TerraNichol Academy of the Arts
Kindergarten School Blog April 8th-12th, 2019
Our journey and wonder in learning labs this week.
In a truly creative environment, teachers need to plan time in their lessons for change and growth. They must allow children to transition from knowledge gathering and memorizing to synthesizing and puzzle solving. This comes from teaching with imagination and encouraging students to learn in the same way.
Imagination is what stays when teachers are gone from their students’ lives. It's what students have taken from a creative classroom and into real life. While basic knowledge and facts are important building blocks, imagination is the synthesis of that knowledge. It's the vehicle that gets learners from point A to point B on their own.
We can’t actually teach how to have imagination—we can only teach using our imagination.
Creativity is a process that can be learned for sure, but the fuel that fires it—our imagination—is a personal voyage of discovery that we can encourage. Students have to use and trust their own imaginations in order to exercise them. It’s a path they have to take on their own. We can guide them through the process by teaching with imagination and modeling that wonder, but it’s their own skills that will serve them.
With the acknowledgment of World Unicorn Day students imaginations have been thriving. From imagining unicorn rainbows, to unicorn sparkles on the floor, to Alyssa's unicorn leg to making up stories about what it would be like to live with a unicorn! Students imaginations were also sparked through our multiple literacy journeys: Lily the Unicorn, Sophia Unicorn Expert, and Not Quite a Narwhal. Creating multi-media art unicorns with newspaper, upcycled photo mattes, yarn and glitter students made their own unicorns and gave them a fabulous unicorn name!
During writing workshop students have been reflecting on ways that they can respect the Earth. While every day is Earth Day at TerraNichol we are taking this month to share our personal thoughts on ways that we can be better stewards of our beautiful planet.
Click, Buzz, Flutter, Crunch do you hear the sounds of the insects in the insect lab? Scientists explored these creepy crawly but fascinating insects noticing how many legs, wings, antennae, spots and body parts each has. Students are enjoying learning how to use magnifying glasses to examine these insects.
Our insect investigation also ties into our Music Appreciation Story Journey "Creepy Crawly Calypso!" Students listen to the sounds of Calypso music played by an assortment of talented insects. Each page features a different insect and musical instrument. It's Jammin'!
Our investigations did not end with insects. We have been dissecting flowers, seeds, and beans examing the insides, recording what we notice. Students enjoyed cutting open fruits and vegetables and discussing the similarities and differences in the seeds. These seeds will not go to waste as we will try to start some saplings from them!
This week was definitely a busy and inspiring week! We are excited for Save the Elephant Day which we will celebrate by Painting Like Elephants, watching a documentary of an elephant actually painting and raising awareness for respecting the lifes of these beautiful creatures!
We will see everyone on Tuesday!
Ciao!
Terra Tominelli~FounderKindergarten Skills
Mathematical Development:
Number Recognition
Using numbers purposefully when recording observations or in writing
Creating patterns and adding to existing patterns
counting objects
Solving simple addition problems to 10 with and without manipulatives
Literacy Development:
Creating creative comprehensive stories
Being able to clearly explain a story
Accurately and consistently associating letters to letter sounds
Using knowledge of letter sounds to spell words when writing
Ability to decipher between two words relying on the understanding of letter sounds. For example, when looking at a book with the word butterfly and caterpillar student can accurately name which says butterfly distinguishing that butterfly starts with /b/
Writing demonstrating left to right directionality, clearer formation, using spaces between words
Exploring A Dragon Fruit
Georgia O'Keeffe
Born in 1887, Georgia O'Keeffe was an American artist who painted nature in a way that showed how it made her feel. She is best known for her paintings of flowers and desert landscapes.
She played an important part in the development of modern art in America, becoming the first female painter to gain respect in New York's art world in the 1920s. Her unique and new way of painting nature, simplifying its shapes and forms meant that she was called a pioneer.
WHAT INSPIRED HER?
The artwork below is a landscape. Can you see how she has simplified the shapes of the hills in the painting?
HOW DID SHE DEVELOP HER STYLE?
Georgia knew from the age of 12 that she wanted to be an artist. She went to art school but what she was taught there didn’t seem relevant to the way she wanted to paint. Then in 1912, she discovered the revolutionary ideas of an artist and designer called Arthur Wesley Dow. He emphasized the importance of composition – which means how you arrange shapes and colors.
As O’Keeffe explained: ‘His idea was, to put it simply, fill a space in a beautiful way’. This was a light-bulb moment for her and from then on she began to experiment with shapes, colors and marks.
Unicorn Project!!!
Unicorn Yoga Flow and Unicorn Tea!
Get Your Tickets Today for A Night At the Art Museum Performed by our Junior Kindergarten and K/1 Students
Sponsor or Make a Donation to A Night At the Art Museum!
-Ally Garcia donation towards snack and the making of Vincent Van Gogh Frame and Wig
-Mary Tracy of Artist Acres donation towards play production
-Fallon Vanblarcom donation of time helping with hair and makeup prior to the show.
Please Visit our Eventbrite event if you would like to support keeping the Arts Alive in our school and this year's performance of A Night At the Art Museum!
We are most in need of the following volunteers and sponsors:
-Volunteer to hang play posters throughout the community
-Sponsor for the cost of our videographer. A free digital video is provided for each family
-Sponsor for the cost of the lights and sound technician
Special Alumni Student Performance!
WE included some of the photos and the videos from the performance here but there are many more on the school facebook page. There are some absolutely beautiful photos of individual children with Ainsley if you have not had the chance to see them please be sure that you do!
Gymnastics with Miss Kristi
Mark Your Calendars
School Calendar
April
15th (M) School Closed for Teacher Professional Day
18th (TH) Earth Day Bash This is a regular school day with a typical school daily Rhythm
19th (F) School Closed For Good Friday
Special and Fun DaysThrough the Month
16th-Save the Elephant Day
May
3rd (F) School closed for Teacher Professional Day
6th-10th Teacher Appreciation Week
16th-17th (TH/F) A Night At The Art Museum Preparation Days School Closed
18th (F) Performance of A Night At The Art Museum at LemonBay Playhouse
22nd (W) Last Day for Junior Kindergarten (540 only) and Kindergarten Students
27th (M) School Closed for Memorial Day
June
10th-14th Last Week of School For Preschool and Extended Schedules.
CALLING ON OUR TRIBE! Second Semester
We ask all parents to review, document and tally up your volunteers hours. If you selected to donate items off the school amazon list. Print out your orders and record your total amount and items donated in the volunteer book. If you selected to shop in the school store total the amount you spent and record in the volunteer book.
We ask that all parents be responsible for recording and documenting their hours.
Please see reference sheet below.
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to run a school successfully.
Parent Volunteer Co-Op Program Reference Sheet
3 hours per quarter=6 hours per semester=12 hours per school year
1st semester- August-December
2nd semester-January-May
Participate in the following ways
Parent will honor 3 hours per quarter.
Work as a helping parent (Parent helper will assist teaching team as a parent mentor, prepare activities, prepare projects for the month, sewing dramatic clothes, repairing toys, book orders, garden helper, making play dough or gak, bubble maker, committee member for teacher appreciation week and donate food and supplies, donate supplies each month are some of the examples of jobs. There are a variety of opportunities to fit every family's interest, schedules, and needs and families select their top choices before the beginning of the new school year.
$350 per school year purchasing items off our school wish list for learning lab environments.
$350 donation per school year.
$350 spent in the school eco-friendly store per school year.
Donation to the end of the year school play.
If the parent chooses to do both shopping off of Amazon Wish List/School Store and other Volunteer items the total cost percentage would be deducted from the $350 total. Every approximate $30 spent equals 1 volunteer hour.
Example: Parent’s Amazon purchases for learning lab materials = $60 that parent receives 2 volunteer hours. The parent would have 10 volunteer hours left to complete for the school year
Need Hours????
Teacher Appreciation Committee and Volunteers
Handyman Volunteer
Coffee Bar Supply Volunteer
Ink Cartridge Drop Off Volunteer
Easy Volunteer Opportunity. See on our Amazon Wishlist !
Easy Volunteer Hour-500 pack of colored construction paper!
We love this natural marker holder
Nature tables and signs for the playscape!
Sensory Walk
Bike and Scooter Garage
A fabulous new find. We love the use of the log in this math activity
Reggio Emilia Approach To Learning At Home.
Please feel free to explore our Pinterest Boards for school to home ideas and connections. Please keep in mind when planning your child's developmental age, current skill level and learning MI intelligence.
TerraNichol Academy of the Arts School Wishlist
Earn your 12 volunteer hours by shopping our Amazon school wishlist.
TerraNichol Academy Of The Arts Innovative Progressive Reggio Emilia Private School
TerraNichol Academy of The Arts School is the kind of school parents expect, educators celebrate and children adore. Our approach to learning celebrates the great potential of young children, with the goal of nurturing self-motivated, life-long learners. The learning labs are guided by our Master Teachers as well as the Founder of TerraNichol Academy of The Arts Preschool with a low teacher-to-child ratio to allow for one-on-one engagement and thoughtful observation. Join our small community school for a backstage tour and be inspired by our thoughtful team of Early Childhood Educators here at TerraNichol Academy.
Come and Explore our Reggio Emilia program at TerraNichol Academy acclaimed for the stunning environments, their educators who create, provoke and dazzle the students' senses, invite curiosity and discovery, and most importantly, foster strong, respectful meaningful relationships.
Come learn about the values for children in the program:
Being home away from home...
connecting children to their families...
helping children to be powerful and active...
being a steward of the natural world...
seeing oneself as a capable learner...
recognizing and being curious about...
We provide a school environment that is beautiful and taken care of with an attitude of care so that parents, children, and teachers want to come to school every day.
It is with an intelligent heart and courage that we continue our goals and vision to continue to proceed with the work of a child.
We would love for you to attend one of the backstage tours on the following dates:
April 15th @9:00 am
May 13th @4:30pm
June 10th @4: 30 pm
July 8th @4: 30 pm
Submit a school application by visiting our website if you will be attending the Tour. http://www.terranichol.com/resources
Email: terranicholacademy@gmail.com
Website: www.terranichol.com
Location: 701 Old Englewood Road, Englewood, FL, United States
Phone: 941-474-3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerraNichol-Academy-of-The-Arts-School-257753271185/
Twitter: @terranichol