Bring on the Snow!!

What are we supposed to do when it is too cold to go out and play in the snow?  We bring the snow inside, of course!!

Last week we began our inquiry on snow.  We brought buckets of snow into our classroom and allowed the students to explore and wonder about the snow.  So much excitement, curiosity and creativity came out of this fun activity.  

Did someone say snowstorm???  What more could we ask for as we launch this inquiry?  Tuesday morning we surprised the students with a walk around the school to explore the winter wonderland that now surrounded us!  Wow, they were so excited to get out and see the snow!  Some students chose to carry a clipboard to record some of what they saw, thought, and wondered.  Others carried cameras or little frames that allowed to them to focus in on and analyze a specific area.  We even went over to the pond to see what it looked like.  Students were able to compare what the pond looked like in the fall to now.  Once we were back in class students shared their questions and wonderings. 

Here is some of what we heard the students observing, thinking and wondering: 

  "Only sticky snow can make stuff like igloos, snowmen, snowballs, snow forts and snow houses". I.Z.

"I am making an igloo with snow.  Penguins live in an igloo". C.H.

How can people pick up snow with their hands? It is so cold". A.B.

"I wonder why the snow fell". A.D 

"I see ice!  I wonder if the ice will turn into an ice castle". B.D 

"I wonder where all the snow mountains came from" D.P

(while observing the snow pushed aside by the snowploughs!)

"Where does snow come from?" 

"I think all the animals are hibernating under the sea." I.Z. 

"No, my mom told me that the animals flew away.  They went somewhere hot, but they will come back after the snow". D.P

"I think the snow turns brown because it is old." P.R. 

"Are there other places like Taiwan that are hot and do not get any snow?" C.H.

"Las Vegas is the desert, it doesn't get snow!" B.D.

"I know that it is hot in Israel, so they don't get snow!" O.C. and A.O

Here are some images of us exploring:   

Learning About Communities

Within our class, students began showing an interest in different communities.  We explored different types of communities, the buildings you would find in each, and important community helpers.  Students loved looking through books, searching images on Google, creating their own books, building various communities within the building area and so much more.

The exploration and wondering about communities continued and students began focusing on the airports within a community.  They were building airports and airplanes everywhere!!  One of our students shared his knowledge of airports in Victoria B.C.  He was fascinated with float planes and in great detail taught his peers about these planes and that they are able to land on water.

Together with our students, the socio-dramatic play area was transformed into an airport!  "Air Rainbow" has multiple departures and landings each day.  Students eagerly sign up for a job within this play area.  Those who will be departing on a trip as a passenger do so with their passports and boarding passes in hand.  Passengers check in, weigh their baggage, pass through security and wait patiently in the gate area.  Once boarding begins the flight attendant helps passengers to their seats...soon after the pilot and co-pilot take over.  The imagination of our JK/SK students is wonderful to observe.  One of our JK students realized while in the flight attendant role that he needed some materials in order to serve food to his passengers.  This prompted him to create a shopping list for his teachers!

Several students were interested in building a 3D airplane.  We were very fortunate to have Mr. Raj visit our class and help with this project!  Together with the students Mr. Raj made a plan, conducted some research, and then co-created a wonderful airplane that is currently hanging above our airport!  Thank you Mr. Raj for spending a morning building with us! 

To help build on the students learning we were so lucky to welcome Captain Stephen Moore an Air Canada Pilot (and Dad to one of our students!) to our class.  He captivated the students and taught them so much.  We learned about; a pilots uniform, different planes, all the people that work at an airport and help a pilot, as well the importance of school.  We listened to a story, pretended to fly a plane, viewed a model airplane, and then got to take Captain Moore through our airport and onto our plane!  Below is a collection of some of the pictures taken during this valuable learning opportunity.  

This area of our classroom is still very popular.  Students have shown an interest in the world map and we are excited to see where our learning will go next!  To enhance our airport we are looking for a small child sized suitcase, digital scale, computer keyboard or pretend laptop.  If you have any of these items and would not mind lending them to our class we would be very appreciative.   

Caring Food Drive and Keep Olaf Warm

Anne Frank held its first Caring Food Drive just before the winter break, in which the Kindergarten classes played a very important role.   We could not be more proud of their hard work, commitment, and display of empathy.  Kindergarten students were responsible for counting food donations and then adding tally marks to class recording sheets.  Not only did our class put our math skills to practical use and donate a tremendous amount of food to those in need, they were also overheard discussing the reason behind the donations.  Students were heard saying: "I brought food for people who cannot buy their own food".  "I went to Sobey's  and picked out this food because some people don't have a lot of food".  "I feel happy because I am helping families".  "Look at all this food, I bet it will make lots of families feel good".  

Students continue to show the same empathy with our Keep Olaf Warm Campaign.  Thank you to everyone who has donated and for all the conversations you continue to have with your children to help them understand the reasoning behind these important initiatives.  

School Song

As a new school, we are so lucky to be able to collaborate and create a school song that encompasses all the important messages that we value.  All classes were invited to share their ideas for the song by recording them in the song diary.  Our class engaged in a discussion on Anne Frank, character traits and what makes someone a good friend/role model.  

Below are some pictures of our contribution to the song diary.  We can't wait to hear what Glenn Marais (singer/songwriter) and some AFPS students come up with!  

Mathematical Learning - Let's Tally!

Within our daily classroom activities we continue to work on early number concepts with students.  These concepts refer to the foundational skills students need in order to understand and work with numbers successfully.  However, during our focused math lessons we have been exploring tally charts.  

We have rolled dice and recorded the number of times that it landed on a particular number. 

We have surveyed the class and recorded using a tally chart some of our favourites.  Here is  a tally chart of our favourite colours.  We even interpreted the data and recorded our findings below.


Can you think of things to tally at home?  Students continue to work on carefully counting tally marks.  

Using Nature to Inspire Mathematical Learning

In this invitation for learning, students took leaves that were collected from outside and practiced sorting.  They then built on their knowledge and began to learn about data management.  This learning opportunity went further than Ms. Chand and I expected and we were so proud of the students learning.  

Students were provided with a basket of leaves, some coloured paper, and sticky notes. Working together they decided to sort the leaves.

    

While sorting R. realized that there was a leaf that had many colours. “It reminds me of a rainbow” he announced. He decided the rainbow leaf needed its own pile. Using sticky notes the group labelled the piles of leaves which they sorted by colour.

This group of students gathered together the following day to organize their leaves in a different way. These students were introduced to graphing. At the bottom of the chart paper they placed their sticky note labels. C. suggested “don’t put the sticky notes too close or the leaves will go on top of each other”. Each student secured their leaves to the chart paper and created a line up of their coloured leaves. Once finished A.O. commented “Wow! That is a lot of red leaves. I wonder how many there are”. A.O. then proceeded to count the red leaves. O. suggested they count all the leaves and record the number for each colour on the sticky note. A.B. recounted each row of leaves to ensure the correct number was recorded.

While reflecting on their work the group was able to answer questions such as: How many green/yellow/rainbow leaves? Which colour has the most leaves? Which colour has the least amount of leaves?  R. was quick to assist a friend in understanding that least meant the “smallest amount”. 

Nexus Tablets - Documenting our Learning

Our class is so lucky to be part of a pilot project through the board.  We are piloting the use of Nexus Tablets within the classroom.  So far, we have been teaching the students to navigate the tablets, take pictures, and use Google for a simple research task.  Within the FDK program so much of student learning is documented through photos.  Many students are asking to take pictures of their own work and do so with such care and pride.  When the students ask to take a picture of their work, we know that this is a work sample that they are particularly proud of and want to preserve.  Here are just a few examples of of the integration of technology in our daily classroom life.  

Why not print pictures taken during a family outing and have your child write about what is happening in the picture.  These pictures can be compiled to make a special journal!   

Patterning

We hope that you are all enjoying our new blog.  Today the students were talking about the blog and asking what else we would be posting.  Ms. Chand and I are so thrilled that they are motivated and excited to see their work online and share it with you at home!

We were asked by the students to post these videos that were taken during our focused math lesson today.  Students were divided into smaller groups and two of our JK students co-created and named these patterns. 

What other patterns can you make at home? 

A Glimpse Into Our Learning

Kindergarten is a wonderful and busy place.  We are constantly asking questions, wondering and making new discoveries.  Below are some collages of us in action. Hopefully these pictures will help to start a conversation or inspire you to try something new at home.  

Reading occurs all the time!  We read aloud and to each other, draw something that we have read about, explore our shared reading folders, and read around the room!  Reading nightly with your child and discussing what was read is beneficial to developing our young readers confidence and skills.  

Do you and your child have a favourite book to read? 

The best writing often occurs when our students are writing about something meaningful to them.  Within our class, writing occurs throughout the day.  We label boxes that need to be moved, write comic books about our favourite super heroes or make a plan for a structure we are about to build.  Writing can include different things such as; labelling a picture, making a list, writing a letter to a friend or family member or simply adding a sentence to a picture.  

Numbers, numbers, numbers!  We have been counting, practicing our 1:1 correspondence, representing numbers in various ways, and some students eagerly created simple addition sentences!  Students have worked on sorting, creating AB and ABC patterns.  While exploring with pattern blocks, a few students created some beautiful geometric designs.  Can you find any patterns at home or while on a walk outside?  Do you have any household items that need sorting? 

Students have really enjoyed creating self portraits, outdoor scenes and creative designs using loose parts.  Imagination and creativity have blossomed when students are engaged in this type of an activity.  Oral language is further developed here when students share what they are creating with one another or an educator.  Often after creating and conversing about their work, students will draw what they made and then write about it.  Orally brainstorming with the children helps generate their ideas to make the writing process easier for them.  

Hope that you have enjoyed a glimpse into our learning!        

Welcome

Welcome to our class blog!  As I begin this first post I can't help but to begin with how excited and thankful I am to be part of the opening of Anne Frank P.S.  It truly has been a wonderful journey so far and I cannot wait to see how the year continues to unfold.  

Watching the school being built from the ground up has been an interesting experience for all - our school has turned out beautifully.  However, my favourite part of the school is our spacious FDK classrooms that are just magnificent!  We are so lucky to have such amazing learning spaces to share with our youngest learners.  

Within our class we share the view of the Reggio Emilia Approach that values each child as strong, capable and resilient. Children are filled with wonder and knowledge, and each child brings with them deep curiosity and potential. Their natural curiosity is what drives children to understand the world and how they fit within it.  When setting up our new classroom we set out with this in mind.  We hoped to create a space that offered students the freedom to explore their interests, engage in activities that would spark new interests, and the opportunity to access necessary materials independently as they were needed.  

We continue to reflect on our classroom and add/change things as we observe how the students flow through the learning environment.  

Thank you for joining us on this journey through kindergarten where we will continue to be curious as we jump into exciting inquiries and play-based learning.