It's been a GREAT year!

Saying goodbye is never easy. So I will start by saying thank you to ALL of you who took the first step last year by registering your child for Wilson Primary Center. It was a new venture for Summit, and, myself included, there was some doubt as to whether this Primary Center idea was going to "fly".

But it "took off" without a glitch and the entire year has been "one smooth ride" with maybe a bump or or two along the way.

I would like to thank Gail Lenck, who was there smiling each day, ready to open up car doors, buckle and unbuckle seatbelts and mentally log in all the verbal playdates! She was a daily presence in our classroom and an invaluable member on our WPC staff.

Thanks also to Mr. Gil, who took the challenge to create an environment that was child-friendly, safe, positive and cheerful for all who entered. We could not have asked for a better leader!

This year in kindergarten, I hope you saw growth in your child. Mrs. Lenck and I saw daily progress and we enjoyed each day with the children, listening to their stories, calming their fears and helping them to solve some problems.

Thank you to all the Guest Readers who found time to come into the classroom to read. And a "round of applause" to our Class Moms who coordinated parties and miscellaneous activities.

But most importantly, a standing ovation for your children, who came in each day, with a smile and a story, eager and ready to learn.

I think I have the best job in the world!!

I am starting to get teary-eyed, so I guess I should start to end, what in essence, is really the beginning of a new direction for your young learner.

I hope you will continue to be an active part of your child's education, being involved with their activities and their learning.

It has been my pleasure to be a small part of your child's life.

I hope you will come back to visit us at Wilson Primary Center and tell us all about the new and exciting things that are happening.

Thank you for your generous end of the year gifts, cards, thoughtful words and hugs.

Your child will be receiving their final report card on the last day of school, which is a shortened day. Please see the reminder sent home this past Friday with the arrival and dismissal times.

As a small memento from Gail and myself, there will be included in the envelope, a copy of the DVD slideshow that I presented at our end of the year ice cream party.

I hope you will enjoy watching it many times. Let it be the first page to a video scrapbook that will continue to document your child's academic career.

Best of luck to you as you "graduate" to your new home schools.

Sincerely,

Judi Fisher

Catching Up

           

I MUST start this by saying a BIG Thank You to all of you for your kind words and gestures of appreciation during Teacher Appreciation Week. I enjoyed all the hand made cards, flowers, voice mails and gifts. If it isn't already obvious, I love my job and working with (and playing with) your child. This is what I look forward to each day. We are having a great year and are sadly counting down the days until school ends. 

This week we will be welcoming the "newbies" and giving them a tour of the classroom along with reading to them. 

Our studies on ants is coming to an end as the ten"ants" in  our formicarium (ant farm) are dwindling. Thank you to Mrs, Lenck, our resident myrmecologist. The children were fascinated by her wealth of knowledge in this area. Hopefully your child has shared several ant facts with you. Ask them to name the parts of an ant and some jobs that ants have.

All children are progressing nicely with their reading and have recently gone "shopping" for new books. We read daily with our "just right" books and the students are very proud of their accomplishments. Having a strong word base of high frequency words and "power" words are critical in being a successful reader. Continue to practice these words daily and point out words that show up frequently in your reading together. 

Throughout the year I have been sending home weekly reading assignments. Hopefully you have been implementing these strategies and applying them whenever you are reading with your child. Using picture clues, and looking at beginning, middle and ending letter sounds, are 2 strategies that kindergartners should have mastered. These will help them as they move on to more challenging books. When choosing books for your child, please use caution, as you do not want to pick books for your child that will be frustrating for them. If they cannot read at least 3 words on several pages then the book is too difficult. Keep this tip in mind when shopping for your book selections. Following is a suggested list of books that you might enjoy reading to your kindergartner (almost first grader!) during the summer months.http://www.pineview.leon.k12.fl.us/Shared%20Documents/Summer%20Reading%20List.pdf

As the year is coming to an end I hope you will look back on your child's first Public School experience here in Summit, NJ. Thank you for your support throughout the year. You were ALL instrumental in making this first year at the Wilson Primary Center a success. We could not have done it without you and your wonderful child!

I will continue to update this blog through the summer and  I hope you will occasionally check

http://wilsonkindergartenrocks.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your weekend. 

Let the sun shine in!

What a finale to Earth Week! Finally!!! The weather we have all been waiting for.  This week we all enjoyed reading and learning ways to be good friends to our planet. The children enjoyed watching a video that showed what happens to garbage and then worked well as teams to create a "Trash to Treasure" sculpture, using all the recyclables brought in. Most interesting! 

We also celebrated Arbor Day with a tree planting ceremony by the City of Summit and the Board of Ed. Next time you are on school property, take the time to admired the lovely shrubbery and landscaping. Two dogwood trees were also planted. Each kindergarten class performed a brief and very age-appropriate presentation demonstrating, not only their love for trees, but also their knowledge about the many things that trees give us. All children in attendance were given a fir sapling to take home and plant. Hopefully, it got home safely, and you have seen the planting and caring instructions that were included in your child's folder. This weekend is a perfect weekend to plant it.

Looking ahead to next week, we will do a letter review and bring back the Letter People. Our class enrollment next week will be increased by 26!! I am planning several activities throughout the week where the students will have fun with these characters and learn at the same time. 

As we conclude our Non-fiction Unit, there will also be directions for a Non-fiction book report sent home on Monday. Please take the time to read the directions and help your child choose a book. However, they should do most (if not all) of the work.

In the following weeks, I will be out of the classroom to assess this year's students and also to welcome and assess the "new" incoming kindergartners for September! (Do you remember doing this last year??). Mrs. Lenck will be in charge and I will be planning closely with her.

 I will also be meeting with the all First Grade teachers from Washington, L-H, and Franklin schools to do what is called an "articulation". This is an opportunity for me to meet and share info on students with the first grade teachers. We will not, however, be putting together class lists. Respective building Principals will have that task.

So, I am off to do some serious biking. First,  one foot powered and later, one that goes a lot faster than my legs can go!

It's just too nice to be inside any longer!

Have a fabulous weekend. 

Zoom zoom

Let's Take Care of Our Earth!

                   

I hope you all had a restful vacation. Hopefully while you had some time way  from your usual schedule, you were able to spend more time with nature.  Maybe you worked in the garden, started a compost bin (like me!) or went to Reeves-Reed Arboretum to see the magnificent display of daffodils. Despite all the rain, for me, Spring is a constant reminder of new growth and new life.

I am enjoying watching my back yard "come alive" as the trees begin to form new buds. Each year, as I look out my kitchen window  I like to mentally document this slow but steady process. Gradually, it seems that things change from dull brown to smidgeons of green, until finally there is a vibrant palette of various shades of green. Although it takes several weeks, this transformation is so inspiring to me that I am in awe of how this ritual of mother nature occurs so silently and beautifully. 

As we celebrate Earth Day this week, please find the time to pause to enjoy these natural resources. We will be discussing Earth Day and what it means to us and what we can do to help the Earth. You can visit several websites for more information and even download a coloring book for your child to reinforce the 3 R's at home. http://www.epa.gov/region5/publications/happy/happy.pdf

We will be taking the Earth Day Pledge this week  and hopefully your child will invite you to participate in this as well. 

On April 24th, there will be a brief ceremony to celebrate Arbor Day. A tree, donated by the City and the Board Of Ed,  will be planted on Wilson School Property. All are invited to attend. More details to follow.http://www.arborday.org/arborday

This week we will be spending time focusing on ways we can be a Friend to the Earth,  and our centers will have activities to reinforce this. 

We continue to read non-fiction books and your child should be reading the book that they brought home as well. 

As part of our writing program, in the next few weeks, I will also be focusing on writing poetry. We will learn ways to observe objects (in this case, nature) and then choose words that are descriptive. We will talk about metaphors and similes and try to incorporate this into our writing. Now is a great time to invest in a child's thesaurus. http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841382485/thewordpool.

Or visit this interactive site:http://www.wordsmyth.net/

Happy Earth Week! Let's take good care of our earth. There is a new Disney flick coming out this week called Earth, view the trailer:http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/earth/trailer_large.html

This would be a great play date! Have fun!

Enjoy the week. 

The Eagle has landed!

As April arrived,  the children also arrived to school on April 1st to new table arrangements and table names. There's lots of chirping going on as our groups are now named after local birds such as the Robin Red Breast, Cardinal, Pileated Woodpecker , Hummingbird and Black-capped Chickadee. 

I also have placed little chirping stuffed animal birds from the Audubon Society  at the tables and the children have been enjoying listening and mimicking them. 

As an added treat we have also been watching a live cam from Duke Farms showing a mother Bald Eagle sitting on her eggs. They are expected to hatch any day. Click on the following link to watch the action!

http://www.dukefarms.org/page.asp?pageId=565

As Spring brings so many beautiful signs of life, take the time to enjoy nature at its best. Take your child on a Nature Walk, pause to hear the sounds of birds. Get some non-fiction books out from the Library on birds, plants, flowers and trees. Go to the Reeves Reed Arboretum with a book and sit under a cherry blossom and drift into another world and escape the hustle and bustle! Bring some watercolors or colored pencils and draw, using detail, what you see. 

As our Writing program becomes more intense, I am working with the children and teaching them that detail is critical. As you  continue to have conversations with your child, try to elicit more information, having them use describing words, and elaborating on their thoughts. We will be working with the children during writing opportunities, having them begin to write more than one sentence. They will continue to expand on their writing, and conversation is the best way to begin this skill. Good talkers are good writers!

We continue to read many non-fiction books and are learning lots of facts about birds, bugs, whales, and sharks and baby animals. Did you know that a baby kangaroo is only as big as your fingernail when it is first born?  Ask your child to share some facts that they have learned. This week I will have the children choose a non-fiction book which they will bring home. These books belong to the various Summit Elementary Schools Libraries and you and your child will be responsible for it. If the book is lost you will be responsible for its replacement and fines. Please take the time to read this book and collect some facts with your child. You will be amazed at what you will learn!! Please remember that the book chosen is on a topic that your child has expressed an interest in. Encourage daily reading and follow up with more books to expand their knowledge! Here are some suggestions: http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Nonfiction-books-Preschool-Kindergarten/lm/R2RTHTDGFFKOIE

Heads Up! There is no school on Friday, April 10th. Spring break begins April 10th and classes resume on Monday, April 20th. Have a wonderful vacation, wherever you may be!

Spring Arrives in Summit, NJ!

      
Has your child asked you to take a ride or walk to a store or building in Summit, New Jersey? 

This week the children continued their studies on their Community and also worked together as a community during several "Summit" centers this week. Those included visiting the Summit Post Office, where the children had an opportunity to write a letter to Mr. Gil and then fold it to fit into an envelope (this was a challenge!) and then "mail" it in the mail  basket. 

Creating a sculpture at Color Me Mine, eating snack and taking "orders" at the Broadway Diner; playing Candyland and pretending that we were having a party at Ricky's; and "driving" all around the town and playing with all the wonderful buildings that both classes created were enjoyed by all. Thanks again for assisting your child on that project. We will continue to have them on display outside our classroom. Please find the time to come in and view them. 

Continue this learning by pointing out establishments when you are walking and driving around town.  Next week we will focus on Community workers, so start looking for Postal workers, Police Officers, Doctors, teachers, construction workers, etc. 

Hopefully you heard how the leprechaun "trashed" our classroom; he turned over chairs, spilled crayons and even turned the water in the toilet bowl green!! One activity the children enjoyed was shining dirty pennies. Although it seems like magic, the mixture of vinegar and salt created a chemical reaction. Very scientific!  

We continue counting backwards as we do our calendar work. Can you believe there are only 61 days left of kindergarten?!!! 

In math, the students were introduced to the concept of symmetry. Challenge your child to find examples of symmetry in their world. They created kites, coloring various shapes to reflect this concept. They are on display on our hallway bulletin board, Soaring into Spring! 

As we discuss the newly-arrived season of Spring, why not take the time to "go fly a kite" on a windy day! Go on a pussy willow and crocus hunt. (Hocus pocus, it's a crocus!) How many signs of spring can you find? Click here and print out the booklet. Find the flowers and color them. Go to the local Arboretum and soak in the beauty of this, my favorite, season. Play some Vivaldi to really get you in the mood! Read some books on this season. 

Read  these

books,

The children were challenged during computer lab, where they had to create their name in Secret Code. 

Ask your child to demonstrate this to you. See if they can create your family members names in this "secret code". We will be using these to decode and reinforce letter sounds during future centers. (see example at top).

Have a beautiful, springy weekend!

Traveling All Around the Town

This week we talked about transportation and its importance. The children enjoyed several centers that focused on this topic,  including working cooperatively to design a sign/name for my wheelchair. YES! How convenient that I should get a stress fracture and have to keep off my feet as much as possible. Perfect timing! The children have been great, taking turns pushing me here and there, to get from one place to another! They also created their own lists of ways to travel using Kids Spelling and were so excited when both classes were able to read each other's lists! My son Ken and I working together on a long distance project doing some brain research regarding children and how they learn to read. The following is a brief video that explains the process:

http://www/scilearn.com/our-approach/the-fast-forward-program/brain-science-video/index.php

Take the time to view it, but it by no means is an endorsement or "sales pitch" for the product. You may be interested, however, in doing some of your own research to understand the process. Visit www.scilearn.com

Many of you have asked if  I have given new sight words recently; the answer: not written cards, but we have been making lists of words and doing more labeling in our writing activities. I am focusing on the children giving more detail during writing opportunities, which also includes drawing. You can continue this learning at home by having more detailed conversations with your child; ask them "why", "how", etc. When doing their buildings for the town of Summit, take the time to walk/drive past it and notice the details; are there windows, doors, lamp posts, chimneys, awnings, colors, etc? In Kindergarten, it's all about detail, detail, detail!

In the next few weeks we will learn about Community Workers. Do a little pre-teaching and start to notice people in Summit who help us; Postal Workers, Firefighters, teachers, Doctors, nurses, crossing guards, etc. 

Have some fun while you are out driving and make a list of all the different Environmental signs (STOP, Caution, Playground, Men at Work, etc.) that your child can read, (these are considered high-frequency words). We read a good book, I Read Signs, by Tana Hoban. Throw a little math in for good measure and have your child use tally marks to keep track of the different signs. Which sign got the most, least?

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day this Tuesday, let's try to wear a little bit o'green. Will that little Leprechaun visit Room 112? Stay tuned!

 Looking for a little luck? Click on the following site and have some fun! Hope that you get that dream at the end of the rainbow!  www.kidsdomain.com/craft/potgoldgame.html

Looking ahead:

March 20.....first day of Spring

April 2..........Shortened session. AM = 8:15-11:00  PM= 10:00-12:30