Spring is in the air!

Hello parents and families of Ms. Patock's kindergarten class! 
This will be my first blog (Ms. Z) as I fill in for Ms. Patock.
     I have been having such a great experience meeting all your children and I would like to share some of the things we have been doing since I started.
     In science we have been concentrating on the Solar System, more specifically the planets. Through literature and other text sources we have explored the technical aspects of our planets, i.e. their order from the sun, some composition, planet temperatures, etc.
     I am also an avid apple fan so I try to use my ipad whenever possible. Our class has taken steps on the moon, seen a rocket launch and dump is fuel load, and guided a Mars rover all through applications on the ipad. The children have also seen many images captured by NASA satellites of all the planets, comets, and other astral images.
     The students further explored the solar system through other hands on activities. They made paper mache planets, microwave puff paint aliens, and NASA rocket ships, to just name a few of the projects used to reinforce the concepts being taught. We also used a Solar System leap pad with which the students took "field notes."
    In reading/writing we have been working on our sight words and have begun to increase writing and reading. Students have been working in reading groups and should be encouraged at home to read for at least 20 minutes a night. Question your child about what they just read. This will greatly increase their comprehension skills.
     Our class has also begun a literature circle focused on "The Wizard of Oz". We have had discussions about making predictions based on clues they find in the words and illustrations. I hope to explore ideas about this story through the characters, setting, and plot. We will use writing to also reinforce ideas about the story and art to connect our ideas to visual images. I hope your children enjoy this classic story as much as I did when I was their age!
     As many of you already know I love art and try to find ways to integrate the arts into my classroom curriculum. I hope you will all check back frequently to look at pictures and videos taken in class! I greatly encourage comments, too!!
Have a blessed Easter and a relaxing break!
Ms. Z