'07 Holiday Parties...

We had our Holiday Parties last week. A big THANKS to all the parents who worked hard to make our parties fun.
A.M. Class:

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P.M. Class:

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Warm Wishes...

The A.M. and P.M. classes put together this Voicethread to share our wishes for the Holidays!

If you are unable to see our faces, try clicking here for a larger viewer:
Warm Wishes. Be safe and enjoy the Holidays!


(All images courtsey of: SpacePotato @ Flickr.com via FlickrStorm)

Gingerbread Kids...

We have been enjoying several versions of the Gingerbreadman stories. We made these "Gingerbread Kid Glyphs". The rules for the glyph were: If you are a girl, make BLUE eyes. If you are a boy, make BLACK eyes. If you are 5 years old, make RED buttons. If you are 6 years old make GREEN buttons. The rest of the decorations were up to each child. Look at our Gingerbread Kids and see if you can tell if a girl or boy made it, and if the child was 5 or 6 years old. Have fun!

See our link to the right for more Gingerbread Fun, but hurry, the Gingerbread site will run away soon!

Hokey Pokey...

Milly at Manaia Kindergarten made a video of the Hokey Tokey. We really enjoyed watching it. In America, we have a song that is VERY similar. We call it the Hokey Pokey! Our friends in Ms. Frandsen's class (Room 103) joined us in the commons to dance. We made a video to share with our New Zealand friends. We hope you like it Milly!

Ice Storm...

Yesterday we didn't have school because there was lots of ice. We decided to make a chant for our charts about it. We used Flickr Storm to find images of ice storms and the morning class voted for the picture. The afternoon class recorded the chant at Voice thread. You can also print out a copy to read along with us at home. Click here to download or print out a copy: Ice Storm Chant.

Mrs. Wishy-Washy...

This is our first "play" from a book we read in class. The book is called: "Mrs. Wishy-Washy" by Joy Cowley. It was real cute and funny. Just watch our videos and see...
(A.M. Class,):
(If the video doesn't work, Click here: Mrs. Wishy-Washy (A.M.).

(P.M. Class.):

If the video doesn't work, click here: Mrs. Wishy-Washy (P.M.)

Holiday Sing 2007

After many weeks of rehersals, we finally had our big event last night. Everyone looked so nice! If anyone was nervous, it didn't show. Voices rang loud and clear. You should all be so proud! Thanks to Miss Ellis for another successful Holiday Sing.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

First Snow...

Overnight we got the first REALLY GOOD snow of the season. (Just in time for our Holiday Sing tonight). We know that our friends in New Zealand and in other parts of the world don't get to see or play in the snow, so we made this show to share with you...
If this video isn't working properly try going to this link: First Snow

Nutkin in New Zealand...

Our friends at Manaia Kindergarten are showing Nutkin a really good time in his new surroundings in New Zealand. Rohan invited Nutkin to spend the weekend with him. He took lots of photos and made an adorable video to share with us. Thanks Rohan your video is GREAT! Mania Kindergarten is also looking for input on naming Emma's bunny. Be sure to cast your vote for the name you think fits the baby bunny. Thanks again Friends!

Math Wiki...

We recently joined a math WIKI group called Primary Math. It is a site set up for primary classrooms to share their math learning with other classrooms across the world. Please take a few minutes to visit the site. Be sure to take a look at "Patterns We Wear", "Colour Patterns" and "Patterns We Made" to see some of our contributions. Be sure to bookmark the site as we will continue adding things as the year goes on.

Light Green...

About a month ago we participated in "BLOG ACTION DAY". With that we shared our thoughts to do more to help save the earth. In keeping with our desire to be more careful with our environment and what we can do to help, we are going "LIGHT GREEN". Over the Thanksgiving break, the kids were told to check out which light gets the most use at home. We spent time today learning about the effects of using a regular light bulb vs. the CFL light. We like to call it the "CURLY FRY LIGHT" because it reminds us of Curly Fries. ;-). We learned it takes a LOT of regular bulbs to do what the CFL light can do.
The Home Depot store on Rt. 59 & Stearns Rd. in Bartlett, donated a CFL light for every kindergarten student at Spring Trail. We hope to replace the old blub at home that gets the most use with the new CFL bulb. From our little home survey we found out that most people use the light in the kitchen the most.
We really appreciate the help of Home Depot in getting our families started on the road to GREEN. Please be sure to thank them the next time you go there to shop!
We watched a good video that explains it all. Please take time to watch it too.

Click To Play

If the video doesn't play, click here New Light Bulbs in Plain English.

Here are a few other links that may help you make the decision to go "LIGHT GREEN" with us.

Lights of America: Fluorescent Vs. Incandescent, Incandescent vs. CFL vs. LED Light Bulbs, One Billion Bulbs: Learn About CFL light bulbs.

ComEd Cares: Change A Light-Change The World, Energy Star Products, The Energy Dr.Answers Energy Questions, Recycling CFL bulbs.

Did You Know: If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR® CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.*

If you find other sites you think would be helpful and informative, please leave the link in our comments and we'll check it out. Thanks and THINK GREEN!!

(*from ComEd Cares)

Gifts from New Zealand...

Our friends in New Zealand sent a package to us. We were so excited. We tried to guess what was inside. We got a lot of very interesting things. Photos, souvenirs and stuffed animals. How wonderful! Thanks Manaia Kindergarten for sharing with us.

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Light Project...

Before our break for the Thanksgiving Holiday, the children were given an assignment to do at home. They were to try to notice which light/lamp gets the most use at home. They needed to write it on a form that came home with each child. We will be looking at those results in class later this week. Parents, if you need another copy of the note that came home, click on the link below:

Light Project Form

Please help your child find out which light/lamp is used most, fill out the form and return it by Wednesday, November 28th. Thanks for your help and support.

Our Package Arrived...

About a week and a half ago, we mailed a package to our "Blog Buddies" at Manaia Kindergarten in New Zealand. We talked about sending a package to them to share something from our world with them. Back when we did our "Squirrel Facts", they told us that they don't have squirrels in N.Z. We knew right away what to send to them. Mrs. Blakely ordered a squirrel puppet on the Internet. Several parents went to the bookstores in town and online and got squirrel books to send along with the puppet. Mrs. Blakely showed us books on Amazon.com and both classes got to order a book they thought our Blog Buddies would enjoy. We gathered several other squirrel related items, gave the squirrel advice on flying in a plane, kissed him goodbye and shipped everything off in a big box to New Zealand. The kids at Manaia Kindergarten seemed to have welcomed the squirrel with open arms. Click here to see what he did on his first day in New Zealand: Mr. Squirrel's First Day in Manaia Kindergarten, N.Z. We are excited to see what he'll do there.

Happy Thanksgiving....

Whether you spend Thanksgiving at home, on the road or in some other way...I would like to extend to you wishes for a very lovely day. I hope that you have fun with family and friends and that each of you take time to reflect on the things that you are grateful for. Be safe in your travels and keep gratitude in your thoughts, actions and heart!

Top Dog...

We would like to send a big THANKS to Tony (AKA: Top Dog) at The Dogfather's in Bartlett. Tony recently donated a computer and peripherals to our classroom. The computer is up and running and we're having fun! Thanks also to Tony for his continued support and assistance as we raise money for technology in our school. The next time you're in the area, (Rt. 59 south of Stearns Rd) stop by for the best dog in town.

Be sure to tell 'em Mrs. Blakely sent you! ;-)

F.Y.I....The Dogfather's will be celebrating their 1st anniversary on Dec. 1 & 2 with "Customer Appreciation Days". What better time to grab a great meal and show a return of support?

Thanks again Tony, you're the best!

We're Lovin' It....

We had another FANTASTIC turn out for our McDonald's No-Cook night. What a great chance for our Spring Trail families to get out of the house and meet up with friends for food and fun. It's so nice to see so many families come out and support our school....We're lovin' it!!

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Similarities and Differences...

Sometimes we play a game in class. Mrs. Blakely chooses two kids to come up and stand in front of the class. Then she says: "Turn around, turn around, turn around and face the class". She does that so we can see the whole bodies. Then we can say the things they have that are the same. The she says "Turn around, turn around, and face the class." Then we tell how they are different. Now you know how to play this game. Watch this video and try our game too.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bats are back...

We're back to share with you some of the things we learned about bats. A few weeks ago, we made a chart of the things we "thought" we knew about bats. But now we know some of those things were true and some were not true. We discussed with partners, some of the many things we learned. Then we wrote two bat facts. Each child picked one thing to share here. (I promise you we really did talk about MORE than just bats favorite food!!) ;-)

AM Class:

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PM Class:

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Family Breakfast...

We had our first ever, FAMILY BREAKFAST at school. There was plenty of food, a raffle, and lots of smiles to go around....

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Computer Drawings...

Some of our Easy Tech lessons teach us how to begin using GRAPHICS programs on the computer. One lesson has us making "Self-Portraits". Take a peek at what some kids have done. Keep in mind, they are trying out a new skill....DRAWING with a computer mouse!

BubbleShare: Share photos -

Check back soon, as more kids will complete the GRAPHICS lessons and have pictures to share here as well.

Happy Halloween...

We had our Halloween parties today. We had fun, you can see for yourself. Thanks to everyone for all you did to help make our parades and parties fun!

AM Class:

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PM Class:

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Environmental Shapes...

A few days ago we had fun finding shapes in our environment. We were randomly placed in groups (we drew papers with shapes on them). Our groups were the CIRCLE, SQUARE, RECTANGLE and TRIANGLE groups. Each group had to look all over the room to find the shapes that matched the name of their group. Look at how many things we found. Can you name all the shapes? Can you find things at home that have these shapes? What did you find? (You can leave a comment about what you found at home).

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Holiday Feast Boogie...

Today we practiced some of our songs for the Holiday Sing coming up in December. Miss Ellis can have the piano play all by itself while she guides our movements. Take a peek at what's to come....

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Bats...

We are going to spend some time learning about BATS! We sat with partners and discussed what we (think) we know about bats. We used a program called Kidspiration to keep track of our thinking. See our graphics below:
AM Class: PM Class:

Check back later to find out if our thinking was on track.

Fire Safety

We spent time learning all about Fire Safety. Here is some of what we know:
Eddie: "Do not hide from the firefighters."
Katlin: "When your clothes catch on fire, STOP, DROP, & ROLL."
Justin: "If you are trapped in your room, BANG on the window."
James: "Close the door when you are sleeping, so the fire doesn't get you."
Stephanie: "If there is a fire downstairs, you might have to go back upstairs."
Samantha: "The Firefighters use the 'jaws-of-life-' in a car accident."
Jovanni: "The firefighters wear special clothes to be safe from the fire".
Alexandra: "Feel the door, if it's hot you should not open it"
Sunny: "You crawl in smoke, so you don't get confused."
Zach: "Never put a lot of plugs in the wall."
Giana: "If the smoke alarm goes off while you are sleeping, roll out of bed and crawl."
Maggie: "When there is a fire, go to your meeting place."
Kamil: "NEVER play with matches."
Alex: "Never play with lighters."
Isabella: "Be careful by the fireplace."

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Veteran's Visit...

On October 11th we had an early Veteran's Day celebration at our school. We had several Veterans come for breakfast, a special school-wide ceremony, classroom visits and lunch. Samantha invited both of her grandpa's to come and visit with us. It was truly a special day!

Here's a link to the Courier Newspaper article: Local Vets Share Their Stories With Kids

Blog Action Day...

Today is Blog Action day. We are participating in this world-wide effort to be more aware of things we can do to help our environment. We talked about ways we can Reuse & Recycle. Please take a few minutes to read about our ideas and think about what YOU can do to help.
We would love to hear your comments about what you think you might do too...

Blake: "I am going to reuse my empty water bottles."
Nathan: "I am going to recycle the pop cans."
Katelyn: "I can use old boxes to make trains and other toys and games."
Jovanni: "I can color old boxes and make cars out of them."
Bilal: "We can take the water bottles and fill them with water again."
Alexandra: "I can say 'No' if I really don't need a bag at the store."
Kara; "If you have an empty can, you can wash it and put it in the recycle bin."
Mrs. Blakely: "When I shop, I am going to try to remember to carry my own tote bags."
Zach: "We can wash windows with the old newspapers."
Michael: " I am going to put stuff in the recycling bin...like cans and old newspapers."
Timmy: "I am going to wash out bottles and throw them in the recycle bin."
Dillon: "When I outgrow stuff, I am going to give it to my little cousin."
Daniel:" I am going to recycle my old books or give away the baby books."
Giana:"I am going to reuse water bottles."

Squirrel Facts...

A few weeks ago we spent time learning about Squirrels! We learned what they like to eat, where they live, and other interesting facts. We drew pictures of squirrels and shared one fact that we remembered. (Please note that due to technical difficulties, we are not able to post all our students sharing facts at this time. Please check back later, we continue to try to work it out.)

BubbleShare: Share photos - halloween photos

Dogfather's...

We had another great turn out for "No Cook" night. This time we were at Dogfather's in Bartlett ( Rt.59 near Stearns Rd.) We had good conversations, great laughs and FANTASTIC food!! Tony and his crew worked hard to keep things moving. We appreciate their efforts! We look forward to adding some Dogfather's dollars to our efforts to raise money for technology for our school. Thanks again to everyone.
Take a peek at the fun we had:

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EasyTech...

We have begun using EasyTech at school. It's a web-based program from Learning.com that uses self-paced, interactive, tutorial-type lessons to support teachers in providing students with 21st century technology literacy skills. EasyTech is fun and provides immediate feedback to students and is available to registered users from any computer that is connected to the Internet. The Spring Trail P.T.O. has generously provided funding for this program for the second year in a row.

THANKS P.T.O. for your support.

Our students can access EasyTech from school or home. They can even access it from the local library. Please watch the following brief video on what your child needs to do to log in. I will add activities as I see children are making their way through the lessons. Please keep in mind that they must complete one lesson before they can go on to the next lesson. If they reach the "certificate page" they should have a perfect score before they are allowed to print their certificate.....18/18 or 12/12, etc.). Please supervise your child as he/she works through the lessons, but do not fall to the temptation to do the lesson for them. If your child completes all the assignments before I have a chance to load new ones, feel free to have him/her repeat previously assigned lessons. Remember the more they practice, the better they get. Thanks again to the P.T.O for providing this valuable resource to our students.

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McDonald's Night

Tonight we had our first "No Cook" night of the school year. It was held at the McDonald's down the road from our school. It was good to see so many families come out to support our fund raising efforts. You can see we had lots of food and fun. Not everyone is captured in our video here...but you can bet a good time was had by all. We hope we can get a good turn out the next time we have a "No Cook" night!

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Kara Wins....

Our school recently had a fund raiser for Reader's Digest magazines (QSP). Parents could put their child's name in to win prizes. Kara won a 5-inch color TV. She has watched Arthur, Veggie Tales and more. Congratulations Kara!!!

Bus Safety...

Today we practiced what to do if we're on the bus and need to exit it in an emergency. We loaded the bus and listened as the driver explained how to be safe. She showed us all the different exits. There are even exits on the TOP of the bus. We pretended there was a problem at the front of the bus and we needed to go out of the back. We exited and then went to a safe spot.

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Our Replies to New Zealand...

We recently posted questions to our friends in New Zealand. They were kind enough to respond and then had questions for us. Here are the replies from the AM & PM classes:

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Blog Party...

Today we celebrated the fact that we had 1,000 visitors to our blog. Mrs. Schroeder baked cake for us. We also had ice-cream and milk. Maggie added cookies to the PM class treats. Thanks to everyone who visits our blog. Keep checking in on us....we LOVE to share our Kindergarten world with you.

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Manaia Kindergarten Friends...

We are so excited to be learning more about our friends across the globe. Mrs. Blakely told us she would be "visiting" with our friends in New Zealand tonight. We have a few questions for them:

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Hip Hip Hooray...

Hip Hip Hooray...We reached 1,000 today!
Wow, we hit visitor number 1,000 today. The kids and I have been keeping a watchful eye on our visitor counter. I promised them a party when we reached 1,000 visitors. Who knew it would happen so incredibly fast? Looks like we'll have our party next week (Tuesday). Be sure to check back here for news about the party. THANKS to everyone who visits our blog. We hope you will continue to visit and share your comments with us. HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!

Going to the Library...

We love books. Our library is full of wonderful books. Sometimes it's hard to pick just one...

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Proud AM Class...Add PM too!

Everyday we look at our message chart and we find the words we know. We put highlighter on the ones we know. Most of the time, we don't get all of the words. BUT TODAY WE GOT ALL OF THE WORDS!! We are so proud of ourselves!!

BOTH classes could read all the words today.

Note: The children dictated to me the words they wanted here today. They are getting very good at posting! :-) VERY nice job of sounding out and reading words kids!

ABC Games...

As promised, we want to share parts of our day with you here....

There are times when we play "ABC Games". During this time, we can work on letter recognition, letter sounds, writing words, copying words, handwriting, writing stories, notes to friends, and so much more. Here's a little video of our classes hard at "work":

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tub Time: Adventures in Math...

Nearly each day we spend time working with manipulative materials for math. We call it Tub Time. While we have Tub Time we move from tub to tub and work with the materials we choose. We can use the things for counting, sorting classifying and more. Sometimes Tub Time is hard for parents to imagine. Take a look at our video of our class having Tub Time...

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The Great Wall of China

During Tub-Time (math), Liam and Alex decided to build this structure. They had a conversation about it that went like this:
"This is the Great Wall of China. Isn't it Magnificent?". A few minutes later, pieces of the wall fell. Michael informed them: "Your Great Wall of China is kind of rickety." (What great vocabulary boys!) Click here to learn more about the Great Wall of China.

Bubble Gum

We started out our first days of school with making a book about Bubble Gum. We drew the pictures and read the words together. On the day we finished the book, Mrs. Blakely gave us bubble gum. We tried to blow bubbles. Some of us could, others could not. She took our pictures and we made these slide shows. We hope you like them:

AM Class
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PM Class


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Hello...

Welcome to our Kindergarten Blog. We are Kindergarten students in Room 102 at Spring Trail school in Carol Stream, IL (U.S.A.). Our teacher is Mrs. Blakely. There are two classes in Room 102, the morning class and the afternoon class. We plan to use this blog to share with you some of the things we do in our classes. We hope you will come back and visit often. We would love to hear from you from time to time as well.