Dear Parents,
Can you believe that we are already into our seventh month of school?! The children have really come together as a team. Their self help skills have grown tremendously. It’s nice to see them play, comfort and help each other.
Last week in “Circle Time” we introduced the radiant letter “Rr”! Examples were given of words that start with this letter such as raccoon, rainbow, rocket, robot, rhino and Ryan! To reinforce the letter we decorated our pre-cut R’s with ribbon. In addition to that we water colored our very own rocket ships! Our “Circle Time” discussions taught us about raccoons. Ask your children the definition of the word “nocturnal” and what it means to see a raccoon in the daytime. (He’s sick!)
Since “R” is for Rocks, we created a science lesson by observing a variety of different rocks. Since my own children had boxed sets of rock specimens stored in my basement for the past 20 years, I thought the children might be interested in checking out the different types. Not only were they interested but fascinated and eager to share their observations. They noticed that the rocks had very different shapes sizes and textures. They realized that some were rough, smooth, shiny, sparkly, colorful and dull. There were even some crystals and fossils mixed in! I love when we can share ordinary things found in our natural world in a hands-on way and turn them into teachable moments. It definitely sparked their interest and maybe motivated some of them to become Geologists!!
To further introduce this letter we had the children step into an imaginary time machine. We took them from the current digital world to 80’s technology. They were quite amused by our Fisher Price record player. Before revealing what it was, I had the children try to guess what they thought it could be. In the past, answers ranged from a cat carrier to a vacuum cleaner! Aside from a couple of boys suggesting it might contain dinosaurs, most of them had no clue. The children crowded around the turntable and listened to the unmistakable crackle and hiss of needle upon vinyl. With fascination, they watched the record spin around, pouring out sound. It brought back memories! We’ve come a long way since those Fisher Price days!
Since music is an important part of our program, on Thursday we took out the rhythm sticks and inspired the children to move to a new beat! Rhythm stick activities promote understanding of concepts such as up and down, over and under, high and low, soft and loud, stop and go. We not only guide them to express themselves musically but respect and satisfy their need to make noise! Rhythm sticks are an extraordinary learning tool and so much fun!
We also enjoyed our flip chart song….
Rr (to the tune “She’ll Be Comin’ round The Mountain”)
Roy’s dog Rover runs all over.
Rover runs.
Roy’s dog Rover runs all over.
Rover runs.
Rover races, Rover chases,
Rover chews on Roy’s shoelaces.
Oh, yes, Rover runs all over.
Rover runs.
Many years ago Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) wrote a number of children’s stories. His books are both entertaining and offer valuable life lessons. In honor of his birthday we celebrated with great fanfare! We turned our room into Seussville, put on our silly hats and listened to some great stories! Mr. Michael took time out of his busy day to read The Sneetches. He brought the story to life with the classic red and white striped hat! This story by Dr. Seuss told of yellow bird-like creatures who were separated into groups; those having stars on their bellies, and those with none. The star-belly Sneetches thought they were the best and looked down upon the Sneetches without stars. Upon discussion, Mr. Michael asked the children how the plain-bellied Sneetches might have felt when the star-bellied Sneetches would not include them in activities. The children seemed to see the silliness of judging people by their appearance rather than by their character. Dr. Seuss stories expertly teach all kinds of lessons and are full of invitations to build literacy skills. Throughout the week we read and dicussed The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. On Friday, we had blue jello for snack and once it was set, inserted Swedish fish into it! Some of the children, “would not eat it here or there”, “would not eat it ANYWHERE!” However, several of them LOVED it! “They would eat it in a house” and “they would eat it with a mouse!” Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
We continue to review our letters, numbers, colors and shapes! This week we will introduce the sensational letter “Ss”! We will introduce the shamrock shape, complete our rainbows, and have a wee bit of fun trying to catch a Leprechaun! Whether you are 100% Irish, or only Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, teaching children about Leprechauns is an exciting way for them to learn about the holiday. We are all on the lookout for those little green clad, pointy eared fellows and their pots of gold! On March 16th and 17th we will celebrate the wearin’ of the green and watch the children discover leprechaun antics!
On Monday, 3/7, we will have a special visitor. Dr. Mindy DDS will stop by to help the children “brush up” on tooth care.
Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Don’t forget to move your clock! (ahead 1 hour) March 13th is Daylight Saving Time! We are looking forward to the longer and later daylight hours. Spring is right around the corner!!
Enjoy the week!
Warmly,
Miss Joanne
Birthdays in March:
Ava 3/14
Zia 3/30
Dates to Remember:
March 16th & 17th St. Patrick’s Day Parties!
WEAR GREEN!
March 24th & 25th School closed for Religious Observance.
