Mr. G's Busy Bees: Aa for Apple

Welcome to Kindergarten!

There is a wonderful sense of home when you walk through the front doors of Samsula Academy. I deeply believe that your child will find our school to be a warm and friendly place. I am very proud to be a part of the Samsula Academy School family. Once you have opened those doors you are a member of our family too.

I wish to welcome you to Kindergarten. Kindergarten is a new and exciting time for you and your child. It’s a time of change… new beginnings, new friends, new challenges and exciting discoveries! I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for allowing me to be a part of your child’s life during this precious time of growth and discovery!

This is my honor to welcome you and your child into Kindergarten and into… my life. I will do my best to make this year in Kindergarten enjoyable but also filled with academics. My motto is: “The seeds I plant today will blossom into a flower tomorrow.” It will be my pleasure and privilege to watch your child’s personality and learning abilities blossom and unfold day by day.

I run a very effective classroom which is well structured but allows for fun and growth. I hold high expectations for all my students. Furthermore, I strongly believe in differentiated instruction. Research reveals that all students learn differently. Therefore, I plan my lessons to meet the needs of all students. It will be my honor to expand the growing minds of tomorrow and encourage them to become the great leaders of the new generation.

You will find very useful information on this blog. I will update it with events that are happening in our classroom, student work, and other related events. If you have any questions, you may contact me at cgibbs@readingedgeacademy.org

-Mr. Christopher Gibbs

Wow. What a great start to the second week of school. Today, we got started with the kindergarten curriculum. This week we will be working with the letters Aa and Mm. We will be learning how to recognize these letters, learn their sounds, and the proper way to write these letters. I can't do this alone - I need the support of the parents to help reinforce this concept.

We are also starting homework this week and Book-In-A-Bag. These are two giant steps for our children. These are other ways at which we can reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. This week, we will be learning how to recognize the following Dolch Words: a, and, away, big, blue, I. Remember to review these with your child daily. He/she will be tested on Friday. If they can recognize these, they will get a prize and move on to the next set of words. Remember, Kindergarten Rocks - it is a time to play, learn, and grow!

Our children are making a great transition into kindergarten. The students in my classroom strive to do their personal best. At the end of the day, students are rewarded with a green dollar if they stay on green. When students receive a value of twenty, they may redeem them for a prize. After this Friday, students should have their first chance of getting a value of twenty. A good thing to do this weekend is to count the amount they have. If they have twenty, send them with your child on Tuesday - September 8, 2009.

Email all questions to cgibbs@readingedgeacademy.org

Special thanks to Michelle Coats for providing the pictures! :)