September News
* Students received a plastic "Communications Folder"
This is the "Communications Folder.", please bring this folder to school everyday
Take out folder and place in your child's hand, (student's will put folder in blue bin every morning as they come to school (teacher will assist)
Also included in folder daily**composition notebook, comes to school everyday:)!!
Dates To Remember:
September 16– 18 Wednesday– Friday Fully remote partial school days for students. September 21 Monday First full day of school; blended learning commences.
September 28 Monday Yom Kippur, schools closed
September Unit: Welcome To Pre-K
Dear Families,
Welcome to Pre-K 134! We are very excited about all the families that will be a part of our class this year and can’t wait to get to know you better. We have lots of exciting things planned this year. To start off the year, we’ll be focusing on getting to know one another and building friendships. We will go over classroom routines extensively and do many activities centered on working together. This will allow every child to feel a part of a classroom community and feel more comfortable with his or her new classmates and teachers. Here are some key vocabulary words that we will be using throughout the first unit of study: • angry/upset •centers •classmates •classroom •community •construction •disappointed •embarrassed •emotions •expressions •excited •feelings •friends •frustrated •helpful •library •lonely •manipulatives •materials •movement •peers •proud •rules •scared •schedule •science •sharing •silly •taking turns •teachers •welcome. The first month of school can be a difficult transition time for many children as well as parents. In the next few weeks, we will be creating projects at school with families to remind children of their loved ones and help ease their separation from families and caregivers. This will include creating pictures of the people and things that we love. We will share these with our friends and classmates. Attached you will find a copy of our daily schedule and a few key program policies. We hope you will find this helpful as you get to know our classroom community. You are an important part of this community and we’re looking forward to a great year!
Sincerely
Mrs. Ahmad
P.S 20
Pre-K 134
Please press on the link below for activities at home.
SNACK LETTER During the 2018-2019 school year please sign up for a week of snack, we will rotate throughout the year) we will let you know when we will need snack sign up, thank you:)
Dear Parents,
We will have snack everyday in our classroom.
If your child has a food allergy and he/she would like to bring snack from home, please place the snack in the white bin located outside of the classroom. Please bring in a healthy snack. Snack items may include (but are not limited to …) crackers, cookies (no sugary cookies or drinks, please), Nutri-Grain Bars, grapes, bananas, fruits, etc. parents will rotate snack weeks (Please bring enough snack for 18 children for each day of the week which you are assigned to). We will be sharing the snack as a class. Please do not bring in individual snacks (unless a child has special circumstances, please speak with me about snack for these special situations).
Dear Parents,
We will have snack everyday in our classroom.
If your child has a food allergy and he/she would like to bring snack from home, please place the snack in the white bin located outside of the classroom. Please bring in a healthy snack. Snack items may include (but are not limited to …) crackers, cookies (no sugary cookies or drinks, please), Nutri-Grain Bars, grapes, bananas, fruits, etc. parents will rotate snack weeks (Please bring enough snack for 18 children for each day of the week which you are assigned to). We will be sharing the snack as a class. Please do not bring in individual snacks (unless a child has special circumstances, please speak with me about snack for these special situations).
October News,
Dear Pre-K Families,
We hope you enjoyed our first unit of study, Welcome to Pre-K!
We are excited to begin Unit 2:My Five Senses. Pre-K children naturally use their senses to explore the world around them. In our pre-K program your child will have the opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills by using his/her senses in hands on learning and play. In this unit we are working on developing children’s abilities to take in information about the world through sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. We will engage in many activities where children use their senses. Children are active learners; they have been exploring their environment through their senses since birth. We encourage the children to see themselves as scientists and to make observations and predictions using the information that they take in through their senses. We also use our senses to stay safe and will be talking about this throughout the study. We will learn about being careful and remembering not to touch sharp objects, things that are hot or things that are very dirty and might make us sick.
You can help with this! Ask your child about some of the things outside of school or at home that are too dangerous to touch. How do we use our senses of sight, smell and hearing to stay safe? In addition to staying safe we will talk about how to keep our hands, feet and skin clean and healthy. One way we do that in our pre-K program is by washing our hands before eating, after playing outside or after touching things that are dirty. We will learn a new song to help remind us how to wash hands. You might want to sing it with your child. It is sung to the tune of Frère Jacques. Tops and bottoms, tops and bottoms, in between, in between, All around my hands, all around my hands, make them clean, make them clean! We are also talking to the children about how life might be different for people who do not see or hear well. Here is a list of some of the key vocabulary words that we are learning through this unit of study. We encourage you to use these words with your children as appropriate:
•Braille •blind •deaf •ears •eyes•hear •listen•mouth •nose •predict •quiet
•safe •see •senses •smell•taste •touch
Parents,
Best,
Pre-K 134
October News ..."Hooray, we are in our second month of the school year." Happy October!
October 1st- schools closed.
October 9th- Yom Kippur-schools closed
October 14th-Columbus Day-schools closed
Please press on the link below,
http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/index-color1.htm , enjoy finding lowercase as well as uppercase letters, coloring, etc....
Dear Pre-K Families,
We hope you enjoyed our first unit of study, Welcome to Pre-K!
We are excited to begin Unit 2:My Five Senses. Pre-K children naturally use their senses to explore the world around them. In our pre-K program your child will have the opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills by using his/her senses in hands on learning and play. In this unit we are working on developing children’s abilities to take in information about the world through sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. We will engage in many activities where children use their senses. Children are active learners; they have been exploring their environment through their senses since birth. We encourage the children to see themselves as scientists and to make observations and predictions using the information that they take in through their senses. We also use our senses to stay safe and will be talking about this throughout the study. We will learn about being careful and remembering not to touch sharp objects, things that are hot or things that are very dirty and might make us sick.
You can help with this! Ask your child about some of the things outside of school or at home that are too dangerous to touch. How do we use our senses of sight, smell and hearing to stay safe? In addition to staying safe we will talk about how to keep our hands, feet and skin clean and healthy. One way we do that in our pre-K program is by washing our hands before eating, after playing outside or after touching things that are dirty. We will learn a new song to help remind us how to wash hands. You might want to sing it with your child. It is sung to the tune of Frère Jacques. Tops and bottoms, tops and bottoms, in between, in between, All around my hands, all around my hands, make them clean, make them clean! We are also talking to the children about how life might be different for people who do not see or hear well. Here is a list of some of the key vocabulary words that we are learning through this unit of study. We encourage you to use these words with your children as appropriate:
•Braille •blind •deaf •ears •eyes•hear •listen•mouth •nose •predict •quiet
•safe •see •senses •smell•taste •touch
Parents,
Best,
Pre-K 134
October News ..."Hooray, we are in our second month of the school year." Happy October!
October 1st- schools closed.
October 9th- Yom Kippur-schools closed
October 14th-Columbus Day-schools closed
Please press on the link below,
http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/index-color1.htm , enjoy finding lowercase as well as uppercase letters, coloring, etc....
NOVEMBER
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the New York City Pre-K for All third Interdisciplinary Unit of Study: All About Us. Now that your children have done an in-depth exploration of their senses and learned to explore the world around them, they are ready to learn more about themselves and the people around them. Pre-K for All enables children from all backgrounds and communities across the five boroughs to gain a solid foundation for future success. The All About Us unit supports that objective by providing opportunities for children to explore, learn about and embrace what makes them important and unique.
Dates to Remember:
11/5 Election Day, Schools Closed for students
11/11 Veterans Day, Schools Closed
11/13 Parent Teacher conferences, Please sign up with Mrs. Ahmad
11/28-11/29 Thanksgiving Recess, Schools Closed
Press the link below:
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the New York City Pre-K for All third Interdisciplinary Unit of Study: All About Us. Now that your children have done an in-depth exploration of their senses and learned to explore the world around them, they are ready to learn more about themselves and the people around them. Pre-K for All enables children from all backgrounds and communities across the five boroughs to gain a solid foundation for future success. The All About Us unit supports that objective by providing opportunities for children to explore, learn about and embrace what makes them important and unique.
Dates to Remember:
11/5 Election Day, Schools Closed for students
11/11 Veterans Day, Schools Closed
11/13 Parent Teacher conferences, Please sign up with Mrs. Ahmad
11/28-11/29 Thanksgiving Recess, Schools Closed
Press the link below:
DECEMBER
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 4: Where We Live, Pre-K for All’s fourth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 3: All About Us, children explored ideas of identity and belonging as they learned about themselves and the people around them. In Unit 4: Where We Live, children move from inquiring and thinking critically about themselves, their classmates and their family to the spaces that those people inhabit. This unit is designed to reflect the diverse places where people live in neighborhoods across New York City. There are opportunities throughout the unit for you to tailor discussions and activities to reflect the children and communities you serve. Additionally, in this unit children inquire and learn about the homes of animals, both pets living in homes with the children and those animals that create their own homes. Children begin this unit by investigating themselves and the people important to them by considering the first week’s focus questions, “Where do I live? Where do my family members live?” They will read about different kinds of homes, including apartments, houses, etc. and discuss where different members of their families live. After children consider the different kinds of homes in which they and the people they know live, they will start to consider animals and investigate a more abstract concept: animal homes. Through this structure we mirror the process by which young children explore and understand the world; starting with themselves then moving outwards and from concrete to abstract. Based on the interests of the children, some classrooms may choose to focus on one animal, while others will draw connections between many animals and the types of homes in which they live. In this unit, children develop a concept and awareness of the diversity of living environments and explore how New Yorkers live in many types of homes and buildings. This unit provides an opportunity to explore a wide variety of living environments and reiterate Pre-K for All’s commitment to including and embracing all children and families by ensuring all students feel represented in the classroom.
Dates To Remember:
12/24/19-1/1/20 Winter Recess Schools Closed
Happy New Year 2020!
Apply To Kindergarten!TBA
Application Period Open from
*apply online at schools.nyc.gov/ApplyOnline
*apply by calling 718-935-2400
*apply in person, schools.nyc.gov/WelcomeCenters for hours and locations
Press the link below!
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 4: Where We Live, Pre-K for All’s fourth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 3: All About Us, children explored ideas of identity and belonging as they learned about themselves and the people around them. In Unit 4: Where We Live, children move from inquiring and thinking critically about themselves, their classmates and their family to the spaces that those people inhabit. This unit is designed to reflect the diverse places where people live in neighborhoods across New York City. There are opportunities throughout the unit for you to tailor discussions and activities to reflect the children and communities you serve. Additionally, in this unit children inquire and learn about the homes of animals, both pets living in homes with the children and those animals that create their own homes. Children begin this unit by investigating themselves and the people important to them by considering the first week’s focus questions, “Where do I live? Where do my family members live?” They will read about different kinds of homes, including apartments, houses, etc. and discuss where different members of their families live. After children consider the different kinds of homes in which they and the people they know live, they will start to consider animals and investigate a more abstract concept: animal homes. Through this structure we mirror the process by which young children explore and understand the world; starting with themselves then moving outwards and from concrete to abstract. Based on the interests of the children, some classrooms may choose to focus on one animal, while others will draw connections between many animals and the types of homes in which they live. In this unit, children develop a concept and awareness of the diversity of living environments and explore how New Yorkers live in many types of homes and buildings. This unit provides an opportunity to explore a wide variety of living environments and reiterate Pre-K for All’s commitment to including and embracing all children and families by ensuring all students feel represented in the classroom.
Dates To Remember:
12/24/19-1/1/20 Winter Recess Schools Closed
Happy New Year 2020!
Apply To Kindergarten!TBA
Application Period Open from
*apply online at schools.nyc.gov/ApplyOnline
*apply by calling 718-935-2400
*apply in person, schools.nyc.gov/WelcomeCenters for hours and locations
Press the link below!
JANUARY, TRANSPORTATION
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 5: Transportation, Pre-K for All’s fifth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In this unit, children move from inquiring and thinking critically about the places where animals and people live to exploring how people move from place to place using vehicles and other methods of transportation. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity through hands-on activities in the classroom and in the community. In this unit, children have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of a major part of New York City life across all five boroughs. The full diversity of our city is reflected in this unit through the examination of trains, boats, cars, airplanes, buses, specialty vehicles and more! There are opportunities throughout the unit for you to tailor discussions and activities to reflect the children and communities you serve. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around three to four focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. Children begin the unit by considering the first week’s focus question, “What kinds of transportation do I use and why?” Children read about and discuss what modes of transportation they use (including motorized vehicles, nonmotorized vehicles and other modes like walking) by creating the chart titled, “How Did I Get to Pre-K Today?” In Week two, children begin to think about how different kinds of transportation are similar and different. This is an opportunity to compare and contrast the attributes of different modes of transportation; children can explore the science of how vehicles move according to their interest levels. This subtopic taps into children’s curiosity about vehicles and how they travel and move, enabling meaningful connections to the Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core (PKFCC) technology standards in Domain 5. In the third week of the unit, children consider the question, “Who operates the vehicles in my community?” In this week, children observe and explore vehicle operators such as bus drivers, conductors, taxi drivers, pilots, fire fighters, police officers, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and other community helpers. In this week there are opportunities to extend learning by taking a walking field trip or having a community helper visit the classroom, which connects to PKFCC social studies standards in Domain 5. These activities culminate in the final week of the unit when children explore the question, “How do we stay safe when using transportation?” Abstract ideas such as safety, traffic and rules become more concrete when explored through games such as Red Light, Green Light. Throughout the unit, we encourage you to highlight various ways public transportation can be accessible to people with disabilities, for example, wheelchair ramps on buses and elevators in subway stations. Your students may also be familiar with the use of these accommodations for families with strollers. Opportunities to develop children’s literacy skills are interwoven throughout the unit. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around books, and retell and act out stories they have read.
Dates to Remember:
1/2 School Resumes
1/21 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/23 Train Station Field Trip
1/24 First Day for Pre-K Enrichment
1/25 Family Friday
1/29 Police Officers Visit
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 5: Transportation, Pre-K for All’s fifth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In this unit, children move from inquiring and thinking critically about the places where animals and people live to exploring how people move from place to place using vehicles and other methods of transportation. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity through hands-on activities in the classroom and in the community. In this unit, children have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of a major part of New York City life across all five boroughs. The full diversity of our city is reflected in this unit through the examination of trains, boats, cars, airplanes, buses, specialty vehicles and more! There are opportunities throughout the unit for you to tailor discussions and activities to reflect the children and communities you serve. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around three to four focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. Children begin the unit by considering the first week’s focus question, “What kinds of transportation do I use and why?” Children read about and discuss what modes of transportation they use (including motorized vehicles, nonmotorized vehicles and other modes like walking) by creating the chart titled, “How Did I Get to Pre-K Today?” In Week two, children begin to think about how different kinds of transportation are similar and different. This is an opportunity to compare and contrast the attributes of different modes of transportation; children can explore the science of how vehicles move according to their interest levels. This subtopic taps into children’s curiosity about vehicles and how they travel and move, enabling meaningful connections to the Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core (PKFCC) technology standards in Domain 5. In the third week of the unit, children consider the question, “Who operates the vehicles in my community?” In this week, children observe and explore vehicle operators such as bus drivers, conductors, taxi drivers, pilots, fire fighters, police officers, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and other community helpers. In this week there are opportunities to extend learning by taking a walking field trip or having a community helper visit the classroom, which connects to PKFCC social studies standards in Domain 5. These activities culminate in the final week of the unit when children explore the question, “How do we stay safe when using transportation?” Abstract ideas such as safety, traffic and rules become more concrete when explored through games such as Red Light, Green Light. Throughout the unit, we encourage you to highlight various ways public transportation can be accessible to people with disabilities, for example, wheelchair ramps on buses and elevators in subway stations. Your students may also be familiar with the use of these accommodations for families with strollers. Opportunities to develop children’s literacy skills are interwoven throughout the unit. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around books, and retell and act out stories they have read.
Dates to Remember:
1/2 School Resumes
1/21 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/23 Train Station Field Trip
1/24 First Day for Pre-K Enrichment
1/25 Family Friday
1/29 Police Officers Visit
FEBRUARY, LIGHT
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 6: Light, Pre-K for All’s sixth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 6: Light, children move from exploring various modes and aspects of transportation to inquiring and thinking critically about light, darkness and shadows. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. In this unit, children have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of natural and man-made sources of light. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to explore light, darkness and shadows with handson materials as well as provide opportunities for children to make predictions and think about their world in increasingly abstract ways. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the Light unit, children begin by considering the first week’s question, “What kinds of light are around us?” Children will observe, discuss and explore what they know about natural and man-made light. In the second week children will have learning experiences and activities that encourage them to think about darkness. In the third week, children focus on the question, “How does light help us?” They will continue to consider the how light affects our world, for example through conducting an experiment on growing plants in the light and in the dark. In the final week, children explore shadows by using flashlights and other light sources in the classroom as well as experimenting with shadows outside. Through these explorations you are making science content and scientific thinking accessible and meaningful to children and building on their curiosity about science concepts. You are laying the foundation for continued scientific inquiry in Kindergarten and beyond.As we explore light with prekindergarten children, it is important to keep in mind scientific information about light, darkness and shadows. This background knowledge will help support your understanding as you guide children through the learning experiences in this unit. For example, many children will notice that the moon “shines” at night; however the moon actually reflects light from the sun. We call sunlight “white light,” but it is actually made up of many colors. Children may make observations that are scientifically inaccurate. We aim to support their observations and predictions while using our own background knowledge to ask questions that extend their thinking. Throughout this unit, there are opportunities to develop children’s literacy skills. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around stories, and retell and act out stories they have read. Children will build on what they know about light, darkness and shadows through informational texts. They will explore new vocabulary words such as “silhouette” and “transparent” to continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking.
Dates to Remember:
2/5 Lunar New Year, Schools Closed
2/11 Paul Taylor Dance
2/18 - 2/22 Midwinter Recess, Schools Closed
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 6: Light, Pre-K for All’s sixth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 6: Light, children move from exploring various modes and aspects of transportation to inquiring and thinking critically about light, darkness and shadows. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. In this unit, children have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of natural and man-made sources of light. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to explore light, darkness and shadows with handson materials as well as provide opportunities for children to make predictions and think about their world in increasingly abstract ways. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the Light unit, children begin by considering the first week’s question, “What kinds of light are around us?” Children will observe, discuss and explore what they know about natural and man-made light. In the second week children will have learning experiences and activities that encourage them to think about darkness. In the third week, children focus on the question, “How does light help us?” They will continue to consider the how light affects our world, for example through conducting an experiment on growing plants in the light and in the dark. In the final week, children explore shadows by using flashlights and other light sources in the classroom as well as experimenting with shadows outside. Through these explorations you are making science content and scientific thinking accessible and meaningful to children and building on their curiosity about science concepts. You are laying the foundation for continued scientific inquiry in Kindergarten and beyond.As we explore light with prekindergarten children, it is important to keep in mind scientific information about light, darkness and shadows. This background knowledge will help support your understanding as you guide children through the learning experiences in this unit. For example, many children will notice that the moon “shines” at night; however the moon actually reflects light from the sun. We call sunlight “white light,” but it is actually made up of many colors. Children may make observations that are scientifically inaccurate. We aim to support their observations and predictions while using our own background knowledge to ask questions that extend their thinking. Throughout this unit, there are opportunities to develop children’s literacy skills. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around stories, and retell and act out stories they have read. Children will build on what they know about light, darkness and shadows through informational texts. They will explore new vocabulary words such as “silhouette” and “transparent” to continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking.
Dates to Remember:
2/5 Lunar New Year, Schools Closed
2/11 Paul Taylor Dance
2/18 - 2/22 Midwinter Recess, Schools Closed
MARCH, WATER
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 7: Water, Pre-K for All’s seventh Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 7: Water, children move from thinking critically about light, darkness and shadows to an exploration of the properties and uses of water. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to learn about water through hands-on explorations and provide opportunities to observe water in their immediate environment. As you prepare to teach this unit, consider how water is a part of your children’s daily lives. Additionally, as the weather changes according to the season, use these changes to observe, draw, paint and discuss rain, snow, puddles, storms, etc. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around four focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the Water unit, children begin by considering where we can find water. Children will observe, discuss and explore water in their classrooms and throughout their environment such as bodies of water and weather. In the second week, children will focus on changes in water temperature. They will explore and observe ice and water at different temperatures and perform experiments with water and ice. In the third week, children will think about how objects are affected when they are placed in water. This will lead them to think critically about why some items float and some sink. There are also opportunities in this week to learn about substances that dissolve or expand in water (like salt and sponges). In the final week of the unit, children will have learning experiences and do activities that encourage them to think about how water helps living things. This is a great time to revisit the classroom job chart and add in a “gardener” who can water classroom plants. By building on their curiosity and excitement about science and laying the foundation for continued scientific inquiry in Kindergarten and beyond.
Dates to Remember:
3/13 - 3/14 Elementary School: Parent-Teacher Conferences
3/29 Family Friday, Open Showcase for Enrichment Clubs
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 7: Water, Pre-K for All’s seventh Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 7: Water, children move from thinking critically about light, darkness and shadows to an exploration of the properties and uses of water. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to learn about water through hands-on explorations and provide opportunities to observe water in their immediate environment. As you prepare to teach this unit, consider how water is a part of your children’s daily lives. Additionally, as the weather changes according to the season, use these changes to observe, draw, paint and discuss rain, snow, puddles, storms, etc. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around four focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the Water unit, children begin by considering where we can find water. Children will observe, discuss and explore water in their classrooms and throughout their environment such as bodies of water and weather. In the second week, children will focus on changes in water temperature. They will explore and observe ice and water at different temperatures and perform experiments with water and ice. In the third week, children will think about how objects are affected when they are placed in water. This will lead them to think critically about why some items float and some sink. There are also opportunities in this week to learn about substances that dissolve or expand in water (like salt and sponges). In the final week of the unit, children will have learning experiences and do activities that encourage them to think about how water helps living things. This is a great time to revisit the classroom job chart and add in a “gardener” who can water classroom plants. By building on their curiosity and excitement about science and laying the foundation for continued scientific inquiry in Kindergarten and beyond.
Dates to Remember:
3/13 - 3/14 Elementary School: Parent-Teacher Conferences
3/29 Family Friday, Open Showcase for Enrichment Clubs
APRIL, PLANTS, SPRING
Questions to ponder about during our Plant Unit: Plants are living things; every part of a plant has an important function. • Plants grow from seeds and need water, nutrients and light to live. • Plants are all around us. • There are many different types of plants. • Plants are important for many reasons.
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 8: Plants, Pre-K for All’s eighth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 8: Plants, children move from exploring the properties and uses of water to observing and learning about different kinds of plants. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity, and apply knowledge and skills learned in previous units. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to learn about plants through hands-on explorations and provide opportunities to observe plants in their immediate environment. As you prepare to teach this unit, consider how different kinds of plants are a part of your children’s daily lives. Additionally, use the opportunity of changing seasons to discuss and observe how plants grow and change over time. For example, you may have a tree in your neighborhood that you can observe throughout the unit and into later units as it changes with the seasons. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the first week, children consider the question, “What are plants?” and observe and identify the different parts of plants. In the second and third week, children have increased opportunities to observe plants in their environment and learn about different kinds of plants. In the final week of the unit, children will carefully consider and explore the different uses of plants and why different kinds of plants are important. Opportunities for growing plants are woven throughout this unit, further developing children’s scientific skills of observation, prediction and drawing conclusions that they have started developing in previous units such as My Five Senses, Light and Water. In growing and observing plants, there are many opportunities for children to learn about taking care of themselves and the environment with discussions about eating healthy food and helping to protect, nurture and grow plants. Children will understand that not all plants are safe to touch. In addition, children will learn that some plants are not poisonous, pose no harm to children and are maintained safely. Throughout this unit, there are opportunities to develop children’s literacy and language skills. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around stories, and retell and act out stories they have read. Children will build on what they know about plants through informational texts. They will explore new vocabulary words such as “habitat” and “nutrients” to continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking. In Unit 7: Water, there were opportunities to help children learn about the sounds that different letters make. In addition to continuing to build these skills, in this unit there are increased opportunities for children to express themselves through authentic writing experiences and various modes of storytelling.
Dates to Remember:
4/19 - 4/26 Spring Recess, Schools Closed
Questions to ponder about during our Plant Unit: Plants are living things; every part of a plant has an important function. • Plants grow from seeds and need water, nutrients and light to live. • Plants are all around us. • There are many different types of plants. • Plants are important for many reasons.
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 8: Plants, Pre-K for All’s eighth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 8: Plants, children move from exploring the properties and uses of water to observing and learning about different kinds of plants. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity, and apply knowledge and skills learned in previous units. Activities throughout the unit prompt children to learn about plants through hands-on explorations and provide opportunities to observe plants in their immediate environment. As you prepare to teach this unit, consider how different kinds of plants are a part of your children’s daily lives. Additionally, use the opportunity of changing seasons to discuss and observe how plants grow and change over time. For example, you may have a tree in your neighborhood that you can observe throughout the unit and into later units as it changes with the seasons. All Interdisciplinary Units of Study are structured around focus questions. Each focus question is designed to take about one week to explore. In the first week, children consider the question, “What are plants?” and observe and identify the different parts of plants. In the second and third week, children have increased opportunities to observe plants in their environment and learn about different kinds of plants. In the final week of the unit, children will carefully consider and explore the different uses of plants and why different kinds of plants are important. Opportunities for growing plants are woven throughout this unit, further developing children’s scientific skills of observation, prediction and drawing conclusions that they have started developing in previous units such as My Five Senses, Light and Water. In growing and observing plants, there are many opportunities for children to learn about taking care of themselves and the environment with discussions about eating healthy food and helping to protect, nurture and grow plants. Children will understand that not all plants are safe to touch. In addition, children will learn that some plants are not poisonous, pose no harm to children and are maintained safely. Throughout this unit, there are opportunities to develop children’s literacy and language skills. Children will enjoy literature, engage in discussions around stories, and retell and act out stories they have read. Children will build on what they know about plants through informational texts. They will explore new vocabulary words such as “habitat” and “nutrients” to continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking. In Unit 7: Water, there were opportunities to help children learn about the sounds that different letters make. In addition to continuing to build these skills, in this unit there are increased opportunities for children to express themselves through authentic writing experiences and various modes of storytelling.
Dates to Remember:
4/19 - 4/26 Spring Recess, Schools Closed
Click on the link : Writing,
Please practice writing, numbers, letters everyday.
Please practice writing, numbers, letters everyday.
MAY, BABIES
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 9: Babies, Pre-K for All's ninth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 9: Babies, children continue to study living things by moving from observing and learning about different kinds of plants to the needs and characteristics of different kinds of animal babies. Since humans are members of the animal kingdom, this includes the opportunity to study human babies. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity, and apply knowledge and skills learned in previous units. In the first week, children will establish their understanding of human babies by considering the question, “What do human babies need?” Activities in this week help children express what they already know and extend their learning through play, literature and discussion. Throughout this unit there will be opportunities for children to discuss, write about and learn what babies need. In this unit the second question we will explore is “What can we learn about animal babies?” In this time, we will investigate animal babies that are of interest to the students. After determining which animal babies are most interesting to the students, the children will work in small groups and investigate these animal babies further. Children may want to investigate an animal represented as a character in one of their favorite books. There will be opportunities throughout the unit for children to learn about what their animal babies are called, what they eat, where they live, their typical family structure and their early care. Not only is this an opportunity for children to learn about animal babies but also to express and demonstrate their learning in various ways, expand their vocabulary and develop curiosity and persistence. Studying multiple animal babies in the same class will lead to social problem solving as children determine what to study, how to work together and how to find information about each animal baby. They will also share what they learn and develop their ability to compare and contrast aspects of different animal babies. In the final week of this unit, children consider the question, “How do babies change?” Throughout the unit children consider the needs and characteristics of different kinds of animal babies. In the fourth week they will further this by addressing how babies change and grow. This will lead to a reflection on their own growth as they move towards the end of the pre-K school year. Children will also enjoy literature and engage in discussions around stories as well as retell and act out stories they have read. Children will explore new vocabulary words such as “veterinarian” and continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking. As in Unit 8: Plants, there are opportunities for children to express themselves through authentic writing experiences and various modes of storytelling to express what they learn about animal babies.
Dates to Remember:
5/15 Elementary School: Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences
5/27 Memorial Day, Schools Closed
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 9: Babies, Pre-K for All's ninth Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 9: Babies, children continue to study living things by moving from observing and learning about different kinds of plants to the needs and characteristics of different kinds of animal babies. Since humans are members of the animal kingdom, this includes the opportunity to study human babies. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity, and apply knowledge and skills learned in previous units. In the first week, children will establish their understanding of human babies by considering the question, “What do human babies need?” Activities in this week help children express what they already know and extend their learning through play, literature and discussion. Throughout this unit there will be opportunities for children to discuss, write about and learn what babies need. In this unit the second question we will explore is “What can we learn about animal babies?” In this time, we will investigate animal babies that are of interest to the students. After determining which animal babies are most interesting to the students, the children will work in small groups and investigate these animal babies further. Children may want to investigate an animal represented as a character in one of their favorite books. There will be opportunities throughout the unit for children to learn about what their animal babies are called, what they eat, where they live, their typical family structure and their early care. Not only is this an opportunity for children to learn about animal babies but also to express and demonstrate their learning in various ways, expand their vocabulary and develop curiosity and persistence. Studying multiple animal babies in the same class will lead to social problem solving as children determine what to study, how to work together and how to find information about each animal baby. They will also share what they learn and develop their ability to compare and contrast aspects of different animal babies. In the final week of this unit, children consider the question, “How do babies change?” Throughout the unit children consider the needs and characteristics of different kinds of animal babies. In the fourth week they will further this by addressing how babies change and grow. This will lead to a reflection on their own growth as they move towards the end of the pre-K school year. Children will also enjoy literature and engage in discussions around stories as well as retell and act out stories they have read. Children will explore new vocabulary words such as “veterinarian” and continue to develop their language skills as they engage in scientific explorations and thinking. As in Unit 8: Plants, there are opportunities for children to express themselves through authentic writing experiences and various modes of storytelling to express what they learn about animal babies.
Dates to Remember:
5/15 Elementary School: Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences
5/27 Memorial Day, Schools Closed
JUNE, TRANSFORMATION
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 10: Transformation, Pre-K for All’s tenth and last Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 10: Transformation, children conclude the year by investigating how things change over time. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. This final pre-K unit is an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills children learned in previous units, and to help children prepare for upcoming transitions. To transform means to make a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance or character. To learn this concept, children will begin the unit by considering the question “What changes around me?” Activities will help children express what they already know and extend their learning through play, literature and discussion. Children might notice that trees change with the seasons, or a neighborhood change such as the building of a new store. Children will begin to explore how they are agents of change in a variety of ways, including activities where they can change the shape of an object or objects. Children will also explore how their feelings change and how their actions and words can impact others’ feelings. In week two, there are opportunities to investigate how objects change and why. Building on skills they learned in Unit 7: Water, children will explore changes in state (e.g. water to ice) as well as repurposing, reusing and recycling materials. In week three children will build on learning from Units 7 through 9 by investigating changes in nature. There are opportunities to discuss and learn about metamorphosis through studying the life cycle of insects such as butterflies as well as to notice changes in weather and seasons. The activities throughout the unit will provide opportunities for embedded literacy development such as learning new vocabulary, storytelling and learning about the relationship between letters and their sounds. In week four, children will have the opportunity to reflect on their own growth and consider how they will continue to change. Parents, siblings, and extended family members can play an active role in helping their pre -K child prepare for the transition to Kindergarten. Families can support their pre -K child by asking open -ended questions about what they think Kindergarten will be like and engaging their child in an active reflection of memories from the beginning of their pre -K experience. Families can facilitate this conversation by drawing pictures or reading books related to the topic of transitions in school or feelings about change. This builds on learning they have done throughout the year to develop their capacity for adaptability by using multiple strategies to cope with change, such as seeking social support from an adult or peer or engaging in different activities that are comforting.
Dates to Remember:
6/4 Eid al-Fitr, Schools Closed
6/6 Students do not attend school.
6/11 June Clerical Day, Schools Closed
6/26 Last Day For All Students
End of Year Celebration: 6/ /2019
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Unit 10: Transformation, Pre-K for All’s tenth and last Interdisciplinary Unit of Study. In Unit 10: Transformation, children conclude the year by investigating how things change over time. This unit, like all Pre-K for All units, provides opportunities for children to observe objects and phenomena in their environment with increasing complexity. This final pre-K unit is an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills children learned in previous units, and to help children prepare for upcoming transitions. To transform means to make a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance or character. To learn this concept, children will begin the unit by considering the question “What changes around me?” Activities will help children express what they already know and extend their learning through play, literature and discussion. Children might notice that trees change with the seasons, or a neighborhood change such as the building of a new store. Children will begin to explore how they are agents of change in a variety of ways, including activities where they can change the shape of an object or objects. Children will also explore how their feelings change and how their actions and words can impact others’ feelings. In week two, there are opportunities to investigate how objects change and why. Building on skills they learned in Unit 7: Water, children will explore changes in state (e.g. water to ice) as well as repurposing, reusing and recycling materials. In week three children will build on learning from Units 7 through 9 by investigating changes in nature. There are opportunities to discuss and learn about metamorphosis through studying the life cycle of insects such as butterflies as well as to notice changes in weather and seasons. The activities throughout the unit will provide opportunities for embedded literacy development such as learning new vocabulary, storytelling and learning about the relationship between letters and their sounds. In week four, children will have the opportunity to reflect on their own growth and consider how they will continue to change. Parents, siblings, and extended family members can play an active role in helping their pre -K child prepare for the transition to Kindergarten. Families can support their pre -K child by asking open -ended questions about what they think Kindergarten will be like and engaging their child in an active reflection of memories from the beginning of their pre -K experience. Families can facilitate this conversation by drawing pictures or reading books related to the topic of transitions in school or feelings about change. This builds on learning they have done throughout the year to develop their capacity for adaptability by using multiple strategies to cope with change, such as seeking social support from an adult or peer or engaging in different activities that are comforting.
Dates to Remember:
6/4 Eid al-Fitr, Schools Closed
6/6 Students do not attend school.
6/11 June Clerical Day, Schools Closed
6/26 Last Day For All Students
End of Year Celebration: 6/ /2019