Our Week in PreK:
The students were so eager to come back to school and to learning after their long winter break. They jumped back into their classroom relationships and responsibilities.
Last week the children were re-familiarizing themselves with the rules and expectations of the classroom, as is typical at this age after a break of three weeks. The children engaged in long periods of exploration while the teachers observed, supported, and watched carefully to note connections and interests. The children continued to show a strong interest in animals, which had been a theme for weeks before break, and wheels were integrated into their play through the use of an "ambulance" to help injured or "dead" animals. Through this play theme, our study unit of movement continued.
Students built an ambulance with a working steering wheel.
Rescuing the "dead dog."
The first attempt at "wheels" can be seen, made of paper and taped to the chairs.
Through our focus on measurement, the children also compared objects tall and short. They worked with the art teachers for an enrichment project based on this topic, using fingerpaint and tracing.
During small group time, we had the chance to finish up a project we started before winter break; our cinnamon dough ornaments were complete and we decorated them using paint. The project allowed us to explore with our sense of smell and the children offered ideas of what the scent of a cinnamon stick made them think of before we introduced the word "cinnamon" and where cinnamon comes from. The children mentioned "cookies," "food," "pillows," and "spicy," when smelling and holding their cinnamon sticks. After talking about cinnamon, children had the option to paint and decorate a cinnamon ornament which they then took home.
Here are some more photos from our week together:
Students visited the gym to try out an obstacle course with Mr. Greene.
A lion gets an exam from the "veteran alien" on the first day of the animal exploration game.
Busy at work engaged in meaningful emergent writing and different community roles through pretend play.
The permanent home of the vet shop for this exploration, including a dog house, pet bath, vet's desk, ambulance, and x-ray machine (all requested by students at our meeting time).
Next Week:
We will have our last week of the movement study. The students have learned so much about the way balls and other objects such as light and wheels move. Please take a moment to check out the bulletin boards outside the classroom when you come onto campus, if you haven't already done so, to view some of the student learning on display.
We will continue with our study of measurement, by exploring the concepts of heavy and light with hands-on activities.
Reminders:
Please be sure to pack a healthy snack each day. Many of the children are quite hungry at this time of year. Consider packing a little extra (also healthy!) and see if it gets eaten! They are using a lot of energy in their play and cognitive growth.
Upcoming Events:
We have our PreK Parent Community Meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd. This is the meeting that was postponed from our last session. Looking forward to seeing you in the classroom at 2:30 to discuss the topics you requested, including social and emotional development and how to carry over learning concepts at home.
There is an early release at 11:30 on Wednesday, January 24th.
We will have no school on Thursday, January 25th in observance of Police Day.
Next week there will be an Open House for PreK/KG Prospective Parents at 8:30.
Circles:
This week at circle we will focus on our core value of Integrity. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. We have discussed integrity anecdotally throughout the year. We will play games, read books, and talk about what it means to show integrity in the classroom, at home, and on the school campus.
Parents' Corner:
In teaching and in parenting, it's always good to be prepared! Today's article offers some advice: decide what you will do ahead of time. If you anticipate a challenge with your child(ren), think about it and talk it over with your spouse or other caregivers in advance. Ensure that you all know what you will do before the situation arises and then follow through. If everyone knows what to expect, and then follows through, you can help the children learn from difficult situations!
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