Hooray for Kindergarten!

Happy first day of Kindergarten!  Kids eased into the room and played a bit before we gathered to talk about the morning plan. From there we went outside and walked the boundary of our space before playing. This was one of many new routines kids learned today, all connected to the school's three values/rules (Be Safe, Kind, and Responsible). For example, while we gather as an entire group, kids are asked to be the "audience", respectfully listening to the performer. When they want to perform, they can raise a hand so that each person can be heard. It was a reminder that what they say is important, so if they all say it at the same time, it will not be possible for us to listen. We talk about this as being responsible and kind during gatherings.

We had snack and Open Mic for the first time soon after returning indoors. A story about my mischievous dog Ollie was the performance for today. We asked kids to raise their hand when they were finished and ask to be excused please. This will be the norm for snack. Soon afterward, we toured the lunch room and playground in anticipation of visiting those spaces for real later in the morning. We read the book Steps and Stones as it both references the playground and demonstrates the power of mindful walking. Mindful walks will be a prominent part of our work toward self-regulation this year.

Lunch and recess were next, and afterward Ms. Caylee unveiled the pond set-up in the water table and we offered clay. Check out all the photos here! Upon cleaning up, the kids joined Mrs. Clopton in the Library for the first time! We had a second snack, watched the Kindness Boomerang and the group shared some observations (see below). With that as our foundation, we headed back out one last time after cleaning the room. See you tomorrow!