Thursday, December 19, 2013
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Have a wonderful vacation and we will see you in January!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Almost Christmas
Time flies when you are busy and we have been very, very busy here at preschool.
Choice Time: Today we spent our time practicing all of our songs and poems for the Christmas Program. The children are ready to do their best for you.
Circle Time: We read the story "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell". Afterwards we did one of the children's favorite action songs; "Animal Antics". They love that song so much that they always ask to do it again!
Snack: Today was Cooking Day and we made tortilla roll-ups. Each child received a tortilla and a piece of cheese. They proceeded to 'roll it up'. Though it was very simple, the children all seemed to enjoy it.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to paint or color special holiday pages.
Please remember to check your child's backpack. They received some very important papers...calendar/newsletter, tuition envelopes and registration information for 2014-15.
We hope to see everyone on Wednesday, December 18th at 10:30 for the Christmas Program/Cookie Party (Green Group). Do not be late as the performance will go very quickly. The Yellow Group's Christmas Program/Cookie Party will be on Thursday, December 19th at 10:30.
Choice Time: Today we spent our time practicing all of our songs and poems for the Christmas Program. The children are ready to do their best for you.
Circle Time: We read the story "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell". Afterwards we did one of the children's favorite action songs; "Animal Antics". They love that song so much that they always ask to do it again!
Snack: Today was Cooking Day and we made tortilla roll-ups. Each child received a tortilla and a piece of cheese. They proceeded to 'roll it up'. Though it was very simple, the children all seemed to enjoy it.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to paint or color special holiday pages.
Please remember to check your child's backpack. They received some very important papers...calendar/newsletter, tuition envelopes and registration information for 2014-15.
We hope to see everyone on Wednesday, December 18th at 10:30 for the Christmas Program/Cookie Party (Green Group). Do not be late as the performance will go very quickly. The Yellow Group's Christmas Program/Cookie Party will be on Thursday, December 19th at 10:30.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Happy Holidays
With the Holidays fast approaching, we continue to practice our songs and poems for the Christmas Program.
Choice Time: The children could choose between table top easels, Muscial Hugs or plastic connecting people. Musical Hugs is a lot like musical chairs, except it uses hula hoops. Each time the music stops, a hoop is taken away. Pretty soon all are in one hoop and Mrs. Myers gives everyone a group hug!
Circle Time: The story was "Llama, Llama Holiday Drama". We practiced our Christmas Program pieces on the risers this time. We are learning how to stand on the first two steps!
Snack Time: We had bananas, Little Debbie Rice Krispie treats and juice. Thank you, Treya. Thursday's snack was pumpkin bread and juice. Thank you, Sawyer. Also, thanks to Bennett's mommy for playing with us today.
Free Play: The children were able to paint at the easels today. It was good to see that most of them participated. On Thursday the children were also offered the chance to decorate a gingerbread boy or girl. They were very pleased with this project.
Notes went home with regards to next week's Christmas Program. We hope that you have all scheduled a little time in your day to attend this special moment in your child's life.
Choice Time: The children could choose between table top easels, Muscial Hugs or plastic connecting people. Musical Hugs is a lot like musical chairs, except it uses hula hoops. Each time the music stops, a hoop is taken away. Pretty soon all are in one hoop and Mrs. Myers gives everyone a group hug!
Circle Time: The story was "Llama, Llama Holiday Drama". We practiced our Christmas Program pieces on the risers this time. We are learning how to stand on the first two steps!
Snack Time: We had bananas, Little Debbie Rice Krispie treats and juice. Thank you, Treya. Thursday's snack was pumpkin bread and juice. Thank you, Sawyer. Also, thanks to Bennett's mommy for playing with us today.
Free Play: The children were able to paint at the easels today. It was good to see that most of them participated. On Thursday the children were also offered the chance to decorate a gingerbread boy or girl. They were very pleased with this project.
Notes went home with regards to next week's Christmas Program. We hope that you have all scheduled a little time in your day to attend this special moment in your child's life.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Brrrr!
The snow and cold temperatures have arrived. Please know that we will not be going out until conditions improve and temperatures rise...around Spring. Because of this, your children do not need to wear boots to school.
Choice Time: The children were offered a chance to do table top easels, links and the marble run.
Circle Time: We read the story "Pete the Cat Saves Christmas". Then, we listened to the You Tube version of this story which was slightly different, but included the song. The children seemed to enjoy yet another Pete the Cat story. We also introduced another song for the Christmas Program, "10 Little Angels". We also kept practicing the songs that we have already learned.
Snack Time: We had apple flavored teddy grahams and juice. Thank you, Dharmi.
Free Play: The children worked at the Art Table to make a gift bag for the gift that they made last week. These items will go home after the Christmas Program.
Stay warm everyone.
Choice Time: The children were offered a chance to do table top easels, links and the marble run.
Circle Time: We read the story "Pete the Cat Saves Christmas". Then, we listened to the You Tube version of this story which was slightly different, but included the song. The children seemed to enjoy yet another Pete the Cat story. We also introduced another song for the Christmas Program, "10 Little Angels". We also kept practicing the songs that we have already learned.
Snack Time: We had apple flavored teddy grahams and juice. Thank you, Dharmi.
Free Play: The children worked at the Art Table to make a gift bag for the gift that they made last week. These items will go home after the Christmas Program.
Stay warm everyone.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Busy, Busy, Busy
As the holidays are fast approaching, we are busy preparing for our program and making special gifts. The children seem to be excited. Also, thanks Bryson for bringing in some wonderful Christmas stickers. We will definitely use those!
Choice Time: Before Choice Time began, the children were allowed to play in a discovery bin that had a variety of small holiday trinkets in it. The table top easels, a mouse house activity and an obstacle course with a tunnel were offered. For the mouse house, the children are given a small, unused stuffed mouse and a plastic stepping stone to use as a house. The mouse goes in the house through the hole in the top. Then he comes out of the house. Sometimes Mrs. Whiteman has to guess which house has the mouse!
Circle Time: We read the story "Merry Christmas, Biscuit". We also practiced a lot of our Christmas Program pieces: "Chubby Little Snowman", "I Wish I Had a Little Red Box" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
Snack: Today we had juice, grapes and animal crackers. Thank you, Anish. Thursday's snack was graham crackers and orange juice. The graham crackers were in little square packages and were perfect for little hands. Thank you, Bennett.
Free Play: The children were given the opportunity to paint a gift to be given at the program.
The book orders went home today. Also, everyone was given a map of the traffic pattern for drop-off and pick-up. Please note that cars need to enter the parking lot off of Tanglefoot and a space needs to be left for church traffic at the end of the building. Your help in following this routine is greatly appreciated.
Choice Time: Before Choice Time began, the children were allowed to play in a discovery bin that had a variety of small holiday trinkets in it. The table top easels, a mouse house activity and an obstacle course with a tunnel were offered. For the mouse house, the children are given a small, unused stuffed mouse and a plastic stepping stone to use as a house. The mouse goes in the house through the hole in the top. Then he comes out of the house. Sometimes Mrs. Whiteman has to guess which house has the mouse!
Circle Time: We read the story "Merry Christmas, Biscuit". We also practiced a lot of our Christmas Program pieces: "Chubby Little Snowman", "I Wish I Had a Little Red Box" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
Snack: Today we had juice, grapes and animal crackers. Thank you, Anish. Thursday's snack was graham crackers and orange juice. The graham crackers were in little square packages and were perfect for little hands. Thank you, Bennett.
Free Play: The children were given the opportunity to paint a gift to be given at the program.
The book orders went home today. Also, everyone was given a map of the traffic pattern for drop-off and pick-up. Please note that cars need to enter the parking lot off of Tanglefoot and a space needs to be left for church traffic at the end of the building. Your help in following this routine is greatly appreciated.
Monday, December 2, 2013
'Tis the Season!
This morning we talked about Thanksgiving being over and the Holiday Season beginning. Some of the children had on festive shirts and many talked about special toys that they have seen in catalogues and on TV.
Choice Time: The three choices were table top easels, tanagrams and the parachute. Surprise. Surprise. They all joined in on the parachute. We had a lot of fun shaking it fast, slow, high and low. We put foam snowflakes on it and had a mini blizzard. But, the part everyone most enjoyed was when Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Whiteman hid the children underneath the parachute and played peek-a-boo.
Circle Time: We read the story "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies". We also introduced new holiday songs and fingerplays: "The Chubby Little Snowman", "I Wish I Had a Little Red Box" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Some of these will be featured in our Christmas Program coming up in a few weeks.
Snack Time: We had carrots and milk from Karley. Thank you. Tuesday's snack was bananas and milk. Thank you, Annabelle.
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to blotto paint. These pictures will stay at school until the Christmas Program.
Please make sure that you have marked your calendars and are able to attend our program(s) on December 18th (Green) and 19th (Yellow).
Choice Time: The three choices were table top easels, tanagrams and the parachute. Surprise. Surprise. They all joined in on the parachute. We had a lot of fun shaking it fast, slow, high and low. We put foam snowflakes on it and had a mini blizzard. But, the part everyone most enjoyed was when Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Whiteman hid the children underneath the parachute and played peek-a-boo.
Circle Time: We read the story "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies". We also introduced new holiday songs and fingerplays: "The Chubby Little Snowman", "I Wish I Had a Little Red Box" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Some of these will be featured in our Christmas Program coming up in a few weeks.
Snack Time: We had carrots and milk from Karley. Thank you. Tuesday's snack was bananas and milk. Thank you, Annabelle.
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to blotto paint. These pictures will stay at school until the Christmas Program.
Please make sure that you have marked your calendars and are able to attend our program(s) on December 18th (Green) and 19th (Yellow).
Monday, November 25, 2013
Thanksgiving's Almost Here
Today is the only day that we will be meeting this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Choice Time: We had table top easels, an eye dropper activity where the children used eye droppers and water to melt a small ice cube and the cars and Hot Wheel tracks. This one was the hands down favorite!
Story Time: We read the story "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie". In the story, an old lady ate so much food that she turned into a balloon in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. We also sang our Thanksgiving songs for the final time.
Snack Time: We had clementines and milk. Thank you, Jake! The children were encouraged to peel their own clementines and many were surprised that they could actually do it themselves. On Tuesday, we had juice and CheezIts. Thank you, Ava.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to use the bingo daubbers on paper today.
December newsletters and tuition envelopes are in the backpacks. Happy Thanksgiving!
Choice Time: We had table top easels, an eye dropper activity where the children used eye droppers and water to melt a small ice cube and the cars and Hot Wheel tracks. This one was the hands down favorite!
Story Time: We read the story "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie". In the story, an old lady ate so much food that she turned into a balloon in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. We also sang our Thanksgiving songs for the final time.
Snack Time: We had clementines and milk. Thank you, Jake! The children were encouraged to peel their own clementines and many were surprised that they could actually do it themselves. On Tuesday, we had juice and CheezIts. Thank you, Ava.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to use the bingo daubbers on paper today.
December newsletters and tuition envelopes are in the backpacks. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Thinking About Thanksgiving
Several children brought in food items for the Bettendorf Food Pantry. We also received some family pictures. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Choice Time: The children were given an opportunity to play with balloons, draw on easels or play with wood blocks. The balloons were by far the favorite activity. We heard lots of giggles and squeals from the children. On Thursday, one of the balloons stuck to the ceiling. At the end of the day we checked on it and it had fallen to the ground. How did it get there? It's a mystery.
Circle Time: We got the wiggles out by doing the "Animal Actions" song. This tied in well with our story, "Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving?". In the book a young boy thinks about different animals carving the turkey and decides in the end that Grandpa would do a much better job than any of the animals.
Snack Time: Parker brought bunny crackers and juice. Thank you. Snack on Thursday was Goldfish crackers and apple juice. Thank you, Kaylee. Also, Bennett's mom came and played with us. Thank you!
Free Play: The children continue to enjoy playing grocery store. They were given an opportunity to paint with Bingo dabbers. A few chose to do the art activity. We think that the grocery store is just too much fun right now.
Book orders are due on Thursday, November 21. Check it out!
Choice Time: The children were given an opportunity to play with balloons, draw on easels or play with wood blocks. The balloons were by far the favorite activity. We heard lots of giggles and squeals from the children. On Thursday, one of the balloons stuck to the ceiling. At the end of the day we checked on it and it had fallen to the ground. How did it get there? It's a mystery.
Circle Time: We got the wiggles out by doing the "Animal Actions" song. This tied in well with our story, "Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving?". In the book a young boy thinks about different animals carving the turkey and decides in the end that Grandpa would do a much better job than any of the animals.
Snack Time: Parker brought bunny crackers and juice. Thank you. Snack on Thursday was Goldfish crackers and apple juice. Thank you, Kaylee. Also, Bennett's mom came and played with us. Thank you!
Free Play: The children continue to enjoy playing grocery store. They were given an opportunity to paint with Bingo dabbers. A few chose to do the art activity. We think that the grocery store is just too much fun right now.
Book orders are due on Thursday, November 21. Check it out!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Love the Sunshine
The sun was shining and really helped to keep a smile on our faces.
Outdoor Classroom: Mrs. Whiteman pretended that she was a sleeping giant. The children would sneak up on her and wake her up. Then she would chase them as they ran around the yard. Not only did the children enjoy this game, but it kept them moving. It was good to be outside!
Circle Time: We read the story "Llama, Llama Learns to Share". Many of the children said that they had heard that story before. We also repeated the story "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons". It has become a fast favorite of the class. We sang our fall songs before we got into line.
Snack Time: Today was Cooking Day. We gave each child a bagel, a butter knife (nothing sharp) and some whipped cream cheese. The children were to open the bagel, spread on the cream cheese and enjoy. It was harder than you think...some said that they had never used a knife to spread anything before today. On Tuesday, Olive's mom came and helped us at school. Thank you!
Free Play: The children were given an opportunity to make a monster out of Play Doh. Many children participated in the art activity today.
Please remember to bring in Food Pantry items to the next class.
Now that the construction is done, please use the Tanglefoot entrance for drop-off and pick-up. Thank you for your cooperation during the long road work process.
Book orders are due by Thursday, November 21. There are tons of great Christmas gift ideas in those catalogues.
Outdoor Classroom: Mrs. Whiteman pretended that she was a sleeping giant. The children would sneak up on her and wake her up. Then she would chase them as they ran around the yard. Not only did the children enjoy this game, but it kept them moving. It was good to be outside!
Circle Time: We read the story "Llama, Llama Learns to Share". Many of the children said that they had heard that story before. We also repeated the story "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons". It has become a fast favorite of the class. We sang our fall songs before we got into line.
Snack Time: Today was Cooking Day. We gave each child a bagel, a butter knife (nothing sharp) and some whipped cream cheese. The children were to open the bagel, spread on the cream cheese and enjoy. It was harder than you think...some said that they had never used a knife to spread anything before today. On Tuesday, Olive's mom came and helped us at school. Thank you!
Free Play: The children were given an opportunity to make a monster out of Play Doh. Many children participated in the art activity today.
Please remember to bring in Food Pantry items to the next class.
Now that the construction is done, please use the Tanglefoot entrance for drop-off and pick-up. Thank you for your cooperation during the long road work process.
Book orders are due by Thursday, November 21. There are tons of great Christmas gift ideas in those catalogues.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A Field Trip to Hy Vee
Thank you to all of the parents and grandparents who helped with our field trip to Hy Vee today. Kristen, the Hy Vee dietician, showed us some parts of the store that most people have never seen: the dairy cooler, the deep freezer where they keep the ice cream and chicken nuggets and the store room. She also introduced us to Joe who showed us the lobster and Dee who decorated a cookie to take back to school. On Thursday, Tiffany showed us the lobster and Janet was the cookie decorator.
Thank you to Kaitlyn for bringing grapes and milk for snack today. Thursday our snack was from Macyn. They were mini graham cracker squares and juice. Thank you.
Book orders went home today. They will be due on November 21st. There are some great Christmas gift ideas there, so just let us know if we need to 'hide' a potential gift.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Is Winter Coming?
The weather forecast helped us make the decision to stay inside today. Can you believe that it snowed? Again. Sawyer brought in a woolly worm caterpillar to show everyone.
Choice Time: The three choices were puzzles, table top easels and musical instruments. On Tuesday, instead of musical instruments we played "Duck, Duck, Goose".
Story Time: Our story today was called "Feast for 10". We practiced counting to 10 many times. We sang our Thanksgiving songs several times. When we sing a song, many of the children will say, "Again. Again."
Snack Time: Today we had Go Gurts and V9 Fusion juice. Thank you, Easton. Tuesday's snack was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Thank you, Payten. Also, thanks to Bennett's mom for helping today.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to paint with foam brushes today. They enjoyed this new tool.
Remember our field trip is on Wednesday. Please come into the preschool with your child on that day. We will leave promptly at 9:00 a.m. We will meet at the Health Market side once we are at the HyVee on Utica Ridge Road.
The Yellow Group's field trip is on Thursday. The morning routine will go the same as listed above.
Choice Time: The three choices were puzzles, table top easels and musical instruments. On Tuesday, instead of musical instruments we played "Duck, Duck, Goose".
Story Time: Our story today was called "Feast for 10". We practiced counting to 10 many times. We sang our Thanksgiving songs several times. When we sing a song, many of the children will say, "Again. Again."
Snack Time: Today we had Go Gurts and V9 Fusion juice. Thank you, Easton. Tuesday's snack was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Thank you, Payten. Also, thanks to Bennett's mom for helping today.
Free Play: The children were offered a chance to paint with foam brushes today. They enjoyed this new tool.
Remember our field trip is on Wednesday. Please come into the preschool with your child on that day. We will leave promptly at 9:00 a.m. We will meet at the Health Market side once we are at the HyVee on Utica Ridge Road.
The Yellow Group's field trip is on Thursday. The morning routine will go the same as listed above.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Another Day in November
Thank you to all who came to conferences. It was good to see and talk with all of you.
The children came in today and got to look at buttons. There were many different colors, sizes and shapes to sort. They seemed to enjoy searching through them and finding the different ones.
Choice Time: We stayed inside due to the rainy conditions. Choices included table top easels, Play Doh and the tumbling mat. Thursday we went outside. It was cold so we made sure to keep moving.
We ran and played with balls and hoops. No one complained that they were too cold!
Circle Time: We read the story "My Four Groovy Buttons". It was a book on CD. It had a groovy song that went along with it. We sang the song "I Had a Little Turtle, His Name Was Tiny Tim". Evan thought that it was a funny song because he has an uncle named Tim. We also sang the song "Mr. Turkey Went for a Walk One Day".
Snack Time: Today we had sunflower butter sandwiches and juice. Thank you, Ethan. Thursday's snack was cheese sticks and orange juice. Thank you, Brennan.
Free Play: The children were given an opportunity to paint at the easel.
Thank you to Parker for bringing a toothbrush for everyone from her grandfather who is a dentist. Bryson brought us two homemade bird feeders for us to put outside. Thank you, Bryson!
The children came in today and got to look at buttons. There were many different colors, sizes and shapes to sort. They seemed to enjoy searching through them and finding the different ones.
Choice Time: We stayed inside due to the rainy conditions. Choices included table top easels, Play Doh and the tumbling mat. Thursday we went outside. It was cold so we made sure to keep moving.
We ran and played with balls and hoops. No one complained that they were too cold!
Circle Time: We read the story "My Four Groovy Buttons". It was a book on CD. It had a groovy song that went along with it. We sang the song "I Had a Little Turtle, His Name Was Tiny Tim". Evan thought that it was a funny song because he has an uncle named Tim. We also sang the song "Mr. Turkey Went for a Walk One Day".
Snack Time: Today we had sunflower butter sandwiches and juice. Thank you, Ethan. Thursday's snack was cheese sticks and orange juice. Thank you, Brennan.
Free Play: The children were given an opportunity to paint at the easel.
Thank you to Parker for bringing a toothbrush for everyone from her grandfather who is a dentist. Bryson brought us two homemade bird feeders for us to put outside. Thank you, Bryson!
Monday, November 4, 2013
It's November!
We hope that everyone had a Happy Halloween. It sounds like the weather will continue to be nice for a little while yet.
Outdoor Classroom: We were able to get outside today. We played with the balls and hoops and ran around. Thank you for dressing the children in warm coats. On Tuesday it was raining so we stayed inside. Our choices inside were table top easels, Play Doh and tumbling.
Circle Time: We read the story "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?". The children seemed to enjoy it. Some grasped the concept that bad manners make people angry and good manners make people happy. We learned one new song called "I Had a Little Turtle, His Name Was Tiny Tim". We learned the song "Mr. Turkey" also (in honor of the upcoming holiday).
Snack Time: We had bananas and milk. Thank you, Noelle. We had veggie straws and juice. Thank you, Abbey.
Free Play: The children were offered the opportunity to make a 3D mural using fall leaves and fall themed manipulatives.
Green Group conferences are today from 3 - 7 p.m. and the Yellow Group conferences are on Tuesday. We placed a schedule in each child's backpack today and will do the same tomorrow. If you did not sign up to come speak with the teachers, please feel free to contact the school and schedule an appointment.
We are missing just a couple of permission slips for our field trip, so if you haven't turned yours in, please do so.
Outdoor Classroom: We were able to get outside today. We played with the balls and hoops and ran around. Thank you for dressing the children in warm coats. On Tuesday it was raining so we stayed inside. Our choices inside were table top easels, Play Doh and tumbling.
Circle Time: We read the story "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?". The children seemed to enjoy it. Some grasped the concept that bad manners make people angry and good manners make people happy. We learned one new song called "I Had a Little Turtle, His Name Was Tiny Tim". We learned the song "Mr. Turkey" also (in honor of the upcoming holiday).
Snack Time: We had bananas and milk. Thank you, Noelle. We had veggie straws and juice. Thank you, Abbey.
Free Play: The children were offered the opportunity to make a 3D mural using fall leaves and fall themed manipulatives.
Green Group conferences are today from 3 - 7 p.m. and the Yellow Group conferences are on Tuesday. We placed a schedule in each child's backpack today and will do the same tomorrow. If you did not sign up to come speak with the teachers, please feel free to contact the school and schedule an appointment.
We are missing just a couple of permission slips for our field trip, so if you haven't turned yours in, please do so.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Halloween Is Here
Today we celebrated Halloween!
Choice Time: With the help of some of our parents, we did the parachute! We made it go fast, slow, high, low. We put leaves on it and shook them off. But, the most fun thing was when the parents held it up high and the children were able to go underneath it. It was a lot of fun! On Thursday, we did not have choice time as we needed to get into the other room for our Free Play.
Circle Time: We read the story "Where Is Your Mummy?" a book on CD. We also sang our fall songs one more time.
Free Play: The children had a short time to play due to the party.
Snack Time: We had mandarin oranges and frosted cookies. Thank you, party parents. Our Thursday party featured frosted cookies and juice. Thank you, party parents.
Party: We had a fun party. Our games were Pin the Bow on the Skeleton, Bean Bag Ghost Toss, tattoos and Spaghetti Eyeball Search. Again, thank you party parents. It was great! On Thursday, we played putt putt golf, Bean Bag Ghost Toss and Halloween Squishy Bags. Each child was also given two Trick or Treat bags compliments of the party parents and Payten. Again, thank you to all who helped with the party. It was a great success.
Thank you everyone for turning in your picture proofs!
Choice Time: With the help of some of our parents, we did the parachute! We made it go fast, slow, high, low. We put leaves on it and shook them off. But, the most fun thing was when the parents held it up high and the children were able to go underneath it. It was a lot of fun! On Thursday, we did not have choice time as we needed to get into the other room for our Free Play.
Circle Time: We read the story "Where Is Your Mummy?" a book on CD. We also sang our fall songs one more time.
Free Play: The children had a short time to play due to the party.
Snack Time: We had mandarin oranges and frosted cookies. Thank you, party parents. Our Thursday party featured frosted cookies and juice. Thank you, party parents.
Party: We had a fun party. Our games were Pin the Bow on the Skeleton, Bean Bag Ghost Toss, tattoos and Spaghetti Eyeball Search. Again, thank you party parents. It was great! On Thursday, we played putt putt golf, Bean Bag Ghost Toss and Halloween Squishy Bags. Each child was also given two Trick or Treat bags compliments of the party parents and Payten. Again, thank you to all who helped with the party. It was a great success.
Thank you everyone for turning in your picture proofs!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Almost Halloween
Once again we have experienced technical difficulties and we were unable to post a blog yesterday. This is that post.
This is the week of Halloween. The children always look forward to the activities the season has to offer.
Outdoor Classroom: We were able to go outside today and we brought with us the hoops and balls. We encouraged the children to keep moving to stay warm. They really enjoyed being outside.
Circle Time: We read the story "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything". There were felt pieces that went along with the story and the children found it all to be very interesting.
Snack Time: Snack was bananas and milk. Thank you, Alice. Elliott brought Scrabble CheezIts on Tuesday. Thank you. We had fun talking about the letters on our crackers.
Free Play: Everyone was offered a chance to make Halloween pictures on dark paper with chalk.
Our Halloween party (Green Group) is Wednesday, October 30th at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The children may choose to wear their costumes to school or they may change into them at party time.
Our Halloween party (Yellow Group) is Thursday, October 31st at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The children may choose to wear their costumes to school or they may change into them at party time.
If you still have your picture proofs, please send them in this week. They are due on Wednesday, October 30th. Please do not be late. And remember, we need all proofs returned, not just orders.
This is the week of Halloween. The children always look forward to the activities the season has to offer.
Outdoor Classroom: We were able to go outside today and we brought with us the hoops and balls. We encouraged the children to keep moving to stay warm. They really enjoyed being outside.
Circle Time: We read the story "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything". There were felt pieces that went along with the story and the children found it all to be very interesting.
Snack Time: Snack was bananas and milk. Thank you, Alice. Elliott brought Scrabble CheezIts on Tuesday. Thank you. We had fun talking about the letters on our crackers.
Free Play: Everyone was offered a chance to make Halloween pictures on dark paper with chalk.
Our Halloween party (Green Group) is Wednesday, October 30th at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The children may choose to wear their costumes to school or they may change into them at party time.
Our Halloween party (Yellow Group) is Thursday, October 31st at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The children may choose to wear their costumes to school or they may change into them at party time.
If you still have your picture proofs, please send them in this week. They are due on Wednesday, October 30th. Please do not be late. And remember, we need all proofs returned, not just orders.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Halloween is Coming
We are sorry for the lack of a post on Wednesday, October 23rd. We were experiencing technical difficulties. This is that post.
We introduced some small Halloween themed manipulatives for the children to look at when they first come into the classroom.
Choice Time: Tabletop easels, an eye dropper activity and an obstacle course with a tunnel were the choices offered for the children today. On Thursday, we focused on our fire drill. The children were taught to line up quickly, follow the teacher out the door to the parking lot and wait to be counted. They followed directions very well. When we came back inside everyone played with the parachute together. We put some leaves on the parachute and tried to shake them off.
Circle Time: Our stories were "Five Little Pumpkins" and "Halloween Colors". After reading the books, we practiced our fire drill. Mrs. Whiteman said "Fire drill, fire drill, fire drill" and the children tried getting in line by the EXIT sign as quickly as possible (without running, of course).
Snack Time: Chloe brought us pretzel and cheese packs with juice. Thank you. On Thursday, we had penguin crackers from Sydney. Thank you.
Free Play: All of the children were offered another opportunity to do more beading. They also were given many different fall craft items to choose from and they made a lot of different things with them.
Picture proofs went home today. They are due back (whether you order or not) on Wednesday, October 30th. Thank you to the parents who have been so quick to return the proofs.
Some of the children had their eyes checked by the Lion's Club today. Reports will be provided at a later date to all of those who participated.
We introduced some small Halloween themed manipulatives for the children to look at when they first come into the classroom.
Choice Time: Tabletop easels, an eye dropper activity and an obstacle course with a tunnel were the choices offered for the children today. On Thursday, we focused on our fire drill. The children were taught to line up quickly, follow the teacher out the door to the parking lot and wait to be counted. They followed directions very well. When we came back inside everyone played with the parachute together. We put some leaves on the parachute and tried to shake them off.
Circle Time: Our stories were "Five Little Pumpkins" and "Halloween Colors". After reading the books, we practiced our fire drill. Mrs. Whiteman said "Fire drill, fire drill, fire drill" and the children tried getting in line by the EXIT sign as quickly as possible (without running, of course).
Snack Time: Chloe brought us pretzel and cheese packs with juice. Thank you. On Thursday, we had penguin crackers from Sydney. Thank you.
Free Play: All of the children were offered another opportunity to do more beading. They also were given many different fall craft items to choose from and they made a lot of different things with them.
Picture proofs went home today. They are due back (whether you order or not) on Wednesday, October 30th. Thank you to the parents who have been so quick to return the proofs.
Some of the children had their eyes checked by the Lion's Club today. Reports will be provided at a later date to all of those who participated.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Changes
There are changes going on all around us. The temperature changed and we have to wear coats and hats and gloves to stay warm. The leaves are changing and starting to fall to the ground. Our class has changed because Treya has finally joined us. On Tuesday, we had to change our schedule a little bit to accommodate the Lion's Club Vision Screening.
Choice Time: The three choices included: tabletop easels, a magnet activity where the children had to "rake" the leaves, and marching with musical instruments. On Tuesday, our choices were: tabletop easels, an eye dropper activity to help with fine motor skills and an obstacle course with a tunnel.
Circle Time: We read the book "Leaves, Leaves, Leaves". The children should be able to answer the following questions: When do leaves change color? What colors are fall leaves? Do any leaves stay green in the fall? What helps the leaves fall from the trees? What fun things can you do with fall leaves? We also sang our fall songs.
Snack Time: We had CheezIts and grapes. Thank you, Evan. On Tuesday we had crackers and juice. Thank you, Bryson. We also had a helper today. Thank you to Olive's mom for playing with us.
Free Play: The children were offered the opportunity to do some beading. They made bracelets. Easton brought in some cool stickers to share with his classmates. Thank you. Bryson brought in stickers on Tuesday!
Do you think the weathermen are correct and it is going to snow this week? I hope not! On Tuesday, we found out the weatherman did know what he was talking about. Several children were even singing "Snow, Snow, Go Away!".
FYI: Our lesson plans on Wednesday and Thursday include a fire drill practice (no loud bells or flashing lights). If you want to talk to your children about fire safety, that would be helpful.
Choice Time: The three choices included: tabletop easels, a magnet activity where the children had to "rake" the leaves, and marching with musical instruments. On Tuesday, our choices were: tabletop easels, an eye dropper activity to help with fine motor skills and an obstacle course with a tunnel.
Circle Time: We read the book "Leaves, Leaves, Leaves". The children should be able to answer the following questions: When do leaves change color? What colors are fall leaves? Do any leaves stay green in the fall? What helps the leaves fall from the trees? What fun things can you do with fall leaves? We also sang our fall songs.
Snack Time: We had CheezIts and grapes. Thank you, Evan. On Tuesday we had crackers and juice. Thank you, Bryson. We also had a helper today. Thank you to Olive's mom for playing with us.
Free Play: The children were offered the opportunity to do some beading. They made bracelets. Easton brought in some cool stickers to share with his classmates. Thank you. Bryson brought in stickers on Tuesday!
Do you think the weathermen are correct and it is going to snow this week? I hope not! On Tuesday, we found out the weatherman did know what he was talking about. Several children were even singing "Snow, Snow, Go Away!".
FYI: Our lesson plans on Wednesday and Thursday include a fire drill practice (no loud bells or flashing lights). If you want to talk to your children about fire safety, that would be helpful.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Leaves Are Falling
We have continued to talk about the season of Fall and all of the changes that are happening.
Choice Time: The children were given three choices: tabletop easels, Play Doh or our game Jump the River. On Thursday, the three choices were: an activity where they used magnets to pick up leaves with a paperclip attached, tabletop easels and musical instruments which they used to play and march to Halloween music.
Circle Time: We read the book "Leaves Are Falling, Counting 1 to 10". This book helped us learn to count up to ten. We sang our fall songs and introduced a new one called "Leaves Are Falling".
Snack Time: We had tiny Clementines, string cheese and apple juice. Thank you, Priyanshi. On Thursday, we had Angry Bird Cheese Nips and apple juice. Thank you, Ethan. Sydney's mom came and helped today. Thank you!
Free Play: The children were given a chance to cut with scissors again and we have some very good cutters. Some new children came over and gave it a try, too. We also put some Moon Sand into the sensory table. This was a big hit.
Please take notice of the the information that went home today regarding the Lion's Club Vision Screening. This is a free service and we just need your permission for your child to participate. The screenings are next week, so make sure to get your forms in if you would like this service.
Choice Time: The children were given three choices: tabletop easels, Play Doh or our game Jump the River. On Thursday, the three choices were: an activity where they used magnets to pick up leaves with a paperclip attached, tabletop easels and musical instruments which they used to play and march to Halloween music.
Circle Time: We read the book "Leaves Are Falling, Counting 1 to 10". This book helped us learn to count up to ten. We sang our fall songs and introduced a new one called "Leaves Are Falling".
Snack Time: We had tiny Clementines, string cheese and apple juice. Thank you, Priyanshi. On Thursday, we had Angry Bird Cheese Nips and apple juice. Thank you, Ethan. Sydney's mom came and helped today. Thank you!
Free Play: The children were given a chance to cut with scissors again and we have some very good cutters. Some new children came over and gave it a try, too. We also put some Moon Sand into the sensory table. This was a big hit.
Please take notice of the the information that went home today regarding the Lion's Club Vision Screening. This is a free service and we just need your permission for your child to participate. The screenings are next week, so make sure to get your forms in if you would like this service.
Monday, October 14, 2013
The Season is Fall
At preschool, we have been talking about the season of Fall and focusing on the changes that are going on around us. We looked at field corn on the cob and picked some of the kernels off of the ears. Thank you to Sawyer for bringing in the interesting bugs and sprouts. Also thanks to Kyanna for the Day Lily seeds.
Outdoor Classroom: We went outside today. It was noisy due to the fact that the construction workers were busy trying to finish the road. Let's hope that it gets done soon! On Tuesday, we had to stay inside due to the rain. Our three choices included tabletop easels, Play Doh and a game called Jump the River.
Circle Time: We read the story "Time to Harvest". The children should be able to answer the following questions based on the book: When is it time to harvest? (Fall) What does harvest mean? (to pick foods) What things do we harvest? (pumpkins, corn, grapes...) We continue to sing our Fall songs. Ask the children to sing them for you as some of them know them very well.
Snack: We popped popcorn and had it with pretzels and juice. We celebrated Kaitlyn's birthday with a Birthday Brownie! Thank you to Kyanna's mom for helping on Tuesday!
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to cut with scissors. If they participated, we put their cuttings in a baggie and sent them home. We also had a new product in the Sensory Table; Moon Sand. It was very soft and easy to mold. One of the children said it smells bad! (plastic smell). They loved it.
Outdoor Classroom: We went outside today. It was noisy due to the fact that the construction workers were busy trying to finish the road. Let's hope that it gets done soon! On Tuesday, we had to stay inside due to the rain. Our three choices included tabletop easels, Play Doh and a game called Jump the River.
Circle Time: We read the story "Time to Harvest". The children should be able to answer the following questions based on the book: When is it time to harvest? (Fall) What does harvest mean? (to pick foods) What things do we harvest? (pumpkins, corn, grapes...) We continue to sing our Fall songs. Ask the children to sing them for you as some of them know them very well.
Snack: We popped popcorn and had it with pretzels and juice. We celebrated Kaitlyn's birthday with a Birthday Brownie! Thank you to Kyanna's mom for helping on Tuesday!
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to cut with scissors. If they participated, we put their cuttings in a baggie and sent them home. We also had a new product in the Sensory Table; Moon Sand. It was very soft and easy to mold. One of the children said it smells bad! (plastic smell). They loved it.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
A Beautiful Day
It was a beautiful day outside. We went to the Outdoor Classroom and enjoyed ourselves.
Outdoor Classroom: We introduced the children to the woven balls. These are hollow balls (8-10 inches in diameter) that look woven. We used them to kick around like a soccer ball. There were only four balls, so we had to share.
Circle Time: We read the story "Busy Squirrels". It seems that everyone has seen squirrels at home as they have been busy hiding their nuts in preparation for winter. The children should be able to answer the following questions from the book: What do squirrels drink? What do squirrels eat? Why do squirrels hide nuts? When do squirrels find nuts? How do squirrels keep warm? We sang the songs "Gray Squirrel", "I'm a Nut", "Way Up High in the Apple Tree" and "Five Little Pumpkins".
Snack Time: We continue to work on using good table manners during snack time. Today we had carrots, yogurt and milk. Thank you, Mariyyam. We also had a special helper, Karley's mom, Stephanie. Thank you, Stephanie. On Thursday we had BelVita crackers and apple juice from Olive. Thank you.
Free Play: We gave the children a chance to finger paint with red and yellow. Some of them finger painted for so long that the red and yellow made orange! The children seemed very interested in using stickers. We used a lot of stickers, so if you would like to donate any cool stickers for girls and boys, we would appreciate them!
Let's hope the weather holds out. We love to go outside.
Outdoor Classroom: We introduced the children to the woven balls. These are hollow balls (8-10 inches in diameter) that look woven. We used them to kick around like a soccer ball. There were only four balls, so we had to share.
Circle Time: We read the story "Busy Squirrels". It seems that everyone has seen squirrels at home as they have been busy hiding their nuts in preparation for winter. The children should be able to answer the following questions from the book: What do squirrels drink? What do squirrels eat? Why do squirrels hide nuts? When do squirrels find nuts? How do squirrels keep warm? We sang the songs "Gray Squirrel", "I'm a Nut", "Way Up High in the Apple Tree" and "Five Little Pumpkins".
Snack Time: We continue to work on using good table manners during snack time. Today we had carrots, yogurt and milk. Thank you, Mariyyam. We also had a special helper, Karley's mom, Stephanie. Thank you, Stephanie. On Thursday we had BelVita crackers and apple juice from Olive. Thank you.
Free Play: We gave the children a chance to finger paint with red and yellow. Some of them finger painted for so long that the red and yellow made orange! The children seemed very interested in using stickers. We used a lot of stickers, so if you would like to donate any cool stickers for girls and boys, we would appreciate them!
Let's hope the weather holds out. We love to go outside.
Monday, October 7, 2013
A Day Inside
Due to the fact that it was cold and damp outside, we decided to stay indoors today.
Choice Time: When we stay inside we offer the children three choices of areas to explore. One choice involves a large motor skill and the other two are small motor activities. We used the multi-sensory balance beam, the table top easels with dry erase markers and erasers, and Play-Doh.
Circle Time: We looked closely at a variety of seeds. Our favorite were the seeds from the milkweed plant. Once those started floating in the air, it was hard to catch them and put them away. Story time was "An Apple a Day". This was another giant book. We also sang some songs about seeds.
Snack Time: We had cheese sticks, CheezIts and apple juice from Marley. Thank you. On Tuesday, Kyanna brought in Veggie Straws and juice. Thank you.
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to paint with apples at the Art Table. Anyone interested did their own paper. The children will bring them home after they have dried.
We continue to work on what it means when the gong sounds: stop playing, start cleaning!
Choice Time: When we stay inside we offer the children three choices of areas to explore. One choice involves a large motor skill and the other two are small motor activities. We used the multi-sensory balance beam, the table top easels with dry erase markers and erasers, and Play-Doh.
Circle Time: We looked closely at a variety of seeds. Our favorite were the seeds from the milkweed plant. Once those started floating in the air, it was hard to catch them and put them away. Story time was "An Apple a Day". This was another giant book. We also sang some songs about seeds.
Snack Time: We had cheese sticks, CheezIts and apple juice from Marley. Thank you. On Tuesday, Kyanna brought in Veggie Straws and juice. Thank you.
Free Play: The children were offered an opportunity to paint with apples at the Art Table. Anyone interested did their own paper. The children will bring them home after they have dried.
We continue to work on what it means when the gong sounds: stop playing, start cleaning!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Seeds
Don't forget to check out the pictures from our Pumpkin Patch trips. That post is right under this one!
Today we turned our attention from bugs to seeds. Thank you to everyone who brought in such interesting seeds and seed pods. Our favorite seemed to be the milkweed pods. We took those outside and played with them.Outdoor Classroom: The kids had fun with the toys outside. We ended our time running around as a variety of different animals.
Circle Time: Today we did the attendance book silently. When we saw our picture we raised our hand without saying a word. Everyone was able to do it. What a pleasant surprise! We read the story "Growing Pumpkins". It was a giant book. We sang some new songs: "I'm an Acorn", "Way Up High in the Apple Tree" and "Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate".
Snack Time: We had pumpkin bread and V-8 Fusion juice. Thank you, Sawyer.
Free Play: We did a group gluing project at the Art Table. It is drying and will be hung up in the hallway as soon as possible.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Our Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
Farmer Gene met us at the fence and took us on a tour of the pumpkin patch. First we fed the goats and sheep. Then, we saw peacocks. There was a baby peacock about 6 weeks old and peacock eggs. We saw the geese and the turkeys. They were very, very loud and some of the children covered their ears.
Next we went through the corn maze. Mrs. Myers was the last one out! But, she didn't need any help from Farmer Gene. Then Farmer Gene told us how pumpkins are grown and let us pick a pumpkin from the patch.
We went to Bunnyville. The bunnies were a little skittish since we were the first tour of the season. They need to get used to children. We learned that if we approached the bunnies very quietly, that sometimes they would let us pet them.
Snack was animal crackers and juice. Thank you, Nevaeh. Wednesday's snack was graham crackers, and a decorated cookie for a special treat. Thank you, Dharmi! Thank you to all of the parents who helped us with this wonderful field trip. We could not have done it without you.
We hope that you all got great pictures. We will post ours later.
Next we went through the corn maze. Mrs. Myers was the last one out! But, she didn't need any help from Farmer Gene. Then Farmer Gene told us how pumpkins are grown and let us pick a pumpkin from the patch.
We went to Bunnyville. The bunnies were a little skittish since we were the first tour of the season. They need to get used to children. We learned that if we approached the bunnies very quietly, that sometimes they would let us pet them.
Snack was animal crackers and juice. Thank you, Nevaeh. Wednesday's snack was graham crackers, and a decorated cookie for a special treat. Thank you, Dharmi! Thank you to all of the parents who helped us with this wonderful field trip. We could not have done it without you.
We hope that you all got great pictures. We will post ours later.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Seeds
This week we turned our attention to seeds. We looked at seeds as we first came in today and talked about seeds that are planted in the ground and grow pumpkins.
Outdoor Classroom: The weather is still cooperating and we plan to go outside everyday. Thank you for dressing your children appropriately. It has been chilly in the morning and a light jacket does feel good.
Circle Time: We read the book "Growing Pumpkins". It was a giant-sized book. We learned three new songs: "I'm an Acorn", "Way Up High in the Apple Tree", and "Five Little Pumpkins".
Snack Time: We had bananas and juice today. Thank you, Anish.
Free Time: While the children were playing, a giant group gluing project was going on in the Art Center.
See you on Wednesday for the Pumpkin Patch field trip. Please remember to come inside with your child on that day.
Outdoor Classroom: The weather is still cooperating and we plan to go outside everyday. Thank you for dressing your children appropriately. It has been chilly in the morning and a light jacket does feel good.
Circle Time: We read the book "Growing Pumpkins". It was a giant-sized book. We learned three new songs: "I'm an Acorn", "Way Up High in the Apple Tree", and "Five Little Pumpkins".
Snack Time: We had bananas and juice today. Thank you, Anish.
Free Time: While the children were playing, a giant group gluing project was going on in the Art Center.
See you on Wednesday for the Pumpkin Patch field trip. Please remember to come inside with your child on that day.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Picture Day!
Today was Picture Day! The photographer's name was Jerry. He took every one's individual picture and then a Class Picture when he was all finished. Since Mrs. Lehenbauer was busy helping Jerry, Mrs. Stineman from the Preschool Board helped us out. On Thursday, Macyn's mom, Dawn (who is also on the Preschool Board), helped us out.
Outdoor Classroom: After our Open House last night and before Preschool this morning, a spider got busy and spun a beautiful web by the water table. It was interesting to see the web. Chloe wondered why Mrs. Myers' spider in the bug catcher has not spun a web yet? We don't know. On Thursday, we let all of the bugs in the bug catchers go free. We felt that they needed to have a nice weekend with lots of space.
Circle Time: We read the story "Ten Little Ladybugs". This book helped us with our counting skills. We sang bug songs and "If You're Happy and You Know It".
Snack Time: We had bananas and juice. Thank you, Karley. Thursday's snack was graham crackers and apple juice. Thank you, Bennett.
Free Time: Since it was Picture Day we didn't have the paints and markers out so that our clothes would stay nice. The children discovered how fun it was to use the glue sticks and the hole punches.
Green Group, all of your permissions have been returned. Thank you! See you next week. Yellow Group, thank you to those who have returned permissions.
Outdoor Classroom: After our Open House last night and before Preschool this morning, a spider got busy and spun a beautiful web by the water table. It was interesting to see the web. Chloe wondered why Mrs. Myers' spider in the bug catcher has not spun a web yet? We don't know. On Thursday, we let all of the bugs in the bug catchers go free. We felt that they needed to have a nice weekend with lots of space.
Circle Time: We read the story "Ten Little Ladybugs". This book helped us with our counting skills. We sang bug songs and "If You're Happy and You Know It".
Snack Time: We had bananas and juice. Thank you, Karley. Thursday's snack was graham crackers and apple juice. Thank you, Bennett.
Free Time: Since it was Picture Day we didn't have the paints and markers out so that our clothes would stay nice. The children discovered how fun it was to use the glue sticks and the hole punches.
Green Group, all of your permissions have been returned. Thank you! See you next week. Yellow Group, thank you to those who have returned permissions.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Still Finding Bugs
Don't forget that Picture Day for the Green Group is Wednesday and Thursday for the Yellow Group.
Outdoor Classroom: The storm blew off the top of our sand table while we were gone. Our sand got wet from the rain. It was fun to play with the wet sand for a change. Evan and Easton kept busy making an environment for the bugs we caught using acorn tops, leaves, sticks and mulch. We also found a big spider and added him into our bug box. On Tuesday, the ramps and balls were out. The children had fun figuring out what to do with them. When they realized that there were not enough balls to go around they discovered that acorns rolled down just as well.
Circle Time: We read "Our Neighborhood" and sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" using a fast, slow and medium tempo.
Snack Time: We had crackers and apple juice. Tuesday's snack was Go-gurt and juice. Thank you, Annabelle.
Free Play: Painting with squishy rings was offered at the easel.
Our Open House is tonight (Tuesday) at 5:30. We hope to see you there. Don't forget to get those permission slips in with payment by Wednesday (Green Group)! Permissions for the Yellow Group are due on Thursday.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Bugs Are Free!
After watching the bugs for the past few days, we decided it was time to let them go free.
Outdoor Classroom: We thought the moth that Mrs. Whiteman had caught was dead, but when we looked closer...he was alive! He flew away. We opened up the container with the daddy long legs in it and they crawled away. A few children let them crawl on their hands and up their arms. We opened up the locust container that Abbey had brought in and touched its crunchy shell. There was no bug inside. The moth that Mrs. Myers brought in today was dead, but we still touched its furry body. And finally, we released the crickets. They hopped away so fast that nobody was able to catch them.
Circle Time: We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". We sang a few bug songs.
Snack Time: Ava brought in Rice Krispie Treats and white cherry grape juice. Thank you, Ava.
Free Play: The children were busy and had fun playing train with Mrs. Myers. There was also a lot of action at the Art Table.
Thank you to everyone who returned their book orders and field trip permissions. Please remember to include payment when returning the form for our trip to Shady Knoll.
Outdoor Classroom: We thought the moth that Mrs. Whiteman had caught was dead, but when we looked closer...he was alive! He flew away. We opened up the container with the daddy long legs in it and they crawled away. A few children let them crawl on their hands and up their arms. We opened up the locust container that Abbey had brought in and touched its crunchy shell. There was no bug inside. The moth that Mrs. Myers brought in today was dead, but we still touched its furry body. And finally, we released the crickets. They hopped away so fast that nobody was able to catch them.
Circle Time: We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". We sang a few bug songs.
Snack Time: Ava brought in Rice Krispie Treats and white cherry grape juice. Thank you, Ava.
Free Play: The children were busy and had fun playing train with Mrs. Myers. There was also a lot of action at the Art Table.
Thank you to everyone who returned their book orders and field trip permissions. Please remember to include payment when returning the form for our trip to Shady Knoll.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
We Had a Helper
Parents: The field trip note went home today (Wednesday). Please fill it out and return it as soon as possible.
Mrs. Whiteman had an appointment this morning so we were lucky enough to have Mrs. Lehenbauer and Mrs. Stineman join us. They enjoyed participating and we loved having them.
Outdoor Classroom: We didn't do the water activities today since it was a little chilly when we went outside. So, we had scarves and ribbons. We ran with those. We had a lot of people playing with the toy trucks and tractors which was fitting because we had a lot of construction going on in the road. We were lucky to have the weather hold out, so we stayed out a little longer than normal.
Circle Time: We reviewed the big butterfly book that we read on Monday that showed the life cycle of the butterfly. Then we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle which is also goes through the life cycle of a butterfly. The children seemed to enjoy the books very much.
Snack: Parker brought crackers, watermelon and milk. Thank you, Parker. The watermelon was a hit!
Free Play: The Duplo blocks really got a workout today and so did the Magnatiles. We enjoyed the Media Center reading under the canopy.
We had some loud thunder during our day. Some of the children were excited. A few, not so much.
Monday, September 16, 2013
More Bugs
Parents: The field trip note went home today (Tuesday). Please take note and return as soon as possible.
The crickets are still with us, but Mrs. Whiteman brought in a moth and 3 daddy long legs for us to look at as we came in this morning. On Tuesday, Abbey brought in a cicada shell for us to look at. We tried to treat them gently and be quiet so that we did not scare them.
Outdoor Classroom: We wore our coats and went outside. Thanks parents for dressing your children for the weather. Because it was cold, we did not play at the water table. Instead, we used the scarves and wrist ribbons and ran around the yard pretending that we were butterflies. The Yellow Group found an earwig and two rolly-polly bugs. We put them on the table and watched them crawl around.
Circle Time: Our story was called "A Butterfly Is Born". It was a BIG book. It showed the life cycle of a butterfly using huge pictures. We also looked at the book, "Papi, How Many Stars Are in the Sky?" from the Creative Curriculum. We looked at the pictures and talked about when we see stars. We sang all of the bug songs that we could before it was time to line up for snack.
Snack: Today's snack was bananas. The children peeled them themselves. We reinforced the routine of staying at the table until being excused by a teacher. On Tuesday we also celebrated two birthdays; Ava and Nevaeh. Happy Birthday!
Play Time: We painted with fall colors at the easel. Thank you to Brennan and Sawyer for bringing in some ties and some jewelry. We will use them in the Housekeeping Center.
Because the children are starting to wear coats, we will start to teach them how to do it themselves. The 'preschool way' is to lay the coat down with the hood/collar at the feet; put the hands through the armholes; then flip the coat over the head. Any help that you can give us with reinforcing this new skill would be greatly appreciated.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Another Great Day!
The children seem to be settling into our school routine. It is becoming easier to transition between activities.
Outdoor Classroom: The construction equipment on Tanglefoot was not in use today. Even though there wasn't as much to watch, we appreciated the quiet! We found spiders that had made webs on our fence. On Thursday, the construction equipment was active. The back hoe loader was scooping the dirt into the dump truck.
Circle Time: We read the story "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle. The children seemed very interested in all of the animals mentioned in the book. They seemed to know their animal noises very well! We sang more bug songs including "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and we learned a new song called "If You're Happy and You Know It!".
Snack Time: We had bananas and milk today. The children were encouraged to peel their own bananas. Thank you, Kaitlyn. We had CheezIts and apple juice on Thursday. Thank you, Kaylee.
Free Play: Children kept busy during Free Play and were offered a chance to paint with Tempura Paint. They made lots of pictures on the easel.
Nevaeh passed out a birthday treat today. Happy Birthday, Nevaeh!
Have a great day and enjoy the break in the weather.
Outdoor Classroom: The construction equipment on Tanglefoot was not in use today. Even though there wasn't as much to watch, we appreciated the quiet! We found spiders that had made webs on our fence. On Thursday, the construction equipment was active. The back hoe loader was scooping the dirt into the dump truck.
Circle Time: We read the story "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle. The children seemed very interested in all of the animals mentioned in the book. They seemed to know their animal noises very well! We sang more bug songs including "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and we learned a new song called "If You're Happy and You Know It!".
Snack Time: We had bananas and milk today. The children were encouraged to peel their own bananas. Thank you, Kaitlyn. We had CheezIts and apple juice on Thursday. Thank you, Kaylee.
Free Play: Children kept busy during Free Play and were offered a chance to paint with Tempura Paint. They made lots of pictures on the easel.
Nevaeh passed out a birthday treat today. Happy Birthday, Nevaeh!
Have a great day and enjoy the break in the weather.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Here Come the Crickets
We have started to notice bugs around the Outdoor Classroom, so, we are going to focus a little more on bugs for a while. Today Mrs. Whiteman brought in ten crickets which she bought at Teskes.
They eat carrots and drink from a cotton ball soaked in water.
Outdoor Classroom: Mrs. Whiteman brought in a big container that had a hole in it the size of an acorn. Several children spent the morning putting acorns in our "acorn bank". It was fun. Noelle spotted an ant on the tree. It was moving very fast. On Tuesday, Olive found a Cicada killing wasp that had died. It is big and scary looking.
Circle Time: We read the stories "The Very Quiet Cricket" and "A World of Families".
Snack Time: Easton brought Rice Krispie Treats and apple juice. Thank you, Easton. Our snack for Tuesday was Mini Club Crackers and Juicy Juice. Thank you, Macyn.
Free Play: The children played in all of the Centers and painted a mural together. We will hang the mural out on the wall in the hallway. It turned out very pretty.
Try to stay cool!
They eat carrots and drink from a cotton ball soaked in water.
Outdoor Classroom: Mrs. Whiteman brought in a big container that had a hole in it the size of an acorn. Several children spent the morning putting acorns in our "acorn bank". It was fun. Noelle spotted an ant on the tree. It was moving very fast. On Tuesday, Olive found a Cicada killing wasp that had died. It is big and scary looking.
Circle Time: We read the stories "The Very Quiet Cricket" and "A World of Families".
Snack Time: Easton brought Rice Krispie Treats and apple juice. Thank you, Easton. Our snack for Tuesday was Mini Club Crackers and Juicy Juice. Thank you, Macyn.
Free Play: The children played in all of the Centers and painted a mural together. We will hang the mural out on the wall in the hallway. It turned out very pretty.
Try to stay cool!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Talking About Bugs
Today we started noticing a few bugs around the school. And, so, we started talking about them a little.
Outdoor Classroom: Olive found a spider on her marker when she was coloring. It was very, very tiny. Bennett had a spider on his leg. He did not like that one bit!
Circle Time: We read the story "Butterfly, Butterfly". It has a beautiful pop-up of a butterfly that surprised us at the end. We sang as many bug songs as Mrs. Whiteman could thing of like: "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Here's the Beehive", "Ladybug, Ladybug", "Two Little Butterflies Sitting on a Hill" and "The Ants Go Marching".
Snack: We had Go-Gurt and juice from Payten. Thank you.
Free Play: All went well. We had a lot of artists and builders.
Have a great weekend.
Outdoor Classroom: Olive found a spider on her marker when she was coloring. It was very, very tiny. Bennett had a spider on his leg. He did not like that one bit!
Circle Time: We read the story "Butterfly, Butterfly". It has a beautiful pop-up of a butterfly that surprised us at the end. We sang as many bug songs as Mrs. Whiteman could thing of like: "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Here's the Beehive", "Ladybug, Ladybug", "Two Little Butterflies Sitting on a Hill" and "The Ants Go Marching".
Snack: We had Go-Gurt and juice from Payten. Thank you.
Free Play: All went well. We had a lot of artists and builders.
Have a great weekend.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Day of Exploration
We are getting to know each other here at Preschool. We are even learning each other's names.
Outside Classroom: We explored the various things in our yard including acorns and pine cones. We collected things with our buckets. We broke open acorns and looked to see what was inside.
Songs: We sang our welcome song, "Rise and Shine". We also did "The Freeze".
Story: "Wemberly Worries" was our story today. It is about a little girl who worries about everything, including school. But, when she goes to school, she meets a friend and that helps her to stop worrying.
Snack: We had our plastic glasses for the first time. Guess what? No one spilled. Brennan brought apple juice and animal crackers. We wound up talking about the zoo and the circus! Our snack on Wednesday was from Ethan. We had milk and CheezIts! Thank you.
Free Play: There was a lot of activity in the block area building tracks for cars and other toys. Mrs. Myers read stories to us in the Media Center.
Outside Classroom: We explored the various things in our yard including acorns and pine cones. We collected things with our buckets. We broke open acorns and looked to see what was inside.
Songs: We sang our welcome song, "Rise and Shine". We also did "The Freeze".
Story: "Wemberly Worries" was our story today. It is about a little girl who worries about everything, including school. But, when she goes to school, she meets a friend and that helps her to stop worrying.
Snack: We had our plastic glasses for the first time. Guess what? No one spilled. Brennan brought apple juice and animal crackers. We wound up talking about the zoo and the circus! Our snack on Wednesday was from Ethan. We had milk and CheezIts! Thank you.
Free Play: There was a lot of activity in the block area building tracks for cars and other toys. Mrs. Myers read stories to us in the Media Center.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
First Day Fun
We are off to a great start!
Activities: We went to the Outdoor Classroom and discovered all the area had in store for us: a sandbox, a water table, a chalkboard, stepping stones, and lots of trucks to push around.
Circle Time: We read the story, "Quinito, Day and Night". It was a story about a boy named Quinito and the routines he had each day. We also sang some songs and Nursery Rhymes. Our favorite seemed to be "The ABC Song".
Snack: We had apple flavored Teddy Grahams and water or juice. We learned to make a little garbage can out of our cup and trash and throw it away after we were done.
Playtime: All areas of our Play Room were put to good use. The children seemed to enjoy having a longer time to investigate the different areas.
It was a great first day! See you all next week.
Activities: We went to the Outdoor Classroom and discovered all the area had in store for us: a sandbox, a water table, a chalkboard, stepping stones, and lots of trucks to push around.
Circle Time: We read the story, "Quinito, Day and Night". It was a story about a boy named Quinito and the routines he had each day. We also sang some songs and Nursery Rhymes. Our favorite seemed to be "The ABC Song".
Snack: We had apple flavored Teddy Grahams and water or juice. We learned to make a little garbage can out of our cup and trash and throw it away after we were done.
Playtime: All areas of our Play Room were put to good use. The children seemed to enjoy having a longer time to investigate the different areas.
It was a great first day! See you all next week.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Welcome to Preschool
Thank you to everyone for coming today. Everything went great. We are looking forward to a "WONDERFUL" year. See you all next time.
Monday, August 19, 2013
We Are Working
Hello everyone! Welcome to our 2 Day Preschool Blog for the 2013-14 school year. School hasn't started for the children yet, but we are very busy in the rooms getting ready for the new year. We cannot wait to see everyone.
Don't forget Parent Orientation on Wednesday, August 21 at 7 pm. We will see you then.
Don't forget Parent Orientation on Wednesday, August 21 at 7 pm. We will see you then.
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