Hello Scientist Friends and family!
Here is a recap of our week together. Enjoy going through the images together at home and sharing the love of learning, together!
Open Choice Time
Message Writing
This is still a very popular area in our classroom. Many friends are building up their confidence levels and seeing themselves as more capable of sounding out words to convey their thoughts and feelings in writing. We always encourage our friends to "sound it out" and "do their best try" when writing. That way, they do not feel stuck and are always so surprised at the end when they see how much work they got done when they just TRY!
Watercoloring
Friends are becoming more familiar with different water color mediums (pencils, crayons, and liquid). They are noticing how each material responds differently on the paper. Come check out some of their first free hand paintings!
ST Math
We have brought Jiji out of the computer lab and into our class! Practicing different math skills at their own pace. Ask your child to show you how they help get Jiji to the top on our ipads!
Adjectives
During our yarn testing, many friends started describing the shapes of the lines in different ways. Some friends started labeling the lines with different adjectives, such as scribbly, wavy, zig zag and more.
Construction
If you've come in this week, I'm sure you've seen how busy the Construction Area has been. It was interesting to witness how four different personalities worked together to make one collaborative Zoo and Museum area. This work took many days and many hands to complete.
Library
This cozy little nook has been a pleasure to observe as friends look through books together, following along with the narrator, sharing a quiet moment together. Books on Tape, where have you been all my life!?!
Dramatic Play
Is this thing on? It's always fun for me to see how much learning happens through play and story telling...
This is also a fun space to act out the things you see in the world around you, such as making business calls and getting ready for an important meeting.
This week, friends suggested to me that the should record their stories that they act out from our library or from their imagination. Here, friends get their roles, costumes, lines, and camera ready for their big production.
4th Grade Buddies
This week, we reconnected with our Buddies for a new Get To Know Each Other activity. Each class stood on different sides of the room and when I'd call out a scenario, such as, "If you have a big brother..." people would step into the middle if it applied to their lives. It was fun to see how much kindergartners and 4th graders have in common!
Excitement Shares
One friend found a grasshopper and caught it. Her wish is for us to learn about it in class and have it as a class pet What questions does your child have about grasshoppers? What would we need to help it live a happy and healthy life?
This friend hand painted a wooden toy, making purposeful color choices and practiced slowing down in his work.
This friend has a small notepad that she carries around her home and practices spelling things she sees, such as cheese, bread, and Buddha Board. Sometimes she asks her parents for help, sometimes she sounds the words out herself. How does your child practice their writing at home? What strategies do they use?
This friend helped her mom sew the torn edges to this towel. They used a sewing machine instead of hand sewing it.
This friend practices her lower case letter shapes using a magnatab at home (just like the number magnatab we have in class!)
This friend made her own stationary using a special sticky glue and scrapbooking stickers.
This friend created his own lego creation without following instructions, using his imagination instead.
This friend taught us how fuse beads work and explained her pattern choices.
Journaling
This week, friends had an opportunity to revisit one of their previous journal entries to edit or finish their ideas. They chose between their entries regarding their New Year's Resolution, MLK, or the Water Treatment Plant.
ST Math
American Sign Language
We met with Joann twice this week since we were not able to meet with her last week. In our first session, friends practiced how to sign the names of different fruits and vegetables.
In our second session, friends practiced the alphabet.
Robotics with Carolina
Friends practiced inputting the codes for different shapes.
Nature Studies with Mary
This week, friends discussed Honey Bees.
Juicing
This week, Melayna's family brought in their harvest of the different citrus fruit they grown in their yard: lemons, juicing oranges and naval oranges. We worked together to write our step by step instructions of how to make juice.
Our first group made lemonade.
We added a dash of sugar and a bit of water. Time for a taste test. What did your child think?
The next group made orange juice.
They chose to make their juice with no pulp.
No sugar or water added to this one. How did it taste?
Outdoor Education with Coach Curry
Zig zagging, bunny hopping, dribbling, jump stopping, and shooting over D-Man!
Family Reader
Thank you Hope!
Information Table
There is a lot of good stuff going on in our class. Be sure to fill out a note card for the Scientist Friends to work out solutions to scenarios that might happen between siblings or relatives outside of school. Also, thank you in advance for contributing to our Donation Box to get a diffuser for our class!
