Ici on parle français

Throughout the year the students have been learning a large amount of French vocabulary words that they are now ready to start using on a more regular basis!  To help encourage them to speak in French at school an incentive chart has been set up in the classroom.  When a student makes an effort to speak to the teacher or another student in French (outside of circle time) they may be given a point beside their name on the chart.  Once they have received a certain number of points they will be presented with a certificate and a small prize.  Bonne chance les amis!

We 'Heart' Art

As we continue with our exploration of famous artists we looked at two more painters this week: Claude Monet and Georgia O'Keeffe.  After looking at a variety of Monet's landscape paintings and reading a book about the water garden he created outside of Paris, we made our own versions his painting 'Bridge Over Water Lilies'.

After Monet we looked at American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who is best know for her flower canvases and southwest landscapes.

We created our own flowers using warm colours for the petals and cool colours for the backgrounds.

Spirit Week

Next week is Spirit Week at Stonecrest!  Students are invited to dress up for all  of the special dress-up days that will be happening at school (or you can just choose some of them if you prefer!).

Monday, April 22nd is Retro Day

(come dressed in the '50's, '60's, 70's, '80' or '90's style)

Tuesday, April 23rd is Wacky Hat or Hair Day

(wear your hair as wacky as you like it)

Wednesday, April 24th is Country Day

(come dressed as a cowboy or cowgirl)

Thursday, April 25th is Character Day

(come dressed as you favourite character from a book, movie, TV show, etc.)

Friday, April 26th is Sports Day

(come dressed as your favourite sports person or in the equipment/outfit of your favourite sport)

And don't forget that the evening of Friday, April 26th will be the Family Dance in the gym!

More Spring Centers

As we continue to look at famous artists, we are now learning about American Pop Artist, Jim Dine.  Famous for his paintings and drawings of everyday objects, we took a special look at his paintings of hearts and decided to create some of our own. 

We talked about warm and cool colours and enjoyed using oil pastels and watercolour paints to create our masterpieces.

In math, we are looking at all the different ways of making ten.  Addition is a great concept for students to be practising at home.  You can try giving them a number and asking them to find all the different combinations to make that number.

This week we have been reading the story 'La petite araignee' (a French version of The Eensy, Weensy Spider).  Each student will receive their own copy of the story, with some of the words missing, that they must fill in the blanks to complete.  Once they have finished the story they read the story with me.  Be sure to have them practise reading it with you when they bring it home!

The Kinder Gallery

It has become tradition here at Stonecrest for the Kindergarten Team to turn the front lobby of the school into a Kindergarten Art Gallery each spring, just in time for Education Week (May 6th - 10th).  To help us prepare to create our stunning masterpieces, we will be learning about some famous artists and types or art.  We began our art appreciation by looking at Russian Abstract Artist Wassily Kandinsky.  After examining some of his paintings, we used his painting 'Squares With Concentric Rings' to make our own circles.

Now, seeing as how we are a kindergarten class, we decided to change things up a little bit and turned our circles into beautiful spring trees (a great idea from Pinterest!).

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

This week we are continuing to learn all about weather!  We have been talking about how different parts of the world have different types of weather and how rain and wind affect us.  In our journal center the students have been working together to come up with weather-related sentences that they copy into their journals and illustrate.  One group in the afternoon class came up with these sentences . . .

For art, the students have been drawing a rainbow using pastels on black construction paper.  They then tear paper that they glue on to cover their lines.  Finally, they label the different colours.

We have been talking about addition a lot in class and this week the students have the task of figuring out all the different ways that they can make a sum of '7'.  They then complete the addition sentences and read them out to me.

Our shared reading for the week is a poem called 'Gouttes, gouttes' (Click here to get a copy of the poem).  We brainstormed a list of things that get wet in the rain and then the students filled in a missing part of the poem to make their own verse.

L'arc-en-ciel & Cinq cerf-volants

In class we have been working on a song called 'Cinq cerf-volants' and poem called 'L'arc-en-ciel'.

Just click on the links below to download your own copies that you can use to practise with your child at home.

Cinq cerf-volants

L'arc-en-ciel

Hello Spring!

While it may not feel like it today, spring has arrived and this month we will be talking all about weather.  We will be practising French weather-related vocabulary words, talking about how we adapt to different kinds of weather and exploring how our weather changes from season to season and what causes different weather phenomenons.

In our centers this week we have begun to write in journals.  Working in a small group, we brainstormed some simple sentences beginning with 'J'aime . . .' (I like) that the students then wrote and illustrated in their new journals.  We are focusing on using French vocabulary words we have learned to date, writing from left to right, using spaces between words and a period at the end of our sentences, and sounding out words.

Another job that students are to complete this week involves unscrambling the names of some colours before colouring a rainbow.

Continuing with our weather theme, students are also working on an activity where they have to roll a die twice to see how many raindrops they need to add to the umbrella picture.  They then have to complete the addition sentence at the bottom of the page.

Our final center of the week is a fun duck art activity where students draw and cut out the pieces for their own little ducky that is swimming in a painted pond.  The picture is completed with a patterned picture frame.  The results have been super cute!