Kindergarteners in Ms. Winnegar’s class at Dows Lane Elementary have been engaging in meaningful learning experiences that build both academic understanding and foundational Portrait of a Graduate skills.
In math, students have been exploring the attributes of shapes, with a recent focus on rectangles. As they sorted shapes into “rectangles” and “not rectangles”, students considered key properties such as sides, corners, and orientation. Their work led to thoughtful conversation about whether a square can be considered a rectangle, reinforcing the idea that young learners use reasoning and observation to make mathematical decisions.
Alongside this academic work, student shave also been learning how to connect their daily actions to the qualities outlined in Irvington’s Portrait of a Graduate. To make these concepts accessible to kindergartners, Ms. Winnegar created the “POG Patrol,” inspired by the popular Paw Patrol theme. In this classroom community, each Portrait of a Graduate attribute is embodied by a superhero: Courageous Learner, Engaged Citizen, Self-Aware Individual, and Effective Communicator.
Each morning, students learn about these superheroes and choose one to emulate for the day. They then recite their class cheer –– “No job is too big, no bulldog is too small” –– and practice the superhero’s special pose before beginning their work. This daily routine helps students internalize what it looks and feels like to be an active, thoughtful, and responsible member of their school community.
Through hands-on math exploration and the joyful leadership of the “POG Patrol,” kindergarteners are building both academic understanding the important habits of mind at the heart of Irvington’s Portrait of a Graduate.
