Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

The students have learned all about pumpkins in the past 2 weeks. There are so many good books for young children on this topic! I read the following titles:

• From Seed to Pumpkin
• Mr. Pompo's Nose
• How Many Seeds are in a Pumpkin?
• The Bumpy Little Pumpkin
• The Runaway Pumpkin
•  Pumpkin (poem)

I also showed the students this video of The Runaway Pumpkin on You Tube:
After reading From Seed to Pumpkin, the students made 3D pumpkins and labeled the parts. They did a great job of following directions. Of course, they used their imaginations by making pulp out of yarn!

Next week we will learn all about bats and spiders. The kiddos were excited when I told them what our next unit would be! Don't forget our fall party is October 31st from 1:30 to 2:30. Children may bring a costume to change into for a parade through the school. Please ask if you have any questions. It should be a lot of fun!

Thanks so much for your support during the Parent/Teacher conferences. It's always a positive thing when we can get together to discuss your child's progress. Feel free to contact me anytime throughout the year if you want to discuss your child's education or behavior. I can meet with you during my plan time 12:30 to 1:30 (Mondays or Wednesdays) and before/after school. I am also available if you need to have a phone conference.

~ Mrs. Eilenstine

New Classroom Rug!

Thanks to Donors Choose and Sonic's Limeades for Learning promotion, we have a pretty new rug! It came late Friday afternoon so the students haven't seen it yet. I know they will love it as much as I do! I appreciate all who helped by voting and using codes from Sonic. I still have one project that has a good chance of getting funded too! Please continue to vote daily and spread the word. The information is listed under the "Donors Choose" label (page) below the title of this blog. Please ask if you have any questions.

Once again, I feel so blessed to have this comfy rug and it will be used for many years to come! Here's a photo:

We will get our thank-you package ready soon and upload photos on donorschoose.org. Remember, I will not post pictures of your child unless I received a permission slip from you. If you need another one, let me know.

REMINDER! Don't forget to send your child's permission slip and money for the field trip on October 16th (Tuesday). It needs to be turned in by October 15th (Monday). The students are really looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch and getting their own pumpkin. Please ask if you have any questions! Have a great weekend!

~ Mrs. Eilenstine

National Fire Prevention Week

In conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, all the kindergarten classes participated in several activities related to preventing fires and staying safe. The Conway Fire Department brought their fire trucks and showed the students their equipment and uniforms. One fire fighter dressed into his full gear including his mask and oxygen tank to show the children they didn't need to be afraid of how he looked. He crawled on the ground all around them to demonstrate what they might see in case of a real fire. He also expressed a safety rule of getting low because the smoke rises. Each student had an opportunity to wear a helmet and spray the hose too! One student was asked to show everyone what "Stop, drop, and roll" looked like.

I appreciated their visit and their willingness to share their knowledge with the students.  For the conclusion of the visit, a firefighter climbed into the bucket of the ladder and sprayed water in the field by the school. Of course all the children loved it! Also, each student received an informational book for their families, a firetruck foldable, an activity book and a coloring book! I'll post pictures in the group room early in the week. Here are some of the books we read:

 

 

Pluggie the Fire Hydrant came to see us on Tuesday. The students learned more fire safety tips and enjoyed meeting Pluggie. At the end of the visit, Pluggie even danced!



Smokey the Bear came on Wednesday. After a short video about Smokey and fire safety, each child had a chance to either sit on Smokey's lap, give a hug, or just stand by him for a photograph. He was really a huge hit! Each child also received a comic book explaining how he became known as Smokey the Bear and an activity book. Here is a link to the National Fire Prevention's website if you would like to know more information: http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=2017&URL=Safety%20Information/Fire%20Prevention%20Week%202010

 

During our "shared reading" times, the kiddos learned a cute poem titled, Five Little Firefighters. I'm sure if you asked them, they will remember it! Also, I taught them a song written by Mrs. Lewis titled, Did You Ever See a Firefighter? It's to the tune of Did You Ever See a Lassie? It's a catchy tune and all the children loved it!

 

~ Mrs. Eilenstine



Apples, Color Words, and Watch D.O.G.S!

Last week the kiddos had another fun week of learning! Our unit was "All About Apples". During our shared reading times, we read a poem titled, Apples. We picked out rhyming words and color words and even had fun substituting words. The following books were read aloud: Johnny Appleseed, Facts About Apples, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree and Ten Apples Up On Top.

 After reading this book, the students worked together in 4 groups and decorated trees for each season. They are displayed in our hallway. They turned out really good! Not only did they learn about apples, but also the four seasons.

The students also enjoyed Ten Apples Up On Top! I stacked bean bags on top of their heads to represent apples. They were so funny and loved this activity! Afterwards, they made headbands and attached how many apples (bean bags) they had on top! There was one student who had 10!

The students also used their apples for graphing, counting, and eating! Thanks to everyone who sent in an apple or extras for other students! Our sight words were color words green and purple. Each day the students practiced writing and recognizing the words. The following color songs were also a fun way for them to learn:   http://www.youtube.com/embed/jHIx49XM91s   and http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q-LNLOU1Uag. Next week our color word will be yellow.

Thanks to all the dads, grandfathers, uncles, or other men who came out to the Watch D.O.G.S. pizza night on Tuesday. I am excited about this new program at our school. I know it will make a positive difference for our students! If you were unable to attend, it's not too late to get involved. Please call the office for information.

Thanks for all your support and I'm looking forward to meeting with all of you soon during Parent/Teacher conferences at the end of the month!

~ Mrs. Eilenstine

Sonic's Generosity is Amazing!

Thanks to Sonic, we are getting a new area rug for our classroom! I appreciate everyone who voted or used codes from stickers on wrappers and applied them on Limeades for Learning! We will also receive books about shapes (2D and 3D).

Donors Choose.org is such a wonderful organization! This is my 17th project to be fully funded in 2 years and I am so thankful! We would not be able to have some of the wonderful products and supplies without generous donors who support education!

Please remember to keep voting daily for our other project on Limeades for Learning. We have a great chance of getting it funded in the next few weeks: http://www.limeadesforlearning.com/teachers/view/436259/teacher/867101
Continue to spread the word to your friends and family! THANKS! :)

~ Mrs. Eilenstine