UPCOMING DATES & ANNOUCEMENTS:
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
- Fall Break – Friday, October 3rd – Monday, October 6th
- Tuesday, October 7th – Classes Resume
- Friday, October 10th – Special Persons Day: See Below to RSVP!
- Mark your calendars for Van-toberfest, October 18th! (Raffle tickets are in student folders!)
- 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!
Everything has been “bugging” us in SK this week, in a good way! We continued to delve into the fascinating world of insects!
On Monday, we read Hey, Little Ant, a story that allowed for a thoughtful conversation in our classroom. The dialogue between the little girl and the tiny ant encouraged the children to think about kindness, caring, and respect for both animals and people. Together, we explored what it means to “put ourselves in someone else’s shoes,” practicing empathy and seeing the world from different perspectives.
In SEL this week, we continued this work by following Munchy and Jumpy as they explored the importance of having a mindful body. The children discovered that when our bodies are calm and aware, it helps everyone feel safe and ready to learn. We also noticed that when our bodies are not mindful, it can affect others, just like our words can. This gave us an opportunity to practice self-awareness, empathy, and respect for our classroom community.
In Phonics this week, some of our children learned a brand new sound: /kw/ made by the famous letter team QU. As we like to say, “there is no Q without U they’re stuck together like glue!” According to Bradford “It’s a little sus they can’t be without each other!”
Other groups reviewed the /f/ sound and practiced blending words. Across the board, the children are becoming expert word segmenters, proudly “pulling apart” words into their syllables. Try testing them at home by asking how many syllables are in words or by blending simple sounds together. We are blown away by how quickly they are growing as readers and thinkers!
Did you know insects can inspire both math and abstract thinking? As we continue investigating bugs and their bodies, the children became curious about the patterns and symmetry we notice on insects.
During Math, the children used loose parts to design their own caterpillar bodies, creating ABB, AAB, and ABA patterns. This led us to wonder, insects aren’t just patterned, they’re symmetrical too, much like our own faces!
So what do you do when you’re in Kindergarten? You turn those precious little faces into symmetrical works of art! After taking portraits of each child, we cut them in half. The children were baffled and giggling at the silliness of seeing only half of their face.
Kipton -“Why did you cut our faces!?”
Rory – “It looks so funny, like I’m disappearing!”
Bodhi – “This is crazy, where did the other half of my face go!?”
Stylee – “Now it looks like me again!”
Then, they carefully drew the other half to complete the symmetry.
Stylee – “Now it looks like me again!”
To stretch their imaginations even further, the children wondered what insect they might be, adding playful details like antennaes and “bug ears” to their portraits.
Noah – “I’m a butterfly now!”
Stay tuned as we continue our exploration of insect bodies and discover the other two parts that make up their symmetry!
On Thursday we had a special visitor, Gary, the pest control expert! He shared so many new and fascinating facts about insects that we cannot wait to investigate further. Did you know there are 1,398 bug species in West Virginia? Neither did we! We also learned that different bugs have different seasons, the difference between bees and wasps, and even how wasps make their nests, a favorite topic among the children and teachers … it may have sparked a new curiosity in all of us!
Gary helped us wonder about how different bugs build their homes and what materials they use. He even brought along a variety of insects for us to study through a nifty binocular magnifying glass. The excitement grew as he took us on a bug hunt, showing the children where bugs are most likely to be found and explaining why. We discovered lanternflies, daddy long-legs, grasshoppers, and worms, just to name a few! The children impressed Gary with what they already knew, and their curiosity continued to grow with lots of “whys?” We love a good “why?”
We also learned an important lesson about safety and respect for nature, sometimes bugs can be harmful, so it’s best not to grab them without knowing what they are. Gary reminded us that we must always treat insects and their homes with care. We can’t wait to see where all these amazing facts and discoveries will take us next in our insect investigation!
Here’s to a long weekend patterned with fun and symmetrical with smiles!
Miss Arden & Miss Hanna
SYMMETRY, PATTERNS & ART:
LITERACY:
BUG EXPLORATIONS:
DAILY DISCOVERY & MORE FUN:
