Hello Hardworking Journalists!
Here is a recap of our adventures in Kindergarten:
In Gardening,the students started their day with a tour of the garden to see new changes over the past 6 weeks (additional compost bins, xeriscape garden development and review of our edible beds).
They then worked in small groups to categorize the different parts of plants that we eat: Seeds, Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits. Students looked at foods we eat from the local food stores and put them on the category cards in a sort. They talked about each plant as they sorted them and decided why they fall under each category.
This week, friends finished making our class World Map!
Various friends brought in different artifacts to our class so that we can learn more about where their families came from. Here, we were introduced to different Canadian coins, and the country's flag. This promoted great discussion around the differences and similarities in our neighboring country's currency, as well as theorizing about the symbol on the Canadian flag. Why a maple leaf?
Speaking of flag symbols, we also discussed the United States' flag. Friends shared their knowledge about the symbols of stars and stripes. The stars we representative of the 50 states in our country, but the stripes were still a mystery to some...
Another friend shared her knowledge of her family's home: Brazil. We practiced their native language, Portuguese, and learned the terms oi (hello) and tchau (bye)!
Here, a friend shares a very special family artifact all the way from Germany. This 100 year old document represents when his maternal great-grandfather was ordained as a minister!
Here, we learn about a ceramic bowl that was made by an aunt from Cuba! Friends were curious about the different textures found on the bowl (glossy like glass on the top, and rough like bark on the bottom). Was ceramic the same as glass? We found the definition in the dictionary and students were surprised to hear that this bowl was made of clay, but other made the connection from ceramic decorations they have made with families at the mall.
Since this was still bringing many questions and theories from the class, we took to the internet to find out how ceramic bowls were made from clay. Here friends watch as a mound of clay is molded on a pottery wheel to form the shape of a bowl.
Check out student ideas on ceramics in their journals!
Later in the week, our Buddies joined us as we explored a new medium and worked together to try and mold a lump of clay into a bowl without a pottery wheel. It was really exciting to see how each bowl came out to be so unique! Check out our Discussion Notes Binder to read their reactions to using this new medium.
Thank you to Seng for being our Family Reader!
She brought in two different fruits from where her family came from: Asia. We were introduced to the >>>PERSIMMON<<< and >>>LONGAN<<< (also known as Dragon Eye).
In class, we created a brainstorm of things in our world that there is only one of to help us build our Number Sense. This was a neat activity because there was so much theory repair happening as they bounced ideas off each other to make sure that their suggestion truly represented something that there was only ONE of. For example, one idea that did not make the cut was that we only have one body, because friends pointed out the fact that sometimes, people are born differently and might share a body with their brother or sister (conjoined twins!). What else is there only ONE of in our world?
This week, the class used algebraic thinking to solve different Equation Stories. Here, friends acted out that 3 friends came to school and 2 more friends came to school. Then there were 5 friends at school! The class checked their work by counting the bodies and then representing the equation using their corresponding numerical and equation symbols! What Equation Stories can you make up at home?
As students continue becoming familiar with the names, shapes, and sounds of the letters in our alphabet, we have been paying special attention to the NOUNS. The sounds that these special letters make can be hard to distinguish or memorize, so we have documented some tips to help us remember!
Vowels show up in many words, including our names. Different friends have vowels in their names that do different jobs. Here are how some names use vowels to make either the HARD sound or the SOFT sound of the letter. What sounds do the vowels in your name make?
The class had their last Math in Motion session with Erika this week and pulled together the moves and math concepts they have been working on for the last 8 weeks.
Earlier this week, the class generated various questions that they wished to ask Adrienne, the dental hygienist that would be coming in to help us better grasp the concepts revolving around teeth and cavities.
A big thank you to Marisa for inviting Adrienne to come in to share her knowledge about how to care for teeth, demonstrating proper brushing and flossing techniques.
She helped us review which food were helpful in building strong and healthy teeth.
The different parts, shapes, and jobs of teeth.
Demystifying what "sugar bugs" or bacteria were and how they break down our teeth.
We viewed x-rays of cavities as well as actual "baby teeth."
We ended our week with our November Songs and Poems Recital. Enjoy!
Love, Gaby
