Santa Visits

Treats for Doggies and Kitties at Christmas

The children did an awesome job collecting treats for homeless dogs and cats this year!

Grinch Party

Hour of Code

Yesterday our kids participated in the "Hour of Code". They experimented with apps that introduce children to computer programming. Tons of fun!

Playground Fun!

I really can not say enough about the value of outdoor recess for my kids. 

SKYPE

Skype experience with Mrs.Grizzard's sister in Spain. We asked questions and listened to her describe how they celebrate Christmas in Spain.  

Thanksgiving feast

Pilgrim Children Art

Today, we read Samuel Eaton's Day, a story that describes a typical day of a Pilgrim child. The students were fascinated with the idea of "no electricity" and the amount of work the child was expected to do each day. They loved the relationship described between a son and his father. The boy was allowed to participate in the harvest of grain for the first time. The son worked very hard and that night his father showed approval. The boy was so proud to win the favor of his father. Check out out Pilgrim children: each one a unique creation made by one of the students. Needless to say, we didn't have a very long rest time this afternoon! We were too busy😊

Veterans' Day Program

Tomorrow

I am really excited about tomorrow. Our school-wide Veterans Day program is tomorrow!  We will talk more about freedom and how lucky we are to live in America. As we get closer to the holidays, I am hoping for calm and productive days with my bunch. They are so smart and eager to learn. I love this time of year because I can start turning over more responsibility to the children. They always rise to expectations. That's what kids do!

Dream Catchers

Thanks to Mr. Lovell for sharing his beautiful authentic dream catcher with the class today. He bought it from a Sioux Indian in Oklahoma 20 years ago. We learned that Native Americans searched for a way to help children have pleasant dreams because they were having nightmares. The influence of a spider gave a shaman the idea to create a web to "capture" the bad dreams. We tried our hand at making our own dream catchers this afternoon. We watched a YouTube video for assistance as we began to work. Tomorrow, we will add beads, feathers and paint. 

Their View of Justice

Today we read an awesome children's book that explains the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. Children always react to principles of fairness and loyalty in the same way - they are intrigued. Their innocence is so precious. As we were talking about how very lucky we are to live in a free country, the discussion shifted. We were talking about how America is made up of all different types of people. I was telling them that we are free to live and make choices because we live in a democracy. I told them we are very blessed - we have a nice school, warm homes, families. They began to talk about people in America who DON'T have a home. I have seen the intensity in children before but it never gets old. We talked for awhile about the circumstances  of being homeless. I asked them, "do you all want to do something to help a family who might not have a home?"  Every child on that carpet shook their head yes. 

Stepping Up Expectations

Today w listened to Owl Babies and Owl Moon. We created an owl puppet to act out the stories. The students were given owl facts as reading homework to buddy read with a family member. Higher level vocabulary and word choice I will be more frequent now that they are decoding more readily. 

Creepy Crawly Spiders

Fun day learning about spiders. We went on a web hunt and photographed webs with iPads. We heard the story of Charlottes Web and reviewed Spiders by Gail Gibbons. We created our own spider with 8 legs, 8 eyes and 2 body parts. 😜

Fun at Bennett Farms!

Great Monday!

We began the day with iPads and journals. We read Animal Babies and discussed why the book is nonfiction. We talked about how you identify the main idea of a story. We worked in centers practicing letter identification, reading for pleasure, exploring reading games on the iPad and participating in a guided reading group with a phonics reader. We choral read sentences with our new sight words in them on the hovercam. We played outside for recess. We met in kindergarten big group to practice some new songs we have learned. Our days are so busy!  We have several projects this week - make a spider, make a sequence story about our field trip experience and continue to read more independently. These kids are SMART!!  I really enjoy listening to their point of view. 😊

Brown day! Thank you Jessica Chambless for the chocolate chip snack!

Smooth fun day!

Mondays are usually a bit rocky for several reasons in kindergarten. Oh, how I love days that run like a well-oiled clock! Today was one of those days!  Everyone was in a good mood. They asked great questions about Christopher Columbus and enjoyed participating in big group. So proud of these kids. They have already made lots of progress in many areas. I am a blessed teacher!

Stop, drop and roll!

The Jacksonville Fire Department did an excellent job talking to our kids about fire safety today. They showed them all around the truck, explaining how each tool is used. They put on full gear and uniform, including air tank and helmet

. The kids also asked some great questions. In kindergarten, much of our task is to teach kids "how to learn", meaning listening, thinking, looking and making connections between new information and what they already know. Paying attention for longer periods of time is a requirement. I was VERY proud of the kids today. They are growing up!

Black Day!!

Check out our "Black Day" pic!  So thankful to have finished report card testing, Unit 1 benchmark test and computer-based literacy testing today. Now we get back to business!

Expectations

As a teacher of young children, you are trained to recognize developmental patterns and anticipate lots of different milestones. Spending years in the classroom also helps you recognize levels of learning more easily.  However, there is great power in high expectations. A teachers stamina is critical in "getting their best".  Day in and day out, when you insist on their best work, behavior, treatment of others, etc., kids will respond!  It's true!  I have always seen kids rise to my expectations. It helps to be a little stubborn sometimes, too. I love my job!

Families As Partners

Through the years, I have learned a thing or two about the importance of "timing" when helping young children learn. A few weeks ago, I did a snapshot assessment on several basic skills and asked parents to help them review at home. Today, I formally tested several kids and saw great results!  Each child has his or her own unique number of repetitions needed to solidly learn a new skill. Enlisting the help of parents at a critical time targeting specific skills works!  I love it when a plan comes together😜

PINK day💁

The pink frosted cupcakes were delicious!!

Patterns💜💚💜💚

We played with AB, ABC, ABB and AAB patterns this afternoon.  It's to watch them create!

Pigs and Apples!

Friday we enjoyed a visit from a beautiful baby pot-bellied pig. Our reading story this week - Julius by Angela Johnson - featured a pet pig who lived with a little girl. We learned from Jessica and Gina Glass that their pig is really smart, does not like his harness and loves belly rubs. Later in the day, we sampled Apple products - Apple butter, caramel dip, Apple slices, applesauce, Apple juice, Apple chips, Apple pie and delicious apple turnovers!  We topped off the tasting party with Apple Jacks.