Enjoy our video, Officer Buckle & Gloria.  This project was completely done by Room 101 students. (So this is really Film Making 101!)  We learned to use our classroom iPad and I learned how to embed videos onto this site.

If you were unable to attend the curriculum presentation tonight, check it out below.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

We completed our first full week of school together!  We are getting more familiar with the Wealthy routine and are working very hard to learn everyone's name.  Here is a quick look back at our accomplishments:

Reading - We began rotating through literacy centers each morning - focusing on letters in our name and our new friend's names.  Children are encouraged to connect the beginning sounds in their peers names with other words they want to write.  e.g. baseball begins with the same sound as Beckett and Brayden.

Language Arts - This week we read stories to keep us safe as we practiced our first fire drill on Monday.  We also discussed and practiced where we would go if there was a tornado or a code red signal issued at school.  We read  Never Talk to Strangers by Irma Joyce, assist the children in deciding if someone is a stranger or not.  Lastly, we ended the week with the story and reenactment of Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann.  I had four camera men who captured our play with our classroom iPADS. I hope to upload this for you to view shortly - the kids were so darling!!

Math - We continue to work on number forms and quantities.  Additional skills are completed on the iPADS during math centers.  The children had fun playing the card game WAR and Guess my Number with a partner.

Science/Social Studies - Our area of study is based around the theme of motion.  We have formulated a knowledge probe about the definition of motion, we are formulating questions about motion and plan on gathering data by observing motion in the cafeteria and playground.  Once our data has been evaluated, we will be able to make a claim, that hopefully answer our question.  What great scientists!  

Writing Workshop - We are the Tiger Writing Club - hear us roar!  Children are currently writing teaching books during writer's workshop.  I am coaching them along and introducing several ideas to assist them in transferring their knowledge of a subject area to the page.  The children are all eager to tell what they know.

Music/Art - Rhythm sticks and letter props help us imitate a rain storm and sing the song Bingo.  The children enjoy movement songs such as If You're Happy and You Know It, Walk to School and The Raindrop Song.  We also include This Little Light of Mine each day to remind them to "let it shine!"  Watercolor and dot paints have been available in our art center as well as the daily option to visit the Creation Station during free choice.  Next week we will create our seedlings for the hallway mural and paint beautiful fall leaves to drop from the ceiling.

Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening at 5;15 in our classroom for more in depth coverage of the curriculum, our plan for the year and daily routine.  It's been a great week!!

Welcome Friends!

I'm so excited to get to know everyone and create an atmosphere of academic achievement and positive social growth.  Please view the hallway mural as a tribute to the importance of the home and school connection.  The mural is inspired by the the book The Happiness Tree by Andrea Alban Gosline.  The treetops represent the guides in your child's life.  The soil symbolizes the character traits that will help foster their emotional growth.  The children are the seeds that emerge and carry with them the influences of their environment.  I look forward to building this ever important home/school bond with your family this year.

Let's have a great year together!

Warmly,

Kerry McKee

“Everything good begins with me,”

the acorn told its mother tree,

and drifted on the dancing breeze,

to find a cloak of golden leaves.