Kindergarten

Really, I could not be any prouder of this wonderful class!  They absolutely shone at their Poetry Assembly today.  So much hard work went into it and it all came together in one glorious performance.  It was such a thrill for me to see their animation, their confidence, and their joy in this presentation.  Way to go, Kindergarten!  What a class!  And in case you missed it (or want to see it again) here it is.  Ms. Rossie, thank you for taping it for us!

Thanks also are due to all parents and grandparents who helped make our potluck such a success today.  The food was delicious and it was so nice to have the opportunity to relax and celebrate with all the families.  Extra thanks go to Cate Bennett, who coordinated the meal.

While our preparations for the Assembly consumed the bulk of our time recently, we also continued to work in our Handwriting books and each student has nearly completed his or her own A-Z book.  These will come home soon.  Next week in math, I’ll introduce the symbols < and > and the children will begin a mini-unit on comparing numbers and writing number sentences.  Our new unit will be a study of the tropical rainforest; we’ll dive into that next week as well.  Our next few weeks will be busy – our year has been busy – no wonder the year has flown by!

Next week will also be our third and final PS/LS Assembly.  The topic is Compassion (you may recall the other two on Cooperation and Courage).  We’ll begin a class project for that on Monday.

We will also have a very special Lunch Bunch next week. Theresa Sonsini has invited all of us to her new restaurant in Great Barrington, the 528 Cafe!  This will take place on THURSDAY – a change from the original day of Wednesday.  More info next week.  Thank you, Theresa – this should be fun!

And thank you to Libby’s grandmother, Carol, who provided a fabulous Lunch Bunch two weeks ago.  The tacos were a huge hit!

Next event to put on your calendar is the Lower School Music Concert, May 30, 2:00.  Mrs. Hilliard has been working with the children and Kindergarten will sing one song.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Andrea

We’ve been so busy since our return from vacation!  Rehearsals are in full swing for the Lorax, the play we’re doing with First Grade.  We rehearse three times a week in Furey Hall and at this point, about half the play has been blocked.  The children are doing a great job learning their parts!

In class, our main focus is on our new unit of study, the ocean.  Vibrant jellyfish hang from our ceiling and grabby crabs adorn our walls.  Each child has chosen one sea creature they want to learn more about, so we’re focusing our study on whales, dolphins, seals, and sharks (sharks by far being the most popular choice).   We’re also making a mural.   As we learn about a particular sea creature or an area of the ocean (for example, the sunlight zone or coral reef) the mural gets more colorful each day as more and more gets added to it   The children have also begun individual dioramas which will take another week or so to complete.  This is a rich unit and definitely a favorite of the class.

In math we have begin our study of measurement.  The children are becoming familiar with the terms inch, foot, and yard, and they are becoming practiced in using rulers and yardsticks.  They’ve had a great time measuring and recording all sorts of things, both in the classroom and outside.  One of their recent papers is on the bulletin – come and take a look!

A few housekeeping notes:

Along with the Preschool and Grade 1, we will be going on a trip to Hancock Shaker Village on Monday April 28.

Book order forms are coming home today.  Please return them by Wednesday, April 23.

There’s no school on Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21 (Good Friday and Patriot’s Day, respectively).

Have a great weekend!

Andrea