Wednesday, April 27, 2022

May/June 2022 News

 

 May/June 2022

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Here we are, in the month of May! I've been blessed to grow with your children each day, and I am amazed at their growth!  So, what does the month of May look like for us in kindergarten?

Fine Arts Gala-this Friday, May 6th, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Our children will have artwork displayed, and there will be wonderful expressions of creativity throughout the school.  I will be in our classroom enjoying the evening, so come on over for a visit.

Friday, May 13 – Please come and enjoy the day at BCS for the annual Bulldog Run.  Each student will be participating, and you are invited to attend and enjoy this wonderful family day. There will be food trucks, a live auction, and more!  Let's all team up for Team Fiscus and cheer for the children. As a reminder...the kindergarten department is responsible for a toy related basket, so any donations are greatly appreciated.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BULLDOG RUN DAY:

Your child will need to come directly to our classroom in the morning, I will bring them to the gym for the Live Auction, where we will sit as a class, and afterwards it will be announced that you can then sign out your child on my clipboard. This validates that your child is under your supervision for the rest of the day. Don't forget sunscreen, water, and your sneakers for an awesome day together!

 

KINDERGARTEN PICNIC-every year we enjoy a picnic at Little Britain Park on the last day of school, which is June 8th.  We will meet there at 9:00 am. Melissa Auger has graciously volunteered to lead some games for the children, and there’s a wonderful playground.  Kate Price, a mom from the other kindergarten class, will be organizing a Sign-up Genius for you to sign up for food and we’re going to enjoy a family-style lunch together.  I’ll get that link to you soon.  Mrs. Dowd and I will be presenting each kindergartener with a special present to celebrate their kindergarten year.

 

Please continue to work on reading and sight words every evening.  This is so very important.  First grade is around the corner...and you don't want a summer lag in your child’s academic growth. So, let's finish strong. I encourage you to limit the video games, read daily and visit the local library regularly over the summer.  Remember to access the list of summer reading and math expectations for first grade from the Bethany website so you know what to be working on over the summer.

 

Thanks for your amazing support throughout the year.

 

Blessings, Mrs. Fiscus

 

Thursday, March 31, 2022

April 2022 news from Mrs. Fiscus

                                            

                                             April 2022 News

   

Dear Kindergarten Families,

    Isn’t it wonderful? Spring is here and we’ve come so far in kindergarten this year! Every day at recess the children are so excited to pick me little flowers that they find! Welcome Spring!!

    We are moving at a fast pace in kindergarten and have a lot to cover before we end in on June 8th.  Let's look at April and see what we have in store:

Bible: The children are really enjoying the resurrection eggs.  After completing the eggs they should be able to share the true meaning of easter through the symbols and verses. After easter we will go back to the Old Testament and begin learning about Jonah, and I will be introducing them to memorizing the books of the Bible.

Literacy:  We've finished learning the sounds of sh, ch, th and wh. We call these consonant digraphs, and the children now see that they don't say two individual sounds, but rather one.  The children are blending these with another consonant, such as in the words thrill or shrimp, and have also learned final blends like ng and ing, and then nd, nk, nch.  It is more important than ever that your child develop smooth blending skills as he or she learns to read fluently.  I will continue to review basic blending with the children to help them strengthen their fluency.  The idea is to read for meaning, not just to master the sounds of each word, so as you have your child read the readers at home, I encourage you to have him/her point to the words as they read them and master the sentence, then read the sentence over again so it has inflection and a smooth sound.  Just this week we began learning the long a sound.  Please review the letter I sent home regarding the teaching of long vowels. Their reading worlds are really opening up!

Math: We have just finished Topic 11 which focuses on counting to 100 by 1’s and 10’s.  Topics 12 and 13 focus on one of my favorite concepts to teach...identifying and describing 2 and 3-D shapes and solid figures.  Applying the understanding to real life objects is always fun!  One clarification note-the curriculum describes squares as "special rectangles because their sides are all the same length".   I am also including time and money in our learning experiences.

Science:  We will be planting seeds and learning about the parts of a plant.  

Social Studies:  We've been learning about different cultures and the job of missionary, as well as the beauty of different parts of our country.  Yesterday they enjoyed learning the true reason for seasons regarding the earth’s orbit. 

Handwriting:  The children are now writing their last names and are being taught how to use the lines on the paper more effectively.  Please remind your child that we start our letters and numbers from the top of the symbol. We are also working on the correct spacing of words in sentences, as well as punctuation.

School News:  The Bulldog Run/Auction will take place on May 13th.  You'll be receiving important information from the office on April 6th about this year's details via email.  Thank you for following the instructions for the Bulldog Run fund-raising information.  You'll be asked to set up your own webpage link, and the children will get a special treat if all families set up their link by the date the office provides!  Our classroom goal for giving is $3485.00, but I think we can do better than that!  So, share the link on social media or through email and let’s see TEAM FISCUS rock the BCS community and come in first place! Also, if we meet that fund-raising goal, we will get to have a Riding Toy Day in the church parking lot. Details forthcoming!!  The children last year really enjoyed this day!

This is a reminder that kindergarten families are asked to send in new toys for the kindergarten basket to be sold at the auction.  Perhaps grandparents might enjoy this type of donation opportunity.  Another fun piece of information is that this year’s auction is selling “experiences” from various staff and teachers.  I have offered a “Country Picnic” at my home.  (Think cookout, pavilion, pond with fishing and kayaks, treehouse, great food, etc.)  

Kindergarten Picnic-Plans are underway for an end of the year kindergarten picnic.  Stay tuned for details. If you're inclined to lead some fun games for the children, please let me know.  We meet at Little Britain Park and enjoy the wonderful playground and pavilion.

NO SCHOOL from April 11-15.

May you be blessed as you celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus!

Sincerely, Mrs. Fiscus


Thursday, March 3, 2022

March 2022 Kindergarten News with Mrs. Fiscus

 

 


Mrs. Fiscus Kindergarten

March News 2022

Dear Kindergarten Families,

     We have celebrated 100 days of school, Valentine’s day, President’s day and Groundhog day and spring is around the corner.  What a blessing it is to share these special days with your child!   Here are some important tid-bits for you as we enter the month of March:

    Easter is coming on April 17th, and we have the week off beforehand, so we will be starting our Resurrection Eggs in March this year.  As we teach the children the true meaning of Easter we use a tool called "Resurrection Eggs".  The children create a dozen of eggs that have items and Bible verses inside that help them to be able to share the true meaning of Easter with others.  To help this process go more smoothly I need each child to bring in a clean egg carton (I prefer the Styrofoam sort), a dozen of regular sized (plain colored) plastic Easter eggs, and three dimes.  We provide the rest of the materials to create this meaningful activity. Please send these items by March 11th so we can have the process finished before Easter. 

    You may have heard of the Bull Dog Run and Auction.  It is an annual fund raising even that you will be hearing more about from the office.  For now, I'd like you to be aware that kindergarten classes have the theme of TOYS and you are invited to buy interesting toys for our kindergarten basket.    Be creative! There is no obligation, but your donations are most appreciated to make our class basket one that brings a great price at the auction and represents the kindergarten department well.

    I am thrilled with the transition we have made in reading class to consonant blends.  The children are really flying with this concept and beginning to read fluently.  It's very exciting to see them progress from basic alphabet knowledge, to blending consonants and vowels, to reading CVC words, and now adding letters to make bigger words with consonant blends.  They will be reading long vowel words by the end of the year.  More importantly I am seeing them read for meaning, which is really what it’s all about.

    Our math curriculum is moving quickly as we’re learning numbers up to 20. It is very important that your child counts carefully, using one to one correspondence, as we count to higher numbers.  We will soon be learning about solid figures and geometrical concepts, and we are also beginning to tackle the concepts of money.

     Don’t forget the March 22nd is our field trip to the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater to enjoy lunch and the performance of Pinkalicious. Thank you for joining us for this special event.

    Thank you for your hard work with the reading assignments.  Together we are working hard to help your child be ready for first grade. 

Truly blessed,

Mrs. Fiscus

Saturday, January 29, 2022

February 2022 Kindergarten News

 

February 2022💖

Dear Kindergarten families,

"Let us love one another, for love is from God." 1 John 4:7 February is such a fun month in kindergarten.  We enjoy the fun of Valentine's Day, we learn about presidents, and we celebrate 100 days of school!   

Let's take a glimpse into this month:

Outreach: the children enjoyed making cards for a former student of mine, Jacob Yoder, who was in a serious accident and is now disabled.   We have learned to sing "Oh, How I love Jesus" in sign language, and we’ve been learning to reach out to each other in our study of filling each other’s buckets.  Altruistic behaviors don’t come naturally to children this age, so we’re working on thinking of the needs of others and putting action to our thoughts.

Literacy: we are finishing up the alphabet and entering into the world of consonant blends.  Short vowels have been consistently reviewed as we pave the way for consonant blends and long vowel sounds in the future. Please review the vowel sounds at home in everyday life.   Say things like, “I like your new orange hat.  What vowel sound do you hear in hat?”  Our readers are becoming increasingly harder.  Such concepts as possessives (Andy's hat) are used more often in the readers, and sight words are increased.  They’re even learning about quotation marks! By now you should be reviewing both lists 1 & 2 on a regular basis until your child has mastered them.  List 3 will soon be on its way home.  We will then finish the year with word list 4. 

Math: what fun we've had learning basic addition and subtraction!  We will now be exploring the numbers up to 20.  Remember, those homework pages are not required, but do have some value if you believe your child may need help on the concepts being studied in class. It is easy to confuse the signs in math, so help your child be reviewing the meaning of the plus and minus signs at home.  I love to integrate play into our math lessons, and the children do as well as we use our sensory bins.

Bible: we're finishing up Proverbs 17:17a and are moving to John 3:16. 

Our Valentine's Day party is on February 14th.  Please refer to the class list and party information that will be sent home in the white envelopes for valentines. Thank you, in advance, for your contributions to our party.

On February 1oth we will veer from our traditional curriculum and celebrate the 100th day of school in creative ways.  I am planning fun centers and activities that should prove to be a great time of learning for everyone.  Don’t forget to send in your child’s baggie of 100 items and  NO SCHOOL on February 18th and 21st. 

Blessings,    Mrs. Fiscus

Thursday, December 30, 2021

January 2022 Mrs. Fiscus Kindergarten News

January 2022

Happy New Year!  As we enter the new year may we all stay close to the newborn Babe we recently celebrated. Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful and generous gifts you showered me with, and thank you for giving of your time and resources to make the Christmas season so fun!

Here's a sneak peak of what kindergarten looks like in the month of January:

Language Arts:  Our kindergarten learners will be completing their initial introduction to the consonants and short vowels as they enjoy learning about animals, insects, pond creatures and farm animals.  A clear understanding of the alphabet letters and their sounds is a noteworthy goal by this time in the school year. The children are blending sounds more smoothly and reading sentences with inflection and fluency.  The sight words, which I sometimes call "camera words" because your eyes take a picture of them, are mostly from List 2.  Remember that if you are wondering what sight words the curriculum is on just look at the first page of the reader we are in and it tells you there, as well as on Renweb in my lesson plans.  A new link for Renweb access will be soon coming to help you log in successfully.  

Reader's Chair Challenge-as the children become more fluent readers they will be more willing to tackle books other than our readers.  I encourage you to access the local library, or buy early readers, so that your child can begin feeling the wonderful joy of reading for enjoyment.  If your child has a book that he or she can read fluently, he or she is invited to bring it to class and read it to the class from my special chair.  Your child is invited to ask questions afterwards and be the teacher for this special time. 

Math:  It's time to dive into subtraction!!  Children love to subtract, and often find it easier than addition. So, have fun at home taking things away and writing out subtraction equations while we work on it at school. 

Bible:  We will head back into the Old Testament and begin the year with Hannah and Samuel.  I am thrilled with the incredible progess the children have made in the Bible memory! Joshua 3:9b is our next memory verse.

Science: One of my favorite parts of winter is reading books about polar animals and learning the beauty of snowflakes.  We'll be reading the historical book entitled Snowflake Bentley that teaches the children about the first person to ever photograph real snowflakes. Check it out online.  One of my Jan Brett favorites is The Mitten, and we'll enjoy that as well.

The end of the marking period is January 21st, which means that your child's first report card will be posted on Renweb soon after that.  Details on dates will come from the office. 

NO SCHOOL on January 17th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Blessings, Mrs. Fiscus

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

December News 2021-Mrs. Fiscus

 

December 2021

Dear Kindergarten Family,

We’re entering the wonderful month of December with excitement and joy in kindergarten.  As you feel the busy days ahead, it is my prayer that you take time to be still before the Lord and remember His great gift to us, His Son Jesus.  John 3:16 reminds us that “God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

As always, it is a delight to meet with you at conferences and discuss your children.  They are making such wonderful progress, and I am blessed to know that they are loving school so much!  I am honored to be called to lead these precious little ones in the footsteps of Jesus as they grow in their minds, bodies, and spirits.

For the month of December, I will be focusing our Bible lessons on the many facets of the Christmas story.  I want them to understand that God’s greatest gift to us is Jesus, and He desires for us to be givers as well.  That is why we’re participating in the Goat project.  Thank you for your contributions so far.  I’ll keep you posted on our running total. They are learning to be a blessing to others!! The due date for all goat donations is December 17th. I am excited to share some incredible children’s literature this month that highlights the true meaning of Christmas.  Our Bible verse is Isaiah 9:6, which will be divided into two sections.  The children will soon be singing Handel’s Messiah!!

Thank you so much for partnering with me in the reading process.  They have made incredible progress!!  Please continue to be diligent with the nightly reading homework, reviewing the alphabet, learning the sight words, and sounding out the word families and blends.

Our class Christmas party will be on December 23rd.  This is a half-day with dismissal at 12:30. The morning will be filled with fun activities such as gingerbread man decorating, a book gift exchange, and other fun activities.  (Reminder that you will send a wrapped book for our exchange. If you have a daughter, please buy a book for a girl and mark it “GIRL”.  The same with the boys.  Try to keep the cost around $5.00.) I’m happy to have a couple moms as helpers that day if you’re interested in volunteering for an active day of celebration, fun…and sugar of course!!  Just send me an email if you’re interested.

I look forward to seeing you at the Christmas Chapel if you can attend on December 8th.  The program begins at 9:00 am in the Bethany Church’s sanctuary.  Please be practicing the line that I sent home with your child.  We are practicing at school, but regular review at home is essential as well.  If you can’t find the line please let me know and I’ll send it again.  Also, this is a regular school day, with recess and our normal activities, so there’s no need to dress up in fancy clothes because they’re wearing WISEMEN costumes. 

As the children continue to fill up the Warm Fuzzy jar, we look forward to a fun gathering in the winter.  I’d like to have a dress-up as a storybook character day!!

Blessings to you and hold on to your hat for a fun December in kindergarten!!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Fiscus

Saturday, October 30, 2021

November 2021 Kindergarten News

 

November 2021

Greetings from Mrs. Fiscus!

 "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

What a blessing it is to teach your children.  They are gaining confidence in their reading, learning to understand math concepts, hiding God's Word in their hearts, mastering their handwriting, and learning how to love and care for each other.  I love observing them play together! So much can be learned from observing a child at play.

Here's what November looks like for us in kindergarten:

Conferences will be held on November 23rd and 24th.  Stay tuned for information from the office concerning signing up. I look forward to connecting with you about your child’s experience in kindergarten. 

EARLY dismissal on the 23rd & 24th at 12:30 for the children...just a reminder.

Thanksgiving feast...Wednesday the 24th in our classrooms.  A note will be coming home in the white envelopes with specific details. Thank you for your donations to help make the day more authentic and fun!

FOOD DRIVE is in full swing for Oxford Neighborhood Services.  Please send in a can of cranberry sauce or fruit and mark your can with a B if your child is a boy or a G if your child is a girl.  They children love the competition as they watch the lines of food grow in the hallways!

LOOKING AHEAD:

Christmas Chapel program-We will be joining with the preschool department to present a delightful Christmas chapel on December 8th at 9:00 am.  You are invited to join us in the sanctuary of Bethany Church for this special time. Your child may be given some lines to memorize.  I’ll need your help making sure your child knows his/her lines.  I’ll be sending home the lines this week. I will need 2-3 mothers to come early and help with dressing the children.  Please email me if you’re interested in helping.

Christmas Outreach-Mrs. Dowd and I give our students the unique opportunity to serve others through our World Vision goat project.  See your child’s white envelope for a flyer with details concerning this exceptional experience.

Christmas gift exchange-We ask that the children give a book for our gift exchange to take place at our class party on December 23rd.  If your child is a girl please buy a book for a girl and the same for a boy.  Wrap the gift and mark if "girl" or "boy". We ask that you keep the cost of the book around $5.00. 

Just a reminder that at BCS our kindergarten does not give report cards this marking period.  We give them in January and June.  You will receive an informal progress report at your conference.

Your children love to use their markers!!  If you'd like to send a new set of markers for your child that would be great, but I ask that you please use a Sharpie and write your child’s name on each one to help them keep organized.  Thanks so much.

I delight in serving you and your children, and as always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Blessings,

Mrs. Fiscus

 

 

Kindergarten News

May/June 2022 News

   May/June 2022 Dear Kindergarten Families, Here we are, in the month of May! I've been blessed to grow with your children each day...