Brrrrrr... It's cold outside!

Happy New Year to the Kindergarten families at SCOPE Academy! I hope everyone had a magical holiday and spent your days with fun, laughter and joy. My favorite part of my break was spending time with my family and friends, and of course sipping hot cocoa by a warm fire :) Monday and Tuesday are NOT required online school days but are official severe weather days. If your child is missing school activities, here are a few ideas that I know will keep your child engaged!

1. Spread shaving cream on the table and have your child practice writing their sight words in the cream!
2. Pour a cup of milk into a bowl. Then squeeze 2 drops of red food coloring at the top of the bowl, yellow at the bottom, and blue at the opposite side (to form a triangle.) I squeezed a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid into the middle of the bowl, and observe the changes!
3. Subtraction bowling! Set up a bowling ally in your hall way by using plastic cups as the pins. Have your child roll a small bowl down the hallway. Remind your child of how many pins they started with, how many pins they knocked down, and how many pins they are left with.
4. Have an indoor snowball fight! Have your child write sight words on a piece of white paper. Crumple the papers up and on the count of 3...... 1....2....3   THROW! After the paper has been thrown, you and your child find a snowball and open it up. Your child reads the sight word. Use the same snowballs over again so your child can become fluent with those words!
5. If your child wants to relax by the computer, try these programs!

• Starfall.com
• abcya.com

Remember, these are just suggestions, not requirements!

Looking forward to seeing the children on Wednesday! It has been FAR to long! Stay safe and warm!

- Mrs. Bowen :)

Holiday Fun - JibJab Style!

As part of our Music/Technology class this week, we made some JibJab videos. After watching (and getting a good laugh from) the one's that I made for them, the students all used the iPads to create their own!

Avery, Rook, CJ, Drew and Luke

Aurora, Gabriel and Evan

Lucia, Isaac, Sarah, Jadon and Sam

Mackenzie, Sophia, Riley, Nina and Kaiden

I hope you enjoy them, and have a great Winter Break, a merry Christmas, happy New Year and any other holidays that you and your family may celebrate!

Oh, the many things we do.....

     The other day, the children and I took a nature walk outside. It is so nice to go outside and get some fresh air everyday. Not knowing what we might find, we zipped up our coats, grabbed our clipboards, and headed outside. Sure enough, one of the first things we found was fresh celery in our garden! The children noticed that many of the other plants and flowers were crumpled over and dead, but the celery looked so green and crisp. Kaiden, Sophia and a few other students used a shovel to help harvest the celery. We were going to eat the celery for a snack that day, but Aurora had a better idea! Why not put peanut butter and raisins on the celery to make "ants on a log?" What a fantastic and healthy idea! The next day, the children experienced what it means to work as a team to get a task accomplished. The class and I traveled to the kitchen and every child had a job. Jobs included cutting the celery, washing and drying, spreading the peanut butter, and putting the raisins on the celery. It was fun to see the children form an assembly line and work together as a team. They were all very proud of the job they had, and they completed it wonderfully! The ending product tasted so yummy. Nina and CJ even tried the ants on a log even though they thought they didn't like celery... but they loved it! Children are more likely to eat vegetables that they grow and harvest themselves, so this is a great time to start thinking of spring gardening in your own home!

 

Above (top:) Sophia harvests the fresh, crisp celery.

Above (left:) Luke, Avery, and Sophia work hard at spreading the peanut butter and placing the raisins on the celery.

Above (right:) Riley and Gabriel take turns cutting the edges off the celery.

 

Something else that I would like to tell you about is our collaborative melted crayon art project.  Here is how the project developed: It was one sunny afternoon and the students needed plenty of table space to complete a project. They moved their pencil and crayon containers on the windowsill to give themselves more room. Soon after, the crayons were melting due to the sun! What could also melt crayons? This lead into a discussion about other sources of heat and what makes things hot. The children believe that if you put crayons in an oven, they will melt. Charles believes that if we would place crayons in a desert, they would melt because "it is hot in the desert." We talked about another source of heat... the hair dryer! For art that week, the children planned and designed a night and day portrait out of peeled crayons. This fit perfectly into the curriculum, for the children have been investigating day and night. The beautiful night portrait includes stars, the black sky, and a moon. The day portrait is of a sun shining down on a blue, wavy ocean.  When the hair dryer was turned on, the children loved watching the crayon melt throughout the masterpiece. We talked about how the crayon started off as a solid, turned into a liquid due to the heat, and then turned back into a solid. The portraits are displayed in the hallway, so make sure to stop by and take a look at the works of art!

Above (Left:) Mackenzie, Lucia, Sam, and Kaiden design the "day" portrait.
Above (Right:) The children are amazed as they watch their art come to life!


 Here is a link teaching you how to complete a melted crayon art portrait with your child. The ending product is amazing and is something you will have forever!

PS- Here is a tip: Do you have a lot of crayons laying around your house? Do you have broken crayons that your child never uses? Reuse those crayons in this project instead of buying a new pack!

http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Melted-Crayon-Art/345

"Mrs. Bowen, it's snowing!!"

Hi Families!

       The students could not have been MORE excited to see snow falling on the ground this week. One by one, they would enter the classroom wanting to tell me all about the snow, their car ride, and how they would be going sled riding after school. Disregarding my original morning plans, the students bundled back up and we took a nature walk. They took their cameras out and took photographs of the beautiful snow-filled trees and bushes. The children noticed the puddles in the parking lot, which led into a discussion about the sun. The children made their observations and we compared the weather patterns that have been occurring.
       The children have been investigating the difference between day and night. What are the objects found in the sky during the day and night? Why is it light outside during the day? What are the different animals we might see during the day and night? The children have had a blast learning about nocturnal and diurnal animals. They used clay, paint, and pipe cleaners to represent a nocturnal and diurnal animal, and have been working hard at their first "play." The play will teach other classes about nocturnal and diurnal animals. Luke has been so kind to take the role as our narrator, and the other students are taking the role as the animals. Nina made a mask of a pig, Charles made a mask of a fox, Sophia made a mask of a lamb, and Aurora made a mask of a mouse. They are having fun acting their part and making their puppet creations come alive!

Above (Left:)  Drew, Charles, and Sam show off their nocturnal animal masks! 

Above (Right:) Luke, Aurora, Mackenzie, Isaac, and Lucia work together on the collaborative day/night mural

The children are learning to be brave and sound out those "scary" words. They are learning strategies to hear past the first sound. I have demonstrated how writers decide what they will write, isolate the first word, say it and stretch it out, write the first sound, reread it, and listen for more sounds until the word is satisfactorily represented on the page. The children know that an alphabet chart can help them locate letters for sounds they have not yet internalized. Each child has their own alphabet chart nestled in their writing folders for easy access.

Other Photos:












 Above (Left:) Avery was kind enough to let her chickens come to school! The children were thrilled! Luke, among many others, now wants to live on a farm.
Above (Right:) Mr. Morber did a terrific job as our mystery reader today. He read a book about bats, which fit perfectly in with our nocturnal animal investigation! Thank you, Mr. Morber!

For another activity to do with your child, check out this one! They recently created animal sculptures using clay, so this will be a great extension!

http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2012/11/turkey-pinch-pots.html

Enjoy! Thank you for all your support! 

 

Hi Everyone! Happy Saturday and Happy November!

Well, the children's puppetry project is underway! It all started from when the children were showing interest with playing, making, and watching puppets. However, they would create and use the puppets without a purpose. That is where I come in! The children are learning how to create characters from puppets, as well as retell stories using their creations. The children have been engaged with making stick and bag puppets, but it is not over yet! Not having any place to perform, the children brainstormed different ways to create a puppet theater. Aurora had the idea of making the theater out of a big box, and then cutting a hole in the front. They problem solved where the theater should go. Thinking that the box could go in front of our word wall, Sam brought up the point that it would cover up the words and it is not enough space to get around and enter the box. The children have had so much fun designing the puppet theater. They have covered the box with big, black paper, and have helped cutting the window out. How will they get in you ask? The children want to cut a door in the back, as well as hang lights, add curtains, and add the backdrop, or setting, for the show. Teaching about the elements of a good story right now is important, for the children are beginning to create their own books. The elements of a story include the characters, setting, problem and solution, and the beginning, middle, and end. I am also teaching the children that characters can be more then just people, but they can also be things and animals. The children are in the middle of making their own "Grouchy Ladybug" book, though they are adding their own special twist. For instance, Gabriel is writing about "The Angry Fox," Charles is writing about "The Angry Tiger," Nina is writing about "The Lonely Fish," and Kaiden is writing about "The Enthusiastic Fish." What wonderful titles! The children love to think about themselves as an author, and all it takes is a pencil and a few pieces of paper stapled together.
Below: Sam is helping Mrs. Bowen by clearing the space where our puppet theater went! Luke is busy taping the paper to the box. Nina is working on tracing letters to make the title for our puppet show.

The children have also been interested in the idea of frost. They were so excited one morning because they saw a lot of frost on the ground and on leaves during our nature walk. But what exactly is frost? When does frost go away? The children are beginning to investigate this concept. In the morning we made predictions on whether or not the frost would still be there by the time of recess. Eight children said it would be gone, and eight children thought it would still be there. Sure enough, we went out to the same spot the children saw the frost to see if it was still there and it wasn't! They are wondering why it is gone, as well as why frost forms on some leaves but not on all leaves.

Above: The children examine the exact spot where they had seen frost earlier that morning!

In math, the children are learning how to write their numbers correctly. To help at home, here are the chants that I am teaching them:
Zero: "Curve from the top: be a hero! Close the loop and make a zero."
One: "Top to the bottom....then you're done. You just made the number one!"
Two: "Half a moon, there's more to do; slide to the right, now that's a two!"
Three: "Backwards C, backwards C, and that is how you make a three!"
Four: "Trace down the side, cross the middle for fun. Top to bottom, and you are done!
Five: "Trace down the side, curve like that; back to the dot and make a hat!"
Six: Monkey's tail needs a fix! Come on, let's make a six!"
Seven: "Across the sky and down from heaven, that is how we make a seven!"
Eight: "Make and S and do not stop, go right back up and an eight you've got!"
Nine: "A hoop and a line, that is how we make the number nine!"

Reminder about snack: Parents, please do not send candy for snack. I know it was Halloween and you have an overload of candy at your home, but our school promotes healthy and nutritious snacks. Also, please limit snack to one snack only. The children take a very long time when they have more than one snack to eat.

I am sure you have been doing many fall activities with your child, but here is a yummy recipe that gets your child in the kitchen! http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Easy-Crock-Pot-Applesauce/424

- Mrs. Bowen

Greetings Families! I hope that everyone is having a fun and relaxing day off from school. I am currently at school right now staring at 5 empty tables, and yes, it sure is quiet here, but I do miss those faces!

 Teaching the children writing is something I am very passionate about. I love how excited they get and how much they look forward to writers workshop. I have been helping the children persevere in the face of difficulty. They have been working on spelling as well as on drawing with detail, and I am teaching them that it is a sad day when a writer doesn't write what he or she wants to say because of worry that something is hard to draw or spell.  Writing bravery and perseverance are qualities that are not learned overnight; many students will take longer than a day to internalize them. Little by little, as both you and I offer support and encouragement, the students will begin to take more risks. They will be able to keep trying, rather then quitting on their writing. I am really trying to get the children to tell stories through their illustrations, and not just looking at it as "drawing a picture." When at home, use language such as "what story are you writing today?" or "what is an easy way to let your readers know what this is?"

In language arts, the children have been working on re-telling a story by pulling out the important parts from the beginning, middle, and end. I like to use a hamburger to help children visualize this. The top bun is the beginning, the meat and cheese are the middle, and the bottom bun is the end! A hamburger would no be a hamburger without all those parts, and that is the same with stories! All good stories have a beginning, middle, and end, and as good readers, it is our job to decide what the important parts are of the story. During this upcoming week, the children will be making their own puppets to re-tell the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." The children have also been learning about characters in stories. They created their own characters out of art and recycled materials. Before they
got started, they made a plan of their characters and how they want it to look. Then, they collected all their materials in their character bags. In the next coming weeks, they will be writing their story using the character they created as the main character. Here are some examples of the characters that will be in their stories:

Sam: Jack the Alligator
Avery: Repunzel
Sophia: A magical mermaid
Gabriel: A ninja
Drew: A one-spotted ladybug
Riley: A lion
Mackenzie: A princess
Evan: A boy (who will driving a car)
CJ: An alligator
Kaiden: Ninja Kaiden
Aurora: A girl
Lucia: A lady bug
Nina: Herself
Rook: Pete the Cat
Issac: A ladybug
Sarah: A unicorn
Jadon: A ladybug
Luke: A unicorn

In math, the children learned about comparing heights and finding hidden numbers within numbers. This is a concept that I could use your help with! It is a very vital concept for the children to understand. Hidden numbers are two numbers that make up a number. For example, if I have 5 cubes
 linked together, I can pull the cubes apart to find the hidden partners. The numbers might be 2 and 3 or 4 and 1. This concept gets the children to understand that when two numbers are put together, it makes a new number. The students who understand this concept are ready to dig deeper with addition!

We are very fortunate, for we have three University of Akron student teachers involved in our classroom! Miss Liz teaches us Spanish once a week, and Miss Huddle and Miss Jeffrey are engaged with our learning twice a week. They even taught their first lesson to us the other day! Miss Jeffrey introduced the children to coins, and Miss Huddle took us on a leaf hunt, and then we came back and graphed the different leaves that we found. The children are responding very well to the new teachers, and get very excited when one walks through the door.

Last week, the children showed the school how truly talented they are! They had their first performing arts show, and it went amazing! They LOVED being on stage and performing for the entire school. It gave them something to be proud of, which is something that I hope they feel everyday at school. I am providing the video for you to watch. Enjoy!

Personalize your own slideshow design

Last note: Parent/teachers conferences are next week! Your conference is either scheduled for Thursday, October 24th or Friday,  October 25th. Please let me know if you need a reminder of when your conference is scheduled.  Friday, October 25th is the second online school day. The children do not report to school, however there will be something on Edmoto for them to complete.

Enjoy this beautiful, fall weekend with your families! The children have been telling me many stories of apple and pumpkin picking, drinking apple cider, and even traveling to different cities to visit family!  Each week, I will be giving you an idea to do with your family over the weekend. Of course it is not mandatory, but it is just a suggestion! This weekend, why don't you make pumpkin play dough with your little one? Here is a link to the recipe:

http://www.theidearoom.net/2009/11/pumpkin-spice-playdough.html

Have fun!

Calling All Chefs!

 Dear Families,
 Thank you to all the families who came to the Fall Harvest Festival! It is one of the most magical evenings for the children, and they continue to look forward to it year after year. The Kindergarteners had a lot of fun preparing for the festival. They decided they wanted to make corn muffins to share. That was the first cooking project we had, and it went great! They got to wear real aprons which they loved. Before we started cooking, we looked at the recipe and talked about what recipes are, what they include, and why it was so important to follow directions when they are cooking. The children also wanted to decorate our classroom with pumpkins and leaves. I value their thinking and eagerness to create, so they did just that! Sam wanted to hang the leaves on string so it looked like they were "falling." Take a look at the pictures below to see our chefs in action!

 The students are learning what strategies are and how they can make us better readers, writers, and mathematicians. They are "reading closely" and trying to pick out the most important part of the book. We read the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. We talked about how it wasn't very important to know what kind of food he was eating, but it was more important to know that caterpillars (and all animals and insects) need food in order to grow! In this case, the caterpillar needed to eat so it can turn into a beautiful butterfly! The students also had a very special afternoon on Friday, for the first graders came over to our room and read with them. They were SO excited and they got along great with the other children. Now, because the first graders filled our buckets, the students want to do something nice for them!

The students have been busy learning the skills needed to have neat handwriting. Correct pencil grip is something that I have been working on with the children, so please encourage them to hold their pencil the correct way at home. Please see the link below if you need a reminder as well! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM_dia8QGr0

The children have been showing me a deep interest in puppets, for they love to make puppets and they love to watch puppets! Next week, the children will be engaging in puppet projects, all while learning Kindergarten curriculum standards such as retelling stories and comparing and contrasting the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. I can't wait to see where this project leads next! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

- Mrs. Bowen :)