Back to school night, you said...

Oh, yes. The date for Back to school night is Thursday, August 26th, from 6 to 7:30pm. Hope to see you then.

Now I'm really excited

It was so great meeting all of your children today. I have so many little faces to think of now when I'm making plans for our year. All of you parents were lovely, too. Thank you for all your offers of help - I accept.

As I told some of you, I plan to be in the classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday after noon until about 3 or 4, cleaning and getting organized. Any of you who have a spare hour or more, come on by. You may bring the children if you think they will be fine playing independently - it's up to you. This time counts towards you volunteer hours.

I also hope most of you heard me announce the Back To School Night for our class. You and the students are invited to come and see our room all fixed up. I will also have the volunteer calendar and the class job sign ups available.

I meant to take a few photos today, but it just didn't get to the top of the priority list, so I found a few of my former students: Torrey's brother, Jeremy's brother, Sofia's sister, Anya's sister, Summer's brother, and Sam's Brother.

I'm Back

Spending time in a natural environment is very important to me. I'm one of those people who needs to re connect with nature in order to feel recharged and refreshed. I recently returned from a trip with my family to the Sierras, an area called Mineral King Canyon. We hiked and star gazed, laughed and sang and enjoyed a campfire. And now I'm excited to be back and delighted that school is just around the corner.

Natural science is a key part of my kindergarten curriculum. I believe that young children have a fascination for the natural world that motivates them to ponder, hypothesize, and discuss. We begin the year learning about the ocean habitat and the animals that inhabit it. We go on field trips, read books, draw pictures and begin to write to share our ideas and questions about creatures of the sea. We will do research and share our discoveries with our classmates. As the year goes on, we will explore local habitats, earth science and weather, rainforest and polar habitats, and space. I love these branches of science and I find most young children do too.

Next weekend is our get together. I'm going to send out an evite to help me coordinate food and so on. Remember, the picnic will be your first opportunity to volunteer for class jobs and sign up for participation. Bring your calendars!

I really appreciate all the emails I have received from you, especially those that have helped me to begin to know your child. This week, I will email you each a questionnaire that will ask you to share some basic information about your child's life and interests. The collaboration begins!

See you soon,

Ms Morgan

Class Supplies

Some of you have asked if there are things our class will need from these ‘Back To School’ sales going on right now, so I have very considerately made a list:

Class Supplies:

3oz paper cups
liquid hand soap
sponges
environmentally friendly spray cleaner
band aids
sunscreen
plastic spoons

We are good for tissues and paper towels right now.

Art Supplies:

Mr sketch scented markers
Crayola colored markers
Black sharpie markers
White construction paper
9”x14” construction paper – any color
colored masking tape
beads
potters’ clay
playdoh
large easel paper
glitter, stickers, bits and bobs for collage

Academic Supplies:

Large kindergarten-sized pencils
Dry erase markers
Rubber bands (for math)
Plain white 3x5 index cards
White, non-glossy pocket folders- like these: (http://www.staples.com/Staples-Twin-Pocket-Portfolios-White/product_905671?cmArea=SEARCH)
Glue sticks

Things we just need one of:

Broom
Gallon of tempra paint in primary colors

Each child will have a cubbie for his/her personal items. They will each need a change of clothes for spills and accidents. They will each have storage for their lunch box and a place to hang a jacket or sweater. Please, MARK EVERYTHING WITH THEIR NAME. Make sure they can open & close all the containers in their lunch box. We don’t have a microwave because I like to spend lunch chatting with the children. Thermos containers work very well for warm foods. I will share more information about school and food in a later post.

The children will not need a backpack and we really don’t have space for them, so unless your child is going to Gramas and needs extra stuff, please don’t send a backpack. I hope I don’t sound grumpy about this, but you will understand when you see how quickly our class can get cluttered. This may be a good opportunity to talk a little about the classroom.

I see my class as my teaching partner. I try to organize things in a way that facilitates some of my goals for the children, such as:

- Being able to be independent in locating and replacing materials
- Playing without unnecessary conflict over play things
- Being responsible for ones own items
- Being responsible for keeping our classroom tidy
- Fostering curiosity and aesthetic enjoyment
- Learning to conserve and recycle resources
- Having the opportunity to explore and enjoy nature

I work to keep the classroom a place that is pleasant for both children and adults to spend time in. Ideas and help in this area are appreciated.

Children's Kindergarten Concerns

A couple of the parents who responded to my email have reported that their almost kindergartener is behaving a little ‘off.’ I’m sharing my response because I’m guessing that they aren’t the only ones.

I believe that most children are made a little nervous by beginning kindergarten. Our whole culture makes kindergarten a big deal. It is a time when developmentally, children are beginning to understand that they will have a life separate from their families. Even if they have been to preschool, kindergarten is just different.

I suggest you be patient with your child’s regressions a little bit. They may just need to be reassured that they are still young enough to be taken care of. A little extra cuddling and ‘babying’ may be reassuring. Also, look for an opportunity to ask some questions, such as, "What are some things you are wondering about kindergarten?" and "What do you think it will be like there?" If your child has apprehensions, discuss them seriously; "What will you do if that happens?" "How can we find out if that will be true?" Be sure and let them know that Ms Morgan is looking forward to taking care of them and helping them enjoy kindergarten.

My experience has shown me that there are three big fears common to beginning kindergarteners: “Will I be the only one who can’t read?” “What if no one wants to play with me?” and “What if I need to use the bathroom?” These questions are usually answered the first week, though the ‘friends’ one is often ongoing – one of the things kindergarten is for is learning to negotiate play and social interaction.

As a parent myself I found it did no good to try and talk my daughter out of her fears. I think she felt that I just wasn’t taking her feelings seriously. I was a lot more reassuring to let her know I understood her feelings, that I believed she was smart and capable of figuring things out, but that I would be there to help her with whatever came up. Come to think of it, I am still doing this as she becomes an independent adult.

Please remember to use me as a resource for any questions you may have about your child’s’ adjustment to kindergarten. This is a part of my job I really enjoy.