Our Heroes

Aloha friends and families!

This week in language arts we learned about the different tenses of verbs - past, present, future. During our reading time kids were on a mission to find different verbs in their texts. Here is what they charted!

One of our vocabulary words this week was "hero". We learned that a hero is someone who is brave and good. Here is what some students wrote about who their heroes are!

This week in science we started learning about matter. We began by doing an activity called "Observation Charts". The kids were first divided into partners. They then had to roam the room and observe what was on all the charts. After talking in their pair they had to write down one thing they observed. 

Afterwards we learned how all the things on the charts are made of matter. Matter makes up everything we can see and even the things we can't see, like the air! Here is a fun chant we are learning about matter. We even have cool hand motions to go with it!

This week we discovered an awesome website called GoNoodle. It is filled with videos that help kids have a "brain break" and they can get up and exercise. Afterwards the kids are more focused and ready to return to their work. I feel more focused too! It is such a nice way to get up and move around during the day! You can try it out for yourself at home. Just visit www.gonoodle.com 

One of our favorites is Maximo's Super Scooper warm-up!

The kids are also huge fans of the Kids Zumba dance videos on GoNoodle!

Next week we will be reading about how life was long ago and comparing it to how life is now. How are things different now compared to when you were a kid? 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

Mrs. Kawai

Lines, shapes and colors

Our field trip for our P.E. day is quickly approaching! For our "Thinker Thursday" this week the kids had to write an opinion piece on what P.E. game I should run for our field day. The kids came up with some great suggestions!

"I am so excited for our field day. I think Mrs. Kawai should pick kickball. You can kick the ball high. You have to get the ball. You have to tag the person. Mrs. Kawai should pick this one."

  

In math we have been learning about comparing numbers. We even learned about the symbols we use when comparing. 

On Friday we did a really cool art project. The kids got really in to it! Everyone drew a heart and then added vertical and hortizontal lines all across the page. They then colored the heart in a checkered pattern and the outside of the heart using different colors but in the same checkered pattern. They all turned out really cool!

That is it for this week! We are all excited for next week when we learn about folk tales!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Kawai 

5 Star Writers

Aloha friends and families!
Hopefully you all had an enjoyable and restful winter break! Over the break I went to California to visit my family and was able to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I was so excited to see sea otters in real life, both at the aquarium and in the wild! The kids asked me if I saw them holding hands while they slept. Unfortunately, I did not :( However, I did get to see them sleeping with the kelp tied around them as well as a mother with her pup!

Since the beginning of the year we have been spending time each morning writing a response to a prompt. We call it our "Morning Message". This quarter we are adding another element to it. Kids will now become the teachers and grade their own writing! This is something that I hope to do at least once a week. We are starting off by grading our own papers, and eventually kids will be grading each other's papers!

Everyone also now has a checklist for their writing taped to their desks. By following the checklist kids can become "5 Star Writers!"

In Language Arts this week we studied the genre of plays. We read a bunch of different plays that were all about how plants change as they grow. It was so much fun to learn how to "read lines" for a character. The kids did a great job! At the end of the week the kids had to pick one play that they either liked or didn't like and give a reason for their opinion. 

"I like the play of Yum Strawberries! I like it because it is sweet. That's why my favorite play is Yum Strawberries!"

"I like the play Corn Fun. I like it because I  always eat corn."

This Monday we have no school in rememberance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We learned a lot about him this week to understand why we are celebrating him. Here are some things that the kids said that they learned:

"I learned about Martin Luther King, Jr help colored people sit in the front of the bus."

"I learned that Dr. Martin Luther King made the white people and black people be together."

"That he changed the world and removed segregation."

As we began a new semester we started a new chapter book for our read aloud time. We are currently reading "Mr. Popper's Penguins". It is a great story about a house painter who loves penguins!

We had TWO assemblies on Friday. One was for Perfect Attendance and the other was our GLO assembly to honor our Quality Producers! Congratulations to ALL the keiki that won those awards!

As a reminder: we have our Field Day down at the old airport gym on Friday, February 13th. If you haven't already, please turn in permission slips and monies by February 6th. 

Hope you all have a fabulous long weekend!

Mrs. Kawai