Kindergarten 2

A big part of who we are comes from the choices we make everyday. Whether they’re big choices or small choices, our decisions have an impact on our life.   For the first unit of the Kindergarteners under the theme Who We Are , the children will be inquiring into the concept of choices and how they affect our well-being. What better way to do it than to focus on food! The children started the unit by sharing how they see themselves through their own eyes. Using the materials in the classroom, they created different self-portraits that capture who they are now, at the beginning of Kindergarten. We have also begun unlocking the meaning of the word CHOICE, which I introduced through the story called Would You Rather Be a Princess or a Dragon?  We came up with many ways that we make choices — from the games we play, to the songs we sing, and even to the donut flavors we eat. Of course, our food choices are also on the list! The talk about food got the children excited, whi...

The author, Robert Fulghum, in his famous essay said that all he ever really needed to know, he learned in Kindergarten. While I don’t completely agree with everything he wrote — since we gain more wisdom as we get older — he does make a good point. Many of the essential things that we need to know to be a good human being, we start learning in Kindergarten.   And this week, we did just that.   A big part of the IB program focuses on the traits — or those we call the attributes of the learner profiles — that we would like for our children to develop throughout their PYP years.  On Being Caring The story called The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt paved the way for our lesson on learning how to be caring. In the story, the different colors of the crayons wrote notes to their owner, Duncan. They each had a grievance to share, especially on how each of them is being used and treated.  After reading the story in class, one of the reflections that came ou...

  "I've always loved the first day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings." -Jenny Han It was a pleasure to get to know all the children in their first two days of Kindergarten 1 and 2. What stood out for me the most upon interacting with them are the varied characteristics and interests of each child, and their role in the synergy and dynamics of the class. One thing is for sure: the possibilities are endless with our Kindergarteners. I am excited to get to know each one of them deeper so that we can provide the best environment that will hone their full potential.  Our goal for the first week of school is to bridge friendships and foster camaraderie amongst the students, and of course, to get them comfortable in the school environment and the daily routines. The children had numerous opportunities to familiarize themselves with their classroom environment, and to choose toys and activities that that they would like to focus on. To help the children ease ...