Dear Parents,
Gung-Hay-Fat-Choy! Have a prosperous and good year! We have some fun activities planned for the children this Monday as we teach them about Chinese New Year traditions. The Chinese calendar is associated with twelve different animals of the Zodiac. We will begin celebrating the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Rooster with a parade around our classroom. Naturally we will play some lively, Chinese festival music and wear the color red for good luck! We will also have the children sample some traditional foods to get a “taste” of another culture. Chopsticks will be provided! Flowers, fruits and dancing dragons will transform our classroom into an exciting learning center. Happy New Year!!!
As we introduced the letter “Nn” last week, examples of words such as nest, nurse, newspaper, nose, necktie and Native American were given. To reinforce the letter, we covered our pre-cut N’s with pieces of newspaper and made nifty neckties! We also practiced spelling our names! Eager to have a little sensory fun, on Monday, we tried an experiment called “Guess that Smell!” Small containers of chocolate, cinnamon, honey, garlic, parmesan cheese and peppermint were passed around one at a time. Without peeking the children had to identify the ingredient. It was a fun guessing game as the children used their sense of smell to figure out that was in the container.
Our song this past week from our fabulous flip chart went like this…
Nn(to the tune….The Old Gray Mare)
Nathaniel had a naughty little nanny goat,
who never ate a single oat,
just nibbled on his overcoat.
Nathaniel had a naughty little nanny goat.
Her name was Nannabelle.
This week we will introduce the letter “Oo” and reinforce all of our shapes, numbers and colors. Any opera singers out there?????
On Wednesday, we will gear up for the biggest football game of the year….the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons!!! Please have your child come to school in ANY sports jersey. Make Super Bowl Sunday a fun family tradition! Football isn’t just for grown-ups you know. Provide age-appropriate explanations so the children can enjoy it too! They need only to understand that when Mom or Dad’s team has the ball, it’s time to cheer and jump up and down!!!
Six more weeks of winter or an early spring??? On Thursday, February 2nd in anticipation of our favorite furry forecaster, Punxsutawney Phil, the nursery class will have some educational and interactive Groundhog fun! We will Phil our day with various activities that include pictures of groundhogs, stories, crafts and even shadow shapes on the wall!
February is the shortest month of the year but here in the nursery, love is in the air and we’re making every minute count. In class your children have already made some very special valentines for Veterans to show their appreciation and to let them know that they are not forgotten. Parents, with your help, have your child make a card or paint a picture for a Veteran at home too! Instill patriotism early! On a day when Americans traditionally engage in expressions of love to one another, it is a great opportunity to remind those who served, that their fellow citizens love, support and truly appreciate them. Please send them in before February 10th, or at your earliest convenience. We will have a mailbox set up and our Pre-K teacher, Miss Anne, will ensure their delivery to the VA hospital in Northport.
Enjoy the week!
Warmly,
Miss Joanne and Miss Sam
February Birthdays: Maya 2/11
Dates to Remember:
February 1st Super Bowl Tailgate Party!!!
WEAR ANY SPORTS JERSEY!
February 2nd Groundhog Day!
February 14th Valentine’s Day Party!
February 20th thru 24th School Closed – Mid Winter Recess
February 27th Welcome Back!!!
