May Day and Mother's Day

We had our traditional Morris Dancers visiting on May 1st. The entire school turned out for this and had a great time dancing the Shepherd's Hay. The children made May Day baskets and filled them with flowers to take home to their families. They also made some paper flowers.

Each child cast their hand in plaster and painted them to take home for Mother's Day. They made cards as well.

Eric Carle Study

We began our Eric Carle study in late April. We made Brown Bear collages that are on a bulletin board in the classroom. Children made their own On Monday books based on Eric Carle's story. They wrote a story about what they ate each day of the week and made collages for the cover of their books. BZ made end paper with the children that they used in their books. They used the leftover pieces to make additional collages. Their work is delightful!!. We'll put some of these up on a bulletin board as well. One of the most popular Eric Carle activities is Pancakes, Pancakes. We start by reading his story detailing the grinding of the wheat, the milking of the cow and the churning of the butter. The children each wrote their own version of how to make pancakes. We then made pancakes and the kids loved them. Some have asked can we do it again. We also watched a video about Eric Carle, a Picture Writer.

riter.

From Geometry to Numbers in the Teens

We finished a geometry unit before the spring break. You will see children matching the faces on different shaped blocks, building three-dimensional shapes with playdough, building an equivalent block with smaller blocks and copying structures made out of cubes.

When we returned we began a unit in which we are working with larger numbers. Children measured each other with cubes, with some going as high as 72 cubes. We have played Collect 15 and Collect 20, asking children to add each new number (after rolling a die with 1, 2 or 3 on it), while keeping track of their total until they get to 20. We are examining how people count a count of 21 objects and how they record their count, comparing different strategies on counting. When we copy a tile structure on our board, we talk about ways of grouping the tiles to create different combinations that equal the same number. Children are ready for so many more challenges this time of year. It's an exciting time in kindergarten!

The Best Field Trip of the Year!!

As always the trip to the Quabbin to stock trout is a highlight of the year. Clif Read, a parent of some Shutesbury Alumni, organizes this field trip each year. Many parents participate, helping children to empty buckets of fish into the water. The finale is the "fish cannon" that shoots the remaining fish into the water. As usual, birds of prey are waiting to scoop up whatever they can.

There were some problems with the pictures, but many of them are in the next post.

Stocking Trout