Winter Stations

Today was filled with fun!

Thank You!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely Christmas gifts. I appreciate every single one of them.
Tomorrow we will have our winter stations.
If you are volunteering, please arrive @9:20, so that I can briefly go over the directions for the station.
All parents are invited. Please make arrangements for younger siblings as this is a special time for you and your kindergartner.
Thank you for understanding.
I am excited to see everyone tomorrow!
Thank you again!!

This week we are learning more about non-fiction text features. We also observed our winter tree today and drew what we observed.
This week we have read Duck For President and Winter Is The Warmest Season.
Please ask your child about these books.

During our language arts time we are reviewing daily our high frequency words.
During wiring time it is so exciting to see our friends writing using uppercase letters at the beginning of their sentences, finger spacing, and using punctuation. Please encourage phonetic spelling and the use of lowercase letters inside of sentences at home.
Many of our friends are writing more than one sentence. Those friends and I are working on adding details and using and or because to extend the sentences.
During math stations and calendar time we are focusing on counting on and reconginzing number 20-100 out of sequence.
I have introduced to most of the class a fabulous app called line em up! It's free!
I love it because I can differentiate the app settings based on the students needs.

RAZ-KIDS please make sure your child is using this awesome tool! It is perfect for retelling.

Thank you again for your continued support!

Friday Fun!

Today we did a team
sort for our needs and wants. We discussed the attributes of non-fiction.

Bold Print

Titles

Headings

Real Pictures

 Thank you Dr. T. for sharing with us all about being a dentist.

Learning!

Thank you Mrs. W. for sharing with us today about the job of a quilter. You connected what we are learning in math to the real world!

The children learned to scan their QR codes today and log into SeeSaw. Today, they used the writing tool and voice tool.
Check out SEESAW to see their work. 
 If there is a time where you can't hear them, please encourage them to speak loud and proud.  We are also working on this at school. ;) 
The children have diligently worked on learning how to take a picture with their IPAD. 
This isn't easy when you have to get into the frame the entire page.
Then, they have had to move through the different parts of the SeeSaw app. 
They are learning to save all by themselves! This is BIG TIME for all of us!

They also created a big book today. This was done by writing a sentence, Look at (their name). He/She is a (the career they chose). Then, we took their pictures and created the book.
This will be added to the big book station for station time.

I would like to continue to have folks come into our classroom and share about their jobs the first week after the holiday break. Please E-mail me and let me know if you would like to volunteer.
Thanks!

Careers!

WE ARE PROBLEM SOLVERS!

HABIT 2 BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!

THANK YOU MRS. S. AND MRS. B. FOR SHARING IN OUR LEARNING THIS WEEK!

Setting Goals

Today the children were so fortunate to have a nurse share with them all about her career. We are learning to set goals and begin with the end in mind.   HABIT #2
Today, she shared with us tools that she uses, what she had to learn in order to become a nurse, and why she decided to be a nurse. Thank You Mrs. S. for making learning fun and meaningful.

HOUR OF CODE!

Today the children participated in an hour of code. (Well, twenty minute rotations.)
Please feel free to continue at home.
We used FOOS.
There are countless others, however FOOS was the one we used.


MIND CRAFT

https://studio.code.org/s/mc/stage/1/puzzle/1


STAR WARS
https://studio.code.org/s/starwarsblocks/stage/1/puzzle/1

BIG HERO 6
https://studio.code.org/s/infinity/stage/1/puzzle/1


FROZEN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1-paxNG4kw

Coding and Clothing!

Tomorrow your children will be participating in
THE HOUR OF CODE!
Today we began our unit of study on economics.
The children discussed what type of job he/she would like when they are a bit taller.
I provided the children with an overview of coding. 
Tomorrow they will code. This may be a career path he or she may choose! ;) 
COMPUTER SCIENCE!  HOW COOL! Any one of our friends could be the next Bill Gates!
We watched this video! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQilo5ecSX4&feature=player_embedded

Here are some other videos that will help you to understand coding a bit more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Ux2PnJe6E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgooqyWMTxk


Tomorrow the children will learn how to code on a special app. I will add that app to our blog then as not to ruin the surprise!
During our small group rotations the children will be lead by Mr. Neihoff in coding. They WILL be spending 20 minutes coding in school. 
If this is something that they enjoy, I encourage you to allow them to do some more at home.
I will then add this to an IPAD station in the days to come.


Please make sure that your child has their winter coat, hat, and gloves with them tomorrow.
We are using them for a project.


Thanks!
Sara

Today's Learning!

Well, it might have been raining outside, but not in our class! Today was full of learning and fun!
We read part of our story The Wump World.
Ask your child about what happened in the story so far.  Who are the characters, the setting, and an event or two?

During math time today we discussed different ways to make numbers! Wow! Was I impressed.
I asked can you show me how to make twelve.
Some of my friends said one group of 10 and 2 more 1s, count by twos, count by fours, draw 12 shapes, add 8 and 4!
We are learning to compose teen numbers.
I can statements were sent home over the weekend via E-mail to every family.


In whole group writing today, each child wrote a page of our class SUPERHEROES big book!
Each child wrote, Look at me. I can ____. They were asked to choose reduce, reuse, or recycle.
Then, illustrate!
It turned out so nice. This big book will be added to our big book station.

Here are two songs that we have been learning!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DJ45Yc3urg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsWhJX7Ihiw

Homework

Happy Friday!
We have discovered that the PIXIE app is a paid app.  Please use WIXIE instead.
Thanks!

This week we are learning all about THE 3 Rs! Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

Please encourage discussion and participation at home with your kindergartener and the 3 Rs.  

We have discussed what can be recycled, how to reduce water, paper, electricity, and reducing the amount of gas being used.  Reuse! This is a great time of year for this.  We have talked about giving away old toys and re purposing them.

This weeks poem

A new super hero!

Please continue to make reading and retelling characters, setting, and the beginning, middle, and end events a daily at home routine.

We have officially moved into our REAL BIG KID JOURNALS!!!
(Composition Books)
This is a great gift to give this time of year. Your child can begin journaling about the holidays! They are authors and illustrators.   Oh the places they can go with their journal writing!
If your child is writing at home, please feel free to send it in to school.

Dear Parents,

In case you didn’t see my latest blog entry…

I NEED HELP!
In the next few weeks we are going to be learning about economics. The students will learn about descriptions of work that people do, economic choices, needs, and wants.
That's where I need you.

Calling all folks who want to come in and share about their careers.

My goal is for our kids to be thinking about what problems they want to solve when they are a bit taller, and for them to ask and understand what they need to do to learn to be able to do to solve a problem.

For example, last year we had a large number of friends who loved video games.  A parent came in and shared that his job is "coding" for the military.

He had their full attention.

We have had all professions in the past, and I welcome everyone. 

The key to your sharing time with the kids is props, purpose. You can create  a way to express to a 5-6 year old how they can help to solve a problem and begin thinking about their journey now through sharing what you do and the problems that you solve. As far as the props go, I ask that you pass them around after you speak and not during. ;)

I have a firefighter. ;) So...I don't need another one.;) 

I can do 15-20 minute blocks from now until the Tuesday of the holiday break.  One speaker per day.

Please E-mail me ASAP if you are interested in being part of this learning journey!