Kindergarten 2015-2016...it's a wrap!

June went by like a flash and I didn't have a second to spare to bring you up-to-date on the many wonderful things going on in our classroom. Here's a quick summary...

Letter W

We read Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert. Students connected their kindergarten classroom experience learning about the life cycle of a butterfly with reading in the library. They are very eager to share their vocabulary knowledge of the life cycle with words such as "chrysalis" and "cocoon." We used the letter "W" to draw butterflies and also make some gorgeous butterflies ourselves.

Letters X, Y & Z

Skipping over X ever so briefly we returned to a favorite author/illustrator and read Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka. Watch this great version of the book here.
We ended our journey with The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni. In this story the letters learn that they are stronger when they connect to make words and even stronger when their words become IMPORTANT sentences.




If your Kindergarten student attended library you should have received your child's book complete with their September "Ready for Reading" photo on the cover.
Take some time with your child this summer and read through the pages of their book. Plan a visit to your neighborhood branch library and reread some of their favorite stories. Have a great summer and happy reading!

Spring ARTS Festival!!!

Don't miss our end of the year ARTS Festival. Stroll our hallways beginning at 4:00 pm and see original art by our students K-8. Join us in the Auditorium at 4:30pm for spectacular performances by Theater, Chorus, Band, Dance, Strings and Piano students. Thursday, May 26th! See you there.

We LOVE vegetables at OG!

Buy me here!

In Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert students explore the process of creating a delicious soup from planting the seeds and sprouts to picking, washing and chopping their vegetables. We start by planting our vegetable garden, and then take care of our garden by weeding and watering and we finally are able to enjoy the beautiful vegetables that grow by making vegetable soup. Students are very excited to share their favorite vegetables and our table activity is to draw the soup we would prepare. At OG we have a wonderful program where students get fresh fruit and vegetables every week and this has really expanded our students' love and knowledge for and about vegetables.

Feel the PRIDE Vibe!

My Media Elective Class has been working on a very special project that will premiere at the May 26th Spring Arts Show - it's The PAW shop, OG's new school store. We've created two outlets for students, families, staff and partners to get Lion's Spirit Wear and School Uniforms online.

For SPIRIT WEAR CLICK HERE. Prep Sportswear offers many ways to customize your love for OG! Please note that most of these clothes are not authorize for regular school uniforms. Our authorized school uniforms can be purchased from Lands' End School Store Click Here. You will have to log in with an email to get to Orchard Gardens Official Uniform recommendations.

The Media Elective students will be available to help families and friends navigate the sites, learn how to get bundle discounts and more from our new store sites - we will even have a few things on hand to sell!!! Items of high quality and we will have samples for you to see. The PAW Shop is coming!!!

Reserve Your Yearbook!

Bulletin Board is completed.

Organizing sales strategy.

The 2015-2016 Yearbook is at the printer! Elective students are making sure that everyone that wants a Yearbook has paid their $10.00. Supplies are limited so pay your money to secure your book. 80 pages of full color will not disappoint!

Book Talks and Getting Ready for 3rd Grade

Sonilda practices her book talk.

My second graders started new units this week. In Ms. DaRosa's Class we are working together to write and videotape Book Talks. The goal of a Book Talk is to encourage more reading by having peers recommend books they have read. Creating a Book Talk is my preferred method for students to share their love of reading because their talks demonstrate understanding and excitement over a text. Book Talks are different than book reviews that are basically a critique of a book or a book reports that are more formal. Our Book Talks follow a basic format; the student introduces the book with a "hook" statement and then tell three interesting facts about the book without giving the story away and then challenges their peers to read their book. I videotape their Book Talks and it's a fun way to end the year in library. Join us for our May 26th Art Show and see some of the wonderful completed Book Talks!

In Ms. Rigueur's Class we are reading How To Be Cool in the Third Grade. As an introduction we talk about moving up to a new grade and how to be successful. The main character of the book, Robbie York, just wants to be cool and makes a list of those things he must change about his life to accomplish his goal. It's a fun read and leads to great discussions. (Note: I am not doing Book Talks with Ms. Rigueur's Class because it is the last period of the day and it is too short!)

Mercy Watson, a Princess in Disguise?

Buy me here!

You bet! We just love reading about Mercy in Ms. Witt's Class and in the first grade. In this edition Mercy is going trick-or-treating and dresses up as a princess. Eugenia of course thinks that "pigs should not pose as princesses!" In addition to reading Mercy Watson together, students also spend time listening to other Mercy Watson stories on the computer through TumbleBooks. TumbleBooks is now a subscription service, but most of the Mercy Watson books have buddy readers on Youtube. Click here for TumbleBooks! Click here to search Youtube!