Saturday, September 26, 2015

Highlights From the Week of September 21-25

There was lots of great learning this week!

Monday was a day of firsts!  We had our first community meeting and our first guidance class.
Each month everybody at Rowe School comes together for whole school assembly. Two or three teachers plan and run the community meeting with their classes.  The exciting news is we will be planning October's community meeting with Mrs. Melevsky's class.

Approximately every two weeks Mrs. Gross comes to our classroom to teach a guidance lesson.  This week she taught the students about what her role as a guidance counselor is.  She also introduced us to her friend Dakota, who often visits with her to teach her lessons.


On Tuesday we were surprised to find caterpillars in our classroom!  We were scientists and observed what we saw.  Then we recorded our observations in our new science journals.  We made new recordings on Thursday when we noticed the caterpillars were getting bigger and there was more thread in the container.

During Reader's Workshop we had a chance to test out different reading spots and chose a daily spot for read to self.  Some kids prefer sitting in chairs while others prefer sitting or laying on the carpet. Readers practiced reading pictures and retelling familiar stories.   Readers also practiced reading with a partner.  We came up with four expectations: sit shoulder to shoulder, book between both readers, use quiet voices, eyes on the book.










During Writer's Workshop writers learned to keep working.  Our motto is "When we are done, we have just begun."   When a writer finishes a piece of writing they can either add more to the picture, more to the words, or start a new story.   Writers also received their very own writing folder to organize their work.  Stories they are still working on go in the side with the green dot while finished stories go on the side with the red dot.

During math time we did a variety of activities.  We created a birthday graph, played a new counting game called Zap, practiced showing numbers in a variety of ways, and learned about a new tool called a five frame.  We also continued to establish our daily math routines which include calendar, number of the day, and weather.
Showing 5 with Pattern Blocks

Showing 5 with Linking Cubes

Showing 5 with Dominoes

Showing 5 with Fingers

Showing 5 with Fingers

Exploring 5 Frames 

Our greeting this week was "Who Took the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?"  On Friday afternoon we created cookies to use as illustrations for a class book. Yum!  

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Kindergarten - Day 4

Our kindergarten days have been busy getting to know each other and establishing routines.  

Here are some highlights

We......
drew self portraits and wrote our names for a class book
made a name chart and shared what we noticed about it
learned the names of the different pieces we use to make capital letters; little line, big line, little curve, big curve
read Going on a Bear Hunt  and then sang a bear hunt song

read I Like Myself and shared something that makes us special
decorated people to look like ourselves and hung them in the hallway
met Mrs. VanAlstine, our school librarian 

had our first music class with Mrs. Townsend
went to our first art class and met Mrs. Landry
named our class the "Shining Shooting Stars"
independently hung up backpacks, put yellow take home folders into the yellow basket, and signed up for lunch
had free share
learned the "Pop Up Song"

practiced using glue sticks and scissors
played on the playground
explored pattern blocks
learned about our calendar and number of the day routines 


The children helped me create our classroom rules.  This is what they came up with.
1. Keep the classroom neat. 
2.  Be kind to our friends and our things.
3. Stay safe.
4.  Use quiet voice inside.  


It has been a great start to the year!  I am super excited.  

Thursday, September 10, 2015

First Day of School

Today was a GREAT first day of school!

We .....

learned how to unpack our backpacks and put our lunch boxes above our cubbies
shared about our favorite colors and how we got to school
read Froggy Goes to School  and If You Take a Mouse to School
started learning each others' names
found crayons in our mystery bag
drew self-portraits
played outside
went to P.E. 
had two snack times
ate lunch in the cafeteria
explored math materials
learned how to pack up our back packs
sang the "Pop Up" song 
made new friends
had fun!