First Week of December - Kindergarten Adventures, Experiments & Creativity!

Dear Family,

We hope you all had a wonderful week! Ours was bursting with discoveries, laughter, teamwork, and hands on learning. Every day brought something new and exciting, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Let’s walk through the magical moments our children created!

Large Group

This week, our large group felt like stepping inside a spaceship! With the solar system as our theme and our large group “The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System” guiding our journey, our children became explorers traveling from planet to planet. Each day, we imagined hopping onto the Magic School Bus, blasting off from Earth, and landing on Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and even faraway Neptune. We discussed fun facts; like which planets are freezing, which are boiling, and which ones have rings! They loved putting themselves in the story and pretending to meet the characters along the way. And of course, we continued our routines; setting the date, checking our caterpillar, and celebrating reaching Day 76 of school!

“Venus is hot but the sun is hotter” -Leul

“If we had a magic school bus we will go to Asia to say hello to Jamie” -Liyat

“Mars moon is not round like our moon” -Samuel

“The sun is too hot” -Yemariam

“It’s like the school van” -Ismael

“Mommy, I got a boo-boo”

Literacy

Our first ever class Show & Tell stole the spotlight this week! Each child proudly brought something special from home and sat in front of their friends to share why they love it. The discussions were adorable; full of big smiles, unique stories, and sincere curiosity. It also gave us a sweet window into their personalities, interests, and amazing imaginations. During our second literacy session, we worked on beginning sound worksheets. Our children looked at pictures, said the beginning sound out loud, and wrote the matching letter. Some went above and beyond, stretching out the sounds and writing the full words on their own. It was a great way for us to observe their progress and plan their next steps.

“I like my unicorn very much and I sleep with her and I bathe her every night I also brush her teeth” -Liyat

“Look, Nai’s show and tell is Curious George. It was our large group book one time” -Leul

“This my dog” -Betselot

“And then this is my cat and then I like my cat” -Yemariam

“My Dinosaur is big and I have lots of Dinos at home” -Samuel

“Monkey” -Nai

Math

We continued strengthening our addition muscles this week! Because our children are becoming more confident with adding numbers, we offered level based challenges. One group practiced adding single digit numbers drawing sticks, while the other group solved two digit problems without regrouping. The room was full of focus, counting, and proud little “I did it!” moments. Their confidence in math is growing beautifully, and it was clear just how much they’ve mastered so far.

“Nai Nai is so smart! See, she’s tracing well” -Leul

“If I finish I will do like Leul?” -Liyat

Science

Science time was full of “ooooh!” and “wowww!” moments with our Apple Oxidation Experiment. We began with a discussion: What happens when you leave a sliced apple out? Some thought it stays fresh forever, others said it gets yummier, we loved hearing all their theories! Then we introduced oxidation in a simple way (When the inside of the apple meets the air, it slowly starts turning brown.) For the experiment, our children sliced apples using an apple slicer (with help), then selected a liquid to test; lemon juice, salt water, plain water, or milk. They carefully poured or squeezed their chosen liquid onto their apple slices and sealed everything in labeled Ziploc bags. We taped them to our classroom door so they could “watch” the apples throughout the day. The next morning? Pure excitement! They raced to the door to see which apple stayed white and which turned brown. Their reactions were priceless, and the experiment helped them understand both prediction and observation like real young scientists.

“With salt water it won’t go brown” -Liyat

“What’s this, no mine” -Nai

“Water” -Betselot

“Milk, I use milk” -Ismael

“It turned brown, vinegar” -Samuel

“I make this” -Yemariam (pointing at her zip lock”

“In my apple I put lemon and it didn’t go brown but it hurt my fingers” -Leul

Art

Last week, during cooperative play, we dyed elbow macaroni in vibrant colors. This Monday, it was time to turn them into art!

Out by the Zen Den, each child had a string taped to their table spot and a mix of colorful macaroni pieces. They threaded each piece carefully; some made rainbow patterns, others made stripes, zigzags, or their own unique designs. There was so much concentration and pride as they watched their necklaces come to life. And the best part? Many loved them so much that they wore them to school the next day, proudly showing off their handmade jewelry!


“Look my necklace it’s zigzag” -Liyat

“It’s 38, i have 38 macaronis in my necklace” -Leul

“I make a pattern, look!” -Samuel

“I like my necklace” -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.


Stay tuned for more joyful adventures next week!