January Snapshots of Learning

We have a new learning area in our classroom called the Motor Area. In the morning we have a slack-line balance beam or Yoga in the space.  In the afternoon, we have more energetic dance-movement activities for the students.  The dance activities are from an education site called GoNoodle. For Yoga we often watch Cosmic Yoga for Kids (you can find it on youtube).

At first students wanted help from each other on the slack line, now many of them are confident enough to do it on their own.

We have been lucky with our winter weather this year. 

In Kindergarten, there is nothing better then fresh, fluffy white snow! 

Then there was the excitement of the sink hole. How did the ground sink? Why did it break? How would it get fixed? Who was going to fix it? Many, many questions!

Happy New Year

Welcome everyone to our classroom blog. Now that we are into the New Year I will try and post something each week about our classroom learning.

Here are some photographs of what was happening this morning. Some students worked together to build a complex bridge. Others came over and added details and played along side.

We have been talking about what we can do to make our classroom a kind and happy place to be. 

Room 208 Kind Word List

Say sorry.
Say thank you.
Say 'can you play with me'.
Say 'you can have a turn.'
Say 'that's okay, we can fix it together.'

What we don't want in our classroom...
-silly words that are too rude
-loud yelling voices
-throwing materials
-leaving a big mess at a learning area

Talk with your child about how they are a helper in the classroom. How they make sure they are kind to others and how they can help make people feel happy.

Ms. Hammond

A Collaborative Castle Building Experience

A Collaborative Castle Building Experience

This week, and continuing next week, we have been working on turning our drama center into a medieval castle. The children were asked about what they would like to make the drama center into and a castle was the most popular choice. This experience has allowed us to tie so many areas of the curriculum together. For example, the children are learning to use their words to work together as they construct (1.6), they have to use specialized vocabulary about what they are building (1.7), and they have to demonstrate control of their small muscles while working (e.g. cutting and painting) (8.2). 

We began by planning. The children created many drawings of their ideas about what they would like to see in the castle. This involves curriculum expectation such as communicating their idea non-verbally (12.1)

We then moved into the creation stage. 

Children cut out and painted the walls of the castle. Children cut out the paper or cardboard walls and painted them (Program Expectation 8.2)

They worked together to construct thrones. (Expectation 1.6 and 1.7)

They also created props to play with in the drama center, allowing them to express their knowledge of what swords and crowns look like in a non-verbal manner and also to use their fine motor skills. (Expectation 8.2 and 12.1)

We're almost done! 

Once we finish construction we will be bringing literacy into the center through storytelling (Expectation 21.2 and 10.6) as well as math through talking about the shapes we see in our construction (Expectation 17.1).

Ms. McConnell

The Kindergarten Program: Math and Literacy Behaviours

The New Program

Demonstrating Math and Literacy Behaviours

This week I will be focusing on the frame, Demonstrating Math and Literacy Behaviours. This frame aims to develop children's early math abilities (including spatial skills, numeracy, and patterning) and language skills (including phonics, text awareness, reading, writing, and comprehension). 

This student has demonstrated his spatial awareness through constructing a larger shape out of the shapes given to him.

Two students are reading together at the book centre.

One child has counted coloured buttons to match the "shopping list" he was given.

Students work on their spatial skills through a shape puzzle.

 Student co-created a number line by painting the background and then gluing on the right number of items.

Ms McConnell

The Kindergarten Program: Problem-Solving and Innovating

The New Program

Problem-Solving and Innovating

The frame I will be talking about this week is Problem-Solving and Innovating. This frame focuses on the problem-solving abilities of the children, their awareness of the natural environment, and their ability to communicate their thoughts and ideas. 


Here we have three students working together to build a structure that contains the ball when it goes off the ramp. They continue to test and refine their creation until it works the way they want. 

 The are learning about water, where it lives, and how it can be and look different. We visited the valley and collected water from the river.

The children reflect on their previous learning which we have documented.

The children represent their understanding of nature through their building with blocks, sticks, animals, felt, and blue stones representing water.

Ms McConnell

The Kindergarten Program: Self-Regulation and Well-Being

The New Program

Self-Regulation and Well-Being

The updated Full Day Kindergarten Program separates organizes the program expectations into four frames. The second frame I will be discussing is Self-Regulation and Well-Being. This frame focuses on teaching children to be aware of their own health and the needs of their bodies (for example, eating, needing to take a break from a situation, having strategies to calm down, etc.); to be active and move their bodies in different ways (for example, dancing, playing outside, etc.) and learning to problem solve by talking to each other. 

Below we have two examples of children being aware of their own needs.

In this image one student is using a tool to help himself relax. 

Here we see many students aware of their hunger and having a snack together.

Below the children are using their bodies to move and dance together

In this last image three children are working through a disagreement using their words and problem solving knowledge.

Ms. McConnell

The Kindergarten Program: Belonging and Contributing

The New Program

Belonging and Contributing

The updated Full Day Kindergarten Program separates organises the program expectations into four frames. One of these frames is Belonging and Contributing. This frame includes working together with others in the classroom, demonstrating social skills in many areas including play, and expressing themselves through the arts.

Here we can see the children working together to roll a big snowball to use as the bottom of a snowman.

The children are learning to take turns using the train track. 

Below the children are expressing their knowledge of dinosaurs and volcanoes using plasticine to build them together. Building together also requires the children to use social skills to cooperate in creating the shared product.

Ms. McConnell

Welcome

Dear Families,

Welcome to our classroom blog for the 2016/2017 school year.

This is where I will put up bi-weekly snap-shots of learning, important dates, reminders, student stories and more.

Ms. Hammond

A student in our class demonstrates how literacy works through play at all learning areas. After listening to the story 'Professor Noah's Spaceship' the student worked with friends to re-create the story at Small Blocks. They then retold the story in their own words.

Valley Walk

On our trip to the valley today we had so much fun exploring!

We walked along the river and found many flowers growing that we tried to identify with our classroom Flower Book.

Some of the flowers or plants we still have to identify with the help of our Ontario Plant books. Do you recognize any of them?

We explored the riverbank by the sand, watching twigs and leaves float along the water.

We ended with some relaxing time in Dandelion Field. 

We called it that because it was like a golden sea of dandelions.

What a wonderful Monday to be outside in Nature.

Ms. Hammond