Summer is over and fall has certainly arrived. In fact, it seems as if it arrived when I wasn't looking because wasn't it just too sunny and too hot out there? In Kindergarten, one of our Big Ideas in Science is that daily and seasonal changes affect all living things and therefore we keep a close eye on the weather. In September Team Awesome was surprised we changed the season from summer to fall when it seemed as if it was still summer outside but with all the falling leaves has decided that it is now indeed autumn. To notice all the changes the cooler weather has brought, Mrs. Farber's Friends joined us on a 'Signs of Fall' walk around our school. We began with a review of our senses and which ones we could use to investigate changes fall has brought to the world around us. We smelled the air, we listened closely for autumn sounds, we felt the cool wind on our faces and tongues and talked about which things we love to eat in the fall (pumpkin pie!). Then we used our sense of sight to search for signs of autumn in our schoolyard and finished up with a discussion of the difference between coniferous and deciduous trees. Throughout our walk we gathered up items Mother Nature had thrown away to make a poster to label and display so we could share our signs of fall with the rest of the school. Now, how will we make a 'Signs of Winter' poster?
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Tuesday is our visit to the Sunset Farms pumpkin patch (towards the airport) and Team Awesome is very excited. We will be leaving on the bus as close to 9:30 as possible. The weather in the mornings has been damp and chilly so appropriate footwear as we will be exploring through wet long grass and leaves, as well as a heavier coat (with a tissue in the pocket), hat and mittens are suggested. Unfortunately, the farm has called and told us that there are very few large pumpkins and those that are left are rotting BUT there should be enough child-sized pumpkins so we can all choose one to bring back to school where we will use them for some scientific observations. The children must be able to carry their own pumpkin. We will explore the pumpkin patch and corn maze and ride on the tractor wagon and have a snack from our lunch kit before coming back to school by lunch. You are welcome to meet us there if you would like, or there is space on the bus if you are feeling brave. Unfortunately if you bring a preschooler there is a charge. There is also a cost if more than one pumpkin is taken by each child.
Sunset Valley Farms rules: Pumpkin Patch Rules Do not kick or throw pumpkins Do not sit on pumpkins No running in the pumpkin patch No rough-play in the pumpkin patch No smoking in the pumpkin patch Do not roll pumpkins to your destination. Our pumpkins might look tough, but they are easily bruised and are no good once damaged! Sorry, no dogs permitted on the property with the exception of service dogs. Corn Maze Rules Stay on the trails! No cutting through corn. Do not touch, pick, or throw corn No running in the maze No smoking in the maze Call for help if you get lost, someone will come lead you out. Be courteous to others. Rude and disrespectful behaviour to our customers and/or staff will not be tolerated. Sorry, no dogs permitted on the property with the exception of service dogs Tractor-Trailer Ride Rules Stay seated at all times No smoking on the wagon Keep hands and feet in wagon at all times As you know, we have a 12:30 dismissal on Wednesday, Oct. 23 due to parent/teacher interviews. We will have been in school for six weeks and I met with you all before school started. I also see many of you once or twice a day. We have mainly been working on routines and social responsibility and getting settled in since the beginning of September. The children have been great and at this time I have no serious concerns. If that changes I will certainly contact you and set up a meeting. And of course you can set up a meeting with me any time you have a concern as well.
If you would still like to meet with me next week I would be happy to see you, just confirm with me sometime before Tuesday. But I propose that we have a bit of an 'Open House' on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. When you pick your child up at 2:30 on Tuesday or 12:30 on Wednesday, have them show you around our classroom and explain some of the things that are up on the walls and some of our routines. They will be thrilled to play tour guide and excited to have you at school. If you have any specific questions for me about your child at that time, please ask. I look forward to seeing you!  Mrs. Philips will be in our classroom after lunch on Wednesdays and most of the morning Thursdays to sing, dance, act and do art projects with Team Awesome while I try to get caught up on things (imagine a hamster running on a wheel). We are always interested to see what exciting things Mrs. Philips has planned for us and we are going to enjoy all her activities this year!
 As your child makes friends, shares materials and attention, and takes turns, they will develop social skills they need for life. Development of personal and social skills takes time and occurs at different rates as a result of each child’s personal experiences. In Kindergarten, children begin to develop and practice skills that they will continue to enhance throughout their lives. By participating actively in learning tasks, trying new things and taking risks, children begin to develop positive attitudes and see themselves as capable of learning. Children are curious and learn to adapt to new situations. They begin to follow rules and deal with routines in a school environment. They become more independent and learn to take some responsibility for selecting and completing learning activities. Children begin to learn about themselves as the basis for healthy interactions with others. In Kindergarten, children develop friendship skills and have opportunities to demonstrate caring and make a contribution to others. They learn to express their feelings in socially acceptable ways and show respect and a positive caring attitude toward others. They take turns in activities and discussion, and contribute to partner and group activities by working cooperatively, giving and receiving help, and joining in small and large group games and activities. By learning to be responsible in the classroom, they are also learning to be responsible at home and in their communities. Actually, I'm not sure if its Rivers Day, River's Day or Rivers' Day so we'll leave that discussion for another time. Rivers Day will consist of a number of stations to take place by the river, hosted by presenters, and each class has signed up to visit four stations. The whole of BEST will be making its way down to the beach off Schubert Dr. for a 10:15 welcome presentation on Friday, Oct. 11. Team Awesome will have had their snack and used the bathroom (although there will be a porti-potty available) before we leave for the beach and will attend two stations before lunch. We will eat our lunches back at the school and have our usual outside recess before eating, although it will be a bit earlier than normal. After attending the last of our two afternoon stations at the beach we will make our way back to the school for the end of the day. Because we will spend the day at the river, please make sure to send a water bottle and dress your child appropriately. We can always take sweaters/hats/mitts off if needed. Field trips seem to increase the children's appetites with all of the activity so another sandwich or extra snacks in lunches is never a bad idea. If you would like to join us for the day, or part of the day, you are more than welcome. We are aiming to leave the school at approximately 9:45 or you can meet us at the beach. Looking forward to an awesome day!
*If there is no beach due to the crazy amount of rain we have been having, there will be a Plan B.  Did your child come home and tell you they had germs? More specifically, did they tell you they were covered in Mrs. Bowden's cooties (which Team Awesome heard as 'cuties')? If so, they weren't far off the mark. For children germs are invisible things that cause them to get sick. Remembering to do things like washing their hands or covering a cough may not come easily. With the sneezing and sniffles that seem rampant in our classroom throughout the year, using a visual tool that demonstrates how germs spread and the effectiveness of different hand washing and cleaning methods early in the year seemed like a smart idea. Enter the Glo Germ Classroom Kit! Last week I applied the 'fake germ' powder, which is difficult to see, from the kit to my hands without telling Team Awesome. I followed our normal routine, handled the usual things in the classroom (including hugging the children), and then after reading the book 'Germs Make Me Sick' we used the black light, which causes the powder to glow, to track where the 'germs' had dispersed. We were amazed at how many things I had touched in our classroom and how far the germs had spread! A few children even had some in their hair. I then washed my hands and we looked at them under the black light again. Unfortunately, I did not wash my hands well enough to get rid of most of the germs and they were still visible. So we watched a video on how to wash our hands properly and another one on how germs are spread through sneezing. Although we will need to revisit hand washing often, I know Team Awesome now has a better understanding of how illnesses are spread. |
