At the start of the Kindergarten year, we focus a large amount of our time studying ways to be the best versions of our self. This helps students develop a keen sense of personal and civic responsibility. Studying respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion, perseverance, self-discipline, giving help promote excellence in living, as well as learning. As we focus our discussions on these personality traits I encourage you to find ways to use the above vocabulary words at home.
Throughout the year, students will learn about our responsibilities as classmates and ways to get along in school and learn from others. We will learn the reasons for rules and ways we can make valuable contributions at school, at home, and in the community. We will use our own Iowa City community to observe and interact first hand with various community members.
Beginning late Fall and spanning through Winter, the Kindergarten class will be taking a hands-on look on understanding how their actions can impact the community. What would our community be like if we all took time to do things for others - our friends, our family, our neighbors, and even anonymous community members. Students will focus on completing random acts of kindness throughout the Iowa City community. In doing so, students will break into small groups brainstorming ideas of how to implement random acts of kindness in the community. Through these brainstorms, the small groups (or office teams) will design, plan, and implement a part of our Random Act of Kindness Day(s) where our class will spend time in the community doing something kind for other community members. When participating in this unit, and beyond!, I encourage your family to talk about and implement different ways you can show acts of kindness to those in our local community and beyond.
At the end of the year, the Cottontails will begin to compile their year long work and create their Willowwind portfolio that will travel with them from Kindergarten through their career at Willowwind to 6th grade. Throughout the year, the kindergarten class will analyze their work reflecting upon their progress. Come Spring, Willowwind students will prepare to present this work and their year long progress to the larger Willowwind community at our 2nd annual Portfolio Night in May. This event allows students to use self-reflection and analytical thinking to take ownership of their learning. Portfolios document varied experiences of the learner throughout their K-6 career. It provides points for discussion between the learner, the teacher, the parents, and among other learners. It also represents a change in the student's learning style and technique over time.
Throughout the year, students will learn about our responsibilities as classmates and ways to get along in school and learn from others. We will learn the reasons for rules and ways we can make valuable contributions at school, at home, and in the community. We will use our own Iowa City community to observe and interact first hand with various community members.
Beginning late Fall and spanning through Winter, the Kindergarten class will be taking a hands-on look on understanding how their actions can impact the community. What would our community be like if we all took time to do things for others - our friends, our family, our neighbors, and even anonymous community members. Students will focus on completing random acts of kindness throughout the Iowa City community. In doing so, students will break into small groups brainstorming ideas of how to implement random acts of kindness in the community. Through these brainstorms, the small groups (or office teams) will design, plan, and implement a part of our Random Act of Kindness Day(s) where our class will spend time in the community doing something kind for other community members. When participating in this unit, and beyond!, I encourage your family to talk about and implement different ways you can show acts of kindness to those in our local community and beyond.
At the end of the year, the Cottontails will begin to compile their year long work and create their Willowwind portfolio that will travel with them from Kindergarten through their career at Willowwind to 6th grade. Throughout the year, the kindergarten class will analyze their work reflecting upon their progress. Come Spring, Willowwind students will prepare to present this work and their year long progress to the larger Willowwind community at our 2nd annual Portfolio Night in May. This event allows students to use self-reflection and analytical thinking to take ownership of their learning. Portfolios document varied experiences of the learner throughout their K-6 career. It provides points for discussion between the learner, the teacher, the parents, and among other learners. It also represents a change in the student's learning style and technique over time.