Archive for September, 2009
In celebration of our Weather and Seasons unit, we decided to enjoy a treat that can easily be created with the fall harvest of this fruit! We used apples to make our own apple pie! With our super simple recipe, each student help to cut the apples into bite-sized peices. Then, as a team, we measured the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. We also had friends that helped to stir the ingredients and unroll the dough. After an hour in the oven, our pie smelled wonderful. And, it made enough to share with our First Grade friends!
Eric and Johannes were master chefs as they diced the apples!
Drew measured the cinnamon perfectly!
Be sure to check out all of today’s photos on Photobucket. *Some students may not be featured in today’s events due to camera battery failure!*
Today, we visited Ms. Annette’s PreK class to share our Baggie Books with them. Each member of our class found a younger friend to read their book with. Then each group discussed their favorite part of the book with each other. It was great practice for us, as we read aloud. The younger friends were able to practice their listening and comprehension skills as the duo discussed the book afterwards.
Kate was a little teacher when she read with Johnathon.
Johannes shared his book with Daniel.
Watch out for flying food! The students had a blast at the movies today. With our 3D glasses on, we were ready to catch any food that came flying our way.
There was definitely some strange weather out today!
It never ceases to amaze me how mature these 4-6 year olds can be when they are asked. Today, I sat the class down to discuss some of the behavior I have seen in the classroom. Unfortunately, I have seen a regression in our ability to follow directions over the last couple of days and I hoped to get to the bottom of the change. I began by informing the students that they were not in trouble. I let them know that the behavior I was addressing made me sad and I hoped they could help me figure out how we, as a class, could make a change. I hoped that they would be able to help me determine why the behavior was happening so we could adapt to meet their needs. I was amazed at what the students came up with. These young children were able to declare that sometimes they felt tired, sometimes they missed family members, and sometimes they felt they didn’t have enough “kid” time. After we made a list of the things they saw hindering their behavior, I asked them how we could fix these things. In response to sleepiness, one student declared they could talk with their parents about going to bed earlier. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!! Then another student asked if each child could bring in a picture of the family that they missed to create a Family Wall. We decided this would be an excellent idea. Another friend was concerned that it might hurt behavior, so they then decided we should make rules on when students were allowed to visit the wall. They determined that during Choice Centers or, if they were really missing their family, they could speak with me about visiting, as long as I wasn’t talking with a friend or the group. Finally, we were a little stumped by the lack of “kid” time. I then determined that we could schedule days for each student to bring in one item to share with the class.
I let the students know how proud I was of their ability to communicate with me. They were able to recognize the root of the problem and develop ways to improve behavior. I am so proud!!!
Our Share Day schedule will be as follows.
- Monday: Alize and Andrew
- Tuesday: Drew and Eric
- Wednesday: Jackson and James
- Thursday: Johannes and Kate
- Friday: Sammy, Sarah, and Victoria
Share Day will begin on Monday, September 21st. Students are welcome to bring in items from home on their day.
We were able to celebrate two birthdays recently. On Friday we were excited to place Sammy in the birthday hat.
We celebrated again on Monday when we sang the birthday song to Kate. Cha, cha, cha! Hi-yah!
I hope both of our friends had a wonderful birthday!!!
Our friends were dog tired after today’s field trip. We started the morning with a jump on the Magic School Bus which took us straight to PetSmart. Once we were there, we strolled through the aisles observing the items pet owners need to care for their pets. We were surprised to see how many different types of foods were available just for dogs. Then, we stopped by the groomers. We were able to see two pretty puppies getting a trim. Things really got exciting when we stopped by the adoption center. There were lots of adorable cats and kittens. Many of our friends were convinced they would make lovely additions to their families! The wall of fish was the next object of our fascination. There were so many fish!!! We were also able to see the birds, reptiles, and small furry creatures (rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters).
After we had explored the store and planned our weekend shopping trip (parents, get your wallets ready), we stopped by the PetHotel. There, we were led through the kennel area. It was amazing to see how many dogs PetSmart cares for each day. We were in for an extra special treat when we went into the dog food room. They prepared a special treat of doggie ice cream for each of us to try. Luckily, it was safe for humans also. After a quick stop by the cat kennels, we were off to Banfield, the vets office.
At the vet, we were able to see a sedated dog that was getting his teeth cleaned. They also allowed us to see the X-ray machine and explore their clinic rooms. The nurse at the vet’s office was able to answer lots of questions about how caring for a pet’s medical needs is very similar to how a doctor cares for us.
On our way out the door, we stopped off to pick up some crickets for Itsy. He was really happy to see dinner when we walked in the door.
We were super excited to get off the Magic School bus and head into PetSmart!!
Some of our friends thought they might get their hair cut while we were here!
Mmmm! Dog ice cream taste good to me!
Look at all the birds and in so many different colors!
Remember to check out all of our pictures on our Photobucket account!