EL Better World Day

What an honor it is to be an EL school that celebrates Better World Day!  Since we are on remote learning, our Fox Creek Community decided to spread compassion to all of the people who are taking care of us during this time.

  Students spread compassion by making rocks for the community to let them know we are so thankful for their hard work.

Students thanked our EMT, doctors and nurses by saying thank you on sidewalks and streets.

Signs were made and letters were mailed to our fire departments and police stations.

Thank you for making the world better Fox Creek!  Look HERE for all the great things that happened on this day. 

Learning At Home

I received this image and it is a true reflection of our daily crew meetings.  I have loved to see how learning has been transformed as it happens out of the classroom.  I look forward to our daily whole group crew, the small group interactions with kids, one on one conversations and special crew lunches.

Thank you families for getting kids outside and showing them that nature can be a fantastic teacher and a better classroom.  I have loved hearing of the adventures that are happening and what kids are exploring!

I can't believe the new things kids are trying and the courage they are showing.  I am amazed at the opportunities students are encouraged to participate in.

Students are proud of new things they are trying in the home as well.  I am hearing of cooking opportunities, art experiences and family games.  Our collaboration muscles continue to grow stronger as we play with family members.  Students are showing contribution by being helpers at home.

Learning From Home

We will embark on the adventure of online learning from home for the remainder of the school year! 

HERE is a great article from NPR

I have loved seeing pictures of what learning looks like at home.

Kindergarteners are contributing at home by cooking with their families.  Others are using lessons sent over the computer to help them learn from home.

I encourage you to set a rhythm of your day so students know when work time is, recess/outside play, rest, chores and free time to include creative time.

Having designated work spaces around the home are helpful.

Remember kindergarteners shouldn't sit for long.  I highly encourage movement after every academic subject.  Check out 

YouTube Exercise

Go Noodle

Young Heart Yogis

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Writer's Workshop

This week in writer's workshop, we did the hard work of adding describing words to our writing to make it more interesting.

We used two mentor texts to inspire our writing.

The author, Loren Long, inspired us to try to use describing words about size.  Kindergarten authors tried using small, tiny, long, big, etc.

We returned to an old favorite (like we often do) for inspiration.  In A Chair for My Mother, we were inspired by Vera B. Williams to use how something feels and color words to make our writing more interesting.  Kindergarten authors tried blue, green, soft, hard and smooth.

We continue to blossom by adding describing words to our writing to make it more interesting.

Week 2 of Online Learning

Welcome to our next week in online learning adventure.

Thank you so much for meeting me with last week.  I am so encouraged by the perseverance and courage that is being shown during this unique adventure.  

This week we will be using 2 new programs/applications.  

Please become familiar with:

1.  EPIC books 

2.  SeeSaw 

I will host a daily crew meeting at 9:30 am each day. 

Thank you for your flexibility, patience, grace and partnership in our online learning adventure!  Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or comments.

Online Learning Plan

Online Learning

Ready, Set, Let's Go!  We begin the adventure of online learning for kindergarten.  

Daily Rhythm

Morning Meeting                                               
Eat Breakfast
Talk about the daily plan
Discuss the Habits of Character

Academic Time                                                 
(Reader's Workshop)
 iReady

 Listen to a book

Read books

Outside Time
Free Play in the yard or family walk

Academic Time
(Math Workshop)

iReady

Practice addition/subtraction strategies

Creative Time                                                 
Art, music, puzzles, cooking, legos, imagination play, crafts

Lunch and Outside                                       
Free play in the yard, visit a park, sidewalk chalk

Rest Time                                                       
Quiet Music, Peace Out

Academic Time
(Writer’s Workshop)

1. Journal Writing

2. Reflection using Checklist

  3. Handwriting

Exercise
YouTube Exercise

 Go Noodle

 Yoga

1. Young Heart Yogis

 2. Cosmic Kids Yoga

Academic Time
(Expedition Workshop)

1. Read Expert Tree Book 
2. Complete a page in Tree Note Catcher

Watch a Tree Video

 Tree Facts Websites

Snack and Story 
Listen to a book HERE                                             

Outside Time
Tree Walk, Visit park

Dinner

High/Low, Good News, Favorite Part of Today, Gratitude

                                                                       

I am so excited to embark on this challenge and adventure with you all!  I know my crew will persevere and have courage to try a new kind of learning.  

Here are also some ideas of chores that your child can be a helper with!

Chores -We highly recommend that your child be a “helper” at home by doing chores each day.

This fits in perfectly with our Habit of Character of contribution.

Some ideas

• Make bed
• Put toys away
• Match socks
• Put away his/her laundry
• Dust
• Fill pets water dish
• Sweep the floor
• Empty trash cans in bedrooms/bathrooms
• Get snack
• Set/clear the table

Trees Are Alive!

Kindergarteners are doing the work of dendrologist through our spring learning expedition, TREES ARE ALIVE!

 We started off with a case study all about living and non-living.  We determined what all living things need using observation and researching using mentor text.  We then determined trees were living things.

As a crew, we traveled outside for some field work to closely observe trees, discuss our thoughts and ideas and record our findings.

We did the work of dendrologist by reflecting on how trees get water, food, air and grow and move.  What a great day to be outside and be in nature with trees.

We shared all this learning with each other by making a tree word wall to include our important vocabulary.

leaves, stomata, branches, roots, trunks, air, water, food, grow, move and soil