Well, we are back to school and I was so surprised at how well the kids jumped right back into our groove. Sometimes it takes a week to get them settled down after the break and in the work mode...not this bunch! They are wonderful and did a super job this week! I hope you all enjoyed the break and had a wonderful holiday!
I apologize for my delay in blogging. It has been such a busy time of year that time has gotten the best of me. To recap a bit...our holiday party was a hit. Thank you to all of the families who came out to celebrate. The kids did a great job with their singing performance and we all enjoyed making the gingerbread houses in class. If anyone got video or pictures I would love to have some copies. I also want to thank you for all of the holiday cards, gifts and warm wishes. They were much appreciated!
In academics, before break we finished Chapter 2 in math. This was quite an "easy" chapter and we were able to cruise right through it. Now we have jumped forward to Chapter 6 and started "Weight and Measurement" this week. This is a great chapter and the kids enjoy learning about measurement and will all have an opportunity to use our classroom balance to weigh things. We spent the last week before break reviewing letters and now we are focusing on learning sight words and blends. Almost everyone has mastered the alphabet and we are on our way to reading! Please continue to review the alphabet at home if your child seems to be struggling with the letters.
Dibels testing was done throughout the month of December and we will soon have the test results to you. The kids did great job overall and I am anxious to see their progress. We will be working in small groups on specific dibels skills your child may be struggling with. Our hope is to have all students at or nearing benchmark by the years end. We will also be starting reading groups within our class and will work on specific reading skills for each ability group. Stay tuned for more updates on that!
A new homework calendar went home this week and there has been some confusion on how it works. As a kindergarten team we are all doing the same calendar to remain consistent therefore, we will work out some kinks for the next round. However, the calendar you received on Tuesday will be due next Friday, January, 15th. I will only be collecting the homework packet every two weeks. On the day your child returns their packet to school, the due date, they will receive a new two week calendar as well as their homework sticker like before. The activities are to be completed on a nightly basis and each activity in the box should be initialed when done. If you are not able to get a specific activity done on one night our intent was to have you work on it over the weekend or other days as needed. We feel that the activities listed will be more meaningful and helpful to your child's progress. If you have any questions about the packet please let me know!
All students should have a little book bag that they are bringing back and forth to school to practice their reading. Most of you are doing very well with returning it...some I rarely see. This reading program is going to be essential to your child's success in reading these next two quarters. Please read the book with your child nightly (more than once) and send the bag back when they have mastered the book. I in turn will read with them and get a new one home as quickly as possible. Most days this is not an issue, but some days our schedule does not allow time for me to read with each child and I may have to keep their book. This was the case today. I will read with all students on Monday so they will have a new book to share with you all soon. When you are spending time reading please keep track with the reading log in your child's folder. I have my avid readers who earn their "pizza reward" each month for meeting our reading goal and I am sure more of my students are reading too but may not be coloring in the log. I challenge each of you to read with your child 5 hours for the month of January...you can do it!
Report cards and skills reports went home today. The kids are doing wonderful and I am sure you will all be pleasantly surprised by their progress. If you should have questions about the grades or skills reports, contact me. I am willing to meet with you or explain anything you may have concerns about. I am really pleased with where the class is as a whole and know quarter 3 and 4 will be just as successful.
This was a long post as I was playing catch up! Sorry again for the delay in posting. Happy New Year to you all...this year is sure to be a good one!
Mary Wolters
Hi! My name is Mary Wolters. This is my seventh year teaching at Simonton. I taught second grade for four years and this is my third year teaching Kindergarten. I have 3 children; ages 22, 20 and 17. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, a Reading Endorsement and an ESL Endorsement. I am looking forward to an awesome year with your children!
Trisha Wright
Welcome to kindergarten students and parents. It is my pleasure to introduce myself to you. My name is Trisha Wright and this is my sixth year teaching kindergarten at Simonton. I am a graduate of Arizona State University with my bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Kids and teaching are my passion and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. I am excited to start a fun filled school year with your child and would like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s first year in school.
Kelly Trowbridge
Welcome to Kindergarten! My name is Kelly Trowbridge and I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2006, a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education in 2008, and a Masters degree in Elementary Education with a Reading Endorsement in 2009. This will be my third year of teaching at Simonton. This is my second year of teaching kindergarten but my first year of teaching an am/pm session. Teaching is my passion and I cannot imagine doing anything else. I am very excited and enthusiastic about getting the opportunity in helping your child start or continue his or her educational career.
Joline King
Welcome Kindergarten at Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary School. We are so excited to be your partner in educating your child. My name is Joline King and this is my twenty-first year teaching, my eighth for the J.O. Combs District. I am a fourth generation Arizonian and have made the East Valley my home with husband, three children and our beloved dog Salvador for the past twenty-three years. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood after completing an Associates Degree from Eastern Arizona College. I also have a Master's Degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning. My children, both at home and at school are my greatest joy! I have three children that are almost grown: Matthew 24, Jennifer 20 and Bryant 18. I look forward to a great year full of fun and lots of learning.