The Mitten, Measurement, and Buddies

Students acted out The Mitten, by Jan Brett

We are back into the full swing of things in Kindergarten!

In literacy this week we were excited to learn our last two lowercase letters of the alphabet: q and z! We are also working on decoding words by segmenting and tapping out the sounds and then blending them together.  Next week we will begin uppercase letters.

We read two versions of The Mitten.  One retold by Jan Brett and one by Alvin Tresselt.  Students compared and contrasted the two stories which tell an old Ukrainian folktale.  We had fun acting out The Mitten by Jann Brett (see above).  On Friday students "sewed" their own mitten which we will use next week to retell the story with cutout pictures of the characters.

In reading groups, students read take home versions of The Mitten and well as leveled books.

In math we began our next unit which begins by focusing on comparing length and height.  Students worked on comparing the length of objects, comparing our own height, comparing the length of objects to a pipe-cleaner (string), and order the length of objects from shortest to longest.

In science we learned about seeds and what they need to grow.  We are rapping up our unit on living things as we begin our next unit on animals in the winter (How do they survive and how do their behaviors change?).

On Friday, we started our day with our Buddies when we worked cooperatively to complete puzzles.  Then, Miss Molly came from Farm to School, and students listened to the book  Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli, By Barbara Jean Hicks.  Then students created kale salads by choosing from a variety of add-ins (raisins, apples,  carrots, cheese, sunflower seeds, and beets).  After they ate their salads they voted on their two favorite add-ins.  Sometime in the future the salad they "created" (most votes) will appear in the cafeteria at lunch!

We have ECO next Friday (weather permitting).  Thanks you to all who donated firewood!

I will be out on a professional day next Tuesday.  The students will have a guest teacher.  In the morning they should plan to eat breakfast in the library (by the cart) or the cafeteria OR go right out to recess.

There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 20th.