Dear Parents/Guardians, February has been a very busy but exciting month so far. Thank you to all of the parents who have been sending in extra Kleenex, Ziploc bags and wet wipes. We really appreciate it! The Valentine's Day celebrations have been in full swing. The holiday allows us to explore the value of friendship and caring. We learn to accept each other's differences and understand that our differences are what makes us all unique. We see our differences as gifts from God. The children will learn the value of friendship and caring by continuing to develop such skills as listening to others, taking turns, sharing and lending a helping hand. Here is an overview of what we will be focusing on during February in regards to the Four Frames of the Kindergarten Curriculum: Belonging and Contributing: We have been working hard on recycling various items properly. We have also recently started to collect empty Lunchables containers as a school-wide initiative. Now that students are becoming more comfortable with recycling, we will focus on WHY we recycle. We will discuss kid-friendly videos and books about the topic so that they can understand the importance of their everyday contributions in terms of helping the environment. Over the next several weeks, the Kinders will be learning about the important people in their community and how they contribute. They will have opportunities to share personal experiences about their favourite places around the area, such as where they like to eat or play. We will help them understand that their neighbourhood is another type of community in which they belong to. Self-Regulation and Well-Being: We have been having so much fun playing outside with all of the snow that has fallen so far this winter. With all of this outdoor play comes many conversations about safety. We will continue to help students be aware of what is safe versus unsafe during play. Getting dressed properly by wearing all of our outdoor clothes is another way we stay safe by preventing frostbite. A part of a developed sense of well-being is the ability to make your own choices. We are celebrating that many of the Kinders are choosing where to play more independently and are comfortable being the first to try a new activity. We are encouraging them to make positive choices and not to be influenced by those around them who may not be doing the same. Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours: We’ve seen growth in students’ ability to recognize letter sounds and pair them with actions. Way to go! This month we are focusing on the letters g, o, u, l, f and b. Popcorn words will continue to “POP UP!” around our classroom for the remainder of the year. Please continue to practice any words that come home in your child’s mailbag with them. With all of the Valentine’s Day excitement, the Kinders have been busy creating cards and pictures for their loved ones. They are using resources around the room to help them spell their friends’ names, such as name tags and labels. Many have also shown interest in writing special messages. We will support this interest in writing by encouraging students to write for different reasons. Some examples of different writing opportunities are creating a sign for the dramatic play area, making a list of their favourite foods or signing their name on a class sign-up sheet. Our math lessons continue to focus on the skill of subitizing. Subitizing is the ability to recognize the number of objects in a small set without counting. Please continue to practice this skill at home by playing games with your child that require dice or by holding up a certain amount of fingers for a few seconds and asking them how many they see. Here is another fun video to practice subitizing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWwcMPFNts In French, we will be learning vocabulary related to Valentine’s Day, Friendship, people/things we care for, and community helpers. février- February la Saint-Valentin- Valentine’s Day le coeur- heart les amis- friends la carte- card une enveloppe- envelope la lettre- letter la fleur- flower cupidon- cupid le facteur- mail carrier le policier- police officer le docteur- doctor le dentiste- dentist le professeur- teacher le pompier- firefighter le pilote- pilot le cuisinier- chef or cook la caissière- cashier le plombier- plumber le concierge- caretaker or custodian Problem Solving and Innovating: The snow has been making for some fun experiments down in Kinderland! We have had chances to discover whether or not salt makes snow melt faster and what temperature of water melts snow the quickest. As we continue with more experiments over the next few weeks, we are encouraging students to make predictions. We remind them that predictions don’t have to be the right answer but that we would like to hear why they think something is going to happen. We are also encouraging students to participate in our class discussions about the results of our finished experiments. Housekeeping Items:
Important Dates in February: February 14th: Valentine’s Day - card exchange and Cake Walk. February 14th: Kindergarten Communication of Learning Reports go home February 15th: PD Day (no school) February 18th: Family Day (no school) February 22nd: Winter Fun Day Thank you for your continued support. N. Leman C. Potvin
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