Busy, Busy

It's been a busy last few days!  Big thanks to Dana for coming and teaching us about Hanukkah and how to play the dreidel game.  We have been reading lots of Gingerbread Man books.  Today we read The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers and The Gingerbread Cowboy.  These books are not only fun but also get at many elements of a story: parts that repeat, characters, setting (Gingerbread Cowboy takes place in the desert).  Ms. Beth and Ms. K also made a cardboard Gingerbread House in the library which makes for a cozy reading nook. This afternoon we had some fun making Cinnamon Applesauce ornaments.  In Math we continue to talk about shapes.  We learned that a rectangle is a shape with four straight sides and four corners.  Kindergarten was surprised to learn that a square is a special kind of rectangle that has four equal sides.

Winter has arrived!

We had fun playing in all of the snow this morning.  Our poem this week is Mittens:

            Mittens 

Red mittens, blue mittens 

Mittens for cold weather. 

Wool mittens, knit mittens 

Fingers all together. 

Green mittens, orange mittens, 

Yellow mittens too.  

Furry mittens, soft mittens 

Which ones are for you?

We also read the book The Gingerbread Man and we talked about how folktales have been told orally over the years and then written down.  The Gingerbread Man is one example of a book that has been retold in many different ways.  We will be reading different versions and discussing what is the same and different.  

In Math today we began our second math module on flat (2-D) and solid (3-D) shapes.  Today we looked at a square and cylinder and without naming the shapes, students explained what they noticed: "one looks like a circle that has been stretched out, one is tall one is flat, one has points, one has four edges."  It was an excellent conversation rich with math language. 

Happy Monday!

It was a snowy and chilly start to the week!  This morning we had our first lockdown drill.  Our School Resource Officer, Officer Difranco came and explained what a lockdown is and how to practice.  We chose our "safe corner" and did an excellent job being still in quiet during the drill.  After practicing a lockdown we wrote our first lowercase letter: c.

We have been talking a lot about being kind to one another.  Today I read the book The Kindness Quilt and we also watched the story Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal.  We talked about the difference between a squeal (a kid sized problem like someone sticking a tongue out or cutting in line) versus a "big deal" (someone is in danger, hurt or unsafe).

Sight Word Search

This week we began talking about sight words - words reader and writers see and use a lot!  This morning we used "magic" (highlighter) tape to find "is" and "the" in our Morning Message.  We practiced writing uppercase A and students noticed we only have 2 uppercase letters left!    Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance and talked more about how to not be a bystander if you see someone being bullied.

Students finished their Alphabet illustrations and we worked together to put the illustrations in ABC order.  I read the book When it Starts to Snow and learned more about where animals go when it starts to snow in this fun rhyming book.

This afternoon we finished up talking about one more and introduced two new stations - one more bingo and a cube tower building game where students had to make towers that were one less and one more than the number rolled on a dice.  Tomorrow we will talk more about one less as this continues to be a tricky topic.

Happy Monday

I cannot believe that December is already here.  This morning we highlighted the sight word the in our Morning Message and used the sights words  I go to the to make a sentence: I go to the park.  We discussed how a sentence is made up of words that have spaces in between and end with a period.  Kindergarten is excited to try out writing sentences and are encouraged that "if you can say it, you can spell it!"

Today we continued talking about what animals do as the weather gets colder.  I read the book Not a Buzz to be Found: Insects in Winter  by Linda Glaser.  Students made lots of connections to the woods and we will be doing some searching under logs for insects keeping warm as winter approaches.

In Math we continue to discuss the number that is one more.  We listened to and played along to the one more number song.

Clay Faces in the Woods!

It was a fun and creative Thursday in the woods!  I brought out some clay this morning and Kindergarten had fun using it to make faces on the trees with found objects.  There were lots of amazing creations!

After the woods fourth grade teacher, Mr. Palmer, visited as our Mystery Reader and told us an oral story.  It was a great treat and a great preview into Folktales which we will read in the spring. 

In Math this afternoon we looked at a number "staircase" and practiced using the language of "one more" and "one less." 

Happy Wednesday!

This morning we practiced writing uppercase G using the language "big curve, little line, little line."  We also had a mystery reader who read The Ninjabread Man.  We will be reading more gingerbread books in a few weeks so this was a great introduction.  To end Reader's Workshop I read Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming and we discussed what changes we have noticed outside.  Students said they noticed that it is cold, very windy, snowy and that animals are starting to go into their homes.  I explained that animals adapt, migrate or hibernate during the cold months and over the next few weeks we will be reading more about animals in winter.

We also watched some silly videos from http://pigeonpresents.com/ and chose a video to share with the school at Friday's Community Meeting along with our work.

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow...

It was a BUSY Tuesday.  Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance this morning and continued her curriculum on preventing bullying.  Students practiced role playing what to say if they observe someone bullying by using the language "Stop that's bullying!" and reporting it to a trusted adult.

This morning I read the book The Jacket I Wear in the Snow a rebus book which means it follows a familiar, repetitive pattern and students are able to join in as words are replaced by picture icons.  This afternoon it was P.E. and a fire drill at the end of P.E. Kindergarten did an excellent job leaving the building safely and quietly despite the cold!

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving break!  It was a chilly and snowy Monday at school.  This morning we practiced writing uppercase O and Q and then welcomed in 3 Mystery Readers!  After that it was time for Literacy Stations.  We read our (silly) poem of the week:

Animal Crackers 

Today I ate a lion, 

and then a tall giraffe,

but when I ate an elephant 

it really made me laugh. 

Now if you think it is funny, 

that I ate such a meal, 

they are animal crackers that I ate, 

and none of them were real.

and introduced some new stations: matching rhyming words for ABC station, drawing a picture that matches a letter of the alphabet to create our own Alphabet Chart for word work and a new games station today it was a game where students used a fishing pole to go "fishing" for letters of the alphabet!

During Math we practiced counting on with coloring in 6 beans and discussing how many more there are and also students played two new math games during stations.  One of my personal favorites is bump.  Students play "Bump" with a partner. Each child takes 10 unifix cubes of one color. His/her partner should have a different color. The first child rolls 2 dice and puts a cube on that number. If another player’s marker is on that number BUMP it off. If your marker is on that number, link the cubes together and it freezes that spot. The winner is the player that uses all of his/her markers first!

Thursday in the Woods!

It was a fun morning in the woods!  Mrs. Slack read the book Thanksgiving Treat by Catherine Stock about a child and grandpa who find chestnuts to roast on Thanksgiving.  While we won't be roasting any chestnuts we find in the woods, it was a great connection to the woods and Thanksgiving.

Earlier in the week we got a delivery of small chalkboards and Kindergarten has enjoyed writing letters with chalk and tracing over with small sponges.  This afternoon our grade 5 buddies visited and we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Yesterday we worked on writing uppercase Y and today uppercase Z.  During Literacy Stations students have been working on matching the correct initial sound to the corresponding picture.  Students finished up their torn paper self portraits using people colored construction paper and they look AMAZING!

In Math we worked with a 10 frame and cubes to practice counting on.  We are working on using this strategy of counting on instead of going back in counting all.  So if you know you have 5 red cubes and then 3 blue cubes you can hold on to the number 5 in your brain and count on instead of starting back at 1. 

Brrrrr...

While it was a bit chilly in the woods this morning we still had a lot of fun!  We talked about how most of the leaves have fallen off the trees and make a rustling sound under our feet as we walk.

I read The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey to start Writer's Workshop and discussed how Dav Pilkey uses dark colors like black and dark blue to show darkness and yellow to show light - the yellow moon and stars, yellow from a lamp and night light and yellow from the boy's bicycle light.

During Math we discussed how there are different ways to break apart a number of objects.  I showed four shapes on the board and then broke it apart into 2 and 2.  One way to write this is 4=2+2 and we read it ias 4 is equal to 2 plus 2.  

First Frost

Kindergarten was surprised by the first frost this morning!  There was a lot of buzz about it on the playground this morning.  We practiced writing uppercase W this morning focusing on big straight lines down and up.  To begin Reader's Workshop we talked about rhyming and students matched rhyming picture cards in a chart while I recorded the matches on chart paper.  We also listened to a couple of fun rhyming songs.

I read the book "Let's Get a Pup," Said Kate by Bob Graham.  During Library students visited the learning center, learned how to log in to computers and used Pebble Go a website that has digital readers focusing on Science and Animals.  If you want to login at home on a computer, tablet or phone go to: https://www.pebblego.com/

the username is: smith2

password: school

   

We Are All Friends

This morning we practiced writing uppercase V and then Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance.  After Guidance we talked about how we are all different not only do we look different and like different things but we think differently and are better at certain things then others.  We watched a video from Sesame Street and discussed the importance of being kind and including everyone. 

During Math we practiced writing numbers 1-5 on a whiteboard and played POP a counting game.  Kindergarten is still learning to wait patiently for their turn but today we chose the number 10 we counted around the circle and when we got 10 the person said POP and sat down.  The last person standing "won."  We found it worked better when we played in two small groups.  We are working towards all playing together. 

The Colors of Us

On Friday we got a special delivery of "people color" colored pencils, crayons and construction.  I read the book The Colors of Us by Karen Kratz and we talked about people may be referred to as black, brown or white but that really we are all different shades or tones of colors.  These "people colors" will help us to think about the color of skin when we draw ourselves, friends and family during Writer's Workshop.  During Reader's Workshop we are also using the construction paper to make torn paper self portraits.  Students used the iPads to try to match the color of their eyes and hair.

This morning we also made some bird feeders using unflavored gelatin, water and bird seed.  It was a success so we will make more tomorrow!