Our Buddies

On Friday we read a part of a book titled "Thanksgiving" by Ann Heinrichs. We learned that the cornucopia is a Thanksgiving symbol to remind us of all we have to be thankful for. It is a food basket that is shaped like an animal's horn. It overflows with fruits and vegetables. We made our own cornucopias with our buddies. Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks on Day 60

Yesterday was the 60th day of school. Zero the Hero came by before changing his costume and becoming our Thanksgiving Turkey at our feast. He led us in the Turkey Tango. I cannot tell you how much fun we had and how nice it was to be together as a Kindergarten community. I was not in school yesterday morning, but was there in time for the feast. In the morning students listened to the book Feeling Thankful and had a discussion about what each of them is thankful for. They also completed a writing activity. I wish your family much peace over the Thanksgiving break.

super-awesome day

We had a super-awesome day. We started off our day with a trip to the library to make a wish list for the book fair. Then we went to an anti-bullying interactive presentation that was phenomenal. The performers were engaging and the students learned some strategies to help them stand up to bullies. Lunch was a Thanksgiving dinner and the rest of the day was spent getting ready for our Kindergarten Feast which happens tomorrow. In preparation for the feast we learned the Turkey Tango dance and made hats and collars similar to what Pilgrims may have worn. Our contribution to the feast is popcorn. Be sure to ask your child about our celebration. It is bound to be super-awesome just like they are :)

Windblown...

Where did all these pieces of paper come from? Who do they belong to? The chicken is sure that they belong to him, as does the fish, and the bird, and the snail, and the frog… Yesterday we read Windblown by Edouard Manceau. Using the same small scraps of paper over and over again, a new animal is blown onto each page by the wind. When the book was finished students created their own windblown object. They are hanging in our hallway. Be sure to check them out if you are in school. They are quite magnificent.

holiday cards, guidance class, browsing boxes

We were busy this week in Kindergarten. On Wednesday, Mrs. King came to our class to help us make holiday cards. The children really enjoyed helping to make the cards although some of the steps were tricky. Cards are on sale through Friday, November 22... Miss Patty Ransom came to our class on Thursday for a safety lesson. Please review the packet sent home... We finally broke out our browsing boxes! Browsing boxes hold books that students are interested in looking at and reading. Students went book shopping on Friday and chose 5 books they were interested in and 2 small readers. They were very careful in their selections, taking time to find a book they liked or wanted to "read" more about. The small readers are sight word books we've been practicing in class over the last several weeks. Students are excited for Readers' Workshop on Monday and while they are reading from their browsing boxes, I will be able to read and conference with individual students. I am excited for Readers' Workshop too... Have a happy weekend!

3-D Shapes Song

Mrs. Chase shared the following link with us. Our students LOVE this song and will know 3-D shapes names in no time at all. I told them I would share it with you so that maybe they could access it from home. You will need to copy and paste it in your browser. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9L9l86N-xM

Healthy Snack

Last week we started having a healthy snack delivered to our class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as part of a fresh foods grant. Students are able to try fruits and vegetables of different varieties. So far we have had apples, oranges, grapes, salsa & chips, pineapple, and carrots. Many students are trying foods even if they think they might not like it. I am collecting data as to how many students try the foods and if they like it or not. The day we had salsa was especially fun as we tried to guess the different foods it took to make it. I think my favorite was the pineapple. Have a happy weekend. A newsletter will go home on Monday.