MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER
In this Article:
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
They say the weather on the first day of March will tell us what the weather will be on the last day of March...hmm. Will it be in like a lion, out like a lamb-or will it be the other way around? We will have to find out. March is a short month for us with Spring break, March 27 -March 31. School resumes on April 3.
Kingston students had fun raising money in February for the American Heart Association's Kids Healthy Heart Challenge fundraiser. At publication, we had raised $5,700. Thank you to the students and families for your strong support. A special thank you to Mrs. Hale for organizing the event.
Spring Pictures are scheduled for Thursday, March 2, 2023. Information has and will be sent home via email, as well as notes in backpacks.
It is that time again to get a jumpstart on Kindergarten registration. We will be doing registration along with an informal screener for incoming students on March 7, 8, and 9. If you have a child that will be five (5) on or before September 1, 2023, please plan on attending and bring your child along. We will be offering the screener on these three days ONLY. All incoming Kindergarten students will receive a Kindergarten Readiness bag full of goodies. We will be doing registration on-line this year; you will receive your registration materials at the round up. If you cannot attend, you will need to reach out to the Kingston School office.
We wrap up the third quarter on March 10 with report cards going home on March 23. Respectfully yours, Stefanie Hill, Principal
KINDERGARTEN
The first week in March we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss and all of his wonderful books.
We will have fun activities planned throughout the week.
We will be having our Spring pictures on Thursday, March 2nd so mark your calendars.
Valentine's Day was our last party of the year. We want to thank all of the parents who so generously donated to our party and/or helped at our party.
Please continue to send two nutritional snacks each day. Also, make sure to label all of your child's snow gear. We have a lot of duplicate items. Extra clothes in your child's backpack would be helpful, since sometimes clothes get wet when playing in the snow during recess. The first week in March we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss and all of his wonderful books.
FIRST GRADE
We will start this month off with a school wide celebration of Dr. Seuss on Monday, February 27th. We will have a special Drop Everything And Read time in each classroom along with many other fun activities planned.
First graders continue to work on adding and subtracting. We have been extending the counting sequence in our math program. New topics coming up will be comparing two-digit numbers and using models and strategies to subtract tens.
Thank you to all the families that helped with supplies and volunteering for our parties this year. We appreciate it.
In February, Mrs. Gabriel's high school FFA students came to all the first grade classes to teach our students about seeds. The children even got to plant their own corn and soybeans. It was a great experience for all.
Snack time is very important to students. Please be sure to send two healthy snacks each day. Extra socks and gloves in your child's backpack would be helpful, since socks and gloves get wet when playing in the snow during recesses.
SECOND GRADE
This past month has been busy! Second graders have been working hard on learning to add and subtract three digit numbers. We have also worked on analyzing fiction and nonfiction texts during reading, writing complete sentences, and fluently reading books for information. Looking for extra math sites to visit at home? Try the following links for additional practice! Some are for additional worksheets.
coolmath4kids.com worksheets.theteacherscorner.net mathfactcafe.com
We periodically take a one-minute reading timing. The goal for the third quarter will be 79 words per minute. Research shows that daily oral reading practice increases a child's fluency. This, in turn, improves comprehension. Our goal is for students to read and be read to at home every day.
As you know, students are working on their comprehension strategies in class. Students receive instruction with our ReadyGen reading curriculum. We have been working on making connections, inferring, and answering in-depth comprehension questions and supporting answers with evidence from the text. When reading with your child at home, ask them about these strategies. Here are some questions you may want to ask:
• Does this remind you of anything in your life or something you read before?
• What are you picturing (seeing) in your mind?
• What are you wondering about after reading this?
• What kind of clues has the author given you about_ (main character)?
• Can you show me in the text where the author talks about __?
Happy Reading!
NURSE'S NOTES
Hello KES parents! I had the joy of working with the Kindergarteners last month. We reviewed hand hygiene! Want to reinforce the teaching at home? Quiz your student on the following items we covered:
1. How long should you wash your hands? (At least 20 seconds, sing the ABC song or Happy Birthday)
2. When should you wash your hands? (before eating, after using the bathroom, when your hands are visibly dirty)
3. Tell me about the Gia-Germs you used in class! Did you have any "germs" left on your hands after you washed them?
We have more health education coming up for all students!
Second Grade Parents - If you haven't already, please submit an Illinois Dental Examination Form (dated within the last year) by this May in order to comply with the state requirements. Thank you!
Did You Know? Media use can negatively affect sleep. Exposure to light (particularly blue light) and activity from screens before bed affects melatonin levels and can delay or disrupt sleep. This can negatively affect school performance. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Healthy Snack Ideas:
o Dried fruit
o Carrots and Dip
o Celery and Peanut Butter
Mrs. Trompeter
KES School Nurse x8507