Taste Testing

Students in KG-M were incredible risk-takers today as they taste-tested a variety of foods. Many were familiar, popular tastes, while others were not so popular. A couple in particular (vinegar and bitter chocolate) were highly disliked by all students -- noticeable by the quick run to the garbage to spit out the food. Talk with your child about this experience and what he/she learned about his/her sense of taste....and be sure to congratulate your child on being a risk-taker!

Unit of Inquiry Language Letter

Dear KG Families,  

Our students have begun their first Unit of Inquiry in kindergarten, which is all about the five senses.  Our central idea for this unit is "Our senses help us explore the world." From a language perspective it is important to build understanding in a student’s first language, as well as in English.  Please have a look at some of the words your child might see and hear in this Unit:

senses	feel	sound	sweet
see	eyes	noise	salty
sight	ears	quiet	bitter
hear	nose	loud	hard
listen	hands	hot	soft
smell	fingers	cold	smooth
taste	mouth	spicy	bumpy
touch	tongue	sour	rough

This list does not suggest all of the words you might talk about with your child, so feel free to discuss other words that may apply. 

We encourage you to discuss a few of these words each night with your child in your family’s strongest language (Bangla, Korean, Swedish, etc.), especially in contexts like cooking and having dinner. Your child will not be tested on these terms, so please talk about them naturally in a non-stressful way. Even if your child is a native English speaker, it is important to discuss these terms as we study them throughout the unit. Your child’s first language development is very important because it helps increase  conceptual understanding and build English language skills.

We hope you enjoy this Unit of Inquiry: Who We Are, The Five Senses.  Please encourage your child to share thoughts, ideas and questions with you at home to enhance and expand learning, and to further explore the amazing world we live in.

Sincerely,

The Kindergarten Team  

Schedule

Please refer to the schedule below to ensure your child is prepared for the special classes he/she has each day (P.E., Library, etc.)  In addition, please note that every Tuesday is an early release day and school ends at 1:40. (There is an error on the school calendar as it shows early release for only first through fifth grades.)

The First Week

We had a great first week in KG-M  getting to know our new "teammates" and learning how our classroom and school operate. Our first day entailed searching for our gingerbread men that ran away while we were at P.E.! Luckily some teachers and students saw them trying to sneak away, so after some careful searching we found them in Mrs. Kitto-Switzer's fifth grade classroom. They were hiding with our reading buddies. We took them back to our room and enjoyed our tasty treat.

Last week we also celebrated Maahir's fifth birthday. His mom brought in a delicious cake for us to share and Maahir got a special, giant-size piece. Happy Birthday, Maahir!

At the end of the week we explored a variety of artifacts, which began a discussion leading to the topic of our first Unit of Inquiry: The Five Senses. We will dive deeper into this theme as we unfold the central idea throughout the next several weeks. 

REMINDERS:

• Dare to Bear:  If your child participated in the Dare to Bear reading program this summer, please make sure to send in his/her booklet as soon as possible to ensure he/she receives a prize.
• For safety reasons the school needs to know anytime your child will not ride the bus home. Please notify Kavya Zahid in the ES office either by email (kzahid@aisdhaka.org) or by stopping in.
• Back-to-School Night:  Wednesday, August 29 at 7:00 pm  (parents only)
• If you have not already done so, please label all water bottles and lunch/snack containers with your child's name. Please also send in a spare set of clothes in a labeled bag.

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Dear Kindergarteners and Parents,

Welcome to Kindergarten! This will be an exciting year filled with inquiry, discovery, laughter and fun. We will study many interesting Units of Inquiry, focusing on the five senses, imagination, plants, systems, matter and personal histories.

Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Kacey Molloy and this is my second year at AISD. Prior to moving to Dhaka, I taught kindergarten in Montana and then served in the United States Peace Corps in Macedonia with my husband Conor. I love kindergarten and the incredible growth that seems to happen overnight. I can't wait to see what this year has in store!

I would also like to introduce another important person. Her name is Maya Khan and she is our teaching assistant. She is a valuable part of our classroom and your children's education. I'm sure you will see her often, both in the school and in your children's stories.

This blog has been created as a resource for information on school/classroom events and as a way to stay updated on our learning environment. Please feel free to contact me throughout the year with any questions or concerns by emailing me at kmolloy@aisdhaka.org or by stopping by the classroom before or after school. I am looking forward to seeing all parents at Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, August 29 at 7:00 pm.


Regards,
Kacey Molloy

Conor and Kacey Molloy

Ms. Maya and her son Azhar