Kindergarten – Page 3

Carnival of the Animals

The Kindergarten students have been immersed in a music project centered around Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” In music class, they have been exploring the movements and behaviors of various wild creatures through this music.

As a culmination of their “Carnival of the Animals” music unit, the kindergartners took a field experience to the Oakland Zoo, where they went on a musical scavenger hunt! The students listened to each piece, using musical clues to guess which animal they were after. They then put their heads together, using basic map skills to track down their chosen animal.

Once they reached their destinations, it was all about observation. They compared the real-life behaviors of the animals with those expressed in the music. It was an opportunity for the kindergartners to use teamwork, honing their listening and observation skills.

Their love of animals and natural curiosity definitely shone through!

#SaklanFieldExperience

Día de los Muertos

In October, the Kindergarten – 3rd grade students celebrated Día de los Muertos and California’s cultural roots with a field experience to watch the professional performance group Cascada de Flores. The bilingual and participatory performance included lively songs, stories, musical instruments, and dance. Students learned about the difference between Halloween and Day of the Dead, and then explored Day of the Dead traditions, such as building an altar, to honor lost love ones.

Student highlights of the trip included the opportunity to participate in the performance by dancing on stage and carrying flowers to the altar, as well as riding in a yellow school bus!

#SaklanFieldExperience

Fun and Learning

An important way that Saklan students practice key math skills is by playing math games. These games are an engaging way to reinforce concepts, build number sense and practice using math vocabulary.

Most math games are played with partners or small groups, and so they also help students practice interpersonal skills like communicating and problem solving.

Games provide an environment in which students can create and try strategies, and can also learn strategies from others.

Students often identify math games as some of their favorite activities completed in the school day and look forward to them as an opportunity to interact with classmates, learning buddies and friends. The games and activities capture their enthusiasm and create environments that make concepts and skills tangible and learning memorable, meaningful and fun!

Special New Friends

Last Friday morning there was much excitement on campus as our Preschool – 5th grade students met some special new friends – their learning buddies! Learning buddies are a purposeful way to encourage cross-grade friendships, help students develop a sense of responsibility and practice mentorship, and make learning fun!

During the first meeting, the buddies took time to get to know each other and did some reading together. The older buddies marvelously modeled good reading behaviors by reading with expression and fluency for their younger buddies. Some of the older buddies were also honored to listen to their younger buddies read too.

Once a month the buddies will get together to spend time reading, learning and playing together. The buddy program is not only fun for the students, but helps to build empathy and community on campus.

#SaklanBuddies #SaklanCommunity

Moving Up Day

On Wednesday morning, the Saklan Preschool – fifth grade students participated in Moving Up Day. The students and teachers alike were buzzing with excitement!

This annual tradition allows the students to get a snapshot of what next year will hold. The teachers planned special activities that highlighted their grade level and enjoyed getting to know their rising students a little better. Morning meeting activities, questions, stories, art activities, classroom scavenger hunts, and enthusiasm for next year filled the classrooms! If your child “moved up” on Wednesday, please ask them all about it. They will likely have something enthusiastic to share!

#SaklanConnected

Welcoming Jack Wong

On Wednesday, May 10, Saklan’s Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade students had the pleasure of meeting with author Jack Wong. Jack read his debut picture book, When You Can Swim, to the students and shared that the idea for the book came from his own experiences as a kid.

Jack was born in Hong Kong to a mother who had been forbidden to learn to swim. As a kid, he moved to Canada but didn’t like swimming or heights. He said he disliked swimming because being in the water feels so different from what we normally feel. A good friend encouraged and helped him feel more confident to take risks like jumping off a bridge into the water. Through his book, Jack paints a compelling picture of the many joys and surprises that the water holds, and invites others to discover their confidence to explore the warmth and wonder of swimming and the natural world.

Jack not only wrote When You Can Swim, but illustrated it too! He taught the students how to draw different creatures underwater. He explained that by drawing a line around the head of the creature you are drawing and then making ripples out from the line, the animal looks to be poking its head out of the water. He asked the students for suggestions on what to draw. A shark, seal and dinosaur were the winners!

How Can We Help our Apple Tree Thrive?

Before the Thanksgiving Break, the kindergarten class concluded their study about apples and apple trees. After learning about apples, their life cycle, the parts of an apple, taking observations of apple trees at Moraga Gardens and the tree on the ECE playground, and interviewing experts, the students answered their essential question: “How can we help our apple tree thrive?”

Kindergartners learned that they needed to move the wood chips away from the base of the apple tree, so they created kindness rocks and arranged them around the tree to keep the wood chips away.

The class also learned that local wildlife was continually eating the apple tree’s buds, so they put a decoy owl by the tree to try to keep squirrels away!

Since the apple tree is on the playground that the kindergartners share with the Preschool and Pre-K students, the kindergarteners thought it was really important to talk with them about how to keep the apple tree thriving. The kindergartners did an amazing job of sharing their project-based learning with the PS and PK students.

#SaklanPBL

Festival of Lights

This week, many Saklan students learned about Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs around the world, including some of our students! Diwali is the festival of lights and lasts for 5 days in October or November. The students read books to get a better understanding of the festival, and then participated in some celebratory activities.

The Owlets and Hoot Owls learned about an art form called Rangoli, a geometric design on the floor (or other flat surface) made using colored rice, sand, dry flour, or flower petals. The owls watched a video of someone creating a Rangoli, and then made their own.

The Kindergarteners and first graders made lanterns that they were able to take home. They decorated their lanterns using stickers and markers, and were excited to spread light!

A big thank you to the parents who came in to share their family Diwali traditions with our students!

#SaklanDiversity #SaklanCommunity

Buddies

Last Friday morning there was much excitement on campus as we kicked off our learning buddy program for the year! Learning buddies are a purposeful way to encourage cross-grade friendships, help students develop a sense of responsibility and practice mentorship, and make learning fun!

During the first meeting, the buddies took time to get to know each other and did some reading together.

The older buddies marvelously modeled good reading behaviors by reading with expression and fluency for their younger buddies. Some of the older buddies were also honored to listen to their younger buddies read too.

The younger buddies thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their learning buddies, and are already asking when they get to meet with their buddies again!

#SaklanBuddies #SaklanCommunity

Magical Yets

To encourage a growth mindset throughout the year, the Kindergarten class has been reading The Magical Yet, written by Angela DiTerlizzi. This is an encouraging and uplifting story that reminds us that we all have things we haven’t learned or can’t quite do… yet! It teaches about perseverance and the importance of trying, and about what is yet to come.

Each kindergartner was asked to imagine their Yet. They then sketched and colored their Yet. Next, students used clay to bring their Yet to life. They used paint, and then added feathers, googly eyes and glitter glue to further define their Yets.

All of the Yets are now on display on the windowsill in the classroom. They serve as a reminder to keep trying and you’ll reach your goal because that’s the Power of Yet!