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!
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