K1 Visits Miss Sadie

I just found this class picture & realized I'd forgotten to post it on our K1 Class Blog. This group shot was taken on the morning we did our walking trip to the Knox Pubic Library. On our way back to school we took a little side trip & stopped to visit my puppy Sadie. During the month of May she rode to Knox with me each morning where I dropped her off at a friend's house to spend the day.
Now that school is out, Sadie & I have been very busy doing some of our favorite things... learning to swim, running errands, "chillin" on our deck w/GIANT ice cubes, & picking up/chewing tree limbs that fall in the yard.
I hope your children are having a fun summer vacation as well. Is everyone remembering to practice their flash card words & counting to 100 every now & then? I'd hate for anyone to forget all the things they learned in Mrs. Finotti's Kindergarten class over their summer break!!

And just in case you haven't heard the news - it's official. I'm now retired ... as of the end of our 2010 school year.
My entire life has evolved around the Keystone School District starting first as a Keystone student myself many years ago & now ending with 35+ years as a Keystone teacher. Who could have ever guessed that??
Teaching will always be in my heart & even in retirement I'm taking on a different kind of teaching job... training Miss Sadie!! I'll certainly miss the students & my faculty friends at Keystone, but plan to stop in for plenty of visits. Take care, everyone, & be sure to say "Hello" when you see me in places other than school!!

Summer Activities - I Can't Think of Anything To Do!!

K1 Parents:
I'm posting this "Summer Activities -- I Can’t Think of Anything To Do!!!" list but will also send a copy of it home in your child's report card. I hope your child has fun with this little list. Maybe your family can add more ideas to it!!

1. Eat breakfast with your other hand.
2. Count cars as they go by.
3. Find 2 toys that you no longer use & give them to charity or donate them to a
hospital play room.
4. Try to draw your face by sitting in front of a mirror.
5. See if you can name a word for each letter of the alphabet.
6. Make some paper bag puppets, alone or with a friend. Put on a puppet show.
7. Count backwards from 15 to 1.
8. Sing the “Wheels on the Bus” song.
9. Count the number of windows, doors, and rooms in your house.
10. Eat a celery stick with peanut butter.
11. Write your ABC’s in upper & lower case letters.
12. Find a toy or game you haven’t played with in over a month. Use it!!!
13. Ask someone if you could be of help to him/her.
14. Ask someone to read you a story.
15. Sing the “Little Teapot” song.
16. Say something nice to everyone you meet.
17. Name 5 things you like to do. Then, do one of them.
18. Let some people know how much you like them without saying it.
19. Look at your baby book then draw a picture of what you’ll look like now.
20. Sing the “6 in a Bed” song.
21. See how many words you can name in 3 minutes that begin with D. (or pick any
letter)
22. Learn a new word and what it means.
23. Sing the “Little Boy Blue” song.
24. Touch your nose with your big toe.
25. Find 3 throw-away items and make something with them.
26. List all the things you can think of that are green. (or pick any any color)
27. Find a neat hiding place and eat your lunch there.
28. Wear a funny hat all day!
29. Put a pencil between your toes and write your name.
30. Make a new friend.
31. Have someone put any 10 items on a tray, show them to you for 1 minute, then
take them away. Try to name all 10 items. No peeking!!
32. Sing the Alphabet Song.
33. Name all your relatives – grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
34. Play the “I See Something” game.
35. Count up to the largest number you can.
36. Think about Mrs. Finotti and guess what she is doing during her summer vacation!!

Classroom News

If you are looking for computer activites for your child(ren), be sure to visit our Keystone Elementary Home page. Check out the Student Stuff link along the left side. This site has many wonderful, educational, & safe websites linked there. You can find anything from ABC practice to counting practice sites on this page.
I know your child(ren) will enjoy visiting this page!!!

Thank You ......... K1 Parents!!

Dear Parents:

Thanks for all your help, patience, understanding, guidance, treats, gifts, & support throughout the 2009 - 2010 school year. I have really enjoyed working with your child & watching him/her grow. It has been a productive year that has certainly gone by quickly! Enjoy the poem below – it holds a wonderful message. Thanks again for everything! Have a great & safe summer with your child. I'll be looking for all my kiddos this summer as we encounter each other @ the grocery store or where ever our paths may cross!! As far as the big question about retirement... I'll know for sure after the 21st of June. :)
Thanks again,
Melanie Finotti

I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young child’s mind,
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher: the tools she used
Were books, music, and art.
One, a parent, who worked with a guiding hand
And a gentle, loving heart.
Day after day the teacher toiled
With touch that was deft and sure,
While the parent labored by her side
And polished and smoothed it o’er.
And when at last their task was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought;
For the things they had molded into the child
Could be neither sold nor bought.
And each agreed he would have failed
If he had worked alone,
For behind the teacher stood the school,
And behind the parent……… the home.
- Anonymous

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.

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!

K1 Kids - Candid Pics

It's time to check out the "K1 Kids - Candid Pics" section to see a few new classroom photographs.

SOS - Help for Parents

Recently, I heardd about an excellent book on behavior management called SOS Help For Parents by Dr. Lynn Clark, Clinical Psychologist. I was intrigued enough to check out the author's website to see if there might be some ideas I could use with my students.
If you are interested in learning some behavior management tips to use with your child(ren), visit http://www.sosprograms.com/index.html to see video clips of parenting methods and skills that Dr. Clark describes in his book.
Also, check out the Child Behavior link at the top for chapter samples. There are many good ideas listed for: Ways of Increasing Good Behavior, Major Methods for Stopping Bad Behavior, & Helping Your Child Express Feelings. This might be just the book for us all!!!
You might also visit http://www.freebehaviorcharts.com/charts/#chart for free behavior charts to print off & use at home.

Old to New Crayons

Looking for something to do with old crayons........... Save those broken crayon pieces & make a fun new colorful and chunky crayon for little hands. Place paper muffin liners into a muffin tin. Peel the paper off of the old crayon pieces & place the crayons into the muffin liners being careful not to fill them too full. Heat the crayons in a 200 degree oven until complete melted. Cool and remove.

Welcome... Miss Reddinger

Have been hearing about a new "teacher" in K1? A few weeks ago, we welcomed a new "student teacher".
Ms. Dawn Reddinger comes to Keystone from Clarion University. Earlier this semester she worked in Mr. Bowser's 4th grade classroom. So.... now it's our turn to help her learn how to be a great Kindergarten teacher!!

St. Patrick's Day & "Go for the Greens" Day Information

We'll be celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday, March 17th. We'll center our day around some "green" activities. On the 17th, the children may wear green clothing & bring something "green" for Show & Tell.

There has been a sight change in our "green snack" plans due to the Beauty & the Beast afternoon assembly on the 17th. The entire elementary school will be walking over to the high school to see a small portion of the musical. The "Go for the Greens" snack day has been moved to Thursday, the 18th. I plan on providing a green drink to go along with our green snacks. If you volunteered to send in a "green" snack item please send it to school (cleaned/cut/sliced) with your child or they may be dropped off in the Office on the 18th.

Thanks again (Mrs. Horne, Mrs. Knight, Mrs. Cosper, Mrs. Smith, & Ms. Heeter) for providing our yummy green snacks on March 18th!

Read Across America & Dr. Seuss

On Thursday, March 4th, the Keystone Kindergarten children were treated to an extra special event. We visited the SMILES Center in Knox for their "Seussirriffic Celebration". The children had tons of fun doing activities that involved following directions, observing, using manners, talking about different kinds of transportation, & listening to Dr. Seuss stories. For more Dr. Seuss activities, you can visit http://www.seussville.com/ & to see more pictures of our great adventure... check out the K1 Kids - Candids Pics slide show.

Teddy Bear Clinic was a BIG Success

The Keystone Kindergarten children had a wonderful time participating in the Clarion Hospital Teddy Bear Clinic on February 18th.

The clinic was designed to ease children's anxieties about going to the hospital. The Nurses, EMT's, 911 technicians, and other professionals talked to the children about making a 911 phone call, seat belt safety, & shared some simple medical tools (blood pressure cuff & stethoscope). During the clinic, the children also had the opportunity to "bandage" their favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal.

This event was a great way to create a fun, non-threatening environment to help our Keystone Kids feel more comfortable in a hospital situation!! For more pics of this special day, look at K1 Kids - Candid Pics!!

Mrs. Finotti & "Abe" Lincoln

On Wednesday, February 17th, the boys & girls in K1 discussed President's Day while reading our TIme For Kids newspaper. The children were interested to learn that if alive, Abraham Lincoln would be celebrating his 101st birthday this year & that our first president, George Washington, was even older than Abe Lincoln.
We talked about what it might have been like to grow up in 1809 & discussed the differences from their childhoods (toys, home life, & school) to a child's life in 2010. We also learned about Abraham's love for reading. Did you know he once tried to read a book while plowing the field for his father? George Washington also lived on a farm & we learned he liked to study. Did you know Math was his favorite subject?
Last winter, while visiting the Pittsburgh Auto Show, I had the opportunity to meet an Abraham Lincoln impersonator. When I told him my Kindergarten class would love a picture of him, he was happy to pose with me!