The Beginning of Our Inquiries

What a GREAT start to our NEW school year!

This week my focus was to get to know the students and learn about their interests.  The Full-Day Learning Kindergarten Program at Prince Edward is inquiry and play based.  The majority of our learning projects are student driven, also known as Emergent Learning.


Here are two excellent examples of the students' inquiries:

1. Our teaching team noticed the girls were interested in styling each other's hair.  They would pretend to be at a 'Hair Salon', take turns being the hairstylist and customer, and use items around the room as their props.  Eventually, two of the SK girls suggested making a Hair Salon in the classroom.  Together they made a sign and gathered furniture from around the room, and created a list of items that were needed.  They sounded out the words together using 'best guess spelling'.

On Thursday, getting your hair styled was very popular in the classroom. 

Both girls and boys visited the centre repeatedly.   

2.   Caillou - My First Vacation


A student brought this book in as her favourite read aloud.  The story is about a little boy who is going on vacation and taking an airplane for the first time.  The book also discusses the role of the flight attendant and the pilot.  I expected to follow up the story with a mini-discussion about the students summer vacations.  However, the students were eager to share what they want to be when they grow up.   Teachers employing Emergent Learning, must always be flexible and listen to their students.

This is what they said,
Elijah - "Policeman"
Lucas M - "Policeman"
Haven-Taylor- "Animal Doctor"
Kyiah - "Mommy and a teacher"
Selma - "Soccer player"
Cristian - "Police car"
Tyson-Jamal - "Construction Worker"
Kaylo - "Firefighter"
Noah - "Policeman"
Laila - "Mermaid"
Ella B - "Policeman"
Izabel - "Policeman"
Cameron M - "Race Car Driver"
Ahmad - "Batman"
Cameron H - "Police Officer"
Rowan - "Doctor"

   I learned our class will sure be safe with all of the future Police Officers!!!

Thank you to all the parents and students who brought in their 'favourite read alouds'.

A FEW OTHER EXCITING MOMENTS CAPTURED

 A pattern using Lego.

This JK student made two towers. She said, "My second one is much bigger!"

Painting - Remember it is the PROCESS not the PRODUCT

Students are always so proud of their pictures. 

When students bring home their ART, ask them to tell you about their picture. 

(9 times out of 10 they will have a story to share!!)

Puzzles

Following instructions on how to draw...

Fine Motor - Play dough

Play dough has many benefits for out Early Learners.

·         It’s fun.

·         Helps to strengthen little fingers, hands and wrists. 

·         It is one of the best open ended toys   (it can be anything - food, animals, bowls, shapes etc.) 

·         It helps to foster your child's imagination. 

·         It helps children develop self esteem -there is no right or wrong.  Children have opportunities to gain mastery over their environment. 

·         It is a great release for tension or angry feelings - squeezing, punching, poking are all acceptable if done to playdough.

At home, please continue to practise printing your child's name with him or her.

MONDAY -- a WOW day of LEARNING

WOW Learning!!!

During outside play, some boys were fixing cars using tools as sticks.

Cameron said, 'i'm changing the battery."

Alkion said,"look I made a heart."

Ashton's house

Gracie's fabulous painting

Lydia showed Ms. Palmer with excitement and said, "Look, what I can do."

She was so proud of herself!

Can't wait to see what other great things will be happening at Prince Edward this week!!

Spring Inquiry

"To a young child, the world is full of materials to touch, discover, and explore. To find, collect, sort, and use material is to embark on a special kind of adventure. For adults, gathering materials means rediscovering the richness and beauty in natural, unexpected, and recyclable objects that are all around us, but not often unnoticed.”

(Weisman Topal & Gandini, 1999)

During March Break we asked you look for signs of Spring with your child.

Many students have brought in signs of spring. 
We have had buds from trees, spiders, worms, 6 potato bugs and 3 snails.

We are still encouraging students to bring in pieces of nature, photographs and drawings of the signs of spring. More importantly, if your child has any questions, please write them down for the class to discuss and further investigate.

In the classroom, Ms. Palmer brought in an mystery object she found in her garden.  We asked the students what they thought it was.  After they investigated the object they made guesses.

The student predictions are listed below.
Natasha - flower
Danny - tomato
Kyiah - house bugs
Yohanna - bone
Gracie - tomato
Lydia - tomato
Ariel - flower
Ella - mushroom
Cheyenne - pumpkin

Our mystery object is a lily bulb that will be planted in the classroom for the students to watch, help take care of and learn about. 

Field Trip

Thank you to all the parents for joining us and helping out with our field trip to Winstar Gymnastics and Jumping Party!!  Our trip was a huge success, the students were smiling ear to ear!

This is what they had to say about it.....

Gracie - "I liked when we were jumping."
Haven Taylor - "I liked jumping on the castle."
Bryson - "My favourite was the fast slide."
Elijah - "My favourite part was the rings."
Demar- "I liked to play on the bicycle."
Andre - "I liked the blowing up slide."
Lucas - " My favourite was the trampoline and jumping."
Ariel - "I liked when I slide down."
Cameron - "I liked the castle blowing up."

Here are a few pictures to share your child's experience. 

Snow Inquiry

Our students REALLY enjoyed playing in the snow during the outdoor play time. Mrs. Kelly and a few students decided it would be a great idea to explore snow inside the classroom. A few students went outside to bring snow into the school.

Snow was explored in Mrs. Kelly's room and Mrs. Taylor's room.

In Mrs. Kelly's room, the students were interested in the fact that the texture of the snow had changed now that we had brought it into our classroom. While we were playing outside, the snow was light and fluffy. We tried to build snowmen, but we couldn't form large enough balls with the snow. Inside the classroom, the students noticed that the snow was heavier and that we could form it into shapes.

Brooke said, "I made a triangle pizza."

 
Dalida said, "I made a little snowman."

After lunch, we noticed that the science table was now filled with water. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR SNOW? 

Trenton said, "It melted."

Aaliyah said, "It turned into a liquid because it is too, too hot in our school."

In Mrs. Taylor's room, Harmony and Maggie were interested in changing the colours of the snow. Blue, yellow and orange were added.

The friends in the water table wanted to dump the snow into the water table. We made predictions of what they thought would happen.

Lucas said, "The snow would melt".

Alex said, "The water would freeze up".

Lydia said, "All of it would turn into ice."

Elijah said, "The cars would get stuck in there."

Lucas also added, "The snow would melt because we are in the school."

Finally, after many predictions, Alex said very excitedly, "LET'S TEST IT!"

What the student's noticed --

Lucas said,"It's turning green!"

Lydia replied, "It's changing colours. The water is colder."

It was only a few minutes before all the snow melted in the warm water.

What happened to the snow?

Lucas said, "I don't see any ice. No more snow. It melted."

Our students enjoyed bringing the snow into the classroom.  During our next outdoor play period the students asked to bring in small chucks of ice into the classroom to watch it melt.  So we did!!!

The chunks of ice took much longer to melt in the water table, and the water was very cold.  Gracie said, "Her hands were like ice cubes -- freezing!!!"  

　

　

　
SCIENCE Curriculum Expectations:

2.1 pose questions before and during investigations

2.2 make predictions and observations before and during investigations

2.3 select and use materials to carry out their own explorations

2.4 communicate results and finding from individual and group investigations

Have you Filled a Bucket today?

We started this week off with one of the best-selling, picture books-

Have you Filled a Bucket today?

Written by Carol McCloud

and

Written by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer

This idea has become an excellent teaching tool that encourages positive behavior as children see how very easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation, and love on a daily basis.  During the story, children learn the meaning of the terms, bucket filling and bucket dipping and discover that when they fill someone's bucket, they fill their own.

Already our students have expressed when they buckets are being filled and times when their buckets are being emptied.

Student's Voice

Joel - "Mrs. Kelly filled me and my friends buckets."
Jamie - "Madison played with me outside."
Hailee - "Dounia was playing with me."



At home, if your child is using this language please refer to some of the key terms or check out the websites below for more clarification.
http://www.bucketfillers101.com/index.php
Interview with author -- Carol McCloud



Key Terms

What is the "bucket"?The bucket represents your feelings.

How do you feel when your bucket is full?When your bucket is full, you feel more confident, happy, patient, and friendly. Your thoughts are positive, your happiness that can spread to those around you. Have you ever felt better after someone gave you a friendly smile or happy grin? This is the "ripple effect" of a full bucket.

How do you feel when your bucket is empty?When your bucket is empty you can easily become sad.  An empty bucket can affect your behavior and cause you to express your emotions in a way that empties the buckets of those around you.

What is Bucket Filling?KIND actions or words.
For example, smiling, helping, and respecting others.

A portion of the class chant.

What is Bucket Dipping?Saying or doing unkind things.
For example, making fun of someone, hands on, refusing to help someone, or bullying.

Have you filled someone's bucket today?

Dancing Around the World

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      As a part of The Arts in the The Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program, we enjoy dancing together, listening to different songs and learning dances from around the world.

Greek Heritage
Mrs. Calfas brought in hand-made traditional Greek costume- 'Amalia' to show the students.  

She taught us a traditional dance called the "Kalamatiano".

Here are some of the other dances the students enjoyed today.

"Follow the Leader" by Soca

"The Limbo" 

Curriculum Expectations
Music
M4.2 respond to music from various cultures, including their own (e.g., folk dances, Aboriginal chants, songs in different languages)
Drama and Dance
D 2.1 explore different elements of dance(e.g., rhythm, space, shape)
D 4.1 express their responses to drama and dance (e.g., moving and making connections to their experiences with dance, by talking about drama and dance

Student's Voice
Savannah - "My favourite part was dancing to 'Follow the Leader'."
Lydia - "I liked to dance to 'Follow the Leader'."
Arial - "My favourite is the same as Lydia."
Kyiah - "I liked Soca."
Cheyenne - "I liked dancing with my hat today."
Alex - "I liked watching Chatyon and his mom dancing all dressed up."
Lucas - " I liked it when we held our hands together."



                                 

Celery Experiment

Celery Experiment 

Materials - jars, food colouring, celery, water, light table (optional)

Question - "What will happen to the celery when we place it into the jars with coloured water?"

The majority of our friends predicted, "The celery sticks will change colour."

At 12:10 p.m., we placed the celery sticks into the jars.

The next morning, we noticed the tubes in the celery sticks had changed.  

Student's Voice - 

"Cool," Alex said with amazement.

Lydia replied, "Wow!"

Next time, we are going to try this experiment with celery that still has leaves on it.