Elizabeth Built a Pyramid!

During a home-school activity, we asked the students to find 3D shapes at home. Elizabeth couldn't find a pyramid, so she worked with her family to make one. Good job, Elizabeth!

Maps in Action!

In Social Studies, are current unit is called "Where in the World Are We?" This unit focuses on maps, models, identifying our location on the planet, etc. We had a chance to practice using a map when we returned from recess and realized our Open Court puppet, Leo the Lion, was missing! We found a map so we decided to follow it to see if it would lead us to Leo. Boy were we surprised to find that Coach Brennan had stolen him! :)

Chicka Chicka...Yum Yum!!!!

Last week we did a unit surrounding "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin, Jr. Each day, we focused on a different standard (letter identification, rhyming, etc.). By Friday, we were ready for something special - so we created our own edible Chicka trees! Please check out the link below for a slide show of our Chicka Trees! Please leave a comment below sharing your child's favorite activity from our Chicka unit!

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Building Shapes!!!

As one of the final lessons in our shape unit, the students used toothpicks and marshmallows to build two- and three-dimensional shapes! Thank you again to all of the parents/guardians who sent in supplies for our activities last week - we couldn't have as much fun or learn as much as we do without each of you! Please click the link below for a slide show of the shapes created!

Building Shapes

Congrats to Our August SOAR Student!!!

Every month, one student is selected from each room and honored as a SOAR student, a student who exemplifies the characteristics of a ready, responsible, and respectful student. August's SOAR student is.....

Demetrius!!!! Congratulations - we are so proud of you!

Cashing in Our Golden Tickets!!!

Our class earned 83 golden tickets for positive behavior in the hallway, bathroom, specials, lunch, recess, etc.! We voted on what our reward should be and the winning idea was time with Mrs. Sanker's students and their iPads! The students had such a great time - they can't wait to cash in the next round of tickets!!!

We Ate.....WORMS?!?!?!?!

This week in Open Court we are reading the humorous poem, "I Brought a Worm." In the poem, a little girl describes the items brought to school by other children for show and tell while continually repeating that she "brought a worm." In the end, the little girl proudly announces that she "ATE the worm....(it was candy)." We thought it would be fun to conclude this week's focus poem by eating a worm of our own!!! Please check out the pictures and comment below!

Shapes!!!

We have been having a blast with our unit on shapes!!! We have identified two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes, compared shapes, combined shapes to create objects in our environment, went on a shape hunt, and much more! Yesterday we played a game called "Shape Secret Sacks." The students had to feel shapes hidden within a bag and discuss the characteristics with a partner before predicting what each shape was - the students LOVED it and cheered every time a new shape was revealed. Check out the Smilebox below to see more!

Please help your child look for shapes in your home, at the store, etc. and share with us what you found by leaving a comment below!

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Friendship Salad

The first three days of school, our lessons focused on becoming familiar with our school, learning the rules and routines, and learning more about our classmates. We read lots of stories about starting school and kindergarten (e.g. Kindergarten Rocks, Pete the Cat: Rockin' in My School Shoes), took a tour of the school following clues from Pete the Cat, discussed our school-wide discipline system (PBIS), played name games, and much more! One of our favorite activities this week was the creation of a friendship salad. Each ingredient in the salad represented a part of a successful classroom. The large bowl represented our classroom, the cans of fruit represented children who are kind, hardworking, and great helpers, the marshmallows represented kind words shared in our class, and the yogurt represented the happiness we feel when we are in school. We all tried our friendship salad, and most of our friends thought it was tasty! We are looking forward to more fun activities - please view the SmileBox and comment below about your child's favorite part of our first week in Kindergarten!

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Introducing Our Shuttle Crew!!!!

I am so excited to introduce our shuttle crew!!!! Please click on the SmileBox slide show below to see our crew!

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5...4...3...2...1...BLAST OFF TO KINDERGARTEN!!!!

Welcome students and parents! My name is Mrs. Spurlin and I am so excited to be your child's kindergarten teacher! At Taylors Creek, we are "Blasting Off to Success!" and I know this year will be out of this world! I will be posting some of the many fun and educational things that happen in our classroom on this blog throughout, please check regularly and please, please comment! The students love to read comments from their families! I am looking forward to a wonderful year....let's "rock-et"!!!!!!

Watch Us Grow - Baby Pictures!!!

We asked the students to bring in a baby picture for an introductory activity to our language arts unit, "Watch Me Grow!" During this unit, we are discussing how plants and animals grow and change. We passed the photographs around, tried to guess who each baby was, and discussed how each of us has grown and changed - what a fun time! We LOVED this activity and really enjoyed looking at how cute everyone was as a baby! Thank you so much for sending these pictures in! :) Please enjoy the SmileBox below!

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Our Media Festival Projects Advanced to the State Competition!!!

We are so excited to announce that we have two class projects advancing from the county level to the state competition! One is entitled "Kindergartener by Day...Superhero by Night" and the other is entitled "Snow Day." Please view the projects below and let us know what you think!

Please Help with Our Class Project!!!!

Parents and Guardians,

     It is so important to me that our class has access to all of the materials they need to succeed! I recently uploaded a request for new computers for our classroom using the website DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity. We currently only have two working computers for the students to use during learning centers and there is SO much information the students can learn and practice using technology and the Internet!!! I'm asking for donations of any size to help the students. For the next four days, any donation you make to our classroom project will be doubled! If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your donation will brighten the students' school year, and you'll get photos and thank-you’s from our class.

Here's my classroom request:

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/military-students-need-updated-technolog/985691/

To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the match code INSPIRE on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through April 14.

My students and I greatly appreciate your support!

Mrs. Spurlin

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Last week, we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday! We read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, put together our own Dr. Seuss hat, and even tried a Dr. Seuss treat! Many of us had tried green eggs and ham, so we switched it up and made a "green eggs" dessert (vanilla pudding and a vanilla wafer)! The students LOVED it!

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Welcome Autumn's Sister, Baby Sarai!!!

Autumn's family welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their family in early February. We all shared in Autumn's excitement and eagerly awaited getting to see pictures of Autumn and Sarai. Sarai is just beautiful and Autumn's mommy says Autumn is a wonderful helper! 

We have so many big brothers and sisters this year - what an exciting time! Please leave comments below for Autumn and her family!

Happy Birthday Elijah and Ethan!!!

The last week of February was a busy one for birthdays - both Elijah and Ethan turned 6 years old! Thank you to both families for sending in cupcakes...they were definitely enjoyed by all! :) Elijah and Ethan, we hope your birthdays were extra-special!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had such a great time celebrating Valentine's Day! We made Valentine's for our friends and family, decorated our very own Valentine's mailbox, worked with Valentine manipulatives in math, had a Valentine's party, and much more! Please see the Smilebox below and let us know what part of Valentine's Day your child enjoyed the most!

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Celebrating Black History Month

February is Black History Month and we were lucky enough to visit the library to listen to a guest reader, Mrs. Cooke, read us a story. The story was Dave the Potter, and told the story of an African American man who created beautiful pottery using clay from the Earth. Mrs. Cooke brought in pots for us to explore and we even watched a video of a person making a clay pot. Thank you, Mrs. Cooke for coming to read to us!