The Cooper School Daily

Donald Crews, Buildings and Pilgrims, Oh MY!!!

Discovering More About Donald Crews

Kindergarten readers continued exploring their author study on Donald Crews. This week, Kindergarteners explored the many ways that good readers approach books. Kindergarten readers used Donald Crews books to examine how authors use different fonts to make readers pay attention. Readers practiced reading and then retelling the major events from the beginning, middle, and end of their books to sequence events. Students learned that good readers use picture clues to read words and tell the stories and that sometimes books can teach us about numbers and math! It has been a lovely week exploring the joys of reading and learning about Donald Crews’ collection of books.

American College of Building Arts

On Thursday, Kindergarteners had the opportunity to visit the American College of the Building Arts. Kindergarteners learned that the new campus building used to be a trolley barn and has been sitting vacant for over thirty years before the college recently renovated it. Building enthusiasts toured the library and looked at a pop-up Gaudi architecture book. There was a lot of OOH’s and AHH’s as our tour guide showed us each picture. Kindergarteners were then shown various tools like an ax, a paver, a saw, and a hand screw. Kindergarteners then toured the different parts of the college.  img_5970

Students were introduced to plaster molds, brickwork, and intricate woodwork that had pegs to connect them or that looked like jigsaw puzzles. Kindergarteners were able to watch blacksmiths forging different metals into nails and hammering them into shapes. They loved seeing the sparks fly (One friend said, “The sparks look like fireworks!) Students then got to learn all about stonework outside by a student named Daniella. Daniella shared how she takes a mallet and a chisel and uses both to shape the stone. She said that it is a very slow process. Kindergarteners got to touch the mallet and the different pieces of stone. Students were given nails, a hook, three pieces of plaster work, and a piece of wood that the children can take apart and put back together like a puzzle. We can’t wait to touch and investigate more with these great objects. img_4201

Pondering the Pilgrim Experience

This week, curious Kindergarteners took a look into the lives’ of brave pilgrims. Students have been busy discovering reasons why the pilgrims came to America, where they came from, how they got here and what their long journey may have been like. We have also been discussing the pilgrim experience and relationships with Native Americans.

Kindergarten listened to the book, The Thanksgiving Story, during read-aloud this week. They celebrated the launch of this exciting topic by sharing what they learned about pilgrims. Kindergarteners have been busy writing and illustrating facts about pilgrims and reading pilgrim books during learning centers this week. Ask your kindergartener what they have learned about pilgrims this week!

Important Dates:

  • Tuesday, November 22nd Harvest Feast and Concert 11:30 Dismissal
  • Wednesday-Friday, November 23-25th Thanksgiving Break