Cardinals Blog 2022-23: First Full Week of School

Monday

The Cardinals helped to make our first batch of play dough today! Friends took turns measuring, pouring, stirring ingredients, getting water from the sink and deciding what color our play dough should be. We chose the color by voting between the colors yellow and green. The class met on the front rug. A teacher explained what we were going to do. The Cardinals were then asked if they wanted our play dough to be yellow go stand on the red rug. The teacher continued if you want our play dough to be green go stand in the block area. We then count how many friends were on the red rug (4) followed by how many friends were in the block area (8). We as a class then worked to figure out which group had the most friends. We figured out that green had the most and so our play dough is green. The color yellow will be one of the colors to vote on for our next batch of play dough!!

Voting on our play dough color is another way of visually seeing and beginning to understand the concept of less and more with numbers. Mathematic and literacy is in everything we do and all around us. The play dough we made contained words such as six cups, how many more, one and a half, measuring and science component. As we worked with this hands on activity, teachers helped friends work through beginning to understand and figuring out concepts.

After we cooked and knead the play dough, it was time for friends to play with it! Working with play dough is one of the many ways to help build our finger muscles for writing.

In library class with Michelle and Ashanti our lower school librarians. Michelle read us the book I am TOO absolutely small for School. The Cardinals then got to individually chose a book and check it out with Ashanti before bring the book back to our classroom!

Tuesday

After our class morning meeting and assignment of classroom jobs! We headed off to Spanish class with Alicia our Spanish teacher! Alicia greeted us in Spanish and then got to know us by asking our names! She then played a game she calls, "Switch-A-Roo", of counting in Spanish to 5 with her eyes closed. While Alicia counted, the Cardinals got up and switched places on the rug. We played the game twice and Alicia did a great job of remembering the Cardinals names! The Cardinals had some much fun playing this games!!

The Cardinals then went back to our classroom for a belated birthday celebration for Oz!! Oz and his family brought in donuts to celebrate!! Thank you, Oz for sharing your birthday and a special snack with us!!

Happy Birthday Oz!!

Gym class was next on our agenda, we met Josh and Lisa our PE teachers in the gym. Josh told us that one of the things we will be doing in gym class is fun ways to exercise and keep our bodies strong and healthy! The Cardinals did a great job of listening and following verbal directions. We worked with hola hoops by jumping, hopping and balancing. We then acted out the movement of different animals around the gym as Josh called them out!

Wednesday

The Cardinals did an awesome job smiling for pictures today!

We practice meeting for worship in our classroom. Friends are remembering/beginning to do a great job with staying silence during our meeting for worship time! The Cardinals spent over an hour exploring and engaging with peers from the Sparrows and Catbirds EC classes!!

Thursday

In Spanish class with Alicia, she greeted us by saying each Cardinal's name one at a time and then asked friends in Spanish how they were feeling. Alicia taught friends the Spanish words for "good morning" and how they were feeling. Example, Buenos días Adam, ¿Cómo estas? - Adam then answer muy bien or "very good or okay". We then had a moment of silence, first Alicia tapped her singing bowl and the Cardinals began our silence to settle their bodies. Alicia then read us the book called "Isabel and Her COLORES Go to School". Alicia told us the at the end of each Spanish class a Cardinal friend will get to squeeze la vaca (the cow)! Today it was Adam's turn to squeezed la vaca.

In our first Art class with Amanda, the Cardinals introduced themselves and said one thing they like to draw. Here is what friends had to say:

Oz - Cheetah

Blaise - Cheetah and lion

Phoenix - Rainbows

Ekin - Trains

James - Lots of stuff

Cooper - Halloween stuff

Lily - Cats

Sidney - Princess

Angeline - Horse

Adam - Balls

Hayden -My family

Amanda then told the Cardinals they were going to use oil pastel on black paper to make their very own creations. A friends asked, How will it show up on black paper? Amanda then said, let's try a black oil pastel and see. As Amanda drew, another friend continued, I can't believe I can see it. Here are the Cardinals creations below!

Friday

Today was the first music class with Keisha our music teacher. Keisha met us at the music room door and told us what we were doing in class. We started with a movement song called Getting your body moving in which the Cardinals bounced, danced, marched, pulled, pushed and moved their bodies to music. We then sat on the floor and made a circle, followed by a moment of silence. Then Keisha asked each Cardinal to say their names and what their favorite color was?

Jackson - Red

Blaise - Blue

Oz - Blue

Phoenix - Blue

Lily - Yellow

Hayden - Black

Angeline - Rainbow

Cooper - Green

Adam - Rainbow

Sidney - Purple

We echoed Keisha in singing Jambo which means hello in Swahili. We sang Jambo to the trees, sun, friends, birds and the world. Keisha got her guitar out and we sang and made movement to the cobbler sang. Keisha showed us the sign language signs for standing and sitting. The Cardinals then watched and did a great job following Keisha directions! We sang the goodbye sang and went back to our classroom!

After morning meeting and snack, the Cardinals were off to run out on the Smith field here on campus!! We have a bee colony here on camp that we get honey from and while out running. We saw some upper schooler dress in their bee gear!! They waved and said hello to us!