Take Me Outside!

Last week was national "Take Me Outside" Week.  We decided to have some outside fun.  On Monday and Tuesday we enjoyed taking nature walks around the school yard.  We found some really cool things right in our own school yard!  Wednesday and Thursday we worked on some of our fine and gross motor skills by spending some time outside drawing with sidewalk chalk.  

You can click here to see more pictures of our outdoor adventures.  

Halloween Fine Motor Tasks

This week we worked on  strengthening that all important pincer grasp by gluing Halloween candies onto the first letter of our name.  On Thursday the children also enjoyed a friendly vocabulary developing game of Halloween Bingo.  

You can click here to see more pictures of our Halloween activities.

Picture Palooza!

I finally have the green light to post pictures from our classroom.  I have went back through my blog and posted pictures throughout.  I hope you enjoy seeing first hand some of the fun we have in this room!

Please note - if you have not signed your child's FOIP form, or if you did not give consent on your child's FOIP form, then I am unable to post pictures of your child on my blog.  Feel free to contact myself or Cheryl and Maureen in the office if you are unsure or require further clarification.  

Christmas Card Fundraiser 

Robina Baker School does a really cool fundraiser.  Each child makes a unique piece of art work that you can order to be printed on Christmas cards.  I will be sending the fundraiser information home next week.  We are almost done making our cards - they are so cute!  I will email pictures of the art work, as well as post pictures on my blog as soon as we are done so that you can have a preview of what your child's cards will look like.  

Please let me know if you have any questions or require further clarification about this fundraiser.  You have no obligation to order cards if you are not interested.  

Halloween Party

We will be having our Halloween Parties on Tuesday, October 31st.  Our Monday/Wednesday students are welcome to join us for the parties (during their regular scheduled time slot).  

The children are welcome to dress up for the day.  I have asked certain parents to send snacks for the party, so you do not need to send snacks with your child for this day unless you think your child will not eat our party food.

Our morning class will participate in the Halloween Parade at 9:00 am.  Our afternoon class will be having their own Halloween Parade at 12:45 pm.  All parents and families are welcome to come watch the parades!  

Pajama Day

We will kick off our Bears unit on Thursday, November 2nd as well as Monday, November 6th by having a bring a bear and wear your pajamas to school day.  

Your child is welcome to wear their pajamas and bring their favorite bear to school on these days!

Coming Up

Next week will begin with Halloween and end with Bears!

• October 31st - Halloween Party - all students are invited to attend
• Halloween parades at 9:00 am and 12:45 pm - all parents are welcome to come watch 
• November 1st - PD Day - no school
• November 2nd - PJ Day - wear your pajamas and bring your favorite bear
• November 6th - PJ Day - wear your pajamas and bring your favorite bear 
• November 7th and 8th - Early Dismissal Days
• the morning class will dismiss at 10:30 am
• the afternoon class will dismiss at 2:15 pm
• November 13th - no school - Midterm break  

Pumpkin Palooza!

We had a fun week exploring with pumpkins.  During center time, students had fun cleaning pumpkins in the "pumpkin wash."  Later in the week, we worked on those important hand-eye coordination skills by hammering golf tees and pushing tacks into pumpkins.  I was impressed by how well some of the students could manipulate the hammers!

Click here to see more pictures from this week!

This week during circle time we practiced our language skills by reciting the "Five Little Pumpkins" Poem.  This is a finger play the students enjoyed acting out together.  

Copy Cat

In the gym this week we played copy cat.  The students each had a turn to be the "cat" while everyone copied his/her actions.  It was all giggles (and a whole lot of running!)  This is a fun game you could play at home with your child as well.  The students loved having their turn to lead the activity.

Shoes

We are working with your children on developing independence everyday.  One big step is putting on and taking off their own shoes and coats.  Some of our students have shoes that are extremely difficult to get on and off.  Please consider sending your child to school in footwear that they can easily put on and take off so that they can feel successful with independent dressing.

Water Bottles

I am looking for empty disposable water bottles that we can use for crafts.  If you have any to spare please let me know!

Pumpkin Volunteers 

I will be looking for parents that are interested in volunteering to carve pumpkins with us on Halloween!  I will need two volunteers to help the morning class and two volunteers to help the afternoon class.  Please let me know if you are interested in helping out.  

Party Snacks

Throughout the year I will be asking parents to send snacks for our different parties.  This prevents us from getting too much party food, and also allows every family to have a turn to send a snack.  You are never required to send party snacks.  If I ask you to send a snack and you are not able to at this time, please let me know and I will be happy to ask another family instead.  

Watch for snack notes to be coming home early next week - if you see a note that means it is your turn to send a snack!

Parent Meetings

I have had parents asking if prekindergarten has parent meetings.  We do not have parent meetings on the same night as the rest of the school.  

Our PUF funded and mild/moderate funded students will be having their meetings soon to go through their Individualized Program Plans (IPPs).  These meetings will be taking place over the next three-four weeks.  I will be contacting you soon to set up a day and time.  The majority of these meetings will be taking place on Fridays.  

Parents of students who are not funded, you will have a chance to meet with me too!  I will set up a day near the end of November, and you will be able to sign up for a time to sit down with me if you would like to hear about how things are going at school.  

Coming Up

This week we will continue with our Halloween theme.  

Important Upcoming Dates:

• October 31st - Halloween Day
• all students are invited for this fun day
• the morning students will still come in the morning
• the afternoon students will still come in the afternoon
• students are welcome to come to school in their costumes on this day
• we will be having party snacks, so your child does not need to bring a snack to school unless you think they will not want to eat our party food
• November 1st - PD Day - No School
• November 2nd and 6th - Pajama Days
• wear your pajamas and bring a bear to school!

It is Fall!

Our theme this week was fall.  The students had fun making leaf soup, sweeping up the leaves in our classroom, and painting fall trees using tinfoil as a paintbrush.

Click here to see more pictures of our fall fun!

Our song this week was "All the Leaves are Falling Down."  This is a little action song that the kids really enjoyed.  I will attach the words in case you want to sing it at home as well.  Singing familiar songs with your children helps to practice and reinforce those developing language and early literacy skills.  

Fall Walk

We spent some time outside this week collecting leaves and enjoying nature.  We sorted the leaves by color (red, yellow, brown, and green).  The students discovered that red leaves were the hardest to find.  And the color we found the most of??? Brown!

Story Time!

Over the past two weeks we have been reading "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey" by Lucille Colandro.  This is a fun song book that is full of rhyming words.  The students had fun retelling the story this past week as we took turns "feeding" the old lady the different items that she eats in the book.  

In the Gym

This week we enjoyed exploring basketballs, rackets, hula hoops, and bean bags.  The students were eager to try bouncing, passing, catching, and hitting balls.  

Coming Up

Next week we will begin the exciting unit of Halloween!

Important Dates:

• October 31st - Halloween Parties
• all students are invited to attend this day.  Watch for more information to come home soon.  
• am students will come in the morning
• pm students will come in the afternoon
• November 1st - PD Day - no School
• November 8th and 9th - early dismissal days
• the morning class will dismiss at 10:30 am
• the afternoon class will dismiss at 2:30 pm

  

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had another successful week of prekindergarten.  This week our theme was Thanksgiving.

Fine Motor Strengthening

We strengthened our hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills this week when we made a two part turkey craft.  The first part involved coloring a coffee filter and then spraying it with water to make the turkey feathers, and the second part included using a cut out of our foot to make the turkey's head and body.  We also had a stuff the turkey sensory bin that worked on developing pincer grasp and hand-eye coordination.

Click here to see more pictures of our fun from this week.

A Special Little Snack

The students loved creating their own snacks this week.  We had fun making apple smiles using apples, Wow Butter, and marshmallows!  This sensory activity got a little messy - sorry for all the Wow Butter that may have come home on your children's clothing!!  I was really proud of the students for trying this snack.  Some of them were unsure, and others dove right in.  But, for the most part everyone willingly gave it a try.

Click here to see more pictures of our apple snacks.

Library Books

The students began borrowing library books this week.  Your child is allowed to keep their library book for one week.  Our library schedule is as follows:

• The morning class will go to the library on Monday's and Tuesday's 
• The afternoon class will go to the library on Tuesday's and Wednesday's
  

If your child brings their library book back, they will be allowed to choose a new book to take home during our library visits.

**Full time students are welcome to trade books on any of the library days they wish.  They can trade books once or twice a week.  We will help them to choose a new book if they have a book in their book bag on library day.

Please note, our afternoon class did not go to the library this Wednesday because it was early dismissal day.

Belly Breathing

I have introduced the students to another form of deep breathing, belly breathing.  When we belly breathe the students lay on the ground and are encouraged to take a deep breath in through their nose and "fill their belly with air," then slowly blow it out of their mouth.  While they belly breathe I open and close our "breathing ball" above where they are laying as a visual on when to inhale and exhale.  This is an excellent self regulation tool that we often use after we come in from being outside.  The ball we use is called a "Hoberman" Sphere. 

I'm a Little Turkey

Our song this week was "I'm a Little Turkey."  The students enjoyed doing the actions and singing along to this cute little song.  I have included the words in case you want to sing it at home too!

I'm a Little Turkey
 (to the tune of I'm a Little Tea Pot)  
I'm a little turkey, 
look at me.  
I'm as chubby as can be.  
You might think I'd be a tasty bite, 
but I'll be hiding on Thanksgiving night! 

Coming Up!

Next week we will begin our fall theme.

• October 9th - no School - Thanksgiving Day
• October 31st - Halloween Party
• watch for more details to come home soon!

I would like to wish all of my prekindergarten families a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you get to have some quality family time together this weekend!