Welcome to K-3 !!!
by Kari Cotton
January 10, 2008
Welcome to the K-3!
Hello! My name is Ms. Cotton. I grew up in St Anne . I graduated high school from Bishop McNamara and continued my education at Eastern Illinois University, Kankakee Community College, and Governors State University. I obtained a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from Governors State University. I have been a Preschool Teacher for the last five years. This is my first year teaching Kindergarten and I'm loving it! This is my fourth year teaching and being a parent of children in the school district. I currently live in Ashkum with my family Nathan and our four children; Kadie (9), Connor (7), Lexie (4), and Nate (1).
I am extremely excited and privileged to work hand and hand with your child and help continue their growth as a student and as an individual!
Thank you for the privilege of teaching your child. If you have any questions or concerns you may e-mail me at kcotton@cusd4.org or call the school.
Thank you,
Kari Cotton
September News:
We have officially made it through the first months of school with just a few tears every now and then. We are now used to the schedule and routine. Everyone has been doing such a great job! We have met Mr. M and Ms. T and learned how to write their letters. We can also identify words that start with the same sounds. In math we learned about spatial relationships and patterns. In Second Step we have learned about feelings and how to identify them. In Social Studies we have talked about families and school. In Science we have discussed Staying Healthy and ways we can do that. We have done and learned so much since school started. I am so proud of our class!!!
October News:
October was a fantastic month! We welcomed fall and all its beautiful colors.
We met Ms. F,Mr. N, and Mr. H. and learned about all their special characteristics. We know how to write their letters and we can produce their sounds. We can also listen for their letters in the initial and final sound.
In Math we counted, read, and wrote numbers to 10.
In Second Step we learned a lot of important social skills that make our lives so much easier in K-3. We learned what to say when we do something by accident. We learned how to show someone we care. We also learned how to help in various situations. Finally, we learned to understand that feelings vary in strength.
In Science we learned that Fall has its own weather patterns and characteristics. We also demonstrated knowledge of the effect of Fall on trees.
This month flew by because we were so busy and learned so much!!!
November News:
November flew by in K-3! We greeted and learned about Ms. A, Ms. P, and Mr. Z. In Math we learned about the attributes of solid figures and plane shapes. We wrote about our homes, helpers, and animals for Writing. Finally,we discussed the weather and the seasons in Science. Although the fair weather we had in November was not typical, we enjoyed it and played hard in it!
December News:
Wow, it is already Christmas and I know all the boys and girls in K-3 have been good! They have worked so hard and are so smart. We have met and learned about Mr. B and Mr. I this month. We now know are numbers up to 30. We have discussed the winter weather and which animals hibernate. We can identify and get through are anger in a positive manner. We have done so much this month and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
January News:
We are learning even more this year in K-3! We have met Mr.I, Ms. S, Mr. D, Ms. U, and Ms. V this month. We are beginning to read and write because of everything these letter people have taught us in class. We write every week and some of us are already writing three sentence paragraphs. We read our letter people books every week in class, too. Ask your child to read their take home book to you. In math we learned how to count by 2's, 5's, and 10's and solve problems. In Second Step we have learned how to use our problem solving posters. Hopefully the weather will start warming up and we can get outside more to play. It is exhausting working so hard and learning so much!
February News:
Wow! Where does the time go? February flew by in K-3! We met and learned about Ms. L, Ms. W, Mr. O, and Mr. R this month. In math we have learned to tell time to the hour and the value of coins. In Second Step we have learned what to do about name calling and how to play fairly. In Science we learned about the seasons and the weather changes that accompany them. We are starting our last trimester and hopefully mastering our skills.
March News:
I am so lucky to have such a smart class. We have learned so much! We met and learned about Mr. G, Ms. E, Ms. J, and Mr. C this month. In math we have learned how to read and interpret graphs and measure. In science we learned about recycling, oviparous animals, and meeting plants needs. We are starting to look a lot like first graders!
April News:
We are enjoying meeting the last few letter people for the year. We met Ms. K, Ms. Y, and Mr. Q this month. In math we are learning about addition. In science we have discussed wheels and ramps and how seeds travel. In social science we learned about how children from other countries are similar and different. We are enjoying our last few months as kindergartners!
Thank you for the privilege of teaching your child! I loved being their teacher. I'm am so proud of each of them. They have learned and grown so much. I hope everyone has a great summer!
Sincerely,
Ms. Kari Cotton
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