Fall is in the Air…
Dear Parents,
Another lovely October week has been completed in Kindergarten!
For the past week, we have worked on words beginning with S! We even played an awesome game with the words from our word list. The students all went in their special reading spots with their words and spread them out so they could see them. I called out a word and the kiddos had to hold up the word in the air! What a great way to learn our word list!
Science had us scurrying around campus to compare leaves and tree bark. We also collected different leaves to complete a leaf rubbing in class. We found Maple, Oak and of course, Ginko leaves! On Wednesday, we paired up and headed back outside to find more leaves. This time, each student was asked to compare and contrast between their leaf and their partners’ leaf! We learned quite a bit about data, comparing and differences and most importantly, working together to complete an assignment. We also paired up this week to make our very own Leaf Men! The kids really love splitting up into pairs to work with a partner and it’s been so great to see new friendships form and ideas at work!
In Spanish this week, we are learning about the parts of the body like boca for mouth, ojos for eyes, and nariz for nose. The kids have even learned that their bodies also make movement! For P.E., Mrs. Goodson taught the class the games of kickball and dodgeball! How fun! In art we completed our caterpillars! The students traced and cut out their own circles to create their caterpillar. We can’t wait for you to see how great they did! We also had STEM this week. They were making beautiful robots and were talking about center of gravity. I can’t wait to find out what they do with their robots!
Social studies has been keeping us thinking lately and the class is all ears when the lessons start. This week we learned about the Abenaki tribe of the Eastern Woodlands. The Abenaki tribe used animals for many things like clothing, blankets, tools, and jewelry. I explained to the children that they did not have the luxury of just running to a Target for everyday items that they needed. Their days were spent catching and cooking their food, making their clothing, and many more household chores. One of the coolest things we learned was that they used the quills from a porcupine and dye to decorate their clothes!
We finished up chapter three with our positions and moved right onto 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. Math may be getting tougher, but our class is always ready for a challenge! I’m proud of their work and that they are confident in themselves. They never shy away from asking a question if they don’t understand a concept completely!
Since our last update, we’ve had another VIP! Alexandra was our VIP this week. She loves the color pink, wants to be an astronaut when she grows up and wants to be the first person to go to Mars! Thank you for sharing so many fun details about who you are!
Don’t forget, the Word of the Week is: Abenaki
With love,
Ms. Porto and Ms. Kathie