Social Emotional Learning

Music with Friends - An Earth Day song

Rehearsing with First Grade

Earth Day Song.MOV

Earth Day Song with Grade 1.MOV

Service-Learning

Service-learning connects classroom studies with the natural caring and concern young people have for their world.

Service-learning allows young people to contribute to solving problems by helping others in their community, their neighborhood, or around the world.

We read Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by Dyann DiSalvo-Ryan.
( See video link below.)

A straightforward fictional view of an urban soup kitchen, as observed by a boy visiting it with his `Uncle Willie,’ who works there every day....The difficult lives of those fed (including children)--as well as the friendly, non-intrusive attitude of the kitchen workers toward them--are presented sensitively but without sentimentality.

Class Discussion

In K-C's Words

What are some reasons that people may not have food they need?

They don’t have money.
They cant’y buy any because they don’t have money to pay.
Maybe they are sick.
Maybe they don't have cars to drive to get food.
Maybe they are homeless.
They don't have anything to make food.

What is one thing that surprised you from the story?

There was a food kitchen.
There were so many people that came to the food kitchen.
That people didn’t have enough money and they were sleeping on the ground.
The kid went to the soup kitchen.

Describe how you feel when you are hungry?

Hangry (cranky)
I ask my mom and dad for food and I feel hangry.
Sad.
Tired and sometimes hangry.
Sleepy.
Sick.
Starving and I lay down.
I cry.
I feel like I am mad and sad.

How can you help those who are in need of food?

You can buy food and give them the food.
You can buy food and if you see someone without money, you can give them some food and you have a lot of food.
Some people can give people money so they can buy food.

February Portraits

Now We Are (Almost) Six

by A.A. Milne

When I was One,I had just begun.When I was Two,I was nearly new.When I was ThreeI was hardly me.When I was Four,I was not much more.When I was Five,I was just alive.But now I am Six,I'm as clever as clever,So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

Inspirational SEL Quotes

Celebration

Valentine's Day : A Friendship Card Exchange

+ A surprise visit from our 5th Grade Buddies!

Collaboration

Reading, Writing & Math Partners

Centers

Buddies

Friendship

New Friends

Getting to Know Each Other

The children have been adjusting beautifully to K-C.

It is amazing to see how quickly they have been forming bonds and learning about working together in a new group. By nurturing a sense of community, we hope to help each child feel that they are part of a supportive community. Trust is essential in creating an atmosphere where it is safe to express oneself.

We started talking about navigating social interactions in the classroom and on the playground. Through community building activities such as partner drawings and collages, we have worked on using words to collaborate and to negotiate and resolve conflicts. Friendships are growing and children are learning how to use their language to mediate problems.

Every Friday we meet for a Share Circle, where we talk about how our week has been. During these times, children are encouraged to communicate their feelings and ideas, listen carefully, and respond respectfully to one another.

Each child may share a “rose” (something good) or a “thorn” (something not so good) about an event in school that week.

We have been playing name games and we published a book with the children’s names and photos, This is K-CD! Learning one another’s names helps social interactions tremendously.

Please read your digital copy at home with your child. Our next class book will be K-CD’s Favorite Colors.

A sense of community takes time to grow. K-CD is learning what it means to share and cooperate, to communicate and listen, to contribute and receive. In other words they are learning what it means to be a member of the K-CD community, as well as the Greenacres school community.

Morning Routines

Arrival and Unpacking

Fostering independence from the very beginning will give each child pride in their accomplishments and ownership of our classroom environment.

Backpaks
Coats
Lunch
Snack

Notes Folder
Water Bottles
Sign-In
Attendance Photos

K-C read little blue and little yellow by Leo Lionni

When little blue and little yellow hug each other they merge into little green.

Since they are best friends, their new color represents a merging of their two individual colors.

We had a conversation about friendship.

What is a Friend?
By K-C

Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends, but one day they can’t find each other. When they finally do, they give each other such a big hug that they turn green! How they find their true colors again concludes a wonderfully satisfying story told with colorful pieces of torn paper and very few words.

We made our own torn paper collages with our new friends in K-C!