Vowel Learning Songs

The kindergartners love using these fun songs to practice vowel sounds!

Showing Our Learning

We have been using apps, particularly Feltboard, to show our learning, then post to Kidblog.  I have been really impressed with the kids' ability to do this.  They have gained such independence and I am so proud of them.  We have used Feltboard to build word family words (below are -et and -am word examples).  Today, we used the app to retell the story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".  Tomorrow we will use Number Frames and Number Pieces to demonstrate knowledge of addition, subtraction and teen numbers.  It is fun using these non-traditional ways to assess student learning and understanding!

Student of the Month

#StudentOfTheMonth pic.twitter.com/cN1Sl25v1B

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) March 25, 2015

Number Frames

This week, we used the Number Frames app to build sums of 10.  The kids then took screen shots of their work and posted to their Kidblog and Math Journals in Book Creator.  They had fun using this neat manipulative tool to practice this important skill.

Superintendent

Today our Superintendent, Mr. Bouck, came by our class to read the funny book "How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans", by David LaRochelle.  The students had a fun time listening to the story, and showed Mr. Bouck their wonderful questioning skills.  :)

Kindergarten Registration

If you or anyone you know has a child who will be in kindergarten next year, now is the time to register them.  You can find forms online at the Billings Public Schools webpage, or you can stop by the Beartooth School office for registration materials.  Early registration really helps us plan for next year!  Thanks!

Beartooth Family Night at the Reef

This Friday, March 20th, is Beartooth Family Night at the Reef from 4:00-9:00pm.  Admission is $10/each, with $4 going back to support Beartooth PTA.  This should be a fun event!

A Rainbow of My Very Own

After reading the story "A Rainbow of My Very Own" by Don Freeman, we talked about what we would do with a rainbow of our own.  The kids wrote and drew stories on paper.  We then use the Feltboard app on our iPads to illustrate the story, and typed the words from our draft into our Kidblog and posted them.  They turned out great!  Be sure to log in to your child's Kidblog to see what s/he wrote.  Here are a couple examples.

Little Leprechauns

A HUGE thank you to all of the kids and parents who participated, and to Heather Greeno for putting this all together.  Heather, you are AMAZING!  And Good Earth Market provided free ice cream for the little leprechauns after the parade - so nice.  Thank you!

Customize your own free slideshow

Our Houses

After building our houses and explaining their thinking, the kids each added a picture of their house to our collaborative padlet.

Created with Padlet

Engineering Challenge

After discussing our houses and talking about what worked and did not work well, the students got a second chance at building with a different material.  The Big Bad Wolf will visit and try to huff and puff and blow them over tomorrow.  :)

Counting with the Leprechaun

This is a fun way to practice skip counting!

Skyping with an engineer!

A huge thanks to Brody's mom for setting up a Skype with her brother who is an engineer in Phoenix, Arizona.  The kids loved learning about how he became an engineer, and asked some great questions about the project he is working on in Phoenix.

The Three Little Pigs Engineering Challenge

Here are the first steps of the Design Process during our Three Little Pigs Engineering Challenge for Project Lead the Way.  Today we had the Big Bad Wolf try to blow our houses down!  All of our houses stood up tall!

Dr. Seuss Thinglink

Kidblog

The kids did such a fantastic job of posting their learning on Kidblog today!  We posted our favorite Dr. Seuss stories, our Three Little Pigs houses and whether or not we like green eggs and ham.  Some kids also used time during centers to make pictures using Feltboard or Draw & Tell, and post them onto Kidblog with a label or sentence.  I hope you'll take the time to check out their Kidblogs this weekend!  Here are some samples:

Green Eggs and Ham

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox Check the kindergartners' Kidblogs to see if they liked green eggs and ham or not.

Project Lead the Way

Yesterday we began constructing houses as part of our Project Lead the Way Three Little Pigs engineering challenge.  The kids were each assigned a material (straw = toothpicks, sticks = popsicle sticks and bricks = sponges).  They used their materials plus clay and glue to construct houses together.  Next week the "Big Bad Wolf" will try to blow them over, and we will evaluate our designs and then the kids will have a chance to modify and build again.