Singing for Administrative Council Today

Check out this link: Our class performed our Gingerbread Man Musical for the member of the administrative council today.  They were very excited to sing for the "big boss". (aka Dr. Conti)
https://www.instagram.com/burly_schools/

Snow Unit Week 1 and 2 (January 2-5)(January 8-12)

Week 1
Books This Week:

Good Night Baby Bear

Stella: Queen of the Snow

Concepts This Week for Unit:

-Winter Homes/Habitats

-Winter Clothing

-Migration/Hibernation

-Winter Safety

-Signs of Winter (Seasonal Changes)

Small Groups For This Week:

Story Sequencing- After reading Good Night Baby Bear, we will recall the events in the story.
Then each child will cut and glue the pictures from the story in the correct order from the story.

Art- We will color a picture of Stella( the character from our book). Then we will use epson salt
on blue paper to look like snow.  When it is dry we will put Stella in the "snow storm".

Salt on Ice Experiment- We will predict what will happen to an ice cube if we put salt on top of it.
After we predict what will happen, we will put salt on top and watch.  Then we will draw a picture of
what happened and talk about why.

Snowflake Letter Game- We will be flipping snowflakes using spatulas in a uppercase/lowercase letter
identification game. We will be identifying snowflakes by either visuallly identifying or identifying by
the sound the letter makes.

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are D, B, and P)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter.
We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Centers

Art Table: Snow Tissue Paper Window

Block Area:blocks with bears to create caves

Sensory Table: Ice Treasures (Trying to get toys out of blocks of ice)

Book Area: books about weather

Easel: colored ice to paint with

Writing Table: writing shopping lists for winter clothes

Dramatic Play: Igoo: A tent with a white sheet over it with a white tunnel to climb through

Puzzles and Manipulatives: matching different mittens

Songs, Word Play, and Language

-SNOWY (A version of Bingo) "There was a day when we were cold and snowy was the weather."

-Stella Ipad App

Week 2

Books This Week:

Stella: Queen of the Snow

The Mitten

Concepts for the Week:

-Winter Equipment

-Manners

-Melting(how do objects melt)

-Signs of Winter (Seasonal Changes)

Small Groups For This Week:

Sequencing 3 and 4 pictures to tell a story about a snowman. (ie. First building a snowman sequence, the sun came out, next the snowman melted sequence)

Sorting Animals- We have been discussing the concept of hibernation and migration.  We will sort these animals in our small groups.  

Math-Subitizing how many(this the concept of looking at a set of objects and knowing how many there are without counting)  We will have a race to see if 2 or 3 will win.  A teacher will show 2 or 3 objects quickly then the children will have to say 2 or 3 then record their results.

Snow Syllable Book- We will be tapping out unit words with sticks then writing how many sounds we ear in each word to create a book

Snowflake Letter Game- We will be throwing snowballs (white pom poms) to label letters in our small groups. We will try to get our “snowballs” in the right letter buckets based on the letter we need to find.  

Sorting Story Animals- We will be looking in our unit book The Mitten and sorting animals in the story and animals not in the story.  

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are B, and P)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Centers

Art Table: Ice water color painting

Block Area:blocks with bears to create caves

Sensory Table: Ping Pong Balls(We will be searching for top, middle, and bottom parts to make a snowman)

Book Area: books about snow

Easel: colored ice to paint with

Writing Table: writing shopping lists for winter clothes

Dramatic Play: Snowball Contest (points for throwing snowballs(paper balls) into buckets to get points)

Puzzles and Manipulatives: matching different mittens

Our Gingerbread Man Musical Video

We performed our Gingerbread Man Musical for our families.  

Gingerbread Man Hunt Today(Reminder our Gingerbread Show is tomorrow)

Today our class visited the high school cafeteria where we were told they were baking a gingerbread man in their big ovens.  The cafeteria chef showed us the ovens and told us that she peeked in the oven and the gingerbread man hopped out of the oven and ran away.  We started our hunt to find the gingerbread man.  We used our walkie-talkies to talk to the office and Sandy told us she saw the gingerbread man run toward our classroom.  

On our way back to our classroom, we noticed a "fox" in one of the high school classrooms.  (One of the language teachers happened to be wearing a fox hat).  The fox told us that he tried to catch him but could catch him.  (Thanks to Mr. Stringer for playing along!!)

When we arrived back in our classroom, we found gingerbread men on our tables with materials to decorate them.  It was a fun adventure.   

Gingerbread Unit (December 4-8, 11-15,18-22)

December 4-8

Books This Week:

Gingerbread Man

Gingerbread Girl

Concept For This Week:

-Patterns (Pattern in books and patterns in environment)

-Rhyming Pairs

Small Groups This Week:

-Rhyming Cookie Pairs- We will be labeling 2 cookies on a tray.  Then they will identify if the words rhyme or not rhyme.  We will then sort our cookie trays on our papers

-Secret Activity- We will be making something special for our winter celebration.

-Gingerbread Measuring- Using a gingerbread measuring stick, we will measure how long objects are using non-standard units of measure (ie. the block is 5 gingerbread long) A home activity will follow

-Gingerbread Turn Taking Game- We will take turns spinning a spinner and then record what the spinner lands on.  We will observe which colors the spinner landed on the most, least, or equal.

Pattern or Not a Pattern Sorting- We will look at pictures and identify if they are a pattern or not a pattern.  We will talk about what a pattern is. Then we will sort pictures.

Pattern Practice- We will be using unifix cubes to copy a pattern then extend the patterns using unifix cubes.  Then we will record the color patterns on our papers.

Handwriting Activities

(Letters this week are Gg and Ss)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates

Centers

Art Table: making gingerbread men in trays

Block Area: blocks with gingerbread man

Sensory Table: role play of how the gingerbread man tried to get across the river (water, gingerbread man, fox, and other animals to watch)

Book Area: books about gingerbread

Independent Table: Write the room

Dramatic Play: Gingerbread Bread Bakery

Puzzles and Manipulatives: gingerbread man ten frames

December 11-15

December 15 Family Show

Books This Week:

Gingerbread Baby

Gingerbread Friends

Concept For This Week:

-Social thinking -Thinking with our eyes- Looking at unit books to reinforce this concept

-How can we solve a problem (related to gingerbread story)

Small Groups This Week:

-Gingerbread House Letter Matching- In groups we will cut and then match letters onto our houses (matching uppercase to lowercase or lowercase to lowercase)

-Gingerbread House matching- We will be cutting pictures of rhyming picture pairs.  We will mix up our pictures.  Then we will place the rhyming pairs in the house.  We will put them in a baggie to take home.  Practice finding the rhyming pairs at home with your child.  

Gingerbread Shape House- We will color a blank house.  We will be using shapes to create a gingerbread house.  We will name a shape then roll a number cube.  Then we will find the shapes from a field and count the correct number on the cube.  We will use the shapes to decorate our houses. We will also stamp the number of each shape we used in our house.  

-Gingerbread Man Problem Solving-  We will be given objects to help the gingerbread man make a bridge to get over the river. (straws, pipe cleaners, and popsicle sticks) We will experiment using each material to build a bridge across a pail of water.  We will talk about which materials worked the best and why.  We will also talk about which material did not work well and why.  

Handwriting Activities

Handwriting Books (Letters this week are Gg and Ss)

Centers

Art Table-Brown finger painting on gingerbread

Block Area:blocks to build gingerbread houses

Sensory Table: gingerbread “moon sand”

Book Area: books about gingerbread

Easel:gingerbread painting

Independent Table: Gingerbread Sequencing activity

Dramatic Play:Gingerbread Bakery continued

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

December 18-22

Books This Week:

Gingerbread Cowboy

Pancake Boy (Norwegian Tale with similar story elements of Gingerbread books to compare)

Other versions of Gingerbread to compare

Concept For This Week:

Why do animals live in hot places and cold places(preview to our snow unit)

Similarities and Differences we see in books

Small Groups This Week:

Pattern Fences- We will build a pattern fence for our gingerbread men.  The patterns will be oriented vertically so we will be noticing the patterns in a different way.  

Measuring Homework- In small groups, we will shape to our friends what we measured at home.  We use language such as longer and shorter.  Then after we practiced presenting in a small group we will choose one of the things we measured to share with the whole group. Gingerbread Sequencing- We will color and cut pictures from our story.  Then we will place them in order and retell the story to our small group.  Ask your child to retell the story at home to you.  

Journals- We will be drawing and writing in our journals about our favorite gingerbread stories.  

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letter this week are Jj)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates

Centers

Art Table:Cactus painting

Block Area:blocks

Sensory Table: sand and desert animals from our story

Book Area: books about gingerbread

Writing Table: desert scenes

Dramatic Play: desert and cowboy role play

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

Classroom News/Elf on Shelf

November Events:

No School November 30

(Parent/Teacher Conference Day)

December Events:

Elf On The Shelf

In the month of December, many families are visited by the Elf on the Shelf.  Our classroom was hoping to be visited by an elf as well.  Please let me know if you do not feel comfortable with this elf visiting our classroom.

Holiday Performance

Save the Date: Friday, December 15 at 10:45  

More information will follow with details of this event.

Fire fighter Visit

We had a visit from Burlington Firefighter Paul and Rob.  They talked to us about fire safety and talked about their equipment they wear and equipment they have on their truck.  

Thank you so much for visiting us!!

Pajama Drive at the BECC ( Deadline is December 7th)

The 9th-Annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive

Dear Parents,

It’s time for the annual Scholastic Reading Club Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive benefitting Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and books to children in need—especially those living in group homes, shelters, foster care, and orphanages.  

Since 2009, caring classrooms across the country have risen to the challenge and donated nearly 400,000 pairs of new pajamas. The Scholastic Reading Club has more than matched those numbers with nearly 700,000 new books donated directly to Pajama Program headquarters, where they are then distributed across the country by Pajama Program.

Our school wants to be part of this drive so that we can help make a better bedtime for these children. Together we can help the Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive reach even more kids with pj’s and books.

If you and your child are able to participate, please have your child bring in a new pair of pajamas to school by___December 7, 2017.

Here are some simple guidelines for the pajamas:

• Pajamas must be brand-new.
• Pajamas in all sizes are needed—from newborn to adult.
• Pajamas must be in complete sets or nightgowns.
• Pajamas in children’s sizes must be manufactured as pajamas—this ensures that they are flame-retardant and safe.

Thank you for helping us share the gift of a good night’s sleep and a sweet bedtime story.

The BECC Staff

If you have any questions please contact, Katie Roofe at roofe@bpsk12.org

PS: You can find out more about the drive and the program at: scholastic.com/pjdrive

Family Traditions Week 3 and 4 (Nov.20-24) (Nov.27-Dec.1)

November 20-24

Week 3

Books This Week:

Yoko's Paper Cranes

A Carp for Kimiko

Concept For This Week:

What is culture?

What is part of your culture?

How is your culture different from other cultures?-Japanese Culture

Small Groups This Week:

Journal writing- We will be writing in our journals about celebrations we share with our families.
Turkey Subitize- We will be subitizing(meaning count with our eyes without touching to know how many) by placing the correct turkey feathers on the turkeys
Turkey Patterns- We will be using dot stickers to create patterns on turkeys

Carp/Doll Patterning- We will extend or create patterns using dolls and carps around our cover of our book.

Centers

Art Table:playdough birthday cakes

Block Area:blocks

Sensory Table: colored rice

Book Area: books about families

Easel:Max and Ruby birthday cakes

Writing Table: lists for the grocery store

Dramatic Play: birthday party

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

November 27-December 1

(Reminder:No school December 30)

Week 4

Books This Week:

A Carp for Kimoko

Night Tree

Concept For This Week:

What are family traditions?

What are your family traditions?

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Uu and Cc)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them on our papers.  

Handwriting Activities

Letter / Handwriting Small Groups (Letters this week are Oo and Qq)

Letter Activity: We will learn what these uppercase and lowercase letters look like.  

We will sort magnetic letters into groups of uppercase and lowercase groups for each letter. We will hunt for them in our names and the names of our classmates.

We will use crayons to hunt for them in our papers.  

Small Groups This Week:

Paper Carps- We will use fine motor skills to create paper fish (carps) just like Kimoko wanted in our unit book

Pine Cones to put outside to feed the birds. Using Crisco and bird seed we will create a tasty treat for birds outside our classroom.We will then sit on a blanket and sing songs. (This is what the family did in the story Night Tree)

Night Tree Math book-We will identify numbers then write them. Then cut and glue the right number of animals to the trees.

Centers

Art Table:painting trees

Block Area:blocks

Sensory Table: Alphabet Soup(using soup spoons we will scoop letters out of the water and put them in a soup bowl)

Book Area: books about families

Easel:night tree bingo dobbers

Writing Table: HWT strips for writing

Dramatic Play: grocery store

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

Science: tree branches without leaves and pine branches with needles