Welcome to Pratt Kindergarten. This is my fifth year teaching kindergarten at Pratt. I began teaching in Minneapolis in 1975 after graduating from the University of Minnesota. I later received a Masters of Education in Special Education from the U of M. The majority of my experience has been in kindergarten, first grade, and special education classrooms.

The kindergartners are enthusiastic learners and have busy days. The Houghton Mifflin curriculum contains a wide variety of literature and a strong phonics component. We are in our second year of the math curriculum published by Scott Foresman: Investigations. The kindergarten program includes activities at the concrete, symbolic, and abstract levels. We learn pattern, number stories, computation, measurement, and geometry. Health units focus on the children’s daily lives: healthy habits, food groups, fire and bus safety, dental hygiene,and Good Touch/Bad Touch. Science units are aligned to kindergarten standards and include Trees, Wood, Paper, and Animals. Social Studies themes are about self, communities, and country. We hope to again present lessons with our social worker relating to bully prevention. Pratt is fortunate to participate in the Minnesota Humanities grant this year and kindergarten focus is in science and Native American studies.

Ask your child about and remind him/her to practice the Pratt ABC’s: Achieve, Be Kind, and Cooperate! The students receive tickets for exhibiting targeted positive behaviors and we have a prize drawing weekly. We will participate in a classroom activity to learn about probability with regard to the number of times a name is put into the Panther Pride Jar!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

REMINDERS:

*Folders are sent home on Tuesday and returned to school on Wednesday.

*Homework will not begin in our class until later in the Fall.

*Please dress your child in “layers” so she/he can adjust to personal temperature comfort level.

SPECIALIST SCHEDULE:

Mondays: ART

Tuesdays: PHY ED (children must have gym shoes for safety) alternating weeks with ART

Wednesdays: ART

Thursdays: MEDIA

Fridays: MEDIA

We also attend MUSIC on Fridays!

As always, cuddle up and read with your child!