Happy Holidays Everyone!

Remember the first day of school in the new year will be Monday January 6th.

Snowpants, Boots, Jacket and Hat

Now that the colder weather is here don't forget to that we'll be going outside every day (weather permitting). Children need to bring snow pants and boots every day, even if there is not much snow (otherwise they're cold when we're outside).

Like this....

Not like this....

Here's a song we've been learning to help children remember the order in which to get dressed. Ask your child to sing it to you.

Snow pants, Boots, Jacket and Hat

Snow pants, boots, jacket and hat,

Jacket and hat,

Jacket and hat.

Snow pants, boots, jacket and hat,

Mittens always last!

Ontario Ministry of Education Study on the Effectiveness of Full Day Kindergarten

The Ontario Ministry of Education recently released their study on the efficacy of full day Kindergarten. For those who are interested it is a fascinating read. It's over 200 pages long, if you don't want to read the whole thing I recommend looking at the Results section and the Conclusion and Recommendations section. It says fall 2012 on the cover of the study, but to the best of my knowledge it was made available on the Ministry website in October 2013.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten/FDELK_ReportFall2012.pdf

Borrow-a-Book

…make reading fun. It shouldn't be like homework. Make reading entertaining – make funny sounds and act it out together – kids really like that! 

Robert Munsch, 2005 
“A Moment with Munsch”

The children have been bringing their borrow-a-book bags home for a week. Everyone is very excited about borrowing a book, but some of the children are forgetting to return their book bags the next day.  If you could help your child by reminding them each morning to return their bag, they will have an opportunity to exchange their book and have a fresh book each night.  Also, this provides us with an opportunity to read the book along with your child after they have practised at home with you.

Reading the borrow-a-book should only be taking you and your child about 10-15 minutes at night. It's okay for you to read the book to your child - they don't have to read to you. If your child is attempting to read a book to you and he or she is getting frustrated it's best to stop and try again later. Remember, as the quote the beginning of this blog entry points out, reading should be a fun experience for both of you!

If you would like some suggestions about how best to support your child while reading at home, check out the link below.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideLit2012.pdf


Here are a few websites which help teach letter recognition and word recognition.

http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.tvokids.com/games/magicmailboxabcs

http://www.tvokids.com/games/letterella

http://www.tvokids.com/games/melvinsmarvellouswords

Trip to the Fire Station

Why Playdough?

We cook a lot in Kindergarten, and one thing we cook almost every week is playdough. Why playdough?Young children often use playdough as part of their imaginative play (pretending to make birthday cakes or pizza, people or animals, etc), which provides children with wonderful opportunities to develop language and problem solving skills. Children like to help make the playdough which provides them with opportunities to measure, pour and mix. While making and playing with playdough children learn about concepts such as volume, wet/dry, full/empty, hot/cold, etc. I've included a recipe below so you can make playdough at home with your child. While cooking with your child you can encourage language and problem solving: “What do we need? What will happen next? How is the salt like the flour?

Scented Playdough

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 small packs of unsweetened Kool Aid

1/2 cup of salt

1 tbsp of alum

2 cups of water

3 tbsp of vegetable oil

1. mix the first four ingredients together

2. Boil the water and add it to the dry mixture. Then add the oil.

3. Mix with a wooden spoon until cool enough to mix with your hands.

4. Knead the dough until it is not sticky

5. Store the playdough in a airtight container.

Have fun!

Trip to Around the Bend Farm

Our trip to the farm was a great success! It was cold, but everyone had a good time and we all learned a lot. Ask your son or daughter about the tractor ride with Big Red, it was easily the most exciting tractor ride I've ever been on. After our tractor ride we went into the barn where Jessica taught the children about the life cycle of a pumpkin. Once we were done in the classroom/barn we got to head out to the field and pick some vegetables. Back at Parkdale we used our hand picked vegetables to make some delicious soup!

Busy in the Classroom

Why Blocks?

Block play has long been recognized as an essential feature of developmentally appropriate programs for young children. The materials are open-ended, allowing a multitude of possibilities. The play is not prescriptive, allowing children to imagine, discover, and create. Block play provides opportunities for children to function at many different levels, and promotes cognitive, physical, and affective development.

As children build, they have opportunities to:

• discover the physical properties of materials (size, shape, weight, colour)

• plan what to do

• design and create as they explore pattern and balance

• learn problem-solving strategies

• develop spatial concepts (by building vertically/horizontally; beginning to enclose and define space, learning about interior/exterior, near/far; viewing objects from different perspectives)

• investigate relationships (through sorting, comparing, organizing, sequencing, categorizing, and drawing conclusions)

• explore mathematical concepts (length, area and volume, number)

• use mathematical vocabulary (higher, more than, heavy)

• engage in a process of inquiry (observe, compare, classify, test out their ideas, interpret, and predict what will happen)

• engage in dramatic play (take on roles and negotiate theme and direction)

• develop visual discrimination (as they choose pieces to fit and match with other pieces)

• develop gross- and fine-motor skills (as they lift, carry, and stack different sizes of blocks)

• develop hand–eye coordination (as they stack and connect pieces)

As children build and interact with others in the Block/Building Centre, they use language to:

• ask and answer questions

• share and negotiate

• role-play

• retell

• label and describe

• explain

The ideas in this post come from the following book:

Toronto District School Board. (2006). Blocks and Construction Materials in the Kindergarten Program.

Terry Fox Run

It's a Small World

We're learning the song 'It's a Small World" - ask your child to sing it to you at home. I've copied the lyrics below.

It's a Small World

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
it's a world of hopes, and a world of fears
there's so much that we share
then it's time we're aware
its a small world after all

CHORUS:
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small world after all
it's a small small world

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small small world

(chorus)

Websites For Kids

Websites For Kids

Here are two great websites to visit with your son or daughter. Learn360 is for streaming video. There are lots of great titles including "Franklin", "Rolie Polie Olie" and "George Shrinks".

http://www.learn360.com/index.aspx?site=canada

BookFlix is for reading books online. There are loads of great titles such as "Bear Snores On" and "Rosie's Walk". Each fiction title is paired with a non fiction book. There is also an educational game associated with each book.

http://auth.grolier.com/login/bookflix/login.php

It is necessary to log in to both of these websites with a password. All the Kindergarten children took home a bookmark from the library which had the passwords written on the back. If you have misplaced your book mark please ask your child's teacher to provide you with the passwords.

Welcome!

Ever wonder what is happening in Mr. Mack & Ms Pinto's class? Well, wonder no more! Welcome to our blog where the answers to some of your questions may be only a simple mouse click away. Here you will be able to check in and see what we are up to. If you need to know what day we are on or if we have gym, music or swimming just click on our calendar and the information will be there. Important dates and upcoming events will also be included on the calendar.

We will also post fun stuff! Like your child's art work and projects we are working on or a special interest that we are currently exploring.  At times, we may post the words to songs and simple finger plays so the you too can sing along at home.

From time to time we will include some housekeeping information such as asking your child to be mindful of the weather and to dress accordingly.

Check in occasionally and see us grow!