Our Published Book

Last week Kindergarten completed a co-constructed book!  They worked really hard to plan what the book would be about, sound out and write the words and then draw the illustrations in small groups.  Kindergarten should be very proud of all of their hard work.  I hope to get some audio of them reading the book but for now here are some pictures of the pages:

Rainy Monday

Something new we have been doing during Morning Meeting is making predictions about and recording the temperature.  Students are working on making predictions that 'make sense.'  Knowing that 32 degrees is the temperature which water freezes students have been able to make strong predictions.  Then we check the weather and record it on a thermometer chart.  We look forward to seeing the temperature increase over time!

During Writer's Workshop we discussed where writers get their ideas - from what they know and love, and began a chart for when we are stuck on coming up with an idea.  Kindergarten is working hard to create books that are important to them.

We continue to work on addition in Math and today students learned a new game "Kindergarten Yahtzee" a twist on the classic game.  Students roll two dice and have to check off numbers 2-12, when they roll all the numbers they yell 'Yahtzee' and win the game.  This game is not only fun but practices subitizing and combining numbers. 

Concert and 'Who Sank the Boat?'

Kindergarteners did AMAZING at our concert on Friday!  Below are links to the performances in case you missed the concert.  Montshire Museum of Science also visited and did a workshop entitled "Who Sank the Boat?"  Kindergarten had the opportunity to make predictions and then test out a group of objects to determine whether they would sink or float. 

Down by the Bay (hopefully these links work now!)

Do-Re-Mi

A Cold Wednesday

We stayed inside this morning due to the wind and cold temperature but this meant more time to work on writing this morning.  Kindergarten is working on finishing our co-constructed big book and I will post more on it when we are all done tomorrow or Monday.  Mrs. Guilmette visited for Guidance and talked to students about our bodies and keeping them healthy.  After Guidance it was time for Math where we continue to work on number bonds and addition through story problems.  Our day ended with a visit to the Computer Lab and Art with Mrs. Hawkes.

Elephant and Piggie: We are in a Play!

Today was a fun and busy day in Kindergarten!  We enjoyed some time outside this morning followed by Morning Meeting and Writer's Workshop.  Today we focused on using a mix of uppercase letters (for the first word in a sentence and names of people, places or things) and lowercase letters for everything else.  Kindergarten is also working on counting the words in sentences, beginning to add end marks to their own work, and using their finger to add spaces between words.  Lots of hard work going on!

We played number bingo for Math today and then this afternoon it was time to head to the Flynn Theater for Elephant and Piggie: We are in a Play! It was a wonderful performance.  Be sure to ask your Kindergartener what their favorite part was.

First Day of Spring!

While it may not be all that warm out, at least the sun was shining for the first day of Spring!  After some time outside this morning we read our morning message, enjoyed snack and worked on writing.  Kindergarten continues to work on our co-constructed big book The Days of the Week in Kindergarten and also working on adding title pages to their own books.  We have been talking a lot about how the title, or cover page, is important as it tells the reader what the inside of the book is going to be about.  

This afternoon we started Reader's Workshop by reading an Elephant and Piggie book in anticipation of our trip to the Flynn Theater tomorrow!  We discussed how elephant and piggie will be played by humans dressed in the colors that match elephant and piggie.  The humans will not have a snout or a trunk but their grey and pink clothes will allow the audience to know which character is which.  We are excited! 

SO much snow!

Kindergarten enjoyed getting out in the woods for a little bit this morning and enjoyed some time playing in all of the snow!

After the woods we finished the chapter book we have been reading Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant and Kindergarten is eager to start a new chapter book.  Tomorrow we will vote on what we will be reading next.  

We are continuing discussing community helpers and today Ms. Gunnarsson read Jobs on a Farm.  Because we have missed our weekly visits to the library on Tuesday the last few weeks Ms. Beth was kind enough to invite Kindergarten to the library this afternoon.  After a visit to the library we continued working on a big book we are creating all together.  On Monday we discussed how authors write about what they know and love and so we had to decide on a topic that everyone in our classroom knew a lot about and loved (or at least liked) so we decided to write a book about Kindergarten!  First we had to decide on a title for our book and decided to name it The Days of the Week in Kindergarten.  Today we decided that on each page at the top we will write On (day of the week) draw the illustration and then at the bottom write what happens on that day of the week.  Co-constructed texts allow for lots of modeling of the writing process and how much thinking and hard work goes into writing a book.  Kindergarten is working on making title pages that will tell the reader about what they will find in their books.     

A Cold Monday

Our Poem today fits the weather just perfectly:

"In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb" by Lorie Hil 

March roars in like a lion 

so fierce.

The wind so cold

it seems to pierce.

The month rolls on 

and Spring draws near. 

And March goes out 

like a lamb so dear. 

This poem led to a very high level discussion.  Kindergarten was able to use words to describe lions: fierce, loud, sharp claws and teeth, a hunter, king of the jungle, and make the connection to the wind and cold that we have experienced the last few days.  Kindergarten then described a lamb as cuddly, cozy, calm, and gentle and connected this to the warm weather that is (hopefully) coming later this month!  Ms. Gunnarsson also shared some photos she had of sheep from a trip to Iceland she took.  

We also had a special treat this afternoon - a visit from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.  Percussionists from the VSO visited CP Smith School and played different percussion instruments, made us laugh and taught us lots about different instruments they use. 

Back to the Woods!

It was definitely surprising to see snow this morning after some mild weather yesterday but made for a nice morning in the woods!  We have two trips coming up this month one to Rock Point School on March 16th to learn more about Maple sugaring and the second to the Flynn Theater on March 21st to see a play about Elephant and Piggie.  Both Permission Slips went home today so check your child's backpack.

During Reader's Workshop we have been working a lot on building CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words and sight words.  Students have been noticing SO many more words and print and it is amazing to see how they are growing as readers and writers!

 

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing February break.  It is hard to believe that it is already March - time sure does fly!  We stayed in this morning due to the rain but got out for a little bit before lunch as the sun appeared.  Students looked forward to reading and listening to the March Chicken Soup with Rice poem, going to the computer lab during Reader's Workshop and reconnecting with their peers.  We jumped right back into Number Bonds and addition during Math today and it was terrific to see how much Kindergarten remembered from before our break.