Friday, September 9, 2016

New Week, New Learnings

Next week we will begin a new Science Unit: Exploring Our Senses! Here is what your little one will be able to do by the end of the unit:
  • Sort objects based on size, material, color, shape, and mass
  • Use the senses to describe and identify the properties of objects
  • Use the senses to identify the materials (e.g. cloth, paper, wood, rock, and metal) that make up an object
  • Identify and compare different everyday sounds
  • Record observations, findings and questions in a science notebook


In Reading, students have been set up with a reading partner. Students will read with their partner everyday during "we" time. During this time, students sit elbow to elbow,  knee to knee, book in the middle so they both can see :) Next week, students will practice talking to their partner and sharing their books from their book boxes! Here is what students are doing during reading workshop:
  • I can follow the routines of reader’s workshop. This means I...
    • move quickly and quietly to and from the meeting area.
    • know where and how to get books to read.
    • follow routines for tub reading time.
  • I can spend time enjoying books by myself. This means I...
    • read in a quiet voice. 
    • look at the whole book.
    • think about the book. 
    • choose to read many different books.
  • I can spend time enjoying books with my friends. This means I...
    • share books with my partner
    • am respectful.
    • talk about the book.

In writing, students are learning how to think, think, think before the write, write, write! Students are working together to touch and tell their story, having a plan, before beginning to add pictures and words to each page! Books are starting to become great stories that are all about one topic! Here are the I can statements for the unit!

1. I can use a process to develop my writing. This means, with assistance I… 
             o recall topics and events to write about. 
             o produce books to share my stories. 
             o revise my work by adding to the pictures and words. 
             o edit my work. 

2. I can organize my writing. This means I… 
             o tell, draw, and/or write a complete piece. 
             o order the pages of my writing in a way that makes sense.
             o can read my writing to others.

3. I can grow my ideas on a topic. This means I… 
             o work with others to get and grow ideas. 
             o add details to my pictures and words 
             o use picture and/or words to show my ideas.

In Math, we are beginning to talk about equal, greater than and less than! Students are doing a great job catching on to each concept and are enjoying playing games during math workshop! Here is what students are working on during our first math unit:
  1. I know the number names and the count sequence. This means I can...
    • write numbers 0 to 10.
    • write a number to match a group of objects from 0 to 10.
  2. I can count to tell the number of objects. This means I can...
    • count objects in a group (each object is counted only once regardless of arrangement and order).
    • answer “how many” are in a group after counting all the objects.
    • count up to 10 objects in lines, arrays, or circles.
    • count out 1 to 10 objects that are scattered.
    • count out 1 to 10 objects.
3.   I can compare numbers. This means I can...

    • identify the group of objects that is greater than, less than or equal to another group of objects.
    • compare two numbers from 1 to 10.

***All unit descriptions and I can statements are retrieved from Parkway's Online Curriculum Guide***

Boy OR Girl?!

As you know, I'm expecting! After sharing the big news with the class, students voted boy or girl? Looks like the majority of the class is thinking boy?!
 We will have to wait till November to find out!!!!
Image result for clipart stork

TEAM BOY


TEAM GIRL 
 

Meeting Our Buddy

Last Friday, our third grade buddy class came into our classroom to read to us! However, before they began reading, each kindergartner was paired with a third grade buddy! Students will have the same buddy all year! Throughout the year, both classes will get together to participate in buddy activities! 
















Thursday, September 1, 2016

Meet Midnight

Our class adopted and cow and named her Midnight! We will receive weekly updates on Midnight from our farmer! Very exciting! I will add a picture as soon as I can figure out how :)
 Here is our first message:
Thank you for adopting Midnight from Schoen Dairy Farm! Like all milking cows, this calf is a girl. In this photo, she's two weeks old and growing fast! She is a member of the 350-cow herd on our farm, and is also one of the nearly 10 million dairy cows that live in the United States.
Midnight is raised in the Calf Hutch, where we make sure she gets the special care and nutrition she needs to grow strong and healthy. At this age, calves drink milk replacer, which is like baby formula for cows, and provides all the nutrition she needs. She has lots of energy and loves to play!





Who Am I?

This week we began exploring of first Social Studies Unit: Who Am I? This week we created our self portraits. The self portraits will be shared with the class along with how each child got their name! We also shared our blue writing folders!
Next week we will share our timelines and talk about our talents!

Here are the learning targets for the unit (all information retrieved from the Parkway OCG)
  1. I can tell others all about myself and why I am unique. This means I can…
    • explain why I have the name that I do.
    • describe important people in my life.
    • describe important things that have happened in my life.
    • create a timeline of my life so far.
    • talk about things I am interested in.
    • talk about or show others my talents.
  2. I can contribute to my classroom community. This means I can…
    • say why we have rules in our classroom and school.
    • understand the responsibilities that I have to myself and others.
    • use my voice to create rules which protect everyone’s rights.
    • help make decisions that contribute to the good of our classroom community.
  3. I can act responsibly if we are not getting along in my classroom or school. This means I can…
    • say how people in stories and in real life have found better ways of getting along.
    • try to understand how other people feel.
    • identify a possible reason for not getting along.
    • say a possible way to get along better.

Popsicles at the Park


It was HOT but the kids had FUN :)













Kindergarten Leadership Roles

This year, each child will have the opportunity to try out all of the leadership roles inside the classroom! I will post each time the roles are changed! 
A list of roles will also be listed in their Leadership Binder under tab 3!