Paola stands in front of the haystack maze at Oma's Pumpkin Patch. We have had an awesome last two weeks in Kindergarten. Firstly, a very big THANK YOU to all of you for a successful field trip to the Pumpkin Patch! Despite the little bit of rain, fun was had by all! To prepare for the trip, we spent the week learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin. The week prior we learned that all living things grow and change and pumpkins were no exception. We discovered that pumpkins begin as seeds, grow into sprouts, and eventually grow into a pumpkin blossom. We learned that when a blossom falls off, a tiny green pumpkin begins to grow. As the pumpkin matures, it begins to take on an orange color. When a pumpkin is picked and cut open, one can find seeds and the cycle begins again. It was neat to hear the Kinders make connections between pumpkins and other forms of life. In our discussion, one of our Kinders exclaimed, "The seeds are like the babies!" Another said, "Then the seed gets planted and it starts all over again!" Our project work is in full swing! Last week, the members of the "Exploring Nature" group came to share what they have learned about the caterpillars that inhabit our grape leaves on our fence. The "experts" shared that our caterpillars were called the Western Grape Leaf Skeletonizers and that they were in fact, pests! These caterpillars were responsible for eating all of our grape leaves! Later in the week, we engaged in an investigation of bugs and their attributes. The Kinders explored different bug specimens and found that many of them had 6 legs and 3 body parts. We researched online and found that bugs with those specific attributes were classified as INSECTS. Last week, we also began our Math Exploration Centers. During this time, students have the opportunity to choose from a variety of math activities. The centers are a motivating and engaging way to practice and reinforce the math concepts we have learned so far (counting, representing numbers, sorting). Things and (people) who begin with the letter R! It has a been a busy two weeks and the Kinders are learning so much! Thank you again for your ongoing support. Please make sure to check our Shutterfly sharing site to connect with our classroom community and check out more pictures of the Pumpkin Patch. To Another Fabulous Week of Learning, Mrs. Rosemarie
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Hello Lovely Kinder Families! Happy October! We have been in school over six weeks now and we have had a great time. This week we continued with our Caterpillar Cafe project with an investigation into anatomy and the life cycle. We began with a heated debate. The controversial question that sparked our debate was: Do caterpillars have feet? Here are some of their initial responses:
We decided to test our assumptions through observation. We went out with our magnifying glasses and our "Scientist" eyes. We observed how they walked. We even gently held a few to get a closer look. Through very close observation, we found that caterpillars do have tiny appendages that they use to walk, crawl, and climb. Simply put, they did have FEET! We learned the power of respectful debate, rethinking our ideas, and gathering evidence. We will continue to "think and act like a Scientist" throughout this project. We also answered the question: "What is a caterpillar?" through an investigation of a butterfly's life cycle. We learned that all living things grow and change (ourselves included). We learned that some species look almost the same when they are babies (i.e. puppies and dogs) and that other species go through metamorphosis. We found that caterpillars were in the early stages of a butterfly's life. Check out our beautiful life cycle work: We are learning so much about the caterpillars that live at our school. Make sure to ask your child all about it! To another great week of learning,
Mrs. Rosemarie Our students had a spectacular week studying the letter S. We practiced our handwriting and brainstormed words that begin with the letter S. We worked on our S Books and brought in items that begin with the letter S. Some of the items included:
We even learned a fabulous song to help us practice the Letter S. You can access it at home at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1orYZAoGgoQ We finished our "Hopes and Dreams" Flags and will display it in our Book Nook this week. The flags represent our "Hopes and Dreams" for our Kindergarten year. When asked what they hoped for this year, the following themes emerged:
To another magical week,
Mrs. Rosemarie |
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September 2017
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