Welcome to Kindergarten 2019/20

I am very, excited to be your teacher this year. I have been busy getting the classroom ready, and I am  looking forward to welcoming you to Kindergarten on either Tuesday or Wednesday. We are beginning our first day at school with staggered entry.  Students with the surname beginning with  A to L  will attend school on Tuesday, Sept. 3 and students with the surname beginning with letter M to Z will attend school on Wed. September 4, along with the After School Care children.  On Thursday, Sept. 5, everyone in Kindergarten will attend school. I will be waiting for you outside of the Kindergarten door that faces the portable.  

Blogging will be my main method of communication with our Kindergarten families. I usually blog on Mondays and Thursdays. Please remember on a daily basis, to send your child dressed for our outdoor weather. This is important for our Fresh Air Friday outdoor learning, as well as for other days of the week that may involve some outdoor physical education or other curricular activities. If you are organizing an alternative pick up for your child, please email me a note or even a list of people who you give permission to pick up your child. Inside the Kindergarten door, I do have some sticky notes for you to post any changes such as play dates for your child's pick-up from school. We are requesting that treats are no longer sent for children’s birthdays. We would like to recognize students through a weekly announcement and small birthday “gift”.

For additional information, please refer to the ‘Worth Mentioning’ email that is sent home every Friday, to all of our Dr. Coffin families.

Monday, June 24 - Last few reminders

Thanks to our many volunteers and the weather, our Sports Day was a great success!
Tomorrow's Picnic- The parents of boys were asked to bring a savory dish and the parents of the girls were asked to bring a sweet dish. Keltie and Laura have drinks, plates, napkins and utensils sorted. 
Thank-you everyone for your support and kindness. I hope that your summer is joyful, fun, and relaxing. We are looking forward to welcoming you back at Dr. Coffin in September.

Friday, June 21 - Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

We will not be going to Nose Hill tomorrow because of the weather, and will be planning the day closer to the school dependent on when the rain falls.

Kindergarten will be meeting with Saakokoto: 9:00 to 9:25 AM in the Learning Commons or if there is no rain the amphitheatre in Whispering Woods will be our meeting place.

Parents and families are invited to join us for our visit with Saakokoto. If you would like to come into the school at 8:40 AM you are welcome to wait in the Learning Commons for us to join you.

Please ensure that your child is dressed for the rainy weather. I am planning on taking them outside for our last FAF together, unless there is a downpour, and/or thunder and lightning of course!

Monday, June 24 - Sports Day- Please arrive at school for 8:40 dressed for the weather and a water bottle. Kindergarten will finish at 11:20 AM their regular time.

Tuesday. June 25 - Year End Assembly - 9 AM to 9:45 AM - Followed by our Kindergarten Picnic.

I have some outdoor activities planned for us, and we usually start our picnic around 10:30 to 10:45

AM. If you have a picnic blanket and a lawn chair please bring it. We do have three large picnic tables for food set-up and seating. Should the weather not cooperate for our 'Picnic' we will be in the Learning Commons and the Kindergarten Classroom. 

Summer Born children will celebrate their Birthdays at our picnic as well.  We have 2 students that have birthdays in July and August.

Students will receive their report cards at the end of our morning together.

I am so very, very proud of every Kindergarten student's growth in their learning!

Wow! Amazing! Super! Well Done! Awesome! You Rock!

Monday, June 17 - This Week

Thank-you for helping us with the classroom clean-up. If you would like to come in the afternoon, for some exciting clean-up, you are more than welcome to!
Wednesday, June 19 - Environment Day Treat Day - Please bring twenty-five cents
School Transition Day - Kindergarten students will be in Grade One from 9:00 to 10:00 AM
Thursday, June 20 - Last Music Class
Friday, June 21 - Summer Solstice with Randy Bottle - Kindergarten is walking to Nose Hill Park with the rest of the school. Families are more than welcome to join us.

Wednesday, June 12 - Butterflies

What beautiful weather we are having! We are spending quite a bit of our morning outside. Please ensure that your child has sunscreen on and a hat. Also, appropriate footwear is needed for all the running we are doing.

• We are getting really good at relay races. Today we learned how to do an 'Over, Under Relay'.
• In preparation for Grade 1, we are eating our snack outside and going to the playground for our 'recess'.
• Today, we released our Painted lady Butterflies into Whispering Woods. Everyone was a able to see a butterfly up close, before it flew away!

Wednesday, June 5 - Marshmallow Math

This morning was our third time with our buddies, playing Marshmallow Math. Kindergarten continues to  learn about  estimation, and measurement skills. Tomorrow, we will be working with our buddies to sign in and out of a laptop, and practice their Mathletics. I have checked my Kindergarten Mathletics account, and I have added the Grade One course to the student's accounts that are ready for it. Please let me know via email if I missed anyone.

Today was our last library book exchange, and all library books are due back by Tuesday, June 11.

Some students have overdue books. Please contact Mrs. Kidd our Librarian, if you have any concerns or questions.

dckidd@cbe.ab.ca

I am ever so proud of every child's reading progress! Our Home Reading is such a successful program for introducing our little people to reading. Please remember that every child progresses at their own rate. Yeah!!!!We have volunteers signed up to clean, and organize our Home Reading Books. Please ensure that you return your Home Reading Books by Monday, June 10.

WE STILL NEED some volunteers to assist us with our classroom clean-up of toys, and manipulative. Please keep in mind that each year our parent volunteers assist with this task, so that our new Kindergarten students are welcomed to a sanitized classroom. Mrs. J. and myself also work at this, but we cannot accomplish this task without our volunteers. 

Enjoy your long weekend! 

Monday, June 3 - Bike to School Day

Tomorrow is 'Bike to School' day. You are welcome to keep your child's bike in the gym. Please ensure that your child wears a helmet.
Monday, June 24 - Sports Day - 9 AM until 11:15 AM for Kindergarten. Please arrive at school ready for the weather at 8:40 AM. Two volunteers are needed to run a station please.
Enjoy our lovely weather!

Zoo Field Trip - May 29

A big 'Thank-You!', goes out to our wonderful, zoo field trip volunteers. If you were unable to join us, there will be more field trips to chaperone in grade one.
Today, we sat in a circle, and shared two things that we learned at the zoo. Everyone was asked to speak in a full sentence, and use the word 'and' to link their two ideas. I was impressed with everyone's ideas that they shared about the life cycle of butterflies as well as what they observed about the Gorillas, Komodo Dragons, Pandas, and other animals. There was also a bit of a theme about animal poo, and what Gorillas do about runny noses.😂
Tomorrow, we are going outside for more partner work, to study insects, and to create a habitat for our Butterflies.
Monday, June 3 is our last day for Home Reading book exchange.
Thursday, June 6 - Home Reading Books Returned to school
Wednesday, June 4 - Last Library Book Exchange
Week of June 10 - Please help us to wipe down our Home Reading Books and sort them for next year! You are welcome to  'drop in' to do this, whenever you have time.
Tuesday, June 11 - Return all library books. Please talk to Mrs. Kidd our librarian if you have any questions or concerns.
dckidd@cbe.ab.ca
June 14 to June 24- Please sign up to assist us with disinfecting, and cleaning classroom toys and manipulative's. This is a task that we really, need help with, so that our new Kindergarten children have clean classroom supplies to use in their learning.
Tuesday, June 25 - Last Day of Kindergarten
Please join us for our Kindergarten activities and picnic at 10:00 AM
Please sign up for our events on sign up genius or contact our room parents.

 

Tuesday, May 28 - Field Trip Tomorrow and Caterpillars

Today was Treat Day, if you forgot to send in some money, please send in 25 cents.
Thank-you for returning your field trip paperwork so promptly.
We're all set for tomorrow, and the weather forecast is a wonderful sunny day! Just in case, please send a light jacket with your child for our trip. Everyone will be riding a big, yellow bus to the zoo!
As we will not have time for snack before lunch, please ensure that your child has a good breakfast.
There is no need to send money for treats. As per tradition, we will be having an ice cream treat at the zoo!
Since this morning, our caterpillars are changing into the Chrysalis stage!

 

Thursday, May 23 - Bugs!

Our Insect presentation was so much fun! Our presenter Jana was a real expert, who introduced us to some amazing creatures. Jana asked our class if they would like to become scientists who study insects - an Entomologist? A student told her that they were already scientists, and other students agreed with him! And that's exactly what I was so proud to hear!
We were introduced to: Doodlebugs, Millipede, Butterflies and the egg stage, Praying Mantis, Tarantula, Beetles, and a vinegar spraying bug called a Thelyphonida.

Tuesday, May 21 - Insects

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend!

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, May 22 we have our Live Insect Show! The fee for this activity is $11.00 which is payable online using your MY CBE ACCOUNT.
Due to our insect show, we will not have time for our library book exchange. Next week, we will resume our library.
Tomorrow, I'm sending home your child's and volunteer paperwork for our field trip to the zoo. I would really appreciate it, if you would return the field trip paperwork by Friday, May 24. If you have any questions about filling in the paperwork, I would be happy to assist you this Friday, at 11:30 AM.
Our Butterfly larva have arrived, and are growing very quickly!