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Red Cubbies
The Red Cubbie friends have been using class meetings this year as a wonderful tool for problem solving as a group. We all come together in order to work out a problem, either logistic or social/emotional in nature, each understanding that we all have something to contribute and that everyone has a voice. Listening to each other is an important skill that we work on all the time, but it is especially important during class meetings. In class meetings we usually begin by presenting a problem that the teachers have observed recently, or that has been brought to our attention by the students or parents. We talk about what we have noticed and ask the children if they have observed anything regarding the subject at hand, whether it is, “how to keep your body under control” or “what to do with the messy cubbies”. After presenting the topic at hand the children have a chance to contribute their observations and then, with the help of the teacher as facilitators, they brainstorm some possible solutions for the problem. When it comes to problems of a social/emotional nature, we tend to do some dramatizing, either with puppets or with the children acting out a particular scenario. With more “technical” problems, we brainstorm, come up with a list of possible solutions and then come to consensus on a few ideas to try. One example of a recent class meeting was when we worked as a community to decide how to use our classroom mailbox. The teachers asked the question, “how would you like to use the mailbox in our room?” and the problem solving began! They discussed who could use it, who should deliver the letters, when they should be delivered, what to do if one person gets more letters than anyone else, how can we keep track and through all of this rich conversation, a “sense of the meeting” was reached! We decided that anyone should be able to put letters in the mailbox, as long as they had the person’s name on them so we knew who they were for, that the librarian should deliver the mail during rest because it would be quiet, and we should keep a class list on the mailbox so that we know if someone is getting more mail than anyone else. All this from one meeting, almost all derived just from the children! They have learned that their words are important and that they are a part of the community that helps make important decisions that affect them. |
Green Cubbies The Green Cubbies have been exploring story elements in both Reading and Writing Workshop. They recently created a Story Log in response to the fairy tale, "The Three Little Pigs" by James Marshall. During the read aloud the students identified the story setting and the key characters. Additionally, the students are learning about the sequence of a story, by paying attention to what happens at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the story. Each student utilized a Story Log to illustrate the key events in the story in sequential order. Everyone enjoyed the experience of re-telling the story to a friend using their own pictures as a reference. We will continue studying the elements of a story by reading different versions of the Three Little Pigs, such as "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" and "The True Story of the 3 Little pigs!" Eventually, the group will write their own version of the fairy tale, changing the characters, the settings and perhaps even the ending. Story writing provides ample opportunity to practice building sentences, learning sight words and stretching out new vocabulary words. The children are also in the midst of creating colorful paper-bag puppets of pigs and wolves to dramatize the variations of the fairy tale for the group. Attending a special assembly this week in the Trask Library with special guest, illustrator Matt Phelan, encouraged the students to continue their story writing. He specifically reminded them to practice their illustrations many times, to use their imaginations and to use the world around them for ideas. We look forward to reading more fairy tales together and to listening to the fairy tales written by our emerging authors. We invite you to the classroom to share your favorite fairy tales with us, too, if you desire. |
Purple Cubbies
We have started our unit on nonfiction this month. Students will get a chance to read and hear nonfiction books in class. We will talk about the different features in nonfiction that we notice. For example, we will talk about captions, diagrams, and tables of contents. The students always love nonfiction books, and you may want to read some at home.
We are also starting to write our own nonfiction pieces in Writing Workshop. We will start with “How-To Books.” The students are going to be writers and teachers, as they will be writing books that teach others how to do something that they do in their own lives. Through these How-To’s, students are doing procedural writing, as they recall a procedure they can do, and then lay out the directions from beginning to end. As a class, we brainstormed ideas for our first How-To Books. Below are some examples of the students’ ideas:
How To…..
Our first step in writing these nonfiction books was to share our ideas with a partner. Each pair of students had a chance to explain the steps in their idea, and then present it to the class. Now, the students will all get their own booklets, and begin their writing and sketching. Within this unit, we will talk about the use of transition words (First, Next, Then, Last…), sequence, and paying attention to detail, as well as continue with the conventions of writing (fingerspacing, stretching of words, punctuation, lowercase letters….). At the end of the unit, students will pick their favorite How -To Book to edit, create a cover for it, and publish it to be shared with friends and family.
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February 2010What a snowy February it has been. We're not sure Penn Charter has ever had off three days in a row due to a single storm. Although the snow caused the Kindergarten Valentine's Party and Lower School bake sale to be rescheduled, it brought us some special opportunities to come together as a community! On Monday the 8th, with fresh snow on the ground from a weekend storm, the Kindergarten students came to school equipped with sleds, boots and snowpants. We were going sledding! We used the small, but steep hill by the bus lane and had a great time. All three Kindergarten classes were out together sharing sleds and keeping each other warm. The snow has not stopped us from going outside for recess. Students that bring appropriate clothing (snowpants, boots, warm mittens etc.) are welcome to enjoy the snow in the Kindergarten recess area. They have been getting very creative with their outdoor activities, sledding down the steps on waffle blocks, and building an igloo with snow bricks made from a tupperware mold. If it keeps on snowing the way it has been, we might soon have a whole town out there!
In the next few weeks look for "Just Right Books" to come home with your child.
The Valentine's Party has been rescheduled for Friday, the 19th...and we will also be exhanging Valentine's cards then.
REMINDERS:
-Remember that the school day ends at 2:50, and it is expected that you pick your child up promptly.
-Conference sign up sheets will be coming home with your child on Tuesday, February 23rd. Please be sure to pick your top three choices for a conference time. First come, first serve! |