This week our classroom was very busy and full of fun! We learned all about community helpers. The children enjoyed learning what a community helper is and the different jobs they can have. We learned that police keep us safe. We also learned that without construction workers we wouldn’t have our school building. We also enjoyed having parents come and speak to our class about how they help our community! The children also enjoyed learning some words in French with Ms. Mel during afternoon group time.
Proud of his work on the 100 Board! This work aids the child in counting from 1 to 100 and aides them in mastering numeration.This classroom visitor came to speak about what it is like to be a nurse at Akron Children’s Hospital! The children tried on hats and gloves that nurses wear and listened to their heart beats with a stethoscope (here you can check out the best stethoscope for doctors 2018)!Another student’s family came and shared with or class as well! Dad is a High School Writing Teacher and Mom is also a Nurse. He shared with us about the different types of characters you may find in a story. She shared with us how she goes to people’s houses and helps to take care of them and if the house is not in great state she also help by recommending affordable sites as http://www.palmbeachroofingexpert.com/palm-springs-roofing/. Or they can even build houses from the groud for this, building designers are well qualified to prepare unique Home Designs, which are great for anyone who want a house.
A Peek At Next Week: All about Farms! Students will learn all about what it takes to run a farm, what animals are on the farm and we will even make butter together. We will also learning ASL farm vocabulary.
This week in our classroom, we learned All About Apples! The students enjoyed learning about the life cycle of the apple. We discovered apples are ripe in the Fall, and apple trees sprout beautiful flowers in the Spring! We also discussed different things that can be made from apples and the names of the different parts of the apple.
Working on the Parts of The Apple work together using three part cards!
Proud of her work! This student used the chalkboard to to practice writing the letter “H”.
Proud of his work using the Metal Insets! This material is designed to aid the child in steadying their hand for handwriting!
A Peek Into Next Week:All About Community Helpers
-What do community helpers do for us?
-Hearing from guest speakers who are Community Helpers
-How do we call 911?
-Learning French with Ms. Mel!
This week we learned all about each other! We discussed what makes each of us unique and special, we played a “Baby Picture Guessing Game”, and we practiced saying our full names. The children also enjoyed learning several Japanese words and phrases with Ms. Mel during our afternoon group times with preschool students.
This little one is proud of his work on the snap frame! This material is part of the Practical Life area of the classroom. It aides the child in developing their senses of order, concentration, coordination, and independence.
Proud of his work on the Pink Tower! The child builds the tower from largest to smallest. This material is part of our Sensorial curriculum and aids in the preparation for Math.
Working with the Knobbed Cylinders and Red Knobless Cylinders! Both of these materials are found in the Sensorial Area. They help to develop the child’s pincer grip and are indirect preparation for Math.
A Peek Into Next Week: All about Apples!
Making homemade apple sauce.
Hearing the story “Little Bear’s Star”.
Conducting and apple experiment.
Learning about the parts of the Apple.
REMINDERS:
Ramseyer Farm Field Trip Friday, September 22. Please make sure your child is in tennis shoes and is dressed for the weather. Please send lunches in a disposable container with disposable items. We will be unable to warm up leftovers at the farm.
This week we continued our introduction to Ground Rules and Grace and Courtesy. The children are becoming more and more comfortable in the classroom and are quickly making friends! Our work periods are becoming a little longer and the children’s concentration and independence is growing more every day! The children also enjoyed learning a few words in Chinese with Ms. Mel during Pre-School Afternoon Group Time!
Working on the Introduction to The Golden Beads! This material gives the child and introduction to place values and numbers and quatities beyond 10!
Ms. Mel taught the children how to say “Hello” and the words for “Mom”, “Dad”, and “Baby”. She also read the children a story about three little bunnies and a wolf in Chinese and had the children act it out during work time!
Practicing pouring! Like many Practical Life materials, the child pours the material from left to right, which will indirectly prepare them for reading.
A Peek at Next Week :
-“ Who’s Baby Picture Is This?” guessing game. (Be sure to send in a baby picture of your child with them this week.)
-Discussing what makes each of us special: hair color, eye color, likes and dislikes, our birthdays, our names, our emotions, etc.
-Graphing our differences such as hair and eye color.
-Practicing saying our full names.
-Learning our birth dates.
This week in our classroom was wonderful! We spent much time together exploring the classroom and the building, learning classroom rules, learning all about grace and courtesy, all about kindness and manners, and Ms. Mel even shared with us a little bit about what is a booster car seat and why we should always use it when riding a car! Ms. Mel and I have also enjoyed getting to know all of our new students and reconnecting with our returning friends!
Working on the Red Knobless Cylinders! This material helps the child learn to build their sense of order and concentration. In addition, the child learns to build from thickest piece to the thinest piece and strengthens their pincer grip.
Learning to roll a rug neatly! The children have been learning to take care of our classroom and to take responsibilty for cleaning up their own work.
Ms. Mel showing some preschool students the continent where her homeland of Korea is located. She also taught them how to say “hello” in Korean and how to sing “Baby Shark” in Korean as well!
A Peek Into Next Week: -Continue going over Ground Rules.
-Making a list of Classroom Rules together.
-Reading the book “There’s A Bird On Your Head!”
-Learning our manners
-Learning songs to remind us when to say ” Please” and “Thank You” and “Excuse Me”.
The months of May and June were very exciting in our classroom! We learned all about Insects, Dinosaurs, Reptiles and Amphibians, Mammals, and Summer Safety. We also had a very exciting field trip to the Akron Zoo to experience up close the different types of animals we had learned about!
Audrey enjoying the Button Sorting work, which aides the child in developing their sense of order.
During the first week, we discussed all about Insects. We learned that insects have six legs. We also learned that all insects have a head, thorax, and abdomen. We also learned about the process that caterpillars go through in order to become a butterfly, called metamorphosis. The children also enjoyed making their own time line of the process of metamorphosis as well during work time! We also enjoyed watching our very own caterpillars, donated by Tenleigh’s family, go through the process of metamorphosis!
Hali and Maren, enjoying copy writing from a book! Our beautiful butterflies! Our little baby birds in a nest at the Akron Zoo!
The following week we learned all about Dinosaurs. The children learned that there were some dinosaurs that ate meat (carnivores), some dinosaurs who ate plants (herbivores), and some dinosaurs who ate both plants and meat (omnivores). We learned also learned that Dinosaurs were reptiles. The children also learned all about Tyrannosaurus Rex and that his name means “ Tyrant Lizard King”. We also learned that a scientist who studies dinosaurs is a Paleontologist.
Victoria practicing writing her name!
We learned all about Reptiles and Amphibians during week three. We learned that Reptiles are cold blooded and most live on the land ( the alligator and crocodile being the exception). We learned that Amphibians can live both on the land and in the water. The children enjoyed learned about the parts of the turtle and learning about the life cycle of the frog as well. The children learned that frogs start off as an egg, then they grow into a tadpole after they hatch. The tadpole then grows into a froglet and then the frog becomes an adult.
Liam working on the Subtraction Charts!
Mammals were the topic of discussion during week four. The children learned that mammals are warm blooded, give birth to their babies, usually have hair or fur on their bodies, and they drink milk from their mother’s bodies. We also learned that we humans are mammals as well.
We enjoyed having our grandparents come to visit us for Grandparents Day!
The last week of school was all about Summer Fun and Safety. Ms. Caroline made bracelets with the children that had their phone numbers on them. We also learned that we should wear our helmets when riding our bikes or skate boards, when it is ok to call 911, that we should not talk to strangers, and what is safe to touch in our house and what is not, for example not to mess with the AC and live professionals from http://heatingairpros.com/riverside/, to handle it if something get broke. We also briefly discussed birds and the characteristics of birds.
Bennett working on the Scooping Work, which aides the child in developing their sense of concentration and order!
This summer, I encourage to you discuss with your child the safety rules of your home and rules for also being safe in your neighborhood. Take time to read the security systems blog at securityinfo.com as so that you’ll know The Best Local Security Installer In Your Area. For more tips, reach their team at info@securityinfo.com or give this number a call (786) 800-2609. Discuss with your child what their favorite animal was that they saw at the zoo. Take a trip to the Natural History Museum in Cleveland and see the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton up close.
Samantha’s mom came to play the bagpipes for us! What a treat!
In conclusion, I want to thank you and your children for making this such a wonderful school year. Your children inspire me every day and have shown me so much unconditional love. It’s because of them that I love getting up and going to work every day! Thank you for the precious gift of your children! Have a safe and wonderful Summer!
Academic Enrichment | Kindergarten Mr. John
The beginning of May we looked at the preposition. I explained the the preposition is a “where word” not a “werewolf”. The we got really excited about the Interjection. Interjections added a bit more to the sentence by showing excitement. Either this excitement is a little or a lot of emotion. We came to the end of the sentence and learned about the period, question mark, and explanation mark. Then we learned when to capitalize words. “I” not eye, proper nouns, and words at the beginning of a sentence.
Handwriting Enrichment Ms. Kristen
Our Handwriting Lessons this month focused on learning about different types of poetry. We focused on writing acrostic poems, couplets, haikus, and shape poems. I loved how creative the children have become with their writing! The topics ranged from poems about their best friends to penguins, to basketball. We also had journal prompts such as, ” What animal are you excited to see at the zoo?” and ” What did you do over Memorial Day Weekend?”. I have been amazed with how the children have progressed from the beginning of the year to this point! They have become amazing writers!
Reading Group | Kindergarten Ms. Kate
During the month of May our reading group had a lot of fun! We focused on the story called Feraj And The Magic Lute. I loved this story because each lesson was something different that O thought really stood out to all of the children. The first activity we read through the story and talked about any of the words they weren’t certain about. They then had to complete the picture about where the bag of gold was hidden. We then went over the My Questions and lead a wonderful discussion on all of their questions. Having group discussions really make the children think, be creative, and get a better understanding of the story.
Later on that month the children had the most fun acting out the different parts of the story. The children then came together and formed a group creative writing lesson. The children came up with a song about the magical lute. They brainstormed all of their ideas and we charted them on paper. Lastly, the children made a treasure map of where the gold could be hidden in our school! What a fun month!! I truly enjoyed teaching this bunch of amazing kiddos this year!
Science Enrichment:
This past month during Science class the Kids enjoyed about 4 different experiments but their favorite one was on the last day of school!
COKE GEYSER;
This is done by using 1 bottle of Diet Coke and 1 pack of Mentos.
When Mr. John dropped candy Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke the Coke shot up into the air and dropped down the side of the bottle. Why? because a bottle of soda is filled with Carbon Dioxide.
The Mentos fall to the bottom, forming lots of bubbles. When this gas is released it forces the liquid up and out in a GIANT exploding geyser of sticky soda. The Children loved watching this and screeched with delight.
Music Enrichment:
In music class during the month of May, Ms. Lisa reviewed many of the concepts that she taught throughout the year. This month the please and thank you song was played and our students love it and the movements to the song. The bells were used and much fun was had! We also sang the forgiveness song. The children talked about the meaning of forgiveness and sign language was introduced as part of the song. The instruments used were the rhythm sticks. The life lessons learned were so terrific. She reviewed what staccato and legato mean, sang about having a choice for your behavior, sang about being kind, sang about telling the truth. Ms. Lisa also taught us a new song this month called Let the Sun Shine In! Diligence was also a characteristic talked about through music and movement. The instruments used were the triangles, tambourines and the maracas. Music and the important values taught is so much fun at AMMS!
Art Enrichment:
This past month in art was inspired by spring. Ms. Michele had the students make paper flower sculptures. The students made a circle out of a strip of paper for the middle, and then made tear drop shapes for the petals. They could use a pattern with the colors, use warm colors, or cool colors. The flowers turned out beautiful with all the different patterns and colors the students used. The next spring inspired artwork came from butterflies. The students learned about symmetry and how to paint a butterfly with symmetry since butterflies are identical on each side. Ms. Michele had them paint with watercolors. The third week we painted Vincent Van Gogh inspired flowers in a vase. The students learned about his painting technique. Vincent painted with short squiggly paint strokes because he wanted it to seem like is art was moving and alive. Ms. Michele placed vases with flowers in the middle of the table, and had the students draw on paper first, and then she showed them how to paint like Van Gough, and had them return to their seats to paint. The paintings turned out looking just like Van Gogh’s painting called Sunflowers.
To end a wonderful year filled with art, Ms. Michele had a Claude Monet inspired artwork planned for the young artists. They looked at his painting called Bridge Over Pond of Water Lilies. They learned about Impressionism, which is what style Claude Monet used. Impressionism is the use of dabs or small brush strokes of unmixed colors to simulate the actual reflection of light. The students did a wonderful job of recreating the outdoor scene, and I can say I was quite “impressed”, pun intended. Thank you Ms. Michele for all of your hard work this year, and we hope you have a wonderful summer!
The month of April was fill with international fun! Our classroom represented Africa in the International Festival. The children really enjoyed diving in and learning all sorts of details about the countries and cultures of Africa! The children also enjoyed learning about Spring and how to recognize the signs of Spring.
During the first week, we learned the Montessori Continent Song in order learn the names of all the continents of the world. The children also began to dive in to the map puzzles in more detail and began to learn more about each continent. We also discussed how far Africa is from the United States and how if we wanted to travel there, we would have to take an airplane or a boat. The children also enjoyed making African animal puppets with Ms. Caroline. We also began working on our African drums for the festival as well!
We continued our study of Africa during week two. The children learned all about how in Ancient Egypt, the pyramids were built as tombs and that the Ancient Egyptians believed they could take their belongings with them to the afterlife, so they packed their pyramids full of their belongings. Ms. Caroline brought in some stuffed animals and toilet paper and the children enjoyed wrapping up their own mummies. We also learned real mummies that are in museums are not scary. The children also learned about Morocco and learned that Moroccans love to drink mint tea!
During our final week of study of Africa, the children learned about Zimbabwe. We learned that Zimbabwe does not have it’s own currency. We also learned that many people in Zimbabwe believe Mermaids exist. The children enjoyed designing their own ideas of what a new Zimbabwe currency might be during Afternoon Group Time as well. The children also enjoyed making African masks with Ms. Caroline during Afternoon Group Time!
During the final week of April, we learned all about Spring. We learned that Spring is a time for new life and that many animals are born in the Spring such as geese and lambs. The children also enjoyed watching a video clip of a real baby chick hatching from and egg! We also learning some songs about Spring as we sang along with my ukulele.
Some things you can do with your child in the coming months to reinforce our themes would be going to the Zoo and seeing how many animals your family can find that are from Africa. Try making an African dish for dinner one evening. Pull out a world map and review the names of the Continents together. Discuss with your child their favorite country from Africa.
Maria Montessori stated that, “It is true that we cannot make a genius. We can only give to teach child the chance to fulfil his potential possibilities.” Remember, every child is unique and develops different skills and abilities at their own pace. I love all off the individual personalities and abilities that make up our amazing and unique classroom, and I considerate a joy and a privilege to be their teacher!
Academic Enrichment Group Time | Kindergarten with Mr. John
We started out the month by looking at the pronoun. We learned the pronoun takes the place of the noun and at times makes our lives a bit easier. I stressed NEVER call a person “it” because it is rude. Moving forward we discovered the adjective. The adjective describes nouns but we did not leave out the verb(what describes the verb?) an adverb of course. That is it’s main job but it can also describe adjectives and other adverbs. We closed out April with learning about the conjunction. It serves as a bridge for two separate sentences bringing together these two sentences as one.
Ask our Kindergarten Students about adjectives and adverbs!
Handwriting Enrichment with Ms. Kristen
This month in handwriting, we have continued to focus on forming complete sentences. The Kindergarten students also enjoyed correcting my capitalization “mistakes” in example sentences. We continued journaling together. Our kindergarten students continue to impress me with their handwriting and creativity!
Reading Group | Kindergarten with Ms. Kate
For the month of April we focused on a poem called Seashell. This poem came from Spain and is spoken by someone who has been given a seashell. We had fun talking about what happens if you hold up a huge seashell… you can hear the light sounds of the ocean. We first read the poem in English and then lead a short discussion on what they think it meant to them. We also went over any vocabulary words they weren’t sure of the meaning. Next, I read the poem in Spanish. Seashell in Spanish is “ Caracola” After the poem was read, the children then drew a picture of themselves walking on the bottom of the sea and what they think it would look like. The children then stood up and shared their drawings with one another. I can see such a difference in their confidence with standing up and sharing in front of their peers. We then had such a fun time acting out our drawings! It was such a fun poem!
Science Enrichment by Ms. Kathleen
Our favorite science experiment from the month of April was the Tea Bag Hot Air Balloon! These are some of the questions Mr. John and the scientists asked themselves: What will happen when you set an empty, unused teabag on fire?
We had many hypothesis given by our students! Mr. John cut open the unused tea bag and dumped out the tea. Then he made the tea bag into a cylinder. Next, he put the cylinder shaped tea bag on a kitchen plate and set fire to it. As the tea bag burns, it floats up into the air. WHY? When the tea bag burns down it gets lighter and the air around the flame gets hotter. Hot air rises and once the burnt tea bag is light enough it gets carried up with the hot air. All the children giggled with delight during this experiment and asked Mr. John to do it again. This is one of our most favorite experiments of the school year!
Music Enrichment by Ms. Faith
In April, Ms. Lisa focused on singing songs about our character. The students sang and did motions to songs about telling the truth, about cooperating, saying please and thank you, and about being kind. The students participated in partner dances, and even learned a new song from Africa called Roll and Rock. Ms. Lisa always incorporates gross motor movement into her lessons. She sang Have You Ever Seen a Lassy, and the students picked a movement, such as skipping, galloping, and hoping to move around during the song. Another activity Ms. Lisa had for the students was to review what Staccato and Legato mean. Staccato notes are short and jumpy, whereas Legato notes are smooth and long. The students were given a castanet and a scarf to walk around in a circle while listening to a song. When the music played Staccato notes, the students played their castanet and ran on their tiptoes. When the music played Legato notes, the students moved in slow flowing motions with their scarves. Thank you Ms. Lisa for sharing all of your instruments for us to learn!
Art Enrichment by Ms. Faith Ms. Michele had students finish their wooden frames that they painted one color, or monochromatic. To finish their frames, they picked out objects and painted them the complimentary color of the color they chose for their frames. Once the paint was dry, the students glued it on the frame to create an abstract piece of art.
The next week, Ms. Michele introduced Pablo Picasso to the students. Pablo Picasso is known for his Cubism art works. He wanted to draw facial features from different angles and that is why the features on his people look different. To create their own Cubism inspired art works, Ms. Michele printed out pictures of facial features for the students to cut out and glue onto faces. Some of them had two noses, an eye looking sideways, and an eye looking forward. The students let their creativity flow, and created some great Picasso style faces.
To close up the month of April, Ms. Michele reviewed the color wheel with the class. They reviewed warm and cool colors, primary colors, secondary colors, and complimentary colors. The young artists drew an owl using different shapes, and they had to use primary and secondary colors to fill in the shapes. After the owls were finished, the students drew details on their pages like a branch for the owl to sit on, or the moon in the background. We always look forward to what Ms. Michele has planned for art each month. Thank you for your hard work Ms. Michele!
Themes of the Week (in addition to Montessori Work time)
5/1: All About Insects
Learning the characteristics of Insects.
Life Cycle of the Butterfly.
How Insects are helpful/harmful.
Where do certain insects live?
Where do insects get their food?
5/8: Dinosaurs
Studying Dinosaurs that lived on land, earth, and in the air.
Learning about the difference between carnivores and herbivores.
Discuss how Dinosaurs left fossils, which give us “clues” about them.
Discuss different types of dinosaurs such as T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops.
Discuss how dinosaurs all hatched from eggs.
5/15: All About Reptiles and Amphibians
The difference between reptiles and amphibians.
Learning about the Frog Life Cycle
Learning about snakes, lizards, and alligators.
Learning about turtles and frogs.
Making a VEN diagram of the differences between reptiles and amphibians.
5/22: All About Mammals
Learning the physical characteristics of mammals.
Learning about bears, monkeys, and lions.
What do certain mammals eat?
Where do certain mammals live?
5/29: Birds / All About Summer Fun/Safety
Learning all about birds and the parts of the bird, what they eat, etc.
Making ice cream.
Learning about “stranger danger”.
Learning when to call 9-1-1.Monday, May 29th: Memorial Day | NO SCHOOL Thursday, June 1st: FIELD DAY!
Letters of the Week: Try to find objects that begin with each letter wherever you go with your child.
5/1: Yy
5/8: Ss
5/15: Ii
5/22: Pp
5/29: Jj
Sight Words of the Week: Try to find each word in books as you read to your child.
5/1: Yet
5/8: Set
5/15: Lip
5/22: Pit
5/29: Jet
Things to do at Home this Month to reinforce our themes:
Discuss with your child their favorite types of dinosaur they are learning about.
Take a trip to the Zoo with your child. Discuss the different types of animals you see.
Play “ I Spy” with your child using the letter sounds of the letter of the week.
Discuss summer safety rules for your family with your child, such as where is safe to play in your neighborhood, what to do if approached by a stranger, etc.
The month of March has been very busy in our classroom. We learned about Dr. Seuss, Space, and all about our state of Ohio. The children also enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! We were also very excited to welcome Ms. Caroline to our classroom!
Victoria was so proud of her work with the Pink Tower and Brown Stairs! This material helps the child to develop a sense of order as they build from the biggest to smallest piece. It’s also great preparation for the Math area!
During the first week, we had fun learning all about Dr. Seuss. The children enjoyed reading “ Yurtle The Turtle”, “ The Cat In The Hat” , and “ Fox In Sox”. During Afternoon Group Time, the children enjoyed making Cat In The Hat hats with Ms. Kerri. The children also learned that Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodore Seuss Giesel and he wasn’t actually a real doctor. We also learned that Dr. Seuss lived near a zoo as a child, which is where he began to think of all of his imaginary creatures in his stories! The children also taste tested Green Eggs.
Tenleigh enjoying a Dr. Seuss book in the Library while snuggling the Cat In The Hat.
During week two and three, we enjoyed learning all about Outer Space. The children enjoyed learning all the names of the planets in our solar system, learning all about the phases of the moon, and all about constellations. The children also enjoyed watching footage of the first moon landing. They learned about black holes with Ms. Caroline and learned a Planet Song with Ms. Kristen! Some of the children even took it upon themselves to make their own book of planets!
We also were pleased to welcome Ms. Caroline to our classroom! Ms. Caroline introduced herself to the children by bringing in pictures of her and her family and sharing with us how they moved here from England! We are so thankful to have her as a part of our classroom and the children are so excited she is with us!
We learned all about Ohio during week four! The children learned our state bird, the Cardinal. We also learned that our state capitol is Columbus, and that our state tree is the buckeye tree. We also talked about how our state is a small piece of our country, that our county is a small piece of our state, and our city is a small piece of our county! The children enjoyed seeing this up close using Google Earth to zoom in on our school with Ms. Caroline! We also enjoyed talking about famous sites around Ohio, such as Cedar Point, Progressive Field, The Cuyahoga Falls Clock Tower, etc.
For St. Patrick’s Day, the children enjoyed making a shamrock craft with Ms. Caroline and learning about how St. Patrick’s Day became a holiday!
Finally:
I would encourage you to review with your child what they have learned this past month. Read a Dr. Seuss book together and ask your child to point out some of the rhyming words. Discuss with your child the name of our planet, continent, county, state, and city. Practice naming the planets together and discuss which one you and your child would visit if you could.
Maria Montessori was quoted as saying, “ The child becomes a person through work.” I am enjoying seeing how your children continue to grow in their independence, laying the foundation for the adult they will one day become. I am so fortunate to have front row seat to watching each of these wonderful children learn and grow and I considerate a joy to come to school and learn alongside them every day!
Academic Enrichment Group Time | Kindergarten -with Mr. John
The kindergartners started their section in Language. We will be learning about the parts of speech until the end of the year. We went over vowels/consonants, and nouns and verbs. A noun is a person, place, or thing. A verb is an action word or something you do. We the learned there are three articles. They are A, An, The. We learned rules when we use those articles. “A” hooks up with consonants, “AN” hooks up with vowels, and “THE” hooks up with anything.
Cultural Subjects: My line time and the kindergarten class count to ten in 28 different languages (English, Sign Language, German, French, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Tagalog, Polish, Irish, Welsh, Hebrew, Arabic w/the Lebanese dialect, Japanese, Hungarian, Swedish, Swahili, Korean, Serbo-Croation, Hindi, Flemish/Dutch, Malay, Cebuano, Farsi and Turkish)!
Handwriting Enrichment -with Ms. Kristen
The children learned how to write vowels and consonant blends in cursive this month, such as ” oo”, “ee”, “th”, “sh”, etc. We also ventured into more creative journal writing, answering questions such as ” If you could go on vacation anywhere, who would you take with you and why?” and ” Tell me two things you plan to do over your Spring Break”. I’m daily impressed with their creativity and excitement for writing!
Reading Group | Kindergarten -with Ms. Kate
For the month of March our Reading group read two wonderful stories called The Frog Prince, and Guinea Fowl and Rabbit Get Justice. With each of these stories the children were able to illustrate and write about what was happening in each of the stories. By illustrating, the children are visualizing the characters and setting of the story. As they make their own decisions about what the hardest thing is, they are learning that their individual perspectives on a story are important. They also had so much fun acting out the stories. Dramatizations can make it easier for students to take in detail and get plots straight! The children really enjoyed these stories!
Science Enrichment -by Ms. Kathleen
This month in March we did 3 Science experiments,
Density: What happens when you put a lemon and a lime in a container of water? The lemon floats and the lime sinks. Why? because the lime is denser than the lemon, the lime has more water by weight in it, it is also guessed that lemons have more air in them which makes them float.
Density: What happens when we mix oil, water and Alka Seltzer in a plastic clear bottle? But first we pour water into bottle about 1/4 full. Then pour vegetable oil into bottle until full, wait until it separates. Add 10 drops food coloring. Break a seltzer tablet in half drop into bottle. Watch it sink to the bottom and the bubble greatness begins, bubbles start wildly going up and down the bottle quickly almost in a dancing like fashion, truly entertaining. This fantastic experiment is because the oil stays above the water the oil is lighter than the water. Oil and water do not mix, the structures of the two molecules do not allow them to bond together. When the tablet pieces are added, they sank to the bottom and created a gas, As the gas bubbles rose, they took some of the colored water with them. When the bubbles reach the top, the gas escapes and down went the water. This was for sure one of the Children’s favorites this month because of all that it does, so fun to watch.
Carbonation: What will happen when you place raisins in a fresh glass of ginger ale? The raisins sink to the bottom of the ginger ale. Then after just a few minutes the raisins get covered in bubbles and rise to the top. Then fall to the bottom. They repeat this pattern for several minutes. Why does this happen? The raisins are heavier than the ginger ale. When enough bubbles attach to the raisins they become” lighter” than the ginger ale. The bubbles raise the raisins to the top. When the bubbles reach the surface they pop dropping the raisins to the bottom again.
Up, up the dancing raisins go!
Music Enrichment -by Ms. Sabrina
Music is so much fun! This month was all about good manners! A song and game about sharing was played! While listening to the directions in the song, the children passed and shared a ball, and had a lot of fun! The magic words “please” and “thank you” were reinforced through song and by using movement and castanets. “You Have a Choice” was a song played during class, which taught the children that they had a choice to be kind. The children enjoyed using bells, tambourines and rhythm sticks as well this month. The children also learned the difference between forte and piano or loud and soft. They loved raising and lowering their voices with the music. Songs about forgiveness and telling the truth were also shared this month. Ask your child to share all these great songs!
Art Enrichment -by Ms. Ame
The first week of March Miss Michele felt much better and brought some (much needed) sunshine into our rooms using modge-podge glue with different colors mixed in! The students each created their own sunshine using different colors. These masterpieces will look fantastic in a window that gets a lot of sunshine. The next week Miss Ame stepped in when Miss Michele was sick and taught an abbreviated art lesson on Andy Warhol, that’s what all those colorful cats were about! The students learned a bit about his life and the definition of pop art. The next week Miss Michele taught the students about the definition of monochromatic. Monochromatic means only using a single color. The students each created their own “house” or creation out of gluing popsicle sticks. Then they painted their creation only one color. It was difficult to pick only one! The next week Miss Michele talked about complimentary colors and introduced the color wheel once again. The students had to identify the complimentary color to the color they painted their creation the previous week. Then Miss Michele provided small boxes full of all sorts of treasures! The students had to be very careful to pick out only the complimentary colored items and glue them onto their monochromatic creation! They turned out so beautiful! If you see yours on the art rack, feel free to take it home! We can’t wait for April and see what multicultural projects Miss Michele will have us make to display at the International Festival on the 21st!
