We had another great week in PreK as we asked some questions about what makes us special and explored them during small group time. We also continued our investigations of matching and sorting through play. The children had the chance to do some exciting activities with specialists, as well!
This week are a part of our unit on identity, we asked the question, "what can you do?" The PreK students answered with some of the things they can do:
I can run super fast - Casey
I can run super fast - Baylyn
I can take care of my families - Haleema
I can go upside-down - Sarah
I can run super fast - Youssef M.
I can take care of baby - Elena
I can balance 14 cups on my head - Layla
I can nod my head - Ines
I can run fast - Nana
I can carry a cup on my head - Youssef K.
I can learn how to do a cartwheel - Emily
I can run really fast - Mason
I can run very fast - Sabrina
I can run super fast - Ismail
We have noticed the students have been interested in building big, tall things, so we took the opportunity to measure with each child how tall they are as a provocation in part of our study of our identities.
They had the opportunity to work with the art teachers to create a special, full-sized portrait of themselves. So far, only one small group went to work with our art teachers and the other group will meet with them after Eid break.
During Egypt Culture, the PreK students learned about harouf, or sheep, in alignment with the Eid Holiday. We even had two sheep visit the school for us to pet and feed!
The children continued their work with sorting objects and enjoyed a flower sorting activity using fresh flowers in three different colors. The objective was to create a flower bunch by matching the same color flowers. The PreK students also used their fine motor skills by practicing scissor grip when cutting the stems and manipulating the flowers. It is always important for us to integrate real materials from our world and nature, as everyone- but especially young children- are drawn to them and make connections to them.
Many of the children enjoyed working in the block area during explorations time this week and several of the students discovered a new feature, some spotlights which can be used to highlight aspects of buildings or to create shadows on the wall. We can't wait to see how the children use these in the days and weeks to come. We expect to use light and shadow in a variety of ways for both teaching the students and allowing them to express their understanding of the world. The students also enjoyed making a large enclosure for our pet turtle, Bubbles, to walk around in and explore.
Here are some more photos from our week together:
Next week we are looking forward to some more investigations into our classroom environment, including new materials like scissors and white glue. We will also have the opportunity to work with our music teacher, Mrs. Nerenhausen.
We will have our first meet up with our fifth grade buddies on Thursday, September 7th. Click here to find out the name of your child's fifth grade buddy!
Reminders:
Our morning routine: please be sure that an adult is accompanying your child to the classroom or front gate, until they meet a classroom teacher (Ms. Trillian or Ms. Salma). Any students who take the bus will be accompanied by their bus monitors to the classroom. Drop-off begins at 7:45 at the front gate or in the classroom, when the music begins playing over our school loudspeakers. Between 7:45-7:55, students enter the classroom with their families, take care of their backpacks, and settle in. Ms. Trillian is available at this time, while greeting students and helping them to join the classroom, to briefly check in and answer simple questions from parents. At 7:55, our school day begins and both teachers will be fully engaged with the students. Anyone arriving after 7:55 will be marked tardy for the day, as per the attendance policy in our school handbook. Please remember that Ms. Trillian is always available for a meeting if you wish to talk more; just send an email to schedule a time that suits you! Thanks for your support in helping our drop-off routines continue to move smoothly.
On Wednesday, September 6th we have a make-up library session. Please be sure to pack your child's cloth library bag and library books for school on Wednesday! We will return to our typical schedule (Library on Sundays) next week.
Please be sure to return your child's self-portrait flags to school as soon as possible if you have not already! Our all-school due date is today (Tuesday, September 5th). Thank you for your support at home in this community project!
Upcoming Events:
On Thursday, September 7th, we will have our Principal's Birthday Lunch for August and September birthdays. Any child with a birthday in August or September will celebrate with the principals during their scheduled eating time, and will receive popcorn and a small gift (a pencil, bookmark, or a sticker).
On Tuesday, September 12th, we will have our PreK Photo Day! This will be an all-school photo day as well as the class photo day. If you wish to have sibling photos taken, you can also arrange with the office to schedule them on September 12th or 13th. We will be sure to keep the paint and messy art materials in the cabinets on September 12th as we know you may wish to send your child to school in his or her nicer clothes for school photos.
Tuesday, September 12th, will also be the first day that we attend ES Assembly. ES Assembly begins at 7:55 in the ES Hall, so we will leave from the classroom at 7:50 with any children who have been dropped off. Ms. Salma will leave from the front gate at 7:50 as well. If you arrive to the classroom after we have already left on an assembly day, please meet us in the ES Hall. If assembly has already started, please be respectful of the performance. It is best to arrive on time, as always!
Please be sure to check the calendar to the left of our blog posts to always stay up-to-date with the latest PreK events.
After-Care:
During this past week, the children explored the color red using finger paint, cutting and tasting red fruits (apples and watermelon), and making some red play dough to take home. Next week, they will think about the color blue with some more fun activities!
Parents' Corner:
Have you ever thought about the messages you send to your child when you raise your voice? We hope that our children can remain calm, use inside voices, and be careful with their belongings and each other... but what happens when they don't? Sometimes, we yell! Of course, this just gives children the message that we're not in control of the situation, and that it's alright to shout. Instead of raising your voice, here are some tips on confident parenting without yelling.
Room Parent Request:
Repeat announcement!
Any parents who are interested in being the room parent for PreK, please get in touch with Ms. Trillian though email or in person ASAP. We are looking for a volunteer room parent to facilitate communication between parents and teachers, and to help with organizing certain classroom celebrations including our Halloween, Winter, and End-of-Year celebrations. Please consider volunteering as we have not had any parents express interest as of yet, and we do need your help for this! Thanks!!
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