The Ned Show

On Friday, August 30th, our students saw "The Ned Show" during a morning assembly in the cafeteria.  Students learned to:

1) Never give up. 

2) Encourage others.

3) Do your best.

There are many fun activities and things to talk about at http://www.thenedshow.com/.

Reader's Response Journals

Students in Mrs. Doiron's kindergarten class each have a Reader's Response Journal, which they work in once or twice a week.  During the first week, students listened to the story of "The Three Little Pigs", and they drew a picture of this story in their Reader's Response Journals.  As the school year progresses, students will move from drawing pictures about the book to writing about the book.

Computer Learning

This year our students will be using several computer programs on a regular basis.  We will use "Success Maker" for Reading and "i-Ready" for Math.  These programs will provide diagnostics and instruction for our students, and I will be happy to talk with you about them in more detail, and show you your child's reports as the school year progresses.  Your child will most likely be on the computer for an hour or two per week, minimum.  Please think about the following questions and help your child at home, if possible.

• Has your child used a desk top computer?
• Has your child used a laptop computer?
• Can your child manipulate a mouse?
• Can your child use a mouse to put the cursor on something and drag it, or click on an item?
• Is your child able to type letters and numerals on the computer?  (Some students hold the key down too long and type "hhhhhhhhhh" instead of "h", for example.)
• Can your child make capital letters using the shift key?

It's okay if your child has never used a computer, and it's okay if he or she needs help.  Soon all the children will be able to use the computer independently.  We look forward to using these new programs in Duval County Public Schools.

Introducing ... Interactive Journals

This school year all K-12 students in Duval County Public Schools will be using Interactive Journals.  Kindergartners in Mrs. Doiron's class will have Interactive Math and Science Journals.  These journals will be used several times a week, and Mrs. Doiron will send them home once a week for homework.  Parents are asked to be responsible for returning these books to school each day, since we use them at school so often.  There will be very specific instructions on how these journals will be used county-wide.  Students will only draw and write on the left-side page, whereas the teacher will put the standards and instructions on the right-side page.  If children move to another school in Duval County, their journals will be sent to their new school to insure continuation of their work.  Mrs. Doiron will give more information on these Interactive Journals at both Orientation and Open House.  Thank you to Mrs. Gray, our principal, for providing the two journals for each student.  Parents will not be asked to buy these journals, unless their child loses their journal.

School Supply List

Merrill Road Elementary School

Kindergarten Supply List
Please do not put your child's name on any of these items.  Thank you.

* backpack (without wheels)
If your child comes with a rolling backpack, I will ask you to return it to the store and exchange it for one without wheels.  Rolling backpacks are a safety hazard with so many children in our hallways, plus they don't fit in our cubbies.)  
     Please get a "regular size" backpack.  
     The folder below should fit inside the backpack.
* plastic folder with prongs (any color)
* 3-5 boxes of 16 skinny crayons
* box of 20 #2 skinny pencils
* glue sticks (12 small OR 6 large)
* Ziplock plastic bags
     Girls are asked to bring quart size bags.  
     Boys are asked to bring gallon size bags.
* 1 waterless hand sanitizer (7 oz.)
* 1 antibacterial liquid hand soap (7 oz.)
* 1-2 reams of white copy paper
* 2-4 black dry-erase markers
* 2 packages of baby wipes 
   Mrs. Doiron's class uses these to clean our hands right after recess before we go to lunch.  We ask both boys and girls to bring baby wipes, please.  (We do not need antibacterial wipes.)
* 1-2 boxes of (200) Kleenex tissue
* PRIMARY Journal book (see the picture below) 
This is used for Writing and is not one of the Interactive Journals used for Science and Math.

  

We apologize for the extensive list.

Our school budgets get smaller each year.

 

An empty classroom ...

When I read Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate, to my class on the first day of school, we saw Miss Bindergarten (a border collie) carrying boxes from home, coming into an empty, deserted classroom, and setting up the classroom.  
I explained to the class that teachers really do that.  
On the last day of school, I read Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten.  In that book, we see Miss Bindergarten taking apart the classroom and packing things up.  I reminded the children that I would be doing that, as well.  I thought my students would like to see what our classroom looks like when I left school on June 12th.

Uh oh, someone spilled blue paint!

Thank you to our volunteer, Mrs. Halliger, for putting our room number on all the furniture.  This will guarantee that our things get put back into the correct classroom after it is all put into the hall while the carpet gets shampooed.

What a relief to know what that black thing on the desk is called.  Ha ha!  (Yes, that's the cleanest my desk has ever been!)

Lots of things are hiding on the shelves behind that paper.

At the beginning of August, I will put the classroom back together again.  Keep watch for the new posts "next year".
By the way, Miss Bindergarten is on Facebook.
The site is a forum for kindergarten teachers around the world, discussing everything from the Common Core State Standards, to curriculum, to recess, and naptime.  (Naptime?  What's that?)

YEAR END AWARDS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE STUDENTS 

WHO EARNED THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:

"E" HONOR ROLL ALL YEAR

Tamia and Myles

"E/S+" HONOR ROLL ALL YEAR

Ja'Zaria, Aubrey, Mckayla, 

Drew, and Ja'Lisia

OUTSTANDING CONDUCT ALL YEAR

Tamia, Myles, and Drew

PERFECT ATTENDANCE ALL YEAR

Tamia and Myles