Pumpkin Picking

We were lucky the rain held off so we could have an enjoyable morning at Ingaldsby Farm.  Students may have been disappointed yesterday when they heard we would have to switch from picking apples to pumpkins, but that disappointment quickly turned into excitement once children arrived at the pumpkin patch!
Everyone enjoyed the hayride to the pumpkins.  On the way, we stopped and met some cows who are nicknamed "Oreo" because that is just what they resemble!  We learned that pumpkins grow on vines and that you have to twist the stem to release the pumpkin from the vine.  Each child was excited to hunt for their own pumpkin that they thought was just right for them.  Then we took the hayride back to the picnic tables where we enjoyed apple cider and apple cider doughnuts.  Finally, the kindergarteners ended the fun-filled morning by playing in the playground and looking at the farm animals.

This afternoon, children practiced being scientists by observing with their eyes and hands how their pumpkins looked and felt.  They drew pictures of their pumpkins, which took into account the size and shape of their pumpkin's stem and the lines and bumps on the pumpkin.  After, for math, we learned what the words compare and sort mean.  We used unifix cubes to measure the pumpkins and we compared how tall the pumpkins were.  We thought of characteristics to describe the pumpkins and then used those characteristics to sort the pumpkins.  We found some pumpkins were bumpy while others were smooth, some had white spots and others had no spots.  We looked for short and tall stems as well as straight and curvy.  Today was a lot of fun!  I bet everyone will be ready for bed tonight (I know I am!)!
Today's field trip was a great introduction to pumpkins.  We will learn about pumpkins in a couple of weeks after we finish learning about apples.  Then we will be able to compare and contrast the two fruits!
A huge thank you to the PTO for organizing and sponsoring  this field trip!

Dot Day Fun

Our incredible and talented art teacher, Mrs. Winchell, had the most magnificent idea that the school should participate in International Dot Day this past Thursday.  It was wonderful to see students and staff wearing their dot outfits, especially the homemade ones! 

 Dot Day was inspired by the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds.  This book encourages children to be creative, make their mark, and see where it takes them.  I gave my students options for their Dot Projects.  They could use large construction paper circles, paint dobbers, colored dot stickers, draw their own circles, or use a combination of all the materials that were offered.  I was truly impressed with their creativity, especially when it was time for each child to name their piece of artwork.

Click the title to watch an animated version of the book The Dot.

Click HERE to watch and learn the hand motions to "The Dot" song that the class enjoyed.
I can already tell we have some talented artists and some creative minds!  It's going to be an amazing Kindergarten year of learning and fun!

We are off to a great start!

We made it through the first 4 days of Kindergarten!!   The children are doing well learning the morning routines and are doing them on their own now (with some reminders).  We also practiced walking outside for a fire drill and they did well following directions and staying in a quiet line. 

All of the children seem to be adjusting well to coming to school whether on the bus or being dropped off.  On Monday, they begin the regular morning routine with the first and second graders and will wait in the gym before heading down to the classroom.  They are also doing a great job getting ready for dismissal at the end of the school day.  I am gradually trying to let them be more independent with placing papers in the pockets of their folders and packing their backpacks on their own.

We have been busy learning each other’s names, practicing our cutting and gluing skills, becoming familiar with the daily routines, and learning the expectations of school behavior.  We have also been learning the terms before, after, same, and different in math.

I have been encouraging the children to go home each day and share one thing they have learned.  If your child has not shared what we have been doing, here are a few suggestions of what you can ask them about:

• What does a 5 star listener look like? (I am looking for children sitting with legs crossed, hands still and in their laps, ears listening, eyes watching the speaker, and lips that are zipped) 
• Can you show me how you write the numbers one and two? 
• Who were the characters? or What was your favorite part of the books The Kissing Hand, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, and The Wheels on the Bus? (The underlined titles take you to read alouds of the stories).

The students were super excited on the second day of school during a Scavenger Hunt to try to find the raccoon, Chester, from the book The Kissing Hand who left us clues to tour the different rooms in the school.  He was one quick raccoon and hopped back in the book before we could find him.  On our travels, however, we did get to meet our principal, nurse, and school secretary, as well as our music, gym, and computer teachers.  We visited the cafeteria staff again and learned where to go if we need a band-aid or ice pack from Mrs. Marshall.

We saw Mrs. Carreiro and Mrs. Marshall while looking for Chester.
Can your child name some of his/her new classmates?

Check out this Animoto video of some pictures I was able to take during our first week adventures!



I'm looking forward to our first full week.  We are going to continue learning each other's names, writing and counting the letters in our names, and develop an understanding of expected and unexpected school behavior so that we can create our classroom rules together.