Happy New Year!
It has been a boisterous first week back to kindergarten, full of excitement and reconnections. Also, thanks to the extraordinary amounts of rainy days we've had, we have had many picnic style snack and lunch times together inside! It has been so much fun being with everyone again. I'm glad to hear about how special everyone's holidays were.
Open Choice Time
Earlier in the week, we used Open Choice Time to get reacquainted with the holiday games friends created, as well as try out some of the special new gifts that have come into our class thanks to families making generous purchases off of our Amazon WishList. Thank you everyone!
Books on Tape with our new Tape Player
Winter Friendship Game
Winter Tic Tac Toe
Number Writing Practice using our new Number Magnatab
Reading and Writing with our new Reading Blocks
Relaxing and Reading with a friend
Later in the week, I invited Carolina and my husband to help move things around in the classroom. Our friends came in on Friday very surprised and curious about the new set up. After getting a quick tour, friends were ready to try a few new areas.
Testing our new Buddah Board
Message Writing
Trying out our new Library Area
Organizing and sorting tools in the new Construction Area
Excitement Shares
This week, we had many lovely shares about interesting concepts practiced over the Winter Break.
Documenting a visit to the museum
Explaining how to collect and sort seashells from the beach
Explaining what an open and closed circuit is and how electricity flows from a battery to a pinwheel
Documenting the newest addition to your family-- Welcome Arianna!
Explaining how to make a crown with jewels while on a trip to San Francisco
Explaining how reading an instruction manual helped to build a car and how that careful practice allowed him to take it apart and put it back together from memory
Explaining how to construct and deconstruct an origami creation made without following written instructions, but by following oral instructions and the use of modeling from her grandmother. Intergenerational learning!!
Handwriting Without Tears
This week, we sang and danced with wooden and paper pieces. We had Big Lines, Little Lines, Big Curves and Little Curves. Friends explored these shapes to see what different symbols they could create.
Number Talks
Friends explored how different friends see patterns differently. Here are some examples of how friends saw the dots and equations that represent how many there are.
Journaling
This week, friends thought about their new years resolutions. Come in to check out what they thought would be good to either give up or get better at in the new year. What's your new year's resolution?
We also had many questions from one of our poems from this month's selection titled, "We Can Be Like Martin." We looked up images of him on the internet, found that we would have and extra home day to honor him this month, and we watched a video of him to learn more about why people in America celebrate this man from the past.
After watching this video, we documented how laws used to be in the past and how they are different today. There will be a Reflection Page about this soon! We took to our journals to write any lingering burning questions that the students may have had about this kind man.
American Sign Language with Joanne
Joanne is our new Sign Language teacher and spent time getting to know the students by asking them their name and what their favorite thing to do was. After they responded, she guided everyone to practice signing their responses. They also got to practice signing a fun song about colors.
Nature Studies with Mary
This week, the students learned about the Kumeyaay. They played some of their games and learned how to make acorn flour. What did your child find most interesting about this group of people?
Outdoor Education with Coach Curry
This week, friends practiced shooting the basketball towards the hoops' net. Here are some of the key concepts covered that you can practice at home with your child.
Bend your knees and...
Jump!
That's called "Power Up"
Hold the ball in your palm...
then make sure your elbow goes over your eyebrow...
and then reach into the Cookie Jar!
Ready everyone?
Power Up!
Jump!
Make sure that elbow is over your eyebrow...
Just like that!
Reach into that Cookie Jar!
There were also different techniques were you can either go up on your tippy toes as you shoot the ball or actually jump into the air. The kids did really well and got a lot of fun practice. Just make sure you stay out from under that hoop because the balls will be coming down fast!
Family Reader
Thank you to Kristin and John (Emmet's family) for being our impromptu Family Readers this week! Sorry I could not upload a picture this week =/
Thank you all again for your generous support!
Love, Gaby
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