04+18+2008

= Kindergarten News =

= April 18, 2008 = = from Mrs. Knee, Mrs. Neily = = and Mrs. Shepard =

We enjoyed having grandparents visit our classroom last Friday. Thank you to all who helped make the arrangements for the visit. All of the children were involved even if they did not have a special guest that day. The children proudly shared the Kenya mural and other displays.

We have had a busy week completing projects that connect with our Kenya study. Mancala is an African game that we learned to play. Children have their own mancala board to bring home so you may learn the game. We hope you enjoy playing this ancient strategy game as much as your child.

We made masks this week based on the mask that the Cumming family shared with us. Our masks involved using symmetry to create the shape and decoration. They will be displayed in the hallway outside our room. Look for pictures to be posted on our blog.

Mrs. Shepard bought two of her guinea fowl to school and we were able to see these beautiful birds up close. The colors in their head and the pattern on their feathers are unique. We compared the real guinea fowl to the one we painted for our mural. We felt we did a good job making our painting look real. Mrs. Shepard collected enough guinea fowl feathers and we used them to make a necklace. We got the idea from the illustrations in Honey, Honey…Lion by Jan Brett. Everyone was pleased with they way they came out.

I will be scheduling 30-minute parent conferences after vacation. Please look for a schedule to come home with your child. We will discuss your child’s progress as it relates to placement for next year. In some cases, I will discuss the possibility of a second year in kindergarten for your child.

I am looking into scheduling a field trip to the New England Aquarium. I have taken my classes there in the past. This year’s class will enjoy the penguins as the aquarium animals. We will visit Sandy Point Discovery Center on May 28th. Joshua Heckman’s mother works there and arranged this visit. A trip to Odiorne Point is also planned for later in the year. We will explore the rocky shore on this trip. We will need volunteers for each of these trips. I will let you know the dates as soon as possible.

Snack for the week after vacation: April 28-James, April 29-Ian, April 30-Justin, May 1- Madaline, May 2- Maddie.

Thank you for supporting the Tricky Tray fundraiser. I hope you have the winning ticket.