Monday, September 25, 2017

PE Unit 2 starting this week

Dear Parents,

This is a quick post to let you know that the PE swimming unit has ended. Starting tomorrow, all Kindergarteners must only wear their PE uniform. No swim bag needed.

For more information about PE units, please visit the PE blog (click here)

Thank you!
KG Teachers

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Week 7. September 24 - 28

Welcome to a new week in Kindergarten!

We have started to learn more about our core values. Respect has been our focus in September. Students are recognized when using respectful words and showing respect towards others. It is always important for children to understand what respect means and the different ways we can all express ourselves when dealing with difficult emotions or situations in a respectful way.

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As part of our Social Studies unit, during Circles and Guidance, we have taken time to teach words we can use when we are feeling happy, angry, sad or frustrated. We believe in the importance of having the tools to channel different feelings, whether with words or taking some time to breathe and calm down. Respect is also shown in actions! Our students are learning about those actions that makes us feel appreciated and respected.

Here is an article about how you could support the work we’re doing in class and teach respect to your child.

Weekly reminders

Health Forms! (important announcement)

September 28 is the deadline to submit student health records to the health office, students will not be allowed to attend school without complete health records. Please contact the health office with any questions regarding this.

Monday - Half Day

This Monday all students will be dismissed at 11:30am to allow teachers to extend their professional development on campus. We kindly ask that you make sure your child is picked up at 11:30 sharp, if you plan on changing dismissal arrangement, please email your child’s teacher ahead of time or send a note in their folder. There will be no lunch or after school activities on this day.

Calendar updates

This will be a busy week for Kindergarten! On Tuesday, in addition to the activity planned by the Egypt Culture department, we will have a fire drill at 10:50 am. Students have practiced how to line up and exit the building in order to calmly follow emergency procedures. We ask that you also talk to your child about the importance of fire drills.

We continue to add events to our grade level calendar, we encourage all parents to check it out consistently.

Reading practice at home

Students will begin taking home leveled books. They will put in practice what they have learned about picking Just Right Books, and will be choosing books that are easy enough for them to read. Teachers will take some time to guide the students these first weeks, however the purpose of this “homework” is for them to choose these books independently, and identify the level of difficulty in each book. This is a process for your child so don’t worry if they seem to choose books that are too easy or too hard at the outset. Choosing “Just Right” books is an important skill that will be used by students throughout their elementary years.

Parents can support this activity by having their child read this book to them, sharing the reading, and/or reading the book to their child. You can also support your child by asking why they chose that book, and if they feel it’s a good fit for them.

Every day children choose a new book to take home and it will be in their Take-Home Folder. Books must be returned the next day for students to be able to take a new book.

Feel free to email us with any questions you may have about this new and exciting step!

Learning In KG!

Reading




Our young readers have been working hard to increase their stamina during independent reading. Students continue to work on reader behaviors as they use their pointer fingers to point at the words or use the pictures to help tell the story and solve unknown words. This week readers will learn about how readers share and talk about books with others:
  • Readers pause on each page to think about what has happened.
  • Reading partners sit “hip-to-hip,” with the book between them.
  • Reading partners take turns telling about the book, asking questions, and making predictions.
  • Readers learn how to talk about pages in their books by noticing characters, action and details.
  • Readers learn ways to make connections to texts by saying, “This reminds me of…”

Our phonics focus will be beginning sounds with letters /c/, /h/, /f/, and /d/.

Writing
After completing some on-demand writing assessments last week, our kindergarten writers are excited to continue the work of making books! This week students will explore elaboration by learning how to add more pages and how to add more detail to each page of their books. One way to do this is to “make characters talk” by adding dialogue and speech bubbles. We will also review how to “stretch out” words in order to record every sound. This will make student writing even easier to read and re-read.



As kindergartners continue their writing journeys, you may also wish to provide them with writing opportunities at home. Ask your children to help you with shopping lists or write about fun moments you spend together. It is important for writers to feel successful in this early stage and this can be nurtured by having a variety of opportunities to write.

Math

Students will continue to learn about hidden partners, using manipulatives and drawings to demonstrate understanding. They will continue to work on counting different number configurations, extending this work to numbers 6 to 10. Configurations such as horizontal and vertical linear, arrays, circle and scattered. They will work with the concept of 5-group which allows students to subitize as they count groups of 6 - 10 . Students will continue practicing tracing and writing numbers using Handwriting Without Tears guides. Students will also be introduced to number stories and different strategies to solve these problems. Number stories provide an opportunity to also learn about number sentences.

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Social Studies

In the past two weeks students have been learning and having  great conversations about ways to be  responsible learners in Kindergarten. They have been focusing on 4 important behaviors and their applications to what responsibility looks like in class:

  • Listen to others as they speak
  • Focus on the work
  • Respect other’s work time
  • Try your best

This coming week students will explore what it is to be a responsible student in class and they will be brainstorming what responsibility looks  like. They will also be thinking about who is in our CAC community to gather ideas about who are other responsible community members in our school community.

Circles

Kindergarteners have enjoyed having circles in class! Each classroom teacher plans circles according to the needs of their students. Some of the themes we have chosen for our circles are friendship, connections and belonging, communication and feelings! We value these moments we have as a community, and the connections we are all making. Has your child mentioned anything about the circles we’ve had? We’d love to hear from you!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read our weekly newsletters, and please send us an email with questions or feedback you may have!

Ms. Ana
Mr. Balazs

Ms. Paola

Monday, September 18, 2017

Tuesday Swimming

Dear KG Parents,

We would like to share information with you about swimming after school. These swimming lessons are not part of our Elementary After School Activities program, CAC's swim coach Matt Lautenbach is responsible for this program. KG teachers will walk students who are enrolled in the program at 3:15.

If you have any questions, please email Mr. Matt at mlautenbach@cacegypt.org

Thank you

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Week 6. Sep 17 - 20

Welcome to a new week in Kindergarten!

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Students sharing a nice moment together during snack!

A few housekeeping items for this week:

Arrival and dismissal procedures

We would like to thank all parents for their support during arrival and dismissal. These are important moments to teach and support student independence. In the morning the music starts at 7:45 and all classes walk to their classrooms with their teachers, we kindly ask that parents say goodbye at the playground. The music will stop at 7:55 which indicates the beginning of class, if your child comes after the music has stopped, we ask that you walk your child to the classroom and say goodbye at the door.

Dismissal is at 3:05, bus and gate students are dismissed first to allow for a smooth transition. We thank parents for their support in clearing the hall for teachers and students to walk freely and safely. Students dismissed at the gate will only be dismissed if we have an ID of the driver or nanny that is picking them up. We ask that you talk to drivers/nannies and ask them to patiently wait for a teacher to dismiss each student. The gate is heavily congested at this time, and we need to take a few minutes to safely dismiss all students. We appreciate your support!

Monday Lunch

Tomorrow will be Pizza. We ask that parents sent the exact change every Monday to support students independence when buying their food. We continue to add these days to our KG calendar.

Student Health Forms are due to the Health Office on September 28th. After this date, students will not be allowed to attend school without complete health records.  Please contact the health office with any questions regarding this.

We have sent all parents an email regarding our first field trip. Please let us know if you did not receive this information.


Learning in KG

Balanced Literacy

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Students have been learning the 3 ways to read a book. As some of them may begin to feel comfortable reading books independently, it is important to remind them that readers begin with reading pictures and using them as cues to figure out what the book is about. In fact, this week we will work on comprehension by looking at the pictures and figuring out how they go together from page to page. This will eventually support decoding and comprehension of complete texts.


We have also been working on developing positive reading behaviors in the classroom. Students are trying their best to keep reading and increase their stamina. Our readers have also started to track their reading with their “reading finger”, pointing at each word as they read.

Phonics this week will be practicing recognition of the letters T, N, G, and P, as well as practicing their sounds.
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Students continue to learn about the structure of the Writer’s Workshop as they engage in independent writing. Kindergartners continue to practice how to write other words by stretching out the sounds and writing those letters. This week, our young writers will perform some on-demand writing for assessment purposes. They will create one narrative piece, one informational piece, and one piece of persuasive writing. We can’t wait to see what they do!
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Students learn about lowercase letter formation every day! We encourage our young writers to challenge themselves by writing more lowercase letters.

Math

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Students will continue to work with different number configurations of numbers above 5, namely 6, 7, and 8, in varied configurations. The students use their growing skill and knowledge of counting up to 5 to reason about larger numbers in the more difficult linear, array, circular, and scattered configurations.

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Social Studies

Last week kindergartners had great conversations about their similarities and differences! They were introduced to the concept of venn diagrams and how these are used to show our shared likes or dislikes. Students learn about the choices that they make at school and they will discuss what good choices and poor choices are and how those impact them. They will explore what makes a responsible learner in kindergarten, paying particular attention to behaviors that support responsible learning, such as listening to others as they speak, focusing on the work,
respecting other’s work time, and trying your very best.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter!

Ms. Ana, Ms. Paola, and Mr. Noah

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Week 5. September 10 - 15

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Welcome to a full week of learning, exploring and fun! We hope you all have a relaxing weekend. Here are a few reminders for this week:


Class Photos


All students will have their photo taken by a professional photographer. In our KG calendar you will find the dates for each class:


KGB and KGC on Monday, September 11
KGS on Wednesday, September 13


Last week your child took a letter home with information about photos and payment. We’d like to thank those parents who have already sent their envelopes to their child’s teacher! It is important that all students send this letter back before their respective photo day.


After School Activities - Session 1


After School Activities begin this week! We have the schedule for the activities/days you and your child have chosen. Teachers and ASA supervisors will collect all students at 3:15 from their classrooms, to walk then them to their activity. Parents don’t need to be here for that transition.


We ask that you please arrange dismissal plans ahead of time. Homeroom teachers are responsible for all dismissal plans and/or changes, and we need enough time to inform the ASA coordinator and the supervisors. It is crucial that we avoid last minute changes as these are difficult to communicate before dismissal. Only contact Ms. Ereeny (2755-5246) for last minute emergencies.


Lunch


Daily lunch (except for Mondays) is 38 LE, drinks 7 LE. Purchase lunch cards from outside the ES cafeteria.
LUNCH CARDS ONLY accepted.


Monday, Sept. 11 is Koshari day 25 LE. Cash only.


Toys


In Kindergarten, toys or game cards from home are not encouraged as they interfere with students’ ability to engage with learning tasks throughout the day. Please make sure that your child’s toys/cards stay at home. We appreciate your help in this request that supports all student learning.


A Message From The ES Office


Principal's Coffee
September 11 @ 8:00 - 9:00AM
Elementary Hall


Agenda
Welcome and beginning of year feedback
Elementary PTO liaison
Challenge and Enrichment Specialist
"Come and meet Selena Gallagher, our new Challenge and Enrichment Specialist. Selena will share some information about our philosophy and approach to meeting the needs of our highly able learners, share some advice for parents about nurturing children's talents at home, and answer any questions you may have."


Mark your calendars:
Christy Curran reading writing workshop for parents, October 11
KG - Grade 2 reading and handwriting workshop, October 30 (repeated session from 16/17)

A Message From The Peace Committee

Dear Parents,

The ES Peace Committee is planning a bake sale after school on Sunday, September 17th. Our theme this year is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” We are trying to build peace through meaningful actions such as raising money for the National Cancer Institute. If you are willing to participate in this Peace Bake Sale, please let your son/daughter bring their baked goodies in the morning to the ES Officeon Sunday, September 17th If you wish to help in the sale, this would be greatly appreciated. You can contact Basma Salem bsalem@cacegypt.org  to volunteer for the sale after school by the lawn area.

We are encouraging our students to eat healthy snacks so we expect goodies to follow the same criteria. (muffins, banana cakes or bread, cup-cakes or brownies without extra chocolate and sugar icing are the best choices). Items will be sold for 15 L.E. each.
Your contribution always makes a difference.

Thanks,

The Peace Committee - PIPS (Partners in Peace)
Learning in KG!


Balanced Literacy


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This week readers will be looking closely at each page in their books to read pictures and notice the text. Some students have started to identify words they’ve seen in other books and they are learning that this is one of the many ways readers get ready to start reading more words!


During Shared Reading we provide with a safe environment for kindergarteners to learn new sight words that they will find in their books. We will also teach them about stamina, and how readers read and read without stopping! Each class will start measuring stamina to encourage our young readers!


This week we will start our guided reading groups for more direct and meaningful reading instruction.


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During the writing workshop we continue to enforce independence and problem-solving strategies. This will be the lessons for this week:


Stretching out words to write each sound you hear
Make your writing the best it can be by looking at the letters you wish to write


Writers will be publishing their first pieces very soon!


Math


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Students have had a great time learning and exploring Hidden Partners during our Math lessons. This week we continue to unpack Topic D, in these lessons students have been working on these important tasks:


  • Count a set of 1 to 5 objects and use a handwriting box to write the matching numeral.
  • Order numbers by filling in the missing number in a sequence.
  • Solve simple addition stories connected with countable objects.


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Social Studies


Kindergartners have been getting to know each other during the course of this unit. They have met with different peers to talk about and compare their interests and dislikes. This week they will learn about questions and how these are helpful when finding out about one another. Generating questions is one of the skills that students will be developing in this unit, as well as it will support listening and speaking standards throughout the year. We will introduce “question words” to support students as they ask each other questions.




Circle Solutions


Once a week each KG class gets together for a very special moment called Circle. All teachers and students get together in a circle to have several activities that are intended to develop social skills, build community and strengthen communication. Circle solutions follows a solution-focused and strengths based approach.


Our circles are planned depending on the needs of each class, however they all focus on positive interactions, engagement, meaningful relationships and a safe environment to explore and understand feelings and emotions.


There are three important rules to follow when being part of a circle:


  1. Everyone has a chance to speak and because what each person says is so important, we all listen respectfully.
  2. You may pass if you don’t want to share or speak.
  3. No put downs! We only use kind words.


Look out for more information and updates about our KIndergarten Circles!


Thank you all for your support and the time you take to read our blog. Please email us with any questions or feedback!


Ms. Ana (KGC) - achavez@cacegypt.org
Mr. Balazs (KGB) - nbalazs@cacegypt.org
Ms. Paola (KGS) - psadek@cacegypt.org

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Week 4. Sept 5 - 7

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a good holiday with family and friends. We’re happy to be back for another short week of learning and fun. It is wonderful to see all students interact and become part of a new community in Kindergarten, playing together and getting to know one another!

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This week’s reminders

  • Please remind your child to bring their library bags every Thursday
  • Tomorrow we will follow a Sunday schedule
  • After School activities schedules will be posted online


A Message From Girl Scouts!

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The Cairo council of USA Girl Scouts Overseas is delighted to announce that we will be hosting KG Daisies again this year!  Girl Scouts is open to all girls attending or affiliated with CAC, starting in KG.  You don't have to be American or have previous experience with Girl Scouts.  Meetings are conducted in English and will reinforce the themes of leadership, adventure, and experience-based learning.  While Girl Scouts of the USA draws from American culture, we have adapted our activities to reflect the girls' experiences living in Egypt, and welcome input from girls from other nationalities.

For more information, please contact KG Daisy troop leader Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz at stevensr@georgetown.edu


Learning in KG!

Balanced Literacy

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Readers continue to learn about reading behaviors and what their job is during the Reading Workshop. To keep the engagement level high, we are reviewing how to choose books for the book bags, making sure students are choosing books that are a good fit for them.

This week we will focus on what readers do before they start reading, starting with the cover of books and talking about what books are about. Talking about books is an important skill our kindergarteners will learn throughout the school year, and now that they have partners, their conversations will have a lot more depth!

What do readers do before reading words?

  • Look at the cover
  • Turn the pages
  • Look at the picture
  • Point and tell what you notice

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Writers continue to work on putting ideas onto paper and adding more to their pieces. During the first bend of our first unit writers worked on thinking of ideas, sketching and writing independently. Now that we’re in our second bend, they are revising their pieces by adding more pages and working with partners to ask and answer questions about their pieces. These strategies help young writers with elaborating and focusing on one topic at the time.

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For phonics, we continue to work with sorts for beginning sounds. Last week students worked with beginning sounds b, m, r and s. This week, they will review those letters to sort them into lowercase and uppercase groups. Partners love working together during this period!

Math

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Students have been enjoying and exploring numbers in our Math lessons, engaging in the different games and activities we have planned for them. They have been working with numbers 1 to 5 looking at the different ways we can represent these numbers.

This week we continue learning about “hidden partners,” which are two numbers hiding inside a larger number. For example, 2 and 3 are hidden partners of 5. Students are being asked to illustrate a number story that shows hidden partners, like the story in lesson 10: 5 dogs are playing. Draw a fence that keeps exactly 3 of them inside.

Social Studies

Social scientists continue to learn about choices, talking about what makes a good choice and what makes a poor choice. Students will engage in class conversations, as well as peer discussions asking questions about the choices they make at home and in their community.

These are some of the questions that will lead the conversation:

  • What are my likes?
  • What are my dislikes?
  • What are some things my friends and I have in common?
  • What are the good choices I make every day?


Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter!

Ms. Ana (KGC) - achavez@cacegypt.org
Mr. Balazs (KGB) - nbalazs@cacegypt.org
Ms. Paola (KGS) - psadek@cacegypt.org