September 2012

Here are the students of our 2012-2013 school year.

 

The children have had a busy, exciting month and have been busy exploring all the centres in our classroom.

Sand Table

Water Table

White Board

These girls were very proud of all the words they were able to print on the white board. They worked as a team! One of the girls would find a word or name in the class while the other student would guard the board and then print it on the whiteboard. Their list was much longer but unfortunately when they decided to both go and find words, part of their list was erased. They decided that next time they would make a stop sign to put on the board if they both left to find words to print. 

What's a show without a snack. These boys decided to turn the puppet theatre into a restaurant.  They called it "Hotdog Dino".  They decided the audience needed some snacks while watching the music and dance show.  Unfortunately, the show was over before we were able to take some pictures of our young performers, chefs and servers.


Block Center

These boys had a great time building a stage and putting on a show. They also enjoyed experimenting with different materials to create music, singing familiar songs as well as making up their own songs.

This student enjoyed showing off his guitar and singing songs.

Team work and problem solving.

These girls worked for several days building "The tallest skyscraper ever in our classroom".

First they tried with the large Lasey pieces.  They were happy but they wanted it taller.  They noticed that there were more smaller pieces and decided if they worked together they could build a taller one because there was more smaller pieces.

They built another skyscraper using the smaller pieces and were excited they built one taller then the first. They said the one with the small pieces was taller because it was bigger (they pointed to the space between the two skyscrapers).

The next day they built one joining both the larger pieces and smaller pieces and even added some tape for support.

Their final skyscraper had 2 levels and used both small and large pieces. During the construction of their skyscraper, they had many other children that joined them and gave suggestions on how to make it stronger and bigger. 

Outdoor Learning

Welcome to Mrs. Olafson and Mrs. DeYoung's Kindergarten Class

We have had an awesome start to our school year!

It was exciting to see how much our JK's from last year have grown over the summer and are now our SK's. They have been a great help to welcome all our new friends to our school. The students have had a fantastic start to the school year and have adjusted to our rules and routines. Please visit our blog often to see how busy our students have been building together, pretending in the house center, creating art , exploring sand, play-dough and so much more. 

PARENTS as PARTNERS      


Studies have shown that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success.  Throughout the year, I will communicate to you primarily through our class blog.  Personal messages will be sent home in the Note totes or communicated through telephone calls, reports, or conferences.  All news and important messages will appear on this blog, please check it regularly.  

1.    Read with your child every day for at least 20 minutes.  

2.    Go on adventures with your child to collect objects from the natural world to bring into the classroom to share. (leaves, shells, bird’s nest, etc.).   

3.    Visit the class blog regularly and discuss with your child what they learned at school today. 

4.    Contribute Beautiful Stuff  (ribbons, clean yogurt containers, used cards, stickers) to the classroom throughout the year.  Visit the Blog for more ideas on Beautiful Junk.  

5.    Actively participate with your child when they bring home things from school. (asking them questions and listening to their stories)

6. Please clearly label all items with your child's name, this helps when we have more then one of the same item or if we find a lost item that no one recognizes.

Also, throughout the year, we will be asking for volunteers. Volunteers may be needed for special days, field trips, to share any specialized skills/hidden talents, to share your cultural celebrations and to make Playdough for the class.

This year your child will grow and learn through purposeful play that will be both student driven and teacher directed.  Play is how every child learns best, regardless of age.  It is significant for the emotional, social, cognitive and physical growth, and overall well-being of your child.  This year will be amazing. Students will have opportunities to collaborate with others, ask and answer questions, use their imagination, take risks, problem solve and be curious about the world around them.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child this year.  Your child will have many opportunities to play, explore and learn while forming friendships and developing social skills needed in everyday life.

Your partner in Education,

Mrs.Olafson and Mrs. DeYoung