Dear Parents,
It’s hard to believe how close we are to the end of the year! This past week we introduced our last letter of the alphabet, “Zz.” Examples of words such as zipper, zebra and zero were given. To reinforce the letter the children painted zebra stripes on their Z patterns.
Two little jingles that we learned this week were:
“ZIP YOUR LIPS” (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re loud and you know it…
Zip your lips!
If you’re loud and you know it…
Zip your lips!
If you’re loud and you know it…
Then your mouth will surely show it…
If you’re loud and you know it…
Zip your lips!
ZANY Z’S (Tune: London Bridges)
Zany Z’s are zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by…
Zany Z’s are zipping by,
Zip! Zap! Zoom!
Zany Zebra’s zipping by,
Zipping by, zipping by,
Zany Zebra’s zipping by,
Zip! Zap! Zoom!
(To continue we used a different zoo animal for each verse.)
Our alphabet flip-chart songs have also been a meaningful part of our nursery program. These little songs have boosted their imagination, language skills and memory! The last song we enthusiastically sang together was:
Zz (to the tune: On Top of Old Smokey)
Z is for Zelda,
who zoomed off to Mars.
She zigged and she zagged past
a zillion bright stars.
She zipped to the left and
she zapped to the right.
Then Zelda zoomed home by
the moon’s golden light.
In “Story Time” we read Zebras by Jill Anderson. Ask your children if any two zebras are exactly alike and who a zebras enemies are (no two are alike/lions and hyenas)? We also read A Visit To The Sesame Street Zoo by Ellen Weiss. The children were so inspired they may ask you to take them there this summer!
We are spending a lot more time outdoors feeling the wind, smelling the flowers, catching bugs and observing birds. Spring is such an amazing season. This past week we enjoyed reading Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! by Megan McDonald. Beetle dreams of being brave and daring and she will begin by …..eating an ant! It’s a dare on a school playground. It’s one of those fun children’s books that make you ask the children questions never thought of before, like would you eat bugs?! To my surprise, Markela feeling brave and daring, said that…. most definitely, she would eat a bug. When asked her bug preference, without hesitation, she said, “I would eat a stink bug”! I informed her that stink bugs secrete a stinky smell when killed so she opted for an ant. You’ve got to love her adventurous spirit! At that, the most astonishing thing happened. An ant crawled across the floor in front of her and she grabbed it with lightening speed! I always try to impress upon the children that when it comes to trying new foods, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! However, when Markela looked like she was about to set the “itchy-twitchy, buggly, wuggly” ant on the tip of her tongue, I panicked! I quickly told her that sometimes people are allergic to bugs and that she should check with her Mom before eating anything foreign! Reluctantly, she let it go but gezzzzzzzzzzzz! I nearly had a heart attack! In the U.S. we’re more accustomed to exterminating insects than to eating them but in scores of countries around the world bugs have long been a part of a well balanced meal! Some day when I’m on holiday in Thailand, I might feel brave and daring and crunch a fried cricket but I’d have to pair it with copious amounts of wine so I can forget that I actually tried it!! Bugs can be tasty AND nutritious, but first you need to overcome the “ewwwwwwwwwww” factor!!!
Watching their seeds sprout was an exciting and magical experience for our little gardeners! I’m happy to say their “marigolds” are now ready to go home! With biodegradable containers, transferring them to the ground will be a breeze. This unit not only taught the children how nature works, but responsibility in caring for something. They are VERY proud of the results! Remind them to continue tending to their plants, giving them plenty of sunshine, water and love. With time, both your children AND their flowers will bloom!!
On Thursday we rocked out with some Zumba! Ladies and gentleman, Zumba is CRAZY! It is impossible not to respond to the energy that’s created by that music!! What a blast! Your children are hot tamales on the dance floor!
The more interesting and exciting we make learning the more the children retain. Our unit on community helpers is no exception. Last Wednesday, Marco’s daddy, came by to share with us exactly how he contributes. Mr. Aquista is in the food industry and manages an Italian restaurant in Queens. To begin with the children were asked if they had ever eaten in a restaurant and if so, what kind of restaurant was it? The answers ranged from a donut restaurant to a hotdog stand, but most did say pizza. The children then watched and learned about how pizza is prepared. Mr. Aquista then asked if the children knew what goes on a pizza. Donovan said it was definitely ketchup, Josef answered macaroni and Markela was sure it was olives! Since pizza is one of the foods children actually LOVE, the delicious combination of dough, sauce and cheese brought a smile to every face. While we waited for some hot, scrumptious pizza, Mr. Acquista read Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington. It was a delightful story about the whole pizza making process. Any way you slice it, the ooey, gooey, chewy and cheesy pizza turned out yummy, and had the children wanting more! A big thanks to Mrs. Aquista also, for helping to transform our nursery into a culinary class! The children looked adorable in those little white chef hats, and Marco couldn’t have been more proud of his Dad!
On Friday we had the pleasure of having Maya’s Mom, Mrs. Khurrum volunteer her time. Mrs. Khurrum, an Engineer for Con Ed, used a prototype to demonstrate how a power plant works. It was fascinating, especially when we saw the plume of steam rising from the valve and heard the whine of the turbine. With the help of incentives like yo-yo-s and slap bracelets, the children learned some new vocabulary such as boiler, turbine and generator. Mrs. Khurrum was hoping to inspire them to become engineers and Erica, Donovan, Cydni and Anmay were all excited about the possibility! Mission accomplished! Children are like little sponges. They absorb all kinds of information! The presentation culminated with a coloring and activity book about electrical safety. The children really enjoyed Mrs. Khurrum’s presence in the classroom and I know she enjoyed their hugs as much as we do!
We are extremely grateful to both the Acquista and Khurum family for making their presentations fun, informative and educational! You have no idea how much we enjoyed your visit!
With only a few more weeks to go, there is no shortage of things to do in the nursery. We will continue with our community helper and nature theme, review our alphabet, make our Father’s day crafts, learn about Memorial day, complete assessments, and SING our way straight through to the end-of-the-year show! What a great learning adventure this year has been!
Warmly,
Miss Joanne and Miss Sam
May Birthdays:
Josef 5/3
Dora 5/22
Jackson 5/31
Dates to Remember:
May 29th School Closed – Memorial Day
May 31st End-of-the-Year Show!
NO CLASSES.
June 8th Last Day of Classes.
