Room 5 is ALIVE!

Students came back from Spring Break well rested, refreshed, and ready to jump back into learning!!

**Please be sure to check the bottom of this post for important information regarding next week**

Living and Nonliving

This week we discussed the difference between living and nonliving things. 

We explored objects and asked a series of questions:

Does it move? 

Does it grow? 

Does it breath? 

Does it eat?

If you've answered yes to all these questions then. . .it's alive!

Our theme carried out throughout our centers, read alouds, poems, and even a computer activity! 

Ladybugs have Arrived!

The Science Center sent the first of many spring species to Room 5.

Everyday we've been observing the changes and cycle of ladybugs.  Next week we will explore deeper into ladybugs and how they look, live, and eat to write an informative class report. We anxiously await the delivery of tadpoles and butterflies!!

Community Circle

Kind Words

Mrs. Johnson spoke to the Kindergarten Community about using kind words.  She asks students to continue to work on using kind words to one another. We look to extend our kind word vocabulary through some brainstorming activities.  She also talked about two new additions to our playground. We will be receiving a Friendship Bench for students to build friendships as well as "quiet boxes".  These boxes allow students who would prefer a quiet space to color, build Legos, or play a game together instead of playing on the play structures. 

Mystery Reader

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate

Thanks Mrs. Geist! 

Sorting Shoes!

Students cannot get enough of the shoe greeting! It is one of their favorites. Students take off one shoe, place it in the middle and then select a shoe to greet its owner.  

It's also a great activity to use when sorting in math. 

Attributes

We sort and organize objects every day, whether you realize it or not. 

 Students are learning to sort objects by size, shape, and color. These are fundamental skills that form the basis for geometry and patterns.  

Ask your child to talk about an object's attributes and see if they can sort a group of objects by size, color, and/or shape. 

Next Week. . . 

Book Fair

We will be visiting the book fair on Monday, May 2nd during our regularly scheduled library time.  Student were sent home with a brochure of items and information about the event. We will be going as a whole class and will not be selecting a book from the library.  Since we will be one of the first classes to visit the book fair we hope to be able to fill all orders on premises, however there is always the chance of books having to be ordered and delivered at a later date.  Please keep this in mind when selecting books with your child and talk about being flexible when something is not available. 

Helpful Hints: 

-Have a plan! Look through the flyer and preselect books with your child.

-List out exact book titles and prices. Don't forget Mass Tax

Check out tax sheet below!!

- Less is more. Students only have a short period of time to browse, find their items, and pay. 

-There are small "impulse" items such as erasers and pencils that are available too.  Keep this in mind when packing extra money or discussing purchases with your child. 

- WRITE YOUR CHILD'S NAME ON ENVELOPES AND ZIPLOCK BAGS WITH MONEY. 

Letter From Mr. Murphy

Tax Sheet

Legoland Field Trip!

Thursday, May 5th is our field trip to Legoland.  We will leaving Fox Hill promptly at 8:45am. 

Students are to wear their Fox Hill Field Trip T-Shirt and pack a nut free snack and bagged lunch. 

If you are a chaperone, we ask for you to arrive at 8:30.  Feel free to bring a nut free snack and/or lunch. If weather permits we plan to have lunch outside. 

Thank You!!

Plant Seeds and Watch Us Grow!

Tops or Bottoms?

To wrap up our study on seed and plant development; students planted their own seeds.

We read one of my favorite spring Read Alouds:

The story is about a Hare who tricks a sleepy bear into using his field to plant a garden. Hare offers bear the "tops" or "bottoms" of the crops. Depending on bear's choice, Hare plants his crops to his own advantage. For example, if bear wanted the "tops", Hare would plant root vegetables. When bear wanted the "bottoms", Hare would plant lettuce and tomatoes. Quickly bear realizes Hare's scheme, but its a little too late as Hare has enough food for him and his family until the next gardening season! 

How to Plant a Seed?

After reading our story, students had the opportunity to plant their own tops (Zinnia Flowers) or bottoms (Radishes). 

As we planted, we discussed necessary materials and the steps needed to complete our task. This experience helped us create our very own how-to posters. 

Check out some photos: 

First you dig a little hole...

Then you put some seeds in there...

Cover them with lots of dirt... 

Give them water, sun, and care... 

Now the seeds will start to sprout... 

Flowers Blooming all about!

Comparing Weight

Our unit on measurement has been such great fun! We explored length, height, capacity, and even weight. Students enjoyed playing games, using rulers and measuring cups, and even demonstrating their understanding of heavier and lighter. 

Check out our weight collages:

Reading Poetry

Our poetry journals are almost full! What better way to celebrate than to buddy read our favorite poems.  Students even got a chance to read their favorite poems using the classroom microphone! 

Ask your child what's your favorite poem?

Can you recite it?

What a Wonderful World

Earth Day is April 22nd. To commemorate all the wonderful things about our world, we listened to Louis Armstrong's Song: What a Wonderful World. Each student illustrated a line from the song to create another Room 5 Class Book.

I encourage you to play the soothing song as you sit down to read the book. 

Other Odds & Ends...

-Field Trip forms went home before vacation. Please fell out and return asap. Once all forms are returned I will be able to select chaperones. Please remember you must be CORIed in order to be considered. Let me know if you have any questions.

-We only have two more weeks of Sight Words Flashcards. Thank you for working with your child. These words are commonly seen and used in your child's reading and writing.  Therefore it is very important to continue to practicing all 50 sight words even after they are assigned for homework. 

-I always recommend revisiting the addition and subtraction flashcards, which were sent home prior to the sight word cards. A quick review every now and then can make a big difference in your child's automaticity of their math mastery. 

-Weather in New England is always changing! Please send your child in with a appropriate outdoorwear for recess. We insist students wear their coats they arrived to school with unless warmer temperatures. 

Welcome to our Kinder"Garden"

Spring Murals

After reading Lois Elhert's Rainbow Garden, students worked in small groups to create their own murals. Check them out:

Sprout Houses

Room 5 is learning about seed and plant development.

We used greenhouses to plant some Lima Beans and enjoy recording their observations in their bean journals.

We sequenced the steps of planting seeds:

Capacity

Our unit on measurement continues to look at height, length, and capacity.

Here is one of our interactive centers using water. Students make a prediction of how many cups will fill an object. Then they fill their objects with water to see if their predictions are correct. Look out for their recording sheets coming home next week. 

Mystery Reader

Thanks Mrs. Jervinis for sharing Clink with us!!

Coming Up. . .

-Next week we will focus on writing. We will create procedural posters on planting.

-Students will plant their own seeds and hopefully see them sprout before vacation. 

-Our next field trip to Legoland is scheduled for May 5th. Permission slips will go home soon.

- We will wrap up measurement by comparing weight. 

-April 18th- April 22nd Spring Break (NO school). 

Rain or Shine... We love Spring Time!

Check out some photos of our week:

During our ELA block students are working independently on centers and working in a small reading group.

Reading A-Z in the I-Pad Station

Read to Self

Mystery Reader

Fatimah's Dad read The Fox and The Hound

Book Buddies

Spring Weather Watchers

Student meteorologists recorded and reported the daily temperature and weather conditions!

Measurement 

Your child is learning to use measurement to describe and compare geometric shapes and objects. We will compare shapes based on in their length, weight, and capacity. Some tools used for measurement are a balance scale, measuring cup, and measuring stick/ruler.

Here's an activity you can try at home:

Is if longer?

Give your child a pencil or pen. Have him/her find objects in your home that are longer than the pencil/pen. Then have your child find objects that are shorter than the pencil/pen. 

Dance Party!!

Did you hear we had a dance party on Friday?!

It's TRUE!

Room 5 successfully earned another class reward. How? Students earn compliments from other staff members by walking quietly in the halls, showing respectful behavior, and working together.  For every compliment earned; we add a piece to our classroom thermometer.  To celebrate our success we turned up the music and let loose! 

We Danced to Taylor Swift's Shake it Off and even Pharell Williams Happy

Looking Ahead...

Next Week We Will:

-Explore Seed and Plant Development. 

-Make own sprout houses/greenhouses and observe the growth of our bean sprouts.

-Continue to explore measurement and compare lengths 

-Paint a Kinder-Garden 

-Learn our final 5 sight words. 

Only 50 Days left of Kindergarten