Kind Kids in Kindergarten
See what our brains and imaginations up to!
May 2 - 6, 2016
This week's focuses were:
-Silent E
-Silent E
-Butterfly Life Cycle Project
-Fractions, Continued
-The Power of Attitude and "Good Vibes"
-Musical Practice
Vocabulary of the Week
We all know it can be easy to get discouraged, hurt, or angry. Noticing my students occasionally struggling with this, I used our vocabulary word of the week to highlight how it can be easy to have SUCCESS too! It all has to do with our attitude--the way we feel, think, and act towards something. We've been practicing sharing "good vibes"--happy thoughts towards others or something in our day--to make our classroom a pleasant space in which we can excel.
Our Good Vibe Jar...
...for collecting notes of every time I notice students expressing positivity towards themselves and each other! Once the bucket is full, I will "shower" the class with love as a mini good vibe celebration "blossoms"!
Fractions
This week we continue to practice our grasp on fractions, comparing and connecting its representations as parts of a whole and parts of a group. We returned to "Rock Around the Room", a familiar activity previously used with Place Value, where students find posters scattered around the room which provide prompts for them to answer on their recording sheet.
Class Caterpillar Journal
Much bigger caterpillars were a welcome surprise when we returned to school Monday! This week each student was also given their own individual Butterfly Life Cycle Calendar, in which we will be keeping track of big events: last week's introduction, naming, and molting, and looking ahead we will mark down each new chrysalis and butterfly hatching!
Chrysalises have formed!
We were lucky enough to catch some of them wiggling mid-formation process! Now the wait for butterflies is on. After reviewing that they stay as a chrysalis for 7-10 days, students made their own predictions of when we should expect our newly winged friends.
Musical Sneak Peak!
Just a glimpse of what will be at the end of May...
Indoor Recess Creativity!
Above: Aadhya and Betty Jane often enjoy seeing how tall they can balance wooden blocks.
Below: Creating villages and circuses is another popular indoor recess activity for various students.
Mother's Day Crafting!
Spanish Day
Ms. Baltanas expanded this year's Cinco De Mayo to celebrate all Spanish culture! In an afternoon assembly, each class presented the project they worked on with her during Spanish class the past few weeks. Here, Chris and Aaron share the names of common farm animals.
Multicultural Potluck!
Thank you to all the families that supplied our class with a cultural dish! Each one was a favorite of at least one student, and I was pleased to see how many of us tried new things. A yummy Friday indeed!