Outdoor Kindergarten

We’re coming to the end of the school year and we are winding down with some fun events!

Please let me know if you are planning on ending the school year early and send an extra cloth bag on your child’s last day. I would like to be able to help organize their belongings and supplies to send home.

Sports Day was a big success! I think we all felt the positive vibes of having our school community of family, staff and students all having fun together again. I was very proud of the way my students handled the excitement and understood the spirit of sportsmanship. Thank you to Melissa Moir for the fantastic photos!

The weeks ahead: June 20-24 and June 27-29

• Monday, June 20: At the park.
• Tuesday, June 21: At the park. Indigenous People’s Day. We’ll play games, read stories and learn the legend of Big Rock.
• Wednesday, June 22: Field trip to the Water Park. Bring a snack, water, towel, change of clothes, sunscreen (and maybe rain jacket). For carpooling, meet at school at the regular bell and we’ll leave by 9:15. Please let me know if you are driving your own child and meeting us there.
• Thursday, June 23: At the school. Final Strong Bodies, Safe Kids lesson.
• Friday, June 24: At the park. Hot dog roast and fire. Grade 4 farewell and final outdoor day.
• Monday, June 27: At FLE. The Lorax movie day (with Ms. Bendo’s K/1 class) and potato harvest. Please let me know if you have any concerns about your child viewing The Lorax, which is rated PG. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-lorax.
• Tuesday, June 28: At FLE. Potato feast day. We’ll make potato sundaes with yummy toppings. Belongings, school work and extra supplies sent home Tues/Wed – send an extra cloth bag.
• Wednesday, June 29: At FLE. Final half day. Assembly at 10:30, Dismissal at 11:30 AM. Report Cards available for viewing.

Have a relaxing, safe, fun summer!

Our Kanaka Creek field trip was very, very wet but also very, very special. Metro Park interpreters pulled out all the stops for us, taking us through 5 stations to learn about plants, bears, cedar, salmon, pond life, coyotes and more. Thank you to everyone who arrived smiling despite maybe going on a slight detour around Maple Ridge!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge thank you also to our parents who shared about their career last week. The students loved having you as our special guests and learning about your contributions to our community.

 

 

This week, we have two days at the park and then finish off the week with Sports Day at the school. Our class team colour is GREEN, so they can wear something of that colour. It’s a busy, exciting day for kindergartens. We will take breaks inside for snack, water, bathroom and relaxation. There will be a PAC concession. Family members/guardians who are able to attend can visit to buy food for the children and themselves. Please don’t send money with your K student – it is not possible for me to help them at the concession.

The week ahead: June 13-17

Monday – At the park. Mayfly Monday! We’ll learn about this favourite food of salmon and make a mayfly craft.

Tuesday – At the park. Triangle Tuesday! We’ll learn about shapes.

Wednesday – At FLE. Return Home Reading books. Last book exchange.

Thursday – At FLE. Return library books. No more book exchange.

Friday – At FLE. Sports Day. Wear GREEN and sunscreen, bring water bottle, sun hat, and runners. Family are welcome to come watch and cheer us on!!

Despite the long drive for many of us, the park we are currently learning in is special in so many ways. Habitat for frogs, bugs and birds is plentiful and the Nature Exploration area for children adds inspiration to their play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week ahead: June 6-10

• Monday – at the park. Story walk. Career sharing by parents 2-2:30pm.
• Tuesday – at the park. Art in the park. Career sharing by parents 2-2:30pm.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Home reading book exchange and library book return. Career sharing by parents 9-9:20am.
• Thursday – at Kanaka Creek Regional Park. 11450 256 St, Maple Ridge.
• Friday – at the park.

Sports day is on next Friday, June 17. We will be at the school for that event.

 

Last Friday, we hiked across the park. It was a lightbulb moment for some students to actually see what an island really is!

 

I hope you all got to see their poems, “I Knew it was Spring” which were sent home on Friday. They worked hard on those! (Absent students can finish up this week)

Kindergartens are now working on sight words. These are small, common words that may not follow ‘sound it out’ rules but make reading flow smoother once they are quickly recognized. They may (hopefully) be noticing and pointing them out in books and print around them.

 

At our new outdoor location, we’ll have opportunities to pond dip and bug hunt! Students may bring a small net along – nothing giant as the goal is to tune into the small things – tadpoles, mayflies, dragonfly larvae, etc. We are working on slowing down and observing closely to see features such as legs, antennae, body sections, wings and eyes. 

This week, we also will continue looking at community and careers. We will go for a walk on Thursday morning around Fort Langley to find some important places.

The week at a glance: May 30 – June 3

• Monday/Tuesday: At the new park.
• Thursday: At FLE. Home reading book exchange. Community walk in the morning (9:45-12:00)
• Friday: At the park.

 

 

 

 

 

We sure enjoyed the sun and warmer temperatures last week. As the end of our third term approaches it is time to look at student progress. In kindergarten, this might be a photo showing understanding of the number ten with sand. Or an art project that shares social-emotional learning. Sometimes it just takes a moment to capture a year of development.

The week ahead: May 24-27

• Tuesday, May 24 – at the park. We’ll continue learning about invertebrate features, measurement and what makes a good story.
• Wednesday, May 25 – at FLE. Home reading book exchange. We get to explore a new Community Helpers play centre.
• Thursday, May 26 – at FLE. Library. Cookie Sale Day for Canucks’ Charity.
• Friday, May 27 – at the park.

Check out the hands-on learning about capacity and weight, movement and materials from last week! Activities like this really show how much their independence and creative thinking skills have grown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week, we’re starting our park days at the new location where there’s a lot of fun to be had building and creating in the sandy mud. Rain pants are a must! We will provide buckets and shovels to share.

The week ahead: May 16-20

• Monday, May 16 – at the park.
• Tuesday, May 17 – at the park.
• Wednesday, May 18 – at FLE. Early dismissal for K students @ 11:33 AM.
• Thursday, May 19 – at FLE. Library.
• Friday, May 20 – No school. Professional Development Day.

Happy May Long Weekend! No school on Monday, May 24 – Victoria Day holiday.

The week ahead: May 9-13

Measurement of length, capacity and weight are the focus in math this week. We will continue to share our favourite stories and talk about story structure in Language Arts. We’ll experiment with movement and materials as students design and make a toy that moves as their Science and ADST project.

Monday & Tuesday – at the park.

Wednesday – at the school. Home reading book exchange. Whole school photo.

Thursday – at the school. Library.

Friday – at the park. If not too rainy, we’ll be making a toy out of natural materials. If you can, please send a roll of green painter’s tape and a bit of string for attaching things together. If rainy, we’ll delay this to next week.

Looking ahead: Wednesday, May 18 will be an early dismissal day for Kindergartens, due to the Welcome to K event (for next school year’s Kindies). Dismissal will be at 11:33.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found quite a variety of living things at the park on Friday! As the weather warms up, everything living underground for the winter is emerging, laying eggs, and crawling about.

Measuring living things like slugs is tricky as we discovered they can stretch or shrink and move about. We measured with sticks, flowers and other objects to understand the concepts “longer, shorter, and same”.

 

The week at a glance: May 2-6

Monday, Tuesday – at the new park. Consider sending both runners and boots for stream play and playground.

Wednesday – at FLE. Home reading book exchange. Stream of Dreams (salmon workshop plus fish/hawk painting)

Thursday – at FLE. Library.

Friday – at the park.

Thank you so much to our parent drivers for the hatchery trip! It was a perfect day for releasing fish! Last week we practiced dramatic storytelling by acting out “The Three Billy Goats” on the bridges at the park.

 

 

 

 

 

The week at a glance: April 25-29

• Monday, Tuesday – at the park, drop off at the picnic tables behind bathroom. We are measuring things around us with non-standard units like sticks, hands and sit squares.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Home reading book exchange. Entrepreneur Fair: students CAN bring up to $10 to purchase an item or two at the fair. We will all be going to see the fair but it is OPTIONAL to purchase anything.
• Thursday – at FLE. Library book exchange.
• Friday – at the park. Once again, due to other park users, please meet at the picnic tables behind the bathrooms. Since it is our last day at this park, we’ll map our favourite features. School Spirit Day: Twin/Triplet day – dress alike with a buddy or two if you would like to.

* Looking ahead to next week: New park location (see calendar for May) – there are opportunities for creek play as well as walking trails and an adventure playground. You may wish to send boots and a pair of runners in a separate bag for your child so they can be comfortable doing whichever activities we choose.

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice weather and Easter celebrations this long weekend. After last Tuesday’s hail, it was a welcome change. Here are some photos of our visit with Red Runner ducklings and Easter Egg chicks. Students practiced being gentle with them and learned about how they grow, what they look and feel and sound like, etc. All part of our science learning about the observable features of plants and animals. LEPS came and taught us about water on our planet. The main message your child should have come home knowing is this: most of the water on Earth is salt water or ice, which we can’t drink. The tiny part that is fresh water has to be shared by all of us, so let’s take good care of it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week at a glance: April 19-22

At school this week, we’ll be capping off our learning about salmon with a fish release field trip to Nicomekl Hatchery. Thank you to our parent drivers!

• Monday: Holiday
• Tuesday: At the park.
• Wednesday: At FLE. Field trip to Nicomekl Hatchery. Students should wear waterproof footwear and dress for outdoors. Masks required for everyone. Parent drivers, please gather at the classroom at 10 AM. We’ll return by 12:00 PM. Home reading book exchange.
• Thursday: At FLE. Library book exchange.
• Friday: At FLE. I am attending an Eco Educators workshop and will have a TTOC. The District’s policy is that our class has to be at the school. I’m letting you know in advance to make arrangements for siblings who are attending school at the park. Happy Earth Day!