December 5 - 9, 2011

It is so good to have all of my children back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. It is a busy time of year for all. I have loved practicing for the Christmas play because it helps us remember the real reason for Christmas. The students are doing a beautiful job and we are all looking forward to sharing it with you! It will bless you! 

Please check the “Important Dates” listed to the left of this post for important information on all of our upcoming events. 

Language Arts Skills:

• New High Frequency Word: for
• Language/Writing Skills: using opposites
• Phonics Focus: /d/; words with short i and short a
• Comprehension skill focus: Text Organization and summarizing

Handwriting Skills: Dd, Mm, Nn, Review

Math: Larger Numbers (1 - 50): Look for a pattern, Sequence, Identify, Write, and Count

Social Science: Christmas/Christmas Play Practice and Performance

Bible: The Birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7); Scripture focus: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Target truths: Jesus is God. Jesus came to earth to be born as a human being so that He could die for our sins.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Have a wonderful week off to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is a great time to reflect and “count my blessings.” As I “name them one by one” I will certainly remember each child and your precious families. Thank you for the privilege of teaching your treasures. God is good!

We have had a busy and exciting week. We’ve practiced for our upcoming Christmas Play, spent time with senior “giants,” met our new 5th grade buddies, attended chapel, and used the school’s new iTouch devices to practice skills (see pictures below). Finally, on Friday the K4 students got us ready for Thanksgiving by singing some great songs for us in the commons area. Thursday we thanked our SAGE dining staff for all the yummy ways they bless us each day. See the pictures below! On top of all of that excitement we were able to praise God for keeping us all safe from the tornadoes on Wednesday. 

This time of year is busy schedule-wise, but for our students it is also busy academically! The students have learned so much over the last few months and I am thrilled to see the progress they have made. Below you will see a peek at our plans for when we return on Monday November 28th.

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: practice and review (look for flashcards to come home soon)
• Language/Writing Skills: action and weather words
• Phonics focus: /q/; blending words with “-it” and “qu”
• Comprehension skill focus: Fantasy and Realism

Handwriting Skills: Qq, Rr, Hh, Jj

Math: Odd and Even Numbers, Counting to 100, Counting Groups of 10, Patterns on a 100s Chart, Skip Counting by 2 and 5

Social Science: Christmas/Christmas Play Practice (Please help your child practice over the holidays.)

Bible: Samson -- God’s Strong Man; Memory Verse: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”; Character trait: humility

November 14 - 18, 2011

What a busy, exciting week we had last week! Below you can see pictures of our class using Skype to meet a K5 class from St. George's Independent School in Germantown, Tennessee! Each child introduced themselves and shared something they like about their school. We have plans to visit with our Skype pals each month this school year. We look forward to sharing and learning with these friends throughout the year. See the pictures of this exciting experience below.

We also had a great time practicing and performing our reader's theater scripts! I am so proud of their great expression. They were all very proud of themselves! Below you can see videos of the students practicing together and performing for Mrs. Allen's class.

Finally, we are so excited to have the opportunity to serve God through Operation Christmas Child. Below you will see some pictures of ladies from the organizations sharing with our K4 and K5 students about the program. Our class would like to pack two boxes--one for a 5 year old boy and one for a 5 year old girl. Please help your child choose one or two appropriate items to contribute to the box. All contributions need to be brought in by Wednesday. Boxes will be packed and turned in on Thursday. Thank you for your support of this wonderful service project--we are teaching our little ones to serve others!

We are looking forward to another busy week ahead that includes practicing for the Christmas Play. I hope you have already made arrangements to attend on Friday, December 9th. You don't want to miss our students telling the story of Jesus's birth! Below is what we will be doing this week. 

Language Arts Skills:

• New High Frequency Word: here
• Language/Writing Skills: using weather action words
• Phonics focus: /k/; blending words with short i and short a
• Comprehension skill focus: summarize

Handwriting Skills: Review and practice learned letters

Math: Counting, Reading and Writing Numbers 11 - 20

Social Science: Thanksgiving 

Bible: Joshua and Jericho; Target verse: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” 1 John 2:3; Target truths: The Holy Spirit is God. God gives His people good leaders.

November 7 - 11, 2011

Can you believe it is November? Last Thursday I enjoyed attending the annual Alabama Reading Conference. I told the boys and girls that Thursday I got to be the student! I love learning! 

This week is full of excitement. Wednesday we will enjoy our band as they perform a special concert. We will Skype with another kindergarten class in Tennessee on Thursday and students will begin learning their parts for the annual Christmas Play. In addition, we have a short week. Friday we will be out of school to celebrate Veteran’s Day.

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: is, it
• Language/Writing Skills: describing words
• Phonics focus: /l/; blending words with “-it”
• Comprehension skill focus: Fantasy and Realism

Handwriting Skills: Ss, Ll, Bb, Pp

Math: Complete Topic 7: Geometry (Solid Figures and Problem Solving)

Social Science: Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day

Bible: Israel in the Desert; Target lesson: Thankfulness and self-control; Target verse: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” 1 John 2:3

October 31st - November 4th

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today! I cannot express how much I love your sweet children. I am truly blessed by them and you! Below is a peek at our week ahead. Have a great weekend!


Language Arts: 

• High Frequency Words: Review words learned
• Language/Writing Skills: Describing words
• Phonics focus: /f/; short vowel a words; onset and rime
• Comprehension Skills: Story Structure, Categorizing and Classifying

Math: Topic 7--Geometry (making shapes with other shapes, comparing shapes, symmetry, solid figures)

Handwriting: letter formation using the headline, midline, and baseline; you might enjoy using this website to let your children make their own handwriting sheets for free! Click on the "Try Now" button. Next, click on the blank paper on the right hand side. Then you are ready to type your own practice sheet!

Social Science: Fall/Pumpkins

Bible: God Speaks to Moses -- Exodus 3-14; Target Truth: There is only one true and living God. Target verse: Psalm 95:6--"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker..."

October 24th - 28th

Language Arts:

• New High Frequency Words: go
• Language/Writing Skills: building sentences, naming words
• Phonics focus: /g/ (Alphafriend--Gertie Goose), blending words with short a, rhyming words
• Comprehensions Skills:  Story Structure (beginning, middle, end), Summarizing

Math: Complete Topic 6: Comparing Numbers; Topic 7: Shapes; Number words

Handwriting Focus: Letter formation using headline, midline, and baseline

Social Studies:  Pumpkins and Fall

Bible:  Baby Moses and the Princess, Exodus 1:1 - 2:15; Target Truth: God is in charge. He always takes care of us.

Homecoming Week!

We have a fun, busy week ahead! All you need to know about each day is listed below. I hope you have a great week and enjoy all the fun with us!

Monday -- 

• Crayon Day (Dress all in one color)
• Bring in Coke Tabs for the Ronald McDonald House (the class with the most tabs wins a breakfast)
• Please note that the Lower School Pep Rally on the schedule is for grades 1-5 only--the pep rally comes to us Thursday!

Tuesday --

• Pumpkin Patch field trip (Wear jeans and a Trinity t-shirt)

• We will plan to leave Trinity at 8:15 a.m.
• Parents attending will need to pay $5 upon arrival
• For planning purposes, please e-mail me or Hayley Harris (our driver coordinator) if you are planning to attend
• Students will have a SAGE packed lunch to enjoy -- parents attending might want to bring a lunch
• We will leave Dreamfield Farms at 12:30

• Bring in Coke Tabs for the Ronald McDonald House 

Wednesday --

• Crazy Hair and Hat Day (with uniform)
• Bring in Coke Tabs for the Ronald McDonald House 

Thursday --

• College t-shirt day with uniform bottoms
• Coke Tabs will be collected to determine the winning class
• Kindergarten Pep Rally -- The cheerleaders will bring the Pep Rally to us in the Kindergarten Commons beginning at 8:15! GO WILDCATS!

Friday --

• Homecoming t-shirts with jeans or uniform bottoms
• Parade begins at 11:15
• 11:30 return to classroom for students to vote on their favorite float; also, those who buy the special lunch will receive their lunch tickets
• Lunches will be picked up in the concession stand by the football field
• Each grade will have a special picnic area on the practice field--bring your blanket if you plan to join us!
• If you attend the parade with your child he/she can be dismissed to your care after voting on the parade floats
• Students who do not have parents attending will picnic with me! Please note that if students do not buy a lunch they will need to bring one from home.
• Carpool begins at 12:30

I hope to see you at the football game that night (7 p.m.) when Trinity plays Montgomery Academy! Go Wildcats!!!

Whew!!! Believe it or not, we will be busy with classwork too! Below is a peek at our skills for next week.

Language Arts:

• New High Frequency Words: and, number words
• Language/Writing Skills: building sentences, describing words
• Phonics focus: /p/ (Alphafriend--Pippa Pig), blending words with short a, reading decodeable text
• Comprehensions Skills:  categorize and classify: monitor/clarify

***Our book bins are full! Your child will bring home some books from his/her book bin to make room for more!

Math: Topic 6-- Comparing Numbers (Greater and Less Than)

Handwriting Focus: Letter formation, Writing names using the headline, midline, and baseline

Social Studies:  Pumpkins and Fall

Bible:  Continue studying the life of Joseph; Target Truth: Thankfulness; Target verse -- Ephesians 5:20a "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything"

October 9 - 14, 2011

I hope everyone enjoyed their day off! Can you believe that we have completed the first quarter of school? Report cards will go home Thursday! Parent conferences are coming up at the end of the month. Look for an e-mail with that schedule this week. Don't forget all of the exciting things we have next week with Homecoming and our field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Below you will see a list of our skills for this week and reminders of upcoming events. Have a great week!


This week's skills focus:

Language Arts:

• High Frequency Words: a, to, I, like, my, see
• Language/Writing Skills: building sentences, action words
• Phonics focus: /c/(Alphafriend: Callie Cat), word families with short a (at, an), blending sounds to decode words
• Comprehensions Skills:  cause and effect, text organization

Math  - Complete Topic 5: Six to Ten; Begin Topic 6: Comparing Numbers

• Ordering numbers on a number line
• Graphing
• Comparing numbers 1-10

Handwriting Focus : Letter formation, Writing names using the headline, midline, and baseline

Social Studies:  Communities, Families, and Friends

Bible:  Joseph and His New Coat (Genesis 37:1-36); Target Truth: Thankfulness; Target verse -- Ephesians 5:20a "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything"

Important Dates:

• Thursday, October 13th -- Report Cards go home
• Tuesday, October 18th -- Pumpkin Patch Field Trip--Parents are welcome. Student cost was included in the Activity Fee, however, there is a $5 fee for adults who attend.
• October 17 - 21, Homecoming week! Click here for a list of all the exciting events that week!
• Friday, October 21st is a half day and will dismiss after the Homecoming Parade!
• Friday, October 28th is Parent Conference Day -- look for the schedule in your "inbox" this week!

October 3 - 7, 2011

What an exciting week we had last week! Will got a beautiful new baby sister. He shared pictures with us and we wrote about her in our journals. Can you believe that it is already October? During calendar time we were amazed at all of the special events we have ahead! Be sure to see the list of important dates below so that you don't miss anything!


Next week students will receive their first report card. Please see the tab above labeled "Report Card Skills." Clicking on that tab will take you to a page that lists all of the skills that are assessed this grading period. In addition to the skills listed below, we will also review previously taught skills and assess for mastery of skills taught this nine weeks.

This week's skills focus:

Language Arts:

-High Frequency Words: a, to, I, like, my, see

-Language/Writing Skills: building sentences, word spacing

-Phonics focus: /v/, word families with short a (at, an), blending sounds to decode words

-Comprehensions Skills:  cause and effect

Math  - Topic 5:  Six to Ten

- Counting, Making, and Writing 6 -10

- Reading number words

- Ordering numbers on a number line

Handwriting Focus : Letter formation

Social Studies:  Communities, Families, and Friends

Bible:  Abraham and Isaac

Important Dates:

• Monday, October 10th -- Columbus Day, No school
• Thursday, October 13th -- Report Cards go home
• Tuesday, October 18th -- Pumpkin Patch Field Trip--Parents are welcome. Student cost was included in the Activity Fee, however, there is a $5 fee for adults who attend.
• October 17 - 21, Homecoming week! Click here for a list of all the exciting events that week!
• Friday, October 21st is a half day and will dismiss after the Homecoming Parade!
• Friday, October 28th is Parent Conference Day -- look for details coming soon!

Happy Fall!

We had an exciting week! Watch the video to see the students sing their own version of "Rain, Rain, Go Away." We were happy the rain did stay away! Also, the seniors in Mrs. Watson's science class came and taught the students about healthy bones. It was a wonderful treat and learning experience. We love spending time with the "giants."


Below is a peek at the week ahead:

Language Arts:

-High Frequency Words: a, to

-Language/Writing Skills:  position words, building sentences, 

  word spacing

-Phonics focus: /h/, word families with short a (at, an)

-Comprehensions Skills:  text organization and summarizing

Math  - Topic 5:  Six to Ten

- Counting, Making, and Writing 6 -10

- Reading number words six-ten (review zero-five)

Handwriting Focus : Letter formation

 -Vocabulary - Headline, Midline, Baseline

Social Studies:  Communities, Families, and Friends

Bible:  Abraham and Isaac

September 19 - 23, 2011

Friday we baked bread to kick off our unit on Communities, Families, and Friends. Baking bread is a special activity Mrs. Handey shares with her boys. Above you can see a few of our friends kneading their bread. The best part of our day was eating what we baked! Yum! Check out what's going on this week below.

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: I, see, my, like
• Language/Writing Skills: Writing sentences
• Phonics focus: Making words with onset and rime
• Comprehension skill focus: Inference: Drawing Conclusions

Handwriting Skills: Review letters learned

Math: Topic 4: Numbers 0 to 5 --Comparing (more, less, same), Making an organized list, number words

Social Science: Communities, Families, and Friends

Bible: The Tower of Babel; Memory verse: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23; Character trait/Life Application: Humility

Important dates:

• Fall Festival -- September 23, 2-3 p.m.
• Field Trip to Dreamfield Farms Pumpkin Patch -- Tuesday, October 18th (There is no limit on chaperones however there is a $5 charge per adult. Student costs were included in the Activity Fee.)

September 12 - 16

We had a great short week. The students are doing a super job reading the books in their book bags. I am so proud of them! Below is a peek at what we are doing next week and some important dates to remember. Have a wonderful weekend!

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: I, see, my, like
• Language/Writing Skills: Using exact naming words (nouns)
• Phonics focus: /b/
• Comprehension skill focus: Drawing Conclusions; Predict/Infer

Handwriting Skills: Letters Cc, Ee, Ff

Math: Topic 4: Counting, Reading, Writing, and Comparing Numbers: 0 to 5

Social Science: Ocean Life

Bible: The Story of Noah; Memory verse: “Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.” Genesis 7:5

Important dates:

• Casual for a Cause Thursday, September 15th
• Fall Festival -- September 23, 2-3 p.m.
• Field Trip to Dreamfield Farms Pumpkin Patch -- Tuesday, October 18th (There is no limit on chaperones however there is a $5 charge per adult. Student costs were included in the Activity Fee.)

Happy Labor Day!

Pattern Crowns

Wow! The children have learned so much in the last couple of weeks! I am so proud of how well they are doing! We incorporated our Math Rotations into our schedule this week. During math time each child visits me in a small group and completes two other activities. Did you see our pattern crowns? The crowns were a rotation activity. Other activities include games and using manipulatives to practice skills we are learning. The students did great. One of the benefits of our new full day program is that I am able to pull students in small groups for both Reading and Math! Another exciting component of a full day is that we can incorporate Social Studies and Science (Social Science). We are studying ocean life. We have read some non-fiction books and learned that many informational books label their illustrations so the students are doing the same thing in one of our Literacy Rotations. We are also working on creating our very own ocean mural as we learn about various animals.

One thing that we did not get to this week was our Book Bags! Those should be ready to go home next week. Students will bring home books that are introduced in class to practice reading them at home. You will be amazed at how the five to ten minutes you take to sit and help them practice reading these books will accelerate their learning! Take a look below at what we will be doing next week and have wonderful long weekend!

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: I, see, my
• Language/Writing Skills: Capitalize first word in a sentence, end sentences with punctuation
• Phonics focus: /t/
• Comprehension skill focus: Story Structure--Characters/setting

Handwriting Skills: Review letters practiced

Math: Complete Topic 3: Patterns

Social Science: Ocean Life

Bible: Story of Cain and Abel; Memory verse: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1

Handey News for August 29 - Sept. 2

We have worked hard this week! The students have done a great job of working in Literacy centers and reading with me at the small group table! They worked on the Mac laptops and practice using a mouse. We ended the week with a cooking activity where we made edible aquariums with blue jello and gummy fish. We discussed how the jello changed from a liquid to a solid. The activity extended a story from our reading lesson that highlights the various colors of fish.

This coming week we will be wrapping up our theme of colors. We have been working a lot with the color words and I will check the students ability to read all the color words by the end of the week. Also, next week we will begin our nightly reading practice. Look for the “Book Bag” in your child’s backpack. 

Next Friday we will make “Friendship Fruit Salad” to wrap up our theme on colors. If you would like to send fruit to contribute to this project please e-mail me (jhandey@trinitywildcats.com) and let me know what fruit you would like to send. 

Our lesson objectives for next week below as well as important dates. Have a great week!

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: I, see
• Language/Writing Skills: singular words and plural words
• Phonics focus: /r/
• Comprehension skill focus: Sequence of events

Handwriting Skills: Letters Oo, Aa, Dd

Math: Complete Topic 2: Position and Location; Topic 3: Patterns

Social Science: Ocean Life

Bible: Adam and Eve sin; Memory verse: “They eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch over the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

Important dates:

• Picture Day -- August 31
• Labor Day Holiday -- September 5
• Fall Festival -- September 23, 2-3 p.m.
• Field Trip to Dreamfield Farms Pumpkin Patch -- Tuesday, October 18th (There is no limit on chaperones however there is a $5 charge per adult. Student costs were included in the Activity Fee.)

Super First Week!

We have had a wonderful first full week of school! The students are beginning to settle into our school routines. They are learning to work independently while  we have small group rotations. That is a very big kid skill!!! You can see some pictures above of lunch time and classroom activities. They have had a great time visiting all of our special teachers. I am most proud of the way they have put this week's Bible verse into action by encouraging one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). 


A few friendly reminders:

• Please send a healthy snack like crackers or fruit rather than chips.
• Please encourage toys to stay at home. They must remain in the backpack if they come to school.

Thanks! Below is a peek at what we will be practicing and learning next week.

Language Arts Skills:

• High Frequency Words: I, see
• Language/Writing Skills: Using exact words, using a capital letter to begin a sentence
• Phonics focus: /m/

Handwriting Skills: Vertical line letters Ll, Ii, Tt

Math: Position and Location (Inside, outside, over, under, on, top, middle, bottom, before, after, left, and right

Social Science: School Routines and Manners

Bible: God Cares for His Creation; verse focus: “All things were made by God.” John 1:3

Our First Day!!

We had a great first day!

I am very blessed to be teaching such a precious group of boys and girls! Thank you for sharing them with me. Our first day went by quickly, but we were able to meet many of our special teachers and explore each center as you can see above. This week we will continue to get to know Trinity and our classroom routines. I will also introduce our reading, math, Bible, and handwriting curriculum materials.

Please make note of the following helpful tips and reminders:

• School officially starts at 8 a.m. We will be very prompt about starting our Morning Meeting at that time. There will be a teacher on duty in the common area beginning at 7:30 a.m. for early arrivers. Students may go in their classrooms beginning at 7:45 a.m.
• Air conditioning can be chilly for some of us! Many students enjoy having a light jacket or sweatshirt at school to help them stay comfortable under the air conditioning vents. 
• Our regular snack schedule begins tomorrow. Students should be bring a healthy snack to enjoy in the afternoon. Please do not send fruit cups or Gogurts as the clean up from these snacks often steals our class time. Crackers and whole fruit are always great choices! Water for student snacks will be provided.

I am looking forward to the rest of our week!

Welcome to Kindergarten at Trinity!

Below you will see a list of important dates and other helpful notes. Feel free to contact me anytime. I am looking forward to partnering with you this year! 

Important Notes for Parents:

• Subscribe to our blog by entering your e-mail in the box on the left so you will not miss any class news. I will post class updates weekly.

• Please send me an e-mail verification or request for a different time for your child to visit at jhandey@trinitywildcats.com.

• Open House and PTO night will be Monday, August 8th. We will meet in our room at 5:15 p.m. During this time I will tell you more about what to expect this year and you will have the opportunity to sign up for special events throughout the year. The general PTO meeting will begin in Willett Hall at 6 p.m.

• Kindergarten supply boxes will be in the classroom at Open House on August 8th.

• The first day of school is Wednesday, August 10th. School will dismiss at 11:30 so lunch will not be served. However, Thursday will begin our regular full day schedule.