Ending Our First Learning Expedition

We ended our learning expedition, Toys and Play.    Ms. Fantastic Faythe gave us a mission to become Play Experts!  We learned how to make playing together fun by creating Play Commitments and playing together EVERY DAY!

After we became Play Experts, we were charged with becoming Toy Experts.  Each student reflected on his/her favorite classroom toy.  We studied the attributes of toys.  Each student wrote several sentences to name his/her favorite toy and describe it.

Finally, we collaborated to donate toys to a local children's cancer center.  Each kindergarten family donated a toy.  Our crew members wrote several sentences to name the toy, tell how to play with the toy and then gave each patient a heart print or well wish to help spread compassion on a high quality toy tag.

 

What a special way to end our amazing study of toys and play!

Get Outside!

 During our first Learning Expedition, Toys and Play, students have been persevering to become play and toy experts.  We collaborated to create our four Play Commitments.  

We decided to leave the walls of the classroom and play outside!  We used our mentor text to use our imagination while we explored and played outside.

We found out that playing outside requires the same commitments as playing inside.

We practiced including others.

We practiced sharing.

We practiced using kind words.

We practiced taking care of materials.

Math in Kindergarten!

 We believe in hands on, concrete mathematical instruction to help our mathematicians understand and remember mathematical concepts.

Students use cubes to model their mathematical thinking.

Students record their mathematical thinking.

Students talk about their mathematical thinking with peers to explain their thinking.

We use a learning target and a visible thinking for kindergarten mathematicians to learn from, refer to and reflect about using "I am the kind of mathematician who....".

We are authors!

 We kick off the year in kindergarten with immediately putting paper and writing tools in kids hands.  We believe writer's get stronger by writing.  At the beginning of kindergarten we draw pictures to tell our stories.  

We collaborated as a crew and looked closely at past kindergarten authors to create our criteria list.

Each student reflected on their own.  We celebrated what went well and set our individual writing goals.

We celebrated with a book party.

Each student shared his/her picture book with their table crew.

We are so excited to be authors!

Finding Our Identity As Readers

 From Day 1, we start the work of readers.  Each day the students are engaged in a mini lesson centered on a learning target around the work of a reader and a mentor text.  These first couple of weeks, we have engaged in familiar song books and abc books.

After whole group learning through a mini lesson, students work independently or with partners to apply what they learn.  Currently, students are reading the pictures to understand that books carry meaning and finding their identity as readers.

We know that we get better at reading by READING!  

After some independent practice, students clean up and bring a book to the circle.  Here is the important work of reflection.  Students share and listen to each other by reflecting using the statement "I am the kind of reader who...."

It is such a joy to see the crew members building their identity as readers.  You can build a love of reading at home by reading to your child each night for 20 + minutes.

Welcome to Kindergarten

 

The classroom is ready, I am rested and now all I need is a new crew full of curious, kind learners.  I can't wait to begin the adventure of exploring, playing, reading, writing and becoming mathematicians.

I am so excited to introduce my new crew to all my favorite books, tell them of wonderful adventures that me and my family have had and continue to have and learn to be kind, inclusive crew members.

This year will be filled with lots of new friendships, exploration, field work to the local natural area and hard work to impact our community.  Here we go!

Fox Creek Kindergarten

We are so excited to say that we have openings at Fox Creek for Kindergarten next year!  Please share the news of all that makes our school great!

We believe in kids learning from each other so each grade level has YO (Younger/Older) Buddies.  This year we partnered with 3rd grade.  These buddies mentor us, give us feedback and help to inspire us to learn more.

We integrate technology for research, assessment and creation to share our learning.  Each student has his/her own Chromebook.

We are a PLAY based kindergarten.  We play outside 3 times a day and have free play Discovery time each day.  We learn many life skills during this time.

We are ALWAYS outside!  Anytime we can take our learning outside, we do it.  When we take our learning outside it becomes more authentic, engaging and hands on.

We love to go on field work to do the authentic work of scientists!

100 Days Smarter

 

We celebrated 100 days of kindergarten!

 We loved making 10 groups of 10 to get to 100 for a fun snack!  Families sent in 10 different snacks for the students to make a 100th day trail mix snack.

We had so much fun singing, counting and celebrating all that we have learned thus far!

Of course, we had to exercise a lot throughout the day to keep us healthy!

We hopped on each foot for a count of 100.  Boy were we tired!

We skipped for 100 seconds and counted 10 jumping jacks 10 times to get to 100.

In math, we counted by ones to 100 and used our improved fine motor skills to make a 100 bead necklace.

Most importantly, we spent much of the day reflecting on how we have grown as crew members, mathematicians, readers and writers after working so hard for 100 days.  I can't wait to see how much more we learn before first grade!

Friendship in Kindergarten

 

We are half way through kindergarten and we have learned so much already!  

The most important thing we have learned is how to be a great friend.  Our crew helps each other and works together at learning time and by playing together.

Each day, we play together to learn how to listen to others, share and collaborate.

During learning time, we are actively listening to others' ideas, taking turns and trying hard/new things.

Sometimes we get to pick our partners and other times we are put in groups to help us learn valuable collaboration skills.

We are learning to solve problems together not only academically, but in social situations as well.  This year has already been full of such great growth and we can't continue to grow this spring semester!