I want to thank everyone for the BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers! Without prompting, your individuality soared! Everyone brought in a different type of flower. You have all made me feel so appreciated, and I want you to know how grateful I am for your thoughtfulness!!!!
Today at school:
In the morning we went to an all school assembly. During the assembly, we honored students for their achievements throughout the year- good job Catherine and Keller for receiving the Perfect Attendance award! We also watched the fifth grade students’ graduate.
After lunch, we completed our Memory Book. We also had our final Mystery Reader of the year visit. Thank you Rahat (Mariam’s dad) for reading us a story. Rahat is a medical student at the UW. He also spent some time talking with the students about some of the tools doctor’s use. Ask your student to tell you about this activity.
In the afternoon we had our kindergarten graduation ceremony. Thank you to all the families that were able to attend!
Happy Summer Break! I am looking forward to seeing you all next year (and maybe on one of those Wednesday’s at Mathew’s Beach!).
P.S. If you have ANY questions about the MSP (Measurement of Student Progress) report that went home with report cards, please don’t hesitate to email me. I will continue to check my school email throughout the summer. Just FYI, I did not consider the MSP testing while completing report cards. Again, I would be more than happy to speak with anyone individually about his or her student’s report card. Simply email me if you have ANY questions!
Take care all!
Until our paths cross again!!!!!
Our final Monday in kindergarten!
We had a fun day today.
We spent the morning on the lower field for Field Day! The children had a wonderful time moving from station to station. I know Bubble Man was a huge hit! Ask your student which event he or she enjoyed most.
In the afternoon we did our sewing project. Ask your student to tell you what we made. Thank you to Jincey and Melissa for helping with this activity (an extra special thank you to you both, because this meant that you spent the entire day with us). I TRULY could not have done it without your help!!!!! Also, thank you to Cally for cutting the fabric. You did an awesome job!
One more day of school!
See you all tomorrow!!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Today we worked on a TOP SECRET Father’s Day project. Thank you Jincey for your help with this. I don’t know what I would have done if you were not there! We also completed our cover page for our alphabet animal book. Ask your student to tell you about this activity.
Bookman also visited us. He reminded us to keep developing our “super powers,” and to keep reading all summer long! Thank you Bookman!
In the afternoon, we met with our kindergarten and fifth grade Book Buddies for the last time this school year!
We also started collecting some of our work to take home tomorrow.
I hope that everyone will be able to attend our Volunteer Appreciation party at 2:15pm tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Only one more Tuesday! :)
Today we made our own Beach Day book. First, we brainstormed a list of animals that we saw at the beach. We each created a cover page, and three animal pages. At the bottom of each page we wrote- I saw a __(animal name goes here)___. Some of us created many additional pages and a back cover as well. Ask your student to show you his or her Beach Day book. Ask your student to read it to you.
We also created an animal to represent the letter Z. Ask your student to tell you about this animal. What facts did we learn about this animal?
We also spent some time preparing for the entertainment portion of our Volunteer Appreciation party. I hope that you will all be able to make it. Don’t forget to RSVP so we can properly prepare. Thanks!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Happy Monday! It is our last full week of school! We had a lovely day at the beach today. We saw many animals at the beach, and with the help of the Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalist, and our Field Guide, we were able to identify many of them! We saw tube worms, clams, crabs, anemones, barnacles, sea stars, chitons, limpets, sea cucumbers, Turkish towel (seaweed), and more! I want to thank all of the parents that were able to participate. It is because of all of you, that the children were able to have this incredible experience.
THANK YOU!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
In the morning we had a Bugz musical dress rehearsal (thank you Jincey and Bill for helping students get into their costumes)! Ask your student to tell you about this experience. How was it different with costumes on?
We also completed our “This is me in May” page. Ask your student to tell you the event he or she wrote about.
Photos!
I finally figured out how to add more than one photo! (Don't laugh at me Marty!)
Here are some pictures of my friend Sandy's visit and Bookman!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Today we went on a field trip to the Seattle Aquarium. A special THANK YOU to all of the chaperones! Without your support, we would not be able to have these enriching experiences. As I moved from group to group, I was impressed by the interesting and engaging conversations!
When we returned to school we had recess, centers, and read a little bit of Stuart Little.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Today’s highlights:
Play practice on the stage.
We used the internet to research tide pool animals. Ask your student to tell you about some of the animals we found. What does he/she remember about that animal?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Today, we created an animal to represent the letter x. This animal’s name does not BEGIN with the letter x’s sound but instead ENDS with is. Ask your student to tell you the name of this animal. What are some facts we learned about it? Only one more animal to go!
In the afternoon Jordan did an activity with the students. They listened to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, brainstormed a list of sun related words, and created a Sun Poem. Jordan will be displaying the student’s work in the hallway.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Today we read some stories about tide pools. We completed a “bubble map” listing four details about tide pools. Ask your student to tell you about his or her bubble map. What kinds of animals will you see in a tide pool? How is a tide pool created?
In the afternoon we had play practice on the stage for the first time!
Don’t forget we are going swimming tomorrow!
I will see everyone on Monday!
Love,
Ms. McGregor
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Today we had play practice in the morning. We also made an animal to represent the letter “W.” Ask your student to tell you what animal we created. What are some of the facts we learned about this animal? How many sight words did we find in the sentences? Can you find any of them in a book? You could also ask- how many letters do we have left? What are they? (x and z) What animals could we create to represent these animals?
In the afternoon my longtime friend Sandy Buchner spent some time with us. Sandy is a music teacher and a professional singer. She taught the children many different songs and played games with them. She even showed them a few rope tricks that she has been practicing.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Today’s highlights:
Play practice with rooms 1 and 2. The count down has begun! Ask your student to tell you how many days until our performance!
Science, science, science! Our focus questions today were- What is a stain? and, What can you do to get stains out of fabric? Ask your student to tell you about these two interesting activities.
It’s a new month! Ask your student to tell you the name of the month. What important events take place this month? (possible answers- Gabrielle’s birthday, Nicole’s birthday, field trips to the aquarium and the beach, Bugz performance, last day of school, volunteer appreciation, field day, etc.)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
During math today we created a number 6 poster. The children practiced the concept of equivalent names for numbers. Ask your student to tell you some different ways of showing six. Try it with another number!
Today we created an animal for the letter “V.” Ask your student to tell you about this animal. What facts did we learn about this animal?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
During math students visited four different stations. The stations were: introduction to the one-dollar bill (Thanks Cally), function machines, pattern block book, and number scrolls. Ask your student to tell you about each station.
In the afternoon we had a guest reader visit us. Rebecca Reid, a mom from last year, read us four fabulous stories. Afterward students drew a picture of their favorite book. Ask your student to show you his or her work. What did he/she like best about that story?
Monday, May 24, 2010
In the morning we went for a lovely walk to the Meadowbrook swimming pool. We looked and listened for animals along the way. Ask your student if he/she saw or heard any animals.
In the afternoon we created an animal to represent the letter “U.” Ask your student to tell you the name of the animal we created (Umbrella bird). What did we learn about this animal? Why is it called an Umbrella bird? Do they live around here?
Have a wonderful afternoon everyone!
Friday, May 21, 2010
In the morning we had play practice. The students are working hard learning set changes, transitions, cues, and of course reciting lines, and singing the songs! I am so proud of all of them!
Yunesang, the Star of the Week, told us all about his week with Rainbow. They had a lot of fun together. They played at the park, went swimming, and they even went to the zoo. What fun!
After snack (thanks Marty) we read a story called Animal Dreaming: An Aboriginal Dreamtime Story by Paul Morin. The story is framed as a ritual tale told to an Aborigine child of an ancient war between the animals that goes on until dreams show the Ancestral Kangaroo, Long-Necked Turtle, and Emu how to give each creature a place in the world. The children enjoyed listening to this story, and looking at the pictures of Aboriginal Dot Paintings. We talked about how the Aboriginal people used symbols to help tell their story. After looking at a key of symbols, students thought of their own story to tell. They then created their own dot painting to depict their story. Stop by the hall next week to see our work!
We also listened to some didgeridoo music. Ask your student to tell you about his or her story. What does a didgeridoo look like?
Have a wonderful weekend!
New Picture!
This is a photo of our kindergarten canned food collection!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Today we did our spring writing assessment. Students wrote to the prompt, “I am happy when...” Ask your student to tell you what he or she wrote about. How did he/she illustrate this?
During math we worked on our Pattern Block book. Ask your student to tell you about this activity.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
During math centers today we rotated through three stations. In the independent station, students played the High Roller game with their math partner. Ask your student to tell you who his or her math partner is. Who earned the most counters? What was his or her highest number rolled? With Mrs. Birgfeld students practiced coin recognition. Mrs. Birgfeld gave clues and then students tried to find the correct coin inside the “feely box.” With Ms. McGregor students learned about a function machine. There are three important features to the function machine- the in hole, the out hole, at the rule pocket. Students learned that when a number goes in the machine something happens to it, and a new number comes out of the machine. The Rule tells what will happen to each in number. Ask your student to explain to you how the function machine works. Make your own function machine!
Our focus question today during science was- What happens to drops of water when you put them on different kinds of fabric? Ask your student to tell you what we observed. How did we find out? How many drops of water did we put on each piece of fabric? Did the water stay on top or spread out? Ask your student to explain the vocabulary words “absorb” and “repel.” How could you tell that the fabric absorbed the water? (it soaked in). How could you tell that the fabric repelled the water? (it beaded up).
Monday, May 17, 2010
In the morning we wrote a rhyme together. We picked a person’s name (Vala) and an animal (bear) to begin our rhyme. The rhyme began like this- Vala was a bear…
Students took turns coming up with words that rhymed with bear and then another student would form the sentence. The children had a lot of fun with this. Ask your student if he or she remembers any of the rhyme. Write a rhyme together!
After a discussion about the weekend, and sharing something that we did over the weekend, we completed a writing prompt “Over______ weekend ___ ….” Ask your student to tell you how he or she completed this prompt. What two sight words were needed to complete the sentence?
In the afternoon we completed an animal to represent the letter “T.” Ask your student to tell you the name of the animal (turtle). What did we learn about this animal? (It has a hard shell that covers its soft body).
It turned out to be a lovely Monday afternoon!
It was so nice outside that we were able to go outside with our room 3 Book Buddies.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Happy Friday!
Today we had play practice with rooms 1 and 2. This was an eventful practice session because we used the risers for the first time. Everyone did a wonderful job! Ask your student to tell you about this experience.
We were invited to an Art and Writing exhibition in room 7. The first and second graders enjoyed showing the kindergarten students all of their wonderful work. We were extremely impressed with the art and in particular, with the pop-up books that many students created.
During math we practiced telling time to the hour. We also recorded our last canned food collection entry in our math books. In addition, we learned a new game called High Roller. If you have four dice at home, ask your student to teach you how to play!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Information will be going home tomorrow regarding volunteering for the play. We will also send home a note to let you know if your student was assigned a singing solo. We are also in the process of setting up a way to file share online so that families can download the music for the play. This will make it so much easier for students to practice the songs at home. Hopefully I will have more information soon!
We also created an animal to represent the letter “S.” Ask your student to tell you the animal we created (spider). What did we learn about this animal? (Answers: spiders are not insects. They have eight legs. Spiders spin webs to catch their prey. No two spider webs look the same).
In the afternoon we met with our kindergarten and fifth grade book buddies. It was such a lovely afternoon that we were able to sit outside and read books.
We also meet with rooms 1 and 2 to talk about our canned food collection. Our three kindergarten classes collected 287 cans of food! Afterschool, Mrs. Van Doren and I took the cans to North Helpline, our local food bank. They were so happy to receive our donation!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
During math we used our paper clocks to tell time to the hour. Ask your student to tell you how you can tell the difference between the hour hand and the minute hand.
During science today we took apart two fabric samples (burlap and wool). We noticed the over/under structure of the fabric. Several students also took note of the fact that we had done something similar to this with our paper weaving projects. Ask your student if he or she remembers the different parts of the fabric- the woof and the warp.
In the afternoon we had a Mystery Reader visit us. Ask your student to tell you who it was (Amelia’s uncle Mark). He read us a story called, Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
In the morning we had play practice in the gym with rooms 1 and 2. From now until mid June we are going to practice our play on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We will have a short practice session Friday afternoons as well.
After recess we made a fabric collage. Our focus question for this science lesson was “What are some properties of the fabrics that make up a collage?” “How do you put pieces of different fabrics together to make a collage?” Talk with your student about some of the different properties of fabric. What kinds of fabrics do you think were used to make your clothing? Why do you think so? Thank you Cally for helping with this activity! And thank you to all of the families that donated fabrics!
Monday, May 10, 2010
In the morning we went swimming. Thank you to Cally, Jincey, Bill, Marty, Angela, and Heather for chaperoning. An extra special thank you to Heather for assisting in the water! You are incredible!
In the afternoon we read some poetry and wrote our own Rain Poem. Ask your student to tell you about this activity.
We also created an animal to represent the letter “R.” Ask your student to tell you the name of this animal (Answer: Rabbit). What did we learn about this animal? (Answer: Rabbits can turn their ears in all directions. Rabbits cannot walk, run, or crawl- they hop!).
Friday, May 7, 2010
The children and I spent the morning cleaning the classroom, putting up decorations, and practicing our song. I was so impressed by their dedication and enthusiasm. Their hard work certainly paid off! Our Mother’s Day Tea was a huge success. The children loved having the opportunity to honor their mothers in this way. It was lovely to witness children bringing food to moms, cleaning up after them, and in general, being attentive to their mom’s needs. Thank you to all the moms that were able to come today. It meant a lot to both the children and me! I hope that you ALL have a wonderful weekend! It’s looking like it should be a nice weekend for spending time outdoors. Enjoy! :)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Happy Thursday!
Much of our day was spent doing TOP SECRET activities!
Here is what I can share about our day:
While we were doing our Daily 5 activities this morning, Book Man stopped by for a visit. He read us a story called The Lazy Lion by Adrienne Kennaway. Book Man also brought in some cupcakes to help celebrate this week’s birthdays (Meghan and Liam). Thank you Book Man. You are ALWAYS a big hit!
In the afternoon we visited our kindergarten and fifth grade reading buddies. We also completed our “This is me in April” page. The fact that we are well into our first week in May, made this a little challenging! We had to really brainstorm to come up with some activities that we did in April. Ask your student to tell you what he/she wrote about.
*** Don't forget our Mother's Day Tea Party is at 1:00pm tomorrow! :)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Dear Families,
Thank you to everyone that has already sent in a photo of mom and student. If you have not already sent in this photo, it is not too late! Please send in your photo by tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help with this. I really appreciate it!
Take care,
Ms. McGregor
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Today we made clocks out of cardstock (Thanks for your help Cally!). We are going to be learning about time over the next couple of weeks. We also learned a new game called the Singles, Tens and Hundreds Game. The object of the game was to be the first person to get a bundle of one hundred craft sticks. Ask your student to tell you about this game. How many sticks are in a bundle of ten? How many bundles of ten do you need to make a bundle of one hundred? We also recorded this information on a piece of paper. We wrote down the number of hundreds, tens, and ones that we had at the end of the game. Ask your student to tell you how many of each of these he/she had.
We also made two birthday books today. Ask your student to tell you the names of the two birthday students (Meghan on the 5th, and Liam on the 7th). Ask your student to tell you their birthday wishes for these students.
What other events are happening on these days?
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Monday, May 3, 2010
I began my day in my favorite way, with a vanilla soy latte! Thank you wonderful kindergarten families. You made the John Rogers’ teachers feel extra special today!
In the morning we all received new classroom jobs. Ask your student to tell you the job he/she will be doing this week. We also wrote about our weekend. Ask your student to tell you what he/she wrote about. How did he/she illustrate this?
In the afternoon we created an animal to represent the letter “Q.” I told the students the beginning and ending sound of this animal then asked them to try to guess the animal. Somebody guessed it right away! Ask your student to tell you the name of the animal (quail). What are the beginning and ending sounds? Could it have been any other animal? What did we learn about this animal? (It’s a small, plump bird, and it eats seeds and insects).
Friday, April 30, 2010
Today we spent most of the day working on TOP SECRET Mother’s Day projects. Sorry, but mum’s the word!
We also had play practice today. Several more students were chosen for singing solos.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Today we went on a field trip to the Seattle Children’s Theatre. We saw a live performance of the Brementown Musicians. I thought the performance was fabulous! Ask your student to tell you what he/she thought. What was his/her favorite part? Why?
Thanks again to Jenn and Chris for coming along with us. Also, thank you to Marty and Jincey for meeting us for lunch. The extra pairs of eyes were a HUGE help!
In the afternoon we had play practice with rooms 1 and 2. Ask your student to tell you the names of the songs we sang today. Which one does he/she like best? Can he/she sing you a little of it? Get out the script and sing it together!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
During math centers today, students made animals or objects inspired by the book Picture Pie by Ed Emberley. Students also worked with Ms. McGregor or Mrs. Birgfeld to develop their understanding of place value through building and comparing 2- digit numbers. Ask your student to tell you about these activities. Ask your student to show you the animals or objects he/she created.
In the afternoon during science, we looked at how fabrics are alike and how they are different. Students worked with a partner to match up different fabrics using only their sense of touch. Ask your student to tell you about this fun activity.
See you tomorrow for our field trip to the Seattle Children's Theatre. Don't forget to bring a sack lunch!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Vala is this week’s Star of the Week. We learned many new things about Vala today. Did you know that she has traveled to six different countries! Ask your student to tell you something he/she learned about Vala today.
During math today we made Counting Loops. Ask to see your student’s Counting Loop. Ask your student to show you all the different ways you can represent that number using the Counting Loop.
In the afternoon we met with our Room 3 Book Buddies. Ask your student to tell you about the books they read together.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Happy Friday Everyone!
Today we did two Daily Five activities. Ask your student to tell you about the choices he/she made.
In the afternoon we had play practice. Solos for “Goin on a Picnic” and “Be a Lady” were assigned (Tayvan and Ella J. were assigned solos in these two songs).
We also did some art. We learned how to draw a “sea monster.” First, we drew the animal with crayon, then we used watercolor over the top. It was a fun way to end the day!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
Today we learned a new song, and read a story about Earth Day. Ask your student to tell you about these activities. We also completed a worksheet to demonstrate our understanding of items that can be recycled, composted, or things that need to be thrown away. Ask to see your student’s work.
In the afternoon we did some paper weaving. Ask to see your student’s lovely placement!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Today we talked about vowels. Ask your student to tell you what they remember about these important letters (there is one in every word, they say different sounds). Can he/she name them? How many does he/she have in his/her name? Look for them in your reading tonight!
During math we discovered all the different ways to represent the number 6. Ask your student to show you all the different ways using the fingers on his/her hands. Try another number. You could even write down the number sentences.
In the afternoon we had play practice. Several students practiced their lines, and we sang two of the songs. Ask your student to recite his/her lines. Ask your student to teach you one of the songs.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Today two high school volunteers spent the day with us! Their names are Colleen and Emma. They assisted students as they “shopped” for new books for their book boxes. Ask your student to tell you about the two volunteers. How did students choose their books? What books did they choose? Did they get a chance to read any of them?
During math students worked with either Mrs. Birgfeld or Miss de Haun deepening their understanding of place value. They used craft sticks to represent 10s and 1s, and recorded the information in their math books. Ask your student to tell you about this activity. Students worked with Ms. McGregor on our MAP computer assessment.
In the afternoon we completed an animal to represent the letter “P.” Ask your student to tell you the name of this animal (polar bear). What did we learn about this animal? (It has black skin. A polar bear’s black skin absorbs heat from the sun).
Monday, April 19, 2010
It’s Monday!
In the morning we got ready to go swimming. We also read our Morning Message. We looked for sight words and words “hidden” within other words. Look for some of these words as you read together tonight. How can identifying hidden words within larger words help you read? Try it out as you read together!
We took a lovely, albeit rushed walk to the pool today. We saw many animals along the way including the blue heron. What animals did your student notice today?
In the afternoon we talked about our weekend and wrote to the prompt “Over the weekend I…” Students copied the sight words “the” and “I” and used “best guess” spelling to complete the sentence. Ask your student to tell you what he/she wrote about.
We also began our new science unit about fabric. We looked at a variety of fabric samples and used our senses to identify their properties.
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