Literacy
We continue to grow as readers and writers. Our eagerness is contagious and we work well encouraging each other to grow at our own paces. During Quiet Reading Time, we continue to work on building our reading stamina. Students spend 6 minutes of each Quiet Reading Time focusing on nothing but reading. They work on not letting external distractions bother them and focusing on reading the words or pictures of their story. The Cottontails really enjoy this time and it has been fun to watch their reading time grow from 2 minutes in January to 6 minutes at the end of March. As the year progresses we will continue to grow our reading stamina. It is our hopes that we can reach our reading stamina of 15 minutes. We continue to enjoy our visits to the public library; each time we go we learn a little more.
Like our reading time, our confidence continues to grow in our writing time, too. We have naturally, at our own paces, moved from "post-it note writing" to "kid spelling writing". Kindergartners are using their confidence in hearing letter sounds to spell words on their own. We have even begun "shadow writing". This is when we look at written text and try to make our letters look like the letters already on the page. We are learning to use the handwriting lines and use them to make works of written art!
Math
We are progressing nicely through the first part of first grade Math in Focus curriculum. Here is some more information our our past chapter (Chapter 6 Ordinal Numbers and Position) and current chapter (Chapter 7 Numbers from 0 to 20)
In Chapter 6, students continue to build their knowledge of number relationships through ordering numbers and identifying ordinal positions as well as the words associated with the positions. Children also integrate their understanding of spatial relationships in the real world, and the concept of order and position (left, right, in front of, behind). These establish starting points for determining ordinal positions. Students will also position words such as just before, just after, or between to indicate the position of something relative to another.
In Chapter 7, students continue to learn about numbers from 0 to 20. This involves counting on from 10, an extension of what children learned in Chapter 1. Number words and numerals are connected to the quantities they represent using various physical models and representations. Students are solidifying their number recognition with numbers 11 to 20. They are also being introduced learning how those numbers can be one group of ten and a particular number of ones that then introduce the idea of place values. This is a key state and sets the foundation for developing the idea of tens and ones. We are learning to understand two-digit numbers.
In Chapter 6, students continue to build their knowledge of number relationships through ordering numbers and identifying ordinal positions as well as the words associated with the positions. Children also integrate their understanding of spatial relationships in the real world, and the concept of order and position (left, right, in front of, behind). These establish starting points for determining ordinal positions. Students will also position words such as just before, just after, or between to indicate the position of something relative to another.
In Chapter 7, students continue to learn about numbers from 0 to 20. This involves counting on from 10, an extension of what children learned in Chapter 1. Number words and numerals are connected to the quantities they represent using various physical models and representations. Students are solidifying their number recognition with numbers 11 to 20. They are also being introduced learning how those numbers can be one group of ten and a particular number of ones that then introduce the idea of place values. This is a key state and sets the foundation for developing the idea of tens and ones. We are learning to understand two-digit numbers.
Social Studies
Community Night was such a wonderful success! Although our Act of Kindness unit had ended the Cottontails were able to present their kindness presentation to our Willowwind family. We are so proud of their big hearts and compassionate ways. Please continue to embrace these acts of kindness within your child and your own family. We know anyone who was able to attend Community Night that the Cottontails really showed this community how much we have learned. We continue to explore the idea that each person has an impact on the world around us.
Last but not least we were so very excited when Michelle and Brian announced the birth of baby William. We were so lucky he came to visit us just the other day. What a wonderful surprise!
Last but not least we were so very excited when Michelle and Brian announced the birth of baby William. We were so lucky he came to visit us just the other day. What a wonderful surprise!
Science
Music - The Cottontails did not have music this month. We are looking forward to meeting again in April to put the finishing touches on our program music and start learning about Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.” Stay tuned for more details soon! We hope you can join us for the Spring Music Program on MONDAY, APRIL 7th, which will take place at 2:00pm at River Community Church. Please remember to park across the street at River Community Church. Students will walk across the street to the church with their VIPs at 2:00pm and find their spots on the stage in the sanctuary. Don’t forget to take your child’s belongings with you if you will be taking your child home after the program. You're invited to stay and enjoy refreshments in the fellowship hall following the program. We look forward to seeing you on the 7th!
Spring is HERE! As our seasons change once again, the Kindergarten class will be making observations about our Spring season. We will also continue our studies of life cycles by studying the life cycles of plants and blooming flowers. We have started our unit by predicting when we will see the first buds on tress and bushes, keep an eye out for the first buds. We have also created our own definition of what spring is and continue to analyze the weather and environment that helps plants grow. We will also be analyzing our own responsibilities within the environment and what we can do to continue to be a friend to the Earth. April 22nd is Earth Day! We will be spending much of the day outside and have conversation about our Essential Question.
Specials
Specials
Music - The Cottontails did not have music this month. We are looking forward to meeting again in April to put the finishing touches on our program music and start learning about Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.” Stay tuned for more details soon! We hope you can join us for the Spring Music Program on MONDAY, APRIL 7th, which will take place at 2:00pm at River Community Church. Please remember to park across the street at River Community Church. Students will walk across the street to the church with their VIPs at 2:00pm and find their spots on the stage in the sanctuary. Don’t forget to take your child’s belongings with you if you will be taking your child home after the program. You're invited to stay and enjoy refreshments in the fellowship hall following the program. We look forward to seeing you on the 7th!
Movement -
Hello Willowwind Families,
It’s Spring! Our Movement classes are scheduled to be back outdoors again. Be sure to send your child to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays with good clothes to play and stay warm outdoors. Remember to encourage your child to wear tennis shoes and jacket layers. If snow or rain alters our plans, we will meet in the GD space.
I am looking forward to our outdoor Movement units this month. We will be throwing and playing with Frisbees. I hope to introduce students to Disc Golf. Students will set up their own course. This recreational activity is a great family game that all abilities can have fun with. Iowa City and Coralville have some great Disc Golf courses to play on. We will also continue our focus on locomotor skill development and fitness.
The students will enjoy new cooperative games and playing their favorites from weeks past. Students continue to learn the fitness vocabulary to differentiate the purpose of our movement activities. They participate in cardiovascular fitness activities (huff and puff) and strength building activities that are fun and good for their body. Our overall goal in Movement is for your child to develop the knowledge, abilities and commitment needed to live and promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
Be sure to check out my new blog for updates on current Movement units at www.willowwindmovement.blogspot.com
Cheers! Happy Spring! Karen Robbins
karenr@willowwind.org
Spanish - Willowwind Spanish now has a blog!
Find out what Willowwind students have been learning in Spanish here. See photos, videos, and find out more information about our school Spanish-related events. Moreover, read the latest news about our progress in the language --from preschool to the Wolves classroom! Contact Luis at luisl@willowwind.org for more information about the blog or any other questions you may have.
Follow "Willowwind Spanish" in WordPress.com to receive an email notification after each new post.
Art - Visual
ArtsRyan Bentzinger
Grade: Kindergarten
It has been a quite a long time since our Ceramics block in the Fall, so when I finally brought out the students’ bisque-fired ceramic work both the students and I were very excited. As students rediscovered their work, I explained to them what glaze was and its properties. The main thing I wanted the kiddos to remember was ‘glaze is NOT paint.’ I try to make this idea stick in their heads because I tend to use the word ‘paint’ as a verb to apply the glaze with a brush – and I do not want to cause confusion with the paint as a medium (noun).
I explained how glaze does not always look like the color it appears in the jar because the coloring happens with chemical reactions to the high temperatures of a kiln. I also taught to apply three coats, not to paint their pieces’ bottoms, and not to mix the colors and expect the results as if it were paint. With Ceramics being the most popular medium at Willowwind, I was not surprised that it took three class periods to glaze all their pieces. Up-to-date I have fired all the Kindergartners’ work, and hopefully it is displayed somewhere special in someone’s home, office, yard, etc. at the moment.
The next two weeks were dedicated to Printmaking. With such high technological devices and the accessibility to computer printers these days, it was a challenge for me to successfully explain to students the difference and importance of Printmaking in comparison to printing. After pondering the best approach, I decided to go with something everyone knows: money.
I showed the students a 6 minute YouTube clip of the History Channel’s ‘How it’s Made” show, with the feature being currency. (The full-length program is available for free on YouTube if you are ever looking for something to watch.) With help of this and another video, I felt I showed the relevance and importance of Printmaking today. The remainder of the second week was spent focusing the idea of original reproduction, and students played with stamps and NaturePrint paper before Spring Break hit. (Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake and over-exposed many of the students’ NaturePrints. I hope to give the students another attempt at it on an upcoming, nice Spring day.)
The last week of Printmaking was focused on students making their own printing plates. Instead of using metal or stone, students “carved” Styrofoam plates with a chopstick. We learned through trial-and-error and experimentation how you had to write words backwards on the plate to have it appear the correct way on the print. Students also learned how to charge their brayer with ink from their Plexiglas to eventually ink-up the plate. Printmakers then print their plate on paper or parchment to make an original piece of art. We also learned first-hand how a Printmaking studio required more planning, organization, and cleanliness than studios using other media.
The final Block will be Sculpture, and I plan to have students make either masks or puppets… or both if there is time.
Grade: Kindergarten
It has been a quite a long time since our Ceramics block in the Fall, so when I finally brought out the students’ bisque-fired ceramic work both the students and I were very excited. As students rediscovered their work, I explained to them what glaze was and its properties. The main thing I wanted the kiddos to remember was ‘glaze is NOT paint.’ I try to make this idea stick in their heads because I tend to use the word ‘paint’ as a verb to apply the glaze with a brush – and I do not want to cause confusion with the paint as a medium (noun).
I explained how glaze does not always look like the color it appears in the jar because the coloring happens with chemical reactions to the high temperatures of a kiln. I also taught to apply three coats, not to paint their pieces’ bottoms, and not to mix the colors and expect the results as if it were paint. With Ceramics being the most popular medium at Willowwind, I was not surprised that it took three class periods to glaze all their pieces. Up-to-date I have fired all the Kindergartners’ work, and hopefully it is displayed somewhere special in someone’s home, office, yard, etc. at the moment.
The next two weeks were dedicated to Printmaking. With such high technological devices and the accessibility to computer printers these days, it was a challenge for me to successfully explain to students the difference and importance of Printmaking in comparison to printing. After pondering the best approach, I decided to go with something everyone knows: money.
I showed the students a 6 minute YouTube clip of the History Channel’s ‘How it’s Made” show, with the feature being currency. (The full-length program is available for free on YouTube if you are ever looking for something to watch.) With help of this and another video, I felt I showed the relevance and importance of Printmaking today. The remainder of the second week was spent focusing the idea of original reproduction, and students played with stamps and NaturePrint paper before Spring Break hit. (Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake and over-exposed many of the students’ NaturePrints. I hope to give the students another attempt at it on an upcoming, nice Spring day.)
The last week of Printmaking was focused on students making their own printing plates. Instead of using metal or stone, students “carved” Styrofoam plates with a chopstick. We learned through trial-and-error and experimentation how you had to write words backwards on the plate to have it appear the correct way on the print. Students also learned how to charge their brayer with ink from their Plexiglas to eventually ink-up the plate. Printmakers then print their plate on paper or parchment to make an original piece of art. We also learned first-hand how a Printmaking studio required more planning, organization, and cleanliness than studios using other media.
The final Block will be Sculpture, and I plan to have students make either masks or puppets… or both if there is time.
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