Mr. Zamora's Kindergarten 2011 - 2012 Class: March 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

April Show and Share Calendar (AM and PM)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Anchor Chart for the Math Station (Hopping Away)

I have decided to create this anchor chart to guide the students in understanding the concept of subtraction using frogs on the lily pad. This anchor chart has helped the students today to see visually what subtraction is all about. At this point in their lives, our little ones will understand better if the explanation is supported by visual description.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Learning Stations (March 26 - 30)

The Fairy Tale for this week is Cinderella.

Art Station

The children will colour their favorite characters (e.g., Cinderella, Prince Charming) and paste them on our cardboard castles. Look at the pumpkin with the three mice that will turn into horsemen!

Math Station

The children will learn about subtraction through this 'frog' game (we have read the Frog Prince which made me think to include this Math activity despite the fact that we focus on a different fairy tale). Each child has 'caught' a certain number of frogs in their plastic bottle container. They will place any number of frogs on their lily pad. Then, they will decide how many frogs have hopped away from the lily pad. They will record these two numbers in the worksheet below to learn about subtraction. During carpet time, the kids have learned about addition via our weather graph (how many sunny days and rainy days do we have?). I plan to use the same activity next week but this time, we are adding frogs!

Science Station

We are going to do structures via a science kit that I was able to borrow from the board! This activity will explore the creativity of our children.

Literacy Station

We are learning about the letter 'Nn'!

Character Education - Good Citizenship and Compassion!

Every week, we have started to talk about character education. We have started with good citizenship (e.g., helping other people in need, picking up the garbage from the floor) and the children have posted their rules on the board.

We also discussed the character of compassion. Being aware of our friends' feelings or putting someone else's welfare before our own is a sign of compassion.

At home, I encouraged everyone to discuss during dinner about different traits what makes us good citizens and/or compassion!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Learning Stations (March 19 - 23 )

March continues with Fairy Tales. Story this week is Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears.

Literacy Station

The children are learning the letter 'Mm' through the poem, Mouse in a Meadow'.

Science Station

The children learned how to sort things into living things and non-living things through a game board.

Then, they do their worksheet where they colour only the living things.

Math Station

The task of learning 'more' or 'less' continues. The children have to count the number of smarties on each cookie, write the number and then colour the 'more' item with red and the 'less' item with yellow. So, if a set has four smarties on a cookie versus ten smarties on a cookie. The four smarties cookie gets coloured yellow and the other red.

Art Station

The children design their own bears using construction paper and glue.

Friday, March 16, 2012

War Horse at the Princess of Wales Theatre - A MUST SEE!!

I have been able to watch War Horse at the Princess of Wales Theatre on March 14 (the matinee show) and have been mesmerized by the extraordinary play that I would describe as 'a show that feeds the soul'. The amazing puppetry, the excellent acting of the cast, the superb staging and a great, heart-wrenching storyline were the main ingredients that transported me to another place and time that I have only read during my high school World History class: the Great Wars, 1914 - 1918. I was constantly wiping my tears (some people in the audience were sobbing even during intermission!) and can only say that it is a MUST SEE. I thought my high would have ended after the show but Shelagh, Henry's Mom, was able to ask one of the performers who happens to be one of the most proclaimed stage actors on Canadian stage, Patrick Galligan, to give me a private tour. When Shelagh mentioned his name, I had to pause and think, "I know a Patrick Galligan who I have watched in My Fair Lady and An Ideal Husband. Could it be him?!!" Well, it happens that Shelagh is the sister of Patrick! So, when I saw him standing in front of me after the show at the designated spot, I couldn't help stop smiling! In front of me was the actor who just gave an extraordinary portrayal of the German soldier, Friedrich, who took care of the two horses, Joey and Tophorn, during the war. And when Patrick smiled, I could see the resemblance to little Henry! Patrick gave me a great tour of the theatre, showing me the different puppet horses (amazing, they were made of silk-like cloth and wood), the research that they all had to do and present to each other (the walls were filled with pictures and research to be able to keep themselves authentic), the sound room, the costumes, the dressing rooms, and get this, I got to crawl through the hole leading to the German camp! It was an amazing thing for me to get a glimpse of the passion and love of theatre up close and personal! Patrick (first name basis... ehem!) was so gracious with his time and amazing effort to give me a most wonderful tour!

The show runs until September and who knows with the great demand for the show, it may run for more months! It is a MUST-SEE for all Canadians and we should be proud that this amazing MAGICAL play is in our midst!

See War Horse Toronto Rehearsal Media Preview by clicking on the link!

Read a review about War Horse and Mr. Galligan's amazing portrayal of the role !

Thank you, Shelagh and Patrick, for making my March break the best!

Acclaimed Actor Patrick Galligan and I posed for a picture (He was so gracious with his time!)

The Majestic Tophorn and I posed for a picture (I gave him some oats to keep him quiet!)

Monday, March 5, 2012

Learning Stations (Mar 05 - 09)

Theme continues to be Fairy Tales, with focus on Princess and The Pea. I am fascinated at how the children looked when I read the story to them, mesmerized and jaws dropped! It showed me the power of fairy tales in keeping the mystery and imagination alive in our little ones.

Literacy Station

We continue with our journey to learn about all the letters. Now, we are at the letter 'Ll'.

Math Station

Work focuses on practicing their number writing from 11 - 15.

Afterwhich, they play the game I invented Princess and the Pea.

Rules In the Game

1. Whoever throws the higher number in the dice plays first.
2. Each player takes a turn to roll the dice. The number on the dice will tell how many ‘matresses’ (represented by the foam sheets) the children can put on their bed. 3. After all the foam sheets are gone, they will count the number of mattresses that they had gotten.
4. The winner is the one with the most mattresses and he/she gets a chip and the chance to place the princess and a pillow on his/her bed. This will be three rounds.

A big thank you to Lindsay, Ryan's Mom, for lending me the Princess and the Pea game. I didn't need to practice my extraordinary sewing skills to make a princess doll. Thank goodness!

Science Station

As a review, the children will work on their sheets to review about magnets. Children will put a circle around items that are magnetic and an 'X' on non-magnetic items.

Afterwhich, they play the game Fishing For Numbers, an application of how fun magnets can be!

Art Station

The children have to use construction paper, a googly eye and even ordinary paper along with a glue stick and scissors to make their own Princess and the Pea Art. A different section on the blog will show the scanned pictures of their wonderful art work!

Sample Work for the kids to See

Princess and the Pea Art

The kids had a great time doing their special art work. Enjoy because it has brought me great joy to see the special work these kids have done looking through their own eyes:

AM
- Blue Team (Annabella, Alex, Jack)
Alex