Wow! I can’t believe how fast time is flying by! The children have been working really hard this month learning about the different types of clouds, weather, order of the rainbow, five food groups, healthy habits, transportation, and all about the first Thanksgiving. The children also had a lot of fun creating and preparing for our annual Thanksgiving feast!
The first week the children focused on nutrition. We read books about healthy habits. We discussed the different ways to keep our body healthy and we charted them too. I then posted a food pyramid on the wall and explained what each section was about. The children then were given different food pictures and were able to post the pictures in the right section of the food pyramid. When these children are participating in these activities they are truly understanding what it means to be healthy and what those types of food do for your body. We also learned the importance of vitamins and how they affect the different parts of our body. The next day we did a fun activity that taught them about how we spread germs and about hand washing. I started out by sneezing glitter into my hands and showing the children what your hand looks likes when you sneeze into it (this is a great visual lesson to teach this concept!). I then shook the child’s hand who was next to meand had them show the class what his hand looked like after he shook my hand (and I didn’t wash them). That child then shook their neighbors hands and this continued throughout the circle. The children couldn’t believe their eyes! Simply by me not washing my hands, I passed so many germs to so many people. It was such a great visualization for the children, helping them comprehend why hand washing is so important. We then practiced washing our hands by singing the alphabet song! The last day we talked about the importance of exercise and how much our body needs it everyday. I then showed them different pictures of people doing different exercises and the children had to act out the picture I showed them!
The second week we explored all about transportation. We first created a graph were they all brainstormed the different ways we can travel. Brainstorming ideas is so wonderful for children because it allows them to generate ideas within a group setting. We also had created another graph separated into three columns. The were labeled Land, Air , and Water. I then showed them pictures of different means of transportation and students had to place them in the right category. Sorting is extremely important because it is a beginning math skill. They also grasp the concept that actual things can belong and be organized into certain groups. We also made traffic lights by cutting, coloring, and gluing which promotes fine motor skills as well as identifying colors. We also discussed how maps are used and how people use symbols on a map. The children learned how a symbol is a picture on the map, representing something in the real world. They had so much fun that Ms. Ame and our class created a map of our classroom, how awesome is that?!
The third week I introduced The First Thanksgiving. I first explained to the children about what it means to be thankful for something or someone. We then went around the circle and shared what we were thankful for and then charted our answers. The next day we had a lesson on the Native Indian named Squanto. The children learned about his life before he met the pilgrims and then how he came to them and helped them. Students also received a lesson on the Mayflower. We read a few books on each subject , then lead a discussion about each of them. Lastly, our class was getting ready for our thanksgiving Harvest Party. During this time we made a wonderful and delicious soup together. We also prepared homemade applesauce and pumpkin muffins, and had fun with a few thanksgiving crafts. It was such a calm and wonderful day.
During our last week, the children learned about the different types of clouds we see such as cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and cumulonimbus. The children were able to look out the window everyday and talk about what clouds they saw that day. It was such a great lesson because the children really enjoyed learning about what they saw! Throughout that week we discussed the different types of weather we have here in Ohio and across our nation. During line time we learned about how a tornado is formed, what happens when other states have hurricanes, and how much snow you can get in a blizzard! The children also learned how rain and snow are formed inside the clouds, that strong winds are called gusts and that light winds are called breezes. The last day we read a great book about rainbows. The children learned how a rainbow is created and the color order, ROYGBIV! Wow, we had such a busy week!
Academic Enrichment Group Time | Kindergarten
with Mr. John
We started out our month by introducing your children to high finance. We started out identifying title loan paid back over months and coins (all different variations) of the penny, nickle, dime, and quarter including same day loans. We looked at half dollars and dollar coins. We also went over the value of each coin. We then looked at the different “paper” bills. On choosing the best financier or banking strategies, you need to read review on the internet. When you want low interest loans, go to our official site and learn more.
We then changed our course to looking at what makes a living thing… a living thing. Living things reproduce, take in nourishment (eat), exchange gases (breath), grow, and move. We looked at different animals and the characteristics of animals. Mammals are vertebrates, warm blooded, have hair or fur, born alive, and drink mothers milk. Reptiles are vertebrates, cold blooded, dry scaly skin, born out of hard shell eggs. Amphibians are vertebrates, cold blooded, soft moist skin, born from jelly eggs. Birds are vertebrates, warm blooded, have feathers, born from hard shell eggs. Fish are vertebrates, cold blooded, have scales, born alive or from jelly eggs.
Cultural Subjects:
We can count to ten in 19 different languages. We can count in English, Latin, Spanish, Sign Language, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic (with the Lebanese dialect), Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean, Hungarian, Irish, and Kiswahili.
Reading Group | Kindergarten
with Ms. Kate
What I truly love about our reading club program is that with this particular curriculum it really helps the children get a better understanding of asking questions and sharing answers about the meaning of a story or poem. Throughout these past few weeks the children enjoyed reading The Tale Of Two Bad Mice, Bouki Cuts Wood, Night Into Dawn, and Fantasy. With each of these readings the children will read the selection several times and will work with it through a variety of drawing, writing, and oral activities. The children absolutely love to act out certain scenes in each of the selections. Dramatizations can make it easier for students to take in details and get plots straight. But they also help students interpret a story, as they think about what a character is thinking feeling. So the next time your child brings home their Junior Book Club reading book, pick a story out and act it out together!!
Science Enrichment
by Ms. Kathleen
This month students learned about cylinder Strength. For example, what happens when we try to balance books on paper wrapped into a cylinder? The children all placed a book on top a papers rolled up length wise to form a cylinder. They all watched as the paper cylinder supported all the books! The strength of the geometrical shape known as the cylinder is one of the most structurally sound and strongest shapes. Once the paper was made into a cylinder with the help of rubber bands the tube now supported the weight of each book the children placed on top.
Students also loved the “Frightened Pepper” experiment. When Mr. John places pepper in a bowl for each child. He asked our scientists, what will happen when the children place a Q-tip with dish soap on it then placed a drop of soap on top of the water. The children all watched their own bowls as the pepper moved to the sides of the bowl. Why is this? It is because the dish soap lowers the surface tension. The water surface is strong enough to hold up light-weight objects such as pepper. Dish soap mixes with the water molecules and lowers the surface tension, when dish soap is placed near the pepper, the surrounding water has a high surface tension and exerts a force that pulls the pepper away from the dish soap.
Music Enrichment
by Ms. Sabrina
The children learned so much in Music class this month. As a bonus they also had an awesome time (and the teachers do too)! The children used their high voices and their low voices. Ms. Lisa’s songs teach us lessons. For example, they learned about having choices and whether to have a bad attitude or a good attitude.
Students also worked with the bells and tambourines, switching back and forth. They love using instruments in Music class. The children learned about sharing from one of Ms. Lisa’s songs and by passing and rolling a ball back and forth. A listening game was also played, using egg shakers. They listened for directions to stop, go, jump, spin, tip toe etc. Dancing included! A song about emotions was also learned. Emotions are just feelings, neither good nor bad. Tambourines were used, and our emotions were talked about. An echo game was also played, where voices bounced back and forth and we also had fun with our egg shakers again. Ms. Lisa also planned a dance where cooperation was required was executed well by the children. What another great lesson taught through music! They rocked it! The children also began to practice their Christmas songs this month, in preparation for the Christmas Show. Our students learn so much through music and movement and Ms. Lisa’s lessons!
Art Enrichment
By Ms. Ame
The first week of our November Art class, Miss Michele brought the playground inside the classroom. The students used different shapes of paper to create their own three-dimensional art. The students created slides, swings, tunnels and other imaginative playground creations. These creations were very impressive!
Next, Ms. Michele had students use both oil pastels and watercolors to create an underwater scene. The students first created their scene by drawing underwater plants and different sea creatures using the oil pastels. After they had completed their creatures, they used blue tinted watercolors to create the underwater effect. The oil pastels “resist” against the watercolors so that they keep their original colors and only the white part of the paper turned blue. It was a surprise for some students and a great lesson to teach the art of resist!
Students also created self-portraits in Art this month. This can be very tricky, but Ms. Michele guided the students in drawing the shape of their face. She provided each child with a mirror so they were able to look directly at their own face to draw the shape and colors of their faces, encouraging them to notice every detail! Ms. Michele also talked about the proportions of their faces, such as how the distance from the top of their head to their eyes is equal to the distance from their eyes to their chin. This made it easier for the children to place their eyes, nose and lips in the correct place in their portrait.
The students enjoyed these art projects this month. Ms. Michele’s art projects are one of a kind. Keep an eye on your student’s folder for these special creations as they are sent home!
