K-1 Activities

It was a busy week.  Some Kindergarten teachers from Japan spent time with us.  We had a nice time getting to know them even though we couldn't understand each other.

We listened to the story Leo the Late Bloomer and discussed the ways Leo "bloomed" in the story. It was exciting to see the things he could do after he bloomed.  After thinking of things we could do, we wrote and illustrated it on our flower petals.

Our 5 Senses Bear was the beginning of our unit on Senses.  It was fun to cut out all the circles and glue them together for the bear. The perfume on the cotton ball nose smelled so sweet too.



Aloha Parents,

The children have been raving about myON , the online library of books.  There is a great variety of books for them and they are in ebook heaven. Please continue encouraging your keiki to explore and enjoy the beautifully illustrated works and genres.

Students who are read to have a significant effect on reading and language development.  It also:

• Prepares children for school and has a positive effect on academic success
• Helps children see the connection between speech and the printed word
• Aids in listening, comprehension, vocabulary, and thinking skills
• Develops a good attitude toward reading and learning
• Develops "book knowledge" or a familiarity with books, titles, authors, illustrators, plot, etc.

Students will be required to read a minimum of 5 books per month starting in September.  Remember, the sky is the limit.....so help your child find a comfortable, pleasant environment and listen to the books together until s/he wishes to read alone.

These past few weeks were all about getting into the main core subjects.  The focus for them is as follows:

• Literacy - Concept of Word, Rhyme Recognition, Word and Syllable Segmentation; Sharing Literature; Introduction to High Frequency Words: a, the, like; Free Write with an illustration
• Math -Identify Spatial Relationship; Sort and Objects and Identify the Attribute of each Group; Concrete Graphs; Patterns
• Social Studies - Friends and Family
• Science - Our 5 Senses

I'm excited about teaching these students! I can't wait to see how much they learn and grow this year!!!

A few tidbits to remember:

• Monday, September 1st - Labor Day, No school
• Monday, September 8th - Buddhist Education begins
• Wednesday, September 10th - Swim classes begin.  Please label all towels, swimwear, slippers, swimbags, and goggles (optional). They will need additional recyclable plastic bags for their wet suits and slippers.

Have a great weekend,
Mrs. Lee

A My Name is ...

We listened to the story A My Name is... and learned about the first letters in our names.  We also wrote about one thing we liked!

Free picture slideshow created with Smilebox   Aloha Parents, The students are more comfortable as they are accustomed to all the new routines and procedures.  Life is so much easier. They are even beginning to remind others what they should do when they forget.   When asked what they enjoyed about Kindergarten so far, responses included: writing napping playing on the green space Art, P.E., and Japanese classes the craftivity Bright Vacations cutting for art & crafts everyone mentioned school was fun!  In Social Studies, we are focusing on Friends and Family. For a lesson next week, please have your child bring in a photo(s) of a special time or event they have shared with family and friends. They will show the photo and describe why the special time was important to their families and friends. Photos should be brought in by Wednesday, August 27th.   A few reminders: Tuesday, August 26th - Library books are due. Wednesday, August 27th - P.E. classes are scheduled for Wednesdays.  Please dress your child in the HMS t-shirt and shorts. Wednesday, August 27th - Photo(s) of Friends and Family Celebrations due Thursday, August 28th - Popcorn Social in the Café, 4:15-5:20.  PTO Meeting to follow. Monday, September 1st - Labor Day. National Holiday. A hui hou, Mrs. Lee        

The First Week of School

The first week of school has been fun and very busy. We have been learning all our brand new routines. The IWB is so neat since we use a pen to move and write things. Other fun things we liked were listening to stories on the carpet, putting stickers on the 100 Day Chart, and getting a sticker to put on our smart cookie chart if we were good. Here is a look at other things we've been up to.

The First Week of School on PhotoPeach

Aloha Parents,

Mahalo for attending our Kindergarten Orientation on Monday, August 11th. I know that together we can work together and support your child's learning.

Thank you to Mrs. Hirata, Katelyn's mom who volunteered to be the K-1 Room Parent. It is truly appreciated.

A few items to remember:

• Friday, August 15th - Statehood Day. School closed.
• Monday, August 18th - Show and Tell begins.  Your child is welcome to bring one item to share. (The item should be able to fit in their backpack.) Students will be sharing round robin style with 4-5 students in each group. Please practice with your child so s/he'll have an idea what to tell their peers.
• Monday, August 18th - Popcorn Social RSVP due. Meet the Kindergarten ohana on Thursday, August 28th and enjoy some yummy colored popcorn and bottled water.
• Monday, August 18th - Please submit the "Tell Me About Your Child' form so I can  understand your child's needs better.
• Tuesday, August 19th - Library class begins.
• Monday September 8th - Buddhist Education begins with Reverend Yuika Hasebe as the instructor.

Have a fine weekend,
Mrs. Lee

Summer School Potpourri

It's been so much fun in Summer School that we want to do it again!

Free digital slideshow generated with Smilebox   Aloha Parents,   Summer School has  been a time for learning and exploring for the Kindergarten students.  While they miss their old friends, they've made many new ones.    They have also loved engaging in different types of hands-on learning. They are usually paired with a partner or part of a small group so they can experience collaborative learning. Hope you have  conversations with your child about this slideshow and their activities.    A hard copy of your keiki's Progress Report will be sent home on the last day of Summer School (July 11th). If s/he is absent, the Progress Report will be mailed to you.   A hui hou, Mrs. Lee 

The Many Things We Liked

We wanted to share with you our Reading and Math work with a Camping theme. Enjoy!



Hope everyone has a cool weekend,
K-1 Keiki

Life with Friends

Summer School is the most fun when we are with old and new friends.  We're working, playing, and eating lunch together very well.

We continued with our camping theme and here's what we've been up to...

After we learned some interesting facts about some animals people might see while camping, such as skunks, owls, and porpcupines, we wrote about them. It was awesome making the animals with colored paper, toothpicks and googly eyes. In Math we worked with a buddy to compare numbers and solve word problems. It is great to have these activities.

Make your own picture slideshow 

Aloha Parents,

Progress Reports will be emailed to you by Friday, June 20th. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a nice weekend,
Mrs. Lee

We are Happy Campers

Summer School is alot of fun!  We started the week with a camping theme.  Of course, all these activites were in our classroom.  Hopefully, we'll get the chance to go camping outdoors with our families.

We are Happy Campers on PhotoPeach

Aloha Parents,

All the keiki are off to a fun-filled summer filled with all sorts of academic adventures.   They set up their tents, started their campfires, and got their flashlights ready. Some activities they worked on thus far included: Writing Campfire Tales, Compare and Contrast (cabin/tent) Venn Diagram, Spin and Graph (items used at camps),  ABC Order (camping words), and Star Gazing (reading and recording camping words).  They've been enthusiastc about following the camping theme unit so far, and are excited that it will continue for a few more weeks.

myON Reader, the online reading program is still available for your child.  Encouraging them to read will not only improve their vocabulary, but  they'll learn interesting and useful information, help them to write better, and develop their imagination skills.

All young students have small stomachs.  After 3-4 hours without food, their stomachs are empty and their blood glucose levels are reduced.  Healthy snacks at first recess helps to keep their blood sugar levels even and prevents them from getting so hungry that they can't focus on the second half of the summer school class. Please pack a small, nutritious snack for them daily.

Most students purchase snacks from the Snack Bar in the afternoon.  Please be sure to write their name and room number on their plastic bag or wallet.  This will be most helpful to  Mr. Jason Noh, the K-1 Group Leader, and his assistant.

Malama pono,
Mrs. Lee