As you know, we are into our new unit of inquiry. Please take a moment to read through the attached PDF for more information about the unit and how you can support your child at home.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
Lyla Reflects and Takes Action
We want to recognize our teammate Lyla today. In our classroom we have clothespins that we regularly interact with to recognize those who are exhibiting the learner profile traits. This morning during morning meeting Lyla said that she would like to share something. She proceeded to tell us that Ms. Winta is a very caring person and that she felt Ms. Winta deserved to have a clothespin on the 'caring' sign. Lyla then took out a clothespin that she made at home and clipped it onto the appropriate sign, telling us that Ms. Winta was caring yesterday when she noticed Lyla at the nurses' office and inquired into what had happened. Lyla took action and showed us what it truly means to reflect. What a great example of how we can all take the learner profile to heart.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Sensory Walk
We went on a sensory walk this week throughout the school. The purpose of this walk was to tune into the body parts we use to explore the world. We documented the things we were hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling, and we challenged ourselves to be aware of all of our senses during this walk.
The final sense we discussed was that of touch, and when we talked with each other about which body part we used to touch, hands dominated the conversation until Lyla jumped in with, "Wait! We touch with our feet too!" This spurred on ideas about other body parts we use to touch.
Upon our return to the classroom, we discussed which body parts we used to explore, and we matched pictures of those body parts to the groups we had created on our board.
The final sense we discussed was that of touch, and when we talked with each other about which body part we used to touch, hands dominated the conversation until Lyla jumped in with, "Wait! We touch with our feet too!" This spurred on ideas about other body parts we use to touch.
Finally, Chloe yelled out, "We touch things with our WHOLE bodies!"
The final step in our sensory walk lesson was to examine what we documented on our walk. The next day we did this by sorting and organizing our ideas on a graph. We took the paper on which we documented:
And cut it apart. Next we glued the pieces in columns that matched the senses:
Lastly, we looked closely at our graphs to see what information they gave. Many of us realized that we used our sense of sight and touch a lot. Why was this? Why did we not use our sense of tasting much on our walk? All of these questions made us think deeply. We will continue examining these ideas as we continue our inquiry into "We explore the world with our bodies".
Friday, September 30, 2016
Safe & Unsafe Touches
Today Mr. John came to our classroom to begin talking with us about child protection. He began by introducing us to what a 'safe touch' is. We learned that safe touches are wanted and make us feel good. They make us smile. Touches such as handshakes, high fives, pats on the back or wanted hugs from loved ones can all be safe touches. Next week we will continue learning more about this with Mr. John and will examine unsafe touches a little more.
In the meantime, please sit down with your child and take a look at the paper he/she is bringing home today. You can fill out the backside together. This does not need to be returned to school; rather, it's an opportunity to open dialogue at home.
In the meantime, please sit down with your child and take a look at the paper he/she is bringing home today. You can fill out the backside together. This does not need to be returned to school; rather, it's an opportunity to open dialogue at home.
New Unit of Inquiry!
We have just begun a new unit of inquiry in kindergarten, and throughout the weeks ahead we will be exploring what it means to be human through the Primary Years Program (PYP) transdisciplinary theme "Who We Are".
The central idea for this unit is "We explore the world with our bodies". We will be looking at how our bodies help us learn and discover new things, and the senses will play a large role in our learning.
As a provocation to heighten interest in our new unit and encourage questioning and thought, a number of items were placed throughout the room. The only direction we were given was to explore the items.
The next day we revisited our words and looked at pictures of ourselves exploring the items on the table. We used our mathematical knowledge of sorting to put them into groups that made sense. At this time we were given no knowledge or explanation of the basic five senses, but we naturally grouped them that way:
We will be using this as a stepping stone into the senses and how we use our bodies to explore the world. As we continue on our journey through this unit we will begin labeling these groups with the sense that each group depicts and which body part(s) we use with each sense. We will keep you posted on our ongoing discoveries and inquiries!
The central idea for this unit is "We explore the world with our bodies". We will be looking at how our bodies help us learn and discover new things, and the senses will play a large role in our learning.
As a provocation to heighten interest in our new unit and encourage questioning and thought, a number of items were placed throughout the room. The only direction we were given was to explore the items.
After spending time closely examining the items, we gathered together and used words to explain what we noticed. These words were charted so we all could see:
The next day we revisited our words and looked at pictures of ourselves exploring the items on the table. We used our mathematical knowledge of sorting to put them into groups that made sense. At this time we were given no knowledge or explanation of the basic five senses, but we naturally grouped them that way:
Our end product resulted in this:
We will be using this as a stepping stone into the senses and how we use our bodies to explore the world. As we continue on our journey through this unit we will begin labeling these groups with the sense that each group depicts and which body part(s) we use with each sense. We will keep you posted on our ongoing discoveries and inquiries!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Meskel
Yesterday was Meskel in Ethiopia, and we learned about and celebrated this holiday in school on Friday. We began our day by attending a play put on by all third grade classes. They taught us the history behind Meskel and we learned a bit about Ethiopia's history. Their singing and acting was quite impressive. I have added several videos to the link below, so if you missed the performance please take a moment to view them!
Kindergarten followed the play by celebrating with our own coffee ceremony, put on by our very own KG teaching assistants. We enjoyed popcorn, bread, and the aromas of coffee and incense. We also enjoyed traditional music and learned some Ethiopian dance moves.
After our coffee ceremony we joined the whole school for the lighting of the demera, which commemorates the legend of Queen Helena and the finding of the true cross. This celebration was a wonderful way to learn more about our host country and provided a rich cultural experience for us all. Please take some time to go through the following pictures with your child.
Kindergarten followed the play by celebrating with our own coffee ceremony, put on by our very own KG teaching assistants. We enjoyed popcorn, bread, and the aromas of coffee and incense. We also enjoyed traditional music and learned some Ethiopian dance moves.
After our coffee ceremony we joined the whole school for the lighting of the demera, which commemorates the legend of Queen Helena and the finding of the true cross. This celebration was a wonderful way to learn more about our host country and provided a rich cultural experience for us all. Please take some time to go through the following pictures with your child.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Come View Our Photos!
If you are here tomorrow for the Meskel celebration, take a moment as school is let out to look at the photos outside our classroom. We finally got them hung up and you'll love reading our interviews!
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