This week has been so exciting! We had our field trip to Petco, celebrated the 100^th day of school, and had a Valentine’s Day party!

We went to Petco as an extension of our thematic unit on Animals. Before going, students made predictions and discussed what we might see there. We also had a big decision to make before going to the pet store: What pet are we going to bring back to school? We made lists of many pet options, and eliminated the ones that we would have had a difficult time providing the best home to. Students learned a lot about animal habitats, animal food, and the level of care a variety of animals require. Finally the time came to decide on a pet and the students cast a secret ballot. They hid all around the room and used sound spelling to write the name of the pet they wanted. When we counted the results, frog won by one point. The best frog they had at Petco was a Fire Belly Toad.

At Petco, students went on a tour around the store and did observations of all the animals. Many animals were taken out of cages and students were able to touch them, such as: a ferret, a tortoise, and a dog. Students were very eager to learn about how the animal habitats were set up and maintained. Some of the favorites we saw were two rescue cats, an iguana on the way to the vet, and the big aquatic turtles.

When it came time to end our tour, we went to get our toad, and we selected all the items together that we would need to set up her habitat. Upon returning to school, the students were able to help set up her home, and do some observational drawings of our new pet.

The 100^th Day of School was a huge hit! Students came to school eager to share their very creative 100 object creations. Our entire morning was devoted to this special occasion. We counted around the circle (each student taking turns saying a number as we went around the circle) all the way to 100. Students followed a writing prompt during writer’s workshop of, “How did you make your 100 day project?” We read the big book of Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100^th Day of Kindergarten. Then we sorted our 100^th day projects into several categories, such as shape of objects used, and even by colors. The rest of the morning was dedicated to 100-day stations. These included: 1. making a 100 numeral headband, 2. writing their name in a 100 grid, 3. tallying how many of each color in a set of 100 skittles, 4. drawing an object from the numeral 100, 5. writing prompt: if I had 100 ___ I would ______. The children rotated eagerly through centers, really excited to have special activities today. When they were all done, the children collected their papers to make a 100^th Day Book. Students were so eager to share their books with families as a wonderful reminder of this special day.

News Update: Our newsletters will be being posted on the website: www.pembrokekids.com. Please feel free to leave comments on the blog post!

News Update: As many of you may know already, beginning this week, a preschool student has joined our class just for math a few times a week. This child is kindergarten age and ready to participate in our math activities. He will be a part of our room for approximately 40 minutes a day a few times a week.

Upcoming Writing: Nonfiction

Upcoming Math: 2-D, 3-D shapes, money, addition, and beginning subtraction

Theme in March: Occupations **** Please think in advance about sharing your profession with the kindergarten class some time in March. We would love to bring in as many family members as possible to enrich our learning experience.