Week 14 in Kindergarten: Bubbles, Books & Big Discoveries!

Dear Family,

We hope you had a wonderful week especially after the excitement of the bazaar! Our Kindergarten class was buzzing with creativity, curiosity, and hands on learning. From making our very own books to watching balloons magically blow up, it truly was a week full of wow moments; let’s take you through each…

Large Group

Alongside our daily routines; setting the date, updating our caterpillar days, practicing letters and numbers, and reading our weekly book, we added even more joyful moments in this week’s large group sessions. We began the week by talking about how their weekend went at the bazaar. Using feelings, gestures, and full sentences, our children shared what made them happy or excited, and we all enjoyed listening to each story. The next day, we practiced writing on the board together. Our children took turns coming up to write simple words, sounding them out as a group, and they loved being “the teacher” at the board. Our big focus for the week was 3D shapes. We introduced spheres, cones, cylinders, and cubes using classroom objects; balls, markers, blocks, and cups helping them explore the shapes by touching, rolling, stacking, and comparing. We practiced naming their faces, edges, and how they move. By midweek, children were proudly spotting 3D shapes all around the room and compound!


“My mommy bought ice cream for me and Phi” -Liyat

“Can I write ‘I’ ” -Samuel

“Look at Liyat’s water bottle, its cylinder” -Leul

“I write ‘and’ ” -Yemariam

Literacy

Literacy transformed into a magical experience this week. For the first session, we headed outside by the preschool area and set up a colorful table filled with beautiful papers and sturdy covers. Our children chose their favorite colors and created their very own blank books; folding, organizing, and helping each other before we stapled them together. During art, they decorated their books with ribbons, watercolor paints, initials, shapes, and creative designs making each book truly personal. When their books were finally ready, they proudly filled them with words, some from our word wall and others inspired by the books around them. They felt responsible, confident, and incredibly proud of becoming “authors.”

“Our books are so beautiful and colorful” -Liyat

“Can we take it home?” -Samuel

“I will write everywhere? Yeah?” -Ismael

“Paper” -Nai


Math

This week we continued mastering comparison symbols using our beloved Kinder Alligator (Allie Alligator’s math loving friend)! Since our children already understand that the alligator “bites” the bigger number, we used both math sessions to strengthen that skill even more. In the first session, we practiced comparing two-digit numbers and drew the correct symbols >, <, = on whiteboards and papers. To make the learning hands on and fun, the next class involved cut and paste comparing. Our children received a set of Alligator symbols, cut them out using scissors, and stuck each one next to the correct number pair. They worked with focus and confidence and it showed! By the end, they were proudly spotting which number “the alligator wants to eat” without any help.

“I finish” -Yemariam

“I cut?” -Betselot

“This is super easy, I want to do hard one” -Leul 


Science

This week was wonderfully messy, bubbly, and full of excitement! Since we have explored simple reactions before, we introduced two experiments using the same ingredients vinegar and baking soda; to help our children understand chemical reactions in a deeper, playful way. We talked about how vinegar is a liquid with a strong smell and baking soda is a soft powder, and how something new happens when the two mix. First, we created colorful, soapy bubble explosions by mixing vinegar, dish soap, food coloring, and baking soda. Our children took turns pouring, scooping, and predicting what would happen. When the mixture fizzed up with foam and bubbles, the joy on their faces was unforgettable! Then, to show the same reaction in a different form, we tried the balloon blowing experiment. Our children worked together to scoop baking soda into balloons, attach them to bottles of vinegar, and lift the balloons to let the magic happen. Watching the balloons inflate by themselves made the whole class cheer. These experiments helped our children learn how reactions work, how gases form, and how teamwork makes science even more fun!

“This is the best school ever, I will stay here forever. I will never leave!” -Liyat

“Wowwwwww so cool” -Samuel

“Let’s do this everyday. Come on guys let’s say let’s do it every together louder” -Leul

“I will tell my mom this” -Ismael

“Happy birthday” -Nai

“WOW!” -Betselot

“I like bubbles” -Yemariam

Art

For art, our children took their handmade books and made them even more special. By the infants and toddlers area, they used watercolor paints, ribbons, shapes, and creative touches to decorate their covers. Some added initials, others painted patterns, and a few even created their own symbols. Each book became a beautiful expression of their imagination and a treasure they made with their own hands.

“I want to make shapes, triangles” -Samuel

“I want purple for my names bed, when L gets tired it will sleep on the bed” -Leul

“I’m going to make it like corduroy book” -Liyat

“This is front cover yeah?” -Ismael

“Look at me” -Yemariam 



Next week’s schedule:

Monday – Math, Literacy

Tuesday – Literacy, Science

Wednesday -Library, Math

Thursday - Science, Music

Friday - Library

Specials:

Monday- Art

Tuesday - Gym

Thursday - Ethiopian center/ clay


Reminders and notes:

• Please make sure that our children are wearing suitable clothes on Monday as we have art class and activities get messy sometimes.

• Every Wednesday and Friday is library day. Our children will be bringing home a book of their choice in their library folder, so please make sure to read the book with them over the weekend. Please return the folder the following Wednesday so they can get a new one.
• Every Tuesday, we have gymnastics, so please ensure that our children come dressed in comfortable and loose-fitting sports attire to facilitate their exercise.

Thanks for joining us on another wonderful kindergarten journey; see you next week for more fun and learning!