Meet the Kindergartners

Weekly Testing

Each week I test the students individually to see how the students are keeping up with their skills.  They are unable to do a written test of course, so I use flashcards, toys and manipulatives.  This gives me a good idea of what skills need more practice and it also helps each family know what to work on at home as well.  I will usually send them home on Monday, but at the beginning I will send them home on Friday, so you can work on the ones they need help with over the weekend.

Wacky Watermelon Wednesday

Today was “Wacky Watermelon Wednesday”.  We learned about the letter Ww and how to write it.  We drew what the watermelon looked like on the outside and the inside.  We also did a Ww paper to practice hearing that sound.

We talked about how watermelons are a fruit that grows on a plant and that they grow from a seed. We reviewed how plants need: sun, soil, air and water to grow.  We learned how bees are important to spread pollen from plant to plant.  We found out that a watermelon was a living thing when it was on the plant.  We learned that a watermelon is very healthy to eat.

Next, we pretended we were artists and painted a picture of the watermelon with our own paint set.  My painting is the one on the cover of this booklet.

We also felt the watermelon and held it too. It felt smooth, cool and a little bumpy.  Most kids said it was heavy, but one boy said, “It’s literally not that heavy!” Some guesses on its weight were 150#, 20#, 210,050# pounds, but Mrs. Preheim weighed the watermelon and it weighed 11 pounds.

Later we told Mrs. Preheim a make-believe story about this watermelon being alive and going to the beach.  She typed it out for this booklet.

In the afternoon, the teacher cut the watermelon into pieces and we looked at it and smelled it. Then we sat outside and ate it.  It was yummy, but we sure got sticky!  We learned a lot from a watermelon today! 

This is the cover of their booklets.  I love their paintings and art work!

Play Time

"Play Time" is during the last half hour of the day and it is by far their favorite time of the day!  The kids love this time of day where they can play with the toys, build with the blocks, create at the art center, look at books, go to the science center or just play with their friends.  It is a valuable time for their social growth as they learn to share, take turns, include others and just plain get along.  If they don't behave during the day however, they may lose some of their playtime, so that is consequence that they have to deal with, if they choose not to obey.  Generally that is a good deterrent.  I have them play at the end of the day because that is when they are usually the most tired and I have trouble getting them to focus on school work.  There is a big discussion going on these day about the value of play for young children.

Science Outdoors

For science, we went outdoors to look at real plants.  We discussed the difference between trees and other plants.  We compared leaves, roots and stems.  The kindergartners seemed to really like this lesson about plants.

Science Art

This week the students have been learning about plants.  They've learned that plants are living things and that their needs are similar to our's.  They learned the parts of the plants too.  This art project helped them apply what they learned.  When you are outdoors, you could talk to your child about plants too.  Show them different plants and even roots. 

Apple Art - A Great Bunch!

On the first day of school, I had the kindergartners try
out their scissors and cut out a traced apple and leaves.
Then they drew a face on their apple.  I thought these
apples were as unique as they are.  Super sweet!

Pool Party

Today we had a "Pool Party" and the town's swimming pool from 1:00-3:00.  Grades kindergarten, 1st and 2nd went to the pool today.  The kids got to ride the school bus for a few blocks and for some children, it was their first time.  The weather was perfect and the children behaved so beautifully.  We had a great time!

Learning School Rules

This crazy-looking character is from a book titled, David Goes to School.  I  made a chart to help young students remember what rules David had trouble with.  Getting the rules established early helps classroom behavior for the school year.  It may even help you at home, but it takes some practice.

Rascal the Raccoon

By now, you probably have heard of Rascal, the raccoon, who visits with the kindergartners every morning.  In fact Rascal has been the class mascot for some 25 years for the kindergartners in our school.  

Rascal is...well...a rascal and gets into a bit of trouble.  He helps the students to learn what is right and wrong.  He also loves the kindergartners and he gives each of them a hug in the morning or a tail whip when he is being a rascal. 

When he visits with the children in the morning he poses questions helps the students learn social skills and manners from him.  He encourages them to try hard in school and to follow the rules.  He is all good!  

Rascal is also very funny!  This week he told the kids that he roasted a marshmallow on his tail.  Also he went swimming at the pool using his tail as a propeller and then dried himself while riding on the ceiling fan. The kids love their morning visit with Rascal!  

The First Day of Kindergarten 2019

The first day of school was a special day for these kindergartners.


On Monday, August 19, 2019 we had our first day of school.  
We had a half day to get settled in and to get acquainted.
We did a few fun activities too.  It was a great day!

Here we are being a little silly!

We had an owl snack baggie for our morning snack that first day.