Ms. Lee, Ms. Reid, Ms. Roth, Ms. Dowd,
Ms. Bohlman & Ms. Gonzalez
In February, we focused on the pillar of respect. As a class, we talked about what respect looks like in our classroom and how we can show respect to others every day. Students practiced using kind words, listening when others are speaking, taking turns, and being helpful and considerate to their classmates. We discussed how our actions and words can make others feel valued and included. Through classroom discussions, activities, and daily routines, students worked hard to show respect to their friends, teachers, and our classroom environment. It was wonderful to see our students demonstrating respect and helping create a positive and supportive classroom community.
Central idea: All living things have different needs in order to function.
Key Concepts: Form, Connection, Change
ATL Skills: Self-management & Thinking Skills
In our current unit of inquiry, Sharing the Planet, students are learning about communities and the relationships within and between them. We are exploring the idea that all living things have different needs in order to function, and how these needs are met within our communities and environment. Through our learning about seasons and weather, community helpers and jobs, and how all living things grow and change, students are beginning to understand how people, animals, and plants depend on one another.
Guided by the key concepts of Form, Connection, and Change, students are observing what things are like, how they are connected, and how they change over time. Throughout the unit, students are developing their Communicator, Open-Minded, and Reflective learner profile attributes by sharing ideas, listening to others, and thinking about their own learning. We are also strengthening important approaches to learning such as Self-Management and Thinking Skills, as students practice staying focused, asking questions, and making thoughtful choices in and out of the classroom.
Our kindergarten communicators worked together to solve puzzles, sharing ideas and helping one another along the way!
Being open-minded means trying new ideas! Students used play dough to create different food items and shared their imaginative creations with their classmates.
Our reflective learners turned to their table partners to talk about their February break and the fun we had during the snow day!
In math, we have been working on number bonds within the 0–10 range. Students use manipulatives and whiteboards to show how numbers can be combined and separated. They practice modeling their thinking by building number bonds and explaining their ideas as they work.
In science, we explored weather through fun, hands-on activities. Students created a “blizzard in a bag” to see how winter storms can form, and they became meteorologists by discussing different types of weather and showing how we dress to stay safe and comfortable in each one. It was a fun way to learn about the changing weather around us!
We celebrated the 100th Day of Kindergarten with fun activities all about the number 100! Students counted, created, and reflected on how much they have learned during the first 100 days of school. We are so proud of all their hard work and growth!
This month, we learned about Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space! After reading about her life, we talked about how she worked hard, followed her dreams, and never gave up. Mae Jemison was not only an astronaut, but also a doctor and a scientist. She showed us that we can be many things when we grow up!
Inspired by her story, we wrote about what we want to be when we’re older. Our classroom was filled with future teachers, doctors, astronauts, athletes, artists, and more! We are so proud of our students for dreaming big and believing in themselves, just like Mae Jemison.