TK / Kindergarten Room

June News

In the month of June, we will learn all about California and Transportation. The Monthly book will be The Little Red Hen and remember to save the date for our upcoming Graduation in 2024 which is June 24^th from 10:30am-12pm 2 guest per children!

May Recap

In May, we took the time to celebrate with our moms who have an extraordinary place in our hearts! Hopefully, Little Acorn Moms, you enjoyed the Mother's Day Tea Party, and it brought a little relaxation to your day. I liked the special cards the student made for you and the trinkets the children enjoyed making for you as their special Mother's Day gift with much LOVE! Being the month of May, signs of spring were all around us with abundant flowers and butterflies everywhere, and we dedicated the month to the butterflies. Children enjoyed learning how caterpillars become butterflies and understanding the lifecycle of a butterfly for their Zoology lessons. The book of the month was The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and it talked about the many fruits that caterpillars eat before wrapping up into a chrysalis and then becoming beautiful butterflies. 

The class theme for May was Dinosaurs and Africa. We talked about different types of dinosaurs. We learned a lot about various kinds of dinosaurs, their names, how long ago they lived, and what they ate. During our Arts & Crafts class, the children picked different types of dinosaurs and colored them beautifully. For geography, we learned to locate Africa on the map as the world's second-largest continent and learned about its landmarks. Children learned that Africa is the home of the great pyramids, the largest desert, the longest river, and Animal Parks. They learned that the Great Pyramid of Giza is the most giant Egyptian pyramids and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They learned that nearly half of the continent of Africa is covered with savanna grasslands and scattered trees and shrubs and therefore since the Savanna is so rich in grasses and tree life, many giant plant-eaters, zebras, wildebeests, elephants, giraffes, ostriches, gazelles, and buffalo live there. The children also learned how many powerful animals roaming the Savanna also hunt for food, including lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, black mambas, and wild dogs. 

During enrichment classes, we spent time in music, and we learned Mendelssohn, the German composer, listened to uplifting and calming music pieces. Children learned rhythm, melody, and harmony while developing listening and memory skills. Our Artist of the month was Monet. Monet was a French artist who used splashes of beautiful colors and painted many flower scenes. For cooking, we made fun of the Cinco de Mayo cookie hat to honor the holiday and guacamole with chips which was so delicious the children loved! Lastly, for computer lessons, we learned to continue to use the ABC mouse; and for Spanish, we worked on the vocabulary related to Mother's Day and dinosaurs.

Teacher Appreciation Week was GREAT! Thank you for your participation and the flowers, food, gift cards, and thoughtful greeting cards! We are so lucky to spend our days with your children, and we greatly appreciate the recognition! As a teacher, I am blessed to have the children in my class; they are the ones who make us good teachers.

April Recap

In April, as the theme was Our Planet Earth And Oceania, our class celebrated Earth Day. We talked about the importance and ways of recycling and our role and responsibility to keep the environment clean. Children were excited to learn more about how they can help the world around us. For geography, we focused on Australia this month. Children Colored Australia's map and learned that Australia is the largest island in the world. That was amazingly created when it popped out of the ocean by volcanic forces. Children were intrigued to learn about volcanoes and that there are still volcanoes, some of which can still erupt.

Children were exposed to various landforms, animals, and plants typical of the country, which we also studied for our Zoology and Botany lessons. We learned about the Great Barrier Reef and that it is the most extensive coral reef in the world, with more than 1,500 fish species! Because it is a remote island, Australia has many animals and plants that cannot be found anywhere else. They have some cool and unusual animals the children learned about, like kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburra. Children studied the insects and were amazed that they have super speedy dragonflies in Australia. Learning about insects was a great way to incorporate the life sciences into their study, and many cool facts about them were learned. We learned about the Australian boomerang initially used by the Aborigines, the first people who lived in Australia for hunting. We learned about their art forms.

Our Easter Egg Hunt was so much fun. Thank you, parents, for donating Easter eggs to our class. Most students are currently reading by themselves now! We studied the Book of the month Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, an entertaining alphabet picture book. Enrichment classes brought us many fun activities in music, art, and language lessons. We had fun making models of volcanoes. We listened to the music of Mozart and learned that he was a child prodigy. He composed his first opera - at the request of an emperor - at the age of 13! When Wolfgang was 17, he was employed as a court musician by the Emperor in Salzburg, Austria. 

March Recap

In March, when St. Patrick's Day is celebrated, we had fun celebrating the Day with lots of arts and crafts. March 2nd was Dr. Seuss's birthday. We celebrated him by reading several of his books and discussing their similarities and differences. Children enjoyed reading them because Dr. Seuss used rhymes and nonsense words. With his whimsical characters and unique use of words, Dr. Seuss's books are the perfect way to introduce children to themes they will encounter throughout their lives by giving examples such as how to be independent and self-confident and care for the world around them. Reading his books, our children also learned the meaning of Author and Title, as I always explained to them those words when we read the books. Dr. Seuss was also the artist of the month, and for cooking, we cooked dishes related to Dr. Seuss with some green eggs and ham treats, shamrock shakes, and rainbow skewers. The children have been learning their beginning sounds, vowels, numbers, additions, and math facts. We have been doing many group lessons in the collective. This way, we are all learning together and helping each other understand each letter's sound and identify words with that letter.

The theme of March was Rain Forest and South America; for geography, we explored South America and the many unique forests, rivers, and cultures. Introducing the concept of other cultures, customs, and countries to children is so important. It helps children see the beautiful diversity in our world. We learned that South America is the fourth largest continent in size. There are 12 countries in South America with a population a little bit more than the United States and Canada Combined. Children learned that Brazil's largest country, covering more than half the continent, is slightly smaller than the USA. The largest river in the world, the Amazon River, is longer than the one from Los Angeles to New York. The highest mountain in South America is Argentina and the Andes Mountain range. We learned that the Amazon rainforest is the world's largest rainforest. If Amazonia were a country, it would be the ninth-largest country in the world. In the recent few years, the rainforest has been under threat, and the last remaining rainforests could be lost in less than 40 years. We learned that Spanish is the primary language in South American countries; only in Brazil people speak Portuguese, and many also speak English as a second language. In South America, many animals are not found much elsewhere, like Jaguars, piranhas, anacondas, and many other animals, and they learned about them.

For Zoology and Botany, we learned about plants and bugs different animals that live in the rainforest, such as poison dart frogs, black caiman, emerald tree boas, green iguanas, giant anteaters, tapirs, macaws, toucans, jaguars, and squirrel monkeys. We will talk about each rainforest layer, its different features, and the animals that live there. There will be a work available in which the students have to sort animals by the layer of the rainforest that they live in. Our music class featuring Vivaldi's Spring was uplifting for children and calming, soothing, and comforting. Children learn rhythm, melody, and harmony while developing listening and memory skills. The children extended their vocabulary, which helped them to learn new languages and the meaning of words. We also learned ABC mouse for computers and spring vocabulary for Spanish.

February Recap

In February, our focus was on love, friendship, and cultural awareness, aligning with the celebrations of Valentine's Day and our monthly theme. The children embraced the spirit of sharing and caring by bringing different healthy snacks for a delightful Valentine's party, fostering a sense of community. Engaging in fun learning activities like crafting Valentine's necklaces and cards for family, the children explored words, colors, and shapes, creatively expressing their friendship.



Our featured book, Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni, enriched the month's lessons by beautifully illustrating the meaning of friendship. The tale of two friends, Little Blue and Little Yellow, hugging and turning green, introduced the concept of primary colors in a captivating manner.

Given our theme of Cultural Awareness and Friendship, the children delved into the diverse cultures of Asia, exploring traditions in China, India, and Japan. Discussions included insights into important landmarks, monuments, and flags of each country, enhancing their geographical understanding. Learning about the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Terracotta Army, and Tokyo Tower, the children were fascinated by the rich history and significance of these landmarks.

Zoology and Botany sessions centered on Asia's unique fauna and flora, introducing animals like elephants, pandas, and silkworms. They learned about the challenges faced by elephants due to ivory poaching and discovered interesting facts about pandas and silkworms, connecting with the region's natural wonders.

In music, the children explored rhythm, beats, and songs like "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," while art activities introduced them to the polka dot art of Yayoi Kusama. Cooking classes provided hands-on experiences, teaching them measuring, mixing ingredients, and safety methods, culminating in the creation of a friendship salad.

Celebrating President's Day, the children learned about revered figures like Lincoln and Washington, exploring their contributions and understanding the significance of the White House and Lincoln log cabin through a coloring book activity.

Acknowledging the Lunar New Year, the children engaged in crafting lanterns, zodiac signs, and symbols associated with the celebration. This provided an opportunity to learn about the twelve zodiac signs and their connections to planets, fostering an appreciation for global diversity.

January Recap

Welcome to the promising days of the new year! The children eagerly returned to their routine, and our classroom buzzed with enthusiasm as they dove back into their work after a delightful holiday break. 

January unfolded with the captivating theme of winter animals and hibernation, offering a rich learning experience for our students. Our geography lessons took us on a virtual journey to Antarctica, where we explored the unique habitats, diverse wildlife, and the intriguing Antarctica science research station. The Montessori Globe and Map helped us understand the continent's climate, the lives of polar bears and penguins, and the phenomenon of hibernation. 

Delving into Botany, we studied winter fruits and vegetables, discovering the seasonal delights of persimmons, pomegranates, apples, and berries. A creative twist emerged with our cooking lesson, where we crafted hibernating bear snacks, adding a dash of fun to our culinary exploration. The book of the month, The Mitten by Jan Brett, served as a perfect companion to our winter animal studies. The book taught the child valuable lessons about scarcity and the concept of not having enough to meet demand.

January also became an artistic month as we ventured into new arts and crafts, creating mittens and snowflakes with chalk. Our Enrichment program delved into the worlds of Beethoven and Van Gogh, introducing the children to the magic of music and the captivating artistry of the famous painter. Computer introduced mouse handling, while Spanish allowed the children to explore and learn the Spanish alphabet. As we commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we reflect on Maria Montessori's belief in the transformative power of education for peace and equality. The children engaged in discussions about making the world a better place through understanding themselves and the world around them.

December Recap

Since it was Christmas time, our classroom activities included making crafts and cards and singing holiday songs. The children made gifts for others and felt the joy of giving and receiving. They also learned about the Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanza holidays and the traditions followed during the various holiday celebrations, like the lighting of the menorah, the most important Hanukkah tradition. A candle is lit each night for eight days. We talked about what Christmas looks like here in America and worldwide. Celebration holidays were discussed using cultural themes rather than religious ones to make the children aware of the other celebrated holidays. 

Our regular lessons are moving forward across the board. Most of our children enjoy regular sound/word building or reading lessons. We are happy to say that we have seen much growth in every child's counting skills in activities and working with our Montessori materials. Children are improving and moving on in number lessons to many levels of addition work for math. We are all working on writing work by independently writing words, copying words from a book, tracing written letters, and all different writing assignments. The book of the month, The Giving Tree, taught me some life lessons.

Having finished our geography studies in the United States, we transitioned into the continent of Europe. We looked at what countries are in Europe, the landmarks of Western Europe like the Eiffel Tower, and the flags of Eastern Europe. Children learned about gas and liquid and solid and gas comparison for science. For Zoology, children learned about the horse and reindeer while learning about Botany's confer tree.

In the Enrichment Program, our music and art program in December dovetailed nicely with the December theme of Holidays. For music, the class learned about the Russian composer and conductor Tchaikovsky, who composed the Nutcracker. Our Spanish lesson continued with holiday words, and we followed our computer lessons using abcmouse.com

Thank you, parents, for your support throughout this year! Our holiday performance was excellent, and I hope you all enjoyed the unique Christmas gifts handmade by the children! See you all in the new year, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!