Playing in Soil, Shape Hunt and Duck Writing

Hi Parents! I'm so sorry it has been such a long time since I posted a blog. It has been a busy few weeks and from now until summer it is going to stay busy! 

Soil Sensory Table

Our sensory table is a favorite for choice time, but it has been extra popular this week as I added soil, fake plants and gardening tools the wrap up our plants unit. Students are able to get dirty, practicing planting and make some beautiful potted creations! They have become so invested they asked for popsicle sticks to make a fence (which I suggested could be planter boxes) and then they decided we should get some rocks to decorate with too.

Students digging in the soil.

A potted plant creation that a student made.

 Ducks Are Coming!

We have 7 days until our ducks are supposed to hatch! With that being said we have been learning and discovering all about ducks and preparing for when they hatch. In class we have looked inside of the eggs through candling to see the ducks moving and growing. Now we have changed the conversation to what will the ducks need when they hatch for us to take care of them. Here is some student writing about what the ducks will need. Their writing blows me away every time! We wrote the beginning "Our ducks are hatching in 8 days" together and the students did the rest! With some help of course ;) but they are becoming authors and it is wonderful to see!

Our ducks are hatching in 8 days. I think the ducks will need food and water.

Our ducks are hatching in 8 days. I think the ducks will need a heat lamp and a pond.

Shapes!

We are finishing off our math this year with shapes and measurement. First with students we talked about how shapes are a part of everything! Every object has a shape and we name those shapes to notice things that look the same and different. We did a hunt for shapes on our playground, you wouldn't believe how many shapes we found! Then in small groups students were assigned a shape and had to hunt for objects in magazines. This was a great team building exercise that made my heart melt. Students from one group would say "Hey I have a square for the square group." or "Here I cut out a circle for your group!" They were helping each other out and did some great work. Here are some pictures:

A student draws the circles and squares she found on the playground.

A student draws the half circle and triangles that she sees on the swing.

A student cuts out the bottom of a sink for a cylinder.

Students cut out a circle.

Two of the finished posters.

The next blog will probably have a few pictures of baby ducks! Or maybe a lot of pictures... no promises :)

Thanks for keeping up with all our fun in Kindergarten!

Smiles,

Miss Adams

Community Helpers Walking Field Trip

This week we wrapped up our community helpers unit by visiting 3 sites of community helpers! We visited the Orchid Clinic, the Eagle Fern Veterinary Hospital and Harvest Market. The kids loved it and were able to make great connections to what we learned! (I blurred out children's faces to protect their identities)

Orchid Clinic

On Tuesday we set off to see the Orchid Clinic. While at the clinic we talked about prevention of sickness and how doctors can help you when you are sick too. The kids got to check each other's ears and eyes (with help of course!) and they even got to listen to each others hearts and take each other's blood pressures! It was so adorable seeing the kids being the doctors! I know they enjoyed it too!

A student listens to a students pulse as they check her blood pressure.

A student listens to a peers heart.

A student looks in her dad's mouth!

Eagle Fern Veterinary Hospital

After going to see doctors that take care of people the students were so excited to see a doctor for animals! The students learned about taking care of their pets teeth, got to see how and where they take an animals x-ray as well as meeting the clinic cat pickles, a dog and a goat! 

Students meeting Pickles, the office cat!

The students getting to see the X-Ray station and looking at an X-Ray of a pregnant dog!

A student pets a goat!

Harvest Market

Finally we got to visit Thriftway, which is the one we talked about most! Students got to see where the produce came from (some came from out of the country!), they got to see how the workers at Thriftway stock the shelves, the back storage areas where they get deliveries and they got to see a truck delivering chips. It was great for the students to see all the pieces that come together to provide the grocery store with food for them to buy. Students even got to try their hand at checking out food! It was a fun end to our field trips!

The students hearing about where the fruit and vegetables come from.

A student scans a water at a check stand at Thrifway.

It was such a great week and a wonderful way to wrap up our unit. These next two weeks we will be finishing up our plants unit, and begin our adventure hatching Ducklings!

Smiles,

Miss Adams