I cannot believe that our kindergarten year together is over! These kiddos have amazed and impressed me all year with their growth and learning.  Today we spent some time going down memory lane, sharing our favorite memories of our year together.  It is so hard for me to pick one favorite part of kindergarten, becuase I truly love kindergarten and all that it entails, but one of my very favorite things is that we start every day with a song of the month that we learn together.  It’s such a wonderful way to start our day together.  I used some of our morning songs in our rememberance of our year together.  Click below to watch.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zPfib9nxtjWdpaC7qywTpmhhbhPNWDYl/view?usp=sharing

And, because I said that the singing was one of my favorite parts of kindergarten, here is one of our favorite songs.  Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10bWhDEX-g36XaZQFKAjUSQ3oNb-VkvCB/view?usp=sharing

And, on our last day together, we sang one of our favorites:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfGJLQ38lLIdLbQK8fpUNX6M14Sb9k51/view?usp=sharing

Keep singing and have a wonderful summer!

Be Persistent!
Overview: Persistence is the continuous effort to do or achieve something even when faced with barriers, obstacles, hurdles, snags and stumbling blocks.

Assembly Read Aloud: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

When the Bus Driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you’ve never met a pigeon like this one before.

Songs on YouTube About Persistence:

Books on YouTube About Persistence:

Our school is participating in a fun reading project: the Read for the Rockland Boulders’ Record Reading Challenge, sponsored by the Rockland Boulders, Scholastic Book Fairs, Active International and NY’s 529 College Savings Program. This Reading Challenge unites students from Rockland and surrounding counties in an attempt to establish a habit of independent reading at home.

The Reading Challenge begins Monday, April 1, 2019 and concludes Thusday, April 18, 2019. The following are the prizes that will be awarded for certain milestones:

o Single – read at least 400 minutes: A participation certificate plus 2 tickets for a specified Boulder’s game.

o Double – read at least 600 minutes: A participation certificate plus 4 tickets for a specified Boulder’s game

o Triple – read at least 800 minutes: A participation certificate plus 4 tickets for a specified Boulders game plus an additional 4 tickets for any Boulders home game on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in August.

o Home Run – read 1200 or more minutes: A participation certificate plus 4 tickets for specified Boulder’s game plus 4 tickets for any Boulders home game on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in August and first pitch at a specified Boulder’s home game with T-Shirt.

o Top Overall Reader: recognition at a Boulder’s game on field, autographed baseball and photo with manager and Boulder Bird.

*Student prizes are as listed and not cumulative.

*All Ticket vouchers will be dated for June 18th OR 19th at 7:00 pm (you choose your game)

*First pitch opportunity June 18th or 19th (choose 1).

Students will be given a Rockland Boulders log sheet the number of minutes read outside of school each day MUST be recorded and signed by a parent or guardian. Students should return their reading logs to the library on April 4th, April 11th and April 18th. Please be sure to sign your child’s reading log. No logs will be accepted after Thursday, April 18, 2019.

The results will be reported to Scholastic Book Fairs who in turn will work with the Rockland Boulders to distribute the prizes.

Here are a few simple ways to help your child become a record-breaking reader:

* Set a goal together and encourage reading with library visits, story time at home, and conversations about books. Let your child see you reading.

* Encourage your child to participate and track reading minutes in the reading log provided for this purpose.

* Limit screen time. The more time children spend using electronic devices and watching television, the less they read.

*Visit the local “Mighty Five Libaries”.

Be flexible!
“You can’t control the wind but you can adjust the sails!”
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Russet is a 3 year old English Bulldog who seems to be having some trouble fitting her bone through the doggy door. However, with much effort and some flexible thinking Russet finds success!

Assembly Read Aloud: Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes

Chester and Wilson are two of a kind, and do everything together and in their very own rigid ways. Then wacky Lilly moves into the neighborhood and turns their world upside down.

Books About Flexibility:

Sing Songs About Flexibility:

Teachers,
As always, please feel free to change any part of this post. Below is the html code for

March Word of the Month: Flexibility
Read About Flexibility with books from YouTube!





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Today we learned about polar bears and ways that we can help save the polar bears and the earth!

We read the true story of Knut and learned about polar bears and how Knut was saved by the zookeepers at the Berlin Zoo.  You can find out more about Knut here .

Then we found out more about polar bears and learned that as the earth is changing, the polar bears are having more and more difficulty in finding food and may become extinct if things do not change for them.  We found out that there are many easy things that we can do to help the earth and help the polar bears.

We can plant a tree.

We can turn off lights when we leave a room.

We can try to walk or bike to places when we are able, instead of riding in a car.

We can remind our parents to unplug electrical devices and chargers when they are not in use.

We can reduce, reuse and recycle.

For more information, check out WWF here.

To find out more about polar bears, click here.

To find out more about helping the earth, click here.

Compassion: Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Be compassionate!

Assembly Read Aloud: We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

I know I can’t change the way I look. But maybe, just maybe, people can change the way they see . . .Wonder is the unforgettable story of August Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. …

Read Other Books About Compassion:

Sing Songs about Compassion:

Listen to Books about Compassion on YouTube:

GO OUT AND CHANGE THE WORLD….

Optimism: Optimism is the ability to remain hopeful and confident about the future or successful outcome of something. Be positive!

Assembly Read Aloud: Spin by Rebecca Janni

Go for a spin up a hill—when the story of a bike ride becomes an inspirational journey.Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” Ride along up and down the hills and valleys of this bike ride.

Sing Songs About OPTIMISM!

Read About OPTIMISM with books from YouTube!

We have been learning about the Mood Meter  in our school.  The Mood Meter is designed to help us learn to recognize emotions, in ourselves and others, with increasing subtlety and to develop strategies for regulating (or managing) those emotions. It provides us with a “language” to talk about our feelings.

How it works

The Mood Meter is a square divided into four quadrants — red, blue, green, and yellow — each representing a different set of feelings. Different feelings are grouped together on the Mood Meter based on their pleasantness and energy level.

▪ RED feelings: high in energy and low in pleasantness (e.g., angry, scared, and anxious);
▪ BLUE feelings: low in energy and low in pleasantness (e.g., sad, disappointed, and lonely);
▪ GREEN feelings: low in energy and high in pleasantness (e.g., calm, tranquil, and relaxed);
▪ YELLOW feelings: high in energy and high in pleasantness (e.g., happy, excited, and curious).

STOP! Looks like you could use a Meta-Moment!

The Meta-Moment is a tool that helps us press the pause button between a challenging feeling and our first impulse. “The Meta-Moment helps you prolong the space in time between when you are triggered and when you respond,” explains Robin Stern, psychologist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Studies have shown that people who use the Meta-Moment tool on a regular basis report using more effective emotion regulation strategies and experience less stress, anxiety, and frustration.

The idea is that instead of reacting impulsively — and potentially making the situation worse — you use your breath to calm down, which allows your brain to think clearly about your options. But it’s not just about calming down or taking a break from the conflict at hand. The Meta-Moment also asks you to think about the person you aspire to be: your “best self.”

Be kind!

K is for kindness! It’s a simple word, it’s true, but it’s amazing what a word can do! How will you be kind today? Small actions make a big difference! Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. PASS IT ON!

Assembly Read Aloud: Pass It On by Sophy Henn

When you see something terrific, smile a smile and pass it on! If you chance upon a chuckle, hee hee hee and pass it on. Should you spot a thing of wonder, jump for joy and Pass It On!

Read More Books About Kindness!

• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
• Come With Me by Holly McGhee
• Pass it On by Sophy Henn
• Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler
• Heartprints by PK Hallinan
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• I Like Your Buttons by Sarah Marwil Lamstein
• How Full is Your Bucket? (for kids) by Tom Rath
• What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
• Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss
• Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
• Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen
• The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber
• Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein

Sing Songs About Kindness!

Read About Kindness with books from YouTube!




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