Kinder News #4 October 19, 2025

 

🍎 Kinder News Update

Hello, Kinder Families!

We've had a joyful and productive two weeks! Your children have once again earned a Gem Celebration for being kind, safe, and responsible. Their positive behavior continues to shine, and we’re so proud of them!

📅 Important Dates to Remember

• Monday, October 20 @ 8:30 AM – Music Artist Visit: Sameer Gupta

• Thursday, October 23 – Family Math Night

• Monday–Friday, October 27–31 – Pumpkin Week 🎃 We'll explore pumpkins through math, literacy, and science. No need to send any—we're all set!

• Tuesday, October 28 @ 11:15–12:25 – ECO at Harrison Field ECO (Environmental and Community Outreach) teaches kids about nature and community. Please dress your child for the weather!

• Friday, November 7 – Early Release Day & Conferences

• Monday, November 10 – Caregiver Conferences (No School)

• November 24–28 – Thanksgiving Recess (No School)

📚 Literacy Snapshot

• Focused on letter sounds: g, d, s, e, r

• Blended sounds to make 3-letter words

• Practiced rhyming and lowercase letter formation Books we read:

  • Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

  • I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!

  • When Sophie Gets Angry

  • Ish

  • Maddie’s Fridge

• The Flynn Theater (The Hungry Caterpillar, From Head to Toe, The Little Cloud, and The Lonely Firefly)

🔢 Math Snapshot

• Counting by 10s to 100

• Teen numbers (11–16)

• Proper number formation (0–10)

• Dump Truck Math

• Counting backwards from 20

• Pattern recognition

🔬 Science / Social Studies / SEL

• Fire Safety 🔥 (Check your alarms!)

• Apple Life Cycle & Engineering

• Squirrels Preparing for Winter 🐿️

💬 Questions to Ask Your Kinder

• What did you learn about fire safety?

• Can you count backwards from 20?

• How do squirrels get ready for winter?

• Who rides in the car with Mercy and Mr. Watson?

• What sounds do the letters e, r, s, i make?

• Do you remember the key picture for e, r, s, i?

Thanks for being such a supportive part of our learning community. We’re excited for all the fun and learning ahead!

Kinder News #3 October 5th

 Kinder News,

Hello and happy beautiful Sunday!  We had two gem celebrations.  Please send back field trip permission slips.  Thank you!

Important Dates:

Wednesday, October 8th Our Picture Day

Friday, October 10 No School Inservice Day

Monday, October 13 No School Indigenous Peoples Day 

Tuesday, October 14 ECO at Harrison Field 11:15-12:25

Wednesday, October 15 Field Trip to Flynn Theater 8:30-12:00 Information Here

Thursday, October 16 Open House 5:30-6:30

Tuesday, October 28 ECO at Harrison Field 11:15-12:25

Monday, October 27-31 PUMPKIN WEEK

Pumpkin Day and Apple Donations:

We will have pumpkin week starting October 27th. We will use pumpkins for math, literacy and science!   We are looking for small pumpkin donations…the smaller the better!  Each child needs their own pumpkin extra donations are greatly appreciated.  We also need apple donations.  We are using apples for science and cooking for the next couple of weeks.  Small pumpkins go quickly in the shops!  Thank you for your support.

ECO:

We have our very first ECO on Tuesday, October 14th.  We will walk over to Harrison at 11:15-12:25. Please make sure you help your child dress for the weather.  We usually go rain or shine!

RECESS:

I bring the children out for recess at least twice a day rain or shine.  It is very helpful that the children are properly dressed for the weather.  Thank you for your help!

Literacy Snapshot:

Letters/Letter sounds (a,o,i,u,c,b,g,f,m,t)

Name work/Writing our names with the first letter uppercase and the rest lowercase

Letter formation uppercase m, n, p,h, k, r, v,w,x,y,z all capital frog jump letters

Beginning Letter sound sorts

Blending sounds into words

Segmenting and deleting syllables

Some Books we read:

The Mat Man Book

Mercy Watson

Mr. Putter Series

Our Class is A Family (Mrs. Whalen read this to us)

Math Snapshot:

Counted what was in our counting cups

Practiced Proper Number Formation 1-10

Played Several Apple Counting Games

Math Hands

Played a dice and number match game

Counting through the teen numbers

Discussed the teen numbers 11-16

Counting to 100 

Science/SS Snapshot:

Life Cycle of Apple trees  

Taste Test (red, yellow and green apples)

Self Portraits

Fourth Grade Buddies 

What is a Scientist?

How do animals survive?

Social Emotional Learning:

Class Rules/Agreements

All school evacuation safety and practice

Mood Meter Practice

Emotions

Be your Best Self

Questions to Ask your Kinder:

How many days have we been in school? Hint it comes after 26.

Tell me about the mood meter.

Who is Mercy Watson?

What is the cozy couch?

Kinder news 2

 Kinder News,

We had a very productive two weeks of school. Our students demonstrated exceptional behavior, filling our gem jar twice by following the school rules ( We are kind. We are safe. We are responsible). This led to an extra choice time in the morning and rainbow popsicles.  

Important Dates:

Monday, September 29th: Early Release Day (1:00 dismissal)

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 7-8:  Picture Day

Friday, October 10th: School Closed (Inservice Day)

Monday, October 13th: School Closed (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)

Tuesday, October 14th, Our First ECO to Harrison Field

Wednesday, October 1,5 Field Trip to Flynn Theater  The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Thursday, October 16th Open House (5:30-6:30)

Monday, October 27, Pumpkin Week in Kindergarten

Pumpkin Day and Apple Donations:

We are grateful for your support and contributions. We will have Pumpkin Week starting October 27 and need small pumpkin donations. Each child needs their own pumpkin, so extra contributions are greatly appreciated. We also need apple donations. For the next couple of weeks, we will use apples for science and cooking. Your support is invaluable, and we thank you for it.

ECO:

We have our very first ECO on Tuesday, October 14.  We will walk over to Harrison at 11:15-1:00.  Please make sure you help your child dress for the weather.  We usually go rain or shine.  

RECESS:

I bring the children out for recess twice daily, rain or shine.  It is very helpful that the children are properly dressed for the weather.  Thank you for your help!

EXTRA Clothes:  Please remember to restock extra clothes for cubbies. The school does not have extra clothes.

Literacy Snapshot:

Letters/Letter sounds -M man /m/, N nut /n/, I itch /i/, U up /u/

Name work/Writing our names with the first letter uppercase and the rest lowercase

Name puzzles

Handwriting Daily

Letter formation uppercase  m, n, p, r, all capital frog jump letters

Segmenting and deleting syllables

Rhyming words

Some Books we read:

Can I Play Too?

Our Class is a Family

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

I Like Me 

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Future Plans:  Letters/letter Sounds - Oo Octopus /o/, Uu Up /u/, Aa Apple /a/, Gg Game /g/, Learning all about Vowels-Syllables, blending and segmenting sounds, compound words, counting words in sentences, beginning and final sounds in words

Math Snapshot:

Counting to 100+

Practiced Proper Number Formation 0-10

Played a dice and number match game

Counting through the teen numbers

Discussed the pre-teen numbers 10-12

Discussed the teen numbers 13-16 

Future Plans: Number Formation 0-10, Partner Math Games

Science/SS/SEL Snapshot:

We had guidance with Mrs. Francke

Something you hope to do in kindergarten

Fire Drill Practice

Restorative Circle Practice

Being Kind and Helpful

Playing group games/taking turns

Will you get a turn “maybe”

Caterpillar and metamorphosis

We released many painted lady butterflies

We made butterfly headbands

We made butterfly puppets

Life Cycles of Butterflies

Fourth Grade Buddies coming this Friday!

Recycling and Composting with John Jose (Guest Speaker from Central Vermont Solid Waste Management)

Winnie (Therapy Dog)and Mrs. Pine on Tuesdays

Miss Tringe (student teacher/CBL student from the High School

Future Plans:  Mindful Station (taking a break space), Breathing Activities, Self-Space, apple and pumpkin life cycles

Questions to Ask your Kinder:

What are the preteen numbers?  What are the teen numbers?  What do they start with?

Practice making the letters M and N. They are frog jump letters.

Sing the pencil grip song!

How did the little green monster change in the book?

Will you always get a turn? (kids respond with maybe)

What are some games we play in kindergarten?

How do you earn gems?

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.  I will respond as soon as I can. 

denac@mpsvt.org  Fondly, Dena