University Child Development - Kindergarten Readiness

University Child Development

March 23-27 Lesson Plans

3/20/2020

For any parents interested, I am attaching next week's lesson plans. Please note, there will be several activities you will not be able to do at home (i.e HWT activities), but please do not let this concern you. We will catch up on all HWT curriculum once we return to our normal schedule. Feel free to use this as a baseline to come up with your own activities! Below I have also listed Read-Aloud books about Spring and a few miscellaneous activities we would have done had we been in session.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there! Sincerely,
Ms. Rachel

mar_23-27_spring.xlsx
File Size:	533 kb
File Type:	xlsx

Read Aloud Books
(You may need to copy and paste the links into your browser in order to make them work!)

When Will it be Spring? by Catherine Walters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqyVSlwE4nw

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_kNU3XpMew

The Thing About Spring by Daniel Kirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkc78nhsDoQ

Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gBL7I1Bm8E

Misc:

Spring Discussion/Vocabulary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEb1GsqxhZc

Spring Songs for Children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DobrRgD5aOU

Brain Breaks/Springtime Dance by Jack Hartmann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udrIY0nts-E

March newsletter

2/24/2020

Dates to Remember:
Mar 2-6 – Dr. Seuss Spirit Week:
      Monday: Mixed Up Monday
      Tuesday: Top Hat Tuesday
      Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday
      Thursday: Theodore Thursday
      Friday: Funny Food Friday
Mar 11 – Boomer and the Library Lady visit,
               10:00 AM
Mar 12-13 – CLOSED for Spring Break
Mar 17 – St. Patrick's Day

Themes:
Mar 2-6 – Dr. Seuss
Mar 9-13 – Rainbows
Mar 16-20 – St. Patrick’s Day
Mar 23-27 – Spring
Mar 30-Apr 3 – Weather

Mega Memos:
That’s a BIG Hat!
In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ Birthday (March 2) the UCD classrooms take part in a little competition throughout the month of March. We place the head of the Cat in the Hat (minus his hat) on the bulletin board in the hallway and invite parents to help us make his hat grow!

How do you do that? By reading to your child at home! We will be sending slips of red and white paper home with each family to fill out every time a book is read. After the slips have been filled out, bring them back to school for us to hang on the hallway bulletin board!

Spring Break
Washburn University’s Spring Break is the week of March 9-13. UCD will close only Thursday 12th and Friday 13th

Super Student of the Month:

February News

12/11/2019

Dates to Remember:
Feb 12 – Boomer visits! 10:00 AM
Feb 14 – Valentine's Day Party, 3:15 PM
Feb 21 – CLOSED for Parent/Teacher
Conferences.

Themes:
Feb 3-7 – Testing/Eric Carle
Feb 10-14 – Valentine’s Day
Feb 17-21 – Dental Health
Feb 24-28 – My 5 Senses

Show-And-Tell:
Feb 7 – FREE CHOICE!
Feb 14– Something RED or something to do with VALENTINE’S DAY!
Feb 21 – No Show-and-Tell. Closed for Parent/Teacher Conferences
Feb 28 – Something that I can FEEL!

Mega Memos:

Testing - Testing week will be February 3-7. It is very important for your child to be in attendance during this time. If your child will be missing more than their normal schedule, please be sure to let me know so that I can get them tested first!

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Parent/Teacher Conference appointments will be Friday, February 21 and will be pre-arranged by Ms. Alex and I. If you would like to request a specific time, we would be more than willing to work with you. If you cannot make your appointment, please see one of us and we can get you rescheduled!

Super Student of the Month:

December News

11/24/2019

Dates to Remember:
Dec 4 – Boomer visits! 10:00 AM
Dec 6 – Christmas Program, 6:00 PM
Dec 12 – Santa visits UCD, 10:15-11:15 AM
Dec 13 – Cosmo’s Birthday
Dec 17 – Daphne’s Birthday
Dec 20 – Christmas Pajama Party and book
exchange!!
Be sure to sign up for snacks and bring a wrapped book as a gift for your child to exchange.
Dec 23-Jan 2 – NO SCHOOL! Christmas
Vacation! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Themes:
Dec 2-6 – Snowmen at Night
Dec 9-13 – Seasons: Winter
Dec 16-20 – Christmas

Show-And-Tell:
Dec 6 – No Show-and-Tell
Dec 13 – Something WHITE or something to do with
SNOW.
Dec 20 – My SNUGGLE BUDDY.

The Elf on the Shelf - A Note from Ms. Rachel:
Every Christmas I sit down with my students and read to them, “The Elf on the Shelf” by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this story, it is an interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition. We start by reading the book and naming our stuffed toy elf. Our elf then sticks around the classroom, magically moving to a different lookout every day because, as the story goes, he flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa Claus every night and then flies back by morning. The kiddos love looking for his new hiding place every day and it becomes a favorite game until our elf “goes home” on Christmas Eve. As I have worked in childcare for many years, I understand that not every family celebrates Christmas in the same manner. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you do not wish your child to be encouraged to believe in Santa Claus. It will only take a few moments a day for me to pull your child aside and remind them that we are just pretending. It will not mess up or interfere with our fun tradition and will allow me to help reinforce your own family’s traditions. Thank you!

Christmas Program:
   Friday, December 6th is the big day! UCD’s 8th annual Christmas program!
   Together with the Toddler and Preschool rooms, we will be performing an adaptation of “Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner.
   What you need to know: The program will start at 6:00 PM. This year we are asking parents to please make sure their child is in their classroom, dressed and ready by 5:30. If you are unable to pick up your child early that day, don’t worry. Bring their costumes to school and we will get them dressed for you. After dropping your child off in their classroom, family members can then head to the church sanctuary
to find their seats.
     Costumes are white T-shirts, black pants, and a colorful scarf.
     Refreshments and family friendly activities will follow the production in the gym.

Super Student of the Month:

November news

10/23/2019

Dates to Remember:
Nov 3 – Daylight Saving Time Ends.
Don’t forget to set your clocks!
Nov 6 – Boomer & the Library Lady visit!
Nov 11 – Veterans Day
Nov 11-15 – Testing
Nov 22 – RSVP cut off for Thanksgiving Luncheon
Nov 26 – Family Thanksgiving Luncheon
Nov 28-29 – NO SCHOOL! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Themes:
Nov 4-8 – Scarecrows/Birds
Nov 11-15 – Testing/Disney
Nov 18-22 – Manners
Nov 25-29 – Thanksgiving

Show-and-Tell:
Nov 8 – Something BLACK or something to do with BIRDS.
Nov 15 – Something to do with DISNEY.
Nov 22 – FREE CHOICE!

A Note from Ms. Rachel:
I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that we are required by licensing to take our students outside for recess every day, twice a day, as long as the weather does not go below 32 degrees. A light jacket is encouraged, especially for these chilly mornings!

Upcoming Events:

Thanksgiving Luncheon: Tuesday, November 26th will be UCD’s Family Thanksgiving Luncheon. From 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM family members are invited to enjoy a Thanksgiving lunch with their children in the gymnasium, served by our very own G’s Catering. Please R.S.V.P by Friday, November 22nd so we can have an accurate head count for the big day!

Thanksgiving Break: Don’t forget, UCD will be CLOSED Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Super Student of the Month:

October news

9/29/2019

Dates to Remember:
Oct 2 – Picture Day!
Oct 7-11 – Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Oct 9 – Boomer visits!
Oct 21-25 – Spirit Week!
            Monday – Animal Day
            Tuesday – Masquerade/Hidden Identity
            Wednesday – Decade Dress Up
            Thursday – Career Day
            Friday – Washburn Pride Day
Oct 26 – WU Homecoming Parade
Oct 31 – Trick-or-Treating around Washburn
campus / Halloween parties

Themes:
Sept 30-Oct 4 – Community Helpers
Oct 7-11 – Family
Oct 14-18 – My Body
Oct 21-25 – Feelings/Emotions
Oct 28-Nov 1 – Halloween

Show-and-Tell:
Oct 4 – Something BLUE or something to do
with COMMUNITY HELPERS.
Oct 11 – A picture of my FAMILY.
Oct 18 – FREE CHOICE!
Oct 25 – Something that makes me HAPPY!
Nov 1 – Something ORANGE or something to
do with HALLOWEEN.

Upcoming Events:

Parent/Teacher Conferences:
The week of October 7-11 is Parent/Teacher Conferences. My Conferences are extremely easy and short! We will go over your child’s beginning-of-the-year developmental testing and set goals for them if necessary. Conferences are a great time to ask any questions you have about curriculum, our daily schedule, or pretty much anything you’ve been wondering about! The times available will be posted outside the classroom. If these times conflict with your schedule but you would still like to come in, please see me and we can find a time to work you in!

Spirit Week:
October 21-25 is Spirit Week at UCD! Spirit week days are as follows:
            Monday – Animal Day
Come dressed as your favorite animal (or any animal costume you may have). Remember, t-shirts with animals on them work, too!
            Tuesday – Masquerade/Hidden Identity
Masks! Face paint! "Mask" your identity for this dress up day!
            Wednesday – Decade Dress Up
Choose a decade, any decade for this dress up day! Wild West? Medieval lords and ladies? Groovy 60s? The possibilities are endless!
            Thursday – Career Day
What do YOU want to be when you grow up?
  Friday – Washburn Pride Day
Show your support for our very own Ichabods by donning your navy blue and white.

Trick-or-Treat!
Thursday, October 31st we will be taking the entire school to Washburn to trick-or-treat around campus. Your child will need their Halloween costume, comfortable shoes, any weather appropriate additions to their costumes (for instance, tights under a dress or a jacket for a chilly morning), and a large/strong trick-or-treat bag.

We request that all pieces of your child’s costume are properly marked with their names or initials to avoid loss and/or mix-ups, and I personally would like to ask that all costumes are sent to school in their own separate bag.

We will change into our costumes after breakfast and leave as soon as everyone is ready. We will return to the school in time for lunch and naptime will proceed as usual. Parents are WELCOME to come and help out! The more adults we have to help corral our little ones, the less chaotic and more fun the trip!

Super Student of the Month:

September News

8/26/2019

Dates to Remember:
Sept 2 – Labor Day! NO SCHOOL!!
Sept 7 – UCD Garage Sale
Sept 11 – Patriot Day / Boomer visits!
Sept 15 – Easton’s Birthday!
Sept 19 – Talk like a Pirate Day! Feel free to dress up like a Pirate or Princess for school!
Sept 29 – Elena’s Birthday!

Themes:
Sept 3-6 – Apples
Sept 9-13 – School Buses
Sept 16-20 – Pirates & Princesses
Sept 23-27 – Seasons: Autumn

Show-and-Tell:
Sept 6 – Something RED or something to do with APPLES!
Sept 13 – Something YELLOW or something to do with BUSES!
Sept 20 – Something PINK or something to do with PIRATES or PRINCESSES!
Sept 27 – Something BROWN or something to do with AUTUMN.

Super Student of the Month:
Starting in September, I will be choosing one student each month to be my Super Student of the Month! This is a special reward for student’s good behavior and/or achieving a hard-earned goal. If chosen, your child will get a spotlight in our newsletter and blog, and be given the opportunity to design and decorate the outside of our second classroom door!

How do you do this? There are a few options! Some parents prefer to decorate a poster with their child at home, then bring the poster here to hang up on the door. Or you could bring your materials in and I will release your child from their daily activities to spend some creative quality time with you so you can decorate the door itself! Children love seeing pictures of themselves, so I recommend using several of your favorite pictures and basing door decorations off their favorite things (for example, if a child likes sports, you could go with a sports theme). This project is not meant to be complicated or stressful so please do not hesitate with any questions you may have!

September's Super Student of the Month:

August News

8/2/2019

Dates to Remember:
Aug 1 – Enrollment Night, 5:30 PM
Aug 9 – UCD CLOSED for cleaning
Aug 19 – Last day of optional enrollment
– 1st day of school!
– All About Me! homework due
Aug 26-30 – Testing

Themes:
Aug 5-9 – Rules Keep Us Safe
Aug 12-16 – Colors and Shapes
Aug 19-23 – All About Me!
Aug 26-30 – Testing/Superheroes

Show-and-Tell:
Aug 2 – Something you would take on a PICNIC.
Aug 9 – No Show-and-Tell! UCD CLOSED!
Aug 16 – Something that is my FAVORITE COLOR.
Aug 23 – My FAVORITE TOY!
Aug 30 - FREE CHOICE!

About Ms. Rachel:
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself! My name is Rachel Johnson and I am the Lead Teacher in the Kindergarten Readiness room, as well as UCD’s Assistant Director. My work schedule is Monday-Thursday, 7:30 AM-5:30 PM. I have been working with children since September 2002 and have been a Preschool teacher since June 2009. I attended Highland Community College and received my CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) in 2015. My husband and I have been married for 17 years and we have one daughter, Aislynn, who will be 6 this coming January!
I am one of the few people out there who can honestly say that I LOVE MY JOB! Nothing brings me more joy than watching a child learn and grow! It probably doesn’t help that I’m really just a big kid myself. I still love Superheroes, Scooby Doo, watching cartoons with my daughter, singing silly songs, and just plain acting goofy!

About Kindergarten Readiness...

Our Curriculum
Here in Kindergarten Readiness we use the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. This curriculum prepares children for kindergarten in a developmentally appropriate way. Young children are not ready to sit still and focus for long periods of time. They learn best when they move, manipulate objects, build, sing, draw, and participate in dramatic play. In a nutshell – when they have fun! But don’t worry, we’ll be learning how to sit quietly, too.

As the year progresses we will begin adding more “sit down” time to help our children get set for school. "Journaling" is encouraged and has many advantages in the classroom; learning that print can be read and has meaning, turning pages from front to back, one at a time, following print from top to bottom and left to right, communicating thoughts with words, proper crayon grip, demonstrating positive self esteem, and much more.

Each child will also be given their very own workbook that will help them to develop coloring, drawing, counting and beginning writing skills.

Bathrooms
It is best for your child to be completely potty trained before moving into Kindergarten Readiness. Students go to the bathroom independently with little-to-no assistance from the teachers. This includes wiping and changing their clothing. Teachers will, of course, step in if a child is struggling, but we encourage children to at least try before asking for help. As learning to dress oneself is part of becoming self sufficient, this may mean that every once and a while your child will come home with their pants on backwards or their shirt inside out. If you have questions or concerns about this, please feel free to talk to us!

Schedule
Kindergarten Readiness operates under a structured schedule that includes Group Time and Small Groups, as well as free choice Center Time. This allows children to work together in a large group, learn to function in a small group, and choose where and how long they would like to play at the individual centers. We try to keep this schedule as consistent as possible for the children’s sake.

Nap Time
For nap time we require all bedding, including pillows, to fit into a zipped book bag that the child can pack on their own. This is to reduce the spread of communicable diseases, such as lice. When making mats, we highly encourage our children to be self-sufficient and at least try to put their sheet on their bed by themselves. Help is given as needed and once they have shown that they have tried.

No-Toy Policy
To prevent conflicts between children and eliminate distractions, we have a No-Toy policy in Kindergarten Readiness. Children are allowed to bring one “Snuggle Buddy” for nap time, and we ask that their buddy remain in their cubby until needed. Please note, special items used for transitions and security (comfort objects, such as a blanket or stuffed animal) are OK to bring to ease the child.

Show-and-Tell
We have Show-and-Tell every Friday and we use it to reinforce the current week’s theme. Please note, because we use Show-and-Tell as a learning tool, if a child brings an item to school that does not correlate with the theme, they will not be allowed to show it. Having said this, we set aside one week a month as FREE CHOICE, for those items that children are excited to bring, but yet do not fall into any particular category.

Parent Communication
We use an app called Remind to help bridge communication between teacher and parents. Parents are not required to download the app and can access their messages through text and email once they are connected. We use this app regularly to make announcements, remind parents of upcoming events and send out small reminders (such as what to bring for Show and Tell). Remind also allows parents to message Ms. Rachel at any time during the day and allows her to do the same if necessary.

And finally...

Discipline Policy/Reward System
To help the children comprehend that destructive or disruptive behavior is unacceptable, we use a reward system that is very visual for them. The two most important tools to this system are located in the classroom: a bulletin board that reads “Good Days” and a Dixie cup full of colored sticks, one for each student. The system works as follows:

A “Good” day  - no offenses. At the end of the day the child is allowed to choose a sticker for their own personal sticker book, and on Fridays they may choose an alternate reward from our treat box.

First offense – the child receives an oral warning and redirection.

Second offense – the child loses a YELLOW stick. They must pause and talk to a teacher to discuss their actions after each stick loss (to make sure they understand why the stick removal was necessary) before they are allowed to return to their activity. At the end of the day, if 1 stick is all that the child lost, the child will still receive a sticker/treat and they are praised for “fixing” their offense.

Third offense – the child loses a GREEN stick and is removed from their current activity. They must sit and talk to a teacher to discuss their actions. No sticker/treat is received at the end of the day, and the child is encouraged to try again next time.

Fourth offense – the child loses a RED stick, is removed from their current activity, no sticker/treat is received, and parents will be notified of their behavior.

The only time this policy changes is if the offense is dangerous or physical, such as running off or hurting someone on purpose. If one of those things happens, a stick is automatically lost, as we do our best to discourage violence and unsafe behavior.

July news

6/25/2019

Summer Schedule:
Mondays – Messy Monday
Tuesdays – Splash Day (on hold until further notice)
Wednesdays – Walk Together Wednesday
Thursdays – Splash Day (on hold until further notice)
Fridays – Fun Fridays

As our summer program continues, parents will need to keep a close eye on our schedule so that you will know what is in store for your child on any given day. Our summer activities include:

Messy Monday – We’re getting down and dirty on Mondays, so please be sure to send your child in clothes that are okay to get dirty/stained up.
Splash day - Splash Days are every Tuesday and Thursday and will require a swimsuit, flip flops/water shoes, sunscreen and towel in a SEPARATE bag. (Please make sure all of your child’s belongings are marked with their name to avoid mix-ups!)
Walk Together Wednesdays – We will be taking one field trip every week over the summer that will be within walking distance. On walking field trip days children need to wear tennis shoes/socks for optimal comfort. Sandals and flip flops are not recommended.

Dates to Remember:
July 3 - Walking field trip to Boswell Park
July 4-5 – No School! Happy Independence Day!!
July 10 - Walking field trip to the Washburn waterfall
July 12 – Trike-A-Thon, 10:00 AM
July 17 - Walking field trip around Washburn campus
(it's a Sculpture hunt!)
July 24 - Walking field trip to Boswell Park
July 31 - Walking field trip to Boswell Park

Themes:
July 1-5 – Stars & Stripes
July 8-12 – Bicycle Safety/Trike-A-Thon
July 15-19 – Opposites
July 22-26 – Sports
July 29-Aug 2 – Picnic

Show-and-Tell:
July 5 - No School
July 12 - No Show-and-Tell! Trike-A-Thon!
July 19 - FREE CHOICE!
July 26 - Something to do with SPORTS!
Aug 2 - Something you would take on a PICNIC!

Trike-a-Thon:
Our students will be joining St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in the fight against childhood cancer by participating in a Trike-a-Thon the week of July 8-12! This is a week-long event and it teaches our students that they have the power to help others. They will also learn trike safety through fun lessons. We’ll end the week with a celebration on Friday, July 12, and you’re invited to come!

This event is extremely important to me personally, as my daughter Aislynn lost her best friend Ariya to cancer just last year, 3 days before she would have celebrated her 6th birthday. We’ll be riding for Ariya, and we encourage you to choose a loved one or family member to raise money for in their honor.

Your involvement is a big part of making this fundraiser a success, and participation is easy!

REGISTER at stjude.org/trike

Click “Find Your School” and then “Register”

SHARE via email and on social media

Additional resources available in your online fundraising center
Use @stjude and #stjudetrikeathon

TRACK your progress

Encourage friends and family to donate online
Log any offline donations (cash & checks) in your online fundraising center

EARN prizes!

Return offline donations to your teacher (checks only)
Select your prizes via the link sent to you via email post event

CELEBRATE with us!

Join us as we practice what we’ve learned
Bring your child’s helmet and riding toy!

June News

5/21/2019

Summer Schedule:
Mondays – Messy Monday
Tuesdays – Splash Day
Wednesdays – Walk Together Wednesday
Thursdays – Splash Day
Fridays – Fun Fridays

Dates to Remember:
June 5 – Field Trip to the Topeka Zoo
June 12 – Boomer & the Library Lady visit,
10:00 AM
June 17 – Father’s Day Celebration

June Themes:
June 3-7 – Zoo Animals
June 10-14 – Life on the Farm
June 17-21 – Summer Fun
June 24-28 – Under the Sea

Show-and-Tell:
Fri, June 7: Something to do with
                     ANIMALS!
Fri, June 14: Something to do with a
                       FARM!
Fri, June 21: FREE CHOICE!
Fri, June 28: Something to do with the
                      OCEAN!

A Peek at our weeks:
As our summer program starts, parents will need to keep a close eye on our schedule so that you will know what is in store for your child on any given day. Our new summer activities will include:

Messy Monday – We’re going to get down and dirty on Mondays, so please be sure to send your child in clothes that are okay to get dirty/stained up.
Splash day - Splash day will be every Tuesday and Thursday and will require a swimsuit, flip flops/water shoes, sunscreen and towel in a SEPARATE bag. (Please make sure all of your child’s belongings are marked with their name to avoid mix-ups!)
Walk Together Wednesdays – We will be taking one field trip every week over the summer that will be within walking distance and at least one per month that will require a car ride and parent volunteers. On walking field trip days children need to wear tennis shoes/socks for optimal comfort. Sandals and flip flops are not recommended.

Nap Time:
Starting in June we will be decreasing nap time for our future-Kindergarteners by half an hour every two weeks. This will aid in preparing them for new schools with little or no resting time. Children not preparing for kindergarten will be keeping the same nap schedule.

Author

Ms. Rachel is the Kindergarten Readiness Teacher.

Ms. Rachel has worked with children for 17 years and has been with UCD since 2012. She attended Highland Community College in 2015 and earned her CDA. Ms. Rachel is also the assistant director at UCD.

UCD's assistant teachers help out in every room. These staff members include: Ms. Merika, Mr. Josh, Ms. Lauryn, Ms. Karlie, Ms. D'Mya, Ms. Bailee, and Ms. Ellie. Please see MEET THE STAFF for more information.

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