Two Hoots and A Holler

Hoot #1

In kindergarten, it is our goal to develop readers who have a love for books.  In order to promote this, we have already started using book boxes in our classrooms this year.  Book boxes are used during IDR time, Read to Self time, DEAR time, or whatever you may call it.  This year's group of students are SO excited to get their book box and read their books.  I have never had a group of kids so excited to read this early in the year.  It makes my teacher heart happy!  I learned from a co-worker last year to use whisper phones during independent reading.  Because students this age are emerging readers, it is good for them to read out loud.  But it can get very noisy and distracting with 26 different voices.  Using whisper phones made out of PVC pipe (from Home Depot or any hardware store) helps with the noise level and helps students be able to listen to themselves read.  Students were able to stay engaged in independent reading time for 5 minutes on the first day!  We are continuing to work on our reading stamina and increase it daily.  

Jitterbugs love reading too!

Hoot #2

Well, we have survived our first field trip! We have been studying the 5 senses, so we took a trip out to Litcherman Nature Center. The students loved it. They got to rotate through centers to explore their senses and learn how different animals use their senses.  They were able to see and hear the animals in the woods as they took a hike. They were able to see the fish, geese, and turtles eat food. They were able to taste things that were sour and investigate their taste buds. They even were able to feel a snake and opossum. It was very warm, but an awesome way to reinforce the skills taught in our classrooms.

We love when parents come along as we
learn!

 

We LOVE field trips, but these kiddos were "field tripped" out on the bus ride back to school! 

 
This Week's Holler... 
This week's holler goes out to Mr. Mike, AKA Cowboy! He has been in charge of our PTA for several years. He does an outstanding job! He and his helpers are the reason our students and teachers get the things they need. Well, the past week, he has been very sick, but we are glad to report that he is doing much better. We love you Mr. Mike and all that you do for us! 

    

Two Hoots and A Holler

Hoot #1

This week, we took a trip to the  Children's Museum of Memphis. We haven't been there in about a year. They had made several changes, including adding a carousel.  The carousel was restored from an amusement park that shut down years ago in Memphis, Liberty Land.  Many of the teachers and parents remember riding this very carousel as a child!  The students (and adults) loved it! Some of our students had never ridden one before! It was a marvelous day that gave our children the opportunity to explore and learn through play...just as 5 and 6 year olds should!

Hoot #2
February is not complete without a visit from a local pediatric dentist.  Thanks to Happy Smiles in Horn Lake, MS, our students had the opportunity to learn about dental health!  The students loved seeing her brush with the HUGE toothbrush.  They listened so well and even wrote about what they learned in their journals.  

 

This Week's Holler...

This week's holler goes out to Diane at Spreading Joy One Giggle at at Time. She has so many resources! We really enjoyed her article on Smart Beads! We are definitely going to try that in our classrooms. We also love her signs for walking quietly in the hallway. She has a plethora of information on her blog! 
Go check her out!

Two Hoots and A Holler

Hoot #1

Before Thanksgivng Break, we went to the Orpheum to watch "Red and Green Rhythmic Circus".  Kamarion sat on the very front row and watched their every move.  Since that field trip he has wanted to dance like the dancers that he saw on that stage.  He came back from Thanksgiving Break shouting "I got it!"  Then he showed us what he was talking about...he had been practicing tap dancing like he saw on that field trip!  When he shows us what he has been practicing or when he watches tap dancers on the computer, his whole face lights up!  He has so much interest and passion about tap dancing.  We knew right away what we must do!  Well, Santa came early this year and brought Kamarion a pair of tap shoes! His face is indescribable.  He is a great tap dancer, and we plan to use him as part of our kindergarten program!  Watching his excitement over tap shoes and dancing overflows our hearts with joy and happiness.  Oh to be a kid again!  This right here is what it is all about!!  It truly brings a smile to our faces and a tear to our eyes.  

Hoot #2

Our first House field trip is in the bag! We took about 100 kinder and 5th grade students to the Memphis Riverkings hockey game. It could not have gone any better. The students sat according to their house. We just love watching the 5th graders interact with their kindergarten house buddy! This was such a FUN field trip!  Can't wait to do it again.  We all had such a blast!

This Week's Holler...

While looking on the internet for fun, new Christmas ideas to use in our classrooms, we ran across Mrs. Hoffer's Kindergarten.  We LOVE how she transformed her classroom into Santa's workshop!  Since visiting RCA, we have been very interested to see how teachers in kindergarten are transforming their classrooms.  Kudos to Mrs. Hoffer for giving her students this wonderful experience!  Go check out how she did it!