Literacy Workshop

The Kindergarten teachers will be inviting families to a Literacy Workshop in the classroom on Thursday, October 25, from 6:00-7:00. Topics to be covered include:

What does reading and writing look like in Kindergarten?
How do children learn to read and write?
How can families support reading and writing at home?

Please look for a sign-up sheet in your child's blue folder on Friday.

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Friday Reading Corner

For the past couple of Fridays, our class has enjoyed stories read by AG's mom and IC's mom.  Our guest readers shared books about the human body, books with rhymes and singing, and books that told us wild and imaginative stories.  The students love being read to and look forward to these special visitors.  A big thank you to both AG's mom and IC's mom for volunteering their time!

Posted at 2:44 PM| Permalink

Reading Homework

Reading homework will begin on Friday, September 28.  Please look for more information in your child's blue folder on Friday.

Posted at 9:55 AM| Permalink

Math Games

Last week the Kindergartners made math games based on a model created by RB during Centers.  RB covered a piece of paper with boxes, and then filled each box with a row of numbers.  She then wrote her own rules to play the game.  When the teachers and other students saw what she had created, everyone was inspired to make their own!  Students filled graph paper with rows of numbers (building number writing skills) and then we all proceeded to play a math game together on the rug.  Mrs. Brooks held up number cards and then students covered the corresponding numbers with chips (building number recognition).  Students then had the option of writing the teacher's rules or writing their own rules.  It was very challenging for students to write their own rules!  They had to use their kindergarten spelling while imagining what rules would make sense for the game boards that they had made (building literacy skills).  This activity was a good example of what child-centered curriculum looks like because we used a student's idea to engage the class in a math and literacy lesson.  Thanks to RB for the great idea!

Posted at 8:37 AM| Permalink

Thunderbirds!

Many students and teachers poured out of their classrooms this morning to watch Thunderbird pilots fly overhead as they rehearsed for their Waikiki air show this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.  The kindergartners and adults were amazed by the sounds and the aerial acrobatics!  Teachers attempted to photograph the jets as they zoomed by.

Posted at 4:31 PM| Permalink

Reading, Writing, and Math

An important part of building a community is learning each other's names. When we can do a community-building activity that also presents itself as a reading, writing, and math lesson, we are in luck! This past week, students have been working on making their own books, called "Kindergarten Friends Book." Students glued pictures and names of each of their classmates into their books and then had to carefully trace and write their friends' names.  Students had to know that there are 17 kindergartners in our class and had to keep track of whose name would come next in alphabetical order.  While keeping track of the pages, students had to read and become more familiar with each other's names. Just the act of putting glue on the paper presented some challenges for students! Now that our books are completed, students will take turns reading the books to our class. After we practice reading the books in the classroom, we will be sending them home as optional reading homework.  For students who want more of a challenge, they can practice writing their friends' names again on another piece of paper.

Posted at 4:03 PM| Permalink

Inquiry Shares

Mark your calendars! Our first inquiry share will be held on Thursday, October 18, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Families are invited into the classroom to see and hear about the human body research that the students have been doing. Our second inquiry share (about insects) will be on Wednesday, December 5, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. We realize that these days will not work for everyone, so if you are not able to attend one of those shares, let us know and we can find another time for you to visit the classroom.

Posted at 3:45 PM| Permalink

Welcome, Human Body Experts!

Our class has been thrilled to have several doctors willing to visit our classroom to share their expertise. A big thank-you goes to WCO's dad and papa, who came and did a presentation on the brain, the heart, and the lungs last Friday. WCO's papa was able to bring real samples of each from the hospital for the students to feel. Both Kindergarten classes put on their rubber gloves and rotated from one center to the next.  Students were surprised to feel how soft the brain is, and we talked about the importance of protecting your brain by wearing a helmet.  We learned that your heart is about the size of your fist, and that smoking causes your lungs to harden and turn black. Seeing real human body parts outside the body was fascinating for the students, although some did wonder whose parts they were and if they would go back!  We are looking forward to a presentation by JM's dad and BH's mom in the next couple of weeks.

Posted at 2:56 PM| Permalink

5th Grade Buddies

On Thursday, our Kindergarten class met for the first time with our 5th Grade Buddies (Mrs. Hoddick's class).  We will be meeting once or twice a month to do a variety of cross-age academic and social activities.  Yesterday, the 5th graders introduced themselves and interviewed the Kindergartners to get to know them better.  After the interviews, students looked at books together in the classroom.  The Kindergartners were a little shy at first, but the 5th graders demonstrated a lot of maturity and sensitivity towards the younger students, and the Kindergartners warmed up quickly to the idea of having a "big kid" as a special friend.

Posted at 8:39 AM| Permalink