Our New Snow Unit

Here is a sneak peek of what will be happening when we start school again on January 3- 6.
Snow Unit

Books This Week:
Good Night Baby Bear
Stella: Queen of the Snow

Small Groups For This Week:
1. Story Sequencing- After reading Good Night Baby Bear, we will recall the events in the story. Then each child will cut and glue the pictures from the story in the correct order from the story.
2.Math- Creating sets of objects- Each child will be given a collection of winter objects to cut. Then they will sort and create sets of two.  Then each child will write the letters they hear in each of the winter words next to each set by listening the sounds in the word. (We call it ear spelling)
3. Art- We will color a picture of Stella( the character from our book). Then we will use epson salt on blue paper to look like snow.  When it is dry we will put Stella in the "snow storm".

Centers
Art Table: Painting a television(a big box) to use later in the dramatic play area
Block Area:blocks with bears to create caves
Sensory Table: shaving cream
Book Area: books about weater
Easel:colored ice to paint with
Writing Table: writing shopping lists for winter clothes
Dramatic Play: weather channel role play
Puzzles and Manipulatives: matching different mittens

Handwriting
We willcontinuing a program called Handwriting Without Tears. It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. This program reinforces proper grasp and trying to strenghten fine motor muscles.
This week's activities: using wooden straight lines, wipe away boards, using frogs for our "frog jump letters" like the letter F (big line down, frog jump up, little line, little line)


Preschool Manners
We are moving onto our new skill.
-When you want soemething form a teacher or friend and they are doing something say, "Excuse me" to get them to look at you, then you say"May I____________?" to get what you want.

Pictures from our family celebration

We just wanted to thank all of the families that came to our classroom today. It was so fun to share our songs with you today.  Everyone did a great job. Enjoy the pictures.

December 12-16

Please remember our Family Holiday Party on Friday. Families can come at 10:30

Books This Week:
The Gingerbread Man
The Gingerbread Girl

Small Groups For This Week:
***Last week, weather did not allow us to go outside to decorate the trees with our birdfeeders. This week we will be watching the weather and going outside to decorate a tree. Then we will put out a blanket, sing songs, and have hot cocoa. This is just like the family in Night Tree.
1.We will be making a secret project. I am sorry but I can't give any details. It is top secret.
2. Tally Gingerbread Game- We will be playing a game that will foster turn taking, tallying concepts, comparing data, and counting skills.
3. Measuring with gingerbread- We will be using non standard units (gingerbread ruler) to measure objects in our school. We will reinforce concepts such as counting, comparing, and qualitative vocabulary(longer, shorter, same in length).

Centers
Art Table: hanging snow flakes for our party
Block Area:blocks
Sensory Table: shaving cream
Book Area: books about families
Easel:gingerbread houses to paint
Writing Table: crayons for writing
Dramatic Play: bakery shop
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads (cookie doodle app- to make cookies)
Science: tree branches without leaves and pine branches with needles

Handwriting
We will be starting a program called Handwriting Without Tears. It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. We will be working on a color and shape book for the next weeks. We will be reinforcing proper grasp and trying to strenghten fine motor muscles.

Preschool Manners
We are moving onto our new skill.
-When you want soemething form a teacher or friend and they are doing something say, "Excuse me" to get them to look at you.

Bird Feeders and Hot Cocoa

Today we took our bird feeders outside to decorate the tree outside of our classroom. We sipped hot cocoa and sang songs.  This was the same tradition of the familly in our unit book Night Tree.

December 5-8

Please remember:No School on Friday Books This Week:
Night Tree

A Carp for Kimiko

Concept For This Week:
1.Paper Carps- We will use fine motor skills to create paper fish (carps) just like Kimoko wanted in our unit book
2. Carp/Doll Patterning- We will extend or create patterns using dolls and carps around our cover of our book.
3. Pine Cones to put outside to feed the birds. Using crisco and bird seed we will create a tasty treat for birds outside our classroom.
1. Night Tree Math book-We will identify numbers then write them. Then cut and glue the right number of animals to the trees.
2.Trip to the Burlington Science Center- We will go and observe animals. We will be reinforcing concepts such as noctural animals(like in our story) and food that animals eat.
3.Decorating our own night tree.-Using the pipecleaner birdfeeders and cut up apples, we will decorate a pine tree outside of our school. We will then sit on a blanket and enjoy some hot cocoa and sing songs. (This is what the family did in the story Night Tree)

Centers
Art Table:playdough birthday cakes
Block Area:blocks
Sensory Table: Alphabet Soup(using soup spoons we will scoop letters out out of the water and put them in a soup bowl)
Book Area: books about families
Easel:night tree bingo dobbers
Writing Table: HWT strips for writing
Dramatic Play: grocery store
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads
Science: tree branches without leaves and pine branches with needles

 Handwriting
We will be starting a program called Handwriting Without Tears. It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. We will be working on a color and shape book for the next weeks.  We will be reinforcing proper grasp and trying to strenghten fine motor muscles. 

Preschool Manners
We are moving onto our new skill.
-When something is too hard, ask a teacher for help.
"Please help me______________________."

November 28-December 2

Books This Week:
Bunny Cakes
Yoko's Paper Cranes
A Carp for Kimiko

Concept For This Week:
-Japanese Culture
-Different kinds of birthday cards
-Immigration of our relatives and family
-behavior at a store

Small Groups This Week:
1. Max Cover Puzzle- We will cut and then assemble a 9 piece puzzle. It will be the cover of our Bunny Cakes book.
2. Journal writing- The places you have gone.  Then we will create a class book to be sent home.
3. Paper Folding- We will make origami cats and dogs like in Yoko did with her grandpa.
1.Paper Carps- We will use fine motor skills to create paper fish (carps) just like Kimoko wanted in our unit book
2. Carp/Doll Patterning- We will extend or create patterns using dolls and carps around our cover of our book.
3. Pine Cones to put outside to feed the birds. Using crisco and bird seed we will create a tasty treat for birds outside our classroom.

Centers
Art Table:playdough birthday cakes
Block Area:blocks
Sensory Table: colored rice
Book Area: books about families
Easel:Max and Ruby birthday cakes
Writing Table: lists for the grocery store
Dramatic Play: grocery store
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

 Handwriting
We will be starting a program called Handwriting Without Tears. We will be starting an extra time in our schedule for this program. It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. For example, we will be stressing that letters and numbers start at the top; letters are formed with big and little lines as well as big curves and little curves. We will be playing with these shapes to form letters.

**Please remember that Wednesday is an early dismissal day. We will be dismissing at 11:30. ***Have a wonderful holiday. !!

Books This Week:Bunny Cakes
Yoko's Paper Cranes

Concept For This Week:
-Cultural Foods and Traditions
-Traveling (International Travel and Local Trave)
-Mail (mailing a letter, email)
*Special Activity*
On Wednesday, we will be making peach cobbler(like in our theme book Full, Full, Full of Love). Then we will be watching the video of Max and Ruby Bunny Cakes. It will be a fun day and a fun way to start our Thanksgiving break.

Small Groups This Week:
1. Max and Ruby Geometric Houses- After reading Bunny Cakes, we will create a house for Max and Ruby. Each house will consist of various shapes(square, circle, oval, rectangle, triangle) We will color, cut and glue. It can be tricky to cut different shapes so this is good practice.
2. Journal Writing- We will be discussing in large group about the places we have gone. In small groups we will draw a journal page to show a place each child has gone. Then we will put all of the pages together to make a book. It will be sent home when we have completed.
3. Uppercase Letter Pumpkin Matching- We will be playing a matching pumpkin game. We will use pumpkins with uppercase letters on them to match to the same upppercase letter. Then we will try to match lowercase letters to the uppercase matches
**The above groups are done in groups of three. On Monday we will finish our cycle.
1. Max Cover Puzzle- We will cut and then assemble a 9 piece puzzle. It will be the cover of our Bunny Cakes book.

Centers

Art Table:completing our turkey frames
Block Area:blocks
Sensory Table:leaves
Book Area: books about families
Easel:Max and Ruby birthday cakes
Writing Table: lists for the grocery store
Dramatic Play: setting the table with placemats and dishes. Max and Ruby pilgrim hats as well.
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

 

Handwriting

We will be starting a program called Handwriting Without Tears. We will be starting an extra time in our schedule for this program. It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. For example, we will be stressing that letters and numbers start at the top; letters are formed with big and little lines as well as big curves and little curves. We will be playing with these shapes to form letters.

Fun in the leaves

Our class had a great time playing in the leaves. Please look at our fun pictures in our flickr account(pics to the left).

November 14-18

Books This Week:
Apples and Pumpkins
Full, Full, Full of Love
Bunny Cakes

Concept Questions For This Week:
-What is a family?
-Who are the people in your family?
-Presenting family tree project

Small Groups This Week:
1.Setting the dinner table- We will be cutting and gluing a place setting. This will be related to our story Full, Full, Full of Love.  We will also discuss manners at the dinner table.
2.Sorting Pumpkins by size.Given a field of five pumpkins, children will sort them from smallest to biggest and biggest to smallest.  Then they will choose which order to put on their paper to finish.
3.Jack o Lantern sequencing- We will sequence pictures of a jack o lantern then save it for our portfolios.
1. Max and Ruby Geometric Houses- After reading Bunny Cakes, we will create a house for Max and Ruby.  Each house will consist of various shapes(square, circle, oval, rectangle, triangle) We will color, cut and glue. It can be tricky to cut different shapes so this is good practice.
2. Journal Writing- We will be discussing in large group about the places we have gone. In small groups we will draw a journal page to show a place each child has gone. Then we will put all of the pages together to make a book. It will be sent home when we have completed.
3. Uppercase Letter Pumpkin Matching- We will be playing a matching pumpkin game. We will use pumpkins with uppercase letters on them to match to the same upppercase letter. Then we will try to match lowercase letters to the uppercase matches

Centers

Art Table:create family trees with our arms and hands with paints (continued)
Block Area:blocks pumpkins to make rows
Sensory Table:water  and fishes swimming( like in Full, Full, Full of Love)
Book Area: books about families
Easel: pumpkins and orange and green paints
Writing Table: family words to copy
Dramatic Play: setting the table with placemats and dishes.

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

 

Handwriting

We will be starting a program called Handwriting Without Tears.  We will be starting an extra time in our schedule for this program.  It's focus is on letter formation and letter awareness. For example, we will be stressing that letters and numbers start at the top; letters are formed with big and little lines as well as big curves and little curves. We will be playing with these shapes to form letters.

November 9-7 Family Traditions

***Just a reminder, there is no school on Thursday(Prof. Dev) and Friday(Veteran's Day) for students.***

Books This Week:
Apples and Pumpkins
Full, Full, Full of Love

Concept Questions For This Week:
-What is a family?
-Who are the people in your family?
-Begin discussion of family tree project

Small Groups This Week:
1. Pumpkin sorting- We will put real pumpkins in size order, then cut and glue a set of pumpkins to put them in order from smallest to biggest and/or biggest to smallest
2.Measuring and scooping a pumpkin- We will estimate the height and circumference of a pumpkin using non-standard units of measure(using cubes to measure how tall and string to measure length around the pumpkin). Then we will scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin. We will use our senses to discuss the inside of each of our pumpkins.
3. Pumpkin and Vine Math Books- First we will draw vines on each page of our books. Then we will use 1:1 correspondence to place the correct number of pumpkins(our thumbprints) on each page. We will focus on numbers 6-10.

Centers

Art Table:create family trees with our arms and hands with paints

Block Area:blocks pumpkins to make rows

Sensory Table:water in gloves(like milking a cow) We will fill funnels to put water in gloves

Book Area: books about families

Easel: pumpkins and orange and green paints

Writing Table: family words to copy

Dramatic Play: tools

Puzzles and Manipulatives: Ipads

Science Table: Our last week with snowball and snowflake-Drawing them a picture to say good bye

Our Harvest Soiree to Complete our Harvest Unit

The Cub Cadets had a fun day today. We read The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything under a sheet with a flashlight. Then we created a real scarecrow. Our class carried the scarecrow into the office. Sandy(our secretary) was a little scared at first but she really liked it. We left him in the office for other friends to see.

After we made our scarecrow, we put on our party hats and set the tables for our soiree. We had a yummy snack of oatmeal raisin cookies or popcorn. We listened to music while we ate. It was such a fun day.

October 31-4

***Please have your child bring in a stuffed animal for our story time on Monday***

Books This Week
Possum's Harvest Moon
Frederick by Leo Leonni
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything
Concept Questions For This Week:
-What are nocturnal animals?
-What are the phases of the moon?
-What are animal habitats?
-What are good manners for our soiree?
Small Groups This Week:
Monday- We will create a life sized scarecrow by stuffing clothing from the book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything. We will label the clothing and label the actions each clothing makes.
1. Making Lanterns for our Soiree- We will be decorating lanterns for our soiree on Friday.
2. Sorting Nocturnal and Day Time Animals- We will discuss animals that come at at night and day.
3.Moon Phases-We will discuss how the moon affects us. We will look at the phases of the moon. We will also sequence the moon phases. Then each child will use black paper and white paint on a toothbrush to flick paint on the paper (fine motor skills). Then they will choose one phase of the moon to paint with yellow paint in their space sky.
Friday- We will be having a Harvest Soiree.(Just like in Possum's Harvest Moon). We will bake a special snack and set the tables for our Soiree.
Happy Harvesting.
 

Centers

Art Table:Making harvest decorations and hats for the Soiree
Fine Motor: using black paper and wet white and yellow chalk to make night skies
Sensory Table: milking cows(with plastic gloves filled with water)
Book Area: books about farms and growing
Easel: brown and yellow paint to create fall scenes
Writing Table: making invitations
Dramatic Play: tool shop
Puzzles and Manipulatives: farm related puzzles
Science Table: Observing our new gerbils from the Science Center

October 24-28

Books This Week
The Little Red Hen
Possum's Harvest Moon
Frederick
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
Concept Questions For This Week:
-Seasons on a farm
-How do we store and preserve food?
-Why do we buy some food in cans and boxes?

Small Groups This Week:
1. Following Direction Activity- Using a scene from a farm, children will be asked to follow a series of directions.  This focuses on following directions, color identification, positional relationship, and fine motor skills.
2.Pumpkin Sequencing- We will read a book about how a pumpkin grows from seed to fruit. Then we will create our own sequencing books.
3.More and Less Comparision- We will talk about the concept of more and less. First exploring with manipulatives, then looking at crops from farm. We will compare two sets of veggies. We will identify which number is more and less. Then we will trace the numbers, cut the sets, and glue them on a chart.
1. Listening Farm Bingo- We will listen to sounds on a farm. Then place cubes on the sounds we hear.
2. Syllable Sounds- We will clap out sounds in words. For example, farm has one clap and harvest has two claps. We will create a graph to show vocabulary words that have one syllable and two syllables.
3. Little Red Hen Board Game- We will play a board game inspired by our unit book. We will reinforce turn taking, counting, number recognition, and following directions.
Centers
Art Table:sponge painting rock walls on mural paper
Sensory Table:Beans and Seeds
Book Area: books about farms and growing
Easel:watercolors like in Frederick

Writing Table: writing farmer's market lists

Dramatic Play: Farmer's Market
Puzzles and Manipulatives: farm related puzzles
Science Table: Observing our new gerbils from the Science Center

Our "Field Trip" to the Science Center

Our field trip today to Parlee Farms was cancelled due to rain. However, with the help of one of our favorite parents (who happens to drive a bus in the town) and some of our parent volunteers, we went on a field trip to the Burlington Science Center. We boarded a school bus in front of our school and rode the bus around the high school to go to the Science Center. It was a great experience to ride the bus. Then we went to into the Science Center to go on an animal scavenger hunt.  

 We wanted to say a special thank to Michelle for making our trip even more special!!! Also thank you to Karen, Monica, and Becky for coming on our trip.

 

 With clipboards in hand, we searched for animals in the center. We saw an alligator and a snapping turtle swimming in their tanks. We also saw snakes, guinea pigs, salamanders, beetles, birds, and even hissing cockroaches.We were able to find most of the animals on our scavenger hunt. We were not able to see the chickens and the rabbit. Hopefully, we will see them on our next visit.

 

 The children were even excited to see a tiger, a fisher cat, and a leopard(even though they were stuffed). It was an amazing field trip and it was only a short bus ride away.

The Cub Cadet Classroom had the best field trip today. Thank you Burlington Science Center for always providing such a wonderful experience for your friends at The Burlington Early Childhood Center.

October 17-21

**Please remember our field trip to Parlee Farms is Thursday. Please arrive by 8:30. Children in our class are welcome to have lunch and stay until 12:30. Please send in a lunch on Thursday as usual if you plan on having your child stay until 12:30.

Books This Week
The Little Red Hen
Annie Farmer Annie
Farmer Duck

Concept Questions For This Week:
-How does food get from the farm to your house?
-What can we make with apples?
-What can we make with potatoes?
-What happens to wheat before we can eat it?

Small Groups This Week:
1. Comparing Weight of Fall objects- We will be using a balance scale to predict which objects weight more or less. We will then graph our results on a classroom chart.
2. Animals on the farm book-We will create a textured book of animals on the farm. We will also be writing the beginning sounds of words for each page.
3.Vocabulary from The Little Red Hen Memory Game- We will first browse the book and discuss vocabulary words. We will use memory card with pictures of the words in a memory game.
**We have 3 small groups a day that rotate with different children.

Centers

Art Table:gluing colored pom poms in apple barrels(OT-using our pinching fingers to sort the pom poms and improving our fine motor grasps)
Sensory Table:"dirty dishes" with soap, water, and sponges(We will wash the dishes "All by ourselves", like the Little Red Hen)
Book Area: books about farms and growing
Easel:watercolors to create farm scenes

Writing Table: writing farmer's market lists

Dramatic Play: Farmers Market with a cash register, market bags, food scales, and a variety of foods to buy.
Puzzles and Manipulatives: farm related puzzles
Science Table: Observing our new gerbils from the Science Center

September 11-14

Books This Week:
The Little Red Hen
Eddie's Garden
Farmer Duck

Concept Questions For This Week:
-Where does food  come from?
-How do machines help farmers?
-How is food prepared?
-What happens to wheat before we can eat it?


Small Groups This Week:
Last week we did not complete our small groups because we were busy creating a garden outside of our playground. We will be finishing these small groups this shorten week. 1. Planting seeds- We will decorate cups with markers, add soil, and add grass seeds. We will be watching our seeds grow over the course of this unit.
2. Sequence the life cycle of plants- We will color, cut, then sequence 4 pictures to show the life cycle of plants.
3. Math- We will be cutting pictures of farm animals. Then we will sort the farm animals to count them. We will then graph them to determine the most and least. We will discuss the beginning letters of the animals as well.
1. Bingo Game- Our bingo boards will have tools that can be found on a farm. (rake, tractor,hoe, shovel, sickle,.....)
2. Animals on the farm book-We will create a textured book of animals on the farm. We will also be writing the beginning sounds of words for each page.
3.Math- we will create patterns to reinforce left to right progression. We will add a farmer at the end to illustrate the farmer getting chased by the animals.(Just like in our story Farmer Duck)

**We have 3 small groups a day that rotate with different children.

Some activities will continue next week. **

Centers

Art Table:Animals for our farm mural(sheep-with shaving cream and glue)
Block Area:barns and farm animals
Sensory Table:dirt and popscicle sticks to make rows for seeds with seed packets
Book Area: books about farms and growing
Easel:painting pumpkins with tissue paper and glue to create "stained glass" for our windows.

Writing Table: farmers to do lists

Dramatic Play: role play of the little red hen. Props will be baking pans, mixers, bowls, pretend bread, and animal headbands to show who they are pretending to be.
Puzzles and Manipulatives: farm related puzzles
Science Table: Observing our new gerbils from the Science Center

Preschool Life Skills

Every week we will be reinforcing previous skills and introducing new skills. Some weeks we will spend more time with a previous skill before moving to a new skill.
-Manner 1-"When a teacher calls your name, you stop, look at the speaker, and say "yes".
-Manner 2- "When I give you an instruction, do it right away."
-Manner 3-"When I give you instructions, you do them right away."(following multi-step directions)

Pictures from this week

We planted a garden today.

 We dug in the earth(our vocabulary word). We then planted daffodils and crocus bulbs. We talked about waiting for spring to see the flowers. So to get some instant color, we planted a mum. It was a fun day.

We created a mural for our farm unit. Along with having some gerbils visit our classroom from the science center. We are going talk about how snowball and snowflake get ready for the winter like animals outside do.

We also discussed in our unit how animals help make gardens grow. We read a book about an earthworms life. Then we looked at bait worms from a fish shop. They look and feel like worms.

We also had dirt in our sensory table this week. We used popscicle sticks to make rows in the dirt. Then we "planted" pumpkin seeds. We then used seed packets to label the rows of pumpkins.  

Last week we surprised Pat for her birthday. We made her a card and had popscicles. Happy Birthday Pat.