March 25th, 2018

Our Week in PreK:
This week we continued to observe the plants in our environment more and went to the garden boxes of Grade 1. The children were very curious about the tomatoes and also found some plants that smelled “yummy”. They start to notice more details about them and explore with all of their senses: touching dried out soil, smelling flowers and herbs, or blowing away seeds the of a “wishing flower”.

The children also recognize when a plant is hurt or when a snail is out of their habitat. They rescued a snail from the running tracks and carefully put it back in its home next to a plant.

They are now engaged with building protective structures for our plants. Their ideas range from walls and boxes to houses and buckets. We are excited to visit Mr. Miller next week in the workshop since we discovered we need something stronger than paper to build with.

Our other study group, as they explored plants, developed an interest in snails and began exploring their characteristics.  We brought living snails into the classroom and discussed what we noticed and our questions.  The children saw:

A shell- round? spiral?

Ears- 2? 3? 4?

It moves very, very, slowly.

It eats the paper, and a leaf.

It can go inside the shell- to hide? sleep?

They are committed to creating a habitat for the snail in the classroom and will explore this topic further, demonstrating all of their learned knowledge about living things as they do so.

We learned more about numbers and patterns this week.  The children were very excited to show their understanding of patterns through play.  One of our new favorite board games allows the students to identify a missing piece of a pattern and then name it.

We had the chance to attend a drama performance by fourth and fifth graders this week.  We were invited especially by some siblings, and by a fifth grade class.  During the short time that we stayed to watch, we got to see some story-telling and singing.  The PreK class has learned a lot about being an "awesome audience" and we love to see different types of performances.  This week was a lot of fun and it gave us the chance to appreciate different types of performance art!

When the children learned that it was our school's birthday, they were enthusiastic about celebrating.  They used materials from the new classroom workshop to create a birthday cake for CAC.  The children who created the cake even had a chance to go on stage and say "Happy Birthday, CAC" at the founder's day celebration on Tuesday.

We certainly do have a lot of performers in our classroom as we've learned this week.  The students have been taking turns on the stage with singing, dancing, and acting using a microphone.  After seeing a few of their friends on stage at the founder's day assembly, as well as seeing some peers perform during a drama informance, the children definitely have the idea in their mind that they want a turn to show off their skills.  We are looking forward to the opportunity to share our learning at our own assembly on April 24th.

Here are some more photos from our week together:

Next Week:
We will finish up our study unit on living things by focusing on snails (how will we keep our pet snails alive?  What do they need to survive in the classroom?  Can the children build a habitat for the snails?) and on our growing plants.  The children will continue learning about numerals and begin to experiment with simple addition stories through play.

Circle Solutions:
We will talk about character strengths.  What strengths are important in the classroom?  As a friend?  As a learner?

Reminders:
Please be sure to sign up for a guest reading opportunity in the PreK classroom.  The children would love to have you, and it is a great opportunity to model the importance of reading and literacy.  Click here to sign up!

Upcoming Events:
April 1-9 will be CAC's Spring Break. Enjoy the time with your family!

Mark your calendars! The annual ES Book Parade Assembly is on April 10, the day we get back from the April break. This year, the ES Library Council has declared the theme to be GRAPHIC NOVELS! Stay tuned for more details.

Parents' Corner:
"I'm bored!"  Nobody likes hearing this from their child, but is it actually healthy and helpful for children to disconnect and have some unstructured time?  Yes!  Click here to read more about managing "boredom" with your child and in your family effectively.

March 18th, 2018

Our Week in PreK:
The children have been very enthusiastic about our ongoing inquiry topic related to plants.  The students had opportunities to reflect on plants in various settings including outside (where do plants grow? What do they need to survive?  What do we notice?) and in the classroom (how have our seedlings grown and changed after two weeks?)  The PreK students are observant scientists.

We have been learning about patterns using math games in the classroom.  The students are engaged and having fun!  We tried to make patterns using body movements, for example "clap, hop, clap, hop."  Next, we tried to copy a friend's pattern.  Finally, we learned how to make a pattern grow.  Our knowledge moved from concrete to more abstract as we translated our body patterns to color patterns using unifix cubes.

A new classroom center was very exciting for the children: the workshop.  This is based on "maker" ideology where students have creative freedom to use recycled or creative loose parts to build productively and freely.  Families, if you have any materials you wish to donate to our workshop (i.e. bottle caps, cardboard, clean containers), please bring them in and give them to a teacher.  Thanks for supporting your child's creativity and agency!

Here are some more photos from our week together:

Next Week:
The students will continue to explore our study topic of plants and growth.  We will begin learning about numerals and how to write them.  We will visit library for the first time, rather than having the library cart come to our classroom!  Lots of exciting things to look forward to.

Circles: 
This week we will continue discussions of friendship at circle.

After-Care: 
The children will have the opportunity do to some cooking projects, including making popcorn, at after-care this week.

Reminders:
Please be sure to sign up for a guest reading opportunity in the PreK classroom.  The children would love to have you, and it is a great opportunity to model the importance of reading and literacy.  Click here to sign up!

Upcoming Events:
You are welcome to attend a Founder's Day celebration on Tuesday, March 20th at 2:30.  The PreK class will help fifth graders in planting a tree at the celebration, since they are "plant experts!"

From the Library:
Mark your calendars! The annual ES Book Parade Assembly is on April 10, the day we get back from the April break. This year, the ES Library Council has declared the theme to be GRAPHIC NOVELS! Stay tuned for more details.

Parents' Corner:
Every child (and adult!) has moments when they are upset.  Feeling angry or sad is a normal human response!  How we respond to the children in these moments can support their emotional growth and development.  Click here to read more about supportive ways to listen when your child is upset.

Parents, thank you to those who joined us at the community meeting on Thursday and apologies for rescheduling.  We really enjoyed sharing the curriculum with you and discussing what the children have been learning in depth.  Our conversations were great, too!  A special thank you to Ms. Sanne who collaborated on the slideshow that was presented at the meeting. We'd love to have you join us at the next meeting on April 11th, 5:00-5:30.
PreK Parent Community Meetings

March 11th, 2018

We had an exciting week of learning in the classroom as children continued to explore our topic of inquiry, living things and growth.  Many children continued to demonstrate interest in seeds and plants, while others asked questions and developed hypotheses related to the chicks that had been living in the classroom.

On Sunday, we were very excited to see that our seeds have changed over the weekend. The children were introduced to observational drawings as a tool of a scientist. They documented what they saw: leaves and roots are starting to sprout! Children are remarking that “plants are really alive!” The week was continued with some inquiry around the topic plants and water. There are some theories that the more water the plant will have, the bigger they will grow. We will continue being very observant scientists and discover more about the topic of plants and what they need to grow.

The children were very curious about where the chicks went after they moved outside, but agreed that with all of the things they needed to survive (a home, food, and water), they would be alright. By the end of the week, the children were very interested in joining the planting inquiry and began planting their own seeds during choice time.  Next week, all students will have the opportunity to engage in planting explorations and we will pursue interests related to plants and how they grow and develop.

Here are some more photos of our week together:

Circle Solutions:

After welcoming a new student to the classroom on Sunday, we will focus on the topic of friendship during circles this week.

Reminders:

Guest readers are welcome to our story time on Wednesdays at 10:05.  Please bring your own book- you can choose one with your child at home or at the CAC library.  If you have any questions, ask Ms. Trillian!  Please sign up once- we want to allow every family who is interested to have a chance to come in.  If needed, we can add additional days to the calendar to accommodate interest!

PreK Family Guest Reader Sign-Up Sheet.

Looking forward to reading with you soon!

Upcoming Events:

Information to parents

We will be having a drill on March 12 to practice shelter procedures. Teachers will discuss this as “shelter practice” with students in age-appropriate ways, but you may also want to also talk to your child about the subject. Last year, we shared this article with helpful suggestions for talking to children about safety procedures and practices. One of the things addressed is the impact of the terminology we use. Staff members will be going over this in advance, as we work together to ensure that students feel safe, protected, and aware of what to do in different situations.

Please ask Ms. Trillian if you have any questions about the shelter practices in PreK, or click here to read more on the topic.

- The drill will be held at 12:00 pm, so if you are on campus, we ask that you follow instructions when asked to go to a safe place. Everyone who is outside will be moved to the ES Hall.

On Tuesday, we will have our next house event!  Please be sure to wear your house team colors.  This event is a fundraiser for the African Hope Food Program.  Click here to read more.

Parent teacher conferences will be on Wednesday, March 14th.  There is no school on this day. We will have child-care on the playground and it is important that parents only attend the conference.  Please be sure to plan for some time in advance to help your child settle in before your conference begins.  See you soon!

Our class intern, Ms. Sanne, will be sitting in to observe most conferences.  Please let Ms. Trillian know if you would prefer a private conference.  Thanks for your support in helping Ms. Sanne learn and grow as an educator in all areas of teaching.

Movie Night!  Thursday, March 15th 3:10-3:50.  Click here for more information.

Parents' Corner:

Three powerful words for children of all ages: "I see you." Click here to learn more about how and why children long to be seen by their caregivers and peers, and how you can support this need at home.

March 4th, 2018

Our Week in PreK:
Our week in the classroom was full of learning opportunities and engagement as the students continued their studies of living things and growth.  The children were enthusiastic about games involving numeracy concepts of "not enough," "more," and "exactly enough."

The "chicks" study group had an exciting week of watching the KG chicks grow and documenting the changes they saw.  Students noticed claws and nails growing, feathers, and even some changes to the chicks' heads and faces.  The ability and mobility of the chicks changed too!  The children were able to take one chick outside and watch as it moved around and explored.  When comparing their observational drawings at the beginning of our study, to now, it is clear to see the changes that students are noticing and documenting. Now, the children are wondering "what animals come from eggs?"  They are learning about animals that come from eggs including fish, chickens, dinosaurs, and... lions?  Further study of this topic will support understanding of the concept.

Children engaged in a counting/decomposition of numbers inquiry.  Our nine chicks were in a box, that had been divided into two sections.  The chicks could move between the two sections so that there were different numbers of chicks in each section, but always a total of nine.  Children used tally marks to record what they saw: 4 and 5, 3, and 6, etc. contributing to a total of nine. 

The study group working on hamsters has moved on to an inquiry of plants and seeds. The children brainstormed the steps necessary to plant a seed in soil and then followed through with their plan.  They documented what their seeds looked like at the beginning of the project and are keenly waiting for them to grow, both in soil and in a plastic bag.  Students are predicting that the seeds in a bag will not grow, because they do not have soil.  They also believe that seeds that have the most water, will grow the biggest.  We will test these hypotheses in coming weeks.

Here are some more photos from our week together:

A new nametag appeared in one of our empty cubbies.  What could this mystery mean?  Some children predicted that the new nametag, with an unfamiliar name, might be for a new child in the PreK class. The children are so eager to find out.  We will all have an answer on March 11th when we do welcome a new student to the classroom.

Next Week:
Our study groups will continue with work on the chicks and plants.  The chicks group will pursue their inquiry into eggs, babies, and growth. What comes from eggs and how do the eggs help babies grow? They will also help the chicks transition to life outside by talking with their teachers about what chicks might need to stay alive and how to provide this for them.  The planting group will record observations related to their plants in the classroom and how they are changing over time.  Will they grow?  Which of their hypotheses are correct?

Circle Solutions:  
Next week we are going to be focusing on CAC's core value of perseverance.  We will discuss it using activities related to the idea of what we can do and what it feels like to try new things, work hard, and never give up.  We are excited to welcome Derek Brown, middle school teacher, to the classroom for observations of Circle in PreK as he completes his doctorate studies. You may see him within the next few weeks. We are very happy that CAC is a school that supports a community of lifelong learners!

Reminders:
Guest readers are welcome to our story time on Wednesdays at 10:05.  Please bring your own book- you can choose one with your child at home or at the CAC library.  If you have any questions, ask Ms. Trillian!  Please sign up once- we want to allow every family who is interested to have a chance to come in.  If needed, we can add additional days to the calendar to accommodate interest!

PreK Family Guest Reader Sign-Up Sheet.

Looking forward to reading with you soon!

Upcoming Events:
We will have an early release day on March 7th, and students will be dismissed at 11:30. We will have P.E. before dismissal, so please plan for your child to eat lunch after school. Thank you!

There will be no school on March 8th.

Information to parents
We will be having a drill on March 12 to practice shelter procedures. Teachers will discuss this as “shelter practice” with students in age-appropriate ways, but you may also want to also talk to your child about the subject. Last year, we shared this article with helpful suggestions for talking to children about safety procedures and practices. One of the things addressed is the impact of the terminology we use. Staff members will be going over this in advance, as we work together to ensure that students feel safe, protected, and aware of what to do in different situations.

Please ask Ms. Trillian if you have any questions about the shelter practices in PreK, or click here to read more on the topic.

- The drill will be held at 12:00 pm, so if you are on campus, we ask that you follow instructions when asked to go to a safe place. Everyone who is outside will be moved to the ES Hall.

Parent's Corner:
Have you tried some of these parenting strategies and felt that they weren't helping?  Click here to read more about the early stages of trying something new in your practice and what you could potentially expect.  Don't give up on!