Catching Up with Kindergarten
Hello parents!
The past two weeks our class has been extremely focused and busy! We’re gearing up for the end of our first quarter and it’s hard to believe that it’s almost Halloween!
In math, we finished up Chapter 3, which had the class learning their position words in relation to objects. We had a fun time figuring out who was before, between or after someone in line and I also incorporated everyday objects (like pencils, CDs and chairs) so that they would have additional visuals to help them along. On Monday we started Chapter 4 which introduces ratios, as well as the concept of more and fewer. The kids have been focused and determined to see the “a-ha!” moment when they understand a math question is such a great moment for us.
Superkids is moving right along as well. Due to the rainy weather a few weeks ago, we had to postpone our “Adventures with Alf” until last week. I was so happy to get the class outdoors for a scavenger hunt. We used a map of the campus to look for clues that took us to Africa to look for lions and even a fishing expedition. A great time was had by all, even more so when the adventure took place on our very first pajama day! We also finished up Doc and the letter D and took our first word list test. I must say, each student did magnificently!
This week we met Sal which means we’re learning the letter S! Sal loves sports- skiing, sledding, swimming, surfboarding and skateboarding. He’s a busy guy! Sal also has been teaching the kids about good sportsmanship and what that means.
We’re also starting to focus more on reading beginner books each day after lunch. Everyone takes a few books to their own “quiet spot” and focuses on blending letters to form words. Once they feel they’ve mastered a small book, they bring it up to us to read aloud. They’ve all done such a wonderful job and we couldn’t be prouder! We know that as parents you share our excitement in watching your child bloom into a great reader. 🙂
In science, we also finished up our apple unit. We sent home their apple packets full of all their data collected during labs and some other fun activities. This week we started our unit on leaves. The kids are looking forward to getting outside again (especially with the cooler temps!) to collect leaves from around campus. We’re going to try and pinpoint what trees each leaf came from and have some really great activities planned as well.
We bid farewell to Christopher Columbus in social studies and started learning about the Native Americans. The class loves our social studies time! This week we learned about the Abenaki tribe of the Eastern Woodlands. Mrs. Barlow had the kids re-create animal pelts from paper bags and everyone worked diligently to add their own borders, arrowheads, and animals. If you have a chance to stop by the class, we have them hanging in the window, so be sure to take a peek.
We’ve had two VIP’s since our last blog post as well! Last week Catherine was our VIP! We learned that Catherine wants to be a rock star when she grows up (and she agreed to let Mrs. Barlow and me on stage for her first performance). Her board was bright and cheery, just like her personality 🙂 This week Boss was our VIP! Boss’ favorite place to be is the beach (us too!) and when he grows up he wants to be a pizza man! Thanks to both of you for sharing, we loved it!
Just a few quick reminders:
As the temperature dips, please be sure to send a small jacket or sweater with your child. Some mornings when we head out to recess, are a bit chilly!
We’ll be sending information out about what your child will need for our Halloween party soon. Aanika’s mom will be posting info on the class Halloween party if you are signed up for it soon, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled! It’s such a fun day to be had by all and we can’t wait to have a spooktacular time with all of you!
And most importantly, the Word of the Week is Abenaki
With love,
Ms. Porto and Mrs. Barlow
