Winter & Snow

Inside

Tips for Parents

Things Needed
January Calendar

kinderPRESS

Issue 5
January
2015

Osgoode
Public
School

Welcome to January
Our big ideas this month will be Winter, shapes and snowmen.
Curriculum Focus
Language Arts
We will review all letter sounds learned so far this year. As we follow the Jolly Phonics program,
the year will begin with M. This month we will also focus on D, G, and O. Add these letters to the
first group (S, A, T, N, I, P, E, H, C, K and R) that we have already learned and continue reviewing
phonics at home. All of the children enjoy playing phonics games. We will soon add to our Word
Wall in our room to reinforce high-frequency words. This wall not only provides the students
with the opportunity to find words they know and copy them, but copying words time after time
will assist them in learning them and eventually committing them to memory.
We will begin reading in small groups. I will send home the book that they have read from time to
time. Please return the book the very next day so that we can lend it to the next student. I may
also copy the read book from time to time so that your child can own the book!
In class we will sing, chant and listen to a variety of winter poems, songs and stories. We will
brainstorm winter words and create experience charts.
Math
The focus in math this month will be matching, graphing, sorting and comparing a wide variety of
math manipulatives. Also, we will continue to work on geometric shapes. Counting forwards,
backwards and patterning will be discussed daily at calendar time. There will be a focus on
reading and representing numbers to 100 in a variety of meaningful ways (in preparation for 100s
day in February). We will be investigating non-standard units of measurement.

Science
We will do some simple snow and ice experiments both in and out of the classroom and focus on
changes in matter and materials. Our unit on solids and liquids will involve a variety of hands-on
experiments, which will be great fun and provide some wonderful learning experiences. We will
be making ice castles and ice cream! Please read the Things Needed section for instructions
and information on some of our upcoming science experiments.
Quiet Time
We are still having quiet time before lunch in the classroom on a daily basis. Our Kindergartners
are busy children. They are learning, exploring and growing every day. We feel that brief
afternoon quiet times provide both physical and academic benefits. During this time they choose
a special book or two and take a mat. We put on some relaxing music and allow the children time
to read. They ask for this special time every day!

Tips for Parents

Practice printing numbers 1-10 at home.
Play matching and/or memory games with your child. Memory and matching activities will also
be provided in the classroom during free play time.
Read to your child daily for at least 5-10 minutes.
Continue the Jolly Phonics work sheets and letter practice. Please continue making small words
using all letters of the alphabet. Have your child both read and spell simple and not so simple
words!
Needed

Frozen Ice Sculptures Needed

Please help your child make at least one frozen ice mold to send to school in the near future.
I will email the date in the near future of when our Kindergarten Team plans to have our
building day!
To make your ice mold, use a 500 ml, one litre or two litre carton, a margarine or yogurt
container, or a jello mold, etc (the more different shapes and sizes, the more interesting it
will be). Fill the container with water and freeze. Add jello powder or kool-aid powder or
food colouring to your water to make the sculpture more colourful.

Bring the frozen sculpture to class in its container and a plastic bag. We will be creating ice
castles together. We will discuss our sculptures and observe what happens when they melt.

*Reminder: If you have received your postcard from a friend or relative from somewhere else
in the world (our Gingerbread man), please send them in

Special Days
January 5

Monday

First Day Back to School

January 8

Thursday

Rocks & Rings (Curling for a half an hour)

January 9

Friday

Pyjama Day

January 16

Friday

P.D Day

January 30

Friday

Optimism Character Education Assembly (11:45am)

Birthdays!

January 12

Finn

January 31

Benny

Special Thanks
To our whole class of Kinders! Your performance of, The Jolly Phonics Song and Jingle Bells Rock
was incredible!!! BRAVO!!!
Reminders

Please keep in mind that our children go outside for physical education
almost every day. You need to send your children with proper winter
clothing. This should include warm jackets, snowpants, a hat, warm
water proof mittens and winter boots. Thank you for your help.
Wishing everyone good things in 2015,
Sonya Schmidt & Jessica Ketchum & Ms. Rae Evans