Kindergarten Scientists

We've begun to learn about what a scientists is and how they do what they do. Our class discussed "what is a scientist" this week and came up with some really great ideas. In the words of our kindergarteners, a scientist is:
*someone who discovers things
*someone who finds dinosaur bones
*someone who looks at stuff to try to make new stuff
*someone who asks questions
*someone who knows a lot about outside

After we thought about what we think a scientist is, we read a book and found out they observe, write, draw pictures, make predictions, experiment many times, measure, and keep on trying.

After we did all of this thinking and listening, we were ready for our own experiment! I asked them to make a prediction of where water would go away faster - the sun or the shade. We had a 50/50 prediction on where it would go away faster, so we decided to jump right in an experiment ourselves.

As scientists, we tried to find out if the water would disappear faster in the sun or in the shade. So, we painted water in both areas.

We painted water lines all over the pavement! 

Most of us found that the water disappeared faster in the sun, others were thinking the shade might make the water disappear faster. 

Once we had tested our predictions with the water, we went back inside to write and draw about our findings. Most of the children noticed that the water went away faster in the sun. Here are some examples of their work:

Parent Night and Happy Weekend!

Hello!

I'm hoping that each of you have had a wonderful end to your weeks since seeing you on Tuesday evening.

I wanted to pass along my teacher introduction to you all just in case you missed it!

I also wanted to be sure that everyone knows that I'll be working on the student share calendar and volunteer schedule shortly and should have it posted to our classroom site soon!

If you have any questions on the curriculum packet, housekeeping items or general classroom items, please feel free to email me at binconiglios@topsfieldps.org.

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Welcome to Room 309!

Hello Kindergarten Families!

I am so excited to begin the 2014/2015 school year with you today!

I am looking forward to teaching and getting to know your student. I can't wait to start learning about each student individually and as a community of kindergarten learners.

Our first few weeks together will be focused on learning about our school and classroom. Your student will soon be learning a lot about math, reading, writing and how they can become scientists in their world each day in the coming weeks. I can't wait to see them look at the world inquisitively and ask many of the million questions that are running through their heads each day. 

The first few weeks will be a lot of work for them and they'll most likely come home tired, but I hope, excited about what they're doing each day! Keep encouraging them that they're learning a lot and should feel proud of themselves and what they're able to accomplish each and every day of kindergarten. 

If you have any questions as our year kicks off, please feel free to email me any time at binconiglios@topsfieldps.org.

Sincerely, 

Mrs. I.

Touch Tank Fun!

This week, the kindergarten classes were visited by marine biologist, Ellen Goethel. Ellen brought lots of interesting items with her including whale bones, teeth and baleen, shark teeth, shells and, of course, the touch tank animals!

Ellen taught the children the different names of the animals they were observing and being able to touch including crustations, bivalves, and echinoderms (starfish). The children were able to pick up various types of animals including a lobster, spiny crab, snow crab, red mud crab, many types of starfish, and a horseshoe crab which we learned is a living fossil.

Ellen also operates Explore the Ocean World, LLC in Hampton Beach, NH. There is a 150 gallon touch tank which houses many different animals found in the Gulf of Maine. Ellen's information is:
Explore the Ocean World, LLC
367 Ocean Boulevard, #3
Hampton Beach, NH
Open daily 10-5 from July - Labor Day
exploretheoceanworld@hotmail.com

Weekly Update - 4/29-5/2

Language Arts

This week, we learned a new sight word, "from." We have only three more to learn!

Some students are missing their reading bags (plastic gallon ziploc bags). Please remember these books need to be returned to school each Tuesday and will be sent home the day your student has their reading group. If you think you may have misplaced this bag, please just let me know.

We continue work in unit 4 of Fundations. We are practicing digraphs (ch, sh, wh, th, ck) and have learned the rule that "ck" appears at the end of words with short vowel sounds. The students are really enjoying trying to figure out how to spell "trick" words like chick, sock, and back. They're doing great work with this skill! We will complete Unit 4 this week and begin our fifth and final unit next Tuesday.

As we move into the last two months of school, the students will begin to focus on informational writing during 6+1 Traits of Writing. We have also begun to look at non-fiction texts and learn the various traits that make them non-fiction - the book teaches you something, the information is all true, some books have table of contents, most of the illustrations are real photographs, etc. We will begin learning more about these types of texts and exploring our own informational writing in the coming weeks.

Math

We have begun Chapter 14 and are again working on the skills of counting on to the number 20. Please continue to work with your student at home both during homework and down time to work on this very important skill. Over the past few days we have begun to look at the different ways we can make the same number (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10). Next week, we will be moving into the teen numbers.

Important Reminders

*Early release Friday, May 9th at 1:15 pm. Lunch will be served this day.
*Mrs. O'Brien spent the week with us getting to know the students and how our classroom routines work. Please continue to discuss this transition with your student at home as I will be talking with them next week as well. I will now begin to prepare the students for my final day, May 16th, and will also talk about the possibility of Mrs. O'Brien coming early if I need to leave earlier than expected.
*The Kindergarten Portfolio Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10th. More detailed information will be coming to you shortly about this very exciting day for families and students in the coming weeks.

What have we been up to this month?

Language Arts

Over the past few weeks we've been doing a lot of fun activities during our literacy times. We've been able to be a bit more creative with writing about what we like to do when it rains, creating our spring forsythia vases and flowers to decorate our classroom.

We've learned a lot of new trick words over the past few weeks including as, has and this. Please watch your student's folder tomorrow for the newest trick word card for their ring - this.

We have also continued to read in our groups and are making wonderful progress with these books. If your student hasn't brought home a plastic reading bag with a new book for a few weeks, please let me know. Sometimes, the students leave their plastic bags in their larger yellow browsing bags and forget to take the books home to practice with you!

**Please note that we will NOT bring books home this week as it's right before April vacation. We will resume our book bags the week of April 28th.**

Today we completed our opinion writing unit by writing about which season is our favorite and why. We will continue to write nonfiction throughout the remainder of the year.

In Fundations, we've completed unit 3 and have just begun unit 4! This unit is very exciting as it begins to introduce digraphs to the students to help them begin tapping out ch, ck, sh, th, and wh. The students are really excited about tapping out new words like shop, chip and sock and applying it to their writing. I cannot wait to see what we do with these new sounds as we become more comfortable with the digraphs after vacation.

Math

We have completed chapter 12! We have been learning more about counting on and have added in counting back. Please make sure your student is using their fingers and counting on by putting the number in their head to find out the bigger number. These skills are very important to our math learning and helps students to become more flexible in their thinking as they work in addition and subtraction.

Science

We've finished our unit on Transportation! I'm so glad that each of you were able to join us last week during open house to see all of the wonderful things we've been learning in our science curriculum. It's difficult to send home activities during sink and float or when we learn about the three states of matter - solid, liquid and gas. The students so enjoyed their time making their transportation vehicles out of recycled materials, so a big THANK YOU to all of you for sending in those materials!

Important Notes

*No school 4/18 - Good Friday

*April Vacation 4/21-4/25

*Early Release on 5/9 at 1:15 - lunch will be served

*Please continue to send in boots with your student, especially if it's been raining, as the playground can become very muddy at times.

*Book bags will NOT be sent home this week 4/15-4/16 as we are getting ready for April Vacation!

*Enjoy your time off next week!

Making Transportation!

Here are a few photos from our transportation making activity. Don't forget that you can bring theses home tonight at open house!