June 1-14

We have had such a busy LAST MONTH of school that I haven't had the time to upload all the amazing photo's your Kinder kids, rest assured we have been having a great time finishing up our Kindergarten education and enjoying the beginnings of the summer months.

Many families have been asking what their child should know going into grade one and I would love to share the basics. Please know that all practice is good practice, so fit it in when and where you can to help prevent that summer slide.

• Counting forwards and backwards to 10. In Grade 1 they learn to count forwards to 100, backwards from 20, and skip count by 2, 5, and 10s.

• Understanding the letter names (uppercase and lowercase) and sounds from a-z. In Kindergarten we only learn the short vowel sounds, in Grade one we learn the long sound, "magic e", some diagraphs such as /sh/ /th/ /ch/ /ng/, blends such as /bl/, /gr/, and r-controlled vowels such as ir, er, and ur. Knowing the kindergarten basics and being able to read cvc words can go a long way towards success in grade 1.

• Writing and letter formation. In our Kinder class we have been writing on a line since since January, however not all kindergarten classes teach the same way. Understanding basic letter formation and how to place the letters on a line can go a long way in your child feeling successful in the Gr. 1 writing curriculum.

We have had such an amazing time this year. It has been my joy and blessing to have been with your child for the past 10 months! I have loved watching them grow, learn, succeed, and explore.

A few final notes and reminders:

• Last day of Kindergarten in June 24. We have our carnival on this day.

• Report cards can be viewed through the Parent Portal on June 24

• Students are automatically enrolled into Gr. 1 through IREC, if you are planning on not being in IREC for next year, please let the office know as soon as possible.

• Treehouse field trip on Wed June 17. Permission slips must be in by 3pm on June 16.

• Spray Park on June 19th. This is weather dependent and doesn't need a permission slip.

• Lockers need to be cleaned out on June 24. I will be sending all items from lockers home with students on this day. If you will not be there this day please let me know.

• Grade 1 teachers will reach out to you before or on the Meet the Teacher day scheduled on August 27 from 3-6pm.