This week was full of fun! On Tuesday, Mrs. Ettinger (Caroline's mom) came it to read to the class. She and Caroline picked out some of their favorites to share. Excitement filled the room during the interactive readings by Mrs. Ettinger. Thank you for such a special time!!
We also had our annual Kindergarten Holiday Concert. The children were very excited to share their talents with Mom and Dad the very second they walked into the room on Friday! As a matter of fact, we have had to do a Concert Countdown during calendar time! They all did such a great job! And thank you to all parents who donated cookies for our get-together after the concert! I hope all the gingerbread houses made it home safely!
I have a couple pics and video clips of the concert and of Mrs. Ettinger's visit. Enjoy!!
I know we all had fun today making our Gingerbread Houses! The proof was ALL OVER our mouths, clothes, fingers and tables...boy, does frosting taste extra yummy at 9:00 in the morning! Our creations came out wonderful! Thank you to Mrs. Hinman and Mrs. LaMora, Mrs. Bennett and her students from AAK and to Miss Sun and Miss Jin, our visiting Korean students from SUNY Potsdam. We could never have done it without you!
Our creations will make their way home NEXT week after our Holiday Concert on Friday. I will have them bagged and ready to go for parents to carry safely home.
A special Farewell also goes to Miss Sun and Miss Jin who have spent the better part of their semester Fridays in our classroom assisting us in more ways than we can mention. They have read us stories, taught us skills one-on-one, cleaned up our messes, made us smile and consoled us when there were tears. Today, Miss Sun presented each of the students with a small token of her love for them - a magnet showing traditional Korean dress and an origami heart. Miss Jin will be joining us again in the Spring semester. We can't wait to see her again!
Today, Sammy Spider returned to Room 108 for another adventure in Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah. He is excited about the menorah the Shapiro family has lit for Hanukkah. Not only is it beautiful, but it warms his feet!! Sammy also teaches us about numbers and colors!! Ezra's mom came in to read the book to us. She and Ezra also sung a traditional song they sing each night they light their own menorah during Hanukkah. Then we all learned how to play Dreidel. Thank you for the dreidels and gelt (chocolate coins) you gave us to bring home with us, Mrs. W. (The directions to play Dreidel are on the back of our Weekly Newsletter)
I would also like to take this time to mention what a wonderful Thanksgiving feast we enjoyed recently. Each kindergartener contributed to the feast. We had Pilgrims and Native Americans attend our feast (us dressed in our head pieces and hats). Thank you to all the parent volunteers and to Chef Dave and his crew for making our day such a special one!
Lastly, a big THANK YOU to our high school friends who came and taught us all about germs with the Scrubby Bear program. We had lots of fun! We even got to design our own germ (pics in the slideshow) since we really don't know what germs look like!!
A very big part of the kindergarten experience is learning about others. And that we are all alike and different in many ways! Tolerating and respecting each others' differences is an extremely important part of life. Please continue to stress the importance of "Bucketfilling" with your child.
As we enter the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I wish you peace, joy, health and happiness.
A wise woman once said (Helen Keller) The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
That's Scrubby Bear's motto! For the past couple weeks, some high school students have been visiting our classroom teaching us about germs, how they make us sick and how we can prevent that by washing our hands. We have had lots of fun with our new friends. We have also learned a lot! We even got to use "quiet powder" to see germs with an ultraviolet light and designed our own germs!
As we started our week on Monday, reviewing the crazy schedule to come, the children were very excited about a day off at home! I shared how excited I was as well...lots to do at home, fun with our families...but most of all, we discussed the importance of today, November 11...Veterans' Day. A day to remember those brave men and women who help to make our country a safe and happy place to live.
Upon the beginning of our class conversation, I asked what a "Veteran" is. I quickly received a response of "I know what that is...it's where we take our dog when he is sick." I chuckled inside, assuring that brave student the words Veteran and Veterinarian DO, INDEED, sound the same. However, a veteran is something a bit different.
We discussed "soldiers" next. That's when I saw the light bulbs click on in my students' eyes! They knew what I was talking about, AND they just learned a new vocabulary word for soldier. As a matter of fact, some were quite passionate about the subject, as one child's dad is in the Air Force.
Although I didn't share this information with my students, I feel I can share it with you. The importance of this day was realized by me when I was a very young girl, as my own father's identical twin brother gave his life for this country in Vietnam, just a few weeks before he was to arrive home to be my dad's best man. I am also the proud granddaughter, niece, aunt and friend of MANY other veterans as well.
Please take the time today to share stories with your child about their own family members or friends who have served in the armed forces. They are interested in the topic and have such great insight.
Enjoy your family today and hug them tightly, remembering that somewhere in this country, there is another family, just like yours, wishing they had the luxury of being together today, just as you and your family are.
Our trip to Breezy Maples Farm in Massena was fabulous! We were met by the Kenny Family, who happen to own/run the property. We enjoyed the Chicken Coop Theater, pony rides and a lesson on Chickens and Ducks (we even got to pet each one!!). The goats were fun to feed, too. Their tongues tickled our hands as they ate!
We ended our visit with a fun hay ride and a chance to pick our own pumpkin!
