11: Autumn Treasures

 "Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons."

-Jim Bishop

In every season lies a beautiful present from mother nature: 

the warm sun of summer, 

the bountiful flowers of spring, 

the blankets of snow of winter, 

and of course, 

the many hues of autumn --- the reds, yellows, oranges, and browns ---

which we get to revel in at the moment.

The children came back from the autumn break with many stories of travels and new experiences. 

We started off the week by enjoying the weather outside and collecting autumn treasures. The children were excited to find wonderful surprises from the trees on the ground, which they picked up with much joy. 

 

Acorns and different coloured leaves were in abundance and were added to the children's collections. 

They turned them into beautiful pieces of art, which we displayed in the classroom for everyone to enjoy. 

To connect with our yearlong unit, the children used their treasures and turned them into a self portrait that depicts their unique characteristics. Can you guess who they are? 😀

To emphasize our uniqueness, I read a book called 

I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde. It focuses on the collective traits of human beings, as well as the characteristics that highlight our individuality. The children agreed that even if we are the same in many ways, we are different in many ways, too. 

We created a big diorama of communities all over the world that showcase the differences of the people who live in it. We also discovered that our differences make our communities more beautiful and full of life. 

For our story workshop, the children shared stories of what they can contribute to the communities as a human being using the autumn treasures that they collected. Have a look at what they shared:

Emma C.

I am human and I can cook and bake cookies. I can also sleep in the tent when we go out for camping. I went camping with my dad and mom and sister. I am special because I can do all these things.

Koh

I am human and I can play soccer. I love playings soccer in the forest. I played with my Daddy and I scored 100 goals. Daddy scored zero goals. After playing soccer, I went in the water and I found a treasure -- a shell! I also saw some fish. I love playing soccer. I am getting better at playing. I also like playing with Daddy. I am special because I can play soccer. 

Clara

I am human and I can take care of babies well. I give the babies happy toys like a hedgehog stuffed toy. I also give the baby milk to stop him from crying. I play games with the baby like the rocket game. I am special because I can take care of babies. 

Tamaki

I am human and I can do my homework very well. I have a pencil and eraser. I use them for my homework. My grandma helps me. I add numbers like 5 + 5 = 10. I like adding numbers very much. I can add up to 10 but I will learn bigger numbers next time. I am special because I can do my homework well.

 

Sarah

I am human and I can clean up my house. I cleaned up all my toys like the mermaid, ninja, and rabbit toys. I used a broom for cleaning up. I can clean up by myself. I tried my best. It made my dad happy. I am special because I can clean up my house.

Chanin

I am human and I can draw. I like drawing ships, submarines and trains. I like using pencils for drawing. I love using the color red. I want to draw Ms. Pam next time. I am special because I can draw. 

Zoey

I am human and I can swim very well. I go to swimming lessons. I float and I swim on my own. The teacher holds me then I jump to the bottom of the pool. Swimming makes me happy. I am special because I can swim.

Kanato

I am human and I can colour. I use blue when I colour. I like to colour Totoro. Today at school, I will colour a car. I am special because I can swim. 

Kallea

I am human and I can clean the house. When the house is dirty, my mom, dad, and I clean the house. I get the mop and I mope the floor to make it clean. I also clean the tale by taking out the playdough until the playdough doesn't stick anymore. I am special because I can clean the house. 

Yorinobu

I am human and I can play with my dog. I have a small and cute dog. I make him chase a butterfly. I feel happy when I play with my dog. I am special because I can play with my dog. 

Emma I.

I am human and I can do my homework. I can do reading work at home. Mommy helps me with homework but sometimes, I do it by myself. I like books about princesses. I am special because I can do my homework.

Haruto

I am human and I can count very well. I can count up to the number 10. My favorite number is 10 because it's so many. I have 10 fingers. I love my hands because I have 10 fingers. I love counting up to 10. I am special because I can count. 

The season of autumn gives us bountiful treasures of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. Humans like us are much like these beautiful autumn finds -- we come in different hues and colours, and we treasures, too, in every sense of the word.

Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone!

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam