What an exciting last week of school before Spring Break! The kids worked hard this week to perfect their tumbling routines, practice on the balance beam, and maneuvering through the obstacle course. Not only were they having fun being active, but also it’s a great way to improve their gross motor skills and core strength! I am glad many of you were able to join us for the Palio event. 

More fun!!

For St. Patrick’s Day we visited the library to meet Mrs.Wirth, our librarian, who read a nonfiction and fiction story to the kids about this holiday.  

Finally, we had the chance to play outside without the snow! 

In class, we wrapped up the Mo Willems unit and finished a few projects pertaining to this theme. Here is a look at the week:

Centers

In language arts the children finished their Knuffle Bunny stories. In a previous group we used the iPads to take pictures around the school to pick the setting for the story. This week, the kids had their black and white backgrounds and were asked to tell a story including the characters from the book. We focused on expanding our thoughts and making sure our story matched the picture. They have greatly improved on this skill since the beginning of the year! The stories are displayed on the inside bulletin board. In math the kiddos rolled dice and found the corresponding numeral on their mat. The independent group was big blocks and animals.  

Small groups

In reading groups we played a game by rolling 3 dice. The dice were color coated and were all CVC words. The kids rolled all three dice and sounded out each letter building the word. Next, they found the picture that matched the word they read! In one group, we focused on rolling a die and saying the letter sound. The kiddos matched the same beginning sounds to the corresponding picture. They did awesome and I was impressed! In art we completed our self-portraits for the month of March. These pictures are on the back bulletin board to check out.  Finally, the independent center this week was trains and building blocks.  

Have a fun and safe Spring break and we’ll see you back to school on Monday, April 6! :) 

The PK kids had a great trip to Apollo Theater to see the play, Piggie and Elephant! They were excited to meet the characters. Piggie and Gerald, and had many laughs from the silly story. They were so well behaved and enjoyed this experience.

Also, we welcomed Ashley Smith into our classroom this week with open arms and smiles. We are happy Ashley can be with us for the remainder of the school year!

Here is a look at the week:

Centers

I used the pigeon series by Mo Willems to guide the activities this week. In language arts the kids did a sorting activity with pictures to describe needs vs. wants. They colored a journal page to reflect a need or want that was important to them. In math the kiddos used felt cookies and counted the number of pompoms to place on top based on the number they rolled. In the fine motor center the kids strung beads on pipe cleaners. This is great for their tiny hand muscles and they were challenged to create their own patterns! 

Small groups

In art the kiddos made hotdogs and we discussed the different toppings we could use.  They used colored tissue paper to represent the variety of toppings. This activity was based off the story, Pigeon Gets A Hotdog. The journal prompt for the week was, 'What is your favorite Mo Willems book?" Many of their pictures reflected Gerald and Piggie from the story. The independent center this week was iPads. 

Next week

On Wednesday, the PK and JK will have their Palio show for you to come and watch. They have been working hard in P.E. to learn these routines and exercises! The show will be from 8:45 to 9:45am. Mr. B has Palio shirts for the kids that I will get this week. I hope to see you at the event!

Fun with Piggie and Gerald!

We began the author study of Mo Willems and read a variety of Piggie and Elephant books. The children really enjoyed these stories and completed numerous activities to dive deeper and expand their learning. 

Here is a look at the week:

Centers

In language arts we read the story, Knufflebunny and analyzed the pictures comparing the real life backgrounds to the cartoon characters, Trixie and Knufflebunny. The kids used the iPads to take pictures around the school. This picture will be used in their background to tell a story. They loved exploring the school! In math they created a picture using Gerald as the base and counted pigeons to put on his head. This activity was based on the story, There is a Bird on My Head? In the fine motor center the children played a memory matching game with characters and events from the Mo Willems stories. 

Small groups

In reading groups they continued with a variety of activities working on phonemic awareness, blending and continuing with the Bob reading series. In art the kiddos reinforced their cutting skills and followed simple directions. They made pigeons by cutting out the bodies and heads and gluing on the feet and eyes. This was a tricky task and most were determined to finish! In journals the prompt was, “Who is your favorite character from the Piggie and Elephant series?” In the independent group the children played with big blocks and play dough.

Next week

On Friday, March 13^th, we are traveling to the Apollo Theater to see the Piggie and Elephant play! The flyer for the play is posted outside of the door with all of the specific details. Looking forward to another great trip!

Community Helpers Come to PK!

We wrapped up the Community Helpers unit and the kids had a blast meeting three new helpers! Here is a look at our week:

We had a special visit from Officer Wright from the Evanston Police Department.  She explained to the kids how she keeps the community and us safe and we were able to see her tool belt with handcuffs and a radio. We did pushups, sit-ups, and ran in place to train like a police officer.

William’s dad, Mr. Hunter, surprised the kiddos and shared the exciting aspects about being a firefighter. He spoke about his career and answered many questions from the kids. One of their favorite parts from his visit was bringing in his fire gear to try on! The kiddos took turns dressing in his boots, pants, coat and hardhat. They got a kick out of this.  

Next, we met a dentist Dr. Chip and learned why it is important to keep our teeth and mouth clean by brushing our teeth twice a day! We sang and danced to two songs about keeping the sugar bugs away and staying healthy!

Morning Meeting

We read a variety of community helper books about a dentist, train conductor, firefighter, and police officer. A highlight from this week was creating a class bar graph about what they wanted to be when they grew up. The kids used their picture to graph their future careers. It was amusing to hear their responses. 

Centers

In language arts the kids read a community helpers story and circled sight words and went on a letter hunt.  In math they counted the dots on the ten frame and matched that number to the corresponding digit on the fire truck. They did an awesome job and were very independent! Next, the kids rolled the dice and counted that number of cookies to put in the cookie jar.  At the fine motor center the kids worked on a community helper puzzle where they matched the profession with their tool. They also tested their memory skills in a matching game.

  

Small groups

In reading groups the kiddos read the Bob series books and did a variety of word and letter work games. The kids were challenged at their ability level.  In art they constructed a tool belt.  We discussed and colored 5 different tools that the community helpers need to be successful in their jobs and why they were important. They colored and cut out these tools and glued to a belt.  Cutting with scissors was a challenge, so we will continue to reinforce this skill in the upcoming weeks! In journals the children drew pictures of them as a community helper and expressed their interest in this job.  The independent center this week was the post office.

Next week

We will begin an author study about Mo Willems and read the Piggie and Elephant series as well as the story, Knuffle Bunny!