New Beginnings

Hello, there!  Welcome to my blog!

This blog has gone through many changes throughout the years; from being basically an informant of a newsletter, to just being a way to share photos of awesome things the kiddos do and learn, to what it is going to be now.

What is that?

Well, I'm not quite sure- it is ever evolving, but this is what I do know:

1.  I know I will share my thoughts of some of the amazing things we do in class, in addition to the weekly newsletter I send out.

2.  I know that I will post fun pictures of your precious babies (or, *cough,* what I consider to be partially MY precious kiddos for the sweet time they are with me).

3.  I am pretty sure that the blog will make you smile.

4.  I am hoping that it doesn't make you cry. ;)

5.  But if you want to cry tears of joy, that is perfectly fine. :)

Well, did that clear up the blog for you?  No?  Yeah, me neither- but we are just going to go with it- and have a blast in the process.

The first weeks of school have gone GREAT.  These little kinders are understanding the rules of our school and of our classroom.  They are showing respect and kindness.  I now have a good grasp on where they stand academically, socially and emotionally- which will help me as I plan and differentiate different activities according to their strengths and weaknesses.  We are learning, learning, learning!

I am insanely, fanatically, delightfully delighted to have your son or daughter in my class this year.  I promise to treasure them, nurture them, connect with them, TEACH them, and do everything humanly possible to make their first year of "real" school a success (emotionally, socially, and academically).  I truly thank you for giving me the opportunity to be their teacher in this extremely formative year.

Now, who wants some pictures of what we've been up to?

I'd like you to meet Cash- our first caterpillar. :)

Here is Cash after his metamorphosis:

Here we are waiting to see Cash fly away, but he just wasn't quite ready for his trip down to Mexico. He left a couple of hours later.  Adios, Cash! 

Having Cash was super fun, but little did we know we had another surprise in store.  In a bag of milkweed we brought to feed Cash, we found two tiny caterpillars that must have been eggs when the milkweed was picked.  They were adorable.  We named them Heart and Sally.  Sally is a chrysalis now, and Heart is in a J.  We are so excited to see them fly away!  

                                     

In kindergarten we do a ton of movement!  The kids need frequent breaks and a chance to really move around to get the wiggles out.  We do SO many kinds of movement-- but there is one thing they always ask for.  

Beg for. 

Plead for. 

Sometimes I give in. 

"What Does the Fox Say?" Yep.  They love it so so much.  It is so cute to watch them dance these movements!  I still haven't figured out what the fox says, but I know it gives me a good workout, too, and if you could see the kids do this it would put a huge smile on your face. 

So, giving up your class can be kind of hard for a teacher- but man, oh, man, did I get super duper lucky having Mrs. Minnaert as a student teacher.  She is OUTSTANDING.  I seriously mean it-- and just ask your kids, I'm picky. ;)  She has a demeanor and grace that outshines most veteran teachers I know.  She is patient, kind, understanding, and has really taken the time to understand and care for your children.  We are so lucky to have her until December, and after that we will truly feel a loss.  She's just wonderful!

Math.  I love teaching math.  I love the hands-on nature that math so easily lends itself to.  Yes, we do some workbook pages- but primarily it is all about using manipulatives to make math learning more fun.  Embedding play into learning is so valuable at this age because it is truly how young children learn! :)  Here are some photos:

 

 

We are so lucky to have technology classes, but in our classroom we also have some iPads and iPhones, some of which were donated last year, some of which I purchased, that we love utilizing for practicing different skills.  Here we are playing a math counting game that goes along with the standard we are teaching:

                           

Word on the street is that our classroom is also going to get some Macbooks to use during center time!  Whoo-hoo! :)

Can I just say on word?  Pipes.

I bought pipes, made my husband cut them, and brought them to school.  I bought a bunch of different kinds of fittings, too.  The kids are in love with them.  Who knew?  Part of our Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is engineering design.  Each time we play with these I try to give the kids a challenge.  The challenge represented in the following pictures was just to get a structure that could stand unassisted.  They met the challenge.  It was awesome.  I love pipes!

Like my newsletters have said- we are deeply involved in making our knowledge of letters concrete. We are going to start reading groups in the near future!   

In one center we made letters out of playdough. :)

I would be remiss if I didn't post a picture of this little cutie on his birthday! 

Today we had QU's wedding.  It was the most amazing wedding of all time!  <3  I will post pictures on the next blog post!  

Until next time! :)