Kindergarten Hayden Heights is fortunate to offer three all-day kindergarten classrooms. Our full-day kindergarten curriculum has proven very effective in preparing children with the skills they need for success in the first grade. With the additional instructional time, we are able to provide a more extensive curriculum in reading and math while still providing the social, art and sensory experiences that kindergartners need to thrive. Our goal is to have every kindergarten child complete this important first year feeling confident and positive about school.
A typical kindergarten day at the beginning of the school year consists of
Self-directed choice time.
Reading instruction in beginning sounds, letter recognition, and visual discrimination/matching skills.
Math instruction in number recognition, counting skills and patterning.
Language lessons that involve listening to stories read to them, answering questions, retelling stories and enjoying follow-up art activities.
We focus on weekly themes such as pets, bears and seasonal topics. Children also attend classes daily in either music, science, physical education or computers. We make weekly visits to our school library for story time and book checkout.
Later in the school year, children are ready for small group instruction in reading picture books with repetitive text and learning sight words. Many children are ready to begin reading simple books on their own. We ask families to support their child's reading program by daily reading of a take-home book. Math instruction includes number recognition to 100, simple addition and subtraction, solving oral story problems and introduction to time and money concepts.
We look forward to getting to know our families and welcome their visits and participation in the classroom. Together we can help each child achieve a successful start to their school career.
-Mary Ann Renner, Sharon Overlien
First Grade
Reading: The First Grade Team takes pride in moving children toward the standards of independent reading and comprehension of printed material. Throughout the year, students are assessed as to their reading level. They are then placed in a flexible guided reading group with students of similar abilities where reading strategies are taught and practiced during Reader's Workshop.
Reading instruction also consists of the district adopted reading series from Mondo, self selected reading, working with words, and the Accelerated Reading Program. Weekly visits are made to our school media center where children may check out books for their reading pleasure. Nightly homework consists of studying spelling words, alphabet charts and reading books.
Writing: Students move towards Minnesota writing standards using the Writer's Workshop model. Daily lessons assist students in the writing process. Students in first grade write personal narratives, non-fiction text, procedural writings, and poems.
Math: The Everyday Mathematics program is used in first grade. This district adopted curriculum is rigorous and is called a spiraling curriculum. Students revisit concepts throughout the year with the idea standards will be secured. We encourage parents to help their child study basic addition and subtraction facts at home so they become fast and fluent.
Specialists: First Graders see two specialists throughout the year. They teach music and computer skills.
We value your participation in your child's learning process. If we can answer any questions you may have please feel free to call us at 651-293-8815 or email us: Kathleen.Trulsen@spps.org, Michelle.McQuade@spps.org
Mrs. McQuade, Mrs. Trulsen
Second Grade We have two second-grade classrooms of very eager students.
In second grade the students are involved in creating rhyming books, pattern books, poems, and books of facts.
We have many opportunities to take reading quizzes for the Accelerated Reading Program. We encourage the students to bring their books home and read to their families. Homework is consistently assigned and the students have completed their assignments very nicely this year.
In Language Arts Block, the students are reading in small groups at their level and have a chance to strengthen their comprehensive skills. In math, we stress the importance of knowing addition and subtraction facts. We work on developing strategies to solve problems. We study communities, neighborhoods, and geography and map work in Social Studies. Habitats, seasonal cycles, weather, food groups, and the human body are some of our Science units. We also participate in the "Risk Watch" Curriculum.
Second graders see three specialists for instruction in music, science and computers. We teach our own physical education classes.
We appreciate your support and participation in your child's education. Please call us with your questions or concerns at 293-8815.
-Brenda Allal, Robyn Huldeen
Third Grade
Successful THIRD GRADERS…..
Read
everyday
(Standard:At least
30 minutes a day outside the school day)
Think
when reading
(Standard:Show
understanding of what is read)
Know
how to measure
(length, time, area, perimeter …)
Learn
basic math facts
(addition & subtraction by September,multiplication & division by MCAs)
Collect
and interpret data
(graphs, tables, maps, charts)
Become
community-minded
Question
and investigate the world we live in
(as a scientist would)
Use
questions to discover
The
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) are given in the Spring, testing all
third graders in the State on reading and math skills.
Third
Grade Learning Adventures:Trips to
Valley Branch, Fort Snelling, the Ordway, visits by Farmer Nelson, an author or
artist, May basket delivery, letter writing, Family Fun Nights, musical
concerts, after school learning opportunities, book fair, Accelerated Reading
Program …and much more!
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ancestry, status with respect to public assistance, sexual or affectional orientation, or disability. Click here for more information.
