Week 31st of Kindergarten: A Journey of Learning and Fun

Dear Family, hope you all had an amazing week! We certainly did. Our week flew by smoothly, filled with learning and exciting recaps. Let’s take you through our adventures!

Large Group:

Our large group is always the highlight of our day. We typically kick things off with a lively song to energize our children before settling down. This week, our focus was on “sight words.” As our kindergarteners are developing their reading skills, we explored eight common sight words they will encounter in their books and daily reading. Each child took a turn presenting the words to their friends, and with song breaks in between, our large group session was filled with fun and learning.

“It’s ‘they’ okay it’s not ‘the’ it has ‘y’ at the end” Junior

“Don’t help her, Leayene it’s not fair” -Lucas

“Can I fix the calendar please?” -Hekima

“I didn’t get a turn for a very long time” -Umar

Literacy:

In literacy this week, we revisited nouns and pronouns. After discussing both concepts, we took our first session outside to the big green board by our classroom wall. We divided the board into two sections—one for nouns and one for pronouns—and left empty boxes for our children to write words as they were called out by their peers. This interactive experience allowed them to choose words and receive corrections from friends, reinforcing their understanding. For our second literacy session, we provided worksheets with the same concept, enabling us to assess each child’s individual understanding.

“Eliyab’s handwriting is beautiful” -Yeabsera

“Your word is grass is it a noun or a pronoun” -Abigail

“Nouns have to start with a capital letter” -Leayene

Math:

We continued practicing mathematical symbols, focusing on subtraction this week. Our children loved using the "number line" method. In our first math session, we ventured outside to the bike lane and drew a large number line. One child wrote a subtraction question on the gate, while another read it aloud and used the number line to find the answer. This activity rotated until everyone had a turn. In our second math session, we used worksheets for individual practice, and it was delightful to see how quickly everyone grasped the concept using the number line.

“I love the number line and it’s super easy” -Adelene

“I want to write the question” -Tang Tang

“14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6………” -Eliyab

Science

This week’s science lessons were all about experimentation. As you may remember, we’ve been exploring the states of matter. In our first session, we conducted an ice melting (water in solid and liquid form) activity, using salt to observe how it melted the ice. We placed a large block of ice in a sunny spot to witness evaporation and understand gas. The children had a blast learning and sharing their thoughts during this activity. For our second session, we performed the popular “magic milk experiment,” where they observed how different liquids interact. Watching the colors swirl as they dipped soap into the center was a magical experience for them!

“The magic milk experiment is the best experiment ever” -Adelene

“Look Yichen is putting the soap already” -Lucas

“Can I please pour the milk by myself?” -Leayene

“No” -Yichen

“Wow look at Abigail’s it’s so beautiful” -Junior

“Umar and Tang Tang didn’t do this activity” -Abigail

Art

We began our sixth canvas last week by painting the background blue and green to represent a football field. This week, we traced a paper plate to create a football, painting it black and white. Our children were thrilled, as this project connected to their love for football! We also added goal lines and bars, making our artwork beautifully complete.

“I want to sketch the ball” -Lucas

“It has to be big” -Umar

“It has to have a rainbow in the sky” -Leayene

“A rainbow and a cloud” -Yeabsera

Library

This week, we took our library class to the new compound by sand pit area. We set up a mat and pillows to create a cozy reading environment. Our children enjoyed the space, reading quietly and attentively. They also returned the books they borrowed last week, left their signature and took new ones, taking responsibility for their choices. We appreciate your support in reminding our children to bring their library folders every Wednesday!

“Wow I love this compound so much” -Adelene

“Can we also have a picnic here pleaseeeeee?” -Leayene

“We have to take our shoes off” -Lucas

“Are we going to play here also?” -Lucas

“Look at the pictures” -Yichen(in Chinese)

Construction Center

At the construction center this week, the children had a special project where they drew construction site signs and wrote caution messages. With the guidance of our construction site teacher, Gelila, we moved to the art room for more space to think and create. We provided printed examples of signs to inspire them, and they did a fantastic job designing their own signs, contributing greatly to the play site construction.

“I want to do the red one” -Yeabsera

“Phi, I made a mistake and I need a new paper” -Lucas

“This is like how we made for the cafe” -Abigail

“Where’s my picture? Why is it a name on my paper?” -Leayene

“Gelila, do you like my handwriting?” -Adelene

“Me and Hekima did the same thing you see” -Junior

“Is this okay? You like it?” -Hekima

Next week’s schedule:

Monday – Math, Literacy

Tuesday – Literacy, Science, gym

Wednesday - Library, Math

Thursday - Science

Friday - Cooperative game

Specials:

Monday- Art

Tuesday - Gym

Thursday - Ethiopian center/ clay

Friday - Football

Reminders and notes:

• Make sure that our children are wearing suitable clothes on Monday as we have art class and activities get messy sometimes.

• Every Wednesday and Thursday is library day. Our children will be bringing home a book of their choice in their library folder, so please make sure to read the book with them over the weekend. Return the folder the following Wednesday so they can get a new one.


• Every Tuesday, we have gymnastics, so please ensure that our children come dressed in comfortable and loose-fitting sports attire to facilitate their exercise.

• Every Friday, we have football, so please make sure our children wear their football jerseys if they have them, or any comfortable shorts.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead! Stay safe and keep up with our weekly blog!