June 7th

Today was Young Kindergarten's culminating experience with our gardens. Today we all enjoyed a salad made from the lettuce and kale that was grown by YK's efforts! After carefully snipping a good amount of lettuce and kale, it was brought inside to be thoroughly washed.

A salad made solely from lettuce and kale alone would have been a little bland, so each student brought in something to add to the salad that they loved to eat. We had carrots, beets, broccoli, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers to mix together with the greens.

Much patience and hard work was required to properly prepare all the foods we were adding. Veggies were washed, cans were opened and food was chopped and sliced.

When the salad was complete, it was truly enjoyed by all. In fact, I've never seen children enjoy eating vegetables so much! With just days left to go in school this year, we were all excited to be able to enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of our labor.

While the salad was the culmination of our work in the Early Childhood garden, it also represents the class' experience in YK. Much attention, patience, perseverance and joyful learning went into growing our greens and preparing our salad. At the end of the day, it was clear that it would not have been such an incredible success without the personal contributions that each child individually brought to the table. Thanks to a willingness to take some chances, make a few mistakes and get a little messy all our efforts came together with care and love, to make the perfect salad... and the perfect year in YK.

June 5th

Today Young Kindergarten had (what will likely be) our final guest visitor of the year. Today a student's parent came in explain how lungs work within our bodies. First they explained that it is the diaphragm, the muscle that is at the base of our lungs, that moves air in and out of our bodies, not the lungs themselves. The class seemed to pick up on this concept rather quickly, likening the diaphragm to a suction cup.

Next the class moved to the tables to create their own lung! Plastic bottles, straws, balloons, tape, modeling clay and some hard work was all it took to make a fully functioning model lung!

The class marveled at their creations; specifically at how the act of pulling on one balloon (the diaphragm) caused the other balloon (the lung) to inflate.

Having guest visitors in YK creates new and exciting experiences for the class, and gives the class additional opportunities to share their amazing work and the incredible growth they have achieved throughout the year.

Initially everything went according to our expectations, as in we took the pump out of the shed and we began filling it with water. Once the water was high enough in the basin, the class began to work the pump... but no water came out. It then became a time for all of us to take a risk as we decided to take the pump apart to see if we could determine what the issue was. After the class disassembled the pump, some time was taken to better understand exactly how the pump works; how it was similar to sucking water up through straw and into your mouth. Everything looked to be in good mechanically working order, so we put the pump back together.

The class attempted to work the pump again... and still nothing. At this point the thought occurred to their teacher that the pump may need to be primed before it would work. The class learned that in order to pump water, there actually needed to be water inside the pump's mechanisms. So while one student worked the handle, another poured water into the top of the pump. After a few tense moments... success! Water began to flow!

Now that there was water moving through the pump, what should we do with it, the class wondered. Well, it didn't take them long to think of their gardens and how they must thirsty for a drink.

So much of a student's experience in YK is based open unplanned experiences. There was no engineering lesson planned for the day, yet one that the class is not soon to forget, occurred in the most exciting way.

Some of our best learning occurs when we least expect it...

May 29th

Today Young Kindergarten had two separate opportunities to demonstrate how kind and caring they are. Early this morning YK's praying mantis ootheca finally hatched! One of the students noticed this during our Morning Meeting and it came to a screeching halt as the class knew that the praying mantises needed our immediate attention. Any YK'er could tell you that if we didn't release the praying mantises outdoors as soon as they hatched, they would have started to eat each other! Our class found a safe spot to let them go, (next to our garden) where they will be able to find all sorts of good foods to eat... that are not each other.

Today was also the day YK had been looking forward to for the past two weeks. Today was the day that the class got to hold the chicks! Holding the chicks was something that the class practiced this morning with a tennis ball "monster" that we made days ago. Each student had an opportunity to practice safe hands while holding the "chick". They practiced using a firm (but not too firm grip). When the "chick" peeped and cheeped, they knew that was its way of letting them know it was being held too tight and they needed to loosen their grasp. When YK arrived in the IDEA Lab to show their care to the actual chicks, their science teacher was amazed at how gentle, patient and responsive they were to the little chicks' needs.

YK students have not only gained a better understanding of their own needs as individuals, but they have also worked hard to attend to the specific needs of others as well.

May 28th

It should come as no surprise at this point that Young Kindergarten uses the entirety of Gordon's 12 acre campus to enhance our personal growth, social development and academic success. This afternoon this practice took the class to the big playground on the hill. This play space is typically reserved for Lower and Middle School students, but on occasion, Young Kindergarten will visit the area.

The nature trail the class has diligently cared for all year runs along the perimeter of the playground so we are in the vicinity often. Yet taking time to stop and explore these play structures gives the class new challenges to take on with their motor planning and motor development. On Early Childhood's play structures they can only climb in certain ways and to certain heights. Early on our playground is providing appropriately opportunities to push themselves. Yet as they continue to develop, their bodies require more situations for (safe) risk-taking.

YK is not attempting to create high level circus performers (though if they wanted to do that it would be supported), but we are trying to challenge students to be more self-aware and self-confident when it comes to their academic, social and physical abilities.

May 23rd

Today was share day in Young Kindergarten.

At lunch yesterday, an energetic conversation was had regarding the class' favorite activities to do outside of school. One student shared their love of golf and eagerly agreed to bring in their clubs to share with the class at the suggestion from their teacher.

Not only did the student brings their clubs in, but they confidently shared how you play golf and offered to show friends that were less familiar with it.

We all tried out some putting in the classroom, but everyone really wanted to get in some good swings; so we went out to the athletic field with some tees, some practice golf balls and a sense of adventure.

The student who brought in the clubs went first, explaining which clubs they would use and how to tee-up. Everyone took turns takings some swings and cheering on their friends.

Share days in YK are meant for moments such as these... bringing in an object that your child truly identifies with and is truly passionate about and then being able to share that feeling and experience confidently with others.

...and learning the valuable lesson of always replacing your divots... sorry Buildings and Grounds!

May 22nd

Today the last of the chicks hatched in Early Childhood brining the total up to 11. While in the IDEA Lab today, Young Kindergarten learned more about our newest arrivals. They experienced how their food is made (grinding up kernels of corn themselves), they learned why they huddle together under the lights, and they learned why it is a little too early to pick them up. Their teacher tasked them with documenting what they have learned so far about the chicks in their new science journals. They knew all about journaling as they have generated nearly 50 entries in their own journals in the YK classroom.

This learning experience in the IDEA Lab was beautifully supported by today's journal writing prompt: What do you think came first: the chicken or the egg? YK students had a better understanding of the lifecycle of chickens after their work in the lab, but how did that lifecycle begin? With the chicken or the egg? The class was divided on which was first.

So YK set to work creating their journal entries, explaining which came first, second and then third in their understanding of the lifecycle of a chicken.

Many times in learning and life, there is rarely a single perfect answer that will suit the needs of everyone. That is a good lesson for a Young Kindergartner to learn, just as important as the fact that people believe different things and posses the ability to communicate those thoughts effectively, and respectfully, to others.

May 17th

May 16th

May 15th

Today a Young Kindergarten parent joined us today to share the best kind of science experiment... one you can eat! Our visiting parent and their family foraged for violets and let them soak in water. They then brought these violets into class today along with fresh squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup.

What would the class be attempting to make with all these ingredients? Color changing lemonade!

Each student took turns adding lemon juice to their deep purple water that had soaked with the violets (taking on their color). With an eye dropper they put a few drops of the lemon juice in and suddenly their purple liquid changed into a bright magenta right before their eyes! Was it magic or was it a change in the liquid's PH level? YK wasn't sure, but they knew it was science; and that it tasted delicious!

Parents, if you have not already, please schedule a time to come into YK to share a project, story or talent with the class. I'm sure they are still enjoying learning from all of Gordon's amazing faculty, but having their loved ones come in to share something special is a real treat!

The class elected to release their butterflies into Early Childhood's Schoolyard Habitat. Here the butterflies will be able to follow their instincts and enjoy everything that will come after their time in YK. Some of the butterflies were reluctant to go at first, deciding to literally hang onto friends for a bit longer, but they all eventually spread their wings in search of joyful times ahead.

Young Kindergarten arrived early to the penguin presentation and got front row seats to learn all about Green Pink and other African Penguins. The class learned what they eat, how they choose a partner, why their bellies and backs are the colors they are, how they care for their feathers and more. While no one got to actually pet the penguin, they all got an up close look at her before the presentation ended.

Even if we had not received a visit from a penguin due to our fundraising efforts, YK still felt rewarded in knowing that the funds they helped raise will help people be able to care for baby penguins for years to come.

May 3rd

Today Young Kindergarten took another monumental step in their learning today as they began writing their very first story! Twice a week YK adds an entry to their journal. This journal provides a consistent opportunity to practice brainstorming, handwriting, fine-motor control, sounding out words and creativity. To date the class has created 47 journal entries, half of those being a journal entry of their choosing and the other half from ideas provided for them such as: Create a journal entry that show what you love most about Gordon. Students are required to use more than one color for their journal entries and to also label as much of it as they can by sounding out words.

Using their skills in reading, writing and creativity, the class set out to write the beginning of their story: My First Day in YK. For the beginning of their story, they were tasked with writing and drawing how they felt on the morning of their first day. We will continue to work on these stories and hopefully have them ready to share with Grandfriends next week.

To connect their writing experience to future opportunities at Gordon, I took them to the Commons once they completed the beginning of their story. There they were shown Gordon 7th graders' novels. 7th graders work extremely hard to create their own novels that are workshopped with faculty and staff throughout the school. This morning their efforts were honored in the commons. It felt important to show YK students that their efforts today will support the work they will be doing for years to come.

Gordon students are capable of monumental achievements. They do not generate these abilities overnight, but they are instead cultivated through care, attention and rigorous work from the earliest years at Gordon.

May 1st

Today Young Kindergarten completed their year long effort to update the Larry Miller Nature Trail! The class has worked hard to clear the trail of leaves, broken tree branches and nearly 5 pounds of litter! They dragged fallen tree limbs along the edges of the trail to better mark the path along with new Gator signs that they put up today. YK was also very proud of their collaboration with Buildings and Grounds who they tasked with using a chainsaw to cut a path through a fallen tree and placing large stones across a stream to create a bridge.

The nature trail is ready to be enjoyed by all, but our official opening ceremony will be reserved for our grandfriends on Grandfriends Day.

April 30th

Today was the big day...

Today Young Kindergarten students read some books! I am so incredibly proud of their efforts! Originally I had not intended to expose them to traditional reading exercises this year, but instead focus on providing them with a strong set of pre-reading skills to support their early stages of reading for next year. However this became something that they decided themselves was important to try before the end of the year. Throughout the year they have continued to become empowered to take on new challenges with their learning.

For the remainder of the year, they will continue to explore books, stories and reading. Today in small groups, they took turns reading a page before passing the book to a peer. Initially they hoped to have a book to read all to themselves, yet they soon discovered how much effort, focus and energy it takes to decode words, sentences and stories that they are unfamiliar with and appreciated being able to share the effort of reading a new book with some of their classmates.

The YK class never ceases to amaze in their zeal for taking on new and exciting challenges with their learning. Before you click away from the blog today, I'd like you to take one more look at the photos taken of everyone reading. Look carefully at their faces... what do you see? Their smiles are infectious, and are a clear sign that they are happily taking on a brand new challenge... they are joyfully learning to read.

April 29th

The chicks are here!

Well, sort of. Today a representative from Casey Farm came to visit Gordon's Kindergarteners with some exciting things to share. First, all three kindergarten classes gathered in Shared Space to learn all about chickens. At the conclusion of this lesson, the students actually got the chance to pet a real life hen! The hen was very well tempered and genuinely seemed to enjoy the attention it was getting from nearly 30 young children.

After meeting the chicken, the class explored the IDEA Lab which was transformed into an egg museum. The class got to see dozens of different kinds of eggs, including the smallest egg in the world (a humming bird egg) as well as the largest egg in the world (an ostrich egg).

We were left with 15 eggs of our own to care for. Currently the eggs are inside an incubator and will continue to develop over the the next 3 weeks. In 21 days the eggs will hatch and Kindergarteners will have an assortment of Rhode Island reds, Dominiques and Red Ranger chickens to look after.

April 26th

Along with the caterpillars, YK was also gifted a praying mantis egg sac. They learned that when the egg sac hatches, not one, but somewhere between one-hundred and two-hundred praying mantises will emerge! YK is steadfast in their effort for equality, so they wanted to name these unborn praying mantises as well...

So the class began brainstorming names and came up with over 125 of them which were recorded on the whiteboard. This activity was aimed at teaching the class about animals and animal care and turned into a way to play with and examine over a hundred words and the sounds that they make.

April 25th

Today was a very busy day of work at Young Kindergarten's garden bed. Previously the class had planted potatoes and pumpkins; today they transplanted onions, kale and lettuce. The potatoes and pumpkins were planted directly into the garden bed, however the onions, kale and lettuce (along with sunflowers, corn, squash and tomatoes) were planted as seeds in the IDEA Lab's grow station and allowed to grow there for two weeks.

For the last week, YK has been using what they have learned in mathematics to measure and document the growth of our plants. Over the last three days YK's data shows that there is no new growth. It was clear that if we wanted the plants to continue to thrive it was time to transplant them to their garden bed.

After making several holes in the soil of the bed, the class added compost that they created from their leftover snacks from the last few months. Next, two trays full of onions, kale and lettuce were added with care.

With hopefully the last cold night coming this weekend, YK plans to fill up their garden bed next week with their remaining plants. Now they all just want to know when they can start eating all their hard work!

April 24th

Last week Young Kindergarten began their mathematics unit on measurement. Initially they brainstormed different ways they could measure: height, length and weight. Every day since our measurement unit began, the class has been measuring and documenting the ever increasing height of one of their onion plants.

They have been using their understanding of measurement to make predictions about the length of a number of different things before measuring them and documenting their results. Earlier this week the class predicted (quite accurately) how long the Early Childhood hallways was. They discovered that it was 100 feet long! Today's lesson was to take their cumulative understanding of measurement and the known distance of Early Childhood to make a prediction of the length of Engle Field before actually measuring it. YK used all their prior learning to make an informed guess that again was quite close to (if not exactly)! the actual distance of 300 feet.

YK's experiences build open one another to develop confidence and ability when it comes to utilizing the skills they are learning. They are also getting a great deal of time to explore this learning in a variety of places. While we can (and did) practice making predictions and estimations in the classroom, we would not be able to transfer these skills to a much larger scale unless we are willing to leave our YK home and take advantage of the spaces around us.

April 22nd

Happy Earth Day! Young Kindergarten celebrated Earth Day today by talking about ways in which we can demonstrate support for environmental protection. The class brainstormed ways that they could show care for the Earth. Their first and most enthusiastic idea was to pick up trash around the school, more specifically the Larry Miller Nature Trail they have been taking such good care of. The class donned gloves and we traversed the entire trail, filling a plastic bag with trash and pollution. In an effort to connect our social studies curriculum with our current math curriculum on measurement, we will be weighing the amount of trash that was picked up.

Picking up trash in our community is always a good way to support the protection of our environment, but YK discussed some ways in which we could be more proactive as well. While the class understands recycling and has been taking part in it since the beginning of the year, today they learned more about what the terms reduce and reuse mean. We discussed what exactly we could reduce using or possibly reuse and the thought of the plastic spoons we use for snack came up. Could these spoons be recycled or reused? No, we had to throw them away each time we used one. So the class came up with the idea that we could switch to metal spoons like the ones we all use at home. These spoons could be washed after each use and used again and again. Sooooooo, if any of you have some old spoons or ones that don't match a set, YK would happily accept them in our efforts to better protect our environment.

The class also talked about the jewel hunt we take part in every year for Field Day. We buy so many of these gems that are then gathered and stored at home. Kindergarten has collectively decided to ask for some of these unused gems to return this year so that they can be reused in the jewel hunt and enjoyed by others. We will soon be leading an initiative to have some gems donated to our cause, so be on the lookout for more details to come!

April 17th

In the Young Kindergarten, students have constant opportunities to learn both inside and outside of their classrooms. multiple times a week we are taking our lessons outside to better understand the concepts we are discussing, be it mathematics, conservation or showing care for others within our community.

Their specials teachers take part in this same practice and often leave the classroom to explore their learning in a variety of ways. This occurred today during science.

The class initially sat down to talk about how light interacts with the world around it. YK learned that object can be translucent, transparent or opaque and depending on what an object is, light will interact with it in different ways. This lesson could have been taught within the four walls of the IDEA Lab, but the class was able to develop a greater understanding of light and the materials it interacts with by taking a stroll through the school. On their journey, the class documented their findings. They recorded tally marks for each object they discovered that was translucent, transparent or opaque.

After their excursion, the class returned to the lab to discuss their findings.

When a child can relate what they are learning to experiences and interactions outside their classroom they are able to achieve a far deeper level of understanding.

April 16th

Today was yet another busy day in Young Kindergarten. I could go into great about the new Lively Letter sound the class learned (ch) , the new addition to our garden bed (pumpkins) or even the mindfulness work we've been doing in the classroom; but instead I thought I would share with you the critically important experience that the class took part in today (as they do everyday), unstructured free play.

Each day in Early Childhood at Gordon, classroom teachers provide opportunities for unstructured free play. Gordon's students are challenged throughout the day with academic rigor, thinking around social justice and lessons that encourage them to better understand themselves and the world that they live in. This is accomplished through a research-based curriculum that is implemented with great care, compassion and joy.

There is great intentionality that also goes into providing ample time for our students to construct their own experiences, their own questions, their own challenges and their own learning through play that is without instruction or direction from adults. This collaborative learning is constructed with the input of every student.

After all, without time for unstructured free play, we would not have learned about the pictured "Ellie the Superhero" and all her super friends.

April 15th

Today Young Kindergarten was introduced to a new concept in mathematics, the english system of measurement.

First the class was shown a ruler and we talked about the different units of measurement it used, inches and a foot. They explored the relationship between these units of measurement and discussed when it was more appropriate to use one over another. We then made some predictions about the length in inches or feet of several objects around the room before they were surprised with something new to measure... the foods and flowers they had planted six days ago.

The class (and teacher) was shocked to see how much they had grown! They selected the tallest plant of the bunch, an onion, and after making some rather accurate predictions of its length, measured it at three inches. Each day YK will measure this same plant so they can practice their skills of measurement, data collection and making predictions as we care for our growing plants.

April 11th

The most curious things can be explored because of one small experience, comment or question.

Today in library, Young Kindergarten noticed a flyer for the penguins they are raising money for and wondered, "How do they count all the money?" Instead of answering their query with a quick response, their librarian beautifully turned the question back to YK, "How do you think they count the money?"

Several members of the class had some theories as to how exactly the money was counted. The most exuberant idea revolved around a "number cruncher". In order to extend their thinking around their presumed piece of technology, their librarian asked if they would like to draw a picture of it. They of course agreed and were off to work depicting their idea through both pictures and words. We were so impressed with their imagination, creativity and hard work that we thought it should be shared with others. Keep an eye out as this intellectually stimulating video may be posted soon...

Young learners are full of questions all day everyday. Instead of quickly giving a response to them, it is important to help them grow their minds by asking them what they think. Discovering our own path to a solution is more mentally stimulating (and exciting) than having it always given to us.

April 10th

Today Young Kindergarteners became the very first students to plant something in our relocated garden beds. For the past two weeks, all Early Childhood classes have been planting seeds in our new grow station. However, new soil was delivered yesterday and YK couldn't wait to take advantage of it!

What did the class choose to plant today?

Potatoes!

"Would we plant potato seeds?" The class wondered. They were surprised to discover that potato seeds were actually potatoes! IN fact, our potatoes were large enough that we were able to cut them in half to make two potato plants (as long as there was an "eye" on each half).

About a third of our garden bed is filled... what will YK decide to fill the rest of it with?

April 9th

Young Kindergarten learned a new combination of Lively Letters today, the sh that says "shhhh". YK explored how this sound can be found at both the beginning or end of words. We will learn a series of consonant blends in order to meet the demands of their curiosity when it comes to their desire to learn to read.

The new soil finally arrived today! Many older students came down to Early Childhood to assist Building and Grounds in putting it in our garden beds. We began planting more seeds (squash, lettuce, kale, corn, sunflower, tomatoes and some mystery seeds) in our indoor growing station and will be transferring them to the beds soon.

Last but not least, and shown beautifully in today's blog picture, the class was able to witness the chainsaw in action! YK had requested help from the head of Building and Grounds and today he delivered with a chainsaw to help clear the nature trail path. The class saw their efforts rewarded today as we can now finally traverse the entirety of the nature trail.

April 8th

Did you know that the same water you drink every day has been on Earth for over 5 billion years? Did you know that the water dinosaurs drank 65 million years ago is the exact same water we drink today? Did you know we are all drinking dino-water?!

Young Kindergarten now knows this.

As part of our social studies curriculum, YK is learning about sustainability. Today the class came up with and discussed the three natural resources that we need to survive: water, food and air. We talked about where these resources come from, and that as YK students we could create two of these resources ourselves: food and air. How could we do this? Well, knowing that some food comes from things we can grow (fruits and vegetables) and that air (oxygen) comes from plants and trees, the class came to the conclusion that we were going to plant and grow these resources.

We all have our fingers crossed that the new soil for our relocated garden beds will be here soon, but YK couldn't wait. Their science teacher acquired an indoor grow station that we began planting in today. The class planted some lettuce seeds that should be ready to harvest in two to three weeks. Before it gets too big, we should be able to transplant it to the beds outside our classroom. Though before the lettuce is ready to be picked and eaten, the greens will consume our bad air (carbon dioxide) and expel our good, breathable air (oxygen) as they grow.

YK is doing its part to support sustainability.

But they were still curious about how we get water... They already understood the water cycle, but where did that water come from originally? Their minds were nearly blown when they learned that it's been on Earth forever... and that their favorite dinosaurs enjoyed it before it made it into their cups for snack time!

April 3rd

The Young Kindergarten classroom provides our students with many opportunities to grow and learn in some unique ways. Their small class size and flexible curriculum allows them to be challenge exactly where they are at developmentally and provides a dynamic that lets them more comfortably explore who they are as learners, friends, community members and individuals.

Though the YK classroom is an incredible space and environment, I have worked with the class all year to practice what they are learning and experiencing outside the classroom as well. The goal is that they are leaders amongst their peers in the years to come and that is best supported with the opportunities to actually be leaders and role models to a larger group of individuals.

Specials teachers have been steadily asking YK students to demonstrate and lead when it comes to exploring new areas of content. The class has excitedly taken on these expectations and joyfully acts as role models in their shared specials with preschoolers.

Much of the YK and preschool class will be together next year in kindergarten so the two classes have begun spending more time together to develop these relationships but to also give YK students more opportunities to be appropriate leaders.

Today YK visited the preschool classroom for some unstructured free play. Over the next several weeks YK and preschool will have additional opportunities to learn, grow and play together.

April 2nd

For the first time in a long time, Young Kindergarten learned some new Lively Letters! The class has expressed a great interest in sounding out words, spelling them and writing them. With the initial 26 sounds of the alphabet learned, there is much they can spell, read and write. However, there are still many sounds remaining which they do not yet know how to decode. That began to change today as they learned a pair of new sounds, the quiet tongue biting sound that th can make (as in thin, think or thimble) and also the noisy sound that th makes (as in these, those or them).

YK continued its mission today to show care by helping to improve the Larry Miller Nature Trail. The class identified two spots on the trail that have become a real challenge to pass. The first spot is a rather large downed tree that is laying across the trail. The second spot is the stream that must be crossed. Days ago we all dragged some logs into place to make a bridge. Unfortunately the logs settled into the soft earth and began stopping up the stream. The class realized they needed to ask for some help, but from who? They decided to ask Buildings and Grounds for some assistance. With this special help, YK is eager to see what new comes next with their efforts to reopen the nature trail.

April 1st

Young Kindergarten students have spent a great deal of time this year thinking about how to show care. They have brainstormed how we show care to our peers, our teachers and our family. They have also recently begun thinking about how they can show care to the world they live in. The class has discussed sustainability; or more specifically the pursuit of global environmental sustainability.

That's a big topic, but we have examined ways in which they can have a lasting impact. We have our garden beds now located right outside our classroom where we will soon begin planting pollinator flowers and foods for us to eat. We are also ready to begin using our new grow lights in the IDEA Lab to increase the amount of plants we can grow.

The class understands the inherent value of planting. As they explained to me, the act of planting gives us oxygen to breath, food to eat, and as one student so eloquently put it, it creates "beauty marks" all over the Earth.

March 28th

YK has also been showing care by trying to maintain some of our campus' beautiful outdoor spaces. Specifically the class has been attending to what remains of Gordon's nature trail. As the school has flourished and grown into our 12 acre campus, the nature trail has become more of a perimeter walk. As our class began trekking this walk, we began to realize that it needed some care so that both our class and others could navigate it with more ease. Initially YK created new trail markers but with spring bringing new growth, the identified a need to trim back some plants so the walk could be better enjoyed. A lovely stream that runs through campus also presented a challenge as YK could not find an easy way to cross it. So over the course of this week the class found logs that have made a suitable bridge for all to use.

In Young Kindergarten, students spend much time thinking about and reflecting on their own needs, but also on identifying ways in which they can support and care for the needs of others.

March 26th

March 6th

March 5th

February 28th

February 27th

February 26th

February 25th

Today Young Kindergarten celebrated our first ever 3/4 birthday! What is a 3/4 birthday? A 3/4 birthday celebration is a celebration of a student's birthday when we are only 3/4 (9 months) of the way to it. Normally summer birthdays in school are celebrated as 1/2 birthdays, but our first two 1/2 birthdays occurred over winter break. So YK has now taken on celebrating 3/4 birthdays. The class did a brief exercise to explore the idea of 3/4. Fractions are reserved for a 3rd grade introduction (as they should be) though YK was able to grasp the basic concept and compare the 3/4 fraction to, "having almost your whole pizza left".

Young Kindergarten has been learning all about feelings this semester. The class has explored how everyone has feelings, but they can show in many different ways. They have learned the benefits of communicating their feelings to both friends and adults. Through conversations, literature and puppets, YK has examined their feelings as well as the feelings of others. Better understanding our feelings (how they manifest and why we get them) helps students to understand themselves as friends, learners and community members more completely.

Today the class read the book Lots of Feelings and we did an exercise that we saw in the book. The class individually showed their teacher how they would respond to the following feelings: loving, nervous, happy, mad, shy, excited, scared and thoughtful. Then as a whole class, we examined the photos to see how we all demonstrated how we show these feelings, but how they all look a little bit different from one another. Being a good community member means understanding yourself, but also doing your best to understand your neighbors as well.

February 21st

February 20th

The book, Not a Box, was about a little rabbit that imagined a box was not actually a box, but a race car, a robot, a mountain and more. After the class experienced the book, they got to try out the not-a-box exercise themselves. First they did some thinking in their heads about what they wanted their not-a-box to be, then they acted it out to get their friends to think along the same lines as themselves. The purpose of the lesson was to help the class understand how we think, how we communicate our thoughts, how we hear others' thoughts and how we collaborate and play together as partners.

YK also enjoyed having their 15th lunch guest. Today the class was surprised to find out that Mrs. Terry was joining them. The class learned that she is also a teacher, except she teaches students that are much older than they are.

Like each visitor to our class, YK warmly welcomed her into our community. They are always eager to articulate what exactly they are working on in class. Consistently providing the class with new people to discuss their work with gives them frequent opportunities to reflect on and also better understand their learning.

February 19th

We began our lesson by having the class take out their homework, 100 similar objects. The question was asked, "How did you count these objects at home?" They all shared that they counted them out one at a time. After reminding the class how we count the days of school each morning, by ones and bundles of ten, we decided to also all count our objects by making piles of ten and then counting by tens. We each had 100 objects, excellent! Next the class saw what their special 100th day treat would be...

Goldfish!

First we had to count out exactly 100 fish. The class decided that if we wanted 100 fish, it would be easiest to count by tens. So they collaborated on making ten piles of ten fish. Next the class glued each individual fish to our 100th day of school fishbowl. There were so many fish left in the bag, over 200 in fact, and the class was very curious as to what would become of those delectable little snacks... Well, afternoon snack ended up being pretty awesome.

February 14th

February 13th

February 12th

February 11th

February 6th

"A child's work is their play."

This quote has been paraphrased by a number of notable psychologists, theorists and educators of young children including Maria Montessori, Alfred Adler, Maureen Kelly and Mr. Rogers, just to name a few. This isn't to say that in Young Kindergarten children are left to their own devices throughout the day, but they are given ample opportunities for unstructured free play. So much of the students' time, particularly in the morning, is dedicated towards a more teacher directed model. They are engaging with the teacher through hands on learning activities as they continue to learn how to learn from someone other than themselves and their own direct experiences. Gordon's nursery through 8th grade pedagogy remains child-centered throughout their time here, but it certainly transitions from a play-based experience to a more teacher led model.

In YK, our structured academic learning experiences are predominantly occurring in the morning, when young children are most alert and focused. In the afternoons, they are given more freedom and control over their experiences and more time for unstructured free play. Unstructured free play allows young children to learn in a completely different but equally engaging way. During these times they have an increased opportunity for creativity, collaboration and conflict resolution as they think constructively.

Today provided a perfect example of this intentional teaching practice. While playing outside, the class came up with the idea that they wanted to make a place for fairies to live. What would they make? A house, a castle, a tree fort? They collectively decided to make a fairy village. Together they began constructing their fairy village. They all gathered supplies; sticks, bark, leaves, rocks and discussed where things could go and what they could be. At one point they felt they were lacking the proper supplies so the class decided we should go on a nature walk to find additional materials. Were there disagreements? Sure. Did they work to solve them on their own, with skills they have learned in class? They sure did. Was there authentic and meaningful engagement in design thinking, engineering, imagination, communication and collaboration? You bet there was.

February 5th

Today Young Kindergarten had their first session with Gordon's visiting artist, Steven Lubecki. Steven creates his art through metalsmithing which he explained to the class this morning. To learn more about his art, please visit his website: https://www.stevenlubecki.com/

For their first session, YK learned a metalworking technique called repoussé. They used a thick sheet of aluminum and using wooden tools molded it from the reverse side to create a low relief design. Next time they meet, they will be adding color to their creations.

February 4th

On a less serious note, but equally exciting one, YK found themselves learning about some of the current events that occurred over the weekend. First we discussed our surprise around Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow and therefore predicting an early spring. The entire class predicted he would see his shadow and we would be in for a long winter, but were pleasantly surprised to experience some spring-like weather today!

The class also entered YK to some football and Patriots related activities covering the tables during arrival. Most of them were aware of the new NFL champions when they arrived... now they are all aware. : )

January 30th

Currently the Gordon School community is in the midst of a new strategic planning process. The hope is that every person in our beloved community can contribute their thoughts and hopes as we continue to plan for the next steps of Gordon. The Design Team wants to know what are everyone's dreams for what may come next; what are the things that we feel make Gordon great; what could be ready for a change? Wanting every Gordon community member involved in this process most definitely includes our most cherished element of our school... our students.

So today, Young Kindergarten was given the journal prompt: What do you think is great about Gordon? We began with some brainstorming to help everyone take the time to really think about it and then share what some of the things they think are great about their school. There were certainly common themes to what they all shared that they did not just think was great about Gordon, but that they loved about Gordon.

After the brainstorming, the class grabbed their journals and got to work documenting some of the things they individually loved about their school. Their entries dug deeper into what they shared earlier. Now I was hearing them share how they loved learning new things, doing research, loved their class and friends, taking care of our garden, learning from each other and getting to grow up at Gordon.

If these are the areas of Gordon that we continue to support, then our future is looking pretty amazing for sure.

January 29th

January 28th

One of YK's lesson plans today was 60 years in the making... to the day. Today marked the 60th anniversary of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitting a patent for a "highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system". That's right, 60 years ago today, LEGO's (as we currently know them) were created! To celebrate this revolutionary learning and play system that is enjoyed by people all over the world, YK had a day to play and learn with LEGO's. To begin the day each student was given a 16x16 stud base plate with the instruction: build something on this base plate. The class had all day to plan, design, create, redesign and collaborate on what they crafted.

YK's math lesson today was also implemented with the use of LEGO's. The class was reviewing their work around order and sequencing and used LEGO's to show off what they new. They were tasked with sequencing LEGO bricks from large to small (based on the number of studs showing), organizing the LEGO's into a number of different patterns and then sorting each classmate's pile of LEGO's based on the number they used.

To end the day, YK each had the chance to share with their peers what they had spent the day creating. They confidently shared their masterpieces with each other, further validating their focused efforts throughout the day.

Children at this age develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning when they discover how it is connected to different parts of their life. Learning for young children should not happen in just one setting, but many. With this in mind, an effort has been made to make what they are learning in specials more prevalent in the classroom as well; and hopefully these blogs serve as a way to then bring their learning full circle at home as well.

Last week, YK's Spanish teacher talked with the class about chocolate caliente (hot chocolate), specifically what is and is not an ingredient for the tasty winter treat. The class learned the vocabulary: chocolate caliente, agua (water), azucar (sugar), leche (milk) and canela (cinnamon). This morning YK reviewed these vocabulary words in Spanish class. Before snack, the class was brought to the rug to share what they were learning in Spanish. The students shared the words they were learning and how the edible items they mentioned is what you need to make chocolate caliente. The class was then surprised to see that I had produced each ingredient that they had mentioned in Spanish. They were then excited to learn that we would be making our own chocolate caliente by adding the proper ingredients in the correct order, very similar to how we have been learning to sequence in our classroom.

A mystery sixth ingredient was placed at the bottom of our list and the class took guesses as to what crema batida was. They were unsure of what it was, but were positive that it would be the last part of our chocolate caliente recipe. The class helped to add the ingredients in the proper sequence, and in Spanish. When we were ready to enjoy them the sixth ingredient was revealed... and what was it? Well, let's practice some Spanish with the kids at home (creating additional connections for their learning) and ask your child what exactly crema batida is.

January 25th

Up to to this point in the year, Young Kindergarten has created thirty entries for their individual journals. This writing provides the class with opportunities to strengthen their fine motor control, to practice brainstorming, to contemplate and demonstrate their thinking in a visual way, and to showcase the progress of their abilities over the course of their time in YK. Throughout the year students have either been given a teacher prompt when creating a journal entry (such as draw a feeling, a type of weather we learned, draw the other person at your table, etc.) or been given the freedom to create their own entry. Once their entry was completed they would raise their hand so they could share their drawing with the teacher who would capture their thoughts on the page. Recently, they have been tasked with describing their own entries through labels or greater narration. Each student is becoming more comfortable and capable when it comes to encoding sounds to generate words. Journaling is now becoming a time for the class to practice their writing and early reading skills more proactively. Much of their spelling is inventive, as it should be at their stage of development. YK is actively utilizing the skills they are learning as they sound out the words they are wanting to write.

January 23rd

Young Kindergarten students and parents alike had ice on their minds yesterday morning. YK students wanted to talk about how magical it all looked, one friend even brought in some to share that they had found next to their car. YK parents thought all the ice was less magical. However, after all the conversations about ice, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to dive into some learning around designing an experiment, making predictions, observations and a tiny bit of thermodynamics. As soon as the ice came in, it was placed in a cup and checked by the class at regular intervals. The class all new the ice would eventually melt, but what was causing it to melt? There was certainly not much sun shining in on it. After some conversation they understood it was the warm air (70 degrees) in the classroom that was slowly making it melt. After almost exactly 3 hours, their ice had melted to water. The class shared these conversations and observations with their lunch visitor, their science teacher. Their science teacher then shared with the class that she noticed some ice that was left in her sink and it seemed to be taking forever to melt. She asked the class if they thought ice would melt faster in a sink or a container left on the counter.

The class was intrigued and decided they wanted to test their science teacher's thinking. This morning the class gathered two sheets of ice that were as close to identical in size as we could manage. We placed one sheet of ice into our metal sink and the other sheet into a metal bowl. YK talked about the conditions of the experiment. The sink and the container were both made of metal. They were both in the same room subjected to the same temperature of warm air. The ice would not be disturbed in any way, but would be checked on every 15 minutes. We then made predictions as to which ice would take longer to melt.

After an hour or so, it started to become clear which ice would last longer, the ice in the bowl; but why? After 3 hours the ice in the sink had completely melted and 51 minutes later the ice in the bowl had completely transformed to water as well. The idea that YK came up with that the ice in the bowl melted into cool water which kept the ice colder longer. The ice in the sink melted into cool water, but then left the ice as it went down the drain.

Tomorrow the class swill build upon what they have learned and what they are observing with the weather and ice outside to take on another challenge, more predictions and a pretty fun experiment to enhance their understanding.

January 22nd

Over the last week, Young Kindergarten has been exploring sequencing in both math and language arts. Much of their learning has come by way of teacher directed activities that they are engaging with as a whole class. In language arts specifically, the class has had multiple activities that have tasked them with sequencing a story they just heard or were familiar with. Today they took on a new challenge. First the class sequenced several fairy tales their were familiar with. They were not read to them today, they instead had to rely on their prior knowledge along with clues from the pictures to properly sequence the story with the teacher. Afterwards, they were tasked with taking a half dozen picture cards and sequencing them using the skills they had learned; with no help from the teacher. The class modeled their learning beautifully as they discussed what each card was showing, what order they should be placed in and then "read" their sequenced pictures as a story to check if the story made sense. Each and every student confidently shared their voice and thinking when it came to accomplishing their task. Even though they were unfamiliar with the made up story, they masterfully used their learned skills to properly sequence the story.

January 16th

Today also marked the beginning of Gordon's Art Show. This afternoon YK took a trip to the theater to discover what exactly was on display there. Our first stop was the YK display. They were very articulate in explaining how for one project, they found a photograph of an animal they liked, drew a picture of that animal and then sculpted the animal out of clay. After hearing about some of their other artwork, we took a walking tour of the art show. We stopped at many displays to learn more about what exactly the work of art on display was and who had created it. The were on the lookout for sibling work for sure, but seemed fascinated by much of what they saw. The class felt so honored to have their art on display alongside the rest of the school's. They honestly were beaming with pride to know that so many people were traveling through the art show and taking a minute to view their work that put so much effort into and that they care so much about.

January 15th

January 9th

The weather that Young Kindergarten explored today was storms! The class was told that the day we learned about storms we would create our own lightning and tornadoes. For almost a decade, I have been trying to create lightning with my classes, with no success. This year, instead of just one way to make lightning, the class had the opportunity to try four different ways to create some lighting! With such a dismal track record, this seemed to be the perfect time to teach the class about trial and error, and also about perseverance.

After exploring the science of how lighting occurs in clouds through friction and massive amounts of static electricity, we made our own static electricity through the use of a balloon! YK could feel the electricity pulling their hair towards the balloon and hear it crackling as we rubbed the balloon. They realized this friction could generate electricity, but it didn't quite seem real unless they could see some lighting.

This brought us to our first attempt: rubbing our feet on the carpet and then touching fingers. After several attempts, there was no lighting. No problem, plenty more things to try!

Next we rubbed a cloth on a metal bowl and then carefully lowered metal scissors towards it. Surely this would work... but no. Still no discouragement from the class as we moved on to method number three.

The first two attempts were discovered from literature we had, this attempt was one I did successfully as a child. Biting into a wintergreen Lifesaver candy to make sparks. This was it, this was going to surely produce some sparks. After turning the lights off in the classroom, and chomping into the Lifesaver... still nothing.

The fourth attempt sounded a little silly. We took a bandaid and opened paper container it came it. This was supposedly going to generate some purple lines of electricity along the opening. After decades of opening bandaids I have never heard of this phenomenon, but why not? Well, that didn't work either.

The class was thrilled with our experiments and all agreed that it did not matter that we never saw lighting, they enjoyed the process of trying, learning, and trying again to solve the problem; though seeing lighting would have been really great.

We moved on to making a tornado from some water bottles, food coloring and a special connector. Like magic, we had a mini tornado in a bottle!

The lighting though... we all really did want to see it. We brainstormed some ideas, and the class came up with the fact that maybe it wasn't dark enough in our room. They experienced lighting storms when it was really dark out. This was a fantastic revelation. As a final try, we got some more Lifesavers, some pliers and a pitch dark room. On the count of three we crushed the Lifesaver and we saw it... we saw some blueish purple sparks! We did it! After multiple attempts, perseverance and some collaborative thinking, the class made their own "lightning" They each have a few to take home so they can show off what they learned today!

January 8th

Young Kindergarten explored a different type of weather today and some of the science behind it. The class chose to learn about clouds today. After observing that there were some snow flurries and rain showers this morning, the class decided that it was just a really cloudy day. YK learned exactly where clouds come from as they explored the water cycle. Reading books, analyzing pictures and having conversations are excellent ways of developing their understanding of weather and clouds specifically, but what if we could make our own clouds... right in the classroom! One experiment was ready to go, but a student found another way to make clouds in a weather book we had in the classroom. So the lesson went from simply creating a cloud, to creating a cloud in two different ways and comparing and contrasting the clouds and how well they did or did not form.

Exploring new concepts in a variety of ways allows the class to compare multiple strategies and realize that there are numerous ways to solve problems and discover new solutions. The original cloud-making-method worked, but it was the method that was new to everyone (including the teacher) that actually manufactured a more visible cloud. Empowering students to have a say in their learning, to introduce new methods and various questions helps them to take an even greater pride and ownership over their learning, growth and development.

Instead, our Me Shelf student decided they wanted to make some super heroes happy. The super heroes that came to mind were fire fighters and police officers. So, after the cookies were made yesterday, Mr. Terry took a trip to the local fire department and police station and let these heroes know that Gordon's Young Kindergarten class had made some happiness and were looking to share it with them. After sharing our happiness with these heroes, YK still had plenty of cookies left to share today. The class decided that they should share some with their families and also with Gordon's faculty and staff as well. YK continues to explore how to be strong learners, good friends and individuals who work hard to always be thinking of others.

And how did the experiment turn out? Well, we got a pretty good volcanic eruption... but YK wanted more. They theorized that if a little baking soda and a little vinegar gave us a little eruption; then a lot of baking soda and a lot of vinegar would give us a larger eruption. Hypothesis generated.

The class loaded their volcano with baking soda and then dumped a whole cup of vinegar into the volcano and the result was a huge eruption! Hypothesis confirmed. The class was enthused with their experiment and grateful for their friend's suggestion to have everyone try something they enjoyed... scientific investigations.

Whether the class is erupting volcanoes or making Jell-O donuts, they are continuously becoming more invested in their peers; with what makes them each special, unique, similar and also different from themselves.

YK also got to work on preparing for the next two garden beds to make their move. Last time we cleared out a space, we made quite the mess. In an effort to be more considerate Gordon School citizens, we found a wheelbarrow to use while clearing out the garden beds' new home. They were soon joined by members of another Kindergarten class... who knew that cleaning up could be so much fun!

Not only are we trying to care for our garden spaces, but we also want to always show a good example of how to be kind and caring members of our community.

She soon realized that teaching her friends was hard work. Her friends needed more time and direction than she was used to when she wove by herself. Her friends also were having a hard time mimicking what she was doing with her yearn. She gave up trying to teach at the front of the class and decided instead went right up to her classmates. She also elected to give up on what she was making herself so she could help her friends with the motions they needed to do to wrap the yarn around their fingers. Both our weaving instructor and the class soon discovered that this would take a good amount of tie and patience. However, before too long YK could be heard saying, "Oh now I get it!" The more they practiced the motions, the more easily it came to them.

By the end of the lesson, the entire class had something to show for their efforts. One of her students was so proud of what he learned, he even tried to teach the Hand Weaving to one of our 3rd Grade Buddies that visited today!

Our students learned for themselves today that sometimes we have to try a different strategy when we are trying to learn something, and we also may need to try a different strategy when we are trying to teach something too!

The class learned that elections are the way in which people in our country have an opportunity to be a part of the process of electing people to run our country and make laws that we must follow. They also learned that people can vote to decide how and what our town, state and country should be spending money on. Much of that was a little over their heads, so it was simplified down to the reason people vote is to support the people and things that they want and believe in.

I explained to them that when they make the decision to take part in the process of change, the change they want to see actually can happen.

But sometimes it doesn't.

I realize that 5 year olds likely cannot understand the lasting ramifications of a political election... but they may be able to understand how the results of elections can make people feel a certain way: either happy or sad.

So what would YK students feel strongly about? What would they be happy to vote for, and have a genuine feeling of sadness if they did not get what they wanted? How about donuts? I let the class know that they would be receiving a special treat tomorrow, and there were three options, but they would only get one of them. We would all have to vote to see which one we would have.

We would be choosing between chocolate, powdered or jelly donuts. Each student (and teacher) had their own ballots that they marked in privacy, folded up and placed into a ballot box. We then sorted, counted and tallied the results.

So what donut prevailed in our election? Chocolate, by a very close margin.