Friday, October 1, 2021

Hi JK Parents!



































































































































We all love library time with Ms. Hilda!  
The children found a spider and were giggling about it, wondering if it was Charlotte.  

















We are learning about the four seasons as we notice the world around us changing.  We are reading stories about autumn and how the animals are busy preparing for Winter.  We set up a tent in JK this week and are learning about camping and having a ball playing in our tent house!  We celebrated with the first annual "Royce S'mores Day in JK!"  We roasted marshmallows on our indoor S'mores maker, and loved gathering around the camp fire for stories.  

Fine Motor:

The children completed October calendars using stencil cut outs and crayons/pastels/glue and markers.  They wrote Halloween words to describe the items they used on their pictures.  We made scarecrow pictures, building the scarecrow from the bottom to the top, and then adding features and hay.  The scarecrows we made are on the front covers of booklets we are using to write a story.  We are sounding out letters to make words as we use inventive spelling or dictate stories.  The class acted out There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed Some Leaves as we read the story.  Our activities this week (and most always) are multidisciplinary, and include different disciplines.  Our story activity teaches sequencing, sharpening their memory, enhances communication, improves social skills, fosters imaginations, boosts listening skills, etc.  

We completed monthly self portraits using colored pencils.  The children look at their faces in a mirrow and draw what they see.  It's fun to watch the progression from month to month!  

JK made camp fire handprint pictures, cutting logs and placing them and then using different colors for the fire flames.  

We practiced scissor skills, cutting our way for squirrels to find their acorns.  Some Jkers made collages with their squirrels and nuts.

Social Emotional:

We are learning to give compliments to friends, and talked about the qualities we look for in a friend.  Is a friend a good listener or are they always talking?  Does a friend ask questions?  Does a friend use their manners when playing with you?  We moved table spots to give everyone a chance to sit by someone new.  They are all becoming one big JK community and learning about their similarities.  

The children completed a listening exercise, as I read instructions and they carefully followed along.  They are incredible listeners!  

Literacy:

We are using paper lined with sky, fence and grass as we navigate Handwriting Without Tears, always beginning at the top/sky and continuing lines to the grass.  They are using finger spacing between their first and last names.  We are practicing cury and straight letters and finding objects that begin with the letters Cc and Dd.  We used the white boards to write letters and numbers.  Vertical writing is fantastic for crossing the midline and the left right brain connection!  

Math & Science:

We played a measuring game, measuring items from beginning to end using tiny blocks, while making a pattern.  

We used marshmallows and toothpicks to create 3D figures.  We modeled pictures by first making a base of a shape and then added to it by building up!  

The JK Bunnies used tweezers to sort marshmallows for a Math game, racing with friends to see who could sort the fastest.  

It's Spirit Week next week so show your school spirit! Lower School & Early Childhood will change Friday to Beach Day instead of dress like a teacher/student.

10/4-10/8 Spirit Week

Other action items:

Please send $10.00 in with your child to cover the cost of our bus for the field trip.  You can send cash in an envelope with your child's name and "Mrs. Aksimitowski".  

Have a lovely weekend!  

Ms. Massey &

Mrs. DiSalle