Thursday, September 27, 2007

Curriculum Night

I am posting the outline of my presentation for those of you who could not attend Wedneday night.
I'm sorry we missed you.

Welcome to Room Thirty-One

Curriculum Night
2007-2008
Agenda
“Thoughts at the Bottom of the Beanstalk”
Getting to Know Mrs. Kurkinen
Review of Procedures
Philosophy of Kindergarten Education
Love and Logic Management Philosophy
Natural and Logical Consequences
Discipline Plan
What We Do and What We’ll Learn
State Benchmarks
Assessments
Exceptional Students
Curriculum and Its Application
Daily Schedule
Volunteering
Fall Conferences


I am…
Ecstatic to be teaching kindergarten at Ainsworth Elementary.
A part of Ainsworth’s Curriculum Committee.
Always seeking new ways to reach my students.
Hoping you will contact me with any comments or concerns.


I have…
Taught kindergarten - fourth grade.
Lived to two orphanages.
Taught in seven countries.
Studied Applied Linguistics, and International Literacy.
Authored three curriculum units.

Contact Information
Write a note
Email: mkurkine@pps.k12.or.us
Post comments on class blog:
Kurkinenkingerdarten.blogspot.com
Call Ainsworth

Kindergarten Procedures
Home Folders
Transportation
No toys at school
Homework and Literacy Notebooks
Lunch / Snack
Birthdays and Parties
End of the Day

Kindergarten Philosophy
All students are respected and competent.
Students take responsibility for their learning, their possessions and their actions.
The facilitation of learning is modeled, shared and individualized in order to allow each child to reach their full potential.
Assessments are used for instruction, not as a product.
Kindergarten fosters a love a learning that will last throughout a child’s educational career.

Management Philosophy
Love and Logic; Faye and Faye
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood
Give choices
Empathy with Consequences
Natural vs Logical consequences
Management vs Discipline
School Policy
One warning
Time out
Sent to another room
Sent the the office
Think Sheet
Signed by parents and returned

What We Do All Day
We learn to be citizens of a community.
We learn to take responsibility.
We learn to try.
We learn how to learn.
We learn reading, writing and arithmetic too!


State Benchmarks
Literacy
Children will read at a level 4 DRA
Children will be able to read and write twenty of the high frequency words on sight.
Children will be able to count, sort, define and infer mathematically.
Assessments
Concepts of print
Letter name and sound
Reading Level
High frequency words
Rhyming
Blending
Unset
Whole
Spelling
Holistic piece

Mathematics
Route counting (1,2,5,10)
One to one correspondence
Numbers written and read
Estimates
One’s Addition/ Subtraction
Shapes
Function:
Calendar
Clock
Graph

Exceptional Students: Special Education &TAG

Curriculum:
Literacy
Reading Street
Kid Writing
REACH
Curriculum
Literacy
Reading Street
Whole Group
Leveled Reading Groups
Kid Writing
Record Keeping
Response Sheets
REACH
Workstations

Mathematics:
Everyday Counts:
Calendar
Arithmetic
Patterning
Graphing
Investigations:
Work Centers
Engineering
Applications

Daily Schedule
8:05 Path to Learning
8:10 Shared Literacy
8: 35 Individualized Kinetic Mathematics
9:10 Snack/Break
9:20 Modeled and Shared Mathematics
9:40 Individual Writing
10:00 Modeled and Shared Writing
10:30 Choice Modeled Reading
10:40 Lunch Recess
11:45 KinderLiteracy Groups
11:55 Kinder Flexible Reading Groups
12:15 Modeled Literacy
12:30 Writing Workstations
1:00 Snack/ break
1:15 Writing Workstations
1:45 Thematic Work/ Choice Centers
2:10 End of day Procedure


Tuesdays
12:30 Library

Thursdays
8:10 P.E.
8:40 Music

Fridays
12:20 - 12:45 Kinder Sing
12:45 -1:30 Family Friday
1:35 - 1:50 Reading Buddies


Help at Home:
Responsibility
Chores
Personal objects
Newsletters read and discussed
Library checkout on themes
Read to daily
Ask them to read everyday print
Names on all possessions.
Shoe tying
Invite classmates over
Keep sick children home when sick
All meds accounted for in office (cough drops included)

Volunteering:
Workstations and Centers
Reading Individually
Lunch/ Recess
Field Trips
Copying / cutting
Laminating
Filing
After-school organizing
Scholastic Orders

Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 19th & 20th
Sign Up Tonight!

School policy restricts any rescheduling outside set dates

Missing Kindergarten



I know it has only been a day, but I am already missing kindergarten. I woke up at 5:00am missing kindergarten. I thought about greeting you all at 8:00am and I called Ainsworth as soon as the clock struck 2:15pm to see how the day went. I heard all went well. Its hard to leave a class you love in the hands of another, nevertheless, I’m sorry to say I’m still ill and will be able to teach until Monday. Please let your kids know I miss them and I can’t wait to see them again!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Apples, Apples, Apples!




With introductions complete, kindergarten has dove into our first thematic unit of study. We will be practicing our reading and writing while learning about apples this season. To quote Max, " everything we do in Kindergarten teaches us how to read," and it could never be more true. Today we made the first of many schematic diagrams; which will be brought home after formal grading. We also responded to apple paintings while being inspired to paint apples ourselves. We learned a few new songs and two new poems as well. Next week we will begin to bring more apple themed work home to enhance our learning from the class.



It was widely suggested that we taste test our new item of study today. Students are encouraged to bring apples to school this week in order to graph our favorites and record our observations.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Welcome to Kindergarten!




This week we focused on learning in the kindergarten environment. We learned about our new friends and ourselves. As seen on our class bulletin board, we shared some of the ways we are special. Some of us wanted the class to know we had learned something new. Some of us shared our specific talents. Most of us shared about the people we love. A select few shared of their achievements and characteristics. The entire class wrote Mrs. Kurkinen’s response for her, stating, “ You’re special because you’re our teacher!” and I couldn’t agree more.




As always, the first week is more about learning to move through the space of our classroom and exploring our materials. Nevertheless this coming week we will begin the journey through the body of knowledge we will master by the end of the year. I have had the pleasure of answering the question, “when do we learn how to read,” many times this week. To which I answer, “Everything we are doing helps us learn how to read!” This next week our friends will be cheered to know we will be able to stop practicing walking in line to the cafeteria and begin ‘learning to read’ on a much more continuous basis.




I’m thrilled to thank all the moms that gave their time to volunteer this week at lunch and recess. As you witnessed it was desperately needed and I cannot thank you enough for being there to comfort and corral Kindergarten through that great transition. Be assured Friday went much more smoothly and this coming week will be better yet. Great honor goes out to Emma and her family for wading though the school supplies and organizing the teacher supply room. Special thanks to Harper and Pam for volunteering to do some homework for the class for our hundreds chart. Lehna offered to adopt Cali the guinea for the weekend and I will post a sign up for the following weeks to come should any other kindergartener like to volunteer for the job.

As I have said many times, this has been the best first week I’ve had in kindergarten. Our group is truly gifted with caring souls and curious minds. We are blessed in Room Thirty-One with a wide range of abilities. Every one of the five and six-year-olds will have the opportunity to teach one another. I envision this year to be more than a success; I believe it will be a triumph.