December Kapok Newsletter

Dear Kapoks,

We began November by continuing our story from the end of October – living and non-living things and how we treat things around us, whether they are living or non-living. It was very nice how Kapoks were greeting fish, pumpkins and plants in our classroom as living things every morning during our “Good morning” song and how they were saying goodbye in the afternoon. Here we also talked about how we treat non-living things in the classroom – our lessons, books, shelves, and materials. This was a good opportunity to go through our ground rules again, since we have new friends in our class. We also talked about using quiet voices, getting someone’s attention, raising a hand to talk in the circle, walking slowly in the classroom, and lining up. We made a poster – “Our classroom rules” – to help us remember them and respect them.

We also learned about mammals and amphibians. We enjoyed reading books and listening to songs about their characteristics. Kapoks also loved the horse and the frog puzzle, which helped them learn about their different body parts. Some of them liked tracing puzzles as well.

This month we talked a lot about giving thanks and what we are grateful for. We practiced saying “Thank you” in different languages. Students who speak another language were happy to teach their friends a new word. This was a very funny part for Kapoks and I must admit, they were very successful in pronouncing hard words in foreign languages (even in Serbian!). We all worked together on making a “Thank you” sign for both Banyan and Gumbo Limbo classes. All friends were happy to participate. They all wanted to help to prepare fruit salad for the Harvest Share, which was a beautiful event. We had a great time and enjoyed our meal together with other Primary classes on the front playground – soup from Banyan, bread from Gumbo Limbo and fruit salad from Kapok. When talking about this, it makes me remember again how grateful I am to be a part of the everyday routine of each child in the class and be a part of their growing path.

It is my pleasure to let you know that Kapoks got two more friends. Let’s welcome Wyatt and Benito to our class!

Since December will be a short month, we will continue our November unit studies – we will learn about vertebrates: fish, reptiles and birds.

Please mark your calendar:
December 8th Saturday Follow the child (9am-12pm, Kapok classroom)
December 10th Monday Professional day 2 – No school for students
December 10th – December 14th Parent – Teacher Conferences
December 19th Wednesday Conch train tour 5.30 pm
December 24th – January 7th Winter break

Peace and love,
Ms. Ivana and Ms. Jayci