JAMES WARD ELEMENTARY FEBRUARY 17, 2018

Preschool Room 107

Theme Newsletter from Ms. Hung

Music Making
Study
We’ve really dove into a lot during out
music-making study. We explored
different instruments and ways of Upcoming
playing instruments. We learned Events
elements of music such as pitch and 2/19/18 President's
rhythm. We also investigated what characteristics made instruments play Day- No School
their music. We took all that we learned and endeavored in making our
2/21/18 Service
own musical instrument creations. The instruments that we shared with
Project- bringing
you all at the Expo were all 80-90% cards to Senior
child-made. The students loved the Home
instrument making station and
would come back when they were 3/25-3/30 Spring
inspired by a classmate or another Break- No School

instrument they saw at the music

Gym Shoes
center. As the weather is
changing a lot, I want
At the end of our study we to remind parents to
investigated famous black musicians and the different types of music that make sure your child
has the correct kind of
they played. Our children explored how salsa, jazz, blues and reggae
shoes. When your
music made them feel while completing an art piece. In connection with child is wearing snow
black history month, we continued to study the boots, please make
lives of black musicians such as Mary Lou sure you bring a
EXTRA MATERIALS change of shoes for
Williams. Her story of perseverance and being
the classroom. Most
With all the extra hand strong through music and not violence was a importantly, bring
washing during the flu theme our children grabbed onto. Before gym shoes for our
season, we are running heading to the Dusable African American gym P.E. days. AM
out of hand soap. If you class is on Thursday
History Museum we read a story about Dr. MLK
are able and willing, and PM class is on
Jr. and had great discussions with our young Tuesday.
please help us by
donating some to the minds about what is fair and not fair. We
classroom. Thank you! celebrated our diversity of skin color but our

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JAMES WARD ELEMENTARY
commonality in our commitment to be nice and
kind to each other in school. Please continue these
discussions at home too. It's important that our little
learners are given the opportunity to explore and
understand empathy towards all people. As another
part of our study of our cultural identities, we will be
celebrating Chinese New Year - the year of the dog.
Children will sing songs and learn about the story of
the 12 zodiac. 

Ball Study
We have noticed that the children are very
interested in balls. They’re curious about different
kinds of balls, how people use balls, what they are
made of, what is inside them, and how high they
can bounce. We think balls will make an
interesting study.
If you can, we would like your help in gathering a
collection of balls to investigate. We need many
different types of balls. Here’s a list of suggestions:
tennis ball, basketball, football, soccer ball,
racquetball, kickball, ping-pong ball, marble,
cotton ball, crystal ball, dog ball, whiffle ball, etc.
As we study balls, we will learn concepts and skills
in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts
and technology. We’ll also be using thinking skills
to investigate, ask questions, solve problems,
make predictions and test out our ideas. We will
have an EXPO at the end of the study to show you
all what we’ve learned. Thank you all for your
continued support in our learning.
What you can do at home
Spend time with your child, playing with balls of
all shapes and types and sizes, such as playground
balls, tennis balls, ping-pong balls, Koshinomi
balls, footballs, marbles. Talk about what the balls
are made of, whether they are heavy or light, big
or little.
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FEBRUARY 17, 2018
Wonder aloud with our child to encourage his or
her thinking about balls. For example, you might
ask, “ I wonder what’s inside a tennis ball. I wonder
how far you can throw a foil ball, a beach ball or a
tennis ball. How can we find out?” While riding a
car or a train you could play a game with your
child to think of all the
words that have the
word ball in it. Are
there “balls” that we
don’t play with?
(Meatballs)? Are all
balls round?
Child
development Research
Our children are always asking to see if they are
doing a good job. Children should always get
unconditional love from their parents so that they
can have a secure base to explore the world.
Unconditional love does not mean you praise
everything the child does. Think about authentic
ways to acknowledge when your child is doing
something great. These tips will be able to help us
move away from the simple “good job” to a more
authentic way of teaching our children positive
behaviors. https://cainclusion.org/
teachingpyramid/materials/general/
MovingFromPraisetoAcknowledgement.pdf
 華德小学 2月17日2018年

学前班107班
洪老师的通讯

重要日期
2/19总统日-停课

2/21 义工活动 -送卡

片给老人公寓的老人

3/26-3/30春假-停课

体育鞋
请让孩子穿适当的鞋
来学校。 我们32度
以上就会去户外活
动。在孩子穿雪鞋来
学校的那一贴请记得
音乐主题 也带一双运动鞋，方
我们非常投入了这次的音乐主题。 我们探索了各种乐器和弹奏的种种方式。 便孩子在教室里活
动。还有在孩子有体
我们学了一些音乐的基础，比如音调和节奏。我们也研究了各种乐器奏乐
育课那一天请务必穿
的方式。孩子们发现有空空的地方的乐器的声音比较大声。我们运用了我 或带运动鞋来学校。
们学到的一切在我们自做的乐器里。大家带回家的乐器有80-90%是孩子们
自己的创作，他们的想象力，执行能力和一点点老师给的支持。孩子们很 上午班 的体育课天
喜爱我们的乐器工作房，常常会有很多孩子看到其他同学的作品也想要回 是星期四
来再制作几个乐器呢。
下午班的体育课天是
星期二
透过黑人历史月，在主题的结尾我们开始研究有名的黑人音乐家。孩子们
听了salsa, jazz, blues 和reggae 的音乐，感觉以上各
种音乐的特色。我们特别读了一本介绍一位有名的
Jazz 歌手的书：MaryLouWilliams. 她的故事提醒了我 教室用品
们可以透过音乐来面对不好的声音。去黑人历史博物 这个流感季节⾥里我们⽤用了
很多洗⼿手的肥皂。 我们需
馆之前我们也读了一本马丁路德的书。小小孩子们开 要⼀一些肥皂。如果您能够
或想要的话，请您带⼀一瓶
始讨论公平与不公平的话题。大家都说只因为一个人 液体的肥皂来捐给学校。
⾮非常感谢！
的肤色而判定他们是什么样的人是不公平的。我们庆
祝了我们学校有的各种肤色，我们大家都有公平的机

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華德小学 2月17日2018年

学前班107班
洪老师的通讯

在学校。看一个人好坏不是看外表的肤色而是看
他们的行为是是否有爱心的。请大家在家里也继
续这个很重要的话题。要给我们小小孩子们了解
并练习同情，怜惜，和谅解的机会。在我们庆祝
各种肤色的文化认同中，中国新年也是我们研究
的一部分。我们会庆祝中国新年～今年是狗年，
我们会唱歌，听12 生肖的故事。

球主题
我们发现孩子们开始对球有多一点的兴趣。他们
对各种球都有好奇心。我们想知道有什么种球，
球怎么用的，球是怎么做的， 里面是什么, 球可 看有球的字的字有哪几个？ 有没有球是不能玩
以打多高呢？ 的呢？（丸子,汤圆）

如果您可以的话，请您帮我们收集一些球。 我 幼⼉儿发展研究
们需要各式各样的球。 以下是一些建议： 肯定而不表揚: 給孩子真正的支持 (PDF)

网球，篮球，橄榄球，足球，踢球，橡皮球，乒
乓球，蛋珠，毛球，水晶球，小狗的球等等。
在学习球的主题时，我们也会从很多领域的学习
来了解并运用球这个概念，有阅读，数学，科学，
社会学，艺术，科技等等。 我们也会探索，问
问题，解决问题，预测，和测试我们的想法。主
题结束时，我们会举行一场展览，请大家那时候
来参加。谢谢大家一直对我们学习的支持。
在家⾥里协助我们的学习
和孩子一起玩各式各样的球。何孩子谈一谈球是
怎么做的。和孩子讨论球的各种大小，轻重。
和孩子一起讨论一些疑问， 比如：网球里面是
什么？锡箔纸做的球可以丢多远啊？您也可以开
车载孩子或一起坐车时和他们做问答游戏：想想
我们的孩子们一直想要受到表扬。孩子应该从父
母那里的到无条件的爱，这样会给孩子们一个很
安全的基础去探索世界。但是给孩子无条件的爱
不表示要什么都表扬他。孩子如果不了解做事情
的道理，他们的行为也不会持久。想想看有哪些
确实的方式可以让孩子清楚地了解到他所做的好
在哪里，让孩子感受到您对他真切地肯定。下面
的文章可以帮我们从一直说[你好乖]到一个利用
肯定，真正给孩子支持的方式。https://
cainclusion.org/teachingpyramid/materials/
general/
MovingFromPraisetoAcknowledgement_chines
e.pdf

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