Starting Off Strong

We have started the 2022/2023 on the right foot.  We are learning routines and procedures.  The children have attentively participated in activites for getting to know you and our soft start in the mornings seems to be a hit.  It appears that we are on the right track for this brand new school year.

 

One of the activites involved toothpaste.  Here at SOS we strive in being kind and respectful.  The activity involved squeezing out all of the toopthpaste from the tube and then trying to get it back in.  Many conversations were held.  I heard comments like, "I can't put it back," "It won't go back in."  Therefore this lead to a discussion about once words come out of our mouth, we cannot take them back.

Certain mornings we will take part in a soft start.  I have created morning bins in which each one has a certain activity.  The children come in, get settled for the day and begin with what is in the bin.  They work as a group, collaborate and plan and get the task done.  So far, the children seem excited about them.

Another activity that the children did this past week, was to create a Me Bag.  The children had to choose 3 items from home that represented them and then presented the bag to the class.  It was great to learn more about each student and why they chose the items they did.

Two books were read to the children.  I try to read a book a day (picture book, with strong messages).  We discuss them and do an activity to go along with it.  I really enjoy the collection of books I have accumulated over the past 2-3 years and want to share them with the children.  My goal is to read one a day and have a total of 180 books displayed by the end of the year.

On Friday, the children had magazines and stickers to decorate their writer's notebook.  They worked in the group and chose pictures and words that represented them.  This is another way for me to learn more about them.  The notebooks turned out great and they all covered the front cover.  We will use these notebooks for daily writing.  Some of the writing we will do this year is personal narratives, informational writing and opinion pieces.  

We started our morning meetings on Wednesday.  The children join their classmates on the rug and we greet one another, I show a video and there is always a little activity to do, along with a morning message and poll.  The children are very engaged, especially with the videos, alot of them involve kid president.  

Another activity the children took part in is a carousel walk.  There were 5 questions posted on chart paper.  The children went around and answered each question, spending a few minutes at each one and hearing wonderful conversations among the children.  Again, many of the questions involved getting to know the students, their likes and goals.

Lastly, the week ended with yet another book, A Spot of Kindness, some story writing and creating banners about themselves.  I am so thrilled with the outcome of the week and all that the children did.  This year is going to be great.  Looking forward to doing so much more with your child and seeing the excitement on their faces.

Even though it was a short week, it was one with lots of discoveries and activities.  I hope the children enjoyed the week, as much as I did.

Coming up this week, we will start getting into the other subjects: Math, Science and Social Studies.  Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and I look forward to seeing you at Open House of the 29th.