We Need to Catch Up!

 It may be hard to find a through line here but I'm feeling the need to share so many snapshots of life and learning in Room 28.  Let me take you on a walk through the last few weeks to make sure I capture some of the moments that may not fill a whole post on their own, but nevertheless are worthy of sharing.

Do you remember our tree tapping event a few weeks back?  Well, here's a look at us enjoying some classroom made pancakes.

Around that time we checked in about all the ways we liked to eat maple syrup.

At the end of March we used chromebooks to solidify understanding about the names, values, and pictures on coins. Here you can see a student "clicking and dragging" to show what she knows.

It's SO clear that the children are growing by leaps and bounds.  You can literally see it happening outside...

And inside...

And in a health lesson with Miss Smith that highlighted just how capable these Kindergarteners really are.

Of course Pre K and K are just the beginning at Orchard, and seeing the fifth grade play gave our students a glimpse of some of the things that are possible when they get older.  As did watching the fifth grade model rocket launch!

Back in the classroom we've been focusing on measuring in math, natural resources in science, and wrapping up our readings of Gerald and Piggie books with posters for "made-up holidays" inspired by Piggie's "Happy Pig Day".

Whether working independently or with a friend, Kindergarteners in April are feeling comfortable and capable.

Force and Motion

I have mentioned that in the flow of our year, we explore more Social Studies Topics in the fall and more Science topics in the spring.  Of course there is some back and forth throughout, but March was a month to learn about Force and Motion!  Over the course of 3 weeks we did 3 different experiments and learned about how gravity and friction can impact how things move. Take a look at our first experiment:  Can you both pull and push your stuffie without directly touching it with your hands? 

Next we tried: Using a ramp and both a smooth and bumpy surface covering, how much force is needed to make a matchbox car travel the length of the ramp?

Finally, we tried "The Marble Challenge": Can you make your marble roll the length of the paper, turn a corner, move an object, and hit a target?

It's such a joy to see children working collaboratively to meet a challenge.  New skills, new discoveries, and new friendships emerge!

All on Their Own

 Many blog posts are devoted to themes we are learning about as a class or specific learning experiences that I have planned. In this post I want to highlight some of the innovative choices and projects that the children come up with all on there own.  This happens mainly at Explore Time, but also at Quiet Time and sometimes when it's least expected!  Being able to learn independently as well as from peers is just as important as learning from a teacher!  These pictures celebrate those efforts.

Sometimes learning from other parts of the day finds it's way into the children's free time. Here you can see a classmate making a drawing of a self regulation activity we did called "Be the Pond". 

In this exercise Jamie from Cosmic Kids Yoga talked us through an analogy for returning to calmness- the idea being that we are the pond and the fish that swim by are fleeting feelings.

Math with coins became art at Explore Time!

It's Time to Tap a Tree!

 What makes Vermonters able to put up with Mud Season? ...Maple Syrup!  Yes, it's that time of year and on Friday we tapped a tree in the Orchard woods.  As if on cue, we stepped back in anticipation and saw a few drops of sap dipping off the spile (that's the metal spout that "tapped" into the drilled hole if you didn't know). I'm not sure how much sap we'll collect, but we're going to learn about the process of making syrup and how it's both changed and stayed the same over time. ...And, it's always fun to spend some time in the woods! 

Amazing Animal Month Continues...

 Some of the best learning that happens in Kindergarten (and school in general) is when the children are able to learn from one another.  Our sharing theme this month is providing this type of opportunity.  Have a look at one of our classmates sharing three cool facts about gorillas.

On Friday ALL the children had a chance to take on the role of teacher because that's what the class chose to do for our 100 Apple Core Celebration- "1/2 the day with "kids in charge and 1/2 the day with you was in charge" was how this scheme was explained to me and it went beautifully. Below you will see children leading the morning message routine and explaining activities at the doc cam. 

Two of our favorite animals right not continue to be Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig. We had a great time creating their likenesses with signature expressions and phrases in talking bubbles.  Below you can see the process but you'll have to revisit the blog next week for a look at the final pieces on display in the hallway.

Animals have been playing a roll in the children's self-directed play as well.  Here you can see an example of a popular choice at Explore Time- making "rides" for the stuffies.

Amazing Amimals Month Kicks Off

 Frequent readers of the blog (or classroom newsletter) might know that every month we share on a theme in our classroom.  March's theme is "Amazing Animals".  To go along with this, our pretend area has become a Vet's office and in Workshop, we have immersed ourselves in Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books! In this blog post you will see Kindergarteners taking extraordinary care as they examine and treat stuffie pets in the Vet's office and learn to draw Gerald the elephant and Piggie the Pig in Mo Willems' style. What you might not be able to see from the photos, is the care they are showing for one another as they take turns in the pretend area (both trading off roles and rotating through in groups of 3), AND as they negotiate learning to draw step by step but in a whole group!  They are a wonderful crew.