Kindergarten May 7th

May 7, 2014

Commencement Ritual: Lighting of Candle – 

"Jesus is the Light of the world, a light no darkness can put out"

Prayer: Morning Offering

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father, Pope Francis.  Amen.

Pledge of Allegiance

Poetry	Remember the title and author of the new poem? Listen to it again. Listen to 1st stanza. - Once reminded of the title, he started reciting it, needed just a few reminders at the beginning of some lines.
Phonics	Lesson 6, Tasks 4-6, Lesson 7, Task 1
Handwriting	no handwriting today
Religion	Read 5th through 7th days of creation. Stop after each day and ask what God created on that day. During breakfast listened to the Glory Story of Blessed José Sánches del Río "My Battle Name is José Luís!" Volume IX by Holy Heroes We watched Let's Pray! A Lesson on Prayer (by popular demand)
Art	Look at more works of art and discussed "Virgin in Forest" by Henri Rousseau, 1910 "Dragonfly with Red Wing-tips in Pursuit of a Serpent Gliding in a Spiral towards the Comet Star" by Joan Miró, 1951 "Edward the VI as a Child" by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1538-1539 "Hunters in the Snow" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1565
Literature	We visited the Library today!  A Poor Excuse for a Dragon By Geoffrey Hayes Batman the Brave and the Bold: The Eyes of Despero by Jake Black The Berenstain Bears Lemonade Stand By Mike Berenstain Flat Stanley at Bat by Jeff Brown Bolt My Hero by Apple Jordan Hiccup the Hero by Catherine Hapka Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin by Susan Hill Danny, the Brave Knight by Yonit Werber Hippo Goes Bananas! by Marjorie Dennis Murray The Three Little Tamales by Eric A Kimmel Keep Going! A Guide to Facing Obstacles for Kids by Mayra A Diaz We watched Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff, and The Island of the Skogg by Steven Kellogg
Music	The prayer songs in Let's Pray!  A Lesson on Prayer - A Brother Francis DVD
Science	Observe and care of Forest Tent Caterpillar moth
Math	Continue exploring the clock Watched the first video of Math U See Primer

HomeEc                         We ate tamales that goes with the book, The Three Little Tamales by Eric A
                                       Kimmel. We also worked on 

Closing Prayer: St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, 
defend us in battle. 
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 
and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 
by the power of God, 
thrust into hell Satan, 
and all the evil spirits, 
who prowl about the world 
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

Closing Ritual: Blow out the candle

Kindergarten May 6th

May 6 – Feast of St. Dominic Savio

Commencement Ritual: Lighting of Candle – Jesus is the Light of the world, a light no darkness can put out

Prayer: Morning Offering

Pledge of Allegiance

Poetry	“Bed in Summer” by Robert Louis Stephenson - just needed a bit of prompting at the beginning of a few stanzas, will continue to practice this poem until he gets it and illustrates it.
Phonics	Lesson 7, tasks 1 - 4 - struggled a bit with task 4, rhyming, will review again tomorrow
Handwriting	One page of handwriting book - worked on letter A
Religion	Ask what God created on the first day, second day, and so on. On a piece of art paper ask him to draw what God made on each day to make a Bible Book. St. Dominic Savio coloring page available, but didn't color.
Math	Explore the clock again, will continue this for a few weeks.
Literature	Read about St. Dominic Savio  and Dragon Pizzeria" by Mary Morgan - it covers a variety of fairy tales for the children to guess as we hear about the calls for the various odd pizza orders.
Music	Class today – includes movement, instruments, and animals

Impromptu Science: We found a spider on the floor in the kitchen and put it into an observation container for a few hours, then released it into a flower patch. Continued observation and care of the Forrest Tent caterpillar - one caterpillar makes a lot of scat.

Closing Prayer: To St. Dominic Savio

O St. Dominic Savio, model of purity, piety, penance and apostolic zeal for youth; grant that, through your intercession, we may serve God in our ordinary duties with fervent devotion and attain the grace of holy joy on earth, that we may one day love God forever in Heaven.

Amen.

Closing Ritual: Blow out the candle

First Day of Kindergarten May 5, 2014

Ritual: Light a candle and say: "Jesus is the light of the world, a light no darkness can put out."

Prayer: Sang "This little light of mine" and said the "Morning Offering"

Pledge of Allegiance

Poetry	“Rain” By Robert Louis Stephenson - already has it memorized from listening to "A Children's Garden of Verses" (Dover Publications), he wrote the first half of it in his composition book and drew a picture of it (see art)
Phonics	Lesson 6: review of long e, s, short a, and m in "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" (we started this a while back, and then backed off for a little)
Handwriting	Letter practice: copied my writing of "Rain" by R. L. S.  "The rain is raining all around. It falls on…"
Religion	Story of Creation – day 1 – 4 Incorporated geography by identifying land masses and water in the atlas. Sts. Joseph Cupertino and Padre Pio with science - matter and God (taken from Kindergarten Science for Young Catholics - Seton Press) Care of creation with tent caterpillar moth Listened to Gregorian chants throughout lessons Listened to "O Come, Little Children" and "Tantum Ergo"
Art	Drew picture of "Rain" by R. L. S. Talk about pictures "The Swing" by Jean Fragonard, 1766 - ID'd picture as one in "Frozen" - ID'd it can go with R. L. S.'s poem, "The Swing" - Found images - putti/cherub, shushing statue, puppy, garden tools, two men "Floral Still Life" by Joseph Nigg - ID'd flowers - ID'd fruits - observed how juicy the grapes look and how he just wants to pick it off the page and eat it. "Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh, 1888 - contemplated how it made him feel: sad "A Young Hare" by Albrecht Durer, 1502 - when he saw this, he jumped around like a rabbit and started singing "Springs" from music class Coloring Pages: St. Padre Pio St. Joseph Cupertino The Saint coloring pages are for when they need some quiet time during the day - separate from class and want to color - this relates to our science
Literature	Read "Lentil" by Robert McCloskey I had him pick out which book he wanted to read from my "literature" shelf [no twaddle (Charlotte Mason reference) - that is for after class! He loves his I Can Read Phonics Fun Superman - and other superhero books, but I think they shouldn't be part of class time yet - although we still go over the letter sounds when reading it)
Science	Can it float? discussed matter, made hypotheses, observations and conclusions (Scientific process) Care and observation of tent caterpillar moth I showed them the "poop" and changed out the leaves. We captured this little guy two days ago, and it's still going strong
Music	Gregorian Chants (played as soft background music) O Come, Little Children  Tantum Ergo
Math	Explore the clock - Melissa & Doug product I explained briefly what the minute and hour hand meant, and answered his questions until he was bored of it, approximately 3 minutes.

Closing Prayer: St. Michael the Archangel

Closing Ritual: Blow out the candle to end class

Happy May! Library book posting

Dragon Pizzeria
By Mary Morgan
ISBN: 978-0-375-82309-1

Once upon a time, two dragons decided to open a pizza shop. BeBop loved to cook. He wanted to make pizzas. Spike liked to go fast. The faster he went, the better he liked it. So he would deliver the pizzas.
The news spread quickly.

Brriiing! Brriiing!Hello, Dragon Pizzeria. This is Spike. What would you like?One giant pizza to Beanstalk Castle? Five pizzas with gumdrops to the Witch's Gingerbread House?

Join BeBop in the kitchen as he fires up culinary delights and follow spike as he roller-skates, unicycles, and hot-air-balloons around Fairy Tale Land!
Mary Morgan combines two kid-favorites (Pizza! Dragons! Dragons who make pizza!) and a simple fairy-tale guessing game into one bright and inviting pizza picture book.

So Many Days 
By Alison McGhee
Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5857-4

You are stronger than you know.
You are wilder than you know.
You are braver than you know.

And you are capable of more than you could ever imagine.
Life is full of surprises, big and small, both along the roads we take and where these winding paths eventually lead us. So Many Days reminds you to notice all the joy and love along the way, because it's all there, helping to bring out the strongest, wildest, bravest YOU.

Moon Plane
By Peter McCarty
ISBN: 0-8050-7943-2

Above the clouds an airplane flies into the sky.On the ground a small boy looks up.

When a small boy sees an airplane in the sky, he imagines what fun it would be to fly it all the way to the moon---but only if he's home in time for his mother to tuck him into bed!

Until Daddy Comes Home 
By Gary Metivier
Illustrated by Robert Rath
ISBN: 9781455618903

"I'll love you always, near or far,
We'll do our parts and keep strong hearts.
I'll throw a kiss to where you are."

Ashley misses her daddy. He's gone away to protect the nation, but knowing how brave her father is doesn't make his absence any easier. Ashley and her father make a secret pledge that they whisper every day after saying the Pledge of Allegiance, ending by throwing a kiss to the American flag. The pledge is supposed to keep Ashley strong until her father returns, but every little thing reminds her that he isn't home.
Ashley's dad made everything special. It's harder for Ashley to do homework without his silly flashcards. Breakfast isn't as much fun without secret dollops of chocolate syrup in her milk. And, although Ashley's mother helps her practice the Two-Step, no Daddy-Daughter Valentine Dance could be the same without her father there. Ashley says their secret pledge every day, but will she stay strong until Daddy comes home?

I'm Sorry 
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Jennifer Eachus
ISBN: 0-06-02868-5

I have a friend I love the best.

Having a best friend makes life so much better. But even best friends fight, and when that happens, "I'm sorry" is the hardest thing to say.
From internationally acclaimed author Sam McBratney and award-winning illustrator Jennifer Eachus comes a sensitive picture book that will strike a chord with every child who has quarreled with a friend.

Tikki Tikki Tembo 
By Arlene Mosel
Illustrated by Blair Lent
ISBN: 0-8050-0662-1

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!
Three decades and more than one million copies later, children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

Adele & Simon 
By Barbara McClintock
ISBN: 978-0-374-38044-9

When Simon's older sister, Adele, picks him up from school, he has his hat and gloves and scarf and sweater, his coat and knapsack and books and crayons, and a drawing of a cat he made that morning. Adele makes Simon promise to try not to lose anything. But as they make their way home, distractions cause Simon to leave some of his things behind. What will they tell their mother?
Barbara McClintock's detailed pen-and-ink drawings--filled with soft watercolors--make a game of this unforgettable tour through the streets and scenes of early-twentieth-century Paris in a timeless story of a small child who can't remember to hold onto his belongings.

Baby Bear 
By Kadir Nelson
ISBN: 978-0-06-224172-6

Baby Bear is lost and trying to find his way home. As he wanders through the forest, he meets other animals who offer wise advice.

Trust yourself.Listen to your heart.Sing a song.Retrace your steps.

As each encounter moves Baby Bear farther along on his journey, he gains courage and the comforting feeling that he is loved and never alone.
With poetic text and stunning illustrations, Baby Bear is a powerful addition to the canon of timeless picture-book classics.

Winston the Book Wolf 
By Marni McGee & Ian Beck
ISBN: 9780802795694

Winston the Wolf has a very big appetite and his favorite thing to eat is a book! Can Winston learn that eating words is not the only way to enjoy them? Find out in this tasty morsel of a story.

Very Short Tall Tales to Read Together 
By Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by Michael Emberley
ISBN: 978-0-316-18329-1

This book is full of funny tales
That are both short and tall.
I'll read to you,
you'll read to me.
Until we've read them all.

Mary Ann Hoberman and Michael Emberley join forces again to bring tall tales to their bestselling and award-winning series. Rediscover familiar legends and find new favorites in this irresistible sixth You Read to Me collection. These stories of heroic American folklore characters, including Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and Annie Oakley, are tales as you've never seen them before!
With clear, color-coded typography and comical illustrations, this book "in two voices" uses traditional techniques for teaching reading---alliteration, rhyme, and repetition---to invite young children to read along with peers or with an adult.

The Egg Tree 
By Katherine Milhous
ISBN: 0-684-12716-4

Katy and Carl spent a wonderful Easter on a Pennsylvania farm with their cousins and Grandmom. They took part in their first Easter Egg hunt which turned out to be most exciting when Katy found something special in the attic.
What Katy finds, and what grandmother does about it, makes a charming story. Out of it comes the Egg Tree with hundreds of colored Easter eggs on its branches.

Yes We Can! 
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Charles Fuge
ISBN: 978-0-06-121515-5

Little Roo and his friends usually have a great time playing together, but not today. They are too busy making fun of each other. When everyone is left in bad moods, Little Roo's wise mother comes up with an idea that might just help the threesome make amends.
Sam McBratney, best-selling author of Guess How Much I Love You, shows the importance of celebrating individual talents in this adorable tale of fun and friendship.

 See Me Dig 
By Paul Meisel
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2743-7

The dogs dig and dig.
They find a box.
What's in it?

If you like this book, you will also like See Me Run. It won an award!
{King Peter likes reading this book!}

The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare 
By Sam McBratney
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5896-0

In these four stories, Little Nutbrown Hare discovers some exciting places. He climbs the Hiding Tree, escapes from the mists on Cloudy Mountain, and ventures to the Far Field on his own. And he finds that coming home is best of all, because Big Nutbrown Hare is there.

You're All My Favorites 
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Anita Jeram
ISBN: 0-7636-2442-X

Once upon a time, a Mommy Bear and a Daddy Bear told their three little cubs that they were the best baby bears in the whole wide world. But the time came when each of the siblings began to wonder. They couldn't all be the best. They couldn't all be favorites. Or could they?
Ten years after the publication of Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram have teamed up once again to provide a delightfully generous helping of family affection, hour, and loving reassurance.

A Closer Look 
By Mary McCarthy
ISBN: 978-0-06-124074-4

Open your eyes.
Open your mind.
Open your imagination. 

Look! 

What do you see?

Mary McCarthy's beautiful handmade-paper collages will transport young children on a journey of discovery.

Farm Babies 
By Jacqueline McQuade
ISBN: 0-8069-7539-3

Babies and toddlers will love this collection of farm baby animals. Enjoy the simple, informative text and the rich, warm paintings.

Small Babies 
By Jacqueline McQuade
ISBN: 0-8069-7541-5

Babies and toddlers will love this collection of farm baby animals. Enjoy the simple, informative text and the rich, warm paintings.

The Passover Lamb Based on a true story 
By Linda Elovitz Marshall
Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
ISBN: 978-0-375-97106-8

"A charming account of how one family captured the Passover spirit."
-Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People