Friday, December 25, 2009

Happy Holidays!

I hope that you are all having a peaceful time with family and friends over the break!  Here's a special "Merry Christmas" from the class:


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Nutcracker Field Trip

The kids looked so nice all dressed up for the ballet on Thursday.  Here are some pictures from the day:



On Friday, the children drew pictures and wrote about their favorite parts of the ballet.  Check out their great work:


December Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from December:


Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gingerbread Fun




We had a great time this week reading lots of Gingerbread Man stories and baking real gingerbread cookies.  This weekend, I found some good gingerbread man resources online and wanted to share them with you.  I hope you have fun exploring them with your child!


Your child can virtually decorate a gingerbread cookie, 
then email a picture of the cookie to a friend.




Dress up a gingerbread man with lots of fun costumes.



Interactive gingerbread book on Starfall.com.



Here's some fun sites where your child can decorate a gingerbread house:






Here's an online version of the story being read aloud:



Wednesday, December 9, 2009

December . . . so far

Here's what we've been up so far this month:


November's Leftovers

Here are a few pictures that were left over from November:


Friday, December 4, 2009

Jan Brett and The Gingerbread Baby



We have been reading lots of gingerbread man stories in class, including two beautiful picture books by the author / illustrator Jan Brett: The Gingerbread Baby  and Gingerbread Friends.  Today we watched some videos of Jan Brett talking about her work.  I was having some issues getting the projector's speaker to work with my laptop, so we didn't get to watch as much as I had planned, but we will try again next week.  There are tons of great videos on her website with her talking about lots of her books.  Check them out here.

We will read more of Jan's books throughout December and January.  A lot of her illustrations feature wintry scenes, so they are perfect for this time of year.  I encourage you to explore Jan Brett's website.  There are tons of printable pictures for coloring , including lots with the gingerbread baby.  There are also some online games, including one where you can decorate a gingerbread house.  It wouldn't work on my Mac, but I've seen it on a PC, and it's really cute.    Have fun exploring the site together, and please feel free to share your family's favorite parts in a comment below.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Thanksgiving Feast Pictures

Thursday was such a great day!  The kids were so excited to show off their singing and cooking talent.  Here are some pictures of us getting ready for and performing our feast show:



We were busy all week preparing for the feast.  Here's some pictures of what it took to get ready for this amazing event:


Thanksgiving Feast Songs

Here are some audio files of the children singing the feast songs.  Just click on a song title to hear the kids sing.  Please feel free to share this posting with out-of-town relatives or family members who missed the show.  We made these recordings today during class.  The kids liked getting to hear themselves when we played back the songs.


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

Apples

Last week, we did lots of activities with apples.  On Tuesday, each child picked out two apples while on our field trip to Publix.  On Wednesday, the children talked about how their two apples were similar and how they were different.  As a class, we used a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two apples.  The children learned a song about an apple farmer and learned how to spell the word "apples."  Then, we cut up the apples and cooked them until they were soft.  The children also taste-tested red, yellow, and green apple slices.  We made a graph showing which was each child's favorite, and the green apple was the winner.  On Thursday, we strained the cooked apples to make our applesauce.  We placed the finished applesauce in the freezer to save for our feast.  On Friday, we sang the Raffi song "Apples and Bananas" and watched a video about how apple trees grow and change.  Throughout the week, we also read several books about apples.  Here are some pictures of our apple activities:


PKY Homecoming Parade


We had a great time marching in the parade on Friday.  The kids looked so adorable in their butterfly costumes, and they were so excited to hear the other classes cheering us on as we marched by.  Here is a video and pictures of the parade:



Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click to Play






*Parents:  If you have pictures of us in the parade, please email them to me, and I will add them to the slideshow.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Mini-Pumpkins

Last week we decorated mini-pumpkins. The kids have enjoyed looking at them all week, and we will be using them to decorate the room for our Thanksgiving Feast. Today, the children described what made their pumpkins special. Look and listen below:


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Publix and Westside Park

We had a great time on our field trip today.  The kids got to hear about all of the different departments of the grocery store while on our Publix tour; we did tons of shopping for our upcoming feast; and they had a blast eating and playing at Westside Park.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather or a more perfect trip!  Check out all of the fun below:



**Parent Chaperones:  If you have pictures from the trip, please feel free to email them to me, and I will add them to the slideshow.  Thanks for all of your help today!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Field Trip Information

Tomorrow is our field trip to Publix and Westside Park.  We will leave school at 8:30.  Please make sure your child arrives at school on time.  We will not need our book club leaders tomorrow, as the children will not have time to do a full book club before the trip. 

We will be going to the Publix on Main Street.  First, we will get a tour of the store.  Then, we will do some shopping for the upcoming Thanksgiving Feast.  Please make sure that you have turned in your family's feast money, as we will be using it to pay for our groceries!

After our shopping trip, we will go to Westside Park for some playtime and a picnic lunch.  All children need to bring a lunch tomorrow.  We will also bring along our water bottles, so make sure your child's bottle has been refilled.  The kids should wear tennis shoes or sneakers so they can run and play on the playground.  We will return to PK no later than 12:30. 

Chaperone Information:
  • Chaperones can meet us at Publix around 8:45, ride the bus with us, or follow the bus in their own cars.
  • Chaperones will be assigned a small group of children to monitor when going on the tour.  You will receive a short shopping list and will need to help your group find those grocery items after the tour.
  • After shopping, we will all gather at the front of the store.  Please check with your group and take them to the bathroom as needed at this time.  The bathroom facilities aren't the greatest at Westside Park!
  • When we arrive at Westside, the children will get to play.  Please make sure you keep an eye on your group of kids. Next, we will gather at the picnic tables for lunch.  Make sure you bring a lunch, too!  Please help your group with opening items and cleaning up.
  • If you plan on taking your child home with you at the end of the trip, please make sure that you sign them out with me.
  • Thanks so much for your help!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Week 10 -- Spiders and Pumpkins

We spent this week finishing our spider unit and learning about pumpkins.  Here are some of the highlights from our week:



Next week, we will work on a VoiceThread slideshow of our decorated mini-pumpkins.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

November Scholastic Book Club Orders


Scholastic Book Club's November order forms will be sent home in Friday folders on Thursday.  Ordering with Scholastic helps our class earn bonus points that we can redeem for free books and learning materials! Please look over the flyers and consider purchasing some books for your child. Scholastic has some great books at really affordable prices -- some are just $1.00!  There are also great holiday books in the November forms.  Remember, books make great gifts!


This month, I recommend the following titles:
SeeSaw:
Too Many Toys, $4.00
Gingerbread Friends, $6.00
Gingerbread Baby, $6.00


Firefly:
The Snowy Day, $1.00
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story, $3.00
The Very Busy Spider, $9.00

You have two options for ordering: 

1. Select your choices, fill out the order form, and return it to school with cash or check (made out to Scholastic).

2. Place your book orders and pay with a credit card on-line by going to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs . Our class user name is Krank, and the password is books.

All November orders are due by Monday, November 9th.


Monday, October 26, 2009

Homecoming Week, November 2 - 6

Next week is PKY Homecoming. To celebrate, there will be a different dress-up day each day of the week. Here is the schedule:

Monday -- Psychedelic Day -- Wear tie-dye clothes or other 60's gear.

Tuesday -- Character Day -- Students are invited to dress-up like their favorite book, movie, or TV characters. Since we will be going on our field trip to Publix, children should not wear costumes or complicated outfits. It would be best if they wore just t-shirts with favorite characters on them (i.e. Sponge Bob or Hannah Montana).

Wednesday -- Clash Day -- Wear mismatched, clashing clothes.

Thursday -- Sports Day -- Wear a sports uniform or clothing for your favorite sports team.  Thursday night is Math Night from 5:45 - 7:30.  Parents are invited to come and learn about ways to support their child's math learning at home.  Free childcare is provided.  The kids will have Pajama Night.  They will get to watch movies and eat popcorn.

Friday -- Spirit Day -- Children are invited to dress up in PKY colors (blue and white). However, we are going to marching in the Homecoming Parade dressed up as Monarch butterflies. Therefore, children will need to come to school wearing black clothing to complete our costumes. We have made our wings already and will be working on making antennae crowns next. Families are invited to come and watch us in the parade at 9:00 on Friday morning. We just walk the front circle part of the parade route. If your child would like to bring a blue or PK shirt to change into after the parade, that would be fine. The PKY Carnival is also on Friday from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Bug Safari

Check out what we saw on our Bug Safari:

View more presentations from Michele Krank.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Fall Carnival Volunteer Sign-Up

Our class is in charge of running the "Bean Bag Toss" booth at the Fall Carnival. The carnival is on Friday, November 6th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. We need lots of parent volunteers to help run the booth, as well as to help with set-up and clean-up. Please let me know if you are able to help in any of the open time slots;  I will update the schedule below as we receive volunteers:

3:30 - 4:00 (set-up):
1. Erin Romrell (Haley)
2. Steve Middleton & Rex Robertson (William)


4:00 - 4:30:
1. Steve Middleton & Rex Robertson (William)
2. Katedra Phillips (Christopher)


4:30 - 5:00:
1. Derrik Smith (A'shawna)
2. Jazzlyn Smith (A'shawna)


5:00 - 5:30:
1. Joe & Michelle Meert (Joseph)
2. Marie Broling (Anna)


5:30 - 6:00:
1. Tomiko Wright (Amari)
2. Kwesi Wright (Amari)


6:00 - 6:30:
1. Carole Polefko (Patrick)
2. John Polefko (Patrick)


6:30 - 7:00:
1. Nesly Quintero (Jose)
2. John Broling (Anna)


7:00 - 7:30 (clean-up):
1. Wendy & TJ Hill (Taylor)
2. Nesly Quintero (Jose)

Friday, October 9, 2009

Caterpillar Art

We've spent the last two weeks making our own "very hungry caterpillars," using the techniques we learned from the Eric Carle video.  I took pictures along the way, then created a picture slideshow online.  Today, we used the website VoiceThread.com to add our voices and narrate the picture slideshow.  The kids were so excited to see the pictures and to record their voices.  It was a great way to end the week together!


Thursday, October 1, 2009

October Scholastic Book Club Orders

Scholastic Book Club's October order forms will be sent home in Friday folders tomorrow.  Ordering with Scholastic helps our class earn bonus points that we can redeem for free books and learning materials! Please look over the flyers and consider purchasing some books for your child. Scholastic has some great books at really affordable prices -- some are just $1.00!

This month, I recommend the following titles:
SeeSaw:
Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins, $1.00
Scaredy Squirrel, $4.00
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, $2.00

Firefly:
Jack's House, $3.00
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, $4.00
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, $2.00
 
You have two options for ordering: 

1. Select your choices, fill out the order form, and return it to school with cash or check (made out to Scholastic).

2. Place your book orders and pay with a credit card on-line by going to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs . Our class user name is Krank, and the password is books.

All October orders are due by Monday, October 12th.

What We Learned on our Trip

Today we looked at pictures and videos of our trip.  Then, we each told one thing that we liked or learned at the Greathouse Butterfly Farm.


William said, "I liked seeing the black caterpillar."


Thiago said, "I like when we saw the butterfly and inside the spider place."


Taylor said, "I learned about butterflies.  I learned that we need them."


Rad said, "I learned about butterflies' wings.  They break."


Patrick said, "You have to be really careful with a butterfly when you try to get it on a brush."


Lola said, "I saw the caterpillar."


Kirstyn said, "I seen the big butterfly."


Julianna said, "I liked feeding the butterflies."


Jose said, "The big one got on my back."


Devante said, "I like when Devan dressed up silly.  He had the nose, a proboscis."


Christopher said, "I like when I saw the golden spider and the grasshoppers."


Chase said, "I like seeing the butterflies in the cage."


Benjamin said, "We see a chrysalis."


A'shawna said, "I learned about the butterfly house."


Amari said, "I liked to feed the butterflies."

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Greathouse Butterfly Farm

We had a wonderful time on our field trip to the Greathouse Butterfly Farm!  We started the day by learning about butterfly bodies.  Next, we took a tour of the butterfly farm.  We got to see caterpillars, chrysalises, butterflies, lots of plants, other insects, and some spiders.  The highlight of the trip was getting to feed butterflies from sponges covered in fruit juice!  Check out some videos below:










Pictures of the trip will be coming soon!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Field Trip Tomorrow!




Tomorrow, all three kindergarten classes are heading to the Greathouse Butterfly Farm.  Check it out at: www.greathousebutterflyfarm.com.


We will be leaving school at 8:45 am and returning no later than 12:30 pm.  We will likely return to school earlier.  Here are some reminders to make tomorrow run smoothly:
*Have your child wear sneakers or tennis shoes.
*All children need to bring a bag lunch.  
*Check with your child to make sure he/she has a water bottle at school.


At the end of the day, all of the children will receive a butterfly-growing kit.  To see what it will look like, click here.  As your child's caterpillar grows and changes into a butterfly, please feel free to add comments to this post.  I think it will be a great way to share with each other about what the children are observing and learning! 


Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Very Hungry Caterpillar



As part of our butterfly unit, we read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  I want the children to make their own hungry caterpillar artwork, so I started looking up information about how Eric Carle (the author/illustrator) creates his art.

First I found out that the book is 40 years old this year!  Then, I found some great videos and slideshows on-line that show kids how he makes his artwork and how he got the original idea for The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  In class today, we watched these clips with Ms. Johnson's first grade class.  All of the kids were excited to see how Eric Carle created his art.  Check out these sites to find out more:

Eric talks about getting his idea for the book and how it developed into the story we have today

Six-minute video of The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Slideshow of how he created the very hungry caterpillar using collage techniques

Slideshow of how he paints tissue paper to use in his artwork

Slideshow of his art studio

What did your child learn about Eric Carle and his books?  Post a comment about what your child learned or found interesting!  Explore other parts of Eric Carle's website (www.eric-carle.com) together to learn more.  We can't wait to find out more about this beloved children's book author.



Monday, September 21, 2009

A Turtle Adventure

While on the playground today, some children spotted a turtle trying to get through the back fence.  I was worried that he was searching for the creek and had lost his way.  So, I went back to the room, grabbed some gloves and a cardboard box, then went to rescue him.  We all walked down to the creek, and the children gathered around to wave good-bye as I released him into the water.  

During writer's workshop, we retold the story together.  The children helped me to decide which important details to include my illustration, then together we labeled the picture with beginning consonants.  During their independent writing time, many of the students chose to draw and write about this exciting adventure as well.  Check out the slideshow below to see how it all unfolded:


Friday, September 18, 2009

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Book Club Leader Schedule

Yay!  All of our book club spots have been filled.  Thank you to all of our great volunteers!  Here's our schedule:

Monday:
1. Michelle Klosterman (Chase)
2. Marie Broling (Anna)
3. Alison Hightower

Tuesday:
1. Wendy Hill (Taylor)
2. Debbie Krank
3. Tracey Hickox (Lola)

Thursday:
1. Marie Broling (Anna)
2. John Polefko (Patrick)
3. Mrs. Robertson (William)

Friday:
1. Michelle Klosterman (Chase)
2. Alex / Jack Polefko (Patrick)
3. Monica Feliciano (Julianna)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Week Two Pictures

We had another fun week.  Check out some of the exciting moments:

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Scholastic Book Club's September order forms will be sent home in Friday folders tomorrow.  Ordering with Scholastic helps our class earn bonus points that we can redeem for free books and learning materials! Please look over the flyers and consider purchasing some books for your child. Scholastic has some great books at really affordable prices -- some are just $1.00!

This month, I recommend the following titles:
SeeSaw:
If You Take a Mouse to School, $3.00
The Mixed-Up Alphabet, $4.00
I Like Myself, $3.00

Firefly:
Llama Llama Red Pajama, $1.00
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, $3.00
The Pout-Pout Fish, $4.00
 
You have two options for ordering: 

1. Select your choices, fill out the order form, and return it to school with cash or check (made out to Scholastic).

2. Place your book orders and pay with a credit card on-line by going to www.scholastic.com/parentordering. Our class user name is Krank, and the password is books.

All September orders are due by Monday, September 14th.

Friday, August 28, 2009

First Week Pictures

We had a wonderful first week together!  Here are some of the highlights:


Thursday, August 27, 2009

Playdough!

On Wednesday and Thursday, we made playdough.  If you would like to make some at home, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup of Flour
1/2 cup of Salt
2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar (in the spice aisle)
1 cup of Water
1 tablespoon of Cooking Oil
Several drops of Food Coloring

Directions:
1. Spray pan with cooking spray, and heat over low heat.
2. Pour flour, salt, and cream of tartar into pan.
3. Add cooking oil.
4. Mix food coloring and water in a bowl.  Add to pan.
5. Stir ingredients until the mixture becomes a ball.
6. Place dough on wax paper to cool.
7. PLAY!
8. Store playdough in a sealed container, and it will last for months!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Welcome 2009-2010 Families!

I am excited to be gearing up for another great school year!  I look forward to meeting you all at our Popsicle Party on Friday, August 21st from 11:00 - 12:00.  Our classroom is H-123.  You may bring your school supplies then or on the first day of school.  If you need a copy of the supply list, it is available in the documents section.

Please feel free to look back at some of the old posts from last school year to get a preview of some of the activities we have planned for this year.  


Our class mascot this year will be Spot the Dog. There are lots of great books written about Spot by Eric Hill. Check out Spot's website at: 
http://www.funwithspot.com/house.asp?locale=US 


If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mkrank@pky.ufl.edu.   

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Water Day

Our water day was a huge success! It was so much fun to watch the kids' faces as we walked around and checked out all of the activities this morning. Once I sent them to play, they just went from area to area with huge smiles! It was a great way to celebrate the end of a long year together!


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Fishing Pictures

Despite the heat, we had a great time on our fishing trip yesterday.  We started the day by net fishing.  The children scooped out pond water and freshwater creatures, then got to explore their finds and learn about the animals.  Next, the children got to see (and touch!) some fish up close.  After lunch, we finally got our poles and went fishing!  It was a long but fun day!


Blueberry Picking Pictures

I had some camera issues on Friday so here are the few pictures I have:

If you were a chaperone and took additional pictures, please email them to me.  Thanks!

May Pictures

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fishing Trip Tomorrow


Here are a few reminders about our fishing trip tomorrow:

  • The weather will probably be very hot, and we will be outdoors for the
    entire trip. Please make sure your child wears cool clothing and shoes that can get dirty. Children can also wear hats or visors to help block the sun. They should come to school with sunscreen already applied.

  • We leave school at 8:30 and should arrive at the IFAS fishery around 9:00. The address for IFAS is 7922 NW 71st Street. The website is http://fishweb.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm. Parent chaperones can follow the bus or meet us there.
  • While at the fishery, the children will get to try net and pole fishing. We are hoping that every child will get to catch a fish, but it's all about luck! All of the fishing is catch and release; no fish will be coming home!
  • We will have a picnic lunch while there. Children will need to bring bag lunches labeled with their names.
  • I will bring the class water bottles for the children to access throughout the day. (They will still need a drink in their lunches.) Many kids finished their water during Friday's trip to the blueberry farm. Please send another water bottle with your child on Monday.
  • We will leave the fishery around 12:30 to return to PK.

We are looking forward to a great day tomorrow. Please email me if you have any questions about the trip.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Blueberry Trip on Friday

Hooray!  We were able to re-schedule our blueberry-picking field trip.  Because Southland Blueberry Plantation remains flooded, we will go to a farm in Alachua to pick berries.  The plan remains the same -- leave school at 8:30 and return at 12:00.  On Friday, children will again need to wear cool clothing and sneakers.  Please send your child to school with sunscreen and bug repellant already applied.  They can also bring a hat or visor to wear on the trip  All children will need to bring a bag lunch labeled with their names.  Please make sure that you turn in the updated permission slip that was sent home in Spot folders yesterday.  Thanks!

Creek School Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Creek School.  We will be participating in outdoor events all about the creek environment from 8:45 – 1:15.  Children should come to school wearing cool clothing and sneakers.  (Don’t forget it’s green day.)  Please send your child to school with sunscreen applied.  They can also bring a hat or visor to help block the sun.  Remember that the high school students are offering a lunch (choice of hamburger or hotdog), so your child does not need to bring a lunch.  If your child does not have money on his/her lunch account, please send $2.00 for lunch.