February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Happy February!

Recently one of the administrative assistants in our building, Jennifer Tijerina, began placing a book on the edge of her desk with a sign about it that read, “Keep Calm and Read the Book of the Week.” Each week, Jennifer changes out the book of the week. This is a great opportunity for those of us who love children’s books, to see a different book each week. Some are new books, and others are old favorites, some are funny, others serious, but each week it is an opportunity to stop, take a moment to read and de-stress. February is a month packed with activity. February contains, the 100th day of school, conferences, report cards, the testing window, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and, of course, everyday

teaching and learning. It’s easy to get stressed with all that is coming up in February, but hopefully the newsletter will give you an opportunity to stop, take a moment to read and de-stress. If you are looking for a funny book to read to your students this month, here is one of my favorites from Jennifer’s desk!

Austin ISD Kindergarten Newsletter February 2015 Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood Vol. 4, Issue #7

WILD, WILD ABOUT EARLY

CHILDHOOD!

February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

SEL Website Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood

Are you familiar with the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations of Early Learning? This amazing website has incredible resources in English and Spanish for teachers of young children. On their website you will find, free printables for supporting SEL lessons, a great book list for SEL titles and my favorite, their Book Nooks. Book Nooks are easy-to-use guides created especially for teachers to provide hands-on activities to embed social emotional skills into everyday activities. The activities are designed around popular children’s books. There are lots of great SEL theme activities in these Book Nooks. My favorite comes from Big Al, a story about a big scary looking fish that wanted to make friends. The book is in most AISD libraries and the Book Nook will provide content area ideas to go with your everyday SEL lessons. You can check it out at http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/ .

Sight Word Parking Lot Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

This is an easy activity to put together for your kindergarten ABC center. All you need is paper, toy cars, marker, and a list of sight words. Draw your “parking lot” and fill in the spaces with sight words. Students can work in pairs and take turns calling out sight words and driving the cars to the correct parking spaces. This activity can be extended to the block center by encouraging children to construct a parking lot with the blocks. Provide sight word cards for them to place at the parking spaces.

Idea from www.jugglingwithkids.com

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Save the Date!—Early Childhood Summer Institute Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

2015 Early Childhood Summer Institute

“Diggin’ Deep into Early Childhood”

SAVE the DATE!

July 15 and 16, 2015 Uphaus Early Childhood Center

Registration will open April 2015 All institute information will be updated here:

https://sites.google.com/a/austinisd.org/2015-aisd-early-childhood-summer-institute/

2015 Early Childhood Summer Institute

CALL FOR PRESENTERS! Proposals for sessions are now being taken. If you are interested in presenting at this year’s institute please go to the link below to fill out a session proposal. Proposals are due by February 20, 2015 so that we can review and schedule sessions by March. This will allow us to open pre-registration in April.

https://sites.google.com/a/austinisd.org/2015-aisd-early-childhood-summer-institute/

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Gail’s Garden Gazette Gail Laubenthal, Early Childhood Consultant

As we enter February, there are many activities that can (and should) go on in your children’s garden. Hopefully you are continuing to visit the garden on a regular basis…at least once each week. Help the children notice changes. If you have taken pictures throughout the fall, you can have the children compare pictures of the garden in September and in February. Many

questions might come up, so be ready to help the children think about the reasons why their garden looks different. February is a great time to begin cleaning out annual flowers and veggies. Those unwanted winter weeds can also be pulled out and composted. It is also time to add compost to the garden (see link below). There are many plants and seeds that can be planted in February. On The Natural’s Gardener’s website, there are many planting options listed (see below). Visit the site for many other activities that should be going on this month. Sowing Seeds:

• Vegetables: beets, carrots, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, parsnip, peas, radish, rutabaga, spinach, turnips, start tomatoes and peppers indoors.

• Herbs: chives, cilantro, dill, Echinacea, parsley.

• Flowers: coreopsis, cosmos, nasturtium, sweet peas.

Planting seedlings (young plants which are already rooted):

• Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, Asian greens, broccoli, cabbage, chard, collards, lettuce, mustard greens, onion sets, seed potatoes, shallot bulbs, spinach.

• Fruit: blackberries, dewberries, grapes, figs, pears, persimmon, pomegranate, strawberries.

• Herbs: calendula, chives, cilantro, dill, Echinacea, fennel, feverfew, lavender, pansies, parsley,

oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, thyme.

• Annuals: African daisy, alyssum, balloon flower, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, English daisy, larkspur, lobelia, Nemesia, petunias, poppies, snapdragons, stock

• Perennials: black foot daisy, four nerve daisy, Hymenoxys, ruellia, Salvia gregii, skeleton leaf golden eye, Turk’s cap, yarrow, Zexmenia.

Please don’t forget to visit my Pinterest page on gardening and many other early childhood appropriate activities. http://www.pinterest.com/flaubent/gardening-with-children/. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gail Laubenthal at glaubent@yahoo.com or call me at (512) 585-7802.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

All About STEAM in Kindergarten! Robbie Polan, Early Childhood Childcare Liaison

Science, technology, engineering, art, and math! This is kindergarten integration at its finest. Of course, as kindergarten teachers, we know that integration of content is important because it helps children make sense of what we are trying to teach. The following is what the experts say about STEM and STEAM.

“What STEM does is give a label to what you are already doing… helping children to explore, observe, ask questions, predict, and integrate their learning… it’s what we’ve always done in early childhood education.” ~ Dr. Sherri Killins “There are no greater natural scientists and engineers then young children. They are inquisitive learners who learn STEM concepts through play. High quality early learning environments provide children with the structure in which to build upon their natural inclination to explore, build, and question.” ~ JD Chesloff

The following are tips for allowing STEAM to be a part of your classrooms:

• Let your students ask questions.

• Allow students to solve their own problems.

• Provide the materials that are necessary for solving problems. These include: writing materials, measuring tools, non-fiction books, and time.

• Remember to plan for STEAM activities that support your teaching units

. • Work with what’s available in your classroom or on your campus, things that are part of

your world. • Remember, teachers don’t have to have the answers to all questions.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

All About STEAM in Kindergarten, continued

Our children are natural scientists! Allow them to ask a question, predict what the answer might be, and determine what data is needed to solve the problem or find the right answer. By doing this, you will be moving “full STEAM ahead! ” The following is a fun activity that seems simple but is a challenge! Students work together in small groups to stack small cups to the tallest possible height in a time period of 30 minutes. Kindergarten students, by nature, are creative thinkers and this STEM challenge allows them to be very creative!

Corkboard Connections

http://corkboardconnections.blogspot.com/2014/07/tallest-cup-tower-stem-challenge.html

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Mighty Fine Motor Skills As shared by Crystal Young, Pre-K Teacher, Sunset Valley Elementary

While other parts of the world are experiencing that white stuff that falls from the skies, we alas, must make our own winter wonderlands! Use the following activities to build strong hands in a fun and not so chilly way. Snowman with Hole Reinforcements

Kids love to peel and apply stickers. Luckily, hole reinforcement stickers are inexpensive and plentiful. Just draw a simple snowman on paper, and have the children outline the circles with the stickers. Then have them hole punch some paper (another good tool for building hand strength) and use the holes to decorate their snowman.

http://www.classroomfreebies.com/2012/12/reinforcement-hole-snowman.html

Sorting Snowballs

Moving "snowballs" with tongs to work larger hand muscles, or by using fingers and working the smaller muscles, your students can also practice a great math skill of sorting by size.

http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/01/sorting-snowballs.html

Feather Writing in Salt (snow)

Writing in salt or sand has been a favorite activity for many a classroom. Try introducing different tools, such as feathers, paint brushes, and sticks for kids to write with to strengthen their pincer grasp.

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/11/feather-tip-salt-tray-writing/

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Mighty Fine Motor Skills, continued

Build a Snowman

After reading the book Snowballs by Lois Ehlert, put out a tray with objects found in the book or even your own classroom for kids to decorate felt circles to create their own snowpeople.

http://happyhooligans.ca/build-snowman-activity-tray/

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Coffee filters are just the right weight and thickness for little hands and scissors to cut through to make beautiful snowflakes. Just fold and cut away. The hardest part is getting the children to not cut through the whole triangular shape. But, once they have the hang of it, your class room forecast will be full of snow flurries!

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Block Center Activities Crystal Castañeda, Early Childhood TLI Literacy Specialist

Body outlines in the block center--This is a great science and math connection. Students can count the number of blocks needed to outline their friends. They can use Legos to measure parts of their body compare with their friends and chart the numbers.

Blowing Pom-Poms--This wonderful activity makes the connection to force and motion. Students can experiment with blowing different air force, make perdictions and discuss what will happen. They will have to determine how not to knock down the blocks. They can blow air on the pom-pom directly or blow air through a straw.

An alternative to the blocks is putting tape on the floor and having students blow on pom-pom making sure they stay on the line. A twist on these actiivites is turning them into competions and have the students race to see who gets the pom-pom to the end first.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

The Power of Pretend: Expanding young children’s imaginations and inquiry beyond the

walls of the Pretend-and-Learn/ Social Studies Center Brian Mowry, Early Childhood Specialist

Rationale: As Valentine’s Day closely approaches, the children are likely beginning to anticipate all the cards and gifts they will be sending and receiving from family members and friends. Rather than avoiding all of this enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming holiday celebration, embrace and tap into it by converting the pretend and learn center into a make-believe post office—an appropriate place for children to connect what they are learning in social studies about community workers to their expanding awareness and understanding of the functional role that print and writing have in the real world.

Set up: Remember, there is no need to spend all of your personal planning and preparation time setting up the center. Involve the children in the planning process. Set up stations or assign projects in which the children plan and design center props, including signs, tools, and name plates for individual student mail boxes. The planning process itself offers opportunities to devote some whole group instruction to interactive writing sessions with the children, whether you are modeling the appropriate format for addressing envelopes to the sender or generating a list of catchy phrases and messages for Valentine’s Day cards. What is more, consider the possibilities for expanding the post office beyond the walls of the pretend and learn center into other areas of the classroom traditionally limited to a singular content focus, such as the math, art, and writing centers. Here are a few suggestions for linking these centers to the thematic and social emphasis of pretend and learn area: Math: • Introducing and discussing how to use a scale for measuring the weight of letters and envelopes.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

The Power of Pretend, continued

• Counting coins for buying postage stamps of various prices. Allow the children to use dot stickers to create a pretend postage stamp of an assigned numerical value—e.g. 5 cents.

Art:

Convert the art area into a card design/ manufacturing station. Discuss concepts related to folding and graphic design (a technology focus as well).

Construction Center: Set up a shipping center. Collect discarded boxes (no larger than a shoe box) for the children to practice filling with table blocks or cubes. The children will need to think about how to stack the cubes in such a way that maximizes space (this is closely related to the concept of capacity). The children can then build a weighing/check-in station where the boxes are processed and marked for delivery. Provide access to post-it notes for address and shipping labels.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Fine Motor Fun! Alexa Obregón, Early Childhood TLI Literacy Specialist

As shared by Cecilia LaCour and Nancy Maquera of Read Pre-K Center

We know that developing fine motor skills is vital for student success. Dr. Bill Jenkins states that “early fine motor skills in kindergarten were a predicator for reading and math achievement in elementary school.” As early childhood educators, it is important that we give students natural occurring opportunities (i.e. zipping backpacks and jackets, opening juice and food wrappers, buttoning clothes) as well as create center activities that will continue to develop those small muscles and visual spatial reasoning. Below are a variety of centers activities provided by Ms. LaCour and Ms. Maquera from Lucy Read Pre-K Center that allow for fine motor development, choice and fun!

Have students transfer pom-poms from one container to another using large tongs. To increase difficulty teacher can make items smaller or use jars with smaller openings.

Four and five year olds should be able to perform a variety of tasks such as cutting, stapling, tearing paper, zipping jackets, pouring liquid and using a simple hole puncher. Provide materials for students to practice this skill.

Have students build stairs in the building center. Provide pictures of various stairs for students to look at for guidance if necessary. Then let the slinky fun begin! How many stairs can their slinky go down?

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Fine Motor Fun, continued

Have students practice manipulating their hands and increase spatial awareness with this fun activity. Using a sleep mask, students will practice putting on gloves. Notice how teacher provides space limitations with a small rug. Now center activities can be done anywhere!

Provide a variety of tweezers for students to transfer materials. Notice how teacher provided limited workspace with felt mat and allows students to use real glass containers! Students are able to care for bowls with clear expectations.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

National Children’s Dental Health Month Melinda Servantez, Early Childhood Specialist

February is National Children’s Dental Health month. Here are some fun ideas to support your student’s knowledge and awareness of the importance of dental hygiene.

This fun book from Scholastic is about a moose that is tired of waiting for his loose tooth to fall out because he is eager to see what the Tooth Fairy will bring him. You can also find this on YouTube read by an adult and on SchoolTube read by children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H492qL387c http://www.schooltube.com/video/034b9431c59e43599f8a/Moose's%20Loose%20Tooth

Is It Good for my Teeth or Bad

For this activity create two large teeth as shown. Work with your little learners to sort foods that are good or bad for your teeth. You can find some printable food cards at: https://creativepreschoolresources.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/dental-health/

Make a class graph based on how many teeth your students have lost. You’ll be surprised at how many of your students have and have not lost teeth.

Talk to your students about keeping their teeth healthy and what we use our teeth for. Use these as a shared writing activity and turn a few into an interactive writing experience. http://applesandabcs.blogspot.com/2012/02/dental-health-month.html

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Letter Racing! Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

Here are some fun ways to increase letter and/or sound recognition with your pre-K students. The first game is racing to a letter. All you need is a large sheet of paper, marker, ramp, two toy cars. A large sheet of paper that has several letters written all over it is placed at the bottom of the ramp. Two toy cars are placed at the top of a ramp and are released to see which letter they land on.

Idea from www.trueaimeducation.com

The next activity called “Racecar Alphabet” requires 26 toy cars and a ramp. The toy cars are labeled with each letter of the alphabet. The child chooses two cars to race down the ramp to see which letter wins.

Idea from www.lifewithmoorebabies.blogspot.com

Literacy Connection! Here is a great ABC book that goes well with these two activities. The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Free or Really Cheap Irene Campos, Early Childhood TLI Literacy Specialist

Make “I Spy” February themed bottles or bags using empty drink bottles or see through pencil bags. Rice can be easily colored using food coloring and alcohol. Add rice and February themed words and objects for students to find. Have a list of items for them to find so they can check off the items and words as they find them.

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Kindergarten Professional Development Spring Calendar Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

Early Childhood Language Arts

Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s) Early

Childhood Language Arts:

Writer's Workshop in Kindergarten

(South) #76338

APPLICATION ONLY This is a continuation of the fall training. This session will provide participants with ideas for the implementation of the Lucy Calkins Writers Workshop for kindergarten. There will be four face-to-face meetings beginning in January. Participants will have: • An opportunity to collaborate and help you teach opinion, informative, and narrative writing. • Develop and refine strategies for writing across the curriculum. • Support greater independence and fluency through intensive writing opportunities. Commit to attend all sessions and receive a Lucy Calkins Kindergarten Unit of Study Kit to begin using immediately plus make and takes presented by regular education teacher and bilingual teacher. Participants who miss two or more sessions will need to return the kit. No extra duty pay for this class.

Wednesday, February 25th

3:30-5:30

Wednesday, April 8th

3:30-5:30

Wednesday, May 13th 3:30-5:30

Uphaus Jackie Totten and Suzanne

Carn-Allen

Early Childhood

Language Arts: Writer's

Workshop in Kindergarten

(North) #76339

APPLICATION ONLY This is a continuation of the fall training. This session will provide participants with ideas for the implementation of the Lucy Calkins Writers Workshop for kindergarten. There will be four face-to-face meetings beginning in January. Participants will have: • An opportunity to collaborate and help you teach opinion, informative, and narrative writing. • Develop and refine strategies for writing across the curriculum. • Support greater independence and fluency through intensive writing opportunities. Commit to attend all sessions and receive a Lucy Calkins Kindergarten Unit of Study Kit to begin using immediately plus make and takes presented by regular education teacher and bilingual teacher. Participants who miss two or more sessions will need to return the kit. No extra duty pay for this class.

Tuesday, February 24th

3:30-5:30

Tuesday, March 24th 3:30-5:30

Tuesday, April 21st 3:30-5:30

Gullett Jackie Totten and Suzanne

Carn-Allen

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Early Childhood Mathematics Early

Childhood Mathematics: Where’s the

Math? (Pre-K and

Kinder) #76407

This session is for pre-K and kindergarten teachers. It consists of four meeting dates and each one builds upon the other. The actual course, designed by Juanita V. Copley, PhD., focuses on equipping teachers with the content knowledge and instructional strategies to ensure that young children encounter good mathematics instruction in their early years of schooling. Where's the Math? provides a meaningful and actionable hands-on study of relevant information on a range of topics that deal with the eight Mathematical Practices that promote effective learning and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; child development and how our general knowledge about young children and how they learn can help teach mathematics; specific, appropriate experiences for the young child that link the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Standards for Mathematical Practice and math content; tips and strategies.

Tuesday, February 24th

3:30-5:30

Tuesday, March 31st 3:30-5:30

Tuesday, April 28th 3:30-5:30

Uphaus Brian Mowry

Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s) Early

Childhood Language Arts:

Integrating Literacy with Science and

Math in Kindergarten

(1 of 2) #76333

This training will provide participants with new ideas for implementation of poetry, nursery rhymes and literacy in the areas of Science and Math in the classroom to begin using immediately. There will also be opportunities for make and take activities presented by a regular education teacher and a bilingual teacher. No extra duty pay for this class.

Wednesday, February 4th

3:30-5:30

Uphaus Andrea Bredl and Suzanne

Carn-Allen

Early Childhood

Language Arts: Integrating

Literacy with Science and

Math in Kindergarten

(2 of 2) #76334

This training will provide participants with new ideas for implementation of poetry, nursery rhymes and literacy centers in

the classroom to begin using immediately. There will also be

opportunities for make and take activities presented by a regular education teacher

and a bilingual teacher.

Wednesday, March 25th 3:30-5:30

Uphaus Andrea Bredl and Suzanne

Carn-Allen

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

Early Childhood Science

Section Description Date(s) Presenter(s) Early

Childhood Science: Not So New Kids in the Blocks! (PK and K)

#76383

Blocks are a great way to integrate all subject areas! Participants will gather ideas to incorporate literacy, science, and mathematics to enhance their student’s block experiences. This session will share ideas about setup, organization, and block extension materials. Participants will leave with ideas, rebus charts, and a few materials for their classroom.

Wednesday, March 25th 3:30-5:30

Mathews, Room #109

(No designated

parking. Park along

street behind

school or on side streets)

Diana McMillan and

Cheryl Wootton

Team Leader Curriculum Updates Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s)

Kindergarten Team Leader Curriculum

Update: 2015 3rd Nine Weeks

(North) #76370

District Curriculum Specialist will share information and curriculum updates concerning the new CRMs and Assessment Rubrics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and provide campus feedback with regard to these instructional planning documents.

Wednesday, February 4th

3:30-5:30

Lucy Read EC Staff

Kindergarten Team Leader Curriculum

Update: 2015 3rd Nine Weeks

(South) #76398

District Curriculum Specialist will share information and curriculum updates concerning the new CRMs and Assessment Rubrics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and provide campus feedback with regard to these instructional planning documents.

Wednesday, February 11th

3:30-5:30

Uphaus EC Staff

Kindergarten Team Leader Curriculum

Update: 2015 4th Nine Weeks

(North) #76404

District Curriculum Specialist will share information and curriculum updates concerning the 2nd Nine Weeks CRMs and Assessment Rubrics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and provide campus feedback with regard to these instructional planning documents.

Wednesday, April 1st

3:30-5:30

Lucy Read EC Staff

Kindergarten Team Leader Curriculum

Update: 2015 4th Nine Weeks

(South) #76405

District Curriculum Specialist will share information and curriculum updates concerning the 2nd Nine Weeks CRMs and Assessment Rubrics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and provide campus feedback with regard to these instructional planning documents.

Wednesday, April 8th

3:30-5:30

Uphaus EC Staff

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February 2015 ● Volume 4, Issue #7●

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AISD EARLY CHILDHOOD

Jacquie Porter 414-4740

Debra Caldwell 414-4790

Sylina Valdez 414-9682

Brian Mowry 414-9683

Robbie Polan 414-7487

Melinda Servantez 414-7485

Diane Smith 414-9684

Irene Campos 841-6561

Crystal Castañeda 841-6561

Alexa Obregón 841-6561

Office Fax 414-9879

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