Kindergarten

What are we doing in the library?

In September, our kindergartners will embark on an exciting journey to discover the world of books by learning how to use the school library. They will be introduced to the library space, explore different types of books, and understand the importance of taking good care of them. Additionally, they will learn the steps for borrowing books, helping to build early responsibility and a lifelong love of reading. This foundational experience will support their literacy development and foster a joyful connection to stories and learning.

Here are some books that we will be reading together:

• Manners with a Library Book by Amanda Doering Tourville

• Do Not Bring your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassman

Biographies - We will be diving into biographies.  As we read, students will practice using text features like timelines, headings, and pictures to help them better understand what we're reading.

We’ll also focus on putting events in order and seeing how one event leads to another, helping students connect real people to the events that shaped their lives. These lessons support our reading goals by building strong skills in reading nonfiction, using text features, and understanding the sequence of events. We are using the Little People, Big Dreams book series, starting with Shakira.

Hispanic Heritage Month

From September 15th to October 15th, we are honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. We will read the Caldecott Honor book Frida by Yuyi Morales—a beautifully illustrated story about the life of artist Frida Kahlo.

To deepen our understanding, we’ll also watch a virtual author talk with Yuyi Morales on BookBreak. This will give students a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and help them learn how the author and illustrator brought Frida’s story to life.

To connect with 1st grade lessons on weather, students will have the exciting opportunity to become meteorologists! Each student will "visit" a selected city from around the world and film their own weather report. This fun activity helps students apply what they've learned about weather patterns while also exploring different places around the globe!

October

This month, our students will be using Code & Go Mice to explore the basics of programming! Through fun, hands-on activities, students will learn important skills like sequencing, problem-solving, and giving step-by-step directions. These early coding experiences help build critical thinking in a playful and engaging way! 

Students will be working with a partner to design and create a costume for their Dash robot! Their design challenge is to make sure the costume not only fits the robot but also stays on while it moves.

Once the costumes are complete, we’ll celebrate with a fun Dash Robot Parade, where students can show off their creative designs in action!

Author visit

On October 6th, Joanna Ho will be visiting Flatirons to talk about her new book, Becoming Boba.