Global Cardboard Challenge Volunteers and Supplies

Dear Team 15 Families,

We would love volunteers on Thursday and Friday to help with the cardboard challenge.  Kids need a lot of help cutting boxes and taping.  With the way our schedule is, we need to extend the challenge to both Thursday and Friday.  

If you are available during any of the times students will be building and creating, we would LOVE your help!  Come anytime, even for 15 minutes to help!  Be prepared for chaos as there will be boxes and supplies all over the room.  It's a fun time!

Thursday:  

Kids will be building:

9:00-10:00

11:50-12:30

1:30-3:00

Friday:

9:00-10:30

11:45-12:30

1:30-2:15

We would love more recyclable materials and lots of Duct Tape!

Recyclables:

• Paper towel rolls- students use a lot of paper towel and toilet paper rolls
• Toilet paper rolls
• Egg cartons
• Plastic water bottles with tops (any plastic drink bottles)
• Yogurt containers
• Milk cartons
• Plastic cups (small, medium, and large)
• Bottle caps
• Wine corks
• Tissue boxes
• Shoe boxes
• Plastic fruit containers
• Cans (no sharp points)
• Oatmeal containers

We are in need of lots of DUCT TAPE!!

Watch some of the videos of Caine's Arcade and see how the Global Cardboard Challenge came about.  It's inspiring!!!

Inspiring Caine's Arcade Videos

Thank you in advance for your help and donations.  We really appreciate it!!!

Caine's Arcade~ Global Cardboard Challenge

Counting to 100 by 10's

The Alphabet Song

The Alphabet Song

Practice at home!

More counting by 100 songs

Important information from our occupational therapist!

Hello Parents,

           

Today the occupational therapist worked with all kindergarten children in order to develop bilateral motor integration.  We introduced children to their right and left sides and did an activity to help them learn these spatial directions.  We will continue to reinforce this concept within each of the next six -week sessions. Each week you will receive a short summary of our work for the week and we hope that you will talk and play with your child using these concepts.

Bilateral Motor Coordination is critical for the development of fine and gross motor development.  When the child uses both hands in order to complete tasks (either gross motor or fine motor) one hand emerges as dominant the other as an assist.  We use our hands in this fashion for almost all tasks.  The assistive hand allows one to stabilize the body for all tasks. It is also very important for the development of visual control and eye movements.

Bilateral integration includes symmetrical and asymmetrical movement of the body that is needed for the activity. Writing is mostly an asymmetrical activity with one hand stabilizing the paper and the other holding the pencil.  Often children with difficulty in this area may also have unusual muscle tone and what might be called poor postural adjustments.  It is important to “modulate” muscle tone throughout the trunk and upper extremities with “fun: activities.  Some great activities to do at home are; Hippity Hop balls to play on, spinning on a Sit and Spin, jumping jacks, or even lifting and pushing furniture, animal walking requiring weight bearing on arms, or even wall pushups.

Many children prefer to work on vertical rather than horizontal surfaces when writing drawing or coloring.  This can be achieved at home by using a three ring binder as a surface, or a wall, or an easel. Children should be encouraged to stabilize the paper with non-dominant hand so avoid taping or “fixing” the paper too well.  Let the child “work” at keeping the paper steady. Make it fun; do not make it too hard.

Encourage the children to “set “ the table, fork on the left, knife, cup or spoon on the right. Try to play games that require using directional terminology. These games can be Treasure hunts, putting away clothing etc.  If this is too hard for your child reinforce with R and L labels on the surface that the child is working on.

Most importantly, have fun with your child do not make this hard or over taught. All of these skills are developmental in nature and come into play anytime during the kindergarten years. Enjoy the activities and keep in mind that we want to develop these skills.

Thank you, 

Janet Kaplan MS OTR/L

Sign-up for a conference

Conference Sign-Up

Please Donate~ Thank You!

    

Dear Families,

The kindergarten team has several exciting projects coming up!   We are in need of recyclable materials to make these projects a success.  Please save the following items when you recycle and send them in with your child.

Recyclables:

• Paper towel rolls
• Toilet paper rolls
• Egg cartons
• Plastic water bottles with tops (any plastic drink bottles)
• Yogurt containers
• Cardboard boxes (all sizes)
• Milk cartons
• Plastic cups (small, medium, and large)
• Bottle caps
• Wine corks
• Tissue boxes
• Plastic fruit containers
• Cans (no sharp points)
• Oatmeal containers

*If you have any other recyclable materials that you think would be good for projects, please send them in too.*

**Please donate any and all cardboard boxes you may have at home.  We need a lot of boxes for the cardboard challenge!  We are also looking for families to donate lots of duct tape or other strong tape.**

Thank you!

GoNoodle at Home

Count and Dance to 100

Kindergarten Curriculum Night Presentation

Kindergarten Curriculum Night Presentation

Important Reminders and Dates

Dear Team 15 Families,

We are off to a great start!  I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  Here are just a few reminders and important dates coming up:

• Please pack your child's snack and lunch in separate bags.  Kids are getting confused. Also, we have a late lunch so pack a hearty snack.
• Students should bring their folder to school everyday as a way of home/ school communication.  They will bring it home daily with school work and important notices. Check your child's folder every night and take out any papers.  Dismissal changes should be communicated via a written note.  If there is a change in dismissal or something I need to know during the school day, please text me at 978-201-5275.  
• Bio-verification forms are going home today in your child's folder.  Please fill it out and return to school in the folder.  
• Curriculum night is next Thursday, September 14th from 7:00-7:30pm.  This is for parents only.  Please try and attend as I will be going over the curriculum and detailed information about the school year.  If you can't attend, I will post the link on the classroom blog.
• I WILL update the blog this weekend and then send all families the link.  
• Picture day is next Thursday, September 14th.  Picture order forms will go home at the beginning of next week. 
• If you haven't sent in your child's headphones, extra clothes, or art smock, please do so next week.  Thanks!

Have a great weekend!

Susan

Welcome Kindergarten Students and Lego Boat Challenge

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Dear New Student,

Hello!  My name is Ms. Cherwinski and I am your new Kindergarten teacher.  I am very excited that you are in my class.  I am looking forward to meeting you and learning all about you.  I am sure you want to get to know a little about me too!  I enjoy reading, running with my dog Brady, yoga, relaxing on the beach, paddle boarding, and spending time with family and friends.  Ms. Sousa is another teacher in our classroom.  She is very creative and likes to play with her dog Milo, paint, kayak, and enjoys spending time at the beach.  

When you come to school in September, we will begin creating our classroom community and start our year- long learning adventure together.  In Kindergarten, we will make new friends, read lots of great books, play games, write stories, explore, and invent!  

I have been getting our classroom ready for the first day of school.  We are going to have a lego- themed classroom.  I hope you like using your imagination and creating with lego’s and other materials!  I have a special activity for you to work on this summer.  Use your imagination and creativity to solve the lego boat challenge!  Can you design your own boat made out of lego’s that floats and holds pennies?  

Here are directions:

1. Build your boat out of lego’s.
2. Test your boat in the water.  Does it float?  If needed, go back and re-design your boat.
3. How many pennies do you think your boat will hold before it starts to sink?  Slowly add the pennies (one at a time) to your boat.  
4. How many pennies can you add before your boat starts to sink?  
5. Challenge~ Try re-designing your boat to hold even more pennies.  How many pennies can your boat hold?

 

Please bring your lego boat to school with you on the first day.  If you don’t have lego’s at home, I can give them to you on the first day of school and you can design it then.  I can't wait to meet you!  Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Love,

Ms. Cherwinski

Welcome Kindergarten Families

Summer 2017

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I’d like to welcome you to Happy Hollow and Room 15!  My name is Susan Cherwinski and I will be your child’s teacher for the 2017-2018 school year.  I am extremely excited to watch your child’s progress and growth alongside you this coming year.  Together, we will all be working cooperatively to ensure an exceptional learning experience for your child!

September will be here before we know it!  In order to be able to communicate through email at the very start of the school year, please send an email to me at:

susan_cherwinski@wayland.k12.ma.us.  Your email should include your name(s) and your child’s name.  If you have more than one email address where you would like newsletters and notices sent, be sure to include those email addresses as well.  Thank you for your help with this!

Transitions and new beginnings can sometimes be difficult for children.  Below are some tips to get your child ready for starting kindergarten:

• Be enthusiastic about the upcoming change and your child

     will be excited too!

• Read stories about kindergarten and starting school (see attached list).
• Start daily routines that will add to continuity.  
• Arrange a play date with another child so your child will see a familiar face when we begin.
• Always say good-bye to your child.  Be sure to discuss the separation ahead of time and acknowledge your child’s feelings.  Discuss strategies to help the transition run smoothly.
• Please do not prolong the goodbye.  If your child cries or clings while you leave, staying will only make the transition more difficult and lengthy.  Reassure your child by explaining the dismissal procedures and when you will return.  Please let me know if you need my assistance during these times.  

There will be a curriculum night scheduled for sometime in late September.  At that time, I will present detailed information to you regarding our daily routines, expectations, and curriculum.  If you would like to get a sneak peek of what to expect, please check out our classroom blog at http://playfulteaching.blogspot.com/.

Feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns over the summer.  I look forward to meeting you and your child at our Kindergarten screenings.  I hope that you enjoy the remainder of the summer!

Sincerely,

Susan Cherwinski

                                                                                                        

Supply List~ Shop the back to school sales!

• Clorox wipes
• Hand sanitizer (with pump)
• Tissues
• Ziplock bags (gallon size and sandwich size)
• Glue Sticks
• Art smock~ can be an old t-shirt (write your child’s name on it)
• Headphones~ Please put them in a ziplock bag with your child’s name on it.  Make sure they fit into an iPad.
• Vinyl/ sturdy folder with 2 pockets~ Please write your child’s name on the outside.  This folder will be used for home/ school communication.
• Labeled bag with extra clothing
• One inch three ring binder~ Please write your child’s name on the binder’s edge.

*If you are unable to purchase supplies for any reason, please let me know.  I will make sure your child has everything that he/ she needs. *

Suggested books to help your child prepare for kindergarten:

Who Will Go to Kindergarten Today? by Karl Ruhmann

The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Tiptoe Into Kindergarten by Jacqueline Rogers

Countdown to Kindergarten by Alison McGhee

Kindergarten Kids by Ellen B. Senisi

Kindergarten Rocks by Katie Davis

Little Bear Goes to Kindergarten by Jutta Langreuter

Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Nancy Carlson

Ms. Bitsy Bat’s Kindergarten by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Off to Kindergarten by Tony Johnston

A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica Harper

Welcome to Kindergarten by Anne Rockwell

Kindergarten ABC by Jacqueline Rogers

My First Day of School by Nancy J. Skarmeas

Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn