Fish World - Computer Game

Younger children will enjoy creating their very own fish tank where they can add starfish, crabs, & turtles. This is a great game for kids learning to use the mouse or for kids who just want to be creative. http://www.prongo.com/fishtank/

Our Day at the Erie Zoo

Our trip to the Erie Zoo on 5/27 was a GREAT one as you can see by the smiling faces!!! The weather was a little on the HOT side, but all-in-all we had a wonderful day.
The children & parent chaperones had the chance to see rhinos, giraffes, penguins, monkeys, reptiles, & many other animals.
My biggest thanks to all the K1 parent chaperones...Amanda Ashbaugh, Shawna Bish, Heather Cosper, Shana Heeter, Jimmy & Kim Smith, Bobbi Wolfgong, Crystal Watkins, and our super duper bus driver/parent chaperone Amanda O'Neil!! Your help on this special day was greatly appreciated; I know your child was very excited to share this Zoo day with you! I hope you all had as much fun as your child did.

New Computer Site - Check It Out!!

This looks like a good one to check out..."www.mrnussbaum.com - A thousand sites in one!! Welcome to http://www.mrnussbaum.com/ is an interactive website designed specifically for students in grades K - 8. On this site you will find dozens of interactive games, activities, worksheets, and teacher tools that pinpoint essential skills. MrNussbaum.com was created and developed by a teacher!" I looked at it a little & saw where you can search for skill areas in a specific grade level, but I didn't see alot for Kndergarten. One thing to remember..... your child will soon be entering 1st grade, so you may find more skills on the 1st grade level.

K1 Visits the Fire Hall - Walking Trip # 2

All of the Keystone Kindergarten classes were invited to visit the Knox Fire Hall on May 20th for a tour of their fire station.
The children learned about the different types of fire trucks & what each one does, they saw the radio control room, & saw demonstrations of the differnt kinds of tools fire fighters use during rescue/fire fighting situations. As a special treat, the children had the opportunity to actually get inside 2 of the fire trucks to have a look around!!
During the visit, the children learned never to be afraid of a fire fighter when he is dressed in his special "gear" & to never hide from fire fighters if they are trapped in a burning house. Another very important lesson the children learned was to stand way back from fire trucks because the drivers will not be able to see them if they get to close to the fire engine.
Coming up later this week.... our visit to the Knox Public Library.

Words We've Learned in Kindergarten

It's hard to believe - after today, we only have 13 days of school left until summer vacation!! With that in mind, Sadie Lou & I've composed an updated list of words your child has used on our CircleTime Chart throughout the “K” school year. For a fun & challenging activity, make flash cards & practice these words with your child! Keep practicing them throughout the Summer, so your child will remember these words when they pop up next year in First Grade!

WORDS WE’VE LEARNED IN “K1”
a - and - are - Art - August - black - blue - boys - children - Computer - days - December - do - for - Friday - go - good - girls - green - Gym - has - he - Hello - helper - Hi - I - is - it - kids - learn - Library - listen - look - March - May - Monday - morning - Mrs. Finotti - Music - November - October - of - orange - our - red - said - see - September - she - special - the - that - Thursday - to - today - Tuesday - was - we - weather - Wednesday - white - with - yellow - you - 2009 - 2010

And while I'm at it, here is a listing of other things your child has accomplished n Kindergarten...

* Doing a great job using my "KidWriting" skills
* Counting to 100 (or higher)
* Writing my numbers 0 - 20 (or higher)
* Zipping, buttoning, & learning how to tie a shoe
* Recognizing & naming the value of a penny, nickel, dime, & quarter
* Saying & writing my phone number
* Saying & writing my initials
* Saying & writing my first, middle, & last name
* Saying my home address
and
* Walking a "low" balance beam, bouncing & catching a ball atleast 5 times, galloping, skipping, & hopping

Walking Trip # 1

Coming up this Friday... Our 1st of 3 walking trips. We are going to the Post Office. Please be sure to dress your child for the weather of the day & make sure they are wearing comfortable shoes for walking.

All About Bunnies

In Kindergarten, we have just completed a hands-on Science Unit called "All About Bunnies". During our unit, we explored how rabbits look, what they eat, how they communicate, where they live, and of course, how to care for a pet rabbit! We wrapped up our study on Tuesday with a classroom visit from a real rabbit named Valentine!

The class is pictured wearing the masks we made to show different breeds of bunnies.

May Events

Hi Parents..........

Just wanted to give you a quick reminder post about 4 upcoming special Kindergarten events that will be taking place during the month of May.
On Friday (May 14) we'll be taking our first walking trip to the Knox Post Office from 2:15 - 3:15PM. Please remember to send in an envelope with the correct postage by Thursday May 6th. The children will be writing a note to a classmate & mailing it during our visit. It should be an exciting time when you tell them ... you've got mail!

On May 20th, we'll be walking to the Knox Fire Hall & on May 25th we'll be taking our final walking trip to the Knox Public Library. The exact times for these trips haven't been determined as yet. There are no alternate dates scheduled for any of the walking trips, so if the weather is rainy that particular trip will be cancelled. If possible, we'll see if there's a chance to rescedule the visit.

Thursday (May 27) is our "big" field trip to the Erie Zoo. There is no rain date for this trip, so we'll be going rain or shine. Zoo information handouts have already been sent home. I hope you paid close attention to the information about lunches & the time to be at the school to pick-up your child.

For all these trips, (Zoo, Post Office, Fire Hall, & Library) please be sure to dress your child for the weather of the day & make sure they are wearing comfortable shoes for walking.
If you have any questions about this information, please give me a call or send an email.

Meet ..... Miss Sadie

My husband & I are "new" parents! We brought home the newest member of our family last week... a 9 wk. old minature Teddy Bear English Goldendoodle puppy named Sadie.
The fast approaching end of our school year now has some added excitement for me - middle of night trips outside along with hours of fun & doggie games every evening.
I'm sure my retirement days will be busy ones now that I have this little buddy to keep me company!

An Afternoon Down on the Farm

As a culminating activity to our Farm Unit, all 5 sections of Kindergarten had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the Gene Smith Farm near Strattanville.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith told the children a little bit about their farm, the animals, & the crops they raise. As we toured the farm, the children got to see beef & dairy cattle, baby pigs, chickens, & a horse. Also, as a special treat, each child got their picture taken as they sat on the driver's seat of a big John Deere tractor!!
It was a wonderful day "down on the farm" & we greatly appreciate Mr. & Mrs. Smith letting us all come for a visit!