Classroom Updates!

This week we have been really busy getting back into the groove of a full week! The kids have done an excellent job with the Opportunity and Celebration Jar, and in the last two weeks have earned some extra choice time AND an extra recess! They decided today the next thing they would work toward would be some extra time in the Technology Lab! We go to the Tech Lab on Thursdays, but have missed the last two weeks because of the days off and our pumpkin trip. It was great to go this week and the kids learned a new program called Type to Learn Jr where they learn and practice typing the letters on the keyboard!

We have also been working hard in Writer's Workshop this week, with a focus on adding words to our stories. We started out by adding labels to our picture and labeling the people (many learned how to spell the word "me"!). Yesterday we talked about where in books the words are (usually on the top or bottom of the page, sometimes in different spots) and today we talked about how we are just learning to write words and it's ok that everyone's writing looks a bit different. I have been using the Fundations lessons through the week to point out the reason why we are learning these letters and sounds, and how it can help us in writer's workshop. The kids are excited and so motivated to learn to write!

Reading with Mrs. Eaton's Class

Yesterday we were invited to Mrs. Eaton's first grade class to hear some "Just Right" books. The kids paired off and the first graders read three books they had been practicing that were not too hard, not too easy. It was very fun and motivating for the kindergartners!

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Estimating and Counting Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday we estimated how many seeds we thought would be in the pumpkin after reading the book "How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?" by Margaret McNamara. The guesses ranged from 1 to 1,000,000 with many guessing 100 :)

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Harold and the Purple Crayon

Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures during the show...but here's a few before and after of your children at the Flynn! We had a blast!!

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Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Today we went on our field trip to the pumpkin patch. It was a blast! First we learned about different sized pumpkins, then we learned about seeds and how to protect seeds and pumpkins from the dangers of weather and animals. We got to measure a pumpkin to see how much it weighed (726 llbs!) and then we went in the corn maze where we learned about honey bees and collected clues at each checkpoint. I wasn't able to get many pictures in the maze because we didn't have very many adults- but we had a great time and at the end they got to pick a pumpkin to keep! We will do some work with the pumpkins tomorrow, then they will get to bring them home.

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Here is a short video of the kids helping to measure the big pumpkin and see how much it weighs...

Foodplay Assembly

Today we had a schoolwide assembly put on by Hannaford. It was all about eating healthy foods. They talked about "Whoa" foods (soda, processed food, junk food) and "Go" foods (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, juice and seltzer). It was highly engaging for students and very funny. They spent a lot of time talking about how "whoa" foods make your body feel, and what ingredients go into soda and why it is not good for you. The kids did an EXCELLENT job sitting through the assembly and loved it!

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Mo Willems Author Study with Mrs. Lyle

Mo Willems....
We read as many books as we could by Mo Willems! He is a brilliant children's author and this class found his humor irresistibly! The Knuffle Bunny Trilogy was the favorite! Mo Willems' last book in the Knuffle Bunny Trilogy was released on Thursday September 30th and we read it on Friday morning! We noticed the speech bubbles and the use of larger, bolder letters when the author wanted to emphasis excitement! We wrote and illustrated our favorite part of one of Mo Willem's books during Writer's Workshop. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the author study of Mo Willems. The children used many new skills during the literacy part of the morning, including speech bubbles and illustrations of the pigeon and bunny from their favorite book. Many students became experts at re-telling the Knuffle Bunny and Pigeon books!

Shape Town with Mrs. Lyle

Shape Town...
We talked about the attributes of shapes. Children graphed and sorted shapes, and they went on a shape hunt with partners. Last week we acted out a story about shapes and then the children created a shape town using a variety of shapes.Your children are now shape experts! Throughout this shape unit, each child has had the opportunity to talk about shapes and what makes each shape different. They have learned to look for the number of sides and the number of corners when referring to individual shapes. It is amazing to listen to our shape experts explain what makes a square, a square. Encouraging our students to talk about what they know and articulate the different attributes, in their own words, is an important first step in mathematics.

Apples with Mrs. Lyle

Apples...
We celebrated Johnny Appleseed with homemade apple crisp and painted apple crowns on September 27th! This was an event that kicked off our investigation of apples!
We investigated apples and noticed that apples turn brown when they are cut in half and the air touches the inside of the apple. We predicted and discovered that apples have seeds inside and we counted 7 seeds in one apple and 5 seeds in another apple. We learned many songs about apples and how they grow. We graphed our favorite apples and discovered that most children liked yellow apples. We looked closely at apples and noticed the different parts of an apple....the skin, the stem, the core, the seeds and the flesh. The children also documented what they saw with a "look and draw" of an apple. The field trip to the apple orchard was a highlight and many students wrote about their favorite part of the field trip during Writer's Workshop.