Sykes Farm Field Trip

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Welcome Hunter!

Another great student, Hunter, arrived on Monday, September 19th. He has learned our class rules and procedures quickly! We are so glad to have him. :)

And here are some pictures from last week during Literacy Centers. The students were learning while having have!

 Tyree and Isaiah matched all the Thomas alphabet cards at the Pocket Chart center. Great team work, guys!

 This picture was taken on "Picture Day." Don't they all look great? Jacob, Ariel, Madumitha and Morgan!

Trumandray was working with the magnetic letters. He can name almost all of them!

Welcome Destiny!

We were lucky enough to get another new student today! Her name is Destiny. We were really happy to get another girl. Now we have 6 girls and 10 boys.

Our First Flag Raising of the Year

Once a month, the entire school gathers in the amphitheater to watch the Safety Patrols raise the American and Florida flags and to sing the National Anthem. Last Friday, September 9th,  was the first of this school year. We had several special guests to help make it memorable: the mascot of the Gator Bowl and the cheerleaders and football players from Wolfson High School.

I was very proud of my students for paying attention and sitting quietly. :)

Learning and Working in Math Centers

The students are learning about counting and re-counting, identifying numerals, and working together in small groups, called centers. Geoboards are wooden boards with nails in them. The students use rubber bands to form shapes and even the numerals 0 - 9. The students really enjoy this activity because it is unlike any other material they've used in the past, and there are countless patterns and shapes to form.

 

Michael is really concentrating.

 

 Ariel and Ja'Kyla seem to be making patterns of straight lines.

 Yes, Ariel was making lines, too. The lines are turning into rectangles!

 It seems Sasha likes the girls' ideas.

 Joshua is making so many triangles!

 At this table, the students work putting number puzzles together to increase their ability to identify the numerals.

 The fish and fish bowls help the students to practice 

using one-to-one correspondence when counting.
Way to go, Jacob!

 Learning to work together and cooperate with one another is just as important as learning to count!

 Tyree can really keep track while counting!

Riley and Trumandray are matching numerals

with groups of the same number of objects.

 Tyree and Elijah are matching numerals to plastic plates with the same number of dots.

 The students really enjoy putting the numeral puzzles together.

 Exploring with the Geoblocks will probably always be a favorite of the students!

Literacy Centers

For the past two weeks, we have been learning our daily schedule, the class rules, procedures and routines. Part of our daily schedule includes independent exploration at various activities called "Centers." These Literacy Centers occur during Reader's Workshop, after I've read a story and we have discussed it. The students are divided into small groups and they rotate through the centers, visiting 2 each day. These centers include: Computers, Home Living, Word Work, Messy ABC's, Writing, Art, Pocket Chart and File Folders. During this time I have been evaluating each student individually to see what they already know, so I'll know what he/she needs next. Eventually the students will also rotate through the center of Guided Reading, working with me on reading skills in a small group.

 Working on the Computers at the website: www.toytheater.com

 Messy ABC's was working with playdough last week. 

We will also use stamps to stamp letters and words at this center.

 Students develop their communication and language skills,

as well as practicing working cooperatively as a group at Home Living.

Home Living is a favorite of most of the children.

 

At Word Work, the students can practice their writing skills in a fun way on the Magna Doodles.

 They can also choose to listen to the Leap Frog letter songs
to reinforce recognition of letter names and sounds.

 Word Work also has puzzles to develop problem solving skills.

 Samuel, Isaiah and Elijah worked together to complete
this Brown Bear, Brown Bear (a story we read!)  puzzle.

Welcome Jacob!

Another new student! We now have 16 students again (one of our students, Tia, transferred to a new school.) Welcome Jacob! :)

Welcoming two new students!

We welcomed two new students into our class today! We are up to 16 students, but usually a Kindergarten class has 18 students, so we might get even more! :)

 Elijah

 Andargachew, "Andy"

Today during Math centers we explored some new materials: wooden beads and pegs with pegboards.

The Geoblocks Exploration table still had plenty of admirers. In fact, several of the students built really tall structures with the Geoblocks.

 Ariel, Riley, Madumitha, Trumandray, and Sasha look like they are having fun with the Geoblocks!

 Leila, Ja'Kyla, Tyree and Joshua are enjoying the pegs.

Wow! Look how many beads Michael and Isaiah have strung. 

Meet our class!

Kindergarten has begun! We have had two fantastic days of school. The students are learning the rituals and routines in our classroom. They are also learning the rules and expectations that I have of them. We've read two books, First Day Jitters and I Am Absolutely Too Young for School, which both talk about being nervous when starting a new school. The students have begun expressing their ideas through illustrations, and a few students were even able to express their thoughts through words by sounding them out! In Math, we are exploring the manipulatives we will use throughout the year, such as Geoblocks, pattern blocks, linking cubes, color tiles and counting bears. And we've started learning about the calendar and how to keep track of how many days we have been in school. One of the students' favorite activities we've worked on are in a few of the Literacy Centers. We've taken turns working in Home Living, Computers, Writing, and Word Work after learning what to do, where to go and how to clean up. I am looking forward to teaching them even more of the fun learning activities we have in the room as the week continues.

Ja'Kyla

 Trumandray

 Leila

 Madumisha

Isaiah

 Morgan

 Sasha

 Ariel

 Tia

 Michael

 Joshua

 Riley

Tyree