Continuing our K-1 Jungle Ride!

Thriving!

What a wonderful week in the K-1 room!  The kids are settling in beautifully to their routines and we got some wonderful news later in the week!  We will be getting a second para to join our team and help us reach out to the kiddos even more!  More hands in the room =  a welcome addition.  Our kids need lots of individualized attention and WE LOVE giving it to them.  But sometimes, with all our IEP goals, toileting time, ten kids, academic work, there is not enough time in the day to give each little guy what they deserve.  We are entering new territory in this jungle and we will have another tourguide to help us out!  We are thrilled!!

Academically this week I was working on assessing each child.  We did some pattern work with animal prints, some number and letter recognition activities and sequencing.  We worked on our book of the month as well, "Wild About Books".  In that activity photocopies of the pictures in the book were made along with a description of what was happening on the page.  They then either handed me the pictures in the correct sequence based on memory, or if needed I would show a picture in the book and they would have to "find" that picture in the pile they had.

Chris is retelling the story here...

Our board is not big enough!  Some of them got sent home!  Lucky parents!

Nice pattern Jonathan!

Chase D. taking this serious..".ok....griaffe....zebra...giraffe?"  YEP!

One morning the boys all participated in varying levels in a discussion of wild animals versus tame animals and we made a poster depicting which side these animals belong on, wild or tame. 

Chase D. got some glue on his hand....he did not like that! But he put the whale in the right spot!

Kaenan knew that pig was tame!

Good work Matthew!

Adding our favorite animals to the map!

Chase L. gluing down a snake!

Nice job David!

  We had some structured play time at our biggest table in the room.  I dumped a bucket of animals all varying sizes, and all wild into the center of the table.  The boys talked, played exchanged ( either willingly or not!) and examined all the animals on the table.  It gave us time to assess their animal recognition, sorting skills and in fact gave them time to talk and ask for things the correct way.   I failed to realize that a cow and pig made it into the mix.  Keegan, our local animal expert, made me aware by taking the pig and cow out and crossing the room to put them in the "barn where they go".  Success!  I made a mistake but he was able to fix it for me.  Great work Keegan!  

Sorting animals!

Sorting colored barn animals....way to go Corey!

 We also started in on ULS this week.  ULS is our social studies/science/literacy/math curriculum we use.  It is almost all done online and the children interact with the smart board and each other to learn.  This months theme and through the end of September is "school tools".  You will see some work start coming home from this unit.  With another pair of hands in the room our hope is to really start pushing forward and getting some great work done!

This is a ULS lesson on the board.  The kiddos come up and I have them circle the main word, here it was the word and picture folder.  We talk about letters we recognize, if we know what the picture is, etc.  As we progress in the lessons we add words to the word wall that are associated with the lesson. 

You may have noticed your kiddos hands had paint remnants, yet you're not getting any art coming home?  Yeah, sorry....some things are kept a surprise for later in the year parents!  These things take time to get accomplished so we start early!  This is a great time for the kids to get one on one attention from Ms. Krystal and I as well!

Chris getting painted in "operation parent gifts"

Jonathan stamping his hand in "operation parent gifts".

I just had to add a.... 

 Candid Gallery!!!!

LOL!!   Nice Chris!

I TOLD YOU HE HAD AN AWARD WINNING SMILE!!!!

SUCH A HANDSOME GUY!!  HI CHASE L.!

Say cheese Matthew!

Our new Birthday Board we created Friday!

Jonathan goofing with Ms. Krystal!

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil?   David has those monkey in line!

"I like to move it move it!"  Movement time on the rug! Go Andre and David!

Nothing like a good book, a bench and a giant frog to lay on!

TWINS!!!!!

 OK ... OK... Mrs. Suratt goofs off too.....

Keegan has me in a head lock!

Class Challenge Of the Week:

Meeting everyones needs!

Class Goal Of the Week:

Using our words ( or PECS)!

This is important and big part of learning social skills.  Just because this is a new week doesn't mean we have forgotten about safe hands.  But using our words helps us to have even safer hands!

Parent Question of the Week:

"Will my child be toilet trained soon?" 

This is a tough question.  Rest assured Ms. Krystal and I work hard to get each child to the potty regularly.  That being said, it can take an hour to toilet everyone since there are 10 children.  With another set of hands coming into the room, I am much more confident that the few kiddos left in the room that need to be toilet trained will get much more one on one time to accomplish this goal.

Coming up on our journey?

We will welcome a new para to the room next week.  It will be a short week and Wednesday is early release day.  This week will be spent introducing the children to our new para, teaching her/him the rules and routines of our class.  And giving her some "getting to know you" work to do with the kiddos.  Mrs. Suratt will be out of town on Friday for a family/friend emergency trip back to Rhode Island.  I will miss you all!  But will still blog the week don't you worry!  

Fun thing to do with your kiddos?!
Watch This!!!!!!!  : And watch them be amazed that you know something about their class ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TU5Oc00XSU
 

We are still looking for fall decoration donations :)  We will start decorating for fall the following week.  Have a great long weekend I know I will!!

EXACTLY Andre!