We Love You, Miss Robinson!

My student teaching experience is almost here!  It is bittersweet because I have to leave twenty awesome Kindergarteners to fulfill my U of R requirement.  I have received soooooo many gifts, kind words, and support from both the students and parents.  They created a special departure book for me called, We Love You Miss Robinson.  Where's the Kleenex?!

Literacy Work Stations

Students started literacy work stations and they absolutely loved it!  The stations were as follows:


Station I. Environmental Print
Students used our "I Can Read" bulletin board to draw environmental print that they recognized.


Station II. Word Wall
Students used our Word Wall to make words using magnetic letters.  Students really enjoyed creating their names!


Station III. Awesome Alphabet Chart
Students sorted different pictures, according to beginning sounds.


Station IV. Play-Doh Letters
Students created all of the letters we have studied thus far by using Play-Doh.


Station V. Stamps
Students used stamps to practice spelling this quarter's word wall words.

For more literacy station ideas, click here.  Check out the Flexible Small Groups Reading Folder Kit and the book, Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work.  Debbie Diller is the literacy station guru!

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, the students shared three cooking experiences. First, students used apples and Froot Loops to create Apple Turkeys.  The students enjoyed showcasing their AB, ABC, and AABB patterning skills on the feathers! 

Next, students learned about Squanto, a Native American who helped the Pilgrims plant different crops.  They made Squanto cups that contained different items needed to grow corn.  They used Oreos for dirt, a Goldfish cracker for fertilizer, candy corn for corn, and whipped cream for snow. 

Last, students enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast where they sampled pumpkin pie, cranberries, and popcorn.  Students also made butter and created miniature turkeys out of Oreo cookies.  Yum!

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Students listened to the story, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.  They enjoyed the sound effects such as the "Clomp, Clomp" of the shoes and the one pair of pants that went "Wiggle, Wiggle!"  After the story, students designed their own mini-booklets.  Also, students were able to see a life-size scarecrow made from construction paper.  We had a blast!

For more information on this book, click here.

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry...

Students listened to the story, When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry.  This story is about a little girl who becomes angry after her little sister takes her favorite toy, a stuffed gorilla.  Sophie's mother informed her that it was her sister's turn to play with the animal.  Sophie immediately is irate and wants to "smash the world to smithereens."  After kicking, screaming, and running into the woods, Sophie becomes calm.  Students used this book as a basis for an illustration in which they drew a time when they were angry.

For more information about the book and the author, click here.

Halloween Festivities

Students celebrated Halloween all day long!  First, they created edible pumpkins using caramel-flavored rice cakes, M&Ms, raisins, and pretzels.  Students also created skeletons using noodles and macaroni.  LeAnn's mom helped students to create Spider Pops. Additionally, students made Halloween-inspired necklaces using yarn, beads, and paper pumpkins.  This was the perfect opportunity for them to showcase their patterning skills!  Last, but certainly not least, the students carved a pumpkin (thanks to Ms. Goins who is the supreme pumpkinista)!
Materials Needed for the Edible Pumpkins:

• Pretzel Sticks
• Orange Icing
• M&Ms
• Raisins
• Caramel-flavored Rice Cake

Materials Needed for the Pasta Skeleton:

• Elbow Macaroni
• Fettucine Noodles
• Black Construction Paper
• Glue

Materials Needed for the Spider Pops:

• Tootsie Roll Pop
• Pipe Cleaners (4)
• Wiggly Eyes

Materials Needed for the Pumpkin Carving:

• Battery-Operated Pumpkin Carver (Wal-Mart, $4.97 [batteries not included])
• Scooper
• Large Bowl
• Creativity

Chesterfield Goes to College Week

This week, students celebrated Chesterfield Goes to College Week.  It is a new county-wide initiative to promote the acquisition of post-secondary educations.  All classes had to participate in a door decorating contest.  Our class dedicated its door to my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University (the best university)!  Go Rams! 

The kindergarteners colored rams and placed them on our door amongst fabulous pictures of  the school's campus, logo and VCU's basketball team (yeah, Final Four).

The following are great ways to discuss college to elementary students:

In-Class Discussion Ideas

• Talk to students about your college experiences (Where did you go? What did you study? What was your most difficult class?  What did you enjoy the most?  What was it like to live in a dorm?  Did you travel while in collge?  How did you pay for college?)
• Provide students with an opportunity to share college goals in a classroom discussion.

Writing

• Use college as a theme for a writing prompt.  (My favorite college is...; When I go to college, I want to study...)

Math

• Graph students' favorite colleges or plans of study.

Social Studies

• Put Virginia colleges on a map!  This is a great activity for 4th grade since students are studying the regions of Virginia.