End of Year from Kathy Riesing on Vimeo.
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Weekly News (June 5-9)
Wow! I cannot believe how quickly these last few weeks have flown by. It has been a true pleasure working with you and your children this year, and I am so proud of all of the progress they have made. Can't wait to see them in the fall as first graders! I hope you all have a fun and relaxing summer vacation! Thank you for a TERRIFIC year!
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Weekly News (May 22-June2)
We've been busy in kindergarten! Take a peek to see what we have been up to!
Math
We have been learning more about time and the parts of a clock. We practiced telling time to the hour and discussed the difference between analog and digital clocks. We also learned how to solve addition and subtraction problems using an in-and-out function machine like the one below.
We also took a closer look at the dollar bill and learned some interesting facts about some of the symbols and numbers that are found on each $1.00 bill. We also practiced counting out dollar bills and learned how to record these amounts using a $ sign. We even figured out how many pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters equal a dollar.
Literacy
Reading Workshop
We spent some building our "reading stamina" this week. The class did a great job reading the books they selected for their book bins and remaining engaged throughout independent reading time.
Writing Workshop
The students spent time writing about their weekends during writing workshop time, and they finished their animal research reports too. The students are looking forward to sharing their reports with our 5th grade buddies later this week!
Science
We also started the last portion of our "Plants and Animals" unit that focuses on how the needs of people are similar to those of plants and animals. We learned how important it is for our bodies to get oxygen. We also learned about the different natural resources we use to get the things we need. We talked about the positive things we can do to use our resources wisely, and we also talked about the different ways people have changed the environment. We even took a walk around the school to look for ways in which people have altered our school environment!
Field Day
The kids had a blast at field day too! Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help.
Math
We have been learning more about time and the parts of a clock. We practiced telling time to the hour and discussed the difference between analog and digital clocks. We also learned how to solve addition and subtraction problems using an in-and-out function machine like the one below.
We also took a closer look at the dollar bill and learned some interesting facts about some of the symbols and numbers that are found on each $1.00 bill. We also practiced counting out dollar bills and learned how to record these amounts using a $ sign. We even figured out how many pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters equal a dollar.
Literacy
Reading Workshop
We spent some building our "reading stamina" this week. The class did a great job reading the books they selected for their book bins and remaining engaged throughout independent reading time.
Writing Workshop
The students spent time writing about their weekends during writing workshop time, and they finished their animal research reports too. The students are looking forward to sharing their reports with our 5th grade buddies later this week!
Science
We also started the last portion of our "Plants and Animals" unit that focuses on how the needs of people are similar to those of plants and animals. We learned how important it is for our bodies to get oxygen. We also learned about the different natural resources we use to get the things we need. We talked about the positive things we can do to use our resources wisely, and we also talked about the different ways people have changed the environment. We even took a walk around the school to look for ways in which people have altered our school environment!
The kids had a blast at field day too! Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help.
Click here to see more photos from the last few weeks!
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Weekly News (May 15-19)
Math
This week we practiced solving addition problems as we worked to solve our latest "mystery picture." We also spent some time reviewing patterns and learning about Name Collection Boxes like the one below. We also made number bracelets for the number 10 to help us learn which number pairs add to 10!
Literacy
Reading Workshop
This week we revisited the genre of literary nonfiction--books that look like fiction but really teach us facts about a topic. Using the book Whose House is This? by Elizabeth Gregoire, we learned how authors of literary nonfiction books use descriptive words and colorful illustrations to help us learn new facts about a topic.
Writing Workshop
The students have been diligently working on their animal research reports as they added information about what their animals eat as well as a few fun facts. They can't wait to share their reports with our 5th grade buddy class!
Science
This week we began to explore the world of plants. We talked about what we think we know about plants as well as what we want to learn. We also met our class plant--a philodendron that has been growing in our classroom all year. Click here to see how our plant has changed over the course of the year! We learned that plants need both light and water in order to grow. We also learned that plants soak up water and nutrients from the soil, and a plant's roots keep it from falling over. We even planted our own zinnia seeds in our classroom greenhouse, which have already started to bloom! This upcoming week we will spend some time investigating some of the plants in our courtyard!
Getting Ready for First Grade!
What a great way to practice getting ready for first grade---eating lunch in the lunchroom! The class was thrilled to be able to eat lunch at school. We went over the hot lunch routine as well as some of the lunchroom rules. They did an outstanding job with the lunch routine, and they enjoyed every minute of it!
This week we practiced solving addition problems as we worked to solve our latest "mystery picture." We also spent some time reviewing patterns and learning about Name Collection Boxes like the one below. We also made number bracelets for the number 10 to help us learn which number pairs add to 10!
Literacy
Reading Workshop
This week we revisited the genre of literary nonfiction--books that look like fiction but really teach us facts about a topic. Using the book Whose House is This? by Elizabeth Gregoire, we learned how authors of literary nonfiction books use descriptive words and colorful illustrations to help us learn new facts about a topic.
I have also been working with students one-on-one to complete some end-of-year assessments including one final guided reading benchmark assessment. The growth the children have made as readers this year is amazing! They have become so engaged during independent reading time and continue to build their reading stamina each day!
Writing Workshop
The students have been diligently working on their animal research reports as they added information about what their animals eat as well as a few fun facts. They can't wait to share their reports with our 5th grade buddy class!
Science
This week we began to explore the world of plants. We talked about what we think we know about plants as well as what we want to learn. We also met our class plant--a philodendron that has been growing in our classroom all year. Click here to see how our plant has changed over the course of the year! We learned that plants need both light and water in order to grow. We also learned that plants soak up water and nutrients from the soil, and a plant's roots keep it from falling over. We even planted our own zinnia seeds in our classroom greenhouse, which have already started to bloom! This upcoming week we will spend some time investigating some of the plants in our courtyard!
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| Fall |
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| Spring |
 |
| Watching our seeds grow! |
Getting Ready for First Grade!
What a great way to practice getting ready for first grade---eating lunch in the lunchroom! The class was thrilled to be able to eat lunch at school. We went over the hot lunch routine as well as some of the lunchroom rules. They did an outstanding job with the lunch routine, and they enjoyed every minute of it!
Click here to see more photos from the week!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Weekly News (May 8-12)
The highlight of our week was definitely our Kindergarten Musical. I pasted a few photos below, but click the following links to see more photos and videos from the program! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Mother's Day!
It was great seeing all of you!
Hope you enjoy the rest of this beautiful weekend!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Weekly News (April 24-28)
Hoping all these April showers bring some beautiful May flowers!!
Math
This week we practiced solving comparison number stories using our interactive whiteboard. For example, in the problem below, students had to determine how many more cars Brian had by comparing the two amounts.
We also introduced the concept of fractions by dividing objects or a group of objects in half. Students talked with partners about the meaning of the word "half" and came up with these great ideas:
Literacy and Science
This week we began our final science unit of the year that will focus on how animals, plants, and people use resources from their environments to survive.
We began our unit by listening to several short texts about different kinds of animals, like the ones pictured below, and then we discussed what information we knew about animals. We recorded our thoughts and came up with the following class definition for an animal:
An animal is a creature that can move and get what it needs from where it lives like water, food, air, and shelter.
We also talked about the different needs of pets, wild animals, and people and learned that people and animals have four basic needs---food, water, shelter, and air. Click on the video below to learn more about these four needs.
Math
This week we practiced solving comparison number stories using our interactive whiteboard. For example, in the problem below, students had to determine how many more cars Brian had by comparing the two amounts.
We also practiced our counting skills this week. We reviewed counting by 1's, 5's, and 10's, and then we introduced counting by 2's! We talked about when it might be useful to count by 2's and named items we might find in pairs such as socks, mittens, and shoes. Then we practiced counting collections of items by 2's.
Click here to dance and count by 2's!
We also introduced the concept of fractions by dividing objects or a group of objects in half. Students talked with partners about the meaning of the word "half" and came up with these great ideas:
"When you divide things in half you break it into two pieces."
"In the morning I break my muffin in half and share it with my brother or sister."
"When you share something with someone, you should make sure both
halves are the same."
halves are the same."
Then we watched two Brainpop videos to introduce the concept of dividing objects or collections of objects into equal groups. When cutting an item in half, we learned that both parts must be equal or the same size.
Literacy and Science
This week we began our final science unit of the year that will focus on how animals, plants, and people use resources from their environments to survive.
We began our unit by listening to several short texts about different kinds of animals, like the ones pictured below, and then we discussed what information we knew about animals. We recorded our thoughts and came up with the following class definition for an animal:
An animal is a creature that can move and get what it needs from where it lives like water, food, air, and shelter.
The students also had time to select an animal they would like to research throughout our unit. They are super excited to begin their research!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Weekly News (April 17-21)
Another great week in kindergarten! Keep reading to see what we have been learning.
Math
This week in math, we learned more about the dime and reviewed how to count by 10's when counting a collection of dimes. We also played a new math game called "The Money Exchange Game." We practiced making equal coin exchanges using pennies, nickels, and dimes. We learned how to exchange 5 pennies for 1 nickel and 10 pennies for a dime. One student even noticed that we could exchange 2 nickels for 1 dime! We also reviewed 2 and 3-D shapes.
Literacy
Reading Workshop
We wrapped up our poetry unit this week. We learned how good readers make connections while reading to better understand and enjoy poetry. We used the poems Eagle Flight and Song of the Dolphin by Georgia Heard to learn about making text-to-text connections, and then we read the poem Bedtime, which all the children could relate to, as we learned about making text-to-self connections.
We also practiced finding the "big" idea or the message of a poem. After reading the poem My Bed, we used the strategies shown below to help us figure out the real meaning of the poem. We learned that the poem wasn't just about a boy pretending his bed was a race car or a rocket ship. It was about being lost in our thoughts and using our imaginations to create dreams for ourselves and our lives.
Math
This week in math, we learned more about the dime and reviewed how to count by 10's when counting a collection of dimes. We also played a new math game called "The Money Exchange Game." We practiced making equal coin exchanges using pennies, nickels, and dimes. We learned how to exchange 5 pennies for 1 nickel and 10 pennies for a dime. One student even noticed that we could exchange 2 nickels for 1 dime! We also reviewed 2 and 3-D shapes.
 |
| Take a closer look at a dime |
 |
| Exchanging pennies for nickels and dimes |
Reading Workshop
We wrapped up our poetry unit this week. We learned how good readers make connections while reading to better understand and enjoy poetry. We used the poems Eagle Flight and Song of the Dolphin by Georgia Heard to learn about making text-to-text connections, and then we read the poem Bedtime, which all the children could relate to, as we learned about making text-to-self connections.
Writing Workshop
In addition to our weekly weekend writing, the students also spent some time creating a "copycat" poem where we added our own lines to an existing poem. Using the poem Raindrops, we came up with our own pairs of rhyming lines and added pictures to match!
Earth Day
We finished out the week celebrating Earth Day and learned about ways we can protect the Earth and take care of our environment.
We finished out the week celebrating Earth Day and learned about ways we can protect the Earth and take care of our environment.
Click here to see more photos from the week!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, April 17, 2017
Weekly News (April 10-14)
Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! Take a peek to see what we have been learning in kindergarten.
Math
We explored the concept of time and talked about different tools we could use to keep track of time including clapping a steady beat. Then we clapped the number of beats it took to walk, run, and tiptoe across the room. We recorded and compared our results, and then we talked about how our results would change if we clapped faster or slower. We decided that it was important to keep a steady beat when counting! We also learned about the nickel and spent some time exploring its uniquie features. We learned about 3D shapes too including: sphere, cone, cube, rectangular prism, and cylinder. Then we worked together to sort a collection of shapes!
Literacy
Reading Workshop
This week we learned how poets use words and phrases to help us better visualize and understand poetry. We read two poems, Snuggles and Rain Song, and identified words that "leapt" off the page.
We also learned how to use context clues to help us understand the meaning of new or unfamiliar words. Using the poem Houdini, we were able to us clues to help us understand the meaning of the words wriggles and slats.
We also learned how poets use literary devices like the ones in the chart below to help us know how to change our voices as we read poetry. These devices not only make poetry more fun and enjoyable, they help us better understand the meaning of the poem too!
Writing Workshop
Our weekend writing routine has been a great opportunity for the students not only to practice their writing skills, but it has also been a great opportunity for them to talk to their friends and me about their weekend adventures! It is exciting to see them gaining more confidence in themselves as writers each week!
Guest Readers
We were excited to welcome two guest readers this week--Tyler and Jeanie. They were winners of the ABC/25 raffle prize of reading to a kindergarten class. They did an unbelievable job reading to our class! Take a peek at them in action below!
Math
We explored the concept of time and talked about different tools we could use to keep track of time including clapping a steady beat. Then we clapped the number of beats it took to walk, run, and tiptoe across the room. We recorded and compared our results, and then we talked about how our results would change if we clapped faster or slower. We decided that it was important to keep a steady beat when counting! We also learned about the nickel and spent some time exploring its uniquie features. We learned about 3D shapes too including: sphere, cone, cube, rectangular prism, and cylinder. Then we worked together to sort a collection of shapes!
Literacy
Reading Workshop
This week we learned how poets use words and phrases to help us better visualize and understand poetry. We read two poems, Snuggles and Rain Song, and identified words that "leapt" off the page.
We also learned how to use context clues to help us understand the meaning of new or unfamiliar words. Using the poem Houdini, we were able to us clues to help us understand the meaning of the words wriggles and slats.
Writing Workshop
Our weekend writing routine has been a great opportunity for the students not only to practice their writing skills, but it has also been a great opportunity for them to talk to their friends and me about their weekend adventures! It is exciting to see them gaining more confidence in themselves as writers each week!
Guest Readers
We were excited to welcome two guest readers this week--Tyler and Jeanie. They were winners of the ABC/25 raffle prize of reading to a kindergarten class. They did an unbelievable job reading to our class! Take a peek at them in action below!
Thanks for reading!
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