// Week of February 11 ❤️ //
This week...
The new month included exploring new activities on the shelf and continued exploration. One of the new activities in the Practical Life Area includes cinnamon grating. Children use a cinnamon stick on a grater and see the powder form inside the clear bowl below. We will use the cinnamon powder later as part of another activity. Another new activity included identifying different kinds of sports. We introduced four- basketball, baseball, soccer, and football. The children also learned how to identify them in Spanish!
This week also included some celebrations. One of the children’s parent came in to read a book and share some delicious treats in honor of the Lunar New Year. Another celebration included a birthday! We hope you have had a great start to the new month as we did!
// Week of February 4 //
// Curriculum Update: Week of Jan 28 //
The colder weather outside prompted more indoor activities this week. We used various forms to create art, by coloring snowflake patterns, stamping with celery to create prints, and pastels to create lines on the easel. To exercise our large muscles, we used the Movement Room to hop into hoops, onto spots, and over rods. Keeping health in mind, we introduced clementine peeling in the Practical Life Area so the children can practice their fine motor skills, have access to a healthy snack, and an intake of vitamin C during the cold season. We hope you have a safe weekend and try to stay warm!
// Week of January 28 //
// Week of January 21 //
The short week consisted of exciting happenings including our field trip to the Stage Theatre as we marveled on the performance of Eric Carle’s popular stories. Using concepts of the retold stories, children were able to creatively exercise what they recalled into the classroom activities. They counted 4 strawberries for snack as they recognized from the story of the hungry caterpillar. One child used links to create a ‘caterpillar’. This week’s rain clouds reminded them of the story of “The Little Cloud” as they looked out the window to a cloudy sky. The rain reminded them of a rhyme we have sung before, called “Rain, Rain, Go Away..” Some recalled the long tongue of the chameleon who used it to catch flies. We enjoyed the performance as much as the enthusiasm on the faces of the children at the theatre - we hope you did too! Thank you for taking the time to join us during the field trip!
// Week of Martin Luther King Day //
// Curriculum Update: Week of Jan. 14 //
As we approach our Field Trip next week, we read several books by Eric Carle, including “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”,
“Brown Bear, Brown Bear“, and “Polar Bear, Polar Bear”. One of the books includes a variety of fruits that a caterpillar eats each day. We followed suit by eating some of those fruits during snack and created caterpillars as an Art project by painting and gluing fuzzy Pom-poms. The polar bear book includes a variety of animals that can be found in a zoo and the children use pillowed cotton pieces on a felt board to name each animal as they repeat the story. Re-reading a book and incorporating aspects of it in different ways helps their developing reading comprehension in literacy skills. We look forward for the children to join us on the trip next week as they experience the story on stage! Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the trip.
// Enjoy Photos from the week of Jan. 14 //
// Curriculum Update: Week of Jan 7 //
This week, we welcomed another new friend, Owen to our Square Room, making a bigger circle of joy! As the children experienced their first full week after the break, they gradually settled into the routine of things in the classroom environment, as well as outdoors, and special classes including Spanish, Music, Art, and Movement. In Spanish class, they learned the names of winter accessories such as hat, gloves, and boots. We sang “This Little Light of Mine” in Music, and created a winter scene using soft cotton balls as an Art project. During Movement, we continued our lesson on hibernation by crawling through tunnels! We hope you stay safe and warm this weekend and look forward to more experiences in the coming week.
// Curriculum Update, New Year! //
Welcome back and Happy New Year. We hope everyone had a relaxing and wonderful time spent with family and friends. The children have adjusted back to the classroom routine and have begun working on new materials throughout the classroom. The children have found new winter themed art projects in the art area, new puzzles and… we also are excited to welcome new friends in the classroom!
// HAPPY NEW YEAR! //
// Hibernation Week: Curriculum Update //
As the final week of school for the calendar year folded, the children decorated cardboard which we put together to make a tent. This tent was used on Hibernation Day so the children could crawl in and ‘hibernate’ like some animals during the winter. We showed pictures of warm clothes we wear during the Winter season to keep warm during the cold weather. We also spoke of what some animals do to keep warm, by hibernating in caves, flying south, or as we do, adapt to the cold by keeping warm with warm clothes. One of our parents also came in and talked to the children about Hanukkah. The children were able to explore a menorah with real candles which they were able put in and out to understand that the candle burned for 8 days and nights instead of just one night.
// Hibernation Week //
// Curriculum Update: First Week in December //
The children have shown a wonderful interest in audio books. This week, we listened to “ Three Blue Pigeons” by Nicolas Ian and “5 Speckled Frogs” by Steven Anderson. These short audio books grasp the children’s attention with simple rhyme while introducing them to simple math as they count forward and backward. Another activity the children participated in was working on their art show pieces, busily painting, stamping and using glue to finalize the projects. These projects will be on display for all to see during the school’s Night of the Arts show on December 12th. Also, a wonderful musical performance by the upper elementary and middle schoolers, led by Mr. Sebastian, our music teacher will take place on the 6th floor. We hope you will attend! For details on Hibernation Day next week, we will be sending out an email to all parents.
// Photos: First week of December! //
// Week of Nov. 26: Curriculum Update //
We hope everyone had a fantastic thanksgiving. As the cold days have approached, we’ve been enjoying the chilly weather outside, playing with the crinkled up leaves, chasing friends throughout the playground and racing down the slides with each other. As part of our practical life area of the classroom we have put out new works, putting on mittens and gloves as well as socks, in preparation for the cold weather. As a gentle reminder, please send cold weather apparel as we go outside everyday, unless the temperature is under 25 degrees.
// Photos from the last week in November //
// The Days Leading up to Thanksgiving //
// Curriculum Update: Week of November 5 //
The new month began with festive activities in the Square room. We celebrated Diwali with a story read by parents who volunteered to come in for a visit and brought with them delicious treats for everyone to taste. They also brought for the children clay ‘diyas’ to paint and decorate before taking them home. Other notable events included Parent Education Night, which we hope you enjoyed. On Friday and Monday, stop by our book fair for an exciting read to purchase. We look forward to meeting with all the parents next week during Parent Teacher Conversations to share with you your child’s progress.