Field Day & Safety Day

Today was quite an eventful day for our kindergarten students (and teachers)!
We started with Field Day and the students were able to participate in relay races, play with hula hoops and bouncing balls, explore the first grade playground, catch each other in freeze tag, push each other on scooters, and enjoy three different inflatable courses. It was quite a morning of excercise!
After lunch, a little rest, and lots of water, we headed into our safety day rotations. The students had a chance to learn about many different ways to stay safe from various professionals that I invited out to our school for this special occasion. The police officers taught us about personal safety and staying away from strangers. The lifeguards talked about staying safe in the water, beach, and sun. The health volunteers showed us how to avoid poisons and take care of our bodies. The coast guard talked about staying safe on boats and what to do in an emergency situation.  The animal safety guests talked about how to take care of and stay safe around wild and domestic animals. The fire fighters taught us the importance of not playing with fire and having a plan in case there is a fire in our home.
Click the picture below to see some of the fun we had during safety day!

Safety Day

Beat the FCAT!

Although it may seem that FCAT and kindergarten have nothing to do with each other, at New Berlin, we believe all the students should be involved in the upcoming FCAT. Our goal is to support our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders as much as possible as they prepare for next week's FCAT testing.
After the intermediate grades completed their FCAT Pep Rally this morning (complete with real cheerleaders and a middle school band and drumline), they marched the halls for our annual FCAT parade. The primary grades made inspirational posters, stood in the halls cheering, waving pom-poms, and encouraging our friends with smiles and high fives! 
Each primary class also paired up with an intermediate class to provide a little extra dose of support. Our class created note cards, bags filled with various pieces of treats, and a friendly reminder: "Don't fall to pieces... Shoot for Success!"

March is Magnificent

March has always been one of my favorite months - and it's not just because of my birthday! :-)
I love how the plants begin to flower, the trees turn vividly green, and the weather begins to warm up.
At school, March is just as beautiful. The students seem to shine and really show growth during this time, both physically and in their academics. Boys and girls who couldn't write their names a few months ago are blossoming into incredible authors and brilliant thinkers!
March also means that our school year is nearly through. Spring break provides a refresher for students, teachers, and parents and prepares us for our final quarter. As we venture into these last 45 days of school, don't forget to continue to practice daily with your children. Many new and exciting concepts will be introduced and it is important for the students to continue to receive support at home and at school.
Happy Spring!

Dr. Seuss

Friday, March 2nd, was Dr. Seuss' birthday. Our class celebrated this day by reading his classic book Green Eggs & Ham. Of course, we couldn't just read the book, we had to try some ourselves! Most of the students were a little nervous to eat something so green-looking. But, that Sam-I-Am can be pretty convincing! So, each one of us took our fork and our first hesitant bite.... YUM! As it turns out, we like green eggs and ham just as much as the characters in the book.
Today, on our field trip, the students received a special treat as they arrived at JCA and experienced the magic of Dr. Seuss' stories coming to life! We even had a chance to meet some of the actors and hear some of the less familiar, yet interesting stories, written by Dr. Seuss.
We also celebrated the life of Dr. Seuss by painting our own cat in the hat pictures. Stop by the classroom sometime to see our artists' great work!

Munching on the Moon!

In science, we have been learning the differences and similarities between the night time and day time skies. One of the things the students noticed was that the moon can be seen sometimes during the day and sometimes during the night. We decided to do a little exploring to discover how this happens. The students were astonished to find out how our earth orbits around the sun and how the moon orbits around the earth. Once they understood how the moon reflects the light from the sun as it orbits, they were able to understand how we can see it at different times.
Today we discussed the different phases of the moon. Since the moon is too far away for us to do any hands on learning, I decided to substitute the moon with a Little Debbie Star Crunch! The students used their "moon" to create the different phases of our moon. We started with a full moon (uneaten), then a gibbous moon (only a sliver missing), followed by a quarter moon (or half), after that a crescent moon (the one that looks like a smile), and finally a new moon (all gone). Who knew learning could be so delicious?!

Remarkable Readers!

We are already half way through the 3rd quarter and the students are really beginning to shine. One of the things they are most proud of is how well they are reading. Click on the pictures below to listen to these remarkable readers!


DeMarcus and Allison


Archer


Logan


Maria


Abby

Happy Valentine's Day

Love is in the air!
The students were so excited to share their love with each other today by creating cards, passing out treats, sharing smiles, and giving lots of hugs. Each student decorated a Valentine's bag and then took it home packed with all kids of goodies.
I hope each of you have a wonderful evening filled with fun and reminders of how much you are loved.



Happy Valentine's Day!