Family Learning Activities, 1/28-2/1

• Collect and bring in books, posters, handouts, etc. that may help us with our solar system inquiry. All items will be returned to you at the end of our inquiry.
• Read a book about the solar system with someone in your family.
• Write a creative story about the solar system. (You could be an astronaut and write about what you see in space. You could imagine that a planet is alive and write about what it’s like to be a planet.) Share your story with the class.
• Read the Unit 3 Family Letter and do one or all activities. You may also use the cube strips or color counter strips (found in your child’s folder) to create your own patterns.
• Write down 100 words and bring them in to display next to our word wall.
• Practice different ways of counting to 100 - by 2, 4 (YIKES!), 5, 10, 25.
• By January 29 (the 100th day of school), put together an art project (poster, mobile, sculpture, etc.) using 100 items of your choice. Be creative! Bring in your project to share and display in the class. It would be great if everyone could participate!
• Write and draw about your favorite activity from our 100th day celebration.

Posted at 9:39 AM| Permalink

100 Days of School

Can you believe we’ve been in school for 100 days? Tomorrow we’re celebrating our 100th day of school with some fun activities in the classroom. Thank you to Valerie, Maria, Kris, and Akiko for offering to run our stations! We’ll be playing Hundreds Chart BINGO, creating art projects using 100 items, enjoying 100 Tasty Tidbits, and exercising outdoors by doing 100 ____ (you fill in the blank!). It’s going to be great fun!

Keep bringing in those 100 Projects! RB brought in a pasta necklace. TS brought in a picture of 100 cars. RJ put together “100 things I found at the beach.” BH displayed 100 (practice) golf balls. JM spelled his name using 100 origami stars. We enjoy looking at all of these projects and are amazed at each family’s creativity!

Last week we began our classroom jobs. Every week, the children will have an opportunity to be a responsible community member by doing one of the following jobs: morning message, calendar, attendance/office, flag, table wipers, sweepers, line leader, caboose, table setters and clearers, supplies, and lights.

“What do you want to know about the solar system?” continues to be our focus this week in inquiry. Each child has a folder for our solar system inquiry. Their questions are in their folders so they can review them daily. During inquiry, the teachers read from a wide collection of resource materials and the students write and draw the facts they remember. In small groups or as individuals, these facts will be sorted and assembled. The students are beginning to collect the answers to their individual questions. We will be taking a field trip to UH this Friday. Dr. Petersen, a professor of astronomy, will speak to us about the solar system. Hopefully he will be able to answer more of our questions.

Last week we extended our knowledge of patterns. Everyone is able to easily construct AB patterns (red, blue, red, blue, etc.), so the students were challenged to make other patterns. They came up with ABC, ABB, AAB, ABCD, AABB, AABC, AABCD, ABABCDD, AABBCC, ABBC, and ABCDEFG. Pictures of these fabulous pattern trains can be found in our photo gallery. Check them out! We’ve also posted pictures of various activities your children have been doing since returning to school several weeks ago.

Last week during free journal writing, several students chose to write a short story. Here are two stories: “Once upon a time, an ice cream was lost. She missed her mom and dad that was a[n] ice cream, but where were they? Mom and Dad missed her too. And they were a part.” “Once upon a time, there was a little girl. Her name was Katey. She found a[n] amazing cave. She got caught in a cage. A handsome prince came to rescue her. He fought with the giant. The giant lost. The prince won. Katey married the prince. The End” One person decided to type up her story during Centers. We’ll print it, make it into a book, and keep it in our library. Since we have become pretty proficient at letter writing, we will begin to do short story writing during shared writing times.

During Centers, more activities are being made available for our learning enjoyment. Besides KidPix, the children may use the computer to type up stories for writing or information for their space inquiry. In math, the children may play some of the math games we’ve been learning – BINGO, What’s missing? -  or they can make pattern block snakes. Some of the children have been playing checkers and learning strategies to “eat” their opponents pieces. Legos and Guess Who? have been added. The morning messages from the beginning of the year have been placed in our classroom library for everyone to read, and pointers will be made available for those who want to “read around the room”.

Please continue to send your child’s nap mat to school, as we have not eliminated it all together. As we mentioned last week, however, rest time is being shortened.

If you have any recyclable items we can use in our art center, please send them with your child. Items need to be stored on a shelf in our classroom, so please, no bulky items. Suggested items include paper towel/toilet paper rolls, styrofoam pieces, and fabric/wallpaper squares. Thank you!

Everyone looks forward to the Guest Reader on Friday afternoons. If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read to the children, please contact Sabrina Ako.

Parent volunteers are such a help and blessing to us, especially when projects arise. If you are able to volunteer your time (no skill or experience needed, training provided), please contact Sabrina Ako.

The new set of Family Learning Activities has also been posted. Some items have been removed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go back to them and complete the activity. Remember, these activities are optional; please enjoy them, as your family’s schedule and available time will allow.

Remember, our 100th day celebration is scheduled for January 29. Thank you to the four parents who have volunteered to run a station! Everyone is invited, so please let us know if you would like to attend, as we will need to inform campus security of the extra cars on campus.

Beginning in February, we will highlight two Students-of-the-Week. Both students will have an opportunity to bring in pictures and other items that show who they are as unique individuals. Parent volunteers for the week will help the students assemble their bulletin board “showcase” which will be up in the classroom for a week. During the week, the bulletin board will be used as a sharing tool as we celebrate the Students-of-the-Week. Also during this week, the next students will begin to bring in their items.

The following dates show when the new bulletin boards will be assembled for display. The initials of the Students-of-the-Week are listed after each date.

2/6 – GA, RB (Items may be brought in from 1/30)

2/13 – EC, IC (Items may be brought in from 2/6)

2/20 – SC (Items may be brought in from 2/13)

2/27 – JD, KF (Items may be brought in from 2/20)

3/12 – AG, ZH (Items may be brought in from 3/5)

4/9 – BH, DJ (Items may be brought in from 4/2)

4/16 – RJ, GK (Items may be brought in from 4/9)

4/23 – JM, TS (Items may be brought in from 4/16)

4/30 – LY. WC (Items may be brought in from 4/23)

Posted at 9:38 AM| Permalink

Family Learning Activities, 1/22-1/25

• Collect and bring in books, posters, handouts, etc. that can help us with our solar system inquiry. All items will be returned to you at the end of our inquiry.
• Read a book about the solar system with someone in your family.
• Write a creative story about the solar system. (You could be an astronaut and write about what you see in space. You could imagine that a planet is alive and write about what it’s like to be a planet.) Share your story with the class.
• By January 29 (the 100th day of school), put together an art project (poster, mobile, sculpture, etc.) using 100 items of your choice. Be creative! Bring in your project to share and display in the class. It would be great if everyone could participate!
• Look for patterns in the world around you. Draw, take a picture, or record a pattern that you see or hear and bring it in to share (e.g., tiled floor, brick wall, song lyrics).
• Write down 100 words and bring them in to display next to our word wall.
• Practice different ways of counting to 100 - by 2, 4 (YIKES!), 5, 10, 25.

Posted at 9:21 AM| Permalink

What do you want to know about the solar system?

Last week Monday, we went on an observation walk to begin our unit on patterns. We used our eyes, ears, nose, and hands to closely observe things in our surroundings. Here are some of our observations: “I feel the wind. I see a flower and it is purple. I see a fence and it feels soft and hard and it is with x’s. It is a brown leaf. I feel rain. I hear machines, the bell.” There are great pictures of what was observed: Mrs. Jenkins (teaching P.E.), tetherball, cars, leaves (with every line drawn), trees, rocks, fences, and flowers.

These observations helped us to pay close attention to details as we played three games in math. In “What’s Missing?”, the children looked at a 3x3 array of 9 items. After a short period of time, they were instructed to look away as an item was removed. The students were then asked to identify the missing item. As they played throughout the week, the children made the game harder by removing two items. Games were also played with buttons and attribute blocks where one button or block was chosen and players needed to find a matching button or block (with at least one common attribute). The students challenged themselves by finding buttons or blocks with more than one common attribute.

We were so fortunate on Friday to enjoy a yummy and beautiful fruit bouquet from Edible Arrangements. Mr. Bob graciously gave four baskets to our preschool and Kindergarten classes. Our basket’s theme was Hello Kitty, and there were a few pineapple pieces shaped and stamped with Hello Kitty’s face. There were pineapple flowers with cantaloupe (ball) centers. Grapes, strawberries, and honeydew melon also adorned our bouquet. YUMMY! We hope that you are able to enjoy a yummy arrangement yourself one day.

Last week we got to experience some things as 1st graders do – snack outside at recess and lunch in the dining hall. While lunch in the dining hall will be a rare treat, we will continue to have snack outside during our recess time. Your children have been doing a great job of taking their snacks out of their snack bags and bringing them back into the classroom. They’ve been keeping our playground neat and clean by throwing away their rubbish and have been keeping track of their snack containers and water bottles. As the semester progresses, we will be tapering our rest time. We started last week Friday by including a shared writing time (thank you letter to Mr. Bob) and having a shorter rest time. Please continue to send your child’s nap mat to school, as we have not eliminated it all together.

If you have any recyclable items we can use in our art center, please send them with your child. Items need to be stored on a shelf in our classroom, so please, no bulky items. Suggested items include paper towel/toilet paper rolls, styrofoam pieces, and fabric/wallpaper squares. Thank you!

Everyone looks forward to the Guest Reader on Friday afternoons. If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read to the children, please contact Sabrina Ako.

Parent volunteers are such a help and blessing to us, especially when projects arise. If you are able to volunteer your time (no skill or experience needed, training provided), please contact Sabrina Ako.

We hope you enjoyed your first set of Family Learning Activities. We’ve added a few more to last week’s list. Remember, these activities are optional; please enjoy them, as your family’s schedule and available time will allow.

Remember, our 100th day celebration is scheduled for January 29. Thank you to the four parents who have volunteered to run a station! Everyone is invited, so please let us know if you would like to attend, as we will need to inform campus security of the extra cars on campus.

Beginning in February, we will highlight two Students-of-the-Week. Both students will have an opportunity to bring in pictures and other items that show who they are as unique individuals. Parent volunteers for the week will help the students assemble their bulletin board “showcase” which will be up in the classroom for a week. During the week, the bulletin board will be used as a sharing tool as we celebrate the Students-of-the-Week. Also during this week, the next students will begin to bring in their items.

The following dates show when the new bulletin boards will be assembled for display. The initials of the Students-of-the-Week are listed after each date.

2/6 – GA, RB (Items may be brought in from 1/30)

2/13 – EC, IC (Items may be brought in from 2/6)

2/20 – SC, WC (Items may be brought in from 2/13)

2/27 – JD, KF (Items may be brought in from 2/20)

3/12 – AG, ZH (Items may be brought in from 3/5)

4/9 – BH, DJ (Items may be brought in from 4/2)

4/16 – RJ, GK (Items may be brought in from 4/9)

4/23 – JM, TS (Items may be brought in from 4/16)

4/30 – LY (Items may be brought in from 4/23)

Posted at 9:19 AM| Permalink

Family Learning Activities

Family Learning Activities

1/14/08-1/18/08

• Collect and bring in books, posters, handouts, etc. that may help us with our Solar System inquiry. All items will be returned to you at the end of our inquiry.
• Read a book about the solar system with someone in your family.
• Write a creative story about the solar system. (You could be an astronaut and write about what you see in space. You could imagine that a planet is alive and write about what it’s like to be a planet.)
• By January 29 (the 100th day of school), put together an art project (poster, mobile, sculpture, etc.) using 100 items of your choice. Be creative! Bring in your project to share and display in the class.
• Look for patterns in the world around you. Draw, take a picture, or record a pattern that you see or hear and bring it in to share (e.g., tiled floor, brick wall, song lyrics).

Posted at 9:57 AM| Permalink

We’re off and rolling with a new inquiry!

This week for math, investigations center on making observations, describing what we see, and repeating patterns. We begin with an observation walk and encourage students to look carefully at their surroundings and describe them in pictures and words. We will then look at buttons and attribute blocks, focusing on missing items and similar/different characteristics. Then we will look at cube trains, noting patterns and non-patterns.

Journal writing is focused on a specific topic. A question is always asked in the daily morning message. That may be the journal topic, or a focused inquiry question may be the topic. We’re working on lengthening our entries, adding details to our pictures, and writing as many sounds as we hear.

If you have any recyclable items we can use in our art center, please send them with your child. Items need to be stored on a shelf in our classroom, so please, no bulky items. Suggested items include paper towel/toilet paper rolls, styrofoam pieces, and fabric/wallpaper squares.

Everyone looks forward to the Guest Reader on Friday afternoons. If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read to the children, please contact Sabrina Ako.

Parent volunteers are such a help and blessing to us, especially when projects arise. If you are able to volunteer your time (no skill or experience needed, training provided), please contact Sabrina Ako.

We hope you enjoy your first set of Family Learning Activities. Remember, these activities are optional; please enjoy them as your family’s schedule and available time will allow.

Remember, our 100th day celebration is scheduled for January 29. Thank you to the four parents who have volunteered to run a station! Everyone is invited, so please let us know if you would like to attend, as we will need to inform campus security of the extra cars on campus.

Beginning in February, we will highlight two Students-of-the-Week. Both students will have an opportunity to bring in pictures and other items that show who they are as unique individuals. Parent volunteers for the week will help the students assemble their bulletin board “showcase” which will be up in the classroom for a week. During the week, the bulletin board will be used as a sharing tool as we celebrate the Students-of-the-Week. Also during this week, the next students will begin to bring in their items.

The following dates show when the new bulletin boards will be assembled for display. The initials of the Students-of-the-Week are listed after each date.

2/6 – GA, RB (Items may be brought in from 1/30)

2/13 – EC, IC (Items may be brought in from 2/6)

2/20 – SC, WC (Items may be brought in from 2/13)

2/27 – JD, KF (Items may be brought in from 2/20)

3/12 – AG, ZH (Items may be brought in from 3/5)

4/9 – BH, DJ (Items may be brought in from 4/2)

4/16 – RJ, GK (Items may be brought in from 4/9)

4/23 – JM, TS (Items may be brought in from 4/16)

4/30 – LY (Items may be brought in from 4/23)

Posted at 9:50 AM| Permalink

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to School!

I hope that you had an enjoyable and safe Christmas vacation! I am excited to be spending this second semester with all of you and your children. Remember to check out our weekly newsletter every Monday. In the newsletter, I will share our Kindergarten experiences during the previous week, inform you of upcoming events and classroom happenings for the present week, and detail changes in curriculum and/or classroom procedure, which frequently occur as the year progresses and the children mature. You will be able to contact me through email, directly from our classroom weblog, or you may email me at jmatsumoto@midpac.edu. You may also reach me in the classroom at 441-3820.

If you were like me, part of the enjoyment of Christmas vacation was being able to sleep in and not having to wake up early in the mornings. That said, we will have a rest time after lunch and recess in the afternoons, as we begin this second semester. Though the children may not actually sleep, their bodies and minds will need the extra rest as they readjust to their school routine and adjust to a new teacher. (The children will be slowly weaned from this rest period as we near Spring Break.) Please send your child’s nap mat/blanket to school in a large bag (tote, garbage, duffel), which will be used for daily storage and transportation at the end of the week.

Everyone looks forward to the Guest Reader on Friday afternoons. If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read to the children, please contact Sabrina Ako.

Parent volunteers are such a help and blessing to us, especially when projects arise. If you are able to volunteer your time (no skill or experience needed, training provided), please contact Sabrina Ako.

Beginning next week Monday, I will send home a list of Family Learning Activities. These activities are optional; please enjoy them as your family’s schedule and available time will allow. Through these activities, concepts will be reinforced for your child and you will gain a deeper understanding of what we do in the classroom. As you and your child complete each activity, your child is encouraged to share the completed assignment in school. Every week, you will find art, math, reading, and writing activities that correspond to the work that we will be doing in school that week. Some activities may carry over into the next week(s).

Beginning in February, we will highlight a Student-of-the-Week. Each student will have an opportunity to bring in pictures and other items that show who they are as a unique individual. Parent volunteers for the week will help that student assemble their bulletin board "showcase" which will be up in the classroom for a week. During the week, the bulletin board will be used as a sharing tool as we celebrate the student-of-the-week. Also during this week, the next student will begin to bring in his/her items.

Posted at 10:46 AM| Permalink