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Contact Us
Mrs. Darlene Dolan
PreK-4
stbrendanschoolbronx@gmail.com
(when sending emails please include child's name and grade in subject line) -
WEEKLY NOTES JUNE 15th - JUNE 19th
We made it to our last week of school!!! Although this school year was a very different one, I really enjoyed having all of your children in my class, in person and online. I would like to thank all of you that participated in distance learning on SeeSaw. Your cooperation and commitment is greatly appreciated. Activities will be posted on SeeSaw from Monday - Thursday. On Friday we will celebrate the end of the year on Zoom. I am hoping that you will be able to join us!
IMPORTANT DATES*Friday, June 19th - Last day of school / End of the Year Celebration!!!! Please save this date! More information to follow this week.
*Reminder .... Let's Learn NYC is available every day at 11am on Ch.13 :)
UNIT/STUDY
TRANSFORMATION
Our last unit of study is "TRANSFORMATION". During this unit, we will be learning about things that change. This unit prepares the children for changes that will take place in their own life, such as going to Kindergarten. During these last few weeks of school, we will also be talking and learning about what Kindergarten might be like.
The focus question for this week is "How will I grow and change?"FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
ACTIVITIES/SUGGESTIONS:*Some conversation starters/questions of the day for this unit are:
"How have you changed since you were a baby?" Getting taller, more hair, losing a tooth..
"How do animals change?"
"How do plants change?"
"What changes do you see as the seasons change?"
"How do objects change?" Candles melting, changes in food, ice freezing/melting, etc.
"How does the weather change?"
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
*During this time, it is important to keep your child active. Try to have your child do some type of movement activity each day. Some suggestions are:
*Put music on and let your child dance! You can have a dance party :)
*Exercise - Count to 10 while doing jumping jacks, squats, jumping in place, etc.
*Make different shapes with your body.
*Move like different animals.SCIENCE
*Does it Change? Provide an assortment of materials for your child to try to mix together such as oil and vinegar and flour and water. Invite your child to predict what will happen when they combine the materials. Once they mix materials, ask him/her to
reflect on his/her predictions and what occurs. Do the materials change? How?
*Place a variety of items in a muffin tin or in several small bowls or containers. Select some items that will melt when left in the sun and some that will not. Items that might melt in the sun include crayons, ice cubes and marshmallows. Ask children how long they think it would take for the items to melt. An hour? A day? Why?
*Show your child a picture of an animal baby - any kind - and a picture of him/herself as a baby. Compare and contrast. Ask your child what is the same, what is different?
*Supply a picture of an infant, toddler, child, teen, adult and elderly adult. Have your child try to put the pictures in order from youngest to oldest. Explain that this is a life cycle. Talk about other types of life cycles: a chick hatching from an egg, a tadpole changing into a frog or a caterpillar changing to a butterfly. Click on the link below to watch the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkYmvxP0AJIDRAMATIC PLAY/BLOCKS
* Use paper to create a small river. Challenge your child to create a bridge with blocks, (if you have some at home) to cross the river.
*Building with blocks of any kind, is a great way to learn about transformation. Have your child build something and then make it taller, smaller, wider, longer, etc.
*Provide materials that your child can use to create disguises such as hats, a variety of glasses, mustaches/beards, wigs, and various clothing items. Use the word disguise frequently and talk with your child about how a disguise can change their appearance or the way they look.
*Suggest that your child pretend he/she is in Kindergarten. Imagine what it will be like.
ART
*Transform This Challenge: Supply various objects such as recycled materials and challenge your child to select one and transform it into something new. Allow your child to use an assortment of art materials such as recycled materials, collage materials, markers, paint, glue, etc. to transform the object. Talk with your child about what the original item was and what he/she has transformed it into as well as how.
*Supply red, yellow and blue paint and invite your child to explore coloring mixing and how the colors can change into new colors. You can do this activity with only black and white paint, or add black and white paint as an extension of this activity.
*Create butterfly wings with your child using tag board, paint, markers and/or other decorations. Encourage your child to talk about their unique designs. Your child can wear them on his/her back and pretend he/she is a butterfly, using string and tape to create shoulder straps. Talk about metamorphosis(change) and how butterflies might feel about their wings.MATH
*BUILDING BLOCKS ACTIVITY: Different ways to make 5...... You can use any items at home for this. You can use coins, cookies, toys, plates, cups, etc. Anything will do. Show your child 5 objects. Sort them into 2 different groups - a group of 1 and a group of 4 - a group of 3 and a group of 2 -
*Practice counting, recognizing and writing numbers 1 -20. Have your child count out things at home during daily activities. Play games with numbers...count out snacks, toys, etc. Help set the table for mealtime. Count out the right number of dishes, cups, etc.
*Addition: Tape two cardboard tubes diagonally onto a wall facing each other. Place a basket or container below the tubes so that when items are dropped into the tubes they will both fall into the basket. Drop cotton balls or small colored pom-poms into one tube, then into the other tube, saying how many you put in each side and then how many there are in the basket (all together). For example, “Two on one side and two more on the other side made four in the basket.”) Talk with your child about how adding items together changes the quantity. Highlight the use of the word more throughout the activity. Also, consider adding paper and writing utensils and inviting your child to write the numbers or number sentences they create.
*Check SeeSaw daily for more Math assignments.
ELA (Language...Reading...Writing)
*Our Letter of the Week this week is..... no more letter of the week!!!! For the remainder of the school year, we will be reviewing all of the letters in the alphabet.
*Have your child practice writing and identifying their first and LAST name.
*Try to make time daily to read with your child. It only takes a few minutes to read a story. Reading to your children will help them become better readers! If you have stories that have something to do with water share those with your child. You can also go on YouTube to view read-aloud stories. Some book suggestions about change and transformation are:
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle
"What Will Hatch?" by Jennifer Ward
"Bears Loose Tooth" by Karma Wilson
"The Grasshopper and the Ants" by Jerry Pinkney
"Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crocket Johnson
"Kindergarten, Here I Come" by David Steinberg
* Be sure to look on SeeSaw daily for some ELA activities.
*Audible Kids is free while school is closed - there are many great stories on this site. Use the section Littlest Learners. Here is the link:
https://stories.audible.com/start-listen<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__stories.audible.com_start-2Dlisten&d=DwMFaQ&c=xRhiN2BRwJUM6w5u-Ngs3w&r=pFJKsNhZi-fzHbfqbLX1pG6G9bi9Ro54I8k9vtZKn_4&m=Yoizv7P6EIEpBaJcE4G9u2mohILyLZw-RJzBBUcTpo4&s=hgTqHPlYbpk-EOlPu__4R6wtLfzz0T-fyz91EVqzsh0&e=>
*Some other great websites for math and language are:
(1)starfall.com
(2)ABCmouse.com
(3)PBSkids.org
(4)SCHOLASTIC.COM/LEARNATHOME (for daily activities, videos and read-alouds)
(5)preschoolinspirations.com (for movement and action songs)
(6)The Learning Station - we use this in class for indoor music and movement activities - the kids love it!
(7)Cosmic Kids Yoga - we use this in class too. Kid-friendly yoga with a story :)
The kids love this also!
(8)GoNoodle - this is a great website for kids!
*Link for Pre K Learn At Home instructional Resources from DOE:
https://cdn-blob-prd.azureedge.net/prd-pws/docs/default-source/default-document-library/learn-at-home-2020/early-childhood-family-activities-accessible.pdf
*Below please find a new link for some more activities you can do at home :)
https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-docume nt-library/dece-spring-into- learning!.pdf
*Child-Friendly Explanation of the Corona Virus (English PDF attached). It is available in multiple languages here: https://www.mindheart.co/descargablMISCELLANEOUS
1. Please check your child's folder every day.
2. Please be on time for school - arrival is at 8:15, dismissal is at 2:40
3. Sheets and blankets will be sent home every Friday to be washed. Please return them on Mondays.Thank you for your cooperation,
Mrs. Dolan, Ms. Doreen and Ms. Christina