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Welcome to Kindergarten!
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Margaret Kiel's Webpage
Welcome to Room 203!
Kindergarten Specialist Schedule:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Music Maker Space Maker Space Library Spanish Gym Gym Spanish Gym Music Library
10/15/2021
Week in Review:
Dear Parents,
I look forward to visiting with you next week at conferences. Here is our conference link: Conference Link
No Kindergarten Newsletter next week due to a short week.
Day of Service was a great Success!
Thank you, thank you for all the hygiene items for our friends in need. Your gifts will help so many people. You are teaching your children how to share, be kind and compassionate. The children were so proud of their special gifts to Waite House.
Kindergarteners had lots of fun doing service with our Special Friends the Eighth Graders. We began our morning with an All School Day of Service Prayer Service to bless the Carondelet community and the people we serve. The rest of the day was spent making leaf printing cards, sorting hygiene items, making prayer beads and picking up trash and weeding. We also had time to play on the playground with our new friends. It was a good day to think of others. Thank you to evyeron for helping with our special day.
Halloween and Costumes: We all know that this is a favorite holiday in kindergarten and the children are already sharing what they will be wearing. We will be having a Halloween party with our Special Friends at the upper campus on Wednesday, October 27th. At this gathering we are asking that children wear “Peaceful Costumes.” Sometimes children will have an at home costume and a school costume. Please help them to decide on a costume that does not have weapons and that makes everyone feel safe. More information will come home later. Dismissal from the Halloween party will be from the Upper Campus. We will dismiss from the gathering space of church.
Marathon: The excitement about the Marathon keeps growing. Thank you very much for your generous donations. The children look great in the t-shirts. Keep on asking for those pledges to help our school!
Parent Homework: We are doing name projects and we are hoping you can help us. Please send a story of how your child received their names. Children are thrilled to know how they got their name. Several sentences to up to one paragraph will be sufficient. It would be helpful if it was display ready. Adding a picture to your story is always a highlight. Please send you name stories in by Wednesday, October 13th. I will be posting them in the hallway after we read them together in class. Thank you!
VIRTUS Volunteer Training: All adults volunteering with children are required by the Archdiocese to complete the Essential 3 VIRTUS online training, which includes a Background Check, a Volunteer Code of Conduct, and video training about the protection of children. Volunteers should create an account at www.virtus.org and the website will guide you through the process. Please contact Julie Stoeger, Carondelet Business Manager. with questions.
Leveled Literacy cart: This week your child visited the Leveled Literacy cart. Have your child read the books and return them when they finish for new books. These books are at your child’s specific reading level, so they should be able to read it independently, or with very little support. The bag will also contain a Reading Log. Please fill out the reading log for each book. The Reading Log should stay inside of the bag for you, so that you have an ongoing record of the books that you have read together. We will send home a new log as soon as the reading log is filled!
Homework: An H on your child's school work means homework. Please have your child complete it and return the next day and please remind your child to put their name on their work.
Highlights: Marathon Day of Service, Special Friends, Leveled LIteracy Cart, Fall Weather, Name Project, Fire Safety
Art: Fire safety packet, name projects, cards, prayer beads, fall Kindergarten tree,
Religion: Promise was about sharing. We talked about how we shared our time and love during our Marathon Day of Service.
Communication: We talked more about punctuation, we focused on exclamation marks. We have been writing and working on making sentences. We are practicing tapping and blending words to sound them out. We learned about informational texts. We know that when we write we need to put a pinky space between words.
We worked more on writing our names the Kindergarten way.
We discussed how to have converstations with each other. We practiced greeting each other, asking for help, and making new friends.
Believe to Read: We reviewed the letter and sound of Cc, Aa, and Ll. We worked with the letter and sound of d and t.
Kindergarten Tip: We always start printing numbers and letters from the top. We also print our names the “kindergarten way,” which is the first letter is capitalized and the rest lower case.
High Frequency Words: the, a, I, like
Literature we read: Mister Seahorse, Thank You, Brother Bear, Say Hello, Schools Around the World, I Want to be a Firefighter, My Name is Yoon, Annie, Bea, and Chi Chi Dolores, Little Boo, Hello, Firefighter!, Why do Leaves Change Color?
Let's Find Out: Fire Safety
Math: We worked on tracing our number 7. We have been busy counting throughout the day.
We practiced our addition and subtraction. We worked on circles. We know they are flat and round with no sides. We found circles around our classroom Try finding some around your home!
We coninuted working on patterns. We created our own on whiteboards and shared with the class. We are noticing patterns everywhere in our classroom and creating them in our art, toys, journals, and more. See if you can find or create patterns at home. Send in a picture for us to see too!
Social Studies: We've been busy learning and talking about firefighters and fire saftey. We took a "course" on fire saftey. We learned many things such as kids should stay away from matches and lighters, create a safe spot outside if there is a fire, fire alarms should be checked once a month, call 911 if there is a fire, and much more. We became official Jounior Fire Safety Marshalls.
We will practice our phone numbers next week. Please send me a phone number you would like your child to learn.
We will reschedule our fire truck visit.
Science: We are noticing the changes happening outside. We love looking at rocks and shells underneath our magnifying glasses. Feel free to send more nature in for us to explore!
We learned about why leaves change colors. We learned about the inside of leaves and chlorophyll. We went on a leaf hunt and pressed leaves for one of our service projects.
Mystery Doug: Who Invented the Alphabet?
Assessments: CVC words, following directions
Library Days are Mondays and Thursdays. The children loved getting a library book this week. Books can be returned and new books can be checked out on either day.
Choice Time Activities Were: Legos, kitchen, reading books from our classroom library, cars, dollhouse, tree house, animals, wooden blocks, dot paints, free color, science table, magnetic dolls, gears, alphabet robots, monsters
Scholastic Book Orders: our class code is WW34Q Our next due date is Monday October 25th 2021.
September orders have been submitted.
We do a lot of creating in Kindergarten and we try to use as many recycled materials as we can! Throughout the year if you find any of the following supplies feel free to send them in for us to create with!
*Paper towel and toliet paper roll
*Magazines
*Brown Paper Bags
*Newspaper
Headphones: If able, please send your child in a pair of headphones that can be kept at shool for the entire year. Thank you.
Some weekly reminders for parents:
1. Please read this website every weekend for very important weekly kindergarten information. I will send an email alert on Fridays letting you know when my website is ready.
2. Please read the Carondelet Catholic School news notes every weekend too .
3. Please read through the information in the Big Green Envelopes (BGE) on Wednesdays and then return them.
4. Remember to send a fruit or vegetable snack daily with your child. Please no granola bars or nuts.
5. Please put your child's name on their lunch boxes, water bottles and sweaters.
I am so happy to be spending the year with you and your children.
Ms. Kiel
For Your Calendar:
10-19-21 Parent Teacher Conferences (after school)
10-20-21 Parent Teacher Conferences No School
October 21 and 22 MEA No School
10-25-21 Picture Day/Scholastic Book Orders Due
10-27-21 Halloween Celebration
10-28-2021 Happy Birthday Everest
Here are some super important notes for kindergarten parents:
Dismissal Procedures: A big part of every day is going home. We have your transportation plans on file and in the classroom. It is so important to us and to your child that they know where they are going after school. Often there are changes, such as doctor appointments, piano lessons or play plans with friends. If you have a change in plans, other than what you indicated on forms, you MUST Email Holly before 3:00.
Post the monthly kindergarten calendars your child brings home.
If your child has “ kindergarten tummy” (is missing you, which is normal, and often it happens more the 2nd and 3rd week of school) help your child by putting a photo of you in their backpack or pocket. They can take a peek whenever they want to.
Sometimes children have food allergies in the kindergarten class, as is becoming the norm in schools. If a class has a student with allergies, that class will follow allergy awareness procedures and will not bring any food or drink besides water into the classroom. An exception is on days we cannot eat in the cafeteria, safe procedures will be in place on these days as well. To help encourage good hygiene and prevent the spread of germs, the children will wash their hands before starting their day. This will help in reducing illnesses.
Kindergarteners have an afternoon snack: fruit or vegetable (parents provide). Please no dips. You may want to chat with your child about saving that afternoon snack food in their lunchbox.
Birthday Celebrations: Out of concern for students’ overall wellness, Carondelet has decided to eliminate birthday treats from the school day. Instead, students will be given an out-of-uniform day on their birthday. Teachers will also have their own classroom traditions. We celebrate summer birthdays during the last week of school with a classroom piñata. We love Birthdays!!
Communication/Newsletters: Parents must read the important details from the Classroom newsletters that are posted online each Friday (end-of-day, around 5:30). The All-school on-line newsletter is emailed to parents each Friday.
It's going to be a GREAT year!!Kindergarten Tips & Reminders:
Here are some tips about Kindergarten that will help you know some important details about how our classrooms work. Of course, make sure you read the Carondelet Catholic School Handbook. Save this information for future reference.
Books in a Bag: During the year, we will be sending home, classroom books, beginning readers and Book projects or Math games. If your child brings one home, help them read the book or play the game and send it back to school.
Dismissal Information: If your regular plans change, send the information via Email to Holly in the morning or by 3:00. Please no written notes.
Friday News: The Kindergarten Newsletters will be available on-line on Fridays after 5:30. Please read it. It gives details about our classrooms, volunteer opportunities and gives you highlights of our week. Look for a monthly calendar in your child's backpack.
Gym: Our class has gym on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Children should wear gym shoes on gym days. It is best if they wear gym shoes all day.
Homework: We believe that every day, a kindergarten child’s “homework” should be playing outside and reading a book or books with parents. Readers grow by being read to and children need to run and exercise and play outside in nature and plan their own time. We will give “fun” homework occasionally, like finding something made of wood to bring in to share, bringing in a favorite folktale, or measuring a favorite animal, as well as Math and communication homework.
Some children excel in Math. If they want and are self-motivated to do extra work, we will send home "Challenge Math" starting in October. Additionally, if children excel in reading, we will send home Book projects or extra literacy work.
But, generally, kindergarten kids work very hard listening and following directions all day and we believe they need unstructured time and family time.
Library: We have library on Mondays and Thursdays. Please help your child remember to return their books each week.
Makerspace: Our class has Makerspace on Tuesdays. and Wednesdays.
Music: Our class has Music on Mondays and Fridays.
Money: You will be billed for most expenses for school, like Field Trips, lunches etc. If you do need to send money to school, attach it to the appropriate form. It is best to send money in a sealed envelope and please include: your child’s first and last name, the date and the amount of money.
Names on clothing and school items: It helps if you put your family name on all clothing items; even boots and snow pants.
Snacks: Every afternoon we will have a “fruit/vegetable break” with a free milk. Please send one portion of a fruit or vegetable for your student. Example: banana, apple, peach slices, carrots, celery. (No dips please!)
We additionally will have special snacks to celebrate Holidays and special events. We will get the word out, and families can volunteer to send a wrapped treat if it is convenient. We will alert you about when the snack is needed and give a suggestion of what to send. We will take into consideration any food allergies so that everyone can enjoy.
Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: All adults need a background check, Virtus training and sign a Code of Conduct form as mandated by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to participate in activities. All families received the necessary forms. There are more in the office. Watch for Virtus training dates for our school on the Web site or go to www.Virtus.org.
We invite you to contact us by email for quick notes. But, if you have a pressing issue, please let’s talk on the phone or conference together so we can have an open exchange. We will be checking email several times between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.Questions?
Send us an email or call our voicemail
We invite you to contact us by email for quick notes. But, if you have a pressing issue, please let’s talk on the phone or conference together so we can have an open exchange. We will be checking email several times between 9:00am and 4:30 pm.
Additional Kindergarten Information
Kindergarten Behavior Plan:To read the Kindergarten Behavior Plan click here.