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The St. Cletus kindergarten program offers a faith based learning environment for your child. We work hard to teach the whole child, helping each student grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. 

Social/emotional and spiritual growth is fostered by leading kindergartners in the following activities:

  • We make weekly classroom church visits.
  • We attend Mass with our 8th grade buddies 2x a month.
  • We learn about God and prayer from our daily religion lesson.
  • We learn from our monthly kindness projects, where children are encouraged to help one another and get caught doing it! Be respectful, be responsible, be compassionate, be a CARDINAL!
  • We donate food to the food pantry.

Academically, we help your child reach his/her greatest potential by:

  • Offering small group learning opportunities through math, science and literacy centers.
  • Offering a balanced literacy program that teaches children to read and write through daily journaling, shared writing activities, read alouds, guided reading and writing, Jolly Phonics instruction and the Michael Heggerty Phonemic Awareness program.
  • Offering math instruction that features whole group, small group and individualized instruction beginning with calendar time and leading into math centers.
  • Offering STEM instruction where the children are encouraged to become critical thinkers by creating, building and experimenting.

Not only do the children show growth by the end of the school year, they have FUN! Children learn best through play.  Our kindergartners are engaged in developmentally appropriate activities that allow them to learn and have fun at the same time! Kindergarten Rocks! Explore the kindergarten webpage to learn more!

Math

  • Number poems (practice writing numbers using these poems): Number Poems
  • Ten frame mat (ask your child to show you 7. Show you 10. When your child is comfortable with numbers under ten, move onto teen numbers. Use kindergarten language. “How many groups of ten in 17? (1)” “How many ONES leftovers are there? (7): double ten frame mats

Literacy

  • Help your child feel like a SUPER reader by playing this game in the car: environmental-print-bingo
  • Edit by inserting our different word wall words. Take a toy car and ask your child to park in each spot. If your child needs help with letters, instead edit and insert letters- Ll, Ss- and have your child park in each ‘spot.’ Sight Word Parking Lot
  • Let your child highlight word wall words in the newspaper.
  • Have your child point out word wall words in books while reading.
  • Write your child notes. Try to use as many word wall words as you can.
  • Ask your child to “stretch out” or “tap out” words. Again, use our kindergarten language.
  • Print 2 copies and play bingo: 

LETTER and NUMBER PRACTICE: (PRINT, COMPLETE AND TURN INTO TEACHER!)

NAME WRITING PRACTICE: 

Current word wall list:

October-November: word wall list- word wall list- October November

Jolly Phonics: Jolly Phonics Flash cards (2)

List of Jolly Phonics letters and actions:Jolly Phonics note to parents

KINDERGARTEN GOALS: Kindergarten Goals

Classroom Prayers and Pledge: kindergarten Prayer and Pledge

Special Days List: Birthday list 2022

Specials Schedule: Special Schedule

 

 

The MOST important thing you can do to help your child is READ to him/her EVERY day. Any books with rhythm, rhyme and repetition are EXCELLENT choices for reading with your child. Below we compiled a list of our own recommendations.

Scholastic’s Guide to Kindergarten:

**Great articles to read at the start of the kindergarten school year!**

Tips for Reading with your child:

Use the link below to search for books related to a specific topic:

Scholastic Book Recommendations:

Popular books for young children from GoodReads:

2017 Monarch Award Winners:

Picture books not to miss (2017)

100 Great Children’s Books:

Popular Books for kindergartners:

  • THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, by Drew Daywalt. Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
    (Philomel.) A colorful problem arises when Duncan’s crayons revolt. (Ages 3 to 7)
  • GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld
    (Chronicle.) Trucks at sunset. (Ages 4 to 8)
  • THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH!, by Mo Willems
    (Hyperion.) A filthy bird is persuaded to bathe. (Ages 3 to 7)
  • DRAGONS LOVE TACOS, by Adam Rubin. Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (Dial.) What to serve your dragon-guests. (Ages 3 to 5)
  • JOURNEY, by Aaron Becker(Candlewick.) A lonely girl draws a red door on her bedroom wall and enters an imaginary world. (Ages 4 to 8)
  • ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER, by Andrea Beaty. Illustrated by David Roberts (Abrams.) A young inventor learns to fail better. (Ages 4 to 8)
  • PRESS HERE, by Hervé Tullet (Handprint/Chronicle.) A dance of color. (Ages 4 to 8)
  • LOCOMOTIVE, by Brian Floca(Richard Jackson/Atheneum.) A family’s 1869 journey across America on the newly completed transcontinental railroad. (Ages 4 to 10)
  • PETE THE CAT: I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES, by Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean (Harper/HarperCollins.) Well-shod Pete has rainbows on his feet. (Ages 3 to 7)
  • MY NEW FRIEND IS SO FUN!, by Mo Willems (Hyperion.) Gerald must deal with the fact that Piggie has a new pal. (Ages 6 to 8)

Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Mahr’s Favorite Books and Authors:

(The Kissing Hand (Great for the first week of school!)
Superhero ABC

  • Jan Brett: The Mitten, Gingerbread books
  • Lois Ehlert
  • Laura Numeroff: If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, If you Give a Moose a Muffin, etc.
    There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly
  • Doreen Cronin: Giggle, Giggle, Quack, Quack, Click, Clack, Moo, etc.
  • Bill Martin, Jr. : Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You see? Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? etc. Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM
  • Rosemary Wells
  • Kevin Henkes: Wemberly Worried, Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, etc.
  • Eric Carle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, etc.
  • Dr. Seuss: Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, etc.
  • Mo Willems: Elephant and Piggie Series, Pigeon Series
  • David Shannon: Too Many Toys, David Goes to School, No David! etc.
  • Ian Falconer: Olivia series
  • Jane O’Connor:Fancy Nancy Series (leveled readers also avaiable)
  • Viorst, Judith: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day
  • Van Allsburg: The Polar Express
  • Freeman, Don: Corduroy Series

The books below are great for beginning readers. Remember, books with rhythm, rhyme and repetition are PERFECT for beginning readers:

  • Leveled Readers/Easy Readers
  • I Can Read books
  • Ready to Read books, etc.
  • Dr. Seuss Books
  • Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie

Click to link below to access our kindergarten year-long goals:

Kindergarten Goals FINAL

Read about all the exciting activities and learning taking place in kindergarten.

Kindergarten Newsletter, May 26

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars: Monday, May 29: No school, Memorial Day Wednesday, June 7: Kindergarten Celebration, 10:30am–plan on attending! The celebration will be about 45 minutes long and then there will be treats that everyone can enjoy. Students are dismissed for the summer following the celebration. PBIS Countdown Activities: Click below to view the countdown...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, May 19

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars: Wednesday, May 24: I-Inside Out: you can wear any piece of clothing inside out.  We’ll see if we can figure out what is inside out! Thursday, May 25: PBIS letter day: H-Wear a HAT to school Thursday, May 25th: Kindergarten/8th grade picnic: PLEASE BRING AN EXTRA TREAT TO SHARE WITH YOUR...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, May 5

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars: Friday, May 12: Kindergarten Mother’s Day Tea at 10am;  ALL moms are invited to attend this event, which is a kindergarten tradition! Wednesday, June 7: Kindergarten Celebration, 10:30am–plan on attending! Students are dismissed for the summer following the celebration. PBIS Countdown Activities: Click below to view the countdown calendar.  Next week’s...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, April 28

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars: Saturday, April 29: Cardinal Palooza: It’s going to be a great night for our school!  Don’t forget to check out the kindergarten baskets. Mrs. Zontos and I can’t wait to see who gets to take them home!  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i3dq3RuLGAlJhTvhnmWrHj_11kFKyJXQRO9PyP7EAME/edit?usp=sharing Friday, May 12: Kindergarten Mother’s Day Tea at 10am;  ALL moms are invited...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, April 21

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars: Thursday, April  27th:Field trip to the La Grange Library; no snack needed this day, I will provide Friday, April 28th: No School, staff in-service Saturday, April 29: Cardinal Palooza: I hope you have your tickets!  The kindergarten baskets are almost all ready!  Mrs. Zontos and I are excited to see who...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, March 31

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars/Volunteer opportunities through the end of the school year: Cardinal Palooza: Saturday, April 29: hope to see you there! Friday, May 12: Kindergarten Mother’s Day Tea:  ALL moms are invited to attend this event, which is a kindergarten tradition.  Each child needs to have a special someone there. It will be around...
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Kindergarten Newsletter, March 24

Looking ahead/Mark your calendars/Volunteer opportunities through the end of the school year: Cardinal Palooza: Saturday, April 29: hope to see you there! Friday, May 12: Kindergarten Mother’s Day Tea:  ALL moms are invited to attend this event, which is a kindergarten tradition.  Each child needs to have a special someone there. It will be around...
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