Category: Owlets

The Owlets parked their vehicles because a new fascination erupted, volcanoes! The class read a book called Volcano which taught them all about volcanoes and their eruptions. The preschoolers were amazed to learn that around the Pacific Ocean there is a string of volcanoes called the ring of fire! The Owlets also added a lot of volcano words to their ever growing vocabulary: erupt, magma, lava, core, vent and ashes were just a few that they learned.

The Owlets improved their hand-eye coordination and fine motors skills by cutting volcanoes out of paper. In preparation for creating a large volcano, they strengthened their hand muscles by crumpling up newspaper.

After learning a little more about lava the Owlets wondered what it would feel like. The teachers took a guess and thought that it might feel like oobleck. The Owlets had fun experimenting with this mysterious goop that felt dry but also oozed out of their hands when they held it. They also experienced a few other fun sensory projects by making soft, fluffy cloud dough and by adding paint to shaving cream.

Next, the Owlets donned their safety goggles and used scientific potions (vinegar and baking soda) to see what a bubbly eruption might look like. The preschoolers added different colors to their magical liquid and watched the chemical reaction bubble up a beaker and spill over the edges!

Stay tuned to see the large volcano they worked on this week!

#SaklanHandsOn #SaklanEmergentCurriculum

From guest experts talking about kick flips on skateboards to riding down trails on BMX bikes, the Owlets have had a great time learning about the different ways to get around as they continue their transportation study!

The Owlets continued to welcome guest experts to share the unique forms of transportation they use, including one of our fourth grade students who rides a BMX bike and has even received trophies for it! He talked about the safety gear needed when riding a BMX bike, and showed the Owlets his bike, boots and helmet. The owls learned that just like David’s motorcycle, you need to wear a helmet and a special jacket to keep safe on a BMX bike. 

The Owlets love to see the big yellow bus pull up in front of the school and were very interested to see inside the bus. Our bus driver, Mike, was happy to not only show the Owlets the inside of the bus, but to take them on a short ride. The preschoolers had a blast riding on the school bus!

On Tuesday, the Owlets excitedly welcomed guest expert Jordan to their classroom. Jordan shared his fold-able bike with the students, showing them how it can go from a full-size, ride-able bike, and then fold up small enough to be held with just one hand. The Owlets were very interested in the bike, and especially fascinated with ringing the bell!

On Wednesday, the Owlets were excited to bring their own bikes and scooters to school for Wheels Day! The preschoolers happily dawned their helmets for the chance to ride their wheels in the school parking lot!

#SaklanGuestExperts

The Owlets have been busy learning about the fascinating world of transportation! They have been working on their fine motor skills while putting together airplane puzzles, cutting and gluing paper to make roads and train tracks to go around their classroom, and using crayons to draw different forms of transportation. They have been working on their literacy skills by reading books about cars, trucks, trains and airplanes. They have been sharing their knowledge of different modes of transportation with each other, and have been very excited to welcome many guest experts to their class!

While studying the letter M, the Owlets were excited to welcome a familiar guest expert to share a motorcycle with them – David! David showed the preschoolers his motorcycle, pointing out the wheels, lights, gas tank and exhaust pipe, but the Owlets were most excited about the horn! After showing the students the safety gear needed to ride a motorcycle, David taught the Owlets how one drives a motorcycle, using your right hand like the gas pedal or the throttle, and the left to brake.

Next, Mr. John visited the Owlets to share about his experience of riding a bike to work. The Owlets noted some similarities between motorcycles and bicycles, including that both have two wheels, handlebars, and can have a horn. They also shared that motorcycles use gas, while bikes don’t, and that a motorcycle can go a lot faster.

The Owlets were excited to see two different golf carts and to learn about the batteries that operate them. They noted that golf carts also have wheels, and are similar to cars but without doors.

Stay tuned to learn more about other guest experts that have visited the Owlets and see where their transportation unit takes them!

The Owlets held their Construction Project Culmination on Wednesday morning, celebrating all the hard work and learning they have done over the last two months. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to view their work!

In addition to the activities we shared last week, the Owlets engaged in other enjoyable building exercises during their Construction Unit. With Ms. Erin, they constructed and painted a birdhouse and a bug abode to hang on their playground yard. Ms. Erin demonstrated the proper technique for handling a hammer safely while they practiced using it on the bird house. The students decided to gather some moss and leaves outside for the bird house after one student mentioned that she had previously created a birdhouse and had added fake grass to it to make the birds feel more at ease. The Owlets also noticed that the birdhouse was quite tiny, and considered the various kinds of birds that might be interested in using it.

For the past few weeks, Ms. Linda has been really busy with rolling up newspapers, and the Owlets were quite interested in seeing what she was up to! The students were very excited to use the rolled-up newspapers to build! Ms. Linda and the Owlets came up with a variety of unique buildings and participated in creating many collaborative structures.

The Owlets welcomed a guest expert, Jordan, to teach them how to build a picnic table. Jordan brought some very interesting tools to share with the Owlets, including a special screwdriver that had eleven different parts! Jordan also showed the students two different drills and a sander. The Owlets took turns twisting screws into the wood, and together they built a picnic table for their classroom! Once the table was built the wood was sanded to prevent splinters.

#SaklanProjectWork

November and December have been exciting months for the Owlets, who have been immersed in the fascinating world of construction!

The Owlets read If I Build A School by Chris Van Dusen to begin the project. From the book they learned that with the right planning and materials you can make any type of building! Since then, our Owlet architects have been busy at school working together as a community to build a lot of interesting buildings.

They built with styrofoam, marshmallows, and pool noodles together as a class, and noticed that when they used toothpicks the materials were easier to stick together. This was also fun because when they were done with one building, they could easily take it apart and build it again!

The Owlets also learned that we can’t make buildings without tools! The Owlets have been enthusiastically learning about the many uses of different tools. To learn about tools, they played a fun game of Tool Bingo! This helped them learn the names of the tools and become more familiar with what they look like.

After they had a good idea of the different tools used in construction, the Owlets were very excited to welcome their first guest expert of the unit, Mr. Javi! Mr. Javi showed the Owlets some really cool tools like a level, hammer and nails, and screws. But the Owlets were even more impressed when he showed them the blueprint to our school! He shared that an architect designs a blueprint before the carpenters begin building the structure. 

David let the Owlets borrow a big binder that was filled with more blueprints of our school! It was interesting to take a closer look at our school’s building; the Owlets were able to point out different parts of the school that they recognized.

With a great understanding of what blueprints are, the Owlets designed their own buildings using a pencil, graph paper and a ruler, just like real architects!

Another important aspect of construction is safety! On a construction site, safety gear like a bright yellow vest, hardhats, gloves, boots and safety goggles are important, as is signage. The Owlets decided to put up signs around their classroom and playground to help others practice being safe too. The students had fun picking out where to put the signs! If you are around the Owlet classroom or walking through their yard, look around to see if you can spot their signs!

Some Owlets worked together to make different types of safety clothing! Some friends made a vest, while others made boots and safety goggles.

Watch this space for more insights into the Owlet Construction Project Unit, or join them for their unit Culmination on Wednesday, December 13th at 8:40 a.m.!

#SaklanProjectWork

The Owlets continue to be actively engaged in discovering the wonderful world of community helpers! Talking about community helpers gives the students a better understanding of what it means to be a community and the importance of working together. Recently, the Owlets read the book Real Superheroes by Julia Seal, which taught them that doctors, teachers, grocery store workers, delivery drivers, and firefighters are all community helpers. The preschoolers were very excited to meet firefighters from the Moraga station when they came to campus!

Before the visit, the Owlets brainstormed about what they already knew, and what they wanted to know about the job of the fire fighters. They had a lot of great questions: “What tools do they use?” and “Why do the firefighters sleep at the fire station?”

During the firefighter’s visit, the Owlets learned that firefighters wear special gear to help keep them stay safe from fires and other dangers. The Fire Marshall told them that all the special gear the fire fighters wear can weigh up to 50 pounds! The preschoolers also learned that in a fire smoke rises, so it’s important to stay low to the ground, and that if they ever see a fire they should tell an adult right away! 

While the firefighters were in the classroom, the Owlets asked them the questions they had come up with before the visit. They found out that the firefighters do sleep at the fire station! Their question about the tools the firefighters use was the perfect opportunity to walk outside and see the big, red fire engine! The firefighters showed them the hoses and tools they use (ax, chainsaw and more), and where they are all stored on the truck.

Most of the kiddos chose to hop into the driver’s seat to see all the buttons and controls in the cab of the truck!

The Owlets couldn’t let our local community helpers leave empty handed, so they presented the fire fighters with drawings they made for them. The fire fighters also had some gifts for the Owlets: firefighter helmets and really cool badges!

#SaklanGuestExperts

Inspired by the book Circles All Around Us by Brad Montague, the Owlet class will spend time this fall learning about different types of communities. Starting with a small circle for each child, then expanding into larger circles of family, school, and neighborhood, the children will learn what it means to be a part of a community. The goal is for the Owlets to answer the driving question: “How can we be helpers in our communities?”

The Preschoolers began their unit by examining the smallest circle of community: their self. At circle time, Philippa read the book The Skin You Live In by Michael J. Tyler. The Owlets learned that all people are different shades and all the colors are beautiful. For self portraits, each Owlet looked through skin toned crayons and found a shade that matched; everyone found the perfect color! Then they looked at a mirror to see what color their hair and eyes are. The Owlets practiced drawing the different shapes of their faces and holding crayons with a pincer grip. Next, the students were offered some loose materials to portray their clothes and hair, including buttons, yarn, feathers, ribbon, and pom-poms. They all turned out so unique and beautiful!

Guest Experts Needed

To supplement this project-based learning unit, the Owlet teachers are currently looking for guest experts to visit their classroom and talk about their roles in their community. Additionally, other classes are currently in need of experts who work in city planning, architecture, and chefs/ kitchen staff or meal services. If you would like to visit as a guest expert, or have a suggestion of a member of the greater community to reach out to, please email Linda Lathrop, Saklan’s Project and Inclusion Specialist, at llathrop@saklan.org