Number Bonds

As we work on addition and subtraction in Kindergarten, we work extensively with a mathematics chart called a "number bond".  Here is a number bond:

Each circle of the number bond has a name to describe its role in a bond:

The whole is the total amount and it is connected to each part- so two lines connect to the whole.

The parts are the two numbers that, when put together, equal the whole amount.

Notice that there is not a line connecting  part to part.

Here is a functioning number bond:

Here you can see that if you take the two parts (2 and 3) and put them together, it makes the whole (5) amount.

To begin, we might say 3 and 2 make 5.  Then, it leads us into 3 + 2 = 5.

The same applies to subtraction, except we cross off the number that is being taken away:

Here you can see that if you take the whole (5) and take away the part that is crossed out (3), the remaining part would be 2.

Eventually this leads us to writing 5 - 3 = 2

We use number bonds daily and you will start to see them coming home on homework.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

New Goals

Your child may have mentioned that we have a new goal with our tickets at CR Hanna.  When students earn tickets for being kind, safe, responsible or respectful, they are now to keep these in a safe spot and once they have 5, they can take them to the office to buy a prize!  It has been a huge success and we have seen some great progress to earn these tickets.  In our own classroom, students are being helpful to one another and throughout the day, if their tables are responsible, working hard, using appropriate voice levels then they earn a tally for their table.  At the end of the day, the table with the most tallies wins a prize.  Yellow and Blue have been the most responsible so far this week.  Keep up the great work, Kindergarten!

Don't forget, Friday is an early dismissal day at 11:22 and no lunch will be served.  There is no school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Happy New Year

2017 is here and Kindergarten is back in session.  As we return this week, we begin an almost 2 month review of letters and sounds by studying an animal that begins with each letter.  Yesterday we learned about alligators and were able to touch a real alligator head while reviewing the sound for short A.  Today we introduced LONG A - Each vowel of the alphabet (a,e,i,o and u) can make 2 distinct sounds.  The LONG sound is when the vowel sounds like the letter name.  Today we learned about Apes.  With long vowels, we focus on "sneaky e" that sneaks onto the end of a word and makes the vowel say its name in the word.  You will see those on tonight's homework, as well.  Your student might mention sneaky, silent e when writing APE or cAke tonight!  We will learn about the long vowel sound of each vowel as we come to it in the alphabet this time around.

Today we earned our last letter of RESPONSIBLE and tomorrow we will have a PAJAMA DAY!  There is a pink note in folders about that tonight.

Report cards will be coming home on Friday (tomorrow).  Please review the report card, keep the papers at home, sign the envelope next to 2nd Quarter and return the empty envelope to school next week.  If you have any questions about your child's assessments, please do not hesitate to get in touch :).

We are officially halfway done with Kindergarten!  So much to look forward to coming up.  Stay tuned!

DECEMBER!

Wow, November really flew and December has snuck up on me.  We have done so many things!  Our Thanksgiving program was a huge success.  The kids were fantastic.  Our Feast was amazing with so many delicious donations.  A visitor from Putnam Museum came- Miss Music taught us about music around the world and we were able to play different instruments and do dances from places like Vietnam and Mexico.  We earned a project party for being great at listening and are now working on earning a PAJAMA party for being "responsible".  That one will be fun!  We have started learning about celebrations around the world and where some local family items and traditions (Christmas trees, stockings, wreaths, nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks etc) originated.  We are working hard on measurable attributes in math and comparing things using words like "longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, taller, holds more and holds less".  Kindergartners have also been working hard on mastering at least 25 sight words to meet our goal for this quarter as well as all of the letters and sounds of the alphabet!  As you can imagine, we are busy.

Not to mention that we started this week with SNOW and the craziness that happens trying to keep track of snowpants, boots, hats, gloves, coats, scarves, bags, tennis shoes....It is tricky, but I think this year's class has been the very best (in my 10 years of teaching) at getting dressed, undressed and keeping their items together and organized in the hallway with few reminders.  It has been great!

Only 2 weeks left before break.  Make sure $4.00 gifts for our exchange arrive in the classroom by DEC 12 so I can be sure everyone has a gift.  If you need assistance in choosing or purchasing a gift, please do not hesitate to contact me so I can help in any way!

Stay warm - I think we are in for a few days of indoor recess later this week.  Remember- we go outside if the accueweather.com temperature WITH WINDCHILL is 10 degrees or greater.  

Election Day and Giving Thanks

We had a school wide mock election today.  Every student was able to cast a vote on their ballot and second grade totaled the votes throughout the day.  Mr. Donald Trump was the winning candidate at CR Hanna.  We will see if that is a predictor of what the results will be for our country this evening.

As we have begun learning about Native Americans and their constant efforts to give thanks for every gift of life, we made a Thankful Turkey for our hallway.  Check it out when you come for the Thanksgiving Program later this month, or when you come to help in the classroom.  It is really neat and the kids love looking at how their individual feathers work together to make something so beautiful as a whole.  We have so much to be thankful for every single day!

Conferences, Halloween, 3D shapes, Invitation

Thank you to EVERY family that met with me during conferences.  We had 100% attendance which is fabulous!  I enjoyed my time with you.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions after our meeting.

Halloween was great yesterday.  The kids looked so fabulous in their costumes and I know they had fun the entire day.  Thank you to all PTA members who helped put on a fun party!  And thank you for our treats and drinks, too.  Check out some pictures below.

We have been hard at work in math centers this week working on recording different ways to make ten and showing one more.  Today we introduced 3D SHAPES!  We focused on Spheres today, read a book about solid objects and went outside and blew bubbles (spheres).  Every time a child popped a bubble, he/she had to yell "SPHERE" so we got a lot of good work with that vocabulary word today :).  Ask your child what objects around your house are shaped like spheres (globe, baseball, soccer ball, the top of a tootsie pop, etc.).

*You should see an invitation to our Thanksgiving Music Program for Nov 22 in your child's folder tonight.  Doors open at 10:40, program begins at 10:55.  You can invite anyone to join you to see this super short (20 minute) and super fabulous show!

And finally - Game 6 tonight...GO CUBS GO!

:)

New Student and writing books!

Today we welcomed a new student to our classroom.  We were very excited to add our new friend, Emersynn to our Kindergarten family.  She brings our class up to 24 students with 10 girls and 14 boys!  Please keep this in mind when sending snack from here on.  Ask your child if he/she did anything to make our new friend feel welcomed today!

In reader's workshop, we have been working on reading books with patterns.  This week we are working in partners to WRITE and ILLUSTRATE a pattern book!  The kids have gotten to choose their pattern and are working hard to create amazing books.  I will have a set out at conferences and your child will be bringing his/her book home on Wednesday.  Keep your eyes out for this awesome project!