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School Information:
Pittsfield Elementary (Website)
2543 Pittsfield Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-997-1218
Teacher Contact Info:
Jen Duman
duman@aaps.k12.mi.us
…or should I say we are glad we finally made it to the apple orchard 
After some bus scheduling “glitches,”our bus arrived, and we made it to the apple orchard a bit late. Wasem’s staff took it in stride and hustled us in for our tour. Students got to walk in to the HUGE refrigerator, see how apple cider is made, and see how apples are sorted. We then sampled some delicious cider and doughnuts (YUM!). Next, we went out to the big white tent and taste tested several apples. We ended our trip by hiking out to the apple orchard and picking 5 Golden Prime apples each! The weather was great, the kids were excited (and well behaved!) and all in all it was a wonderful trip! Thank you to all of our parent chaperones, we couldn’t have done it without you!
Ahoy, Matey! Happy Monday! We had a busy day today, even though t’ weather was drizzly and dafty. At t’ end o’ t’ day we read t’ story “Tough Boris” by Mem Fox in celebration o’ Talk Like a Pirate Day! Many thanks t’ Cameron and his mom for providin’ t’ pirate eye patches. Arrrr…have a splendid evenin’
Today we talked about Constitution Day. Federal Law mandates that all schools who receive federal funds hold an educational program on September 17 of every year, to honor and celebrate the privileges and responsibilities of US citizenship, and commemorate the signing of the constitution. At the kindergarten level, we talked about what authority is, and why it is important to have authority in society. We did this through a story about an imaginary society called Bubble Land. We connected this story to the constitution as a set of rules to help organize the government and its leaders.
Students really seemed to enjoy the story, and the discussion which ensued. They did a good job understanding about authority in the story, and applying it to the school setting.
We also said goodbye to our Monarch butterfly today, as we set it free. Students were amazed with how high it flew!
The Butterfly flew SO high (can you see it?!)
Goodbye Butterfly!
You should have gotten a message/text/email from Pittsfield today about the upcoming NWEA test. The NWEA is a national standardized test that will be given three times a year. It is a computer-based test assessing skills in Reading and Math. The first session of testing begins next week. Our class will begin our reading testing next Tuesday and Wednesday, and finish the math testing on Monday and Tuesday, September 26 and 27.
Today we took the practice test, which taught students how to use the computer during the test. As you may imagine, a standardized computer test in kindergarten presents it’s own challenges. Students enjoyed using the computers, as this was their first time. We will review how to take the test again tomorrow as a whole class, and answer any questions.
Below is a link to the parent toolkit. This has many great suggestions for helping your child prepare for the test, as well as providing some helpful websites at the end. I encourage you to check it out. Please contact me if you have any questions.
http://www.nwea.org/sites/www.nwea.org/files/resources/ParentToolkit.pdf
Today was a great day! Amelia brought in a chrysalis last week, and students had been eagerly awaiting the emergence of a Monarch Butterfly. Unfortunately, we missed all the wiggling and action, but when students arrived this morning, there was the butterfly. Yet nobody noticed. You would think their morning work would spark them to think “Why are we coloring a Monarch Butterfly,” or at least go to look for any progress. Yet it wasn’t until about halfway into calendar activities that one of the kids yelled “Hey, the butterfly came out!” Just another magical day in kindergarten! Thanks for sharing such a special thing with us Amelia!
Well, we have the first day of school under our belts, and it was a great day! Students have begun learning each others’ names, played and shared together, drew self-portraits, and had recess. Lunch went smoothly for all, as did pickups at the end of the day. All in all, a smashing success! Now to start again tomorrow…rest up!
Below you will find a video a parent shared with me about the first day of kindergarten, enjoy!
Twas’ the night before kindergarten,
And all through the school,
The classrooms were straightened,
Each pencil and tool.
The classroom was set,
A chill in the air,
With hopes happy children,
Soon would be there!
No matter how many years pass, there is a certain anxious anticipation that comes with the first day of school! It was wonderful having the opportunity to meet so many families at our picnic and assessment days, it really helps to put the faces with the names on the class list. Here is a sneak peek of the classroom…see you all tomorrow!
It was wonderful seeing so many of you all at our Kindergarten Picnic! This was our first time holding a picnic before school started, and so far we have gotten many positive responses to it. We also have areas to improve (i.e. quicker hot dog grilling! ) and would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to email me at duman@aaps.k12.mi.us with any suggestions you may have.
