Cardinals Blog 2023-24: Weekend News, Math Workshop, Expressive Painting, Board Games and More...

Monday

Weekend News

Lydia - I play with Koala and the airplane. I go the museum and the Dinosaur train. I play momma.

Grant - I go to my brother's birthday. I play my brother. We sing happy birthday to Poppy. I play my sister and my mom. I play smash bro with my dad and we laugh.

James M. - I play dinosaurs with my daddy. I also did my race.

Olivia - I play with Peppa Pig and my dolls. I play with momma. Grand-mom come my house and play. I play new toys in my playroom. We pick grand-mom up from train in our car.

Ekin - I play with my Turkish friends at home. I play with them a lot and we watch tv. They went home and I went to sleep.

Ada - I got Reindeer antlers and socks. I had a playdate with my old neighbor. I go to a grocery store and get stuff for playdate. I watch a Spiderman movie.

Surai - I went to the castle. I was a princess. I walking down the isle at uncle's wedding. I go in van and take us there.

Addy - I went the trampoline park. We make popsicles and we did strawberries. I went to the playground and go on the straight and swirly slide. I go the restaurant and I see Zoey. I did ballet.

Jackson - I play on my swing set and my tree house. I go grocery shopping with my family.

Ellery - I play momma and dada. I go to bed. I have lunch. I play my toys.

Shanaya - I play at home. I go the Art museum with mommy and daddy and my brother and me. I watch tv Paw Patrol cause it's my favorite. My brother went to sleep and I stay up and play play play then I go to sleep.

Cooper - I play with my little Frosty. I watch a show it call Mickey Mouse.

James V. - I play outside with mommy. We did my slide and swing set. We also did my trampoline and all that stuff.

Zoey - I play mommy. I play Coco. I play my toys.

Willow - I watch tv with my sister. I play with my sister.

Julian - I watch a movie with mommy and daddy and my brother. It was Spiderman cause I like it. I went the Grill and we eat lunch. I watch Paw Patrol on i-pad.

Early this morning the whole school was invited to see a hot air balloon inflate on campus. Friends were very intrigued to be a part of this special occasion!

In Spanish class with Alicia, we reviewed numbers 1-10, basic colors and Head-N-Shoulders with some body parts in the song. It was amazing to hear friends doing this work all in Spanish. Today it was Julian's turn to squeeze la vaca!

Gym class with Josh was fun as always, the goal was for friends to practice using their focusing skills to manipulate objects. The Cardinals were given small colorful rings to explore this work. Friends rolled, ran and jumped over, toss and catch and finished up by spinning rings on the floor.

Tuesday

Choice Time

Johanna met us at the art room door with smocks. A few friends announced, "We are painting. We are getting messy. You gotta pull your sleeves up. I paint before." Johanna then told friends they were going to create a scene for their fish. The Cardinals used blue, green and white paint, big and small paint brushes to begin to create. Johanna then added more painting tools such as toothbrushes, forks and sticks. She finished up by giving out different colored tissues and foil paper. Ask your Cardinal which painting tool/s they liked using best?

The Cardinals engaged in a math workshop in which all the activities were math related. Some friends work on a number puzzle by putting it together in correct number order from 1-20. Friends counted the objects and worked on one to one correspondence. Another group played number bingo as they worked on number recognition. While yet, another group worked on writing numbers called out in random order. The last station was peg boards in which friends count the pegs to figure out the number and learn to/ counting in correct number order.

Wednesday

After meeting for worship in the meeting house with our second grade partners and the rest of lower school, we had music class with Keisha. The Cardinals warmed up with scarves to Parry Gripp melody followed by singing jambo. Today, we sang to the trees, sun, birds, moon, stars and everyone. Keisha introduced us to a friend (a puppets name Peter). The Cardinals thought this was so funny! Peter with help from Keisha demonstrated tones of voice. Friends worked on speaking voices and how and when we used it. The Cardinals then received bells and sang and did movements to Bell Horses. Friends followed the loud, soft or medium beats of the drum to do these actions: tipped toe, jumped, galloped, fly, wiggled and walked away.

We also practicing the song Thanks-A-Lot, which we will sing with the whole lower school, the day before Thanksgiving in the meetinghouse. Each grade has a part to sing, see below! Ask your Cardinal what was their favorite part of music and movement class?.

Here are the words for Thanks-A-Lot

EC/Kindergarten

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the Sun in the Sky

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the cloud so high

Ist Grade

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the Whispering Wind

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the birds in the Spring

Second Grade

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the moonlit night

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the stars so bright

Third Grade

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the wonder in me

Thanks a lot

Thanks for the way I feel

Fourth Grade

Thanks for the animals

Thanks for land

Thanks for the people everywhere

Everyone together

Thanks a lot

Thanks for all I've Got (repeat twice)

Back in our classroom, we had snack followed by the Cardinals engaging in individual expressive painting and having conversations as they create. Some friends socialized in the kitchen area, played snail pace games and explored in the sand box, while waiting to have their turn to paint. Ask your Cardinal what did you create?

Thursday

Spanish class began with the Cardinals going over the Calendar, hundred chart and moments of silence. Alicia then introduced some of the emotions that we feel, such as proud (Orgulloso), nervous (Nerioso), scared (Asustado), Happy (Feliz), Sad (Triste), angry (Enojado), and surprised (Sorprendido). Alicia gave the Spanish word and an example of each feeling. The Cardinals had much to say about these feelings and how they make them feel. Today it was Lydia's turn to squeezed la vaca!

We took a closer look at what each Cardinal wanted to learn more about, put them into groups and figured out that all of friends ideas can intertwined. Here are the groups:

Building with Magna-tiles Giraffe Show and Tell

Building with Legos Flamingos Read books

Zebra Learn letters

How to mix colors

Plants

How to make Trains Play Soccer

How to make Monster trucks Play Football

Fire truck

Airplanes

We will explore the Cardinals interest and make/study them along with our academic work. The purpose of asking friends what they want to learn more about is to build confidence and for friends to have a say in their learning. Friends are more inclined to become fully involved in this work because they can take ownership. This hands-on work helps to stimulate the brain and become more meaningful. We will explore each idea which may be long or short depending on the interest of the Cardinals. Stay Tuned!!

Friday

The Cardinals sat in the big seats at our lower school assembly in the auditorium. Fourth grade led us in singing and making movements to our lower school hello song!! First graders presented their learning of monarch butterflies and Fourth graders each told us about their study of the Lenape and shared some interesting facts!!