March Newsletter

Notes from Ms. Wright’s “Kinder-Surprises”

Soup Day:  Thank you all very much for making our Soup Day so successful!  Almost everybody tasted our soup, and many returned for seconds – and often thirds.  We predicted how many items were in a bowl or package, and then compared the actual quantity to our predictions.  A bowl of 100 grains of rice, at first glance, appeared to be a far smaller quantity of items than 25 carrots.  A plastic bag of noodles, which the children predicted would hold 100 noodles, astounded them by being just as full after 100 noodles had been teased out.  Who knew there was so much learning in soup?  The curriculum focus was estimating numbers in a set, and collecting and interpreting information while preparing the soup.

Bird Feeders:  The students are very involved in planning and designing their bird feeders.  They’ve been asked to consider what different birds eat, how they’ll keep the feed dry and contained; what the birds will perch on; and where they’ll hang or attach their feeder.  We’ve looked at examples of bird feeders made from recycled materials, and hope to begin building our own before March Break.  Thanks to everyone who has sent in materials for this project.  Our curriculum focus is building 3-D structures (Math); making and communicating predictions and observations (Science); and presenting findings to others using a variety of media (Language). 

Spare Clothes:  The weather has been so changeable that our children frequently come in from recess with snowpants and mittens soaking wet.  Sometimes I have spare mittens for the children to wear home, but not always.  Please pack extra socks and mittens for your child this month, and consider packing waterproof splash pants as a supplement to their snow pants.

 Safety:  Because of recent incidents in this part of the province, we have been talking about ways to stay safe.  I downplay potential threats, and emphasize instead that children’s parents need to know where they are at all times.  We discuss the principle of only going someplace – even our best friend’s house next door - with the knowledge of our parents or caregivers.  We’ve talked a bit about ways people might try to trick us into going with them and how we can avoid being tricked.  This is done in a very low-key and matter-of-fact manner to avoid causing anxiety and making the children afraid of all strangers, since every day they encounter strangers in public settings such as the grocery store.  Please get in touch with me if your child seems to be displaying an unusual level of anxiety in this regard.

Kindergrad:  It has become our  tradition to present a slide/video show in June to celebrate the graduation of our seniors.  As the production takes many, many hours, I am taking some time during March Break to select some preliminary material.  The video is played for the Toniata students and for the kindergarten families, but is not distributed in any form because of privacy issues.  Please send me a note if you do not want any images of your child used in this video.

Reading:  This year’s crop of seniors are, on average, reading at the highest level I have seen since I began teaching kindergarten.  This is a tribute to you, their families.  You have been not only conscientiously reading with your child, but have provided invaluable feedback about your child’s reading abilities, preferences and development.  I cannot over-stress the positive influence you have provided for your children.  You have given them a wonderful start in literacy.  Thank you!

Other Notes:  Besides the curriculum focus  described above, we are collecting and examining data regarding objects that sink or float.  The seniors are beginning to use small picture dictionaries and other resources to support their writing, and we are trying to find small words in big words to help us read unfamiliar texts.

 Enjoy your March Break!

February Newsletter

Happy Year of the Dragon! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Valentine’s Day! 

The A class will celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 13^th, and the B class on the 14^th.  We will have a small party each afternoon.  If your child wishes to distribute Valentines, we will be setting aside time for this on Wednesday.  If your child brings Valentines and/or treats, please ensure that he or she does so for every child.  The names of the kindergarten children are coming home in their communication bags.

Math:  This month our focus is on measurement, and tools we use to measure our weight, the length of different objects, the temperature, etc..  As we explore these ideas, we also work on ordering objects according to their size, weight, etc.  We are continuing to work on number recognition, matching numbers to sets, and identifying missing numbers on a number line or hundreds chart. 

 Soup Day!  On February 28^th and 29^th, we will make Hundreds Soup to support our learning in measurement and numeracy (and, of course, literacy).  A week in advance of Soup Day, I will ask each child to bring in a particular item (pasta, carrot slices, etc.) for our soup. 

Literacy:  We have been reading and discussing Chinese New Year, and are branching out now into Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day.   The children are encouraged to share their predictions about the stories we read, and to retell the stories in the drama centre, at the sand table, or through their art.

These conversations about books are an important component of emergent literacy, and one which you support at home whenever you read with your child.

Thank you all so much for your Christmas gifts of Indigo/ Chapters cards.  I bought a variety of storybooks and non-fiction books for the classroom, which were all huge hits with the children.  I also bought some high-quality model animals for the sand table, to encourage the children to re-tell their favourite stories with relevant props.  They also invent their own stories using these animals; these days I love eavesdropping at the sand table.

Science:  We are planning and designing bird feeders from found materials, and talking about our observations.  Please encourage your child to choose some items that he or she thinks would be suitable for making a bird feeder, talk about how they might be used and assembled, and bring them to school.

Fitness:

In the gym we are exploring stamina and cardio-fitness with such games as noodle hockey, scooter races, cooperative games and variations on tag.  We are also reviewing  safety and teamwork.  In the classroom, we do a variety of dances and exercises through the course of the day.  This keeps us fit, energizes us, and provides the body breaks so badly needed at this age.