Mystery Reader

Each year, Kindergarteners are delighted to have their parents show up to share a story with the class. Parents do a great job of keeping these times a secret so that students have no idea who is going to show up each Wednesday morning to read to our class. This week marked the beginning of this tradition in Kindergarten and the students were so excited! 

Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch

Young pumpkin enthusiasts were excited to go to the Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch on Monday. Kindergarteners were thrilled to start their study trip by participating in a haunted hay ride. Spiders, witches, ghosts, and skeletons were seen by all. Kindergarteners learned all about the life cycle of a pumpkin. They used their bodies to act out each part. Kindergarteners then got a chance to go into the patch to pick a pumpkin of their choice. It was so funny to see the children trying to pick up and carry the biggest pumpkin they could find. Students then jumped on a gigantic trampoline, went down a inflatable slide, and cheered each other on while going down the longest, fastest tube slide. We had the best time! Ask your Kindergartener what their favorite part was.

Honoring our Amygdala

Kindergarten students have been exploring Mindful Awareness during our Minds Up lessons this week. They have learned about the functions of 3 parts of the brain, the hippocampus, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. This week, we focused on the amygdala and how our minds work.

Kindergarteners learned that the “security guard”, or the part of their brain, that keeps them safe is their amygdala. The job of the amygdala is to protect us and to process danger quickly and efficiently in order to keep us safe. When faced with danger, or a stressful situation, our amygdala tells us to fight, flight, or freeze. The Minds Up curriculum empowers students and provides them with knowledge to understand how their minds work. Kindergarteners discussed ways to deal with our minds when we have very strong emotions or stress. Students learned about calming techniques such as deep breathing, positive self-talk and shared their own strategies with peers.

This allows students to feel a sense of control and ownership over the decisions they make. As we dive deeper into mindfulness, kindergarteners will build on what they know about the brain.

Important Dates:

• Friday, October 28^th Pumpkin Presentation and Festival at 2:00 
• Monday, October 31^st Halloween Carnival (Dismissal @ 11:30)
• Friday, November 4^th Parent Lunch 11:00-11:30