Apple Pickin'

What a day yesterday!  On the way to school the sky was looking ominous.  Not something you'd necessarily like to see when you are going to an outdoor field trip.

Sure enough, by the time I parked at school the rain was POURING.  Thankfully, I keep an umbrella in the car and, even better, it was within reach.  The thing about Arizona rain, is it can pour for a few minutes ridiculously hard and then stop.  Luckily for us, this was the case.  We had a FABULOUS time at the orchard picking and tasting apples.  The kinders were able to eat an apple just by wiping it off, because this orchard does not use any pesticides.  Some of my littles ate MORE than one and I really hope they do not get an upset stomach. (This thought sparking due to an incident my teammate had with a kiddo a few years ago).  After the orchard, we at lunch at a nearby park and boy did the kids have fun running around and playing with their friends.

I am looking forward to Monday (wait what?!). But really I am.  We have another week of apple fun to embark on, and it will start with an apple investigation on Monday. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Apples, Apples, Apples

No matter what we are learning about, we are always pretty busy in kindergarten land.   This past week is no different.  I was not at work Monday, but the kids had a BLAST with their sub (who is a regular at our school and fabulous) and everybody's favorite cat, PETE!  I used Donna Conway's Pete the Cat Emergency Sub Plans Freebie.  We have been busy learning how to read and spell color words, and spending a day with Pete, was perfect.  On a little side note, during centers this week, the kids get to listen to Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons and they are SO excited.

To prepare for our field trip coming up this Friday to the apple orchard, we have been reading books about apples, completing a tree map and stamping apple prints on bags so they are set for us to put the apples we pick in.  I love kindergarten art.  Each bag is unique, some are very organized and some are, let's call them abstract.  We will continue our apple theme next week, as we did not have time to get to everything this week.  Part of the challenge is having some kids who are half day students and some who are full day.

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Apple Stamping

Tree Map.  Students had a paper version and we did this together.

During centers in the afternoon, we have eight centers; seven of which are apple themed.  I created these centers last year, by perusing the internet and recreating the ideas I liked.  I forgot to take pictures while the kiddos were working today, so I will have to share them later.

Next week will include our apple investigation, taste test and graphing, an art project that shows an apple tree through each season, a science experiment on keeping apples from turning brown and APPLICIOUS DAY!  Applicious Day is a fun, apple filled morning.  Each of the kinder teachers hosts a different activity in her room and the kids rotate to each throughout the morning.  This awesome day came about last year when the Monday before our Thursday field trip, we found out the small orchard we go to was cleaned out the week before.


Off to do a few things then bed for this teacher... have to be ready for our first field trip tomorrow!

Welcome!

Finally, finally, finally I am starting my kinder blog. A friend and I have been talking about starting teaching blogs for a very long while now, and while she has gotten a great (head) start on me [Check it out here!], I am excited to see this come to fruition. A quick get to know me. I am a kindergarten teacher but have not always been. I have taught first grade and fourth grade as well. While every grade level has it's perks and reason I have loved them, there is something about kindergarten that just holds a very special place in my heart. I love what I get to do everyday and who I get to spend my days with. There is NEVER a dull moment in kindergarten....ever.

 I LOVE following blogs and love getting to share ideas with others across the country. I am excited to have more time to do this as the last two years I was a full time grad student working towards my Master's degree in Educational Technology. I am SO VERY EXCITED to say I received my degree this past May and while I do not have the access I would like at work, I can't wait to eventually get to utilize all the cool tools and resources I learned about in those two years and share that knowledge.

This is my seventh year of teaching (I still can't believe it's been that many years!) but my fourth year in kindergarten. I have lived in Tucson, AZ my whole life but LOVE to travel, especially if I am traveling to a beach! I am an Arizona WILDCAT through and through, earning both my Bachelor's and Master's degree through the University of Arizona. I love polka dots and things that sparkle...to name just a few things. "Let the wild rumpus begin!"