Lovely Ladybugs!

Wow! What a whirlwind the last month has been (and I predict the next month will be just as wild!) We have had a vacation, started our final weeks of kindergarten, and done lots of great work, too! You have probably heard from your kindergartner that there will be some changes in the upcoming weeks. Due to the renovation of the Primary Wing, we will be relocating to the library for the month of June. The children have begun to see me packing boxes and organizing materials, as the classroom must be empty by May 28th to prepare for our move. They have had lots of great questions, but seem to be looking forward to our new adventure and I believe that we will be able to make the transition to our new space relatively smoothly. The kindergarten team is planning many fun activities and field trips so that we will not be spending too much time in the library, but we will also attempt to keep some sort of routine to our days, so that we can minimize anxiety and behavior problems. I will keep you posted about important dates and exciting happenings as we decide on them!

Since we returned from April vacation, our classroom has transformed into "Ladybug Land." We ordered ladybug larvae from a company in California called Insect Lore, and the larvae arrived on May 10th. We have begun our in-depth exploration of the life cycle of a ladybug and are enjoying observing the larvae. Yesterday, we found that our first larva has started the pupa stage of the life cycle! Within the next week or so, we will watch for signs that a ladybug will be emerging from the pupa. The children have been very engaged in this new unit and have shared their prior knowledge about these lovable insects and have asked many wonderful questions about them, as well. We have done and will continue to do many projects and will eventually release the ladybugs when they have all emerged from their pupas.

I have included here a slideshow of the ladybug number stories that the children wrote and illustrated during math. Each child created an addition or a subtraction story and then painted a gorgeous watercolor picture to accompany their problem. Feel free to stop by our classroom bulletin board to check out their work in person!

Digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I have spent the last several weeks completing spring assessments with all students. I am truly amazed at how much learning and growth has taken place over the last nine months! Teachers are still working on placements for first grade. Families will be notified of your child's new teacher in early June.

Please mark your calendar for the following important dates:
Friday, June 4th: Shelburne Farms Field Trip
Monday, June 7th: Mt. Philo Hike (***Chaperones still needed!***)
Friday, June 11th: Move-Up Day
Wednesday, June 16: Last Day of School (1/2Day 11:30 Dismissal)

As always, please contact me by email (mjohnson@cssu.org) or phone (482-6205) if you have any questions or ideas.