What an incredible week we have had here at the Kindergarten! Students found themselves incredibly busy and learning and rehearsing for our big Tatar language musical pageant on Friday April 13th.
This pageant like the others required a great deal of team work and so while students were in a real and hypothetical academic sense saying goodbye to winter through music and dance (the theme of the pageant) they also were solidifying their core vocabulary and English language expression skills. Our core vocabulary and class work this week focused on the topic of winter. As is always the case we acquired new words and ideas progressively throughout the week. For students in our younger cohort this was accomplished through modeling of clay snowmen (snow people) and designed unique three dimensional snowflakes. The latter activity provided us with a fun and creative way to review shapes, practice scissor safety and also celebrate uniqueness in work and abilities.
Students in the Kindergarten class designed and took home their own vocabulary flash cards, designed an indivdualised snow person and helped paint the spring sparrows for our pageant. Taking vocabulary flashcards home this week is an experiment of sorts, given we learning a considerable amount of new vocabulary and manners of speech this measure was taken to let those who want to practice at home do so It is so important and special when students can share what they have learned and practice with parents and other caregivers.
A couple of fascinating and wonderful social developments were noted this week. Students in the younger cohort are learning with increasing speed that when it is play time they must put away and/or pick up their toys before moving on to the next thing. It is certain that they have learned the English quite well for: “Please pick that up” “Please put that away.” This might seem like a minor development but acquiring a sense of personal responsibility is a huge social step forward and something to be truly celebrated.
Our older group has been progressively making strides towards sharing and learning how to wait their turn to use class materials or participate in an activity. There is an increasing sense of being ‘fair’ and courteous towards others that was less apparent when we began learning together earlier this year. A fantastic example of this came on Thursday when we divided and painted the black sparrows for our Tatar pageant, students who earlier in the year would have simply grabbed all the birds for themselves shared and took their time painting each bird to the best of their ability.
Our Kindergarten is about more than just learning English---it is about learning, being creative, enjoying being around and socializing with others and most importantly proud of who we are and the culture(s) we come from.
This pageant like the others required a great deal of team work and so while students were in a real and hypothetical academic sense saying goodbye to winter through music and dance (the theme of the pageant) they also were solidifying their core vocabulary and English language expression skills. Our core vocabulary and class work this week focused on the topic of winter. As is always the case we acquired new words and ideas progressively throughout the week. For students in our younger cohort this was accomplished through modeling of clay snowmen (snow people) and designed unique three dimensional snowflakes. The latter activity provided us with a fun and creative way to review shapes, practice scissor safety and also celebrate uniqueness in work and abilities.
Students in the Kindergarten class designed and took home their own vocabulary flash cards, designed an indivdualised snow person and helped paint the spring sparrows for our pageant. Taking vocabulary flashcards home this week is an experiment of sorts, given we learning a considerable amount of new vocabulary and manners of speech this measure was taken to let those who want to practice at home do so It is so important and special when students can share what they have learned and practice with parents and other caregivers.
A couple of fascinating and wonderful social developments were noted this week. Students in the younger cohort are learning with increasing speed that when it is play time they must put away and/or pick up their toys before moving on to the next thing. It is certain that they have learned the English quite well for: “Please pick that up” “Please put that away.” This might seem like a minor development but acquiring a sense of personal responsibility is a huge social step forward and something to be truly celebrated.
Our older group has been progressively making strides towards sharing and learning how to wait their turn to use class materials or participate in an activity. There is an increasing sense of being ‘fair’ and courteous towards others that was less apparent when we began learning together earlier this year. A fantastic example of this came on Thursday when we divided and painted the black sparrows for our Tatar pageant, students who earlier in the year would have simply grabbed all the birds for themselves shared and took their time painting each bird to the best of their ability.
Our Kindergarten is about more than just learning English---it is about learning, being creative, enjoying being around and socializing with others and most importantly proud of who we are and the culture(s) we come from.
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