Mackintosh Pre-Kindergarten Newsletter

MARCH 12 – MARCH 30 MRS. MELINDA LASCURAIN, MRS. MANDY BOCKHOP

Upcoming Events:

March 22nd – Pre-K through 2nd Grade Play student body performance 10:00

March 23rd – Pre-K through 2nd Grade Play parent & community performance 10:00

March 26-30 – No School, Spring Break

April 27th – Half Day, Pre-K Dismissal 11:00

Word Wall Words:

March 12-16

like

look

March 19-23

if

how

Curriculum Snapshot

Mathematics: This week we will continue our study of three-dimensional shapes and

their properties. We are impressed by the students growing knowledge and

recognition of these shapes. In the following week we will be working on some

problem solving skills involving addition and subtraction concepts.

Reading: Our reading strategy for this week falls under the CAFÉ section

“Comprehension.” The students will learn about and practice the strategy “Identify

purpose and audience.” The students will learn how understanding the purpose and

audience of a reading selection can improve comprehension. We encourage you to

discuss the purpose and audience of book you read at home together as well. Students

will continue to work in their literacy groups as well. We are also currently assessing

each child on their reading skills, comprehension and sight word knowledge.

Writing: The students have had a wonderful start to their list poem unit. They are

applying knowledge of the senses to their writing to create beautiful poetry. This week

the children will be introduced to similes as a way to enhance their poems. As a class

we will continue our shared writing of list poems for each planet in connection with our

Unit of Inquiry. You can find their collaborative poem for Mercury below.

Mercury

Bumpy

Super hot

Freezing cold

Can’t land there

No air

Can’t live there

Dusty

Gray

Looks like a star from Earth

Vocabulary Words:

Broad

Direction

Flutter

Hoof

Prepare

Record

Ruined

Sink

Stream

Tracks

Unit of Inquiry: The students have completed their illustrations for each planet inspired

by the classical composition The Planets by Gustav Holst. We were quite impressed

with their thoughtful selections of color, lines, and pictures to represent their

interpretation of the movements. This week the students will work in small groups to

interpret a movement of The Planets through dance. They will also create masks to

represent their movement which they will wear when performing their dance for the

class. Our scientific learning has sparked many inquiries and we will be investigating

inquiries related to dwarf planets, night and day, our moon, and the seasons.

Quotes of the Week

“Every book has a table of concepts!”

One morning during calendar a student asked when the Ireland holiday would occur.

We posed the question to the class, “Does anyone know what that holiday is?” A

student responded, “I know about that! Iron Man wears a big metal suit and a mask!”

Some interesting logic: “When I destroy I am cleaning up.”

“My blood tastes like strawberries.”

“Do you know why I lie? I am still practicing telling the truth.”

As the credits began to roll at the end of the planetarium show one student exhaled and

said in awe, “That was amazing!”

In connection with our new unit two students

brought in books to share with the class.

Spotlight on

Action