Halloween Excitement

This past week has been all about Halloween.  We have been busy in our PreK world!  Thank you to all of the parents who donated water bottles, the kids had fun shaking paint inside them to make either a ghost or a pumpkin.  We spent the week acting out the finger play "One Little Ghost," the students enjoyed using the felt board to put the different characters from the story up when it was their turn.  We strengthened our fine motor skills and had a fun sensory experience painting spider webs with marbles as well.  

I added the pictures from last week into the Halloween pictures folder.  Click on the link here to see some of the fun we had:

Halloween Pictures

Pumpkin Carving! 

We had fun carving pumpkins this week.  I was surprised how long the children stayed focused and interested in this activity!  The morning class had some of the junior high students come down to give us a hand.  I was very proud of how well all of my students handled the "pumpkin draw" at the end of the week.  Sometimes it is hard to understand when not everyone can take a pumpkin home - but no one cried!  Good job everybody!!  Mrs. Watt baked up the pumpkin seeds, and we are going to sample them on Monday at our Halloween Party.

Click here to see the pictures of our pumpkin carving adventures:

Pumpkin Carving

In The Gym

Be sure to ask your child about Hungry Hungry Hippos we played in the gym.  It was all giggles playing this game.  The children had the task of "eating" up all the balls off of the gym floor by sorting them back into their correct coloured bins - and doing it all while riding on a scooter!  

Halloween Party

Our Halloween party is scheduled for Monday, October 31st.  I have sent notes home with certain students asking if they can send a snack for this party.  If you did not see a note for this time, keep your eyes out for the next holiday!  

All of the students are invited to attend on Halloween Day.  The morning kids will still come in the morning, and the afternoon kids will come in the afternoon.  Please send your child in their costume!  Your child will not need to bring snacks this day (unless you want to send them an extra snack incase they do not like our party food).

We will be having a Halloween parade through our school with Mrs. Rudrud.  Parents are more than welcome to come join, watch, or snap a couple of pictures of our parade if they would like!  The morning class will be parading at 10:00am, and the afternoon class at 1:00pm.

Balloon Art Sharing

Have you been wondering about that ripped piece of painted paper your child brought home?  We took our balloon painting off of the wall and I challenged the students to find a solution that was fair because everyone wanted to take it home.  They came up with the idea that everyone could rip off a piece of the painting to keep.  The students were thrilled to be allowed to each rip a chunk off, and they were all very proud of the piece they decided to keep for taking home!  

Click on the following link to see the pictures from the day we made the balloon painting:

Balloon Painting

Remembrance Day 

PreKindergarten has been invited to watch the Remembrance Day ceremony at Riverview School.  It is on Wednesday, November 9th at 10:45am.  I will be taking the morning class to the ceremony.  

Parents are welcome to come and watch if they would like (please arrive at 10:30).  

The afternoon kids, as well as the Tuesday/Thursday kids and their parents are also welcome to join us for the assembly if they would like.  All of the PreK students will sit in the front row on the floor.  There will be chairs available for the parents farther back.

Each child will receive a poppy to wear.  If you would like to donate a loonie or toonie for the poppy fund please put it in your child's mail bag.  

This Week

Important dates for the upcoming week:

-Monday October 31st - Halloween Party - all students are invited

-Tuesday, November 1st is a PD Day, there will be no school on this day.

-Wednesday, November 2nd and Thursday, November 3rd are early dismissal days.  The morning class will dismiss at 10:25 on these days, and the afternoon class will dismiss at 2:15.

We will begin our unit on bears this week.  We will also be practicing emergency evacuation drills and talking about how to wash our hands!  

  

Christmas Cards!

Robina Baker is doing a Christmas card fundraiser.  You have the opportunity to purchase Christmas cards with your child's artwork on them.  The cards cost $10.00 for 10 cards (with envelopes).  Please click on the following link to see a preview of your child's artwork for their card:

Christmas Cards

If you would like to order the cards, you need to fill out the order form that was sent home in your child's mail bag.  If your child was not at school today, we will be making their cards tomorrow - I will add their pictures to the blog when they are ready!

The order forms are due back no later than November 4th.  

You are not required to order Christmas cards.  Please only order them if you are interested.

Let me know if you have any questions or require clarification!

Halloween has Arrived in our Classroom!

This last week was all about Halloween.  We had fun strengthening our fine motor skills making mummies out of masking tape, painting spiders with toilet paper rolls, and covering up our names with candy corns.  The PreK staff was quite shocked that the kids were not eating the candy corns.  In fact... I'm not sure if they even realized they were working with candy!  

A Little Bit of Halloween Science

It was all squeals and giggles in the room when we did some frankenstein science!  We put vinegar in the bottom of an empty water bottle, then put a frankenstein balloon that was filled with baking soda over the top of the bottle.  The kids were in awe as the bottles magically blew up the balloons.  We left the balloons attached to the bottles overnight to see what would happen, they all seemed to slowly deflate at different speeds.  

Halloween Songs

We have been enjoying strengthening our language and literacy skills by singing "Five Little Pumpkins Jumping on the Bed," as well as saying the finger play "Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate."   I have included the finger play incase you want to do it at home as well.  The kids especially love if you turn the lights off before they "roll" away!  

Zones of Regulation

We continued learning about the zones of regulation.  This week we focused on "what can I do if I am in the blue (tired/slow) or yellow (wiggly/excited) zones.  I introduced the students to the tool of using a 'fidget.'  A fidget is something you can play with quietly in your hands that helps keep your hands busy so that your brain can focus.  It can help keep a tired child aroused, and also give busy hands something to do to slow down a bit.  We practiced using "boink" fidgets while I read the students a story.  We will continue to learn different "tools" and strategies to help regulate our bodies and emotions throughout the school year.

In the Gym...

We had fun this week working on our kicking skills in the gym.  We began practicing a running kick while playing "1,2,3... Kick!"  The kids loved to kick their balls all at the same time, then run to get them and try again.  We also worked on our locomotor skills while trying to stay on the lines of the gym floor while we walking forwards, sideways, backwards, and on our tip toes!

Healthy Hearts

We are still learning deep breathing as a way to calm down and take care of our bodies.  We have also been enjoying "walking Wednesday's" every week, where we take a little walk around the school yard or the front of the school before we come inside from recess.  I introduced the students to yoga and they have enjoyed trying some different relaxing poses and stretches while they being to develop body awareness.  

Educational Assistants

It occurred to me this week that I never formally announced that we were lucky enough to welcome Mrs. Danielle Watt to our PreK team!  Mrs. Warrell is now working full time at Robina Baker School, so we have been very fortunate to welcome Mrs. Watt in her place.  Mrs. Watt works in our classroom in the mornings, and has been a fantastic addition to our team.  

Lucky Ms Sloan has been on a holiday this past week with her family!  We have been happy to have Mrs. Sue Faraschuk in our classroom as her substitute.  Mrs. Faraschuk will be with us until Ms Sloan returns on Thursday of this upcoming week.  

Pictures... At Last!

I finally have the consents (and the knowledge) to share our exciting PreK pictures with you!  Please click on the following link to enjoy a sneak peek into our last week of PreK: Halloween

We purchased a new sand table for our classroom.  The afternoon class helped me to put it together, check out the pictures of that exciting time here: Our New Sand Table.

I have also went back in my old blogs and added links to picture albums for you enjoy starting with our first day of school.  These links can be found by going back into my old blog entries and clicking on the appropriate links.  

Coming Up

The next week will continue to be all about Halloween!  

Our Halloween party is scheduled for Monday, October 31st.  I have sent notes home with certain students asking if they can send a snack for this party.  If you did not see a note for this time, keep your eyes out for the next holiday!  All of the students are invited to attend on Halloween Day.  The morning kids will still come in the morning, and the afternoon kids will come in the afternoon.  Please send your child in their costume!  Your child will not need to bring snacks this day (unless you want to send them an extra snack incase they do not like our party food).

-Tuesday, November 1st is a PD Day, there will be no school on this day.

-Wednesday, November 2nd and Thursday, November 3rd are early dismissal days.    

Fall Fun!

Last week we had fun learning with the fall theme.  We strengthened our literacy and speaking skills by singing the finger play song All The Leaves Are Falling Down.  We also enjoyed a nature walk through the field where the kids were very excited to find pine cones.  We brought some of these pine cones into our classroom and some of the students enjoyed painting them during their free choice centre time.  We talked about the weather, and made some "windy" fall pictures.  The students also had fun using q-tips as their paint brush when they painted fall trees. 

Click on the following link to see some pictures from our fall themed week: Fall Fun 

Buddy Reading

We have been lucky enough to have leadership students from Riverview School read with us twice a week!  The students have been thrilled to have the "big kids" join us in our classroom.  I was so proud of how quickly our little people welcomed these teenagers into our classroom with open arms.

Click on the following link to see some pictures of buddy reading: Buddy Reading

Physical Education

This week we worked on ball skills in the gym.  We played a ball rolling name game, which encouraged the children to both speak in front of the class, as well as learn the names of their peers, while strengthening their hand-eye coordination.  We also worked on rolling, bouncing, passing, and catching the ball with two hands.

Self Regulation

We have continued to have lessons around our feelings and understanding emotions.  We have been discussing the Zone's of Regulation, and how you can feel blue (tired, sick), green (calm, happy, ready to learn), yellow (excited, anxious), or red (angry and out of control).  I have begun introducing the students to the idea that we can use different strategies to help move ourselves from zone to zone.  We have talked about when you feel yourself getting in the red zone and things are out of control, that you need to STOP and try to pull yourself out of this zone by doing deep belly breathing.  I will be introducing the students to different strategies throughout the school year to help them learn self regulation.

Dress for the Weather

Whether we like it or not, the snow and cold weather seems to be settling in.  Please send your child to school each day with a toque, mitts, and snow pants (if it is snowy) so that we can play outside!  Fresh air is so important and I like to try to get the kids outside daily if possible.  

Water Bottles Needed

We are still looking for 500mL sized water bottles with lids.  I am hoping to do a Halloween art project using the bottles during the week of the 24th.  I still need 10 more if anyone has some empty bottles they are willing to donate.  

Pictures, Coming Soon!

I officially have all of the FOIP forms signed, and I am ready to start posting pictures on my blog page!  I am just in the process of learning how to post entire albums, so that everyone can enjoy the MANY pictures we have taken so far this school year.  I am hoping to have the albums linked to my blog by the end of the week.  Thank you for your patience as I continue to learn about the world of blogging!

Coming Up

The next two weeks will be all about Halloween!

Halloween Party!

I am planning to have a Halloween party on October 31st.  I will run one party in the morning for the morning students, and one party in the afternoon for the afternoon students (the Tuesday/Thursday kids will be invited to join us for this fun day).  I will be asking certain parents to send snacks for each party we will be having throughout the school year.  This will ensure we don't end up with more food than we can eat.  Each family will get a turn to send snacks throughout the school year.  If I ask you to send a snack and you are unable at this time, please let me know and I will find another family to help out.  

So Much to be Thankful For!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.  I have so much to be thankful for this year.  One thing I am thankful for, is all of your wonderful children.  They bring innocence, joy, and laughter to our classroom everyday.  What an amazing opportunity to get to spend each week helping your children to learn and grow.

Turkey Fun!

Last week was all about Thanksgiving.  We had fun practicing our language skills while using a puppet to act out the song "I'm a Little Turkey."  We also sang "Five Little Turkey's Jumping on the Bed" several times, this song was a BIG hit with the pre-k students!  The classroom was full of cheers and excitement during our many games of turkey bowling. 

Click on the following link to see some pictures of our Thanksgiving week: Thanksgiving 

Physical Education

We began practicing our jumping skills in the gym last week.  We sang "five green and speckled frogs" to practice both two feet jumping, as well as counting backwards.  We also practiced jumping over pylon "candles" while learning the poem "Jack Be Nimble."  

Fine Motor Skills

We strengthened our fine motor skills this week by playing stuff the turkey.  The pre-kinders also participated in their first guided drawing activity where the students followed my directions step by step to add the details to their handprint turkey.    

My Name

I am beginning to work with the class on name recognition.  We will be doing name puzzles, name tracing, as well as encouraging the students to "print" their name on each project they create.  All children learn and develop at different rates.  Some kids will print their names quickly, and some will need more time and practice.  The first step is to help your child begin to make the connection that when people write on paper, it has meaning.  We have been encouraging the students to "try" and print their names.  Even if they just make some scribbles on the paper, this is the beginning of literacy.  We are helping the students to build an understanding that "I can put symbols on a piece of paper, and it will mean something."

Water Bottles Needed

I am looking for 500ml sized water bottles (with lids) for a Halloween craft that I would like to make.  If you have any empty water bottles that you are willing to donate, it would be greatly appreciated.  We need 24 in total.

Coming up in Pre-K

This upcoming week will be all about fall.  I am hoping that if we are learning about fall in our classroom, it will help bring fall weather back for another couple of weeks!

I am very close to having all of the FOIP forms signed for our pre-kindergarten classes.  I am hoping to be able to start posting pictures in my blog by the end of this week.  

Apples, Apples, Apples!

What a fun week we had in pre-k this week!  Our theme was apples.  The kids enjoyed exploring and experimenting with apples in many different ways.  We stamped with apples, painted apples, weighed apples, as well as made apple art.  We had fun getting silly with the book Ten Apples Up on Top.  It was all giggles in the room as we re-acted the story and tried to protect our apples from the angry bear and hungry birds!  The kids also enjoyed counting apples and other fruits when we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

Click on the following link to see some pictures from our week of apple fun: Apples!

Physical Education

During gym this week, we played with a gigantic parachute.  The kids were thrilled to play different parachute games.  We had fun with the parachute.  Shaking it, running under it, and trying to figure out "who is missing?" during the Bug in my Chute game.  

Stamps are a Good Thing

If you have noticed your child coming home with stamps on their hands - that is a good thing!  We have been giving our students stamps to reward positive behavior such as sharing, sitting quietly, lining up, cleaning up, or participating during circle time. 

Water Bottles Wanted
The water fountain by our classroom is quite tall and rather tricky for many of our students to use.  I have been encouraging the kids to bring their water bottles into the classroom and leave them on the counter so that they are easily accessible throughout the day.  The kids are often very thirsty when we come back from playing in the gym, so sending a water bottle is a great idea to help keep them quenched!




Scholastic Book Orders
I will be sending home Scholastic book orders with your children.  Scholastic book orders give you the opportunity to purchase high quality books for your children at affordable prices.  Every time you order books from the Scholastic book order, you help earn educational items (such as new books and toys) for our classroom.  You are not obligated to purchase anything from the book order.  If you do choose to purchase books, simply fill out the attached order form and send it in your child's book bag with a cheque (made payable to Scholastic Canada) or exact change.  
Coming up Next Week...
Next week our theme is going to be Thanksgiving!  Next week will also be our first week of early dismissal days.  Don't forget - pre-k will be dismissing an hour early on both Wednesday AND Thursday.   Dismissal times will be 10:25 am for the morning class, and 2:15 pm for the afternoon class.  

Pre-kindergarten has gotten off to an amazing start.  I am so proud of all of my students.  We are all successfully coming to pre-k each morning and afternoon without tears - way to go everyone!

Click on the followign liks to see some pictures from our first few weeks of school:
Our First Day Of School
September
Balloon Painting

Our theme for the past two weeks has been Pete the Cat.  Pete the Cat is a series of children's books written by Eric Litwin.  If you are looking for a fun story to share with your children, I would highly recommend Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, it is my personal favorite!

The students have had fun exploring several of Pete's books.  We have painted Pete's shoes, created Pete's school bus, and counted with Pete's buttons.  The students were thrilled when we used Pete's shoes to measure them and find out "how many shoes tall am I?"  We also had fun using our senses to get messy just like Pete by squishing strawberries, blueberries, and mud.


As a part of the MindUp Curriculum, I have been working with the students on deep breathing.  We practice deep breathing when we arrive, to calm down after gym class, as well as before we go home.  I will be working with the students throughout the year to take deep breaths when they are feeling frustrated to help calm themselves down before they react to a situation.

We have seen a lot of wasted juice during snack time.  It is difficult for our little people to drink an entire juice box in one snack time.  I would recommend sending juice or water in a re-sealable water bottle instead.  That way they can drink what they want, and take the rest home.

Next week we will begin our unit on Apples!