The Kindergarten Connection: SVS Team!: April 14-18, 2025

This week, we dove into the exciting world of robots and coding! We had a team of special guest engineers from the University of Calgary join us on Monday. We learned what engineers do, how they plan, build, test, and who they help.

We learned that we need algorithms for communicating with computers. These are codes or patterns that provide clear instructions, helping robots know what to do. During a fun exercise, we practiced giving instructions to our Human Robots: Emily and Lizzy to wash their hands—definitely a challenge!

We explored various EZ-Robots, including Adventure Bot, Rolly Rover, JD (almost human) and Hexabot aka “6.” We had so much fun giving them tasks via an iPad to make them dance. We also enjoyed coding with Ozobots, using color combinations to guide them around a path.

Here are some skills we practiced:

Identifying when actions don’t match instructions.
Matching actions to instructions.
Following two-step sequences.
Understanding how changing the order of steps affects outcomes.

The next day we applied our coding skills in a “coding unplugged” activity by designing a barnyard for Rosie the hen and planning her route to walk around the farm. This taught us that engineers design, build, test, and refine their ideas.

We also read a heartwarming story about Bolts, a little robot who discovers how to mend his broken heart through patience, giving, and gratitude. After the story, we reflected in our journals, sharing our thoughts on what we learned about the science of robots, coding, and engineering.

A brand new book in our school library that continues the theme of coding and robots is how to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk. Thank you to our amazing librarian, Mrs. Kruger for always keeping us current and relevant.

What does it mean to “Be You”? Every child is born to be….to be BRAVE, to be KIND, … This week we attended an assembly for Autism Awareness, reinforcing the importance of kindness and understanding. We learned that everyone has unique strengths and needs, and we can support each other as friends.