Upcoming Dates and Announcements:
Click the link to find out what’s happening at WCDS https://here.wcdsedu.com/events/
Snack Helper this week: Lincoln
October 31st – Halloween Festivities
- Children should come dressed in costume
- 9:00, Whole school costume parade on the loop (weather permitting). Parents are welcome to come and watch.
- 9:30 Class hayrides followed by a Halloween Party in the classroom. Halloween Party Sign-Up – Help us throw the JK class a spooky celebration!
- 11:30 am dismissal with aftercare available until 3:00 pm. Children staying for the afternoon must have a packed lunch.
Dear Families,
Fall is in full gear here in Junior Kindergarten, and we are loving every colorful, cozy minute of it! We snuggled up and read the story, Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kendra Pak. What better way to start a conversation about the seasons and talk about the time of year. Here is what the children have noticed:
“Walnut tree by my swingset. Me and my Dad have to knock them down.” Ben
“Costume.” Donato
“Walnuts open.” Archie
“Acorns fall off the tree.”Brody
“We rake leaves.”. Clara
“We jump in leaves. Tractor pulls.” Lincoln
“It’s foggy in the fall.” Sebastian
“Flying unicorns.” Avery
The children explored different colors by mixing paints to find the perfect shade for their very own mini pumpkin. They proudly displayed their pumpkins on our steps outside the classroom!
Big pumpkins also made an appearance in our classroom. After the teachers carved into the top, the children were invited to explore the inside. Using spoons, tweezers, and magnifying glasses, they worked with confidence to extract the slimy seeds. There was a great deal of teamwork among the children. We were proud to watch them take turns and share the space with each other. They were also invited to step outside and into the dramatic play world of a fall farm stand. We have overheard the children selling items to each other during daily discovery and centers, so we set up a place for them to do just that. Pine cones, buckeyes, gourds, and mini pumpkins were all for sale. They use acorns, rocks, and leaves as money. The children had to practice waiting in line to purchase their items just like they would in a real store. We could tell they will continue to play in this center all season long!
In math, the children used loose parts to practice counting to 10 and explored various ways to make the numbers 1-10. Their problem-solving skills were put to the test, and they still came up with the right number with ease. We also introduced a 10-frame, and the children quickly grasped how it helps us visualize numbers. During phonics, we focused on letter recognition and the sounds each letter makes. The children show such excitement during our Heggerty phonics drills., Rhyming has also become a big hit in our classroom. Many children have started pointing out rhyming words throughout the day.
To strengthen our fine motor skills, still with fall in mind. We used oranges and cloves to make a fun design. According to Abigail, they resemble the plants. Also, the pinecone challenge! How many rubber bands can you remove from a pinecone? It’s hard! Once they got the hang of it, the children started to work together.
We continued exploring what makes each of us special by focusing on something truly unique, our hair color! After reading “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry, the children studied their reflections closely and compared shades of hair color with one another. Many of the children proudly announced that they had “blondish-brownish hair.”
We’ve been putting our heads together for a special design for our Van-tober pumpkin centerpiece. With their birthday hot air balloons still fresh in our minds, we thought what better way to celebrate and incorporate that theme into our auction piece. The children melted crayons with a hair dryer to add some color to the pumpkin and added color to the basket. We can’t wait for you to see it! Don’t worry, it’s not too late to join in the fun! We would love to see you all tonight at Van-tober Fest! Festivities begin tonight at 5:30 PM with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate our beautiful new mural. On Friday, the children joined the whole school to celebrate the mural! It was a day filled with fun! The festivities included a bubble station that filled the air with shimmering bubbles, a peaceful yoga session where the children stretched and breathed together, and a large collaborative art project. Using paint pens, the children expressed their artistic abilities on a giant sheet of paper that will be used as the ribbon for the ceremony!
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Have a wonderful weekend!
Miss Gina and Miss Liz