While last week was a short week, it was a busy one.  On Tuesday, the children exchanged Valentine’s with each other and had the opportunity to decorate a cookie to take home. On Wednesday, the Kindergarten children took place in their first author sharing with Mr. Newman and the Middle School students as their audience. It takes a lot of courage to speak in front of a crowd, and this is always a tradition that kindergarten children look forward to. We are also grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many parents during conference time last Thursday.

As Valentine’s Day has quickly come and gone, we thought we would ask the children what love means.  Their answers are sure to bring a smile to your face.  In similar posts that we’ve done in the past, we always say the world would do well to listen to these children. It rings true with this post as well.

Love Is……….

• Simone–  When my Mom hugs and kisses me.
• Soren–    Playing happy songs for someone.        
• Levi—        Dancing with Ella.       
• Casey–    I love my Mommy.                
• Savina–  Kissing Mom and Dad.    
• Ruscher–  Hugging twice my Dad.
• Charlotte–   I love Mommy.  
• Remi–       Kissing and hugging my Mommy and Daddy.
• Elsie–      Hugs and kisses goodbye.         
• Ella–         Hugs and kisses from my Mom and Dad.         
• Carter—  A hug and a kiss from my Mom.    
• David–      A hug from my Mommy.         
• Jonathan–When my dad plays with me.
• Katie–        Being kind.
• Oliver–      A kiss and A Hug from my Mom.

Wishing each and every one of you much peace and love.

Kaoutar and Lizette

Each time we study a new continent, we first find it on the globe of the world, then we locate the continent on the world map, and lastly, we study the individual continent, using the specific continent maps. Currently, the children are learning about the continent of Africa. We learn about the geography, culture, weather, animals, and people of Africa.

We are learning lots of fun and fascinating facts about the continent of Africa.

• Africa is the second largest continent, with 54 countries.
• The longest river in the world, the Nile, is located in Africa.
• Over one thousand languages are spoken by the people in Africa.
• The Sahara, the world’s largest desert is located here.
• The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro. It is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summit even though the mountain is near the equator.
• Africa is the most centrally located continent in the world. Both the prime meridian and the equator cut across it.
• The world’s tallest animal, the giraffe, and the largest land animal, the African elephant are found in Africa.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love.

Kaoutar & Michelle

Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been learning that winter can be very harsh for animals. The weather and lack of food can make their survival difficult. To help ensure their survival, animals hibernate, migrate, or adapt to their surroundings.

Animals that hibernate for the winter go into a deep sleep. Their body’s temperature drops, their heartbeat and breathing slow down, and they use very little energy. We’ve learned which animals hibernate as well as where they hibernate. Places, where animals hibernate, can be above ground, such as a cave, nest, or den, or they can be below ground, such as a burrow, a hole, or deep down in the mud.  We explored which animals migrated or traveled to other places where the weather is warmer and they will be able to find food. We also examined why animals might migrate and where they may go. Animals that adapt, remain and stay active in their environment. They adapt to the changing weather, and their behavior and bodies may change too. We talked about what changes animals may make to ensure they will have enough food for the winter.

So, as the cold weather is becoming more frequent, how many of us are thinking about hibernating or migrating?

Reminder: Parent/Teacher conferences are on Thursday, February 16th.  Please click this link to the Sign Up Genius and choose a time slot.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love.

Kaoutar & Michelle

We are just finishing our science unit on States of Matter.  Matter is all around us.  Everything that you can touch, taste, smell, and see is made of matter.  The three main states of matter are solids, liquids, and gases.

We learned that solids have a definite shape because these molecules are very close together and do not move very much.  The shapes of solids do not change unless some type of force makes them change. Liquid matter does not have its own shape.  The tiny molecules in liquids are not as close together as solid molecules and they move around more.  Liquids take the shape of the container they are in. Gas matter also does not have its own shape.  The molecules in gas are far apart and they move around a lot.  Gases spread out and fill up their container too.  Ask your children to move like the molecules in a solid, liquid, or gas!  They will love to show you.

The children loved taking part in experiments that helped to highlight the different properties of solids, liquids, and gases.  We made raisins dance and also blew up a balloon without blowing air into it. We are eagerly waiting some snowfall so that we can build a snowman, bring him inside and observe how he will change from a solid to a liquid and finally a gas.

Wishing everyone a week filled with peace and love!

Kaoutar &  Michelle