Week of September 16-19, 2013

Theme: Let's Be Friends

Letter of the Week: S

Star of the Week: Asher Chaplin, P.M. class

This week we will continue to focus on classroom rules and routines. We will also be focusing on building friendships and qualities that make a good friend. The children will explore ways that friends help each other and show that they care about each other. They will read stories in which unlikely characters, such as a goose and a bear, and a lion and a mouse, become friends. In addition, children will talk about how sharing toys, listening, and sharing their feelings are important not only to a friendship, but also to creating a friendly, cooperative classroom environment.

Learning together:

• Have your child invite a friend over to play. After the visit, discuss things that your child and his or her friend did that were fun.
• Talk with your child about your friends. Explain why these people are your friends and describe the kinds of things you enjoy doing with them.
• Get one of the Frog and Toad books from the local library and read it with your child. Talk about what makes these characters good friends.
• After school each day, talk with your child about what he or she did during the day. Begin by sharing what you did during the day and then pose questions designed to elicit more than "yes or no" answers. For example, ask: What songs did you sing today? What new things did you learn? Which activity was the most fun for you today? Why? What stories did your teacher read aloud? What new friends did you make? What have you brought home from school to share?

This week the children will also be participating in STARS assessment which helps benchmark their language and literacy level so that we are able to measure their growth over the course of the school year. For the children it will seem like a game that they will be playing on the IPads.

This week I will also email home a copy of the class roster so that you are able to connect with the parents and children in your child's classroom.

Show and Share this week (September 19) will be an item that starts with the letter S. For Show and Share please make sure that the item is able to fit inside of your child's Show and Share bag and that they bring only one item for Show and Share.

We will have a special S snack on Wednesday.