UPCOMING DATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Monday, August 25th is our first full day of school. Classroom doors will open at 8:20 am. Before care is available starting at 7:30 am in the gym. Dismissal begins at 3:00 pm, with After Care available until 5:00 pm.
Hello SK Families!
“One small step into the classroom is a giant leap into adventure.” 24 new little feet walked through the Senior Kindergarten doors this week and we watched as new adventures and possibilities began to take root under those little feet as they made new friends, met new teachers, played and explored! It was a beautiful start to the school year and we cannot wait to leap head first into the adventures they lead us on.
On Wednesday we read the book “Mae’s First Day of School” As Mae’s first day of school approaches she decides she IS. NOT. GOING. School is scary! What if the other kids don’t like her? Or what if she’s the only one who doesn’t know how to write? Or what if she misses her mom? Mae’s anxiety only builds as she walks to school. But then, she meets Rosie and Ms. Pearl who also have the same fears. Through that, they find friendship and confidence to take on the school year! We then asked the children to share how they were feeling about the first day of school… here are what a few of them had to say:
Emma – “I feel a little sleepy, but very excited!”
Kipton – “I feel happy about being back”
Lola – “I feel excited!”
Addison – “I feel excited to meet new friends”
Rory – “I’m really excited to be here and learn about new things, like water!”
Sophia – “I’m a little nervous but happy!”
Miss Hanna and Miss Arden shared how excited we are for the school year, but, also nervous as we start out in a new classroom together! They were shocked and more at ease to find out that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still feel nervous and scared!
We used our classroom time to explore different areas and centers such as light table, where they built sculptures with light tubes and squealed with excitement as they tried to keep the structures upright on a rotating mirror. Others gravitated towards art. Our walls are already becoming adorned with sweet pictures and notes from our little friends! Some chose house center, sipping tea, rocking babies and cooking the most delicious meals. Our outdoor area and playground were also a fan favorite as they built houses with blocks and milk crates, played hopscotch, ran in circles and swung as high as the clouds!
On Thursday we read the story “Our Class is a Family” and had a beautiful discussion on what makes a family and what we can do at our school to make us feel like a family. We talked about respect and what that looks like. They told us that respect is being kind to our classmates, cleaning up our classroom spaces, taking turns whether it’s with toys or with our words and ideas. We said caring and safety were also other ways to feel more like a family and what that looks like at school. We can’t wait to delve deeper into this in the coming week as we create our classroom promise for the year.
We wrapped up the week talking about routines. We asked the children if they knew what a routine was and Wendell shared with us that “It’s something you do every single day.” We read then read the book “Creature of Habit” by Jennifer E. Smith. This story walked us through the day in the life of the very large creature who does the same thing every day begins to find his world disrupted when he meets a very small creature who doesn’t have a routine. Through kindness, respect and flexibility the two creatures become friends adapting to a routine but learning to bend and adapt when things don’t always go as planned, and while not everything will be something you want to do, you can learn something new and find magic in places you didn’t expect, just like at school! We discussed what our days will begin to look like as we transition into full days. The children were then invited to help us create their classroom schedule/routine and calendar. They seemed very excited to begin their new routines!
We are looking forward to spending our days laughing, growing, learning and creating magical moments with your children this year and we can’t thank you enough for trusting us with them.
Have a wonderful weekend with our newest friends!
Miss Arden & Miss Hanna
First Day of School Pictures!
DAILY DISCOVERY & EXPLORATIONS:
