Wind and Water Week 1- Jan 2-4

Welcome Back

Wind and Water Theme

This theme allows children explore wind and water using observations, experiments,

 and books to learn more about topics such as evaporation, weather, temperature, insulation, rain, and snow

Books this week

            -Giberto and the Wind by Marie Hall
            -One Dark Night by Hazel Hutchins

Small Groups this week

-Math- Shape Bingo Game
-Science-Observing movement of objects in the wind. We will use a variety of objects and use a hairdryer with a teacher to see how objects move.  We will record our results to share with our family. A home project will come home shortly to connect with this activity.
-Gilberto Letter Book- We will use vocabulary words from our unit book, Gilberto to reinforce letter sounds.

Center Activities

Art: Painting with straws (moving paint on paper blowing into straws)

Easel: Painting with colors from the book Gilberto and the Wind  (black, brown and and white paint)
Writing: blank books with crayons and markers
Sand and Water: water and student and teacher created sailboats
Library: Exploring books
Puzzles and Manipulatives: Matching uppercase alphabet arch letters

Dramatic Play: pl clothes line and clothes pins for dramatic play
Blocks: building with blocks

Songs, Word Play, Letters
Songs:  Come On and Join in the Game; Clap Your Hands; Wheels on the Bus
Poems: Hands; Stand Up; My Big Balloon; Mix a Pancake; Five Little Owls in an Old Elm Tree
Literacy Skills: Naming sound game and rhyming word game

Try this at home: Observe signs of weather with your child.

When you are outside ask them to look at the sky and talk about clouds, rain, wind, and storms.

Gingerbread Measuring Adventure

Gingerbread Measuring Adventure in the High School

We have been reading different versions of the Gingerbread Man in school.  We have introduced the concept of measuring using non-standard units of measure.  For example a book can be 3 blocks long instead of 10 inches.  We will be using a gingerbread ruler.

Then with gingerbread rulers in hand we walked the halls of the high school to find fun things to measure.

Yesterday we used the touch it board to introduce this concept with a large ruler. We measured our friend's arm, it was 3 gingerbread long.

The Help Desk Teacher needed some help too.  He asked us to measure his Ipad.  He wanted to know what size case he needed to buy.  We were happy to help.

We also helped some high school students measure their shoes and a candy cane they had.

The a classroom in the high school made holiday stockings.  We were glad to measure them.

We measured a jelly fish in a mural in the high school.

We measured lockers.

We measured door knobs on the science doors.

We measured fire alarms.

We measured signs on doors.

We measured the police badge in the main lobby in the high school.

We measured light switches.

We measured lockers in 2 different ways, up and down then left to right.

We measured high school art work in the upper library.

It was a fun day of measuring.  It was so fun to meet some high school teachers and students. They were happy to help us on our measuring adventure. 
Have fun with your child at home on a measuring adventure. Rulers and charts were sent home. If you have any questions please email me.

Gingerbread Unit

We will be reading multiple versions of the gingerbread man this week

Gingerbread Homework Due: Dec. 19 (See blog posting)

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and new year!

 

Books this week

Gingerbread Man
Gingerbread Girl
Gingerbread Pirates
Gingerbread Cowboy

Small Groups
-Measuring with non-standard units of measure with our gingerbread rulers
-Visual Discriminiation Puzzle- Each child will decorate a gingerbread man then cut him or her into pieces.  Then they will reassemble their puzzles.
-Gingerbread Tally Game- We will spin a spinner and record which gingerbread man it lands on. We will discuss concepts of more, less, and equal
-Number Gingerbread Math- We will use 1:1 coorespondence to count and write how many gingerbread we see.


Center
Blocks-Blocks
Sensory Table-Snow (aka popcorn from boxes)
Dramatic Play-  House
Library- A variety of books about gingerbread
Art Table-gingerbread and magic reindeer food
Easel- Water Colors
Puzzles- Puzzles
Manipulatives- Ipad apps to make cookies
Writing Center- Writing Letters


Song, Word Play and Letters
Poems- 5 little cookies
Songs- gingerbread songs
Literacy Skills- Letter Sound Activities, Change and Rearrange Words
Handwriting
-We will be making reindeer food with our alligagtor fingers
-We will continue to work on our shape HWT books
Preschool Life Skills
We are continuing to review our previous skills 1-4.
1-When a teacher calls your name, stop, look and say, "Yes".
2-When a teacher tells you to do something, do it "Right Away".
3-When a teacher tells you to do 2 things, do it "Right Away".
4-When something is too hard, first try then say,"Can you help me please?"
5-When you something from a teacher or a friend and they are doing something, say, "Excuse me" to get them to look at you.
This week: A review of all skills and we will start #6 in the new year

SuperFlex
We have also been learning about how to be "flexible" in our classroom when something does not happen the way we thought it would. We have introduced the children to the newest action hero, "SuperFlex". He has the power to be flexible and is a great problem solver. If you child receives a "SuperFlex Award", they demonstrated great flexibility in a situation at school.

Holiday Party Reminder

Holiday Party Monday

December 10 at 11:15

 

Please arrive at 11:15. Please wait in the hallway until we open the door. (We will be getting ready).

After we open the door, please come in and join the audience chairs.  We will start our performance shortly after promptly at 11:20. 

We will be providing a light lunch/snack after the performance which will include apple sauce and oatmeal cookies we made for you. 

We will not have a designed lunch time unless your child stays for the afternoon sessions. 

Hope to see everyone there. The cub cadets are very excited.