Category: Uncategorized

My beautiful KA families,

It has been such an incredible gift to spend the year with you.  I am so proud of each and every one of the students!  We had an amazing class, both in the classroom and during the transition to remote learning at home.  Please enjoy our “End of the Year Slideshow” video to take a walk down memory lane in KA.  (I am sorry it is so long, I had so many wonderful pictures to add!)  The link should be shareable if you would like to pass it along to other family members to celebrate your kindergartener’s success!  Onward and upward to first grade.  I will miss you so much!  Please come back and visit me!  May God bless your families with health and peace always,

Love,

Mrs. White

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFcq2hrA0DI

 

Hello KA Families,

As we move into summer, I am sure the students will be so ready to be done with school/remote learning!  This is natural, and they deserve a break for sure!  However, after the first week or so of vacation, I would highly recommend doing some sort of learning activities to help prevent the “summer slide.”  (This can happen any time, but especially since it has been a long time since we have been in the classroom.)  Setting aside even just as little as 5-10 minutes a day can make a big difference! 

What works best for your child?  Do they love books?  Learning games?  Activities they can do with you or a sibling?  Keep it short and fun, and let your child follow their interests.  Reading with your child and to your child is truly the best thing you can do at this age.  Look for sight words!  Sound out new words! Practice comprehension strategies by recalling the events of the story! 

              There are a few of extra worksheets that we did not have a chance to finish from remote learning packet.  If your child is willing to work on these here and there, it could help extend the learning over the summer.  There is also a math packet (time and money) with first grade standard skills that would give them a boost for next year.  Basic addition and subtraction problems are an easy thing to have students practice.  Writing in any form can be a fun activities as well as handwriting and letter practice!  Grocery lists, letters to family, thank you notes, labeling drawings, sentences and stories, there are many options! 

Here are some other activities you might want to try over the summer with more free time.  The school subscriptions (Raz-Kids, Mathletics, Scholastic) should be valid for at least the first month.  The others are available at any time (ABCya, Junior Library Guild, Children’s Missalette, education.com)

 

Raz Kids Reading A-Z

• • Log on by going to www.kidsa-z.com
  • Enter teacher username: smmcat
  • Click on your name
  • Click on the picture password (picture of apple)

 

Mathletics: Exciting news! We are going to have a new learning opportunity available for KA students! SMM uses a math program for 1^st-4^th graders, called “Mathletics.”  Now that the kindergarten students have been working on addition and subtraction, they can try out this program as well!  You will find the log-in and password in the packet when you pick on Friday.  (There is also an option to scan the QR code with your device’s camera to log in.)  We will use Mathletics as a practice/enrichment activity, so it will be optional.

 

Junior Library Guild: a great resource for ebooks you can read online with your children.  Click on “elementary stream” for a great variety of picture books. No log-in necessary. https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/at-home

Math games and more:  ABCya has a lot of great games, just make sure you stay on the “kindergarten” page.  I especially like the Marble Math Addition, the Base Ten Bingo (using tens sticks and ones cubes.)  There are games here for counting too!   Explore and find one that you enjoy and that is a good challenge!  Most of the games will increase the difficulty as you go. https://www.abcya.com/grades/k/numbers

Children’s Missalette (videos are free at this time).  Short videos to help explain the mass readings. https://mycatholickids.com/childrens-missalette/

There are a lot of great extension activities that go with our Let’s Find Out magazines.  You can access current and past editions:  www.letsfindout.scholastic.com  Click “I am a student” and the password is: smmkinder2020

Hands on activities: https://www.education.com/activity/kindergarten/science/

If you have questions now, or later in the summer, feel free to reach out any time!  I pray that your family is safe and healthy, and able to enjoy some down time together over the summer.

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

Wow, I can’t believe we are nearing the end of May!  Where did the time go?  Normally, this time of year I would be feeling frazzled about the end of the year assembly, and stressed about the busy calendar of activities.  I have to admit, I am really missing those frazzled and crazy last weeks of school… because they were always filled with energy and excitement! 

The class has been working so hard all year, and you parents have been working hard right along side this trimester.  There is much to celebrate:  growth, achievement, independence, community.  But, it is also ok to feel the loss of what we didn’t get to do in class together this spring.  That is a real feeling too.

As we reach the end of the year, I will make certain to see each of you to get your child their class pictures and kindergarten certificate.  I am not sure yet if we will be doing this at school as a drive by, or if I will deliver them to you, but stay tuned!  As we reach the next phases in Snohomish county, it is my hope that we can have an in-person celebration with our class later this summer, but again we will have to wait to learn more details.

I have felt so much pride as I have conducted the year-end DRA assessments: your children are on their way to first grade!  I hope you share my pride in their amazing growth, despite unusual circumstances.  Report cards for this last trimester will look a little different.  Students will be measured as “meeting standard” or “working toward standard” in the key academic areas (rather than the 4, 3, 2, 1, scale.)  The behavior and work habits section of the report card is omitted, although you as parents probably have a better idea than ever on how your child is doing at home! 

A reminder that our last day of school will be June 12^th.  We have some fun activities coming up the last week of school, including a virtual “tour” of first grade!  We even get to write letters to the first grade teachers!  (Cross your fingers, sometimes they write a letter back to us!)

If you haven’t already gotten a chance, please check out the online auction, there are some awesome things to bid on and help SMM at the same time!

If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I am happy to help answer any questions you might have, or direct you to the best person to help. 

Continued prayers for health and peace in your families, 

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

 

Hello KA Families,

I hope your family is able to enjoy a little down time over the long weekend.  Remember, we have no class Friday or Monday, and we will be back to remote learning on Tuesday.  (Friday June 12^th is the last day of school.)

Thank you for your continued support for your child during this period of online learning.  I have been so impressed with the continued learning the students are demonstrating at home!  Keep up the great work, summer is near!  I miss the kids so much, but it makes me happy to know that they are continuing to learn and grow at home with your guidance and support.

As we near the end of the school year, I will schedule one final one-on-one zoom meeting with each student to assess their DRA reading (Developmental Reading Assessment).  I am hoping to complete these next week; please let me know if there is a certain day that works best, and what time your family prefers.  Each meeting will take approximately 15 minutes.

1. 8:00- 10:00 am
2. 10:00 am- 12:00 noon
3. 1:00- 3:00 pm
4. 6:00- 8:00 pm

As you may have heard, our school librarian Mrs. Laura Mallahan, is retiring after 32 years of teaching at SMM.  For a special retirement tribute, Mrs. Morrier-Turk is collecting photos to compile a video gift for her.  If you would like to share a photo of your child reading or with their favorite book, that would be wonderful!

Tuesday, May 26^th will mark the start of our school auction, which will be online this year.  There are many great items and baskets to bid on, including our KA art project that Mr. and Mrs. Flores so generously put together for our class.  I know I am excited to bid on some items and show support for SMM!  Please look for information in the school newsletter or direct email regarding how to participate in the auction online.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!  I am here to help in any way I can, even in these unusual times.

Praying for God’s blessings of health and peace in your families,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

Can you believe we are down to the last month of school?  Although this has been a unique year, to say the least, I am so proud of how well the students are doing!  Sometimes May is a time when students start to “lose steam” and motivation for school work, even in the classroom setting, but stay strong!  Your hard work is paying off!

I was just reminded that this coming Friday (May 22) was originally scheduled to be a teacher inservice day.  Although we teachers cannot meet as planned, we will be honoring that day as a no-school day for students.  This means that your student will have an extended four day weekend coming up with Memorial Day!  I hope this helps bring some much-needed rest and downtime for your family.

Spirit Week continues!  Here is the schedule:

Monday 5/18: Pajama Day

Tuesday 5/19: Sports Day (or Green and Gold Irish)

Wednesday 5/20: Crazy Hat Day

Thursday 5/21: Throwback Thursday

Friday 5/22: NO SCHOOL

Monday 5/25: NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

*After Memorial Day, I will be setting up one more one-on-one Zoom meeting with each student to conduct a final reading assessment (DRA, developmental reading assessment). I will send a separate email next week to schedule these!

We will be having a fun and optional Zoom meeting on Tuesday (May 19^th) at 10:00 am.  Link below at the end of this email. This will be a Home Scavenger Hunt!  If your child would like to participate, please have them gather the following things ahead of time and bring them to the meeting to share!  Be creative and have fun!

• Something you made
• Something that begins with the first letter of your name
• Something that has a face on it
• Something that smells nice
• Something made out of wood
• Something that reminds you of SMM

The SMM Online Auction begins on May 26, be sure to check it out!  It looks like there are some great items, including our KA class art project (thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Flores for constructing this beautiful cross for our class!) and some awesome gift baskets and other items.  I am excited for the opportunity to be able to bid on items and support SMM from home.

Thank you for all you do to help your child continue to learn at home!  As always, if you have any questions or concerns please let me know!

Continued prayers for health and peace for all our families,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

It has brought me so much joy to “meet” with the students over Zoom and celebrate their growth during our assessment meetings.  Despite the unusual circumstances of remote learning, the students are continuing to grow in their academic skills.  This is in large part due to your commitment to providing the structure and dedication to “doing school” at home.  Thank you!  If you haven’t already scheduled an assessment time, please contact me asap, thank you!

Thank you for continued your partnership in their learning, it truly takes a village!

We have two exciting things happening next week!!

1. Mrs. Geppert and I are planning to do “drive-bys” next week to visit each of your homes, to drop off a couple of special surprises!  If you are home, we would love to see you! (safely, at a six foot distance, of course.)  We will have masks and gloves.  If you are not home, we can leave the surprise at your doorstep.
2. Friday (May 15^th) will be a “field trip day!” Since we were unable to visit the Everett Fire Station for our spring field trip, we will bring the field trip home instead.  We will have a VIRTUAL field trip to a fire station with videos and fun activities, but no written work that day.  Enjoy!

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or need assistance with anything, please let me know!

Continued prayers for health and peace in all families,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

Wow, I cannot believe that it is already May!  It is a strange combination of time going quickly, and yet also very slowly, since we are not in the school building.  I miss our class so much.  I am so proud of everyone, students and parents alike, for making online learning such a success.  Even in bittersweet and distanced circumstances, it makes me proud and grateful that our class is moving forward with academic success.

Next week we will begin the third trimester assessments!  Due to the current situation, I will be scheduling individual Zoom meetings with each student to conduct the assessments.  Assessments will be based on where your child was at the end of 2^nd trimester, and may include letter identification, letter sounds, sight words, counting, and number identification.  Spring assessments are always an exciting time to celebrate all of the growth that the students have experienced since the start of the school year.  These assessments help give me a picture of what your child can do independently, and what we may need to review.  These meetings will be about 10-15 minutes long.  Please respond to let me know a day/time that works best for you and I will do my best to meet everyone’s schedule requests.

1. Is there a certain day that works best (or is there a certain day that does NOT work?)
2. What time of day works best?
   1. 8-10 am
   2. 10-12 am
   3. 1-3 pm
   4. 6-8 pm

Once I hear back from you, I will build a schedule for these assessment meetings and send you a link with a date/time.

*We will be scheduling one additional assessment later in the month of May for a reading assessment as well.

How is everything going at home?  If there are things that your child is struggling with, (or things they are especially loving!) please let me know!  Please keep me posted! If I can provide more resources, technical help, moral support, etc.  just let me know!  Thank you for all you do.  Stay safe and healthy!

Sending prayers, always, for health and peace in your families,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you yesterday when you came to pick up the bags!  I was so happy that every KA family was able to pick up— thank you for making that happen!

Many of the things in the bag can be put away such as clothes/shoes/previous art/etc.  However, please keep the work packets, school supplies, unifix cubes, writing journals in a good place for doing school at home.  As I mentioned before, there are three Ziploc bags: math, reading, and “other.”

• The math and reading papers should be in the order we will be using them. However, the “other” bag (social studies/religion/etc.) may not quite be in the order we will use them.  This bag will also be supplemented with their writing journals and the plain paper.  I will continue to post the assignments daily as I have been.  In addition, I can supply a “week at a glance” outline prior the weekend prior.  If you think this would be helpful to your family to organize the paperwork please let me know.
• I would like to organize another Zoom meeting this week, perhaps in the afternoon.  If there is a certain time of day that works well for your family, please let me know!
• If your child hasn’t already completed the Virtus lesson and turned it in, please do so as soon as you can.  I need to report attendance for this lesson to the Archdiocese of Seattle by April 30^th for compliance. I think I am missing 3, I will send a separate email if I am missing yours.
• If you haven’t already sent me a “school picture” of your child in uniform, please do so I can compile a class picture!  I think I am missing 5, I will send a separate email if I am missing yours.

Thank you so much for everything you are doing to support your child’s continued learning at home.  If there is anything you need or have questions about please let me know!  Your feedback is always welcome and always helpful.

Praying for health and peace in you families,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, and I hope your child enjoyed a week with “no school” for spring break.  This is certainly a year we will never forget. It looks different than we could have ever imagined. But with faith in God I pray that we are able to continue striving for good health, excellence in education, and peace for all families.

• The packets you have at home contain work through this Friday.  Mrs. Castro and I are working to compile another packet, which will take us through the end of the year- it will be a big packet!  This will likely be available for pickup on Friday April 24^th at the school.  If there are other supplies you are short of at home (glue sticks, crayons, pencils, blank paper, etc.) let me know and I will make sure you get what you need. We will also be sending home personal items from the classroom: spare clothes, gym shoes, headphones, etc.
• The second (final) lesson for Virtus: Talking about Touching is scheduled to be taught this week.  This lesson will be video recorded, and then students will be required to draw/write a response.  Please watch the video together with your student and discuss together.  The lesson is about safe touches, safe adults, and who to tell if there is a problem.  *There is a parent opt-out option for this, if you request it.  Although no one from KA opted out for the fall lesson, if you would like an opt-out form for this lesson please let me know.   
• “Class pictures” are coming up this week!  This week we were originally scheduled to have class pictures taken.  Although we will not be in the school building, I would love to make this tradition happen in a new way.  When the students are graduating from 8^th grade, they will love having a collection of their class photos each year- even if their kindergarten photo is unique!  Parents, I will need your help to make this happen!  Please have your child dress in their school uniform, and take a photo of them in front of a plain background (such as a white or light colored wall) in bright light.  Please take the photo vertically (the tall way) and show your child’s full height.  Example attached.  Email me your photo, and I will work to compile these photos into a KA class picture for everyone in our class.

Sending prayers for good health and peace to you all,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher

Hello KA Families,

Holy Week is here, and is it nearly Easter!  This is certainly a year we will never forget. It looks different than we could have ever imagined. But with faith in God I pray that we are able to continue striving for good health, excellence in education, and peace for all families.

• First of all, thank you, for doing an excellent job teaching your children at home.  Even with all the other stress and worry we are all facing right now, you are doing great work!  Also, thank you, for supporting me as I work to try to supply you and your children with the tools you need to do school at home.  I appreciate your kind words of encouragement.  Our school community is truly a special place, even if we are not physically in the building.
• As you know, we will not have the opportunity to return to regular school in the SMM building this school year.  This breaks my heart.  However, we will find a way to celebrate the end of the year together- somehow!  When we know that social distancing is ending, we will plan a celebration for the end of kindergarten.
• The packets you have at home contain work through April 24^th (please note that April 13-17 is spring break.)  After spring break, Mrs. Castro and I will be working to compile another packet, which will take us through the end of the year- it will be a big packet!  This will likely be available for pickup on Friday April 24^th at the school.  If there are other supplies you are short of at home (glue sticks, crayons, pencils, blank paper, etc.) let me know and I will make sure you get what you need. 
• We have a birthday on Monday!  Although it is officially spring break, it will be great to sing to our friend, and chat about our Easter celebrations.  We will have a Zoom meeting, if your child would like to join in.

Enjoy Easter with your family and know I am praying for you all daily.  Enjoy the small things at home together.  Keep the faith, hug your family, and know I miss you all,

Mrs. Katie White

Kindergarten Teacher