D, E, F, G, H and COLOR RUN FUN!

So our ABC Countdown to the Last Day of School continued this week w/

Dare to Care for the Earth: We plan planted grass seed in a fruit/vegetable cans or water bottles, then used recycleable materials and items from the art box to create a character on the can (the grass will be the hair)!  A lot of work (and hot glue burns for me) but the finished products are so cute!

 

Entertainment Day:  The Kindergarten classes got together to put on a talent show for each other.  It was so cute!  Each class performed and then individual students performed.

We sang Vowel Sound Hound Dog (a favorite in our classroom)!

 

Favorite Book:  Students brought in their favorite books to share with the class.  A few students read their books (or part of the book) to the class.  We would just DROP EVERYTHING AND READ at various times during the day. 

 

Game Day:  Students were able to bring in a board game or card game to share with the class.  In the afternoon we played the games.  I set the timer for 15 minutes and them we'd switch.  Students were able to play 4 different games.  The kids LOVED it!

 

Hula/Hoola Hoop Day:  We learned to Hula.  I found a "How to" video on YouTube.  Most of the kids got into it.  Then in the afternoon we went to the gym to Hoola Hoop!  Lots of fun!

 

Next week we have:

Ice Cream Day:  We will be making homemade ice cream!

Jump Rope Day:  We will hopefully get to spend some time outside jumping rope.

It is also our Kindergarten Buddy Day.  2013-14 Kindergarteners will be visiting our classroom for two hours in the afternoon.

Kite Day:  We will be flying kits and making "kites" out of plastic grocery sacks.

Lemonade Day:  We will be making lemonade and writing "How to" stories.

 

And for the Color Run!!! 

I want to start by saying that I work with the best teachers and staff around.  We truly are a TEAM!  We work together to ensure the success of our students but also encourage and bring out the best in each other.  I'm very blessed to work with such an amazing group of people!!!

 

Fifteen of our staff members participated in the Color Run on Saturday. 

Our team name was "Teachers 'N Sneakers"! 

 Above:  The Before and After

 

Below:  The gang I finished with! We ran/jogged the whole thing together...PROUD moment!

It was an amazing day!!!!

23 Days and Counting!

I truly cannot believe there are only 23 days of school left this year!  We sent 4th Qtr. Progress Reports home yesterday and will begin DRA's and Writing Assessments in two weeks.  This year has FLOWN bye!

 

Celebrating the ABC's

Our ABC Celebration started on Wednesday with Animal Day.  Students could bring a small stuffed animal to school with them.  This is always SOOOO exciting!  Our friends were able to work with us at our tables and sit with us during carpet times.  We also used our friends as inspiration during a few activities and assignments.

 

Introductions (Speaking/Listening):  Students were able to introduce their "friend" to the class and tell a little something about why it is special. The kids (well most of them) take this very serious.  I like to hear about their friend...where it came from, how long they've had it, friend injuries, adventures they've been on together, etc...  I was very proud of how well all of the kids did listening and paying attention during the intros.

 

Creative Writing:  Students completed an organizer and wrote about their "friend".  I LOVE this organizer.  We use it for many subject areas and skills and I'm always finding new ways it can be used!  My new favorite is composing and decomposing numbers.  The one I used in class is hand drawn, but I just created one to share with you all.

 

(I hoped the link works...if not, someone please let me know!)

 

In the pics below, students used it to organize ideas for writing about their friend.  In the center diamond, the students drew a picture of their friend and wrote his/her name.  In the four corner areas, students wrote describing words about their friend.  After, students began writing a paragraph using the ideas from their organizer.  I am very proud of how far my students have come as writers this year.

 

 

 

Our friends also proved to be a good behavior management tool.  I hadn't thought of this before, but my buddy across the hall suggested that the "friend" be used as a behavior management tool for the day (you know it is very exciting to have our friends visit for the day, we sometimes forget how to behave).  So, if we couldn't control ourself, our friend had to go to time-out (aka our cubby).  Now, there were a few moments of tears when friends had to go to time-out, but overall, we had a great day with our stuffed visitors!

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Thursday was Bubble Day!  While the CrAzy weather pattern (80 and sunny one day, tonadoes and high winds the next, a day of rain and flash flooding, followed by sleet and snow...seriously now)  we are currently experiencing kept us inside, we had a great day chewing LOTS of bubblegum AND trying to blow bubbles.  We had a bubble blowing contest earlier in the year.  If I remember right, there were only 3 kids that could blow bubbles.  I didn't count, but there were TONS more bubbles being blown on Thursday.  The kids were so proud of themselves!

I found an online version for The Bubble Book. This book was published by Harper Collins in 1917!

The kids have been working on memorizing, performing, and illustrating nursery rhymes in Library, so they were familiar with some of the rhymes included in this book.

After reading The Bubble Book, students drew a picture of what they would like to appear in a "magic bubble".

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Friday was CrAzY Day!  While Ms. Schatz seemed to forget (not sure how, it's my fav) anywho, we had lots of CrAzY dressers and we "mixed" up our usual daily schedule so it was a little crazy in our room.  We read Stephanie's Ponytail (how I love Robert Munsch) and drew and wrote about our own crazy hairstyle.  Next year, I'd like to take the kids' pictures and cut around their head so they can use craft items to give themselves a CrAzY new hairdo!

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Up next week we have Dare to Care for the Earth: planting seeds, ways to care for our Earth

Entertainment Day: Kindergarten Talent Show

Favorite Book Day: bring in favorite books

Game Day:  board and card games

Hoola and Hula Day:  hoola hoops and learning to hula

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One last thing...

Happy National Kindergarten Day

(Sunday, April 21)

to ALL of the wonderful Kindergarten teachers out there!!!

 

My Currently for April

I don't think my "Currently" needs a lot of explanation this month, but here's the short of it!

 

Listening:  The boys got "fishing" bunnies in their baskets for Easter.  On the back, there are fish jokes.

"If fish lived on land, which country would they live in?"

 

Loving:  Spring Break has really got me thinking about Summer Break...can't wait!

 

Thinking:  Well, we ended up heading to the Springs to fish for trout.  I got skunked! 

 

Wanting:  I'm so not ready to go back yet!  Days off always lead to wanting just one more.

 

Needing:  A group of teachers (15!) from my school are participating in the Color Run.  I'd LOVE to run the whole thing...I've got to get serious!!!

 

Advice:  If you all are ready for Summer Break, like I am, it's really important to keep things "fresh".  This will save your sanity and keep your students engaged in learning!!!

 

Oh, and the punchline to the fishy joke...FINLAND!

"Spring" Into Kindergarten: An Event for Incoming Kindergarteners

A few years back (6, 7, 8...that's a few, right???) our building started a Pre-K activity called "Spring Into Kindergarten".  This is an hour long, evening event of activities for Pre-K students (incoming 2013-2014 Kindergarteners) and their parents to come to our school.  We try to hold the event a week or two before our Kindergarten Screening is scheduled.  This event is not a lot of work, and the pay-off is AMAZING!!! 

 

This event provides these little guys and gals and opportunity to see the school (so it won't be such a strange place when they come in for the screening), to see some of the adult faces they will see at the screening (so they won't be so scary), and time to let loose and have a little bit of fun with future classmates!  I think parents also benefit from this evening of play.  They get to see the school, meet the principal and some of the teachers and staff, and possibly begin to ease some of the nervousness they have with their "babies" going off to Kindergarten. It is also a GREAT first impression for some of these parents!!!  I love it, because I get to meet some future love muffins and get to meet parents! 

 

Some of the activities we have for the kids to particpate in are:

Obstacle Course

Music and Movement

 

Pattern Blocks & Puzzles

 

Play-Do

 

Sensory Table

 

Art/Craftivity

We also have a Story Corner and Snacks in the cafeteria. 

**I've got to say that we have the BEST staff around.  Many teachers/staff give their time to help w/this event (not just the Pre-K and K teachers).**

We also sent parents home with the following information.  Click below to read them for yourself.  We (my Kindergarten teacher buddies and I) thought it was a great list of things to work on!


 Students are also invited to our annual "Kindergarten Buddy Day" event.  On this day, incoming Kindergarteners come to school and spend 2 hours in a Kindergarten classroom (yes, we have MORE students for those two hours) and get a "taste" of what Kindergarten is all about!  I love to see the faces of my lil' love muffins...they're so proud to be my "helpers"!  Ya know...they've never been the BIG kids before!  We ususally do calendar, sing some some songs, dance around, have a read-a-loud, and complete a craftivity.  It's a busy couple of hours, but again VERY worth it!  My love muffins still talk about that day!