Kindergarten
Month: October 2016
Our students are learning how to measure items using non standard units such as strings and cubes. The children are expanding their may vocabulary and learning words such as taller, shorter, longer than, shorter than and about the same.
Over the weekend, families may wish to do some measuring around the house. Hand out a stick, a piece of string, or five Lego bricks stuck together and begin a family measuring event.
Today was a glorious sunny day! We took advantage of the sun to further explore shadows. We took small and large plastic animals outdoors. The students used clipboard and traced the animals’ shadows. A few students couldn’t resist adding smiles and eyes on their drawings. It was an interesting activity to observe. We encourage your family to get some paper and some toys or items from your home and go outdoors to explore shadows.
Eye health is very important. Regular eye exams are important, especially for children. Do you know that eye exams are free for children when an Ontario Health Card is presented?
There is a program called Eye See Eye Learn. You can read more about it at on their website.
There are many participating doctors locally. Doctors who are part of the Eye See Eye Learn program offer first time complimentary glasses to junior kindergarten students.
Check out their website for more details.
On Friday, our students had the opportunity in to meet Miriam Laundry. She is an author who has written a series of I Can books. Her message is about growth mindset. She asked our youngest learners to began saying, “I can try” instead of “I can’t.” This is a much needed message for some of our learners. Some students began the year saying statements such as “I can’t draw a turtle.” “I can’t do that.” Now students are shifting and beginning to think before they immediately say they can’t do something. We are encouraging a growth mindset in class. We might not be able to do something yet, but we can try. Practise will help us improve and eventually we will be able to do it.
The author was busy signing books after school on Friday. All families who preordered a signed book or will receive their copies on Tuesday.
The author and illustrator of the book titled The Dot, uses the technique of watercolours to illustrate his books. Yesterday afternoon, we looked closely at the steps involved in an observational painting. The students looked at the flower display, they drew what they saw in pencil and outlined it with a Sharpie. The children then used watercolours to paint their pictures. Here is some of their work. Our bulletin board in the hallway is currently filled with their artwork. We will send home their paintings at the end of the month.
Over the past month we have focused on understanding how our actions and words impact others. We are also learning about our own emotions and how we feel. We have read many books about bucket filling. You might have heard your child talk about having a full or empty bucket.
A full bucket means a person is feeling good and things have been going their way. Things can happen to knock drips out of a bucket. A fall, a person knocking over a structure you made or a comment can take drips from your bucket. A compliment, a kind gesture, an invitation to play are all things that can add drips to your bucket. We are learning how to compliment each other in class. Students provide compliments on their artwork, creations, and other things they do in the class or at recess time. As a family, you might wish to discuss how compliments could be used at home. The children are also learning how to accept compliments. They look at the person and they say thank you. We hope that compliments will become a regular part of your child’s life.
FDK Adventures 