The End of the Apple

We graphed them. We tasted them. We diagrammed them. We dehydrated them.

THEN... We mashed them to pieces!

The Farm Comes to Town

Sometimes we learn in our seats. Sometimes we learn listening on the carpet.

Then, sometimes, we learn while talking to chickens.


Kindergarten was in for a surprise when Mr. McKie brought Pepper to school! Our farm unit got a lot more interesting when the barnyard animal clucked her way through Wednesday afternoon. Many of the chicken facts found on our class bulletin board concerned the spots, the clucks and the smell of the hands-on experience.

Max's Family Culture

Max showed us what his family loves and enjoys. We all agreed that being respectful is a rule all families should have.

We even met some other feline family members.

Max's great grandparents are from other countries.

There's something cooking in Kindergarten

There's just so much you can do while learning about apples!

Mrs. Howard brought her food dehydrator and stayed to teach us about how the machine works and how to properly prepare our much loved apples for processing.





The best part our our science unit is eating!

Indi's Family Culture

Indi shared her family culture of outdoor walks, loving grandparents and responsibilities. Kindergartners discussed the similarities and differences between their chores.

Centering on Math

Our daily math centers focus on patterning in four to five different ways.
Every week we have a manipulative center to foster fine-motor development while honing the prescribed skill. Another center uses patterning to increase our number sense. A craft center will enable the students to create with their math skills. Lastly, the gaming center takes what we have learned and forces students to rapidly practice and work together in a practical application.

This week students used their numerical sense to calculate the winner in an adapted form of the card game War.

At the craft center Lukas and Jeffrey work to create snake patterns with cut out pattern block shapes (Thanks Sunita!)

EAT and PLAY

Twice a day we take a break for our rigorous academic schedule and replenish our bodies with food and play. Many researchers have stated social play to be one of the most important components to success in school.









I'd say we are ready for success!

READING BUDDIES!!!

One of the favorite throughout the week...our third grade buddies!

Writing Workshop...In Progress

This video was taken on September 28th. Already we are working even harder.
Soon each child will be a part of a small writing group designed to meet their specific learning needs. First and foremost...We must learn to WRITE. Whether we use random letters, beginning and ending sounds, kid writing or adult spelling, every child in the class is a writer!

Experimenting on Animals

Kindergartners are natural scientists. Right before we were to go outside a child asked if we could feed Rocky Road Milkshake Kindergarten, our class pet (Rocky). But what to feed him?

An experiment was created to test our question, "Which Type of Food Does Rocky Like Best?" We had to think for a minute together to see how we could test this. Soon the kids thought up a repeatable test, put the food close together and see which one he goes to first and/or which one he eats the most of.
The kindergartners had the chance to predict what would happen and graph their thoughts on our quickly made class chart. Without a doubt, carrots won out in every area.

He is such a part of our classroom that recess was shortened, by choice, so we could see what to bring the pig.

Sharing Our Writing

Now that we can begin and finish a written work we are working on rereading and retelling our stories. In a few weeks we will begin Author's Chair. Three to five kids will share their written work with the class each day after Writer's Workshop. For now we are sharing our pictures and letters with a partner.
Written work is kept at school for record keeping. To see what Aneel and Lukas are smiling at please come in our class and see their "Personal Best" up on our writing wall.

The Beginning of the Apple

After a oral telling of "The Apple Story" students work to respond to the text. The story depicts a young boy on a quest to find "a house with now windows, no doors and a star inside." This kicks off our science unit on apples,pumpkins, farming and harvest.


Children learn quickly that one of the main character building traits of kindergarten is learning to share. There is never enough scissors, staplers or glues sticks for everyone. This is purposeful. In all things, we will share. In every lesson, we practice.



At the climax and our story the teacher cuts an apple down its middle. Every year there is a collective gasp!