Here is what is happening in our TK classroom...
Handwriting - We reviewed letters Tt, Ll, Ii in our handwriting books and practiced letter Oo. This is difficult on our handwriting lines as it requires students to curve up and back to touch the top/mid line.
Language Arts - Students have been working with the letters Pp, Aa, Tt, Ss, Mm, Bb, Ff, Ii, Nn, Oo, Zz, Cc, Jj and Ll. We practiced blending these letters into both real and nonsense words. Students manipulated these letters to make words and changed one cvc word into a different word by changing one letter at a time. They also practiced “turtle talk spelling” as they made lists of things they would bring to space by stretching out the sounds in the words. We learned the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle and will illustrate it in our poetry journals next week.
Math - We are working on recognizing teen numbers and determining the numbers that come before and after a given number. Students teamed up during centers to count and write space items that were hidden around the room.
Science - We continued our space unit by learning about the planets in our solar system. We also watched videos of rockets blasting off and astronauts on the international space station. We learned how they eat, sleep, and even how they go to the bathroom!
Art - Students dabbled in many different painting techniques this week as we attempted to paint each planet in our solar system a different way. We painted using car wheels, a salad spinner, cake paints, water color resisting, watercolor layering, aluminum foil printing and also marbled paper using shaving cream and liquid watercolors. In addition, our students painted and designed their own paper towel tube rockets, made a direct drawing of the sun and moon, painted at the easel, and made lots of their own projects in the art center.
The fire department visited on Thursday to review fire safety and give us a tour of their fire truck!
Snack/Sharing - Thank you for all the healthy snacks this week. Sharing for the month of November is something space related.
Monday -
Tuesday - Maeve
Wednesday -Charlie L
Thursday - Cavan
Friday - Sam
GETTING READY FOR WINTER - Now is a great time to get that winter gear ready. Please have your child practice putting snow gear on at home. They should be able to put it on and take it off nearly independently. We want every child to get out to recess as quickly as possible and not miss precious minutes waiting for teachers to help. We will be recessing outside 2 times a day during the winter so please send your child in classroom shoes and outdoor boots that they can put on, take off, and secure (tie or fasten) independently as that will ensure they get as much outdoor playtime as possible. Waterproof gloves/mittens are recommended as well as pull on or velcro boots.
On Friday, November 22 we will celebrate the end of our space unit. Students may wear something space related to school if they choose. Please do not feel the need to buy anything. Our students are very creative and capable of designing their own costumes, wearing the color of their favorite planet, wearing a shirt with stars, etc.
We will celebrate Thanksgiving on November 26 with a Friendsgiving snack. Our wonderful homeroom moms sent an email with a sign up link to bring an item to share. It’s not too late to sign up! Thank you for helping us.
If you have any large cardboard pieces from a new refrigerator/furniture etc. we would gladly take them off your hands! We are going to attempt to make a gingerbread house in our classroom next month.
Mystery Reader - Thank you to Molly Dolan for being our Mystery Reader this week!
GINGERBREAD MAN ALERT!!! - Our theme in December is Gingerbread Run and Christmas Fun. We will begin the month with all things gingerbread. Students will be decorating gingerbread cookies the first week in December and they will tragically run away from us (DO NOT TELL YOUR CHILDREN!!!). Here is where we need your help… We would love for you, your extended family, and friends to send postcards to our school stating that they saw our gingerbread men running through their towns. We will be reading these postcards and mapping their locations. It is so fun for students to get a postcard from aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, and friends. If you could reach out and encourage your loved ones to send a card or postcard it would make this a very special activity for everyone! You could start sending them at any time and I will just hold on to them until we begin our unit. DON’T FORGET… THIS IS A SECRET… DON’T TELL YOUR KIDS!!!
SEND POSTCARDS TO:
St. Augustin School
TK Class/Amy Simmons
4320 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50312
Have a wonderful weekend,
Amy Simmons