Monday, June 18, 2018

end of the year self-portraits



A community of builders and artists, collectors of treasures and tiny things. 


For their end of the year self-portraits the Kindergarteners revisited their beginning and middle of the year portraits - we talked about how their drawing and illustration has become more "powerful".

I shared with them the end of the year portraits from last year's class - portraits built and constructed. They too were a community of builders. It's important to offer children a variety of opportunities and materials for representation - to draw, sketch, paint, color, bend, mold, and build. 

With an assortment of beautiful stuff presented on trays and in bowls, the children gathered their materials. They manipulated the materials on their canvases, before gluing stones and buttons down. It was a wonderful way to end one of our last afternoons together. The children were engaged in a reflective and constructive experience - they planned their work, counted materials, practiced their fine motor skills, and represented themselves using an assortment of materials. 

Following their work, the children thought deeply about words to describe themselves.

First using mirrors and black pens to plan.
Then collecting, manipulating, and attaching materials.
A fun, engaging, and academic experience - planning and representation are an important aspect of early literacy. 

 

 

 

 

 





The Kindergarteners
End of the Year Self-Portraits
Words to describe YOU. . .

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 



hopes for first grade

During our last week of school the children spent time reflecting; 

we read the hopes and dreams written by their families on ribbon at the beginning of the year
they thought about their hopes for first grade
we talked about feelings and change
they thought deeply (one more time) about their many strengths
they wrote powerful words to describe themselves

Many hope for fun with friends in First Grade. Many represented love - from hearts on books to smiles and arrows connecting people. 

I hope the children bring their value for community into the context of their new classrooms, because they have so much to share with others. I hope they continue to eagerly embrace challenges. I hope they question, wonder, and engage. I hope they have fun, love, and have opportunities to be creative.  

In First Grade I hope . . .


 

 

 

 

 

 


Saturday, June 9, 2018

supporting transitions

As part of the children's transition out of Kindergarten, they have helped to ready our classroom for the new Kindergarteners. They worked on a collection of colorful welcome signs and shared reflections from our year together. 

We talked about the orientation bags they got during orientation last year - many shared they still have their ladybug rock! Painting rocks was important to that group, but we haven't spent a lot of time painting rocks this year. We have spent a lot of time writing notes to community members, friends, and family. We discussed the shared interest in "note making" in our classroom - how it feels to give and receive a special little note. 

It was decided that each orientation bag should have a welcome note.

What should you write in the note?

LOVE! Welcome...

WAIT! We should write our names.

What do you mean?

We should write our names so the new kindergarteners already know someone. Like, we could write love and then our name.

But, can we write K Kids instead of Kindergarteners? Kindergarten is just so long. 


A signed note, so they already know someone. 
What a thoughtful idea.



 

 

 

 

 



The children also helped to label journals for the new Kindergarteners to work and reflect in over the summer. They ensured powerful printing, used the sight word "my" and included a finger space - in addition to a beautiful cover, of course!

My Journal



 


What do you love about Kindergarten?


Calla - I love that we’re all together, most of the time.

Inez - I love Ms. Cassidy.

Keith - I love learning and academic choice.

Evan - I love learning, like Keith.

Christopher - My friends.

Owen - I love having fun with Ms. Cassidy.

Anna - I love my community.

Tully - I love reading.

Avery - I love seeing all of you.

Maeve - I love all of the art we do together.

Kathryn - I love all of what we do, together.

Oliver - I love writing workshop and our sight words.

Jackson - I love our whole community.

Whitney - I love my community, too.

Grayson - I love that we do art together.

David - I love all of the fun we have.

Zoey - I just love all of it!