The students loved exploring and engaging with materials related to their new unit of study, living things. They have already generated many questions related to this inquiry, based on their dramatic play and building choices during "exploration" time in the classroom during the past few weeks, so the teachers are enthusiastic about following their interests and curiosity to focus on our learning goals over the next two months.
The children worked on concepts of measurement including volume, by discovering through play which containers hold more, less, or the same amount as each other. Provocations in the sensory table and other areas of the classroom reinforced this concept for students who wished to revisit their learning after small group time.
During small group time, the children role-played "grocery store" and predicted which objects or combinations of objects could fit in which bags (big or small).
Here are some more photos from our week together:
Invitations to emergent writing at the writing center.
A collaborative city.
One of our classroom jobs, the "photographer," gets some great candid shots every day!
Next Week:
The students will continue their questioning and studies about living things, including animals, dinosaurs and plants.
We will finish up our study of measurement and the students will have a chance to play our favorite math games.
Circle Solutions:
This week we had a wonderful opportunity to again work in circle with our fifth grade buddies, Ms. Johnson's class. The children talked about concepts related to our core value of January, integrity, and introduced the idea of our next core value, Creativity, while discussing some of the things we love about our school. Each person at circle engaged in a sentence completion by finishing the statement, "the best thing about school is....." Sample answers included, "recess," "the block area," "my friends," and "buddy time," while some children chose to "pass" rather than answering.
After the sentence completion activity, buddies were challenged to illustrate their favorite thing about school, or an idea that might make school even better! After the students all engaged on their work together, we took a class gallery walk and shared ideas about what we love about school and what might make it even better (a class pet, kitten; more buddy time; school ghosts; and more). We will be hanging up the collaborative work in the hallway to share the students' reflections on gratitude (what they appreciate now) and creativity (new ideas about what could make things better!).
Next week the PreK students will continue talking about creativity in circle time.
Reminders:
We are working to support your child's growing independence as we move gradually closer to kindergarten. How can you help? Try to pack clothes and food containers that your child can use by him/herself. Most children in the classroom are dressing and undressing themselves for outside without assistance. An expectation is that they can choose, open, eat, and clean up their own snack. Yes, all children carry their own backpacks and belongings at school, as well! Do you have similar expectations at home? Set your child up for success by: reinforcing appropriate independence at home, and giving the child the tools he/she needs to succeed (i.e. clothes and containers that are able to be opened by a four year old!). A confident, capable child is a successful child in play, learning, and life.
Upcoming Events:
Family Math Night
Mark your calendars for Feb. 7, 4:15 pm to 5:15 pm. Come play math games with your child.
Games develop fluency with math skills and problem solving. Experience the fun of learning
through games!
Our Family Math Night games are intended to help build fluency in math in a fun and engaging way.
You’ll find the rules and instructions for a wide range of math skills games using a variety of different resources, including playing cards and dice. We’ve assembled games for different skill levels ranging
from Grades Pre-K through 5, all with an educational math twist.
Did you know? The games are available to be checked out from the library after Family Math Night,
if you would like to play them again at home. Ask your child to talk with the librarians.
Locations: Grades 1-5 are in the ES Hall, KG in the Drama room and Pre K in their own room.
Family Picnic!
Pre K: 11:00 am - 11:30 am; KGGr. 5: 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm
Due to popular demand, we will be having another BBQ for picnic day next Thursday, February 8.
Kindly sign up through the google form (below) if interested! There is a google sign-up form
for each grade. For siblings, please sign up each child in their respective grade order form.
The DEADLINE for orders will be on Tuesday, February 6th by 5:00 p.m.
We kindly ask that parents drop off the money in a labelled envelope to the ES office
(name, class code and order). Note the following grade level lunch times:
Pre-K will eat lunch at 11am, KG to Grade 2 at 12:10pm and Grades 3-5 at 12:30pm
IMPORTANT: Unfortunately we will not be able to take orders on the day of the BBQ and
we will have to cancel orders that have not been paid by Tuesday the 6th.
We look forward to seeing you all!!
Field Trip to Stabl Antar School
Saturday, February 10th, 2018
10:30 AM - 2:30 PM
The Service Learning office is planning a field trip to Stabl Antar Dreams School
for Elementary School students to deliver Pass the Parcel donations. If you interested to
join the trip please click here. PreK students will be accompanied by a parent.
Please note the trip is limited to 25 students so if you would like to attend, fill out the permission form soon!
Parents' Corner:
At our parent community meeting, we discussed some of the frustrations that may come up in our lives with four and five year olds. A big one could be setting limits, followed by the inevitable "power struggles" that can arise when a child does not agree with the limit that has been set by the adult. Please click here to read more about limit setting with empathy and communication, a strategy used in the classroom that will support your child at home as well.
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