Apples, Apples, Apples! For the next few days, our class will be doing a unit on Johnny Appleseed and apples. We will be reading about Johnny Appleseed, making related crafts, and taste testing many apple flavored foods. We already made an apple pie on Monday and it turned out great. Almost every kid thought it was delicious! The kids were able to add all of the ingredients, such as butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Then they mixed it all up and poured it into the crusts. While it baked that afternoon, the entire building smelled of apple pie. It was perfect for a nice fall day! So, don’t be surprised if your child comes home talking about all things apples! Have a great week!

This is the design for our 2011-2012 Kindergarten t-shirts! The front "pocket" area will read "Bernie Kindergarten Class of 2024." The back of the shirt will be the KINDERGARTEN ROCKS design. We should be getting our shirts soon! Be looking for them in your child's backpack in the next week or two.

Rocking in Kindergarten! It's been a great week with some beautiful weather, and the kids have enjoyed all of the time spent outside. I hope the nice weather sticks around for a while before it gets too cold and we have to bundle up in our coats.

The boys and girls have been busy each day and we have really focused on our alphabet-- specifically identifying each capital and lowercase letter. Now that we are more familiar with the letters, they are practicing writing their first names using lowercase, instead of all capitals. I am surprised at how quickly they catch on. They always impress me! We have also started reading small books with the sight words from our reading lessons. The sight words your child should know are: I AM THE LITTLE TO A. The kids are always excited when they recognize a word they recently learned and that excites me too.

In math, we practice counting and number identification daily. The kids pretty much have their basic shapes mastered, so we can move on to bigger and better things! Our pattern of the month is AB, and we have been practicing this since August. Patterns are a big deal in kindergarten and luckily these students have been doing great!

Next week we do a fun unit on apples. There will be a ton of taste-testing and the kids have already been asking when we get to eat all of the apple-flavored foods the parents have been sending. We will make a couple of apple pies at the start of next week and will also be trying apple sauce, apple cereal, apple jelly, and assorted fresh apples. This will all come together with stories about apple trees, apple foods, and Johnny Appleseed! So much to do in the next week and I can't wait. Thank you to each parent that sent in apple-related supplies. You all were VERY generous and kindergarten would not be near as much fun for your child without your support. THANK YOU!!!

Character Education
Every month our school focuses on a character trait. For September, the trait is RESPECT. At the end of the month I will pick one student from the class that has shown the most respect to his/her classmates and teachers. Please talk about respect with your child at home as we try to instill this characteristic in all of our students at Bernie.

Kindergarten Rocks!
We are on day 11 and what a difference a few short weeks can make! The kids are getting the hang of all the school procedures and rules. They are sitting quietly and listening to our reading, math, and writing lessons. They are even working pretty independently. We know how to walk in a quiet, straight line (well, most of the time). :) They are enjoying their visits to PE, art, music, and library and as I type, they are dancing and singing in music class with Mrs. Lanpher. In reading, we have been very busy learning all of our letters and beginning to learn our letter sounds. Additionally, as we read story books, the kids are understanding the concepts of character and setting. In math, we have focused on counting and learning how to handle all of the fun math manipulatives, like pattern blocks and linking cubes. In handwriting, we are learning how to form letters correctly and how to write their names using lowercase letters. Science lessons about plant life will begin soon, and every year the kids love learning how plants grow. It is going to be a great year!

Kindergarten Orientation is Friday, August 12th at 6:30 pm in the kindergarten classrooms. If your child is entering kindergarten, you should have received an informational packet in the mail. If you have not received the packet, please contact the school at 293-5335.

Kindergarten Website Updated! The class website has been updated with pictures from April and May. The last newsletter is also posted. If you can not click on the stars on the "Pictures" page, you may need to view the website on a different computer. Sometimes the picture links are not recognized on all computers.

Character Trait Winners
September-RESPECT: Tucker Anthony
October-RESPONSIBILITY: Gabby Young
November-KINDNESS: Logan Williams
December-CARING: Deandrianna Conner
January-INTEGRITY: Leslie Orocio
February-CITIZENSHIP: Joel Aycock
March-HONESTY: Giana McCoy
April-TRUSTWORTHINESS: Kaylee Gordon
May- FAIRNESS: Draven Cato

The 911 presentation has been rescheduled for this Wednesday. We are very thankful this presentation will be delivered to our children so they will more fully understand what to do in case of an emergency. Wednesday afternoon would be a great time for you as a parent to reinforce the steps to take in case of an emergency.

Kindergarten Graduation Information

• Graduation is tonight at 6:00 in the cafeteria. Please enter through the North doors along Highway U.


• The night will consist of a short musical program, followed by a graduation ceremony. Please dress your child in casual formal wear (Sunday attire) and have him/her in the cafeteria no earlier than 5:45. After the ceremony, we will provide an opportunity to get a group picture of all the kindergartners. The students will be arranged in front of the stage and as soon as the ceremony has concluded, you may come up and take their picture.


• You should have received a “Parent Involvement Activity Evaluation Form” in your child's blue folder. Please fill this out after the ceremony tonight and return it to school the next day--Wednesday, May 18th. It is very important we receive your input on the “Parent Involvement” form. Thank you for your help, and I hope to see you all tonight!!!


• Attendance is required for all kindergarten students between Wednesday, May 18th and Friday May 20th, even though it is after “graduation.”
  

Student of the Quarter

The student of the quarter is a child that shows kindness to his/her fellow classmates and is respectful to teachers and other peers around him/her. Additionally, s/he always works hard in class to achieve his/her personal best. Congratulations to the following students who exhibit these qualities and more…

First Quarter
Joel Aycock and Leslie Orocio

Second Quarter
Gabby Young and Logan Williams

Third Quarter
Draven Cato and Gabriel Stratton

Fourth Quarter
Trey Wiseman and Lucenda Craver

Secret Word: The new secret word is "said." Have your child write three sentences, including the word "said." For example: "She said hello to her friend Liz."

Summer Birthday Kids: If you want to send birthday treats to celebrate your child's summer birthday, you are more than welcome to do so. There are 19 students.

Graduation Video: There is a new kindergarten video posted on the right side of this blog. If you would like to view it full screen, click on the small rectangle in the bottom, right-hand corner of the video.

The 911 presentation by the Stoddard County Ambulance District was cancelled due to the flood conditions. Those emergency personnel were needed around the bootheel to help those affected by the rising waters. However, any time you spent helping your child memorize his/her address and phone number was not wasted. It is extremely important your child knows these things, and now would be a great time to talk about what to do in case of an emergency.

To view a larger version of the graduation invitation, please click on the picture below.

Scholastic Book Order: If you submitted your order last week, the books should arrive in our classroom soon. We will not have any more book orders this year, since we only have nine days of school left. Thank you to those that have ordered throughout this school year. I have received more than 20 free books as a result of parent orders, and it is always exciting to introduce new books to the kids.

Library Reminder: Library books need to be returned to school every Thursday so when your child goes to library, s/he will be able to check out a new book.

Dates to Remember:

• April 11th-14th: Kindergarten Achievement Testing


• April 22nd-25th: Spring Break


• May 17th: Kindergarten Graduation (more info to come)

Student of the Quarter: Each quarter, students are chosen from each classroom to be recognized as “Student of the Quarter.” These are students that are kind to others, show respect to their teachers and classmates, and work hard in class. For first quarter, Joel Aycock and Leslie Orocio were recognized. Gabby Young and Logan Williams were recognized for second quarter. Third quarter students were Draven Cato and Gabriel Stratton. Congratulations to these boys and girls!

Box Tops: The PTO will be sponsoring a Box Top Party, with pizza, soda, and cupcakes for the classroom that collects the most Box Tops during April. The collection of Box Tops for the party started on April 1st and will conclude on April 29th. If you want to help our classroom, please save your Box Tops and encourage your family and friends to do the same. For every Box Top collected, our school receives 10 cents. Don’t forget to send them to school in your child’s blue folder before April 29th.

2011-2012 School Calendar: Next year's school calendar is posted on the Bernie School Homepage. Click on the link below to view the calendar.

http://www.bernie.k12.mo.us/admin/2012Calendar.pdf

Last Day of School Change: Our last day of school will now be Friday, May 20th. We will dismiss at 12:30. Also remember, spring break is April 22nd-April 25th. Please plan accordingly.

Conferences: Remember Parent/Teacher Conferences are this Thursday. Please arrive at school at your scheduled time. If the door to my room is closed, please wait outside until I finish conferencing with the parents before you. I hope to see everyone Thursday afternoon. Thanks!

Newsletter and School Website: Hopefully you found my class newsletter in your child's blue folder this afternoon. Also, I have updated our class website with pictures from February (many that did not make it in the newsletter can be found online), fourth quarter skills to practice, and the newsletter is attached for future reference. Please take the time to check the fourth quarter "Skills to Practice." Try to work with your child to see if s/he has mastered the old skills, and make a point to practice some of the new ones. It would also be helpful to practice the sight words listed near the bottom of the page. The more sight words your child can read, the easier it is for him/her to read fluently and comprehend what is being read. Thanks!