Kindergarten
Dear Parents, March 18, 2022
For Language Arts, the students will now begin to meet in Reading groups and to read decodable books about the Superkids. The books are leveled and this leveling of the books ensures that every child experiences a sense of accomplishment from reading a book successfully. The text in the books is phonetically controlled to match the sequence of phonics skills taught in Kindergarten, the amount of text and complexity of sentences and vocabulary varies by level. Encourage your child to read on a daily basis!
We will have a “Beach Day” in Kindergarten later this spring. This has been a tradition with Mrs. Foster for many years! Students will come to school in “beach attire” – for example, sundresses, shorts, tops, sunglasses, sun hats, etc. ( no bathing suits please). We will have beach activities inside the classroom throughout the day and the teachers will transform the classroom into a beach! It is always a fun experience! More information will follow.
During this Lenten season, the Kindergartners have been learning about the meaning of Easter and Holy Week. In conjunction with Lent (and our Language Arts curriculum) the students will be assigned parts and will act out The Story of Moses. The Kindergarteners will present this prayer experience of the Seder Meal on Holy Thursday. This tradition is being reimagined with the new COVID restrictions in place and we will fill you in about the process.
Ms. Thomas has asked us to remind parents that students should be in full uniform daily.Students should have an SPN sweater or sweatshirt. Non SPN jackets can be worn outside but will not be allowed to be worn in the classroom from now on.Please be sure that your child’s name is on their clothing!
Thanks to our Art Docent moms- Phanette Lane and Monica Burneikis for helping with our Art project this week.The students used watercolors to paint; these drawings will eventually become greeting cards which will be sold at the Celebration of the Arts show in April (in O’Brien Hall on May 12) to help fund our Art Docent Program. More information to follow.
Our SuperKid this week is Evelyn. Thanks to Bennett S. for sharing his things.
What’s Going on in the Classroom?
ELA/ Language Arts/ Writing- We will concentrate on Writing this week with emphasis on the following skills-writing an all about book, writing headings, editing writing, writing feedback about a classmate’s writing, writing first and last names, writing color words.
Math.- (Bridges) Students will create a Butterfly Quilt using a butterfly pattern.
Science-Weather Patterns and Tools Assessment
Social Studies-Famous Americans- Johnny Appleseed
Religion-Lent, Jesus Feeds Many People, We thank God at Mass
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, March 30th-SPIRIT DAY! Decades Day! Dress as someone from any decade…50s, 60s, 70s, 80s…even 90s!
Friday, April 2nd- March Homework books due
Monday April 4th-Friday April 8th- Kindergarten Students read their books to classmates
Enjoy the weekend.
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, March 11,2022
You will receive your child’s report card for the second Trimester on Friday, March 18th. Many students have progressed nicely this second trimester and have shown significant growth. In Reading/Language Arts most students are now beginning “readers”. Reading development is on such a spectrum…starting as young as 4 years old and developing through 2nd grade. We remind them that they are all readers in different ways. Recognizing words on signs or family members’ names, memorizing books, rhyming, reading and sounding out words are all part of the process! Students are also beginning to write simple sentences- some independently and others with assistance. We are reminding students that they will be required to do more independent work in First Grade and are preparing them for that task next year. Students will need to show mastery in those concepts assigned for home completion as well. In Math, students are showing good mastery through the use of our Math Interactive Notebook as well as the use of “Happy Numbers.” In Social Studies, Kindergarten offers an introduction to some of our most famous historical figures. Please be sure to discuss the historical figures with your child as well as the Science concepts that we have selected to highlight with your children.
Please sign and return the Report Card Envelope, the copy of the Report Card is yours to keep.
The CA Mask Mandate for indoors at schools will end by Monday morning, March 14. Please speak with your child about your preference of their mask wearing in our school buildings. Children are no longer required to wear their masks and we are no longer required to enforce mask wearing in the classroom.
Don’t forget to have your child work on their March Homework project ( writing a book) this month. (This assignment went home last week; please let us know if you did not receive it.) Be sure that your child can read his/her book aloud to the class.Projects are due on Friday, April 1st and students will read their books to their classmates during the week of April 4th.
Thanks for your extra help with this project.
Mrs. Foster will be out of town next week so Mrs. Halkias will be the teacher all week.
Our SuperKid next week is Bennett S. Thanks to Anthony for sharing his things.
What’s Happening In Class?
ELA/ Language Arts/ SuperKids, Writing- Unit 21- SuperKids- identify upper and lower case Kk, Qq, associate picture names with k and q, blend sounds to decode words,, listen for and recall details, follow oral directions, identity rebuses, read memory word“ like”, answer questions about a play, identify the title of a play and the acts in a play,Use prior knowledge, understand multiple meanings of words, read with expression, draw conclusions, understand characters, form exclamation marks, use correct spacing between words
Math.-Interactive Notebooks
Teen Numbers
Transition Numbers
Bridges Workplace- “Beat You to 10”
IPADS- “Happy Numbers”
Science- Weather Assessment
Social Studies- Famous Americans- Amelia Earhart
Religion- Lent, Weekly Mass begins (with third grade), St. Patrick
“We Belong to the Catholic Church” pgs.65-68
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, March 15th – Free Dress March Birthdays
Thursday, March 17th- Feast of Saint Patrick- green and white free dress
Friday, March 18th- Report Cards distributed
Enjoy the weekend.
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, March 4,2022
We would like to compliment all of the Kindergarten students for their participation and reverence at our first school wide (Ash Wednesday) mass. The Kindergarteners sat with their 8th grade buddies who were so helpful in showing the students proper church behavior. From now on, Kindergarten will go to weekly mass with Third Grade every Wednesday at 8:30AM.
We did not write our Lenten promises last week.We are in the process of teaching more about the Lenten Season with the class this week. We want them to know that Lent is the period of 40 days during which Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ. We will discuss the Lenten calendar, brainstorm ideas for Lenten promises and students will write their own Lenten promises this week.
Next week, Tuesday-Thursday the WCEA visiting team will be onsite for our accreditation. The scheduled minimum day for Thursday 3/10 will have NO SHARE AND CARE, dismissal is at 12:00 for all students (PS-8). Please be prompt for pick-up on that day!
The SuperKid this week is Anthony. Thanks to Makena for sharing her things.
What’s Happening in Class?
ELA/Language Arts/ Writing/-We will forgo the next SuperKid Unit concentrating on writing instead this week. Skills to be covered include:planning to write using a web, drawing and labeling a diagram, using a diagram to share information, drawing and labeling a diagram, completing a cover for a book.
Your child’s Friday folder should have the assignment for our March Homework in it. It is due on April 1st.
Math.– Interactive Workbook- Patterns
Introduce Workplace- Which Bug will Win?
Science-Weather
Religion- Lent, Doves of Peace, Shamrocks, St. Patrick
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, March 8th,9th, 10th- WASC visit to SPN
Thursday, March 10th- Minimum Day- Noon Dismissal-NO SHARE AND CARE
Friday, March 11th– No School Staff Day
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, February 25,2022
We have almost completed our second set of STAR testing for Kindergarten. As you know,the purpose of STAR Early Literacy is to assess students’ early literacy skills in preparation for reading. The STAR test identifies student reading levels (e.g. Emergent Reader) and provides student performance results for pre-K through third grade students. These tests give us a benchmark for Kindergarten skills as well as indicating the progress your child has made. The second Trimester ends on March 11th and Report Cards will be distributed March 18th and will indicate your child’s progress to date.
In Language Arts, we will take a break from our usual routine this week. We will be working on Writing and Lenten activities. Students will learn about the season of Lent and the meaning of Ash Wednesday. They will brainstorm and write their own Lenten promises. Students will visit the church prior to attending an All School Mass on Ash Wednesday. Mass behavior and reverence in church will be addressed prior to our attendance. In addition students will be introduced to Saint Patrick and learn about his life.
March Homework will be a Writing project. Students will write a story about two friends who have a problem and how they solve it. Books are due on Friday, March 25th. Books will be read in class starting on Monday,March 28th.
Our SuperKid for this week is Makena. Thank you to Annamarie for sharing her things.
ELA/ Language Arts/ Writing/ Religion- The Season of Lent, Writing Lenten Promises using complete sentences, Ash Wednesday, Saint Patrick
Math.-Craft Stick Tallying
Happy Numbers
Social Studies- Abraham Lincoln
Science- Weather
Looking Ahead
Saturday, February 26th- SPN Virtual Auction 5:30 PM
Enjoy the SPN Auction! Go Spartans!
Tuesday, March 1st– Mardi Gras- Students can wear purple, green or gold accessories!
Wednesday, March 2nd- Ash Wednesday All School Mass
Friday, March 4th- Minimum Day- 12 Noon Dismissal
Alameda Library visits Kindergarten
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, March 8th-10th- WASC Team visits SPN
Thursday, March 10th – Minimum Day- Noon Dismissal-No Share
And Care
Friday. March 11th- No School
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, February 18,2022
Students will now begin to attend weekly mass with their third grade partners on Wednesday mornings at 8:30AM. Our first mass together as a class will be on Wednesday, March 2nd with our Ash Wednesday Mass- the beginning of the Lenten season. Throughout the Lenten season, we will incorporate various symbols and read Bible stories that emphasize how to live as friends of Jesus and how to grow as a child of God. As a family, you may want to discuss how acts of kindness and friendship can be shown not only at home but also while they are here at school.We are asking for your assistance in guiding your children this Lenten season. Help them learn the Church’s Lenten disciplines in age appropriate ways. Acts of kindness and good deeds are more appropriate than “giving up” something for Lent. We will brainstorm and share ideas with the students before asking each student to write and share their own Lenten promise.
We will continue to use the Zones of Regulation, adding new tools to help students calm down and stay focused. Incorporating the use of music, breathing techniques, and meditation into our classroom will continue on a regular basis.
Friday, February 25th is a Spirit Day; each class will choose a special theme for their class. Kindergarten students’ theme is “ Your Future Self.” Students should come dressed in their idea of what they might be in the future! It should be fun!
Our SuperKid this week is Annamarie. Thanks to Nathan for sharing his things!
What’s Going on in Class?
ELA/Language Arts/ SuperKids/ Writing- Unit 20- identify upper and lowercase Ww, associate picture names with w, blend sounds to decode words, read memory words “to”,”for”, “of”, identify the title of a story,distinguish between “of” and “off”,use prior knowledge, answer questions about a story,describe setting, recall details,encode words, capitalize proper words, sharing and illustrating how to do something
Math.- IPADS Happy Numbers
Interactive- Notebook- Number Sequence
Science-Weather
Social Studies- George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Religion- “We Pray Every Day”
Meditation
Looking Ahead
Monday, February 21st- Presidents’ Holiday- No School
Friday, February 25th- Spirit Day- “Your Future Self”
February Weather Homework due
Saturday, February 26th– SPN Crab Feed Virtual Auction-MAKE SURE TO REGISTER!
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, Feb 11, 2022
We will begin our STAR testing for Kindergarten this coming week. As you know,the purpose of STAR Early Literacy is to assess students’ early literacy skills in preparation for reading. The STAR test identifies student reading levels (e.g. Emergent Reader) and provides student performance results for pre-K through third grade students. These tests give us a benchmark for Kindergarten skills as well as indicating the progress your child has made. We will contact you ONLY if there is a concern in this area.The second Trimester ends on March 11th and report cards will be issued after that.
Now that most students know most of their letters and sounds and are beginning to recognize words,we have begun to give the students some experiences in communicating their ideas in writing. Students are beginning to write simple sentences. The students are learning how words can be put together to form complete sentences.The class brainstorms and shares ideas and information before writing. Using their writing skills, the Kindergarten students will have a special project to complete for the month of March. Specific directions for this project will be distributed on March 2nd. Encourage independent writing whenever possible with your child.
Since we haven’t had a chance to bring in the Alameda Library this year, they are now available to do an in person visit with our classes. An Alameda Librarian will visit our class on Friday, March 4th in the morning. It should be a fun experience. Next week you will receive information about how to obtain a free library card for your child, if they don’t have one,
Our SuperKid this week is Nathan Garcia-Lai. Thanks to Abby for sharing her things.
What’s Going on In Class?
ELA/ Language Arts/ SuperKids/Writing- Identify upper and lower case Vv, associate picture names with V, listen for details in a song, blend sounds to decode words,distinguish between “f” and “v”, associate pictures with sentences, sequence events, identify an apostrophe, understand singular possessives, identify title of a story, track print, read memory words “put”,”for”, answer questions about a story, understand characters, read at an appropriate rate, follow oral directions, recall details form and use correct spacing and punctuation, write about how to do something
Math. My Numbers 11-20 Book
Practice counting and writing – Numbers 15,16,17,18
Bridges Workplace- Show Me Five
Social Studies- Black History – Ruby Bridges
-George Washington
Religion– St. Valentine’s Day
– Meditation
Science- Continue to track weather at home for 10 days.
Looking Ahead
Monday, February 14th- Valentine’s Day- Don’t forget to have your child bring a valentine for each member of the class. ( Red, white, pink or purple free dress)
Friday, February 18th- Minimum Day- 12 Noon Dismissal
Monday, February 21st- Presidents’ Holiday- No School
Friday, February 25th- February Weather Homework due
Saturday, February 26th– SPN Crab Feed Virtual Auction
Thanks for your support.
Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Halkias
P.S.-Thank you so much for my birthday card and gifts! They were perfect!- Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, February 4,2022
Thank you for a lovely Teacher Appreciation Day. We all felt loved and appreciated.
This coming Friday we will celebrate the 100th Day of Kindergarten. By now, your child should be able to count to 100 by 10s. Counting by 5s and 2s to 100 would be the next step in counting and of course, counting by 1’s to 100. Don’t forget to review the separate instructions
( in last week’s website posting) for our special 100th Day activity which we will do on the 100th day. We will also celebrate Lunar New Year that day with a special celebration organized by Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Spaudie and Mrs. Shindler. Thank you Moms!
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day on Monday, February 14th! Our Room mothers( along with other parents) will be organizing a snack for the class. The students will then distribute their valentines at the end of the day!. Don’t forget to have your child bring their Valentines on or before that day! Please make sure that your child has a handled shopping bag to carry home their belongings in.
Thanks also to our Art Docent Lead, Phanette Lane, who is organizing our Auction Classroom Project. It will be auctioned off as part of our Annual Auction this year. Check the Friday Folder for a flyer with important information and a QR code to register!!
We hope that you enjoyed the Oratorical Fest.It is so impressive to see the SPN students participate and demonstrate their skills as they move up through the grades.
We will begin the Renaissance STAR Early Literacy Testing the week of February 14th. Star Early Literacy is a customized reading test for students to take on a computer. The test is designed for students in grades pre-K through 3. The assessment will provide us with information about the proficiency of your child’s skills with respect to reading. As a student takes the assessment, the software selects items based on the student’s responses. If the student answers the item correctly, the software increases the difficulty level of the next item. If the student answers incorrectly, the software lowers the difficulty level of the next item. By continually adjusting the difficulty of an item to what the student has shown she can or cannot do, the assessment is tailored to accurately measure each student’s level of achievement. Star Early Literacy consists of 27 items and generally takes fewer than 15 minutes for the student to complete the assessment. We use these results along with Lexia and our in-class assessments to personalize learning for your child.
Our SuperKid this week is Abby.
What’s Happening in Class?
ELA/Language Arts/ Writing- Unit 18 – SuperKids Club- identify upper and lower case Pp,associate picture names with p, listen for details in a song, form Pp, blend to decode, identity title of a story, track print and illustrations, read memory words “of,no,put,the”, use prior knowledge, answer questions about a story, determine important ideas, follow oral directions, recall details, comprehension, summarize, retell, use correct spacing and punctuation, create a shared list
Math.- 100th Day Activities
Interactive Notebook- Numbers 1-20- show one more or less
-Counting on with a numeral and objects
Social Studies- Rosa Parks
Lunar New Year
Science– Weather
Religion- We Pray Every Day
Meditation
Looking Ahead
Friday, February 11th- 100th Day of Kindergarten
Lunar New Year Celebration
Monday, February 14th- Valentine’s Day Celebration- (Red ,White, Pink, Purple Free Dress)
Friday, February 18th– Minimum Day- 12 Noon Dismissal
Monday, February 21st- Presidents Day Holiday -No School
Sincerely, Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, January 27,2022
We look forward to celebrating Catholic Schools Week next week with you.
Below is the schedule:
Sunday, Jan. 30th- Celebrate Catholic Education
- Family Mass at 9AM
- Virtual Open House ( on school website)
Monday, Jan. 31st- Celebrate Belonging
- Cub Scouts perform Flag Ceremony , Morning Assembly ( Big School)
- Local Musician Jesse Manibusan will perform two concerts in the church for the older classes
Tuesday, February 1st- Celebrate Students- Student Appreciation
- Student Free Dress
- Lawrence Hall of Science Hands on Exhibit- 9-10 AM for Grades TK-2
Wednesday, February 2nd- Celebrate Families
- “SPN Family Culture Day”- Each grade will share their projects-Kindergarten shares “My Family and Me” books
Thursday, February 3rd- Celebrate Academic Excellence- Virtual Oratorical Fest
- Recording of fest readers at 10 AM- Recorded version will be available to families and school by 1PM
Friday, February 4th- Celebrate Teachers
- Teacher Appreciation; noon dismissal
The month of February finds us very busy with Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Holiday, 100th Day of School, Black History Month and Lunar New Year. Our room mothers will be contacting parents to assist with donations for the celebrations.Thanks for your help.
Here is what we have planned for February:
Black History Month: Weekly Literature Circles, Interactive Notebook Entries, Seesaw Projects
Lunar New Year: In class activities and performance with Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Shindler and Mrs. Spaudie on 2/11, Literature Circles and Interactive Notebook Entries
100th Day of School: Students are to bring 100 items to school on or before February 11th. These should be non-edible items that fit in a zip-top sandwich size bag (eg: legos, paper clips, mini erasers). They will be used for a project in class and will be returned. We will have a day full of math centered activities around the number 100!
Valentine’s Day: Students will celebrate with a themed snack and distribution of Valentines. Please send your child a Valentine to pass out to their classmates. Please have them only sign their name and not personalize them for each classmate. There are 27 students in our class. It is a free dress day-pink, red and white colors!
The students selected to represent Kindergarten this year at our Oratorical Fest are Samantha Fayngersh, Annamarie Patterson, Maverick Schindler and Lorenzo Fowler. Only four students may be chosen per class but we told the students that if they weren’t selected this year, they could be chosen next year! All of the students were well prepared and the class really enjoyed it!
Our SuperKid next week is Jack. Thank you to Emily L. for sharing her things.
Just a quick note about Choice Lunches- we are noticing that some students are not eating most of their lunch and are throwing it away. Please speak with your child that they should be eating at least half of their lunch and that you are choosing foods that they like. We don’t like to see the amount of food that is being wasted. Thanks for your support.
What’s Happening in the Classroom?
ELA/ Language Arts, SuperKids Club, Writing- Unit 17-Identify upper and lower case Mm, encode words, identify title of a story, track print ,read memory words “of”, “no” “I”,use prior knowledge, answer questions about a story, generate questions about a story,determine important ideas, understand synonyms and antonyms, follow oral directions, recall details,form Mm and exclamation marks, use correct spacing and punctuation,writing a sentence about a drawing
Math.- Bridges- Building a Number Rack
February Calendar
Interactive Notebook- Compose and decompose numbers to 10
(We are adding in Happy Numbers to our Math lessons on the IPADS in class.)
Social Studies- – Students will share their Family History reports with their classmates.
Religion- Meditation
Finish Student Learning Expectation Journal- Respectful,Responsible, Reverent, Life
Long Learner
Looking Ahead
January 30 -February 4th- Catholic Schools Week
See schedule above
Thursday, February 3rd- Oratorical Fest recording sent out
Friday, February 4th- Minimum Day- 12 Noon Dismissal
Friday, February 11th- Kindergarten’s 100th Day
Lunar New Year Celebration
Thanks for all the work you do for our school. We are fortunate to have parents as our partners in educating children. You make a difference.
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, January 21,2022
Thank you for the extra work with your children in helping them to learn their poems for our Oratorical Fest. The students did a great job. The standards addressed for this special presentation (as well as the Family History Project due next week) include being able to speak audibly and express their thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly. It is a lifelong standard! We will let you know which students have been chosen to represent Kindergarten at the Fest.
Don’t forget to have your child complete their Family History Assignment ( My Family And Me.) It is due on Friday, January 28th. We look forward to learning about our students’ families!
Please be sure that your child has an extra mask with them at all times. If possible send at least one or two extra masks with your child to keep in their backpack. We have gone through our extra classroom supply of masks several times already.Children become uncomfortable when their masks get wet and then ask for a clean one. Your assistance is appreciated.
Our SuperKid for this week is Emily L. Thanks to Nate for sharing his things.
What’s Happening In the Classroom?
ELA/ Language Arts, Writing- SuperKids Club- Unit 16- Identify upper and lower case N,associate picture names with n,draw conclusions from pictures,identify parts of a book, read memory word”no” and spell it, answer questions about pictures, form a question mark, use correct spacing and punctuation in sentences,Identify title of a story,use prior knowledge,compare and contrast,blend sounds to decode words,visually discriminate between
words
Math-Count on to Equal 10, Picture Graphs
Social Studies and Religion- Student Learning Expectations- Responsible, Respectful, Reverent, Life Long Learner, Meditation
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, January 25th- Free Dress for January Birthdays
Wednesday, January 26th- Minimum Day-12 Noon Dismissal- Wacky Wednesday Spirit Day
Friday, January 28th- Family History Project Due( My Family and Me)
Speaking for all of the teachers, we are most grateful for our parents and students here at SPN.
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias
Kindergarten Update
Dear Parents, January 14,2022
You should have received information about our Family History Project in connection with our Catholic Schools Week celebration. We would like each student to be able to share a little bit about their family’s heritage. Please assist your child in completing this project but allow them to do as much as they can on their own. This project is due back to school by January 28 so we can share and display them during our special week! Questions? Feel free to email us.
Don’t forget about the Oratorical Fest which takes place on Thursday, February 3rd for the entire student body. Kindergartners will recite their speeches in class for their classmates. We will be selecting four students to participate in the Oratorical Fest. Thanks for the extra practice required for this assignment. If your child is chosen for the all school Oratorical Fest we will notify you via email. Please practice with your child so that they can feel confident in speaking in front of an audience.
The students have continued their learning about the Zones of Regulation. The Zones of Regulation program is a framework to teach self-regulation.The students will be introduced to the different zones and will learn how they can use the zones to describe how they feel. Books are used which describe different feelings that they might have in each zone. Students have begun sharing emotions that they feel. We have discussed the fact that students may feel different emotions at different times and that this is expected and part of being who they are. The zones are Red, Yellow, Green and Blue. More information to come later.
Our Super Kid is Nate!
What’s Happening in Class?
ELA/Language Arts/Writing/ Superkids Curriculum- Unit 15- SuperKids Club
Identify upper and lower case Rr, associate picture names with r,identify rhyming words, blend sounds to decode words, identify title of story, track print, read memory words, use prior knowledge, answer questions about a story, read with natural phrasing, recall details, follow oral directions,use correct spacing and pronunciation, form exclamation marks
Math.- Interactive Notebook- Number sequence
Workplaces- Beat You to 10, Which Numeral will win? Count and Compare Dots
Science- Weather Patterns
Social Studies- Martin Luther King Jr,Zones of Regulation
Religion- Meditation
Looking Ahead
Monday, January 17th- No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Friday, January 28- January Homework Due
Monday, January 31- Book Orders Due
Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Halkias