The Kindergartners have had fun in the last week talking about what makes shadows and how shadows change. Students made towers with blocks and then shined flashlights on them to observe the “shadow cities”. Today I traced the shadow of each child outside on the playground; students were amazed to discover that their shadows shifted over time!
Kindergarten has had a great first week together. On the first day, we went to the Gym to hear Mr. Lindenmaier ring the bell to signal the start of a new year, and at the end of the day, we went back to the Gym to play games with Grades 1-3. Great fun!
In the classroom, the children have been quite intrigued by our monarch caterpillars. We’ve read books about their life cycle and the class has begun work on their life cycle posters – the egg – and today made life drawings of the caterpillars. The children have caught onto classroom routines quickly and are already starting to develop a sense of class cohesion. Their artwork is starting to cover our bulletin boards, and they’re learning new poems and songs rapidly. Much conversation happens as they begin making new friends and get reacquainted with old ones. Next week we’ll begin work on our hopes and dreams for the year. What a rich time these early weeks of school are!
In brief:
The BCD Penguin has been found, and if you’re not sure what I’m referring to, ask your kindergartner!
On Friday we learned a little about Rosh Hashanah and dipped apples in honey, as we wished each other a happy new school year.
Next Friday will be our first Pizza Friday. If you haven’t returned the forms, please do so by next Monday.
And one more reminder to please make sure to send in a small blanket for rest and a full set of extra clothes in a labeled ziploc bag.
We’re off to a great start! Have a wonderful weekend.
Andrea
Hard at work on caterpillar life drawings
Happy scientists!
At this time of year, the weeks fly by. We’ve celebrated two birthdays in the last few weeks. Jacob (whose real birthday is July) had a school celebration, and his mom, dad, and second-grade brother Sam were all able to join us in the classroom. And this week, Henry turned six, and his mother, father and third-grade sister Aurora were able to come as well. At both birthdays, as is our Kindergarten custom, we enjoyed favorite stories and delicious treats, ending always with the special book of birthday wishes that the children write for each other. Thank you to both families for making our birthday boys feel so special!
We had our final Lunch Bunch as well. Thank you to Jenny, Noah, and Patrick, for a delicious meal. The class enjoyed it a great deal.
The highlight of our time together, of course, was our Poetry Assembly. What a great performance today, after all their hard work! The children recited 20 poems and dramatized many of their favorites. I could not be any prouder of them. Putting on our Poetry Assembly is a monumental job, and the children did their very best. Bravo, Kindergarten!!
Before the Assembly!
In case you want to see some of it again, here is a video of most of it. Thank you, Mrs. Elmore, for doing the taping! This is a clip of most of it, as the camera died toward the end and Mrs. Elmore had to go to another camera. When I get the second link, I will send it on.
Have a great weekend!
Andrea
Today, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had our story time outside under a lovely tree near Cole Field. The students enjoyed We Go Together by Todd Dunn, Martha Moth Makes Socks by Cambria Evans and Gracie and Grandma And the Itsy Bitsy Seed by Iben Sandemose. We were inspired by the many fallen twigs and pieces of bark and began to construct a small fairy house in the crook of a nearby tree. Though we did not check out books today, feel free to stop by the library and take a book if you’d like for your child. Just leave me a note on my desk. Happy Reading!