Celebrating Valentine's Day

We celebrated Valentine's Day by exchanging cards with each other.  Each student made a "mail bag" at school, then we "mailed" our cards into these bags.  Students gathered on the floor to open cards and thank each other for the cards and treats.  What wonderful manners these children have!

Thank you to all the families who helped their children get cards, then help them sign and address them.  Thank you, also, to those of you who sent in candy and treats.  Thank you to Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. McDaniel, and Mrs. Rivera, for providing cookies, juice, and fresh fruit for our celebration.  Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Rivera, for coming up to school to help with the celebration.

Valentine's Day Math

On Tuesday, February 12th, our class did Valentine's Day Math.  Each student was given a little box of Valentine Conversation Candy Hearts.  Students were required to sort the hearts by color, then count how many there were of each color.  Then they graphed the number of each color, and discussed the results.  Of which color did we have the most?  the least? Did we have any colors that had the same number?  Are the numbers on your graph the same as your neighbor?  Finally, after all that work, students were allowed to eat the candy hearts if they wanted.

Fun with 2-D and 3-D shapes!

One of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics states, "(Geometry) Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes ~ Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components and drawing shapes."

On Friday, February 8th, our kindergarten students had lots of fun working on this standard.  First, they practiced drawing two-dimensional shapes on their individual whiteboards.  

Please encourage your child to practice drawing shapes at home.

Next, they used toothpicks and little bits of clay to create 
two-dimensional shapes. 

It was especially fun to stretch a square into a rhombus!

Mrs. Doiron had to break toothpicks in half, 

so the children could make rectangles.  

  

Finally, our kindergartners used Play-Doh to try to create 
three-dimensional shapes.

spheres

an attempt at a cylinder

an attempt at a cube

Cones were easier to make than cylinders and cubes!

Exploring Sound

On Tuesday, February 5th, our students explored sound.  They secured either aluminum foil or waxed paper to the open end of a tin can, using a rubber band.  Students made sounds by tapping the "paper" end with the handle of their scissors.  They also tried putting rice into their cans, and tapped them with the handle of their scissors.  Was the sound the same?  They also shook the cans with rice inside.  Was that sound the same?  Students discovered they could actually see the sound being made as they looked at the rice moving in the cans.  After our experiment, students wrote about what they did in their Science Journals.

Meet Ms. Marshall

Ms. Marshall is a full-time intern from UNF.  
She is teaching most of our lessons now, under the supervision of Mrs. Doiron.  In this photo, she is reviewing the CHAMPs chart, which we do prior to each activity at school.  Do you know what CHAMPs stands for?  The answer is Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation.

Counting Cheerios

Counting, stringing, wearing, 
and eating 100 Cheerios.