Ms. Kristen’s May/June 2016 Newsletter

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!

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!

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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 Paleontoligist.

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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.

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Mammals were the topic of discussion during week four. The children learned 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. The children also enjoyed learning about one particular mammal, the Rhino.

The last week of school was all about Summer Fun and Safety. We learned all about how to be safe around a campfire, and Ms. Kim brought in S’mores as a special treat! 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.

Academic Enrichment lesson with kindergarten students (Mr. John)

We started May by discussing the preposition.  Where oh where can we find a preposition?  Well, I told them a preposition was a “where word” NOT a “werewolf”.  The kindergarteners brushed up on their knowledge of the interjection.  The interjection adds emotion to the sentence but we did find out that if we eliminate the interjection from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence really does not change.  We learned what punctuation is used at the end of a sentence.  We use a period (.) when we are stating something.  We use a question mark (?) when we are asking a question and we use an exclamation mark (!) when we show excitement or a lot of emotion. I introduced the students to the rules of capitalization.  We learned that words at the beginning of the sentence, the word I, and proper nouns need to be capitalized.    We played “mad libs” and ended our lessons on grammar by watching Grammar Rock.  For the last week we just reflected on our year, what we learned, and our favorite parts of kindergarten class.  It was a GREAT year!

Enrichments (Ms. Kim)

Music

In music this month, the children sang hello to Nemo the fish, Alley the alligator, Jerry the giraffe, and Bernie the Bernard! Next Ms. Lisa reviewed the note family. (whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes) We used rhythm sticks to tap the beats of the notes. The children loved tapping the notes to the songs of “Hot Cross Buns”, “Yankee Doodle”, and “Great Big Stars”. We also used the rhythm sticks to pretend to play musical instruments such as the violin, flute, and tuba. In addition to pretending to play different instruments, Ms. Lisa likes the children to guess the sounds of instruments. She was impressed by how well the children recognized and named the musical instruments. Lastly we practiced listening for low and high sounds by playing the cat and mouse game. If you were a cat, you came out on the low sounds. If you were a mouse, you came out on the high sounds. Thanks Ms. Lisa for great music lessons!

Science

For our first experiment, Mr. John mixed glue, Borax detergent, and water in a bowl. The children made hypotheses beforehand on what would happen when all the materials were mixed together. Many of the children said that the mixture would turn into a goop. They were right! The polymers in the water and glue stuck to the Borax when it was added.

Our second experiment involved a balloon filled with water, a balloon with no water, and a lighted candle. The children made hypotheses on what would happen to each balloon when it was put over the flame of the candle. Well we were surprised when only the balloon without water popped. The balloon with water didn’t pop because the water inside absorbed the heat.

Our last experiment involved tea bags and a lighter. Mr. John put an open tea bag on a plate. (the tea was dumped out) When he lit the tea bag, it burnt down got hotter and floated into the air. Hot air rises!

Art

For the month of May, Ms. Michele had the children create some summer themed art projects. First the children got to be super creative and design their own “Monster Ice Cream Cones”. They used markers, glue, and scissors to cut out different shapes out of construction paper. Our next art lesson had to do with oil pastels and water. The children first drew themselves with pencil as something you would find in the ocean. Next they colored in their drawings with oil pastels. Last they painted over the whole paper with water. By painting with the water, it showed how the oil and water do not mix. In our last art lesson, the children made symmetrical butterflies. They drew and traced shapes on both wings so that the wings matched. Then they chose to color in their butterflies with primary, complimentary, warm, or cool colors.

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Finally…

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. 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.

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!

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