Oh my but the sun felt hot! I supervised the chalk station along with two other teachers and volunteers. I did wear sun screen but how I wish I had remembered a water bottle! The kindergarteners scattered here, there, and everywhere having a great time with the freedom of the situation. Thanks to the many parents who manned the barbeque, supervised games and children, and passed out popsicles at the end of it all.
I actually envied the teachers who volunteered to be in the dunk tank. The weather couldn’t have been more different from the cold gray day we had on last year’s Field Day.
First grade Ellie makes a basket!
First grade Bao is a great chalk artist. Just look at that menacing dragon!
One of our reading groups did a little skit on plant growth. Here you see the seeds, roots (laying down), stems leaves and flowers. The ’surprise’ was hands full of cotton balls to represent seeds which the flowers tossed at the audience. We only performed for the rest of the kindergarten team but they took it very seriously. It was supposed to be readers’ theater but most of them had the lines memorized. To view the pictures in a larger format click once on a photo and then click again to enlarge it even more.
Ms. Autenrieth said there were over 2000 pieces of student art work on display for the gallery walk and that certainly is believable! It was fun to mix and mingle with Sanislo families listening to the children proudly share their artistic accomplishments. Here are some kindergarteners next to their work: line drawings of people in action, self portraits, overlapping shapes, and cool colored ‘Starry Nights’. This is only a sampling; just wait until you see the full portfolios they will be bringing home at the end of the year!
“Row, row, row the umiak!” We bucked a good breeze but had fun paddling away on Lake Union and then building our boats in the Center. The weather couldn’t have been finer and I couldn’t have asked for more parent assistance. Seriously, I am somewhat of a ‘basket case’ the night before a field trip, worrying about all the details. Much to my amazement NINETEEN parents/grandparents joined us on this field trip! That is a record for me and I hope you all had a wonderful time. I certainly did not need to worry about a thing once we arrived at the CFWB. A parent even reminded ME to pick up my hat and sunglasses just as I was reminding all the ‘kinders’ to remember their belongings! That figures! In all honesty, having all those parents who adjust their schedules to be with us on Friday was the biggest show of teacher appreciation of all of the many gifts bestowed on me this week. THANK YOU!!
It looked and smelled like a floral shop in our clasroom yesterday as child after child brought me lovely bouquets along with notes of appreciation. The begonias I took home and placed on our front porch but the other bouquets will stay on my desk where I can appreciate them through Friday. Thank you all so very much. The Sanislo parents always do a great job of celebrating teachers during ‘Teacher Appreciation Week’. Today I get my car washed by kids and parents! Yipee! It needs it.
Today is Walking Wednesday and that is exactly what I would be doing if it weren’t for the fact that my car needs that washing! Also, school is out at 1:10 for students today. Teachers have professional development.
Tomorrow afternoon is our all school Jog-A-Thon. Make sure your child wears shoes that are good for running.
Friday is our field trip to the Center For Wooden Boats. According to the forecast we will need sunscreen, not umbrellas! The bus will leave Sanislo as close to 9:20 as possible. Make sure your child remembers a lunch from home (unless you preordered from the school lunch program). If you are volunteering to help supervise just come into the classroom with your child at the usual 8:50 bell. Volunteers can expect to be back at Sanislo Between 12:15 and 12:30. Please remember, as adorable as younger brothers and sisters are, we ask that you do not bring them along on field trips. We want the volunteers to give their undivided attention to the kindergarten children. What a busy week! We will all be needing the three day holiday weekend.
The Talking Tree field trip was a huge success. The weather wasn’t exactly warm but it didn’t rain us. The children listened intently to the woman dressed as a ‘Talking Tree’. She taught the importance of trees for the quality of the air we breath, the products we get from trees and the animals that rely on trees for their habitat and/or food. She was VERY engaging for the children to listen to; they especially enjoyed passing around her animal puppets. On the short hike, our guide, Chris, showed us a huge maple that had been struck by lightning and was charred on the inside of it’s trunk yet it was still living and branches with new green leaves were springing out from it’s sides. He also showed us a redwood and douglas fir. See the picture below where the kids are hugging the redwood? My favorite part of the field trip: We are in the woods, I’m holding the hand of one of our youngest. He’s looking up into the treetops, turning every which way. I whisper to him, “What do you see?” He answers with the question, “Where’s the Talking Tree?” I say, “But the lady inside who shared her puppets was the Talking Tree.” He looks at me, wide eyed and innocent, “But the REAL ONE, where’s the REAL ONE?” I don’t know if the look on his face was one of relief or of disappointment when I explained that the costumed lady was the only Talking Tree he was going to see.
I came back into the classroom just in time for the ‘gallery walk’ that Ms. Autenrieth does after each lesson and was able to take some photos of the Starry Night oil pastels that the children finished on Wednesday. They have been studying the artist Vincent van Gogh and the use of cool colors. Next they move on to warm colors and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers paintings will be their inspiration. I’m SO impressed by the growth I see their art work as well as their reading and writing!
Remember! Field trip on this Friday to Seward Park. Have your little one dress for the weather. Look under the blog header for a link to the May parent letter for more upcoming events!
On Friday in Math, future architects were busy in 102 A creating 3D sculptures with toothpicks and mini marshmallows. Do you see the little boy holding his “flying house” ? We are in Unit 7 of Everyday Math and 3D shapes have been part of our lessons for the past two weeks. The children have also been writing and solving story problems on a regular basis. There sure is a lot of enthusiasm for math in 102A. I’m impressed with the number of children who return the monthly math challenges assigned by Mrs. Henton, our math coach.
O examines all the switches and buttons on the second graders’ robot. We have second grade teacher, Mr. Femiano, to thank for being the leading force behind the Science, Math, and Technology Fair.
It was enthusiastically attended and I am certain we all want to have a second fair next year.
D and his ‘Patterns’
J and ‘Footprints’
M and ‘Where Wheat Grass Grows the Best’
S and ‘Solutions for Cleaning Pennies’
J2 and his Rocket
K and his Volcano display (Kyle proudly informed me, “My volcano was a BIG hit!” This picture was taken the day after and the volcano was at home.)
O’s mom helping at his exhibit; ‘How Many Pumps To Pop a Balloon?’ The sudden loud POP! made more than one attendee jump!
The happy exhibitor of ‘How Beach Glass Is Made’
L’s ‘Magnified Looking’
Z’s exhibit about her goldfish Clara
E’s (and brother A’s) exhibit on ‘How Temperature Changes Inflation in a Balloon’
The ‘Foam Explosion’ on the grassy circle caused lots of glee!
