Starfall Books I use this site in the classroom. Great on-line books your child can read!
Tumble Books On-line books read to your child. Then questions for your child to answer to check comprehension. username: parktrails, password: books
PBSkids ** Between the Lions is a TV show we sometimes watch during snack time and this site has lots of GREAT activities, printables, games, stories, etc.
Leap Frog web site I happen to like a lot of Leap Frog items. Their videos are great, and the educational toys are fantastic! We use a Leap Pad in the classroom at one of the centers.
Order School Supplies on line Each grade level has supplies the children need. You can order on-line through this web site. I have ordered this way for two years for my son. The items will be ready for you on Aug. 17th- our Meet & Greet day.
Welcome to Mrs. Yselonia's Kindergarten News Web Page!
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IMPORTANT DATES:
-Thursday & Friday Nov. 27 & 28th - No School for Thanksgiving
-December 10th- Holiday Shop (More info to come)
-December 12th- Publix Field Trip (Field Trip Forms going home Dec. 1st)
-December 17th- Winter Wishes Centers
-December 18th- Holiday Card Exchange (info going home Dec. 1st)
-Winter Break Dec. 22nd to Jan. 2nd
-Jan. 5, 2009= Back to school & New Year's Party. Kids wear their party clothes to school for our count down to the new year at 12:00 noon!
-Jan. 15th- Early Release Day
-Jan. 16th- No School= Planning Day
-Jan. 19th- No School= Schools closed
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100 Books/Reading Across Broward
Congratulations to the Children and their families who have finished reading all 100 books!
Sophia Laggan
Jordan Wolfe
Tyler Novik
Please record your books, and turn in the paper when your child reaches this amazing goal!!
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Please send a separate snack each day. Also, help your child and show him/her where it is in the backpack. Some of these backpacks have 3 & 4 pockets. The snack can be hard to find!
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Specials Rotation:
2nd quarter:
Day 1- Science
Day 2- Art
Day 3- Spanish
Day 4- PE
*For PE dress your child for outdoor sports activites on this day. Sneakers, shorts or a skort, & t-shirt are recommended. Please also send an extra drink- water, juice, Gatorade, etc. labeled with your child's name or initials.
**The specials schedule can be found on my homework sheet on the left hand side above the date. The numbers can also be found on the school lunch calendar. If you have another child at Park Trails, their specials schedule will most likely be different.
*Our Media "Book Baggie" goes home on Wednesdays now for the 2nd quarter. Thank you to Mrs. Kelly Wolfe for volunteering to help us on Wednesdays with our Book Check out. Please help your child look at the books in the bag at your leisure.
Please return the books on Tuesdays so they are not forgotten. I will put a reminder on our homework sheet. Your child may not check out new books unless the old ones are returned.
We eat lunch from 11:23 - 11:53 at table 14.
*The children are independent enough now, volunteers at lunch are not necessary. Thank you for all of your help up to this point!!
-Ask your child the values for the penny, nickel, dime and quarter. We have also talked about the president on each of these coins!
READ, READ, READ!!
**Reading to your child directly affects his/her reading level. Every year I see the children whose parents read to them perform higher on reading assessments than children whose parents do not.
*Don't stop reading aloud to your child when they start reading on their own. Children at ALL reading levels benefit from being read to. This increases their "reading voice" and fluency by hearing you do this.
*RETELLING- After reading, have your child close the book and try to tell you the story in order from the beginning (example- In Eric Carle's "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," have the child try to remember the animals in order.) Or at least try to remember as much as they can. Praise trying, and the accuracy will come.
-Practice making patterns with things in your home. (Example, cotton ball, q-tip, cotton ball, q-tip...) Point out patterns on things you see...on clothing, while driving, on things in your house, etc.
-Help your child practice "left" & "right."
-Find "word wall words" in books, magazines, on billboards, etc.
-Use bath time for learning. Whether your child takes a bath or a shower, those foam ABC letters they used as toddlers are GREAT for identifying letters and/or spelling words. Depending on your child's level, have him/her find letters (either by name, or by sound- "Can you find the letter that makes the ___ sound?"), you can spell words for your child to read, or have your child spell simple words for you.
-Another bath time favorite of mine are the bath crayons. I know Crayola has some, there may be other brands. Again, depending on your child's level, there are many things he/she can do. Have a child who doesn't like to draw/write on paper? This may be something fun to encourage drawing/writing. Then simply wipe it off the bath tub or shower with a sponge or wash cloth!
-Going on a trip? Visit a web site, look in a travel book, look at a map, etc. and show your child where you'll be going!
-Traveling/Driving in the car? Turn off the DVD player and play games. Rhyming games, I spy, etc. Or get a book on tape/CD and play it in the car for your child. The library has some you can check out.
-Let your child make cards for friends/relatives. This helps with writing/handwriting, and the importance of giving.
-Visit an educational on-line web site. One of our favorites in school is www.starfall.com
-Let your child help you at the grocery store. For children who are not reading, you could get ads or print pictures off the store's web site. Take the pictures of what you want and have your child go on a "hunt." (The Juicy Juice web site has a grocery list with pictures you can print out.)
-Visit the Library together. The Parkland Library, and the public library in Coral Springs (on University, just south of Sample) have lots of books, books on tape/CD, videos, etc.
-Help your child gather materials to "play school" at home. Paper, pencils, books, "reading buddies" (stuffed animals), pointers, scissors, glue, art supplies, magazines, etc.
-Let your child help with chores at home. Even if you have someone to help you with house work, give your child a few jobs of his/her very own. This helps with responsibility at school.
-Add different small groups of things. I see 4 plates and 4 forks on our table. How many in all?
-This one is for later in the school year, but you can start now if your child is interested in money. Count small groups of coins. -Give your child small amounts of money for completing each job. Parents in the past may have given a "weekly allowance for all the child's jobs." I believe breaking it down to give your child the coins we are learning at school helps them learn about money in a natural way. Encourage them to save their money to buy something.
Please collect "Box Tops for Education." These are the small little squares on some items of food, etc. At the end of each month I let those children who turned in any Box Tops pick out of my treasure box, and they get their name in my newsletter.
The school has a contest as well. Each "Box Top" is worth 10 cents to help our school earn money. This year they are doing something new- Each class that collects $200 during the year will earn a pizza party.
Last year the contest was done differently, they counted what class collected the most each quarter, and my class won EVERY QUARTER!!
VOLUNTEERS:
I choose two Room Parents to help me each year.
Room parents will help me by arranging the volunteer calendar all year, as well as collect class money for parties, organize items and volunteers for class parties, get needed items for the classroom, field day, etc.
*Renay Arai & Kathy Pfahl have been chosen for the 2008-2009 school year. Thank you to all who offered!
**The new single entry is up and running.
We know parking is difficult. Please remember to never park in a staff parking spot.
Please always sign in at the new entrance in the front of the school when volunteering and/or visiting. *You always need your drivers license.
For those who are scheduled to volunteer in the room, please remember to try and arrange for a replacement if you will be out. If you can not find anyone, please let me know the day before so I can make arrangements.
Please feel free to volunteer in the cafeteria any time you'd like!
**Last year Tuesdays and Fridays were days we need more help due to ice cream and icees.
In my classroom, one volunteer is typically needed for about an hour to an hour & a half each day for centers. What the volunteer will do each day varies. Some days you will sit with one child or a small group of children helping them with an art project, activiy, game, etc.
At times I may need you to go in the back work room to staple booklets, punch out die-cuts, etc.. *I will show you how to do die-cuts if you've never worked back there before.
**When you go back to a different room, your child must stay with me.
*Please note something very important to me...I expect what happens in the classroom to stay in the classroom. No information should be shared about childrens' behaviors or academic abilities- even to their own parents. It is my responsibility to share academic info, and my choice to not discuss all behavior issues unless needed.
I believe in team work to make your child's learning experience the best it can be. Learning can not be done at school alone. I know schedules are busy, so I assign homework and give a few days for it to be done.
Please do try to work on something every night, especially reading a book.
**Homework should only be about 10 minutes each night.
Some homework assignments you will see in my class (not all of these are given each week- these are simply examples of what you may see during the course of the year):
-a Writing assignment-
-This will start off with your child simply drawing a picture and dictating a sentence to you for you to write.
-It will progress with the children adding the letters of the sounds they hear.
-Simple sentences will emerge, and so on.
-Poetry Book
-Each week we learn a new poem.
-We learn high frequency words, practice rhyming words, pointing to each word as we read (one to one correspondence), etc.
-Each Friday the poetry notebook goes home for your child to share the poem he/she learned. It needs to be returned on Mondays.
-"Book Baggie" goes home.
-The children borrow books from my personal classroom library as well as a Media Book from the Media Center.
Media is a special this year, so the schedule is a little different.
*See the note in the "Book Baggie."
When the children check out my personal books, if a child wants to take home more than one of my books, I let them. The books are chosen for enjoyment and are not on any "level." Please return any/all books in the "book Baggie" by the next Media day, or earlier if finished.
-Visit a learning web site. You may visit any site of your choice.
(See the web site links above for some ideas of web sites to visit.)
-Read 10 books each month for "Book-It." This is a Pizza Hut sponsored program where the children earn a free personal pan pizza coupon when they read 10 books for the month, and get to pick a prize from my treasure box.
-Math:
-making patterns at home with items.
-Counting items in your home.
-adding and subtracting using items in your home.
*Visit the harcourt web site for great on-line math activities. The best part...you can have your child visit any grade level! Start with the Kindergarten page, and work your way up!
-Read 100 books for "Reading Across Broward." (This is a county wide, year long reading incentive program.) Papers have been sent home.
You are encouraged to try and read 100 books (you reading to your child, and/or them reading to you.) however, there are awards for 25, 50 & 75 books too. Reading logs will be due some time around Spring Break.
*I put the one for my son on my refrigerator, so it doesn't get lost during the year. Or you may keep it in the BEE book.
*You may put the "Family Fun Books" books, and the two "Book Baggie" books on both the Reading Across Broward AND the "Book-It" sheets.
-"Family Fun Books" (formally known as "Bookworms")
*This was introduced at Open House.
-This is a reading and activity program purchased for our school. Familiar texts are sent home with activities.
-"Family Fun Books" started going home after Open House.
-The "Family Fun Book" goes home each MONDAY and need to be returned by THURSDAY. If you need one more day, please return by Friday.
*The book may be returned as soon as the book, at least one activity and the activity sheet paper are all completed.
*Please use these simple stories to practice "retelling." Remembering what happened in the story in order.
-Practice "Word Wall Words"
-I will give a sheet of "high frequency words" soon. First you will see how many your child knows. Pick a few new words each week- about 2 to 4 depending on your child's level.
Activities will be given with the packet. Choose one activity each week.
*See the "sight words" word wall words web site link if your child needs new words.
Please ask if you need help choosing words.
-Math Superstars- Go home once a week starting in January. (See below for explanation.)
**Thank you for all the volunteers!
Jane Kaufman's name was randomly drawn.
-Each problem is assigned a certain number of stars by how difficult it is.
This is a voluntary program, but I highly recommend the children try to do at least some of the problems because they are not difficult and offer a higher level of math than our math workbook in the class offers.
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We will have "Meet the Masters" activities with two different parents.
Thank you to:
Kristina Nikolopoulos and Allison Lloyd
These 2 parents will be showing the class two artists painting (prints at the school) and telling about it (on the back of the print) then organizing an art project. Supplies can be obtained at school, or from me.
The kids' have had great times learning about artists and making our own art projects.
At the beginning of the year you will get a sheet asking you to read 100 books with your child. I said above in the homework section that I put the one for my son on the refrigerator so it doesn't get lost. When your child finishes the 100 books he/she gets a certificate from me, gets to pick out of my treasure box, and gets his/her name in my newsletter. At the end of the year he/she gets an official certificate from the county.
*We use themes to make learning fun! It incorporates facts with reading, writing, math, social studies and science.
Here are some of the year's themes:
-All About Me
-My Family
-Friends
-Transportation
-Apples
-Fall
-Pumpkins, Bats, Spiders
-Thanksgiving
-Food/Nutrition
-December holidays
-Winter / Weather
-Valentine's Day, Friendship
-Dr. Seuss
-St. Patrick's Day, Green Things
-plants- growing lima beans in zip-lock bags!
-Spring
-Insects- we get real caterpillars and watch them transform into butterflies
-Farm animals/animal families
-Ocean
Centers are done to enrich learning. The centers are designed to be easy enough for the children to complete on their own so I can spend time with reading groups.
**I will be having more hands on centers this year- this means less papers going home. This can be hard for parents because you don't see what is going on all the time. I will try to keep you updated on my newsletters as to what kinds of hands on centers will be done in the classroom to help.
When the children read 10 books in a month, they get a Pizza Hut pizza coupon AND get to pick out of my treasure box. It is not about the item received, it's about the feeling of pride they get for earning the reward.
I also let them pick out for sending in Box Tops at the end of each month.
Please think about saving items for our treasure box. Small new or gently used items are always appreciated. I let my own children play with Happy Meal toys and trinkets from birthday party goodie bags. Once the toys have lost interest, I "sneak" them out and put them in the treasure box at school. You can do the same!
Things that are great for the treasure box:
-trinkets from the Dollar Store (or Target, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc.)
-stickers
-pencils
-erasers
Anything small your child thinks would be fun!
*Any new or gently used donations for the classroom are always appreciated. Some things I am always looking for:
-books
-puzzles
-games
-Leap Pad books
-small stuffed animals
-videos/DVDs
*A specific wish list item I will be asking for this year are "Eric Carle" books. He is an author we will be studying, and I would like to build my library of his books. Any time your child donates a book to my classroom library, his/her name is written on the inside cover as a special reminder of who donated the book!
Recess Eqipment Wish List Items (new or gently used):
-hoola-hoops
-balls
-"skip-it" toys
-jump ropes
-side walk chalk
-bubbles
*We are NOT permitted to dig in the sand on the playground, so please do not send digging toys.
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I end with a poem:
You ask, “What’s in my backpack?”
When I come home each day.
I wonder what you hope is there.
If it’s empty, is that okay?
I tell you about my busy day,
How the teacher watches over me.
We sing, we laugh, we share, we learn-
That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
You ask, “What’s in my backpack?”
I say, “Today it’s empty.”
I see the disappointment
As you look down at me.
School is much more than “things”
That you can see and touch.
It’s all of my life lessons,
And that means so very much.
For if you really want to know
What I do each day,
It won’t be on a paper;
You’ll know by what I say.
Please don’t look so unhappy
When you open the zipper wide.
What you are looking for today
Is all on my inside.
Ask me about my hands and ears,
My nose and my eyes.
Ask me what we talked about,
And if I remember why.
Each day we do so many things,
So many books to read.
Sure is nice my teacher knows
Exactly what we need.
That backpack on my back today
Carries back and forth my stuff.
If you want to know what I learned,
Listening to me will be enough.
My teacher wants to plant a seed,
Get my “love of learning” to sprout.
She wants it to last a lifetime-
That’s what school is all about.
It’s in my head and in my heart
That learning will take place.
“Childhood should be a journey...
Don’t look at it as a race.”
Written by: Donna Whyte, 2002
Last two lines of poem adapted from slogan by Bob Johnson and printed with permission from SDE/Crystal Springs Books ~ Ten Sharon Road ~ PO Box 577
~ Peterborough, NH 03458 ~ 1-800-924-9621 ~ All Rights Reserved.
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A LITTLE ABOUT ME:
My name is Kelli Yselonia. The "Y" is silent...it's pronounced, "Selonia." I am 34 years old (my birthday is Nov. 9th). I was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale. I went to Ft. Lauderdale High, and Florida State University. I live in Coral Springs with my husband Joe. We were married on July 18th, 1998 and we have two children. Justin turned 8 on May 16th and Tierney turned 4 on June 9th.
I started teaching in 1996 at Tradewinds Elementary in Coconut Creek. I taught Kindergarten and first grade there for 6 years. I transferred to Liberty Elementary in Margate and taught Kindergarten there for just one year. At that time my son Justin was 3. He was diagnosed with high functioning Autism and started in the complex PLACE program here at Park Trails. I transferred once more to be with him. I am so happy I followed Justin to Park Trails! It is such a great school. Last year was my 5th year at Park Trails. Justin is in Third Grade this year with Ms. Zeichner. He is in her general ed. classroom for most of the day, and visits the autism cluster as well. So I am not just a teacher here, but a parent too. I have to do homework with Justin and I read to my kids each night before bed just like you.
Tierney went to pre-school two days a week this past summer, and now goes full time this school year as she has started pre-K 4. She seems to love school- every Saturday and Sunday she asks if she can go to school!
I love scrapbooking, going out to eat with my family (sushi is a favorite), and watching FSU & Miami Dolphin football.
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My classes at Park Trails have been wonderful.
I can already tell my 2008-2009 class is going to be another!!
Mrs. Yselonia
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