Kinder Week 5 (T/TH)

                                      

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Labor Day.  Enjoy the day off!  We can't wait to see you again on Thursday!

~Mrs. McKethan & Miss Chun

***Next week kindergarten will be finishing up our unit on the fruits of the spirit.  Each day we have talked about a Fruit of the Spirit and have related it to an actual fruit.  Our celebration will be next Thursday (Sept. 17th) during our snack time.  Please see the Sign Up Genius link below to volunteer to help serve or to sign up to bring one of the fruits (these can be dropped off at the front desk or your child can bring them to the classroom).  We will only need enough of each fruit so that each of our 21 students can get a small portion.  Thank you for helping us celebrate all that we have learned so far!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F49A5A82DA6FEC43-fruits

Important Dates:
9/8 - Labor Day:  No School
9/24 - Spirit/DOGS/Pizza Day
10/6 - Parent/Teacher Conferences:  No School

Math
  • Though it may feel like we are going slow or the curriculum is not challenging enough, there are many foundational math skills that we are developing in these first few units. Identifying sets, assigning a numeral to a set to make it a number, and writing digits are skills that we often clump all together with 'counting', but they are each their own math milestone! The units that we are covering in "book A" are preparing us for the big things we will be doing down the road!
  • This week will continue our math journals! Your child should have gotten a math journal and a set of journal prompts in class last week.  Please make sure to allow your child to cut out the journal prompt before gluing it into their journal.  Watch them carefully to make sure they are holding the scissors properly (thumb on top, elbow in).  
Reading:
  • Our OPG lessons have begun! It might be helpful for your little one if you write the words on a dry erase board for him/her to read as the small print of the OPG book can feel intimidating to some students.  A minibook will come home with your child every school day.  Keep these books in a baggie and pull out an old one for review before starting a new lesson. 
  • Click here for a link to the short vowel story rhymes we introduce in class (this week is "short a").  This document also gives a hand signal to help the children remember the short vowel sound of the vowels. Example:  Short A (an ant) is rather grouchy.  Anytime one of the other letters tries to talk to her she says, “Ahhhhh, get out of here.” (Hold up all ten fingers)
Writing:
  • Please continue to enforce correct pencil grip and proper handwriting strokes! You are helping create habits that will last a lifetime and improve efficiency in writing.
  • As you work on the number formation pages in HWT, please feel free to modify the numerals 2 and 6 from what the book shows.

Spelling
  • Review phonogram and key cards.
  • Lesson 5 is rich in letter, phonogram, and phonics work. Though this lesson was covered last week, please continue to segment words, alphabetize letter tiles, and dictate sounds with writing

Geography:
  • Kindergarteners will be expected to be able to point to the Continents and Oceans on a map. Click here for the song we use in class. Due 9/17
Memory Work: 
  • Spending a few minutes each homeschool day going over all memory work, will help make the process of memorization much easier.
  •  "Jesus Died Your Soul to Save".  Students will say title, author, and then recite poem on September 24th.
K Week 59/7/20269/8/20269/9/20269/10/20269/11/20269/14/2026Co-Teacher Notes
DiscipleshipObedience: A prompt response to good authority and willing acceptance of natural consequences. James 1:22 But be doers of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Read AloudRead aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.
No School: Labor Day
Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.
BibleReview the Fruits of the Spirit. Work on memorizing the Letter D scripture.Fruit of the spirit: FaithfulnessDiscuss ways to show faithfulness at home and at school. Work on memorizing the Letter D scripture.Letter D: Do to others what you would have them to do you. Matthew 7:12
MathReviewEM-A p55 and Day 3 math journalEM-A p56-57EM-A p58-59 and Day 4 math JournalEM-A p60-63
SpellingAAS- Lesson 5AAS- Lesson 5AAS- Lesson 5Link to optional activity directions can be found HERE.
WritingHWT pg 88-89 (5,6)HWT p 16 (V,W) and pg 90-91 (7,8)X, Y and 9-10HWT p 17 (X,Y) and pg 92-93 (9,10)HWT pg 94 (1-10)
ReadingReview lessons 27-28Sounds First: Week 5 Day 2

OPG- L29		Sounds First: Week 5 Day 3

OPG-L30/31		Sounds First: Week 5 Day 4

OPG-L30		OPG-L31Short a
EnrichmentRead Aloud: The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Poem: "Little Wind"
Art: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
Music: The Barber of Seville: "Overture" by Gioachino Rossini
GeographyContinents and Oceans - Due 9/17 (next week)
Memory WorkJesus Died Your Soul To Save Poem Due 9/24

Kinder Week 4 (T/TH)

 We are having so much fun getting into a learning routine with your little ones! At Fortis we not only value academics, but their heart and their spirit as well. We have been focusing on love, joy, peace, patience, and what it looks like to care for others. We are reading some wonderful stories, as well as beautiful scripture.

~Love, Mrs. McKethan & Ms. Chun


Important Dates:
9/8 - Labor Day: No School
9/24 - Spirit/DOGS/Pizza Day
10/6 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (No School)

We are ready to read! This week we will start the lessons from Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading (OPG) beginning with lesson 27 in class. Continue daily practice of the 26 individual letter phonograms from Lesson 1 of All About Spelling. We will be working through Lesson 5 of All About Spelling because the lessons are applicable to reading. After Lesson 5, we will be taking a break to establish reading prior to introducing spelling.

***Assessment results are now posted in Alma.  Please go to fortis.getalma.com and sign in to see your child's results.  For all objectives that your child has a 1 or 2, please provide your child with extra practice in these areas.  Some of these assessments were done the first or second week of school so they may have learned more since then!

Math :  ***Please make sure that the assignments for Friday are completed before class on Tuesday.  If your child is in Friday electives you can have them do the Friday work  over the weekend or on Monday.    Also please make sure that your child only does the pages that are assigned.  Do not allow them to work ahead in their math books.
  • Please make oral counting part of your daily routine. This can easily be done on your car ride to school or while playing hide and go seek!  Also give them opportunities to count large groups of objects such as buttons, dried pasta, crayons, etc.  
  • Numbers 0-10 may seem like an easy skill, but in class, we are using tools such as a ten frame, number line, rekenreks , and subitizing cards to really solidify the understanding of these numbers. We want our students to have very strong number sense. We encourage you to use these tools at home as well.  
  • Story problems are another great tool you that you will be adding to your math lessons. Your child will receive a math journal and monthly journal prompts this week. Please have your child cut out the journal prompt and glue it to the bottom of the journal page. Watch to make sure they are holding their scissors correctly (thumb on top, elbow in). Read the prompt to your child and give your child manipulatives or one of the different math tools mentioned above if needed (this won't be necessary in September). Let them choose how they would like to solve the problem. After they come up with an answer, have them explain to you how they came up with it. In the beginning encourage them to draw pictures in their journal to represent the story problem instead of writing number sentences. You are welcome to add additional story problem prompts to their journals beyond what is assigned.
Examples:  
  •  I see 4 bees and 3 ladybugs in the garden. How many insects do I see? 
  •  Johnny had 7 apples. He gave 2 to his brother. How many are left?
  •  Sally had some cookies. Her friend gave her 3 more. Now she has 7 cookies. How many cookies did she have to start with?
  •  There were 6 crickets. Some hopped away. Now there are 3 left. How many crickets hopped away?
  •  Sarah baked 3 pies. She used 2 apples to make each pie. How many total apples did she  use?     
Reading:
  • Lessons 27 and 28 are made more difficult because they include "an" and "am" words as if they have the short a sounds.  However, in Texas these words do not have a distinct short a sound.  I teach "an" and "am" as glued sounds.  I encourage you to create 2 new phonogram cards to add to your stack, one for each of these sounds.  Practice them daily with the other phonogram cards so your child will eventually recognize that when they see an a followed by an n or m, then they know to use the correct (Texan) pronunciation of the phonogram.  
  • Please read the instructor note in Lesson 27 about sounding out words - when sounding out, phonograms should not be separated, they should be blended - no pausing or stopping between letter sounds. This will take some practice, but start now to create good habits.
  •  For Lesson 28 use your All About Spelling letter tiles and board.
Spelling :
  • Review phonogram and key cards.
  • Continue to review the first 4 lessons for practice with pre-reading skills.
Geography:
  • Kindergarteners will be expected to be able to point to the Continents and Oceans on a map. Click here for the song we use in class. There is a map in your child's blue folder to use to practice pointing.  Due 9/17
Memory Work: 
  •  Please work on memorizing our poem "Jesus Died Your Soul to Save".  Students will say the scripture (optional but encouraged),  title, author, and then recite poem on September 24th.
K week 48/31/20269/1/20269/2/20269/3/20269/4/20269/7/2026Co-Teacher Notes
DiscipleshipObedience: A prompt response to good authority and willing acceptance of natural consequences. James 1:22 But be doers of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Read AloudRead aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.
BibleFruit of the Spirit: GoodnessDiscuss ways to show Goodness at home and at school. Review Scriptures for A-C.Fruit of the Spirit: GentlenessDiscuss ways to show gentleness at home and at school. Review Scriptures for A-C.
MathEM-A p41-44EM-A 45-47EM-A 48-49 and Day 1 math journal **see notes aboveEM-A p50-52EM-A p53-54 and Day 2 math journal **see notes aboveReview
SpellingReview segmenting words and Lessons 1-4.AAS: Lesson 5AAS: Lesson 5AAS: Lesson 5AAS: Lesson 5Link to optional activity directions can be found HERE.
WritingReview letters and introduce number formation with rhymes for 1-4HWT pg 14 (H,K) and pg 84-85 (1,2)U, V, W and 5-8HWT pg 15 (L,U) and pg 86-87 (3,4)HWT pg 88-89 (5,6)
ReadingSounds First: Week 4 Day 1

OPG- L27		Sounds First: Week 4 Day 2

OPG- L 27		Sounds First: Week 4 Day 3

OPG-L28/29		Sounds First: Week 4 Day 4

OPG- L28		Review lessons 27-28Introduction to Short a sound
EnrichmentRead Aloud: Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet
Poem: "The Elephant" by Arnold Sundgaard
Art: Jungle with Lion by Henri Rousseau
Music: "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev		The read aloud will be done on school days. You are encouraged to practice the poem, discuss the art piece, and listen to the music piece on homeschool days. Links to these will be in the notes section above.
GeographyContinents and Oceans - Due 9/17
Memory WorkJesus Died Your Soul To Save Poem - Due 9/24

Kinder Week 3 ( T/TH)

     The JOY of the Lord is my STRENGTH. Nehemiah 8:10 | Joy of the ...

We are looking forward to another great week of learning! The kids are doing great learning classroom procedures and we are enjoying getting to know them! We are spending time each day focusing on a certain "Fruit of the Spirit" and discussing ways to grow them in our heart.  We not only hope to train their minds, but their hearts as well, so that we all may become more like Christ each day.

***Our first Pizza Day of the year will be on Thursday, August 27th!  On the last Thursday of every month we will have pizza delivered to school...a day off from packing a lunch! If you haven't signed up (and you would like your child to have pizza each month) there was a link sent out in an email to get signed up for that (Gluten free option is available this year).  If you still need a spirit shirt or a sweatshirt please let the front desk know and someone can pull one for you.

*** Some objectives and assessments have been added to Alma.  Please go to fortis.getalma.com and log in. Alma note...do not pay any attention to percentages!  The percentages do not equate to the grade or your child's performance.  Your child has mastered the given objective when they have a 3 or 4.  Any objectives that your child has a 2 in is what your child needs some extra practice in (beyond what is assigned on the blog).  Some objectives will also have comments.  Please click on the number "grade" to see the comment that I have added. If you are not able to log in or have questions about Alma please email questions@fortisacademy.net.

Love, Mrs. McKethan & Miss Chun

Important Dates:
8/25 - School Picture Day! (Picture order forms were sent home in blue folders)
8/27- Spirit Day/Pizza Day/DOGS Day! Students may wear Fortis t-shirts along with jeans or shorts (knee length) on Spirit Days. Pizza lunch will be served for those who have prepaid.  If you have not done that yet, you can do that HERE,  Dads of Godly Students (DOGS) will present a fun assembly for the students and visit with them during their lunch time. 
9/8- No School: Labor Day

Math:
  •  Please remember to do the "Introduction" and "One Step Further" at the bottom of the pages.
  • This is a great week to introduce those Subitizing (dot) cards at home, and begin building that number sense! Click here for dot cards up to 14, but focus on the ones up to ten for now.  You can also make your own using index cards and "garage sale" stickers.  Make sure to offer several different ways to show each number (ex: 6 can be 3 and 3, 4 and 2, 5 and 1, etc.)  Show the card for 3 seconds then put it down.  Ask them how many dots they saw and how they saw it (2 on top and 2 on bottom, 1 on top, 3 on bottom, etc.)
  • REMINDER: Please pay close attention to the pages on the blog.  DO NOT go ahead and do more pages than assigned.  We know that some of the pages may seem easy and your child may want to keep doing more pages, however, when that happens, there will be nothing for them to do in class while their friends are completing their math pages.  
Reading:
  •  Please use this time to go over letter sounds! (Yellow Phonograms)
  •  Please be working with your student on letter recognition, both upper and lower case letters.  We will begin reading short vowel words next week!
  • PHONEMIC AWARENESS: to reinforce our Spelling segmenting lesson, we like to have "Turtle Talk" at school. Our puppet, Tudley, says a 3 sound word slowly (ex: /p/ /e/ /t/) and the student has to blend the word and say it. This is a great activity for driving in the car!
  • Ideas: *call out a phonogram's sounds and have student write the letter with sidewalk chalk, wet paintbrush on sidewalk, shaving cream, a tray with sand or salt, playdough, etc. * Play hopscotch with phonograms. They have to say the sound before hopping to the next.
  • Read quality literature to your child to encourage the love of beautiful books!
    Writing:
    • Remember to reinforce letter practice on lined handwriting paper, especially if your child is needing additional letter practice. Click HERE to download printable handwriting lines similar to what we use in class.
    • Please have your child practice writing their first name correctly (beginning with a capital and the rest lower case).
    • Check for proper grip and that your child is starting their letter formation in the correct spot (never from the bottom).
    •  Click here for a short video to help with correct pencil grip and using the handwriting paper correctly.
    • Your student does not need to bring their handwriting books to school.

    Spelling:
    •  Introduce rule card 1.*Please make sure to go over yellow phonogram cards at least twice per homeschool day. Also, keep practicing segmenting words. It is a crucial step for reading!

    Geography:
    • Kindergarteners will be expected to be able to point to the Continents and Oceans on a map. Click here for the song we use in class. Due 9/17

    Memory Work: 
    •  Please work on memorizing our beautiful poem "Jesus Died Your Soul to Save".  Students will say title, author, and then recite poem on September 24th.  The scripture at the top of the page is not required, but is suggested!
    K week 38/24/20268/25/20268/26/20268/27/20268/28/20268/31/2026Co-Teacher Notes
    DiscipleshipAttention: Listening with eyes, ears, and heart.
    Matthew 7:24- “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man that built his house on the rock
    Read AloudRead aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Read aloud or audio book for at least 20 minutes and then have your child narrate.Picture Day is on Tuesday. Uniforms are required.
    BibleFruit of the Spirit: PATIENCEDiscuss ways to show patience at home and at school. Work on memorizing Letter C scripture.Fruit of the Spirit: KINDNESSDiscuss ways to show kindness at home and at school. Work on memorizing Letter C scripture.Letter C: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:10
    MathEM-A p25-26EM-A p27-29EM-A p30-33EM-A p34-36EM-A p37-40EM-A p41-44
    SpellingAAS-Lesson 3
    AAS: Lesson 4 rule card 1    		AAS-Lesson 4
    AAS: Lesson 4 rule card 1    		Review segmenting words and Lessons 1-4.Link to optional activity directions can be found HERE.
    WritingN,MHWT-p12 (N,M)Frog Jump capitals, H, K, LHWT-p13 (frog jump capitals)
    ReadingSounds First: Week 3 Day 1

    Phonogram games and activities
    *Introduction to Tudley!    		Sounds First: Week 3 Day 2

    Go over yellow Phonogram cards at least 2X/day. Choose an activity from     THIS LIST to practice letter recognition.    		Sounds First: Week 3 Day 3

    Phonogram games and activities    		Sounds First: Week 3 Day 4

    Go over yellow Phonogram cards at least 2X/day. Choose an activity from T    HIS LIST to practice letter recognition.    		We will begin reading short vowel words next week! Please make sure your child knows all of his/her letters and basic letter sounds
    EnrichmentRead Aloud: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
    Poem:     Pledge of Allegiance
    Art:     Still Life with Apples by Vincent van Gogh
    Music:     "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key    		The read aloud will be done on school days. You are encouraged to practice the poem, discuss the art piece, and listen to the music piece on homeschool days. Links to these will be in the notes section above.
    GeographyContinents and Oceans - Due 9/17
    Memory WorkJesus Died Your Soul To Save Poem - Due 9/24
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