What a wonderful week! The weather finally cooperated and we had a great Friday Picnic Day with a pizza party celebration for Claire and Katie's birthdays. Thanks to their families for planning such a nice event! Our trip to the Ronald McDonald House was a great learning experience and we plan on holding our walk-a-thon this Thursday, rain or shine. See below for more details. On Friday, we released our painted lady butterflies and will wrap up our insect study this week.
As the end of the year approaches, we are busy trying to finish projects, assess learning, and enjoy the last moments together. Newsletters will be sent less often but please continue to see our twitter feed for daily updates and classroom happenings.
Last week, we saw a lovely performance from the Lower School Choir and met Ms. Anglin, the Lower School Principal. The children are beginning to wonder about third grade and it is natural for them to experience some worry. We also had a conversation with Ms. Marienthal about all of the feelings the children may have at this time of year - excitement, nervousness, sadness. We acknowledged all of these feelings as normal as the end of the year approaches. You may also notice some changes in behavior at home and your child may not be able to fully articulate his/her feelings. We definitely notice changes in the classroom - there is a different level of energy in the room, there seems to be more social disagreements and it can be harder for some children to stay attentive to the rules and expectations of the classroom. Our conversation with Ms. Marienthal gave children a chance to express their feelings, if they wanted, and hopefully gave them comfort in hearing that their classmates shared similar feelings.
MATH
In math, we have been learning all about Geometry. We introduced line segments, parallel lines, and polygons (shapes with many sides). Polygons have to follow certain rules: straight sides, closed shapes, line segments that do not cross. Children are learning to categorize different shapes and sort them according to attributes (size, color, shape). We introduced a fun app/game on the iPad that helps children look at objects based on attributes and build their visual/spatial skills. The game, called SET, can also be purchased as a card game and is one the entire family can enjoy and be challenged by!
KIDBLOG
We have been working on many different activities in the classroom and did not have a chance to write in our blogs last week. We hope to get a few more entries before the end of the year. Keep checking!
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE/KINDNESS FUNDRAISER
On Thursday, we will walk with our Kindergarten Buddies to the Point to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House in Hyde Park. We plan on going rain or shine. The walk is about 1.5 miles roundtrip. Ronald McDonald himself will come to the ESH to send us off and maybe even walk with us for a little while! We are asking our students to get "sponsors" for the walk. Attached you will find a pledge form and we ask that it and the donations be returned to school by June 9th. We will also send a hard copy of this form home tomorrow. Checks can be made payable to the Ronald McDonald House. Please make sure your child has a picnic lunch with water bottle for Thursday and a small, lightweight backpack to carry it in. Your child should also wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather, and an umbrella in case of rain. Sunscreen is strongly recommended. Parents are welcome to join us. Just let Ms. Harrison know. The time has shifted slightly and we will depart at 11:00 and return by 1:00.
WALK-A-THON PLEDGE FORM (download here)
Be sure to ask your favorite second grader about our latest read aloud, The Giants and the Jones by Julia Donaldson. Also, check our photo gallery for updates to Birthdays, Mystery Readers and the new album, Ronald McDonald House.
Have a wonderful week!
As the end of the year approaches, we are busy trying to finish projects, assess learning, and enjoy the last moments together. Newsletters will be sent less often but please continue to see our twitter feed for daily updates and classroom happenings.
Last week, we saw a lovely performance from the Lower School Choir and met Ms. Anglin, the Lower School Principal. The children are beginning to wonder about third grade and it is natural for them to experience some worry. We also had a conversation with Ms. Marienthal about all of the feelings the children may have at this time of year - excitement, nervousness, sadness. We acknowledged all of these feelings as normal as the end of the year approaches. You may also notice some changes in behavior at home and your child may not be able to fully articulate his/her feelings. We definitely notice changes in the classroom - there is a different level of energy in the room, there seems to be more social disagreements and it can be harder for some children to stay attentive to the rules and expectations of the classroom. Our conversation with Ms. Marienthal gave children a chance to express their feelings, if they wanted, and hopefully gave them comfort in hearing that their classmates shared similar feelings.
MATH
In math, we have been learning all about Geometry. We introduced line segments, parallel lines, and polygons (shapes with many sides). Polygons have to follow certain rules: straight sides, closed shapes, line segments that do not cross. Children are learning to categorize different shapes and sort them according to attributes (size, color, shape). We introduced a fun app/game on the iPad that helps children look at objects based on attributes and build their visual/spatial skills. The game, called SET, can also be purchased as a card game and is one the entire family can enjoy and be challenged by!
KIDBLOG
We have been working on many different activities in the classroom and did not have a chance to write in our blogs last week. We hope to get a few more entries before the end of the year. Keep checking!
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE/KINDNESS FUNDRAISER
On Thursday, we will walk with our Kindergarten Buddies to the Point to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House in Hyde Park. We plan on going rain or shine. The walk is about 1.5 miles roundtrip. Ronald McDonald himself will come to the ESH to send us off and maybe even walk with us for a little while! We are asking our students to get "sponsors" for the walk. Attached you will find a pledge form and we ask that it and the donations be returned to school by June 9th. We will also send a hard copy of this form home tomorrow. Checks can be made payable to the Ronald McDonald House. Please make sure your child has a picnic lunch with water bottle for Thursday and a small, lightweight backpack to carry it in. Your child should also wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather, and an umbrella in case of rain. Sunscreen is strongly recommended. Parents are welcome to join us. Just let Ms. Harrison know. The time has shifted slightly and we will depart at 11:00 and return by 1:00.
WALK-A-THON PLEDGE FORM (download here)
Be sure to ask your favorite second grader about our latest read aloud, The Giants and the Jones by Julia Donaldson. Also, check our photo gallery for updates to Birthdays, Mystery Readers and the new album, Ronald McDonald House.
Have a wonderful week!