Our Class Pets Want a Vacation During Break!

Our class pets, Rita and Gunther Betta, will need a temporary home during the Fall Break. If your family is not traveling and you are willing to help your child look after our finned friends during the break, please let me know. They are very easy to take care of, and only need to be fed daily. I will change their water Friday morning, so they will be set until the Tuesday when we return to school. The students will be informed about the opportunity, but they will know that parent permission is needed. This is a great opportunity for a student to learn responsibility and caring for animals as well! If multiple students are interested, there will be other opportunities during the Winter and Spring Breaks as well. Mahalo!

Mahalo Parents!!!

I want to thank all of you for attending parent conferences these past two weeks.  I am so excited to report that this was the first time in all my years of teaching that I had EVERYONE attend the conference at our scheduled time, so THANK YOU for your punctuality and support in your child's education! I was pleased to hear about all the additional support you all are providing at home with completing homework, reading to your children, and doing other enrichment activities and games to help your child solidify those foundation skills. 

As we near the end of the first quarter next Friday, I will begin the assessment process again with the students.  I look forward to seeing the growth the students have made in the past two months! I will also be sending out some optional worksheets and activities to complete during the fall break (the first week of October), to keep the information fresh and their skills sharp. First quarter report cards will be sent out mid-October.

I have another thank you to extend to all of you who joined the PTSO.  Our class had the highest participation in the school, and the kids were rewarded by the PTSO with a popsicle party on Friday.  It was a wonderful end of the week treat! I'm not sure what they enjoyed more though, the popsicles, or the jokes that were on the sticks!

Sharing Time and Super Star of the Week

Sharing Time and Super Star of the Week

Starting the week of September 10, we will begin the class share bag and classroom jobs, including Super Star of the Week. These two activities are important because students are very proud of their belongings, and it is great way for them to improve their interpersonal skills and vocabulary.  Sharing Time and Super Star are also ways for me to assess the children’s listening and speaking skills. As they present, I will be completing a basic rubric aligned with the kindergarten Common Core Standards for listening and speaking to provide an assessment of their skills. 

Sharing Time

We have a class share bag that will rotate throughout the class. It is sent home each afternoon Monday-Thursday with a different student. When it is your child’s turn to share, he/she may bring in an appropriate item to show to the class.  Please do not let him/her bring anything that is of great value or that cannot be replaced. As careful as kindergartners try to be, some things do become lost or broken. The class will have opportunities to guess what is in the bag by asking questions about it, (e.g. is it soft, does it have corners, is it old?). After the object is revealed, the sharer will discuss the item, noting what it is, where the child got it, what they do with it, why it is special, etc. At the end of the presentation, classmates will have the opportunity to ask additional questions and give compliments.

Super Star of the Week

Each week, one student will be chosen as Super Star of the Week. The Super Star of the Week serves as a teacher’s helper, and has the opportunity to share (i.e. favorite things, fun facts) with his or her classmates. This is also a way for other students to get to know each other better, and allow children to feel special. They also have the opportunity to show their creativity, and learn about leadership roles.  Each Monday, a new Super Star is chosen. The week your child is chosen, he or she will take home a large piece of construction paper to create a personalized poster. Children may attach photos, draw pictures, and add words to describe themselves or identify interests and favorite things (these may be handwritten, or cut out of magazines). The goal is to create a poster that describes the child and allows others to get to know their classmates better. This should be brought in by Wednesday, to allow your child to share with the class. The posters will be returned home at the end of the week.

The children will initially see these activities modeled for them, as I will present a poster with my information and share something to illustrate the “dos and don’ts” of presenting. Since these activities are also helping students develop their communication skills, please practice with your child on what he or she is going to say about their items, using complete sentences, and a clear, loud voice. This will make your child more confident during the presentation and ensure success.

I look forward to seeing the children share with the class and demonstrate their creativity.  If you have any questions or concerns about Sharing Time or Super Star of the Week, please feel free to contact me.  Mahalo for your continued support! 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conference Schedule for September 10-21 

We will be on conference schedule for the next two weeks.  Our Wednesday 12:50 release time will remain the same, but all other days will have a 1:00 p.m. release time. As a courtesy to both myself and the parents with that first conference slot, please be punctual in picking up your child on these days. I have many conferences that begin just after school ends, and in order to start them on time, I need those few minutes after the bell rings to prepare. 

I have listed the current conference schedule below. Please let me know if your plans have changed since our previous confirmation and you are unable to attend the time we have set up, and I will reschedule you. I look forward to meeting with all of you! 

Monday, Sept. 10              Tuesday, Sept. 11                Wednesday, Sept. 12

1:15 = A.S.                             1:15 = C.S.                                   1:35 = P.S.

1:30 = B.Met                         1:30 =  K.F.                                 1:50 = B.D.
                                              1:45 = A.Santi.                               2:20 = P.B.

Thursday, Sept. 13           Friday, Sept. 14                    Monday, Sept. 17

1:15 =  B.Mel                      1:15 =                                         1:15 = J.H.

1:30 =     B.S.                        1:30 =                                       1:30 = J.A.

1:45 = C.B

Tuesday, Sept. 18            Wednesday, Sept. 19           Thursday, Sept. 20

1:15 =   G.D.                          2:00 = A.R.                                1:15 = J.T.

1:30 =                                                                                      1:30 = K.P.

Friday, Sept. 21

1:15 =  K.S.                             

13,15,20

Kindergarten Field Trip!

Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Our first field trip is this Friday, September 7th. We will be taking a bus to the Honolulu Theatre for Youth to see the play, Five Chinese Brothers.  Mahalo to everyone for promptly returning the permission slips and ticket money by the due date!
We will be leaving campus at 9:30 am and returning to school around 12:30 pm. The cafeteria will have lunch ready for those children who would like to get cafeteria lunch. I will put in the lunch count in the morning as usual. If your child brings a lunch from home, he or she can bring it and keep it at school for when we eat lunch together.
Remember to have your child eat a good, hearty breakfast, as we will not be eating lunch until 12:45.  A red reminder note will be sent home in their folders on Thursday, with more information on basic rules.  Please review bus and theater rules with your child.  We will also review these Friday morning before the trip. 

Welcome to Our Class Website!

Welcome to Kindergarten!

This is the first major stepping stone in your child's education, and I understand that you and your child may have entered this school year with excitement or apprehension (or a little of both!). This website will provide more information on what to expect in kindergarten this year and other important updates. I am excited to be working with your children this year and helping them achieve their full potential.

Parent/Teacher Relationship 

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship and open communication are vital. Throughout the year, I will communicate with you via notes, email, and this website. Students have their take-home folders in which I will put any notes or reminders along with their homework. This folder is to be returned each day, and you may also use it to send me any notes as well. I encourage you to contact me if you have ANY questions or concerns; never hesitate to do so! Our school phone system is limited and I do not have a classroom phone, so this is not always the fastest method of communication.  You can send a note with your child, or e-mail me at donna_williams@notes.k12.hi.us , I check email before and after school. You can also stop by before or after school to speak with me.

In closing, I am looking forward to a great school year of working with your child! Mahalo in advance for your support throughout the year.