All posts by website@magic-garden.org

Sunshine Scoop and Starburst May Happenings

Sunshine & StarBurst

Sunshine Scoop

10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 100! The Sunshine Mathematicians always score 100! Our students continue to work diligently, exploring the world of numerals and their operations!

During Choice Time, the girls and boys completed a wonderful multi-step project for display. Focusing on measurement and reference frame goals, the children reviewed the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill.” Of course, we extended this experience. The pupils then colored, cut and sequenced each major part of the rhyme. Our children did a fantastic job, listening and attending. Do visit our bulletin board in the classroom. In addition, our kiddos have been fascinated by the topic of weight. The children utilized a pan balance through a direct comparison activity. They were furnished with numerous manipulatives such as colored bears, dinosaurs and small play food. During this activity, vocabulary terms were introduced, including lighter, heavier and equal. Wonderful work, girls and guys! Yay!

The Sunshine students have also graduated to chapter books! With fewer pictures, the pupils have been listening and following the adventures of the very popular Mercy Watson series. Centered on a rowdy pig protagonist, these books are a riot!

Coming up: Tending to the Magic Garden vegetable and flower plots. Also, the completion of our Handwriting without Tears activity books!

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Starburst Happenings

The Starburst friends have embraced the beautiful spring temperatures and taken their academic adventures outdoors. There is so much to see, hear and smell on Magic Garden’s beautiful campus!

The girls and boys continue with a unit of exploration concerning the five senses. Being perennial observers, the Starburst students were asked to describe the sensations they felt when they were outside. Some children discussed what they could see. This included blooming tulips, the vibrant, green grass and the buds on the hulking maple trees. Other pupils described what they could smell, such as dirt, fresh-cut turf and even the rain! Incorporating the sense of hearing, the pupils mentioned the rough bark on pine trees and the tickle of grass as they tumbled down the famed campus hill. Lastly, while exploring the ability to taste, the Starburst children embarked on numerous picnic snacks and lunches. This, of course, was all documented in their own personal science journals. What immediate, child-centered learning! Terrific job, guys and girls!

What’s coming up? The Starburst clan is planning to kick off garden season by transplanting the many seedlings they’ve grown. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and zucchini are on the way! Yum!

Moonbeam May Blog

Moon Beam

The Moonbeam Classroom continues to explore the amazing world of dinosaurs. Our kiddos certainly love learning about these prehistoric creatures. Roar, Moonbeamers!!!!!!!

At drop off or pick up time, you may have noticed the many large-scale dinosaurs hanging around the classroom. Using numerous, vibrant colors of paint the students created huge paper versions of a tyrannosaurus rex, a brontosaurus and a diplodocus. This display looks wonderful! Do check it out! Fusing mathematics with the children’s current interest, the Moonbeam children tried their hand at graphing. During a whole-class Circle Time, the girls and boys each chose their own preferred prehistoric beast. The winner (by a landslide) was the mighty T-Rex! Sorry, Mr. Triceratops! Games are always a staple in the Moonbeam Classroom. During Choice Time, the pupils have enjoyed dinosaur memory and “Which Dinosaur is Missing?” The absolute favorite, though, has been the dinosaur version of “Guess Who.” The students were asked, “Guess who I am. I have four feet and a long neck and I like to eat plants.” Can you guess the dinosaur? Ask your child. They will tell you! Lastly, the Moonbeam kiddos wrote their own dinosaur poem as an entire class. Be sure to give it a read. It’s a literary treasure.

Up next: Observing the life cycle of butterflies right in our classroom! Also, more insect hunts on the playground.

Rainbow May Blog

Rainbow

As many of you know, the cherished Blue Playground is in the midst of a major makeover. Though our students will miss this gross-motor getaway during construction, the Rainbow Room couldn’t help taking a sneak peek at the work in progress. This adventure, of course, spawned a new unit of learning.  The girls and boys had the opportunity to see backhoes, excavators and dump trucks rumbling about. They counted the number of wheels on site! They identified the colors they found! They embarked on a letter and numeral hunt! What a great deal of fun, emergent learning.

This adventure inspired happenings in the classroom environment too. Our Rainbow friends listened to numerous books, concerning construction vehicles and machines. This includes Diggers Go by Steve Light, All in a Jam by Rebecca Bielawski and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Dusky Rinker. Additionally, the students have been exploring unit blocks of all sizes and colors to create their own multi-dimensional construction sites. Working in groups, the pupils also honed vital social skills such as turn taking, sharing and problem solving. You should see these structures! Just amazing. Lastly, the children continue to investigate mathematics by enjoying a new classroom favorite: vehicle dominoes!

What’s up next? The Rainbow students will venture outdoors for more campus walks. Also, our kiddos continue to work on a super secret piece of art for Magic Garden’s annual spring fundraiser, The Hoedown!