Archive for February, 2011
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Its so nice to be back in the rhythm of things and with the children again. It is amazing how in just a few weeks of not seeing them, how they have grown in such a short time, and how much I’ve missed them.
A message from the bloggers and Miss Linda:
Before we get started I want to mention the blog. The blog is a wonderful way to communicate what is going on in the classroom and provides everyone a chance to see class pictures. However, the blog should be thought of as a special gift. I think it is most important to know that Miss Linda uses her energies towards preparing for the class and for class time. It can also be distracting for the children to see the camera taken out and it takes away from their school experience and takes them out of the moment. With this said, the blog will not be a weekly occurrence, but will be written when we have enough material and the time to compose it. Please feel free to call Miss Linda or send her an email at any time if you have any questions about classroom activities or how your child is doing. She will be happy to make the time to speak with you or respond in detail to an e-mail. Please remember, drop-off and pick-up times are not the time she can have these types of discussions.
So let’s get on with this long awaited blog!!!
I would like to thank Matteo’s family for the lovely Lily’s that you see in the photo. I also want to remind everyone to just check the flower fairy list and make a note of when their turn is, if they have not done so. Especially if your child only comes on Thursday and Friday, we want to make sure that they get the flowers to the classroom the prior Monday they come to school. Also, if you need to trade weeks, you can check with other families to do so.
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So the children are interested in making something other than Stone Soup for Thursday’s……hint we need more participation in bringing in soup ingredients… Here are a few possibilities….left over pasta can be used, or fresh pasta, lentils, split peas, spices or herbs, garlic and any veggie. We have even had people send in cooked rice or other funny things like corn on the cob that we cut off of the cob (it was washed and ready), or corn chip strips for corn and tortilla soup. Beets have been fun, anything creative.
We have celebrated three birthdays, Cammie, Beck and Alana all turned four! A very Happy Birthday children. Here are some photos from their school celebration.
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We are working with Mashenka and the Bear, very sweet story. We have woven in another story about Johnny Chuck and Grandfather frog, and the story of eating and eating to get very fat and then sleeping for a very long time while the north winds blow and king winter and jackie frost visit. Sleeping all the way until the tender young shoots are here again! Johnny Chuck learned this trick when the first North Winds blew and he was not prepared, the green shoots went away and everyone got very, very hungry and very thin over the months. His idea to dig deep into the earth and make a hallway that is very long with a room at the end to curl up and sleep was a good one! Neither Jack Frost or the north wind could reach him there. he has continued this practice ever since.
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We have been clearing the gardens during outdoor time and preparing the beds more for what is to come. Some of the kids love helping with it, but many want to run and play while I do the work. Thats fine with me, I love them to know that they can come and go as they please. Its more fun for them when we begin our planting. Right now they enjoy looking for earthworms when I turn the soil and clear things out.
The play in the classroom is wonderful. The older children really are taking the younger children by the hand and helping them to learn everything we do. We are seeing some testing of the boundaries and rules in various ways. One example is clean-up time. Several of the children now suddenly have to go potty at clean up time. Or they are all thirsty all of the sudden. So we are practicing patience with getting a drink and “holding it” until we have all worked together to tidy the room. The clean up goes quickly that way, we remind them that many hands make light work. If we suspect a child really does need to go because it’s been a while, we take her or him, but when many want to come along we remind them that only one can sit on the potty at a time and the other can clean up while waiting to go. THen they forget all about having to go potty and engage fully in the cleaning.
The children’s favorite game we are playing right now is Jackie Frost. They may have told you about it. One child gets a turn to be Jackie Frost and wear the hat, while the others get dressed in their winter wear and we all go outdoors and play. When Jackie Frost comes along to pinch our nose or our toes, everyone runs to try and get away. Whomever Jackie Frost gets is the next one “it”.
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Last week our circle is a very cold and snowy one. We are singing and dancing together while making snow angels, hot cocoa, throwing snowballs and racing downhill in our sleds. We also catch a chill when Old king winter comes out to play with the North Wind. We become snowflakes falling on the treetops and the bushes, and on the mountains afar. We also build snowmen and decide what to use for all of the “parts” such as the hat, scarf, arms, hands, nose etc. Afterward, we all become snowmen and learn how it feels to stand strong with our broomstick and hat until the sun comes and melts us away…….oooops, now I’m a puddle, upon the ground.
During circle this week, we took a snow train up to the mountain to look for the groundhog, to see if he came out to see his shadow.
While there, we found some hardworking gnomes mining for stones and we sang about different treasures they discovered, such as rubies, quartz crystals and rose quartz. We also took a peek inside the gnomes world and learned about what they do each hour of the day. The funny little stories cracked the children up.
We have been playing a Valentines circle game and the children have had fun taking turns skipping and singing around the circle while bringing a letter to their love, and when they drop it along the way, the child it is dropped behind must jump up and they both run around the circle to see who can get back to their seat quickest. The child who does not sit on the floor quick enough is the next one to take the letter around.
Here are photos of the children preparing their Valentine Day craft.
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Thanks so much to Juliet for the effort she puts into touring families. We had eight families come tour this last week and without her, it would be very difficult to accomplish this on top of all of the fun we are having.
This week on Tuesday the re-enrollment forms are due. I am working with new applications and hope to have enrollment finished before the spring. If you want to make sure we hold a spot for your child, please do not delay in returning the forms. After Tuesday I will begin offering spaces to outside families who have toured and are applying.
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