing both the blue and purple set of sight words in sentences and stories. The kindergarteners are doing a great job of filling their alphabet word wall.

Exploration of the Earth's Poles

Kindergarteners have investigated and discovered where the Earth's poles are located. In addition, they are learning all about which animals make their homes at which pole.

Be sure to ask your kindergartener where the penguins live. We will dive deeper with these fascinating birds and study the different species and how they are alike and different.

Brrr!!!! It's Cold Outside

All Snowflakes Are Different Just Like You and Me!
Kindergarteners have enjoyed the cold weather we've had. Each day we have learned more and more on exactly how a snowflake is uniquely made and how to assemble a snowman. We  continue to cross our fingers and wish for real snow right here in Columbia! Below you can see just how prepared we are! 

Creating snowflakes using pattern blocks. Math fun!

Oh no! My snowman is melting!



  All About Our Snow Families

I Am A Snowman

South Carolina Is Our State

In Social Studies we have expanded our view to our great state, South Carolina. We have enjoyed learning that our capital is our city, Columbia, along with some state symbols and how to make our state flag.

The Kindergarten State Flag

Sight Word Study January 12-19

Purple set-
an, by, had, into, no, up

Science News

We are looking forward to learning about the polar regions of our world. We will explore the variety of animals indigenous to both the northern and southern polar regions.

If you ever see a polar bear and a penguin together......

It's a fantasy!!





Happy New Year!

2016 Is Here!

 

 

 

 

 

                                         Welcome Back!

We hope everyone enjoyed the holidays with your family. 

We've had a great time hearing all about the many exciting adventures had by our kindergarteners!

 

 

 

The kindergarten classes are excited about beginning the new year exploring our new season, winter. As January progresses we look forward to expanding our study to the polar region habitats and the animals that live there.

 Also, please be sure to send in a complete set of winter clothes for your child if you have not already done so. Make certain you include underwear and socks. As a reminder, the extra change of clothes does not have to be the official Hammond uniform, but it should be similar (such as khaki or navy bottoms with a red, white, or blue shirt)

 

 

Sight Word Update

We are thrilled that so many of our kindergarten friends have learned to read the blue sight word cards. Beginning NEXT WEEK our sight word study will be selected from the purple set of cards. If you have not received a purple set of sight words, you will get them by next Tuesday. Please keep the blue set of sight words at home. Continue to encourage your child to read and write all of the sight words we have covered. Creating sentences and placing them into a sequenced story is an excellent way to review these words. It is amazing how such a simple activity can keep the words fresh in their minds as well as improve spelling proficiency. 

 





 

 

 

 

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!