Last week we took our first excursion to our community police box and fire station! The students had so many questions to ask the police and fire fighters about how they help our community. We also got to try out some of the tools they use like getting in the ambulance and fire truck, holding the heavy hose, and wearing the oxygen pack. Those firefighters have to be strong to use all of that heavy gear! Check it all out in our pictures!
This week for our Unit of Inquiry we will reflect on the questions we had and how we answered them through our trip to the fire station and police box. We will also role-play problems and how different community helpers could help us solve them. Lastly, we will think more about how the community helpers work together.
This week we will continue learning our letter sounds and formation with l, f, b, ai, and j. We continue to practice working with sounds by blending, segmenting, and counting sounds we hear in words.
In maths we will continue building and sharing strategies for counting collections, practicing writing our numbers, and composing and decomposing numbers 1-10.
Have a great week!
Important Dates!
Oktoberfest - October 12th!
Please be sure you have signed up to help with the Preschool Cake Shift
Please be sure you have signed up to bring a cake!
Please share the event!
Monday, 30 September 2019
Tuesday, 24 September 2019
Week 5 in Preschool
This week in preschool we will continue to explore Where We Are in Place and Time by looking at our community and the helpers in them! This Friday we are so excited to get a tour of our local police box (koban) and fire station around the corner. The students have a lot of questions to ask the fire fighters and police officers, but please talk more about the community at home too! We have really enjoyed seeing the pictures of our friends' communities, so please keep collecting and sending them in for the students to discuss those people they see and who help them in their communities!
We will be learning the sound and letter formation for letters m, d, g, o and u this week. We are also practicing blending with all of the sounds we have learned!
In Readers Workshop we are practicing reading and sharing with a partner.
In Writers Workshop, we are generating ideas for our writing and continuing to add to our books.
In Maths, we are revisiting sorting items by attribute and continuing building our number sense. We will start counting collections this week to build on our strategies and skills.
Thank you and have a great week!
Reminders:
We will be learning the sound and letter formation for letters m, d, g, o and u this week. We are also practicing blending with all of the sounds we have learned!
In Readers Workshop we are practicing reading and sharing with a partner.
In Writers Workshop, we are generating ideas for our writing and continuing to add to our books.
In Maths, we are revisiting sorting items by attribute and continuing building our number sense. We will start counting collections this week to build on our strategies and skills.
Thank you and have a great week!
Reminders:
- Thank you for bringing in cardboard rolls for the students to create with!
- We would like to create some drums in class, but need empty ribbon spools for this, so please donate any if you have them.
- Thank you for returning the Oxford Reading Tree readers after the students have read them and marked it on their Reading Log. Daily reading is strongly encouraged; however we all have busy schedules so please don't worry about keeping a book a couple of nights before returning it for another.
- Oktoberfest!
- PE Wednesday and Thursday
Upcoming:
27 September, Friday - walk to Police and Fire Station
12 October, Saturday - Oktoberfest! - Please re-read this post with all of our class Oktoberfest information!
14 October, Monday - No school.
Thursday, 19 September 2019
Zipper Folder and Reading Logs
In my last blog post I mentioned the students will begin bringing home reading books and filling out a reading log. Today is the day!
Today they will bring home:
- Zipper folder
- My Reading Log
- Library book
If they did not, it is because they haven't returned their zipper folder and/or library book to school.
Today's book has no words, please help them read you the story by looking at the pictures on the page and telling you what is happening. Then, fill in the book title and other information on the reading log. Finally, return both the book and the reading log to their zipper folder to bring back to school.
Please always return their zipper folder with reading log and book (not library) to school every day. The library book they can keep and enjoy until next Thursday.
Thank you always!
Sunday, 15 September 2019
Sports Day and the third week!
Greetings!
Tomorrow we look forward to celebrating our health with our annual Sports Day! In Japan, the first Sports Day was held in October of 1966 to commemorate the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Please come ready for a day in the sun at 8:30am tomorrow. Please make sure students are appropriately dressed, have on sunscreen and bring ONLY: a towel, a large water bottle, and a hat. We will not be going to the classroom so they should only take what they need for sports day.
All classes will walk to the nearby sports field at 8:45am. We will head back to the school for lunch and an award ceremony at 12:30pm and all students who haven't already signed up for after-school care will leave school about 1:15pm. There are no clubs tomorrow.
This week we will learn the sound and letter formation for c, k, e, h, r. We are beginning to blend consonant-vowel-consonant words with the sounds we have learned so far (s, a, t, i, p, n) so please practice at home!
We will be continuing our inquiry into Communities, so please talk about the community around you and take pictures of people and places in your community that help you! Please send these to school with your child to share and deepen their understanding.
In Readers Workshop we will begin to send home leveled reader books. Please read the book with your child at home, fill out their reading log, and return the following day in their zipper folder. Many books will have no words, but please have your child tell you the story on the pages.
In Writers Workshop we will begin writing our own books!
In Maths we will be finding "hidden partners" or number combinations to 5. We will also lear the importance of the number 0.
WANTED: Art supplies!
In Arts, we would like to create drums for our community drum circle. If you have any empty cardboard ribbon spools, would you please donate them to our class?
Also, our class really loves creating with loose parts. We have already gone through a basket of toilet paper rolls, so if you wouldn't mind saving and donating all empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls, we would definitely put them to good use!
I would like to start welcoming a Mystery Reader for a read-aloud in our classroom one Monday a month. If you have time during the week and would like to share a favorite picture book, please contact me!
Please come ready for a day in the sun at 8:30am tomorrow. Please make sure students are appropriately dressed, have on sunscreen and bring ONLY: a towel, a large water bottle, and a hat. We will not be going to the classroom so they should only take what they need for sports day.
All classes will walk to the nearby sports field at 8:45am. We will head back to the school for lunch and an award ceremony at 12:30pm and all students who haven't already signed up for after-school care will leave school about 1:15pm. There are no clubs tomorrow.
This week we will learn the sound and letter formation for c, k, e, h, r. We are beginning to blend consonant-vowel-consonant words with the sounds we have learned so far (s, a, t, i, p, n) so please practice at home!
We will be continuing our inquiry into Communities, so please talk about the community around you and take pictures of people and places in your community that help you! Please send these to school with your child to share and deepen their understanding.
In Readers Workshop we will begin to send home leveled reader books. Please read the book with your child at home, fill out their reading log, and return the following day in their zipper folder. Many books will have no words, but please have your child tell you the story on the pages.
In Writers Workshop we will begin writing our own books!
In Maths we will be finding "hidden partners" or number combinations to 5. We will also lear the importance of the number 0.
WANTED: Art supplies!
In Arts, we would like to create drums for our community drum circle. If you have any empty cardboard ribbon spools, would you please donate them to our class?
Also, our class really loves creating with loose parts. We have already gone through a basket of toilet paper rolls, so if you wouldn't mind saving and donating all empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls, we would definitely put them to good use!
I would like to start welcoming a Mystery Reader for a read-aloud in our classroom one Monday a month. If you have time during the week and would like to share a favorite picture book, please contact me!
Oktoberfest Information - October 12th!
The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.
We will be holding our own celebration on Saturday, October 12th from 11am to 4pm! This is a wonderful even that connects us with families and the entire community. Please note the following ways you can support this important school event:
- Prize donations (toy or book)! Please donate a new toy or book we could use in our Kids Room Bingo (value 100 yen - 1000 yen. Drop off the book in the donation box at the main entrance on the 18th as the team will prepare the prizes on the 19th.
- Tombola prizes! Would you and/or your organization be interested in donating a prize for our tombola? If it is a high value prize, please contact me to be one of our sponsors, receive a sponsor voucher and be recognized on our sponsor list. Tombola is very popular and a great way to get visibility for your organization as a sponsor!
- Cakes! We sell lots of cakes at Oktoberfest, so we kindly ask that every family donate a cake. You can come bake with us and other parents on October 9th at 9am or just bring the morning of October 12th.
- Work help! We ask each class to take responsibility for one aspect of the Oktoberfest - helping set up, and helping on the day itself. Preschool is the Cake Team! (Team leader Hee-ja Oh)
Please sign up for your shift on the Shift plan sign up link. - Food preparation! Please come join us on Friday the 11th 9.00am - 12.00pm for making the salads, potato salads etc.
- Drink donations! The children will be thirsty so need a lot of juice and soft drink options for them and any designated drivers. ;) Please bring on Friday the 11th October so we can be sure we have enough.
- Set up! We also need as many parents as possible in on October the11th to set up the Oktoberfest tents, rooms, stalls etc. Please come and help!!
Many thanks for your school spirit in supporting this fun day! Please bring along all your friends and family to enjoy the day!
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Last week we had our first trip to the Library! It was so exciting to see all of the helpful parents sharing the space for a PTA meeting and to pick books out for ourselves!
This week in phonics and handwriting we will be learning the sounds and how to write i, p, n and the numbers 1-9.
We are continuing our introduction to the Reader's and Writer's Workshop this week talking about the routine, how to listen, how to turn and talk to share, sharing our stories orally, and exploring books.
In maths we have continued classifying objects by different attributes and determining the total count. We are also exploring different ways to represent numbers to five.
We are finishing up the Tuning In phase and begging the Finding Out phase of our inquiry into Communities where we use our thinking, communication, research skills, cooperation and knowledge to learn more.
Home connections!
If you could talk about and take pictures of places in your community that work together to help you and send those pictures to school with your child, it would really help deepen their understanding and connections to the unit.
Don't forget to check the photo album links in the sidebar as I upload photos of what we are doing in the classroom regularly!
Looking forward to seeing you all at Sport's Day on Monday the 16th! Please don't forget hats, sunglasses, and lots to drink and stay hydrated!
This week in phonics and handwriting we will be learning the sounds and how to write i, p, n and the numbers 1-9.
We are continuing our introduction to the Reader's and Writer's Workshop this week talking about the routine, how to listen, how to turn and talk to share, sharing our stories orally, and exploring books.
In maths we have continued classifying objects by different attributes and determining the total count. We are also exploring different ways to represent numbers to five.
We are finishing up the Tuning In phase and begging the Finding Out phase of our inquiry into Communities where we use our thinking, communication, research skills, cooperation and knowledge to learn more.
Home connections!
If you could talk about and take pictures of places in your community that work together to help you and send those pictures to school with your child, it would really help deepen their understanding and connections to the unit.
Don't forget to check the photo album links in the sidebar as I upload photos of what we are doing in the classroom regularly!
Looking forward to seeing you all at Sport's Day on Monday the 16th! Please don't forget hats, sunglasses, and lots to drink and stay hydrated!
Sunday, 1 September 2019
We rocked our first week in preschool!
We spent our first week getting used to our new space and routines. In preschool we all have jobs to do to keep our classroom running daily and are learning our new schedule and how to transition between classrooms.
We began learning our letter names and will be learning new sounds each week from now too. This week we will learn the names and sounds for s, a, t, i and begin blending.
This week we will begin bringing readers home from school to read and talk about at home. Beginning readers will not have words, but we can read the pictures and tell the story.
In maths, we will be comparing to see if an object is the same or different and beginning to compose and decompose numbers 1-5. We will continue reviewing number names and the count sequence.
We will begin our first Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time: Communities this week. As we begin to see our role in our classroom community, we'll also look at our familial community.
Please take a look at our first week in pictures here!
We spent our first week getting used to our new space and routines. In preschool we all have jobs to do to keep our classroom running daily and are learning our new schedule and how to transition between classrooms.
We began learning our letter names and will be learning new sounds each week from now too. This week we will learn the names and sounds for s, a, t, i and begin blending.
This week we will begin bringing readers home from school to read and talk about at home. Beginning readers will not have words, but we can read the pictures and tell the story.
In maths, we will be comparing to see if an object is the same or different and beginning to compose and decompose numbers 1-5. We will continue reviewing number names and the count sequence.
We will begin our first Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time: Communities this week. As we begin to see our role in our classroom community, we'll also look at our familial community.
Please take a look at our first week in pictures here!
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