Happy New Year! :) It's so hard to believe that 2012 is upon us already. The past few months have flown by, and I have been feeling sad about neglecting this Blog. For this reason, I have added it to my list of New Year's Resolutions! [Some others include taking the Additional Qualification Course 'Kindergarten, Part 1' through Western - it starts tomorrow and I'm actually excited :) - and being more mindful of where things are in the classroom, and where they should go... so far, I've only got the craft closet sorted out, but at least it's a start!]
I'm happy to report that Monday was a relatively smooth transition back into the regular school routine. We began the day with a variety of centres relating to snow and winter. These included mittens with different numbers des flocons de neige on them (the students were invited to count the number of les flocons de neige on each mitten in French, and to match it up with the corresponding printed number); a little experiment with ice (I froze some plastic animals into plastic glasses, and the kids were encouraged to think of different ways to 'melt' la glace - by holding onto it, or by pouring warm water over it); practicing les mots de l'hiver by tracing them into Epsom salts with their fingers; painting 'la neige' (we used white paint, white crayons and bubble wrap... and it turned out to be quite a messy art activity! Oops!). During Language, I introduced the concept of rhyme, and the students seemed to enjoy the game we played - they were given a picture card and asked to 'find their rhyme partner,' by walking around the circle and asking their fellow students if they had a card whose picture rhymed with the one that was on their card. I then read the story "Jillian Jigs and the Great Big Snow." The kids had fun identifying rhyming words in the story. We talked about some strategies that they can use to make sure that they know the whereabouts of their mittens, scarves and hats (as Jillian actually lost ALL of them out in the snow and her Mother was less-than-impressed!). [Just as a sidebar, PLEASE do not hesitate to check our classroom Lost and Found area! We currently have two large tupperware containers that are full to the brim with childrens' hats, mittens, sweaters, etc. etc. etc.!]
In Math the students explored centres that relate to number sense. They were responsible for placing the correct number of manipulatives into cups labeled with a number, they played a game during which a dice was rolled and they had to count the number of dots and place the corresponding number of sea animals into a drawing of a fish bowl, they practiced their number-writing using cards and chalkboards, and the SKs completed a counting and number-writing assessment page.
On Wednesday our schedule was changed due to our visit from the Scientist in School. We spent the morning in Room #4 where the students were enthusiastic to play with a room full of new-to-them toys! I had activities set up with a focus on assessment for the SK students as report cards are quickly approaching! We reviewed the concept of rhyme and read a non-rhyming book. I was impressed by the students' ability to re-tell the story.
We spent the afternoon being awed and astounded by Scientist Jillian! :) She had a variety of fun exploration centres for the students to visit, all involving the five senses. The kids were involved in some very hands-on activities and discovered much about their senses, including the fact that the reason WHY we sense many things is because nerve messages are being constantly sent to our brains. Fantastique!
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