Dear Parents!
Here it is the last Cottontail Newsletter of the year. It is a sweet and yet sad thing to know our time as Kindergartners is at an end. I have enjoyed each day with your special students and I cannot thank you enough for letting me be a part of their lives. Keep an eye out for your child's end of the year report in your email after Friday, June 13th. I know they are a bit lengthy but I have added personal information to your child in each document and the narrative can be helpful for summer activities.
Literacy
We continue to grow more and more excited about reading. We are now at 9 minutes of quiet reading time. Over the summer I encourage each of to set aside 10 minutes devoted to S.U.R.F - Silent Uninterrupted Reading Fun! This will help build reading stamina which is great for our next year of learning to build on. Handwriting booklets have gone home this month as well. Please use the booklets as guides for correct letter formation over the summer. Each child has kept their seed journal and I hope they will use it to write ideas, thoughts, stories, and summer memories in. We were so happy this month to have one of our special wishes take us to Oaknoll. We love going there so much! Thank you parents who make learning a possibility; you light our reading fire!
Math
In Chapter 8 children have learned the concepts of part-whole and number bonds. We have applied these concepts in additions and subtraction for number from 0 - 10. Now we begin to use these strategies with numbers from 0 -20. We have studies place values in which we learned why numbers are written the way they are and what it represents. We have started using math facts to help us with our larger numbers. Doubles facts are often used to help us round or think of problems that are close to the one we are working on (i.e. 6+7=?, students can say I know 6+6=12 so since 7 is 1 more than 6 I know the answer is 13). We are working on this concept in both addition and subtraction. Please continue to aid your young learners in their math homework. At school we play games that help us learn to add numbers and increase our ability to work with our friends. We have also started talking a little about measurement, which is our Ch 9 unit. We didn't get very far into the unit but feel free to have students make cookies or no bake granola bars over the summer and measure ingredients! Or trace their hands or other objects and measure them with differing units like paper clips, marshmallows, erasers, crayons, etc! Measuring is fun!
Social Studies
We had such a wonderful Portfolio Night! The kids did a great job and they were so excited to show everyone all their hard work and how much they have been able to achieve in just one year! Every day these children show me their drive and passion to be a life long learner. It is inspiring and exhilarating. We spent much of this month learning about jobs and careers. As students it is our job to learn and as we grow older we gain knowledge about something specific and use it to give back to our community. Students brain stormed many jobs someone can choose to work at when they are older. We also had many parents guests who came in to speak to us about their special jobs! Thank you so much parents! We learn from real life examples and having you come in and share your passion with us. We were also so happy to find out what days were special wish days!!!
Each morning guessing who the baby was, was just a blast! Each one was a real treat! Here are pictures of us working on our camping booklets in the tent.
Eating a special lunch treat!
Visiting Mercer Park!
Library Trip!
Specials
Movement
Hello Willowwind Families,
What a great final month of Movement we have had. Students participated in cardiovascular fitness activities (huff and puff) and strength building activities that were fun and good for their health. They learned a few track and field events and played a few cooperative and favorite games. Capture the flag (or Chicken) was an enjoyed by all.
Our Olympic Field Day is Tuesday, June 3. Students will be celebrating the knowledge, abilities and they have gained this year in Movement class. The objective of this Field Day is to have fun while being physically active. The students have brainstormed different station ideas, voted for their favorites and selected the Olympic theme to spice up the entire day’s events. The selected activities include individual challenges, team challenges, competitive and cooperative activities. Students will be divided into groups of 9-10 students made up of several partner families.
They will be given 7-8 minutes per activity station before they are signaled to rotate to the next station. The focus of Field Day Olympics is for students to be physically active, performing skilfully, working as a team and competing together all with good sportsmanship. It is my hope that this day creates a lasting memory of having fun being physically active. Our overall goal in Movement was for your child to develop the knowledge, abilities and commitment needed to live and promote a healthy, active lifestyle. It is my hope that your child and family unit will continue to be active over the summer break. They will need your help, encouragement and example. Consider setting limits on their screen-time and getting outside with them. The community we live in provides many natural settings to be active in and explore. We have the shorelines of the river and lakes, local and state parks, trails, creeks, and campsites. Don’t forget about the geocaching and disc golf courses in the area. Our city’s recreation departments have published their summer activity guides with a wide variety of sports and lessons. We have
some great outdoor city pools to enjoy, as well. Coralville Recreation Center is sponsoring a Coralville Play Every Summer Day event that is designed to keep every participate fit and moving with 92 family friendly activities to keep you busy all summer long. Check out their list of 92 ideas on their website at www.coralville.org.
Have a fun and active Summer!
Karen Robbins
Music
The Cottontails spent the month of May working with Boomwhacker instruments. Boomwhackers are plastic tubes that are pitched to specific note names (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G). They can be used as rhythmic, melodic or harmonic instruments, and our classroom activities used the instruments in these ways. Students echoed and created their own rhythmic patterns on the instruments as we explored the many different ways to play them- on the floor, the wall, our heads, feet, arms, the list is endless. Color-coded notation was then introduced as we sang familiar songs such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ all while playing the harmonic structure for each. Our favorite part of the music block included learning how to read the notation and play the chords for the ‘Popcorn’ song and the ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight.’ Students did a great job of keeping a steady beat, following along in the music, and keeping track of when it was their turn to play!
Katherine
Spanish
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 or suggestions you may have.
