Family Learning Activities, 4/28-5/2
- Create an April
family art project to display in the classroom all month. The theme can be
a special day or holiday in April (e.g., someone’s birthday, spring).
- Play math games
that allow you to practice counting. You may request instructions and game
boards, and borrow playing materials from the classroom.
- Have Game Night
and play board games as a family.
- Fly a kite! (We
will celebrate Kite Day on May 1.)
- Interview a
family member or friend who may know what Manoa was like 100 years ago.
- Visit the
library and check out a fiction or non-fiction book about living 100 years
ago.
- Surf the web for
sites about Manoa and/or living 100 years ago.
- Write a story
about Spring with someone in your family. Bring it in to display in our
classroom library.
- Create a puppet
show to perform for your friends. (We saw an 8th grade puppet
show.)
Posted at 2:09 PM| Permalink
Kite Day and Kahalaopuna
The
entire school will be flying kites from 10:00-11:20 next Thursday morning. The
elementary school will be flying kites from 10:00-10:20, and the children are invited to
watch the middle and high school students fly their kites from 10:20-11:20. In
preparation, half the class made their sled kites yesterday (the other half of
the class will make their kites next Tuesday). To make our kites, we received
plastic kites (cut from plastic garbage bags) and wooden sticks (skewers with
the pointy tips cut off). We used Sharpie markers to decorate the kites, making
sure to make the designs large enough to see from way up high. We framed the
kite by taping the wooden sticks to it. We tied string to two ends of the kite
and used a few large craft sticks to hold the length of string needed to fly
the kite. Everyone is excited to fly their kites next week! We received one
parent volunteer for Kite Day and are looking for one more. Please let me know
if you would like to help the children fly their kites or videotape the event
for us!
The
week of our Kahalaopuna opera will be busy with rehearsals. The students (and
teachers) will probably be exhausted and will need some quiet “down” time.
Please send in your child’s nap mats on Wednesday, 5/7. We will have the students
rest on Thursday and Friday, as they will have a total number of four
rehearsals and shows on those two days. On Wednesday, please also send in the
board shorts and slippers they will need to wear for the show.
This
week in math, we played “Toss the Chips” to practice different ways to make 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. We started by tossing five two-color counters (red on one
side, yellow on the other). We recorded how many landed on red and how many
landed on yellow for seven tosses. Each time our total was five! After seven
tosses, we got one more counter and tossed the next number, until we worked
with 10 counters. Then we practiced writing the number sentences for all the
different ways we found to make each number.
As
a class, we noticed a pattern in the number sentences when Mrs. Matsumoto wrote
them like this (sentences are recorded as red + yellow = total):
0
+ 5 = 5
1
+ 4 = 5
2
+ 3 = 5
3
+ 2 = 5
4
+ 1 = 5
5
+ 0 = 5
We
noticed that 1) “the total is always five,” 2) “the red column goes up from zero
to five,” and 3) “the yellow column goes from five down to zero.” We then
practiced writing the number sentences for six counters – without using the
counters!
This
week in writing, after reading and editing our morning message, we copied it on
paper to practice writing neatly (using the top, middle, and bottom lines for
each letter), putting capital letters at the beginning of sentences, putting
periods at the end of sentences, and putting spaces between the words. GA did a
fantastic job of taking his time during his writing. When he finished, he only
had to correct two letters! Wow!
Most
of the students began to build for their Manoa town, either in class or in atelier. Paper is the most common material being used. As the items are built,
the students will find whether the materials they chose are the most realistic
and effective. Hopefully other materials will be brought into use to create a
more realistic town. During atelier, Ms. Walker is helping the students with their choice of materials and the idea of “scale” as they build.
The kindergartners are practicing for 1st grade in many different ways.
We notice that
-
attention
and participation during group activities and lessons are improving.
-
writing
is improving, with attention to detail and grown-up spelling.
-
the
students are becoming more and more confident and independent as they move
about the classroom, requiring fewer promptings and reminders from the teachers
and performing or leading classroom routines.
Parents,
you can help your child develop confidence and independence by bringing them to
school before 7:30 a.m. Your child will be able to socialize with his/her peers
in the dining hall and then walk to the classroom with the teacher and class.
It also helps the flow of classroom routines when the class is able to start
the day together.
The
teachers acknowledge these practices daily to encourage the students in their
performance. Way to go, Kindergarten!
REMINDER!
Newsletters and family learning activities will now be posted on Fridays. If
you subscribed to the blog, you will receive an email notification when the
blog is updated.
All
of our math games are available in the Math Center daily. Also, if you are
interested in learning how to play any of these games, let us know, and we’ll
be happy to send a game board home. You may either make your own game
materials, or you may borrow our classroom materials. Your child will be able
to explain the rules and objectives of the games.
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!
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.
Our Students-of-the-Week are LY and WC. Please bring in things you would like to share about yourselves.
Everything needs to be able to hang on a bulletin board. Parent volunteers or
teachers will assemble the board as the items come in to school. Every child
will be “showcased” for at least one week.
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.
4/30 – LY, WC (Items may be brought in from 4/23)
Posted at 2:07 PM| Permalink