Kindergarten Advice

On one of the last days of school, the kindergartners shared a piece of advice for the future Beach Buddies. Despite some audio issues, the video still will definitely help next year's kindergartners get ready for the new year. I added the text for each kindergartner since a few have very quiet audio. I wish these now first graders could come and "train in" our new friends! They are definitely kindergarten experts!

We are Animal Researchers

Before our trip to the zoo, we spent the week reading, writing, and looking online for information about various animals we would see at Como Zoo. Next we met in small groups and shared our new learning about our favorite animal. Maybe you'll learn some new facts too!

Como Zoo 2014

What a fun day at Como Zoo! While we may have been a little chilly, we stayed dry and managed to see the sun peek out a few times. Most importantly, we enjoyed time together as a class and loved seeing the animals.  Click PLAY to find a collage of pics from the day. Then click on individual pictures to zoom in.

Picture collage made with Smilebox

Worms, Spiders, and Flies - OH MY!

This week we enjoyed reading another set of books by a favorite author - Dorren Cornin. This time Doreen wrote 3 books in the form of a diary. What a fun way to learn about worms, spiders, and flies. While they are fiction stories, Doreen still helped us learn many new facts.

Play the video below to hear some new facts!

Inventions Party 2014

It never fails, each year our Inventions Party is one of my very favorite days of the year. It is amazing to see those little kindergarten minds planning and creating. Not to mention the quality teamwork happening as fellow inventors need help holding a bottle or need advice on the perfect spot to attach the a straw. I am certain you will be impressed with our awesome creations!

Inventions Party 2014 from Katie Zuehlke on Vimeo.

Nancy Carlson's Big Ideas

Our author study on Nancy Carlson was one of our favorite studies this year. We loved getting to know the similar characters and making many connections with the problems and solutions in the stories. After drawing and coloring like Nancy, we shared the "big ideas" that Nancy taught us through her books.

Spring!?

Even though we started Thursday off with a SnOwY morning, we ended the day in a springy way. When we came back from book buddies, some cotton was left on our floor and our bunny bags were hidden! Check out some pics and videos below.

Another photo collage by Smilebox