Wednesday, May 19th We had an awesome last day of PreK! The children noticed that there was a new piece of furniture in the dramatic play area-a Farmer's Market stand! It was a hit with the kiddos! During arrival, we painted the children's hands and they made a special project for you. It is in your child's folder. They also drew a self portrait. The children then grabbed their books and we met our 8th grade buddies in the PAC. The PreK students gave the 8th graders cards for 8th grade graduation and then the 8th graders read to the preschoolers. They also had a special snack with their buddies. I love the connection between the oldest and the youngest in the school. The rest of the day was spent playing with friends. Fortunately, the sun decided to make an appearance so we were able to end our day outside.
See you on Friday for graduation!!! Tammy Friday, May 14th During arrival time, the children worked on a secret project for someone special. At group time, we practiced for the graduation, took a vote on what we wanted to do in gym (obstacle course won by a landslide), and read the story Let's Bounce. We talked about all of the different sports that require a ball and the children shared what sports they play. We also played an alphabet game on the smartboard. During art, the children drew circles (balls) on a piece of paper and colored the balls. In the gym, the children ran an obstacle course. They had to crawl through a tunnel, hop over jump ropes, twirl, and run zig zag. We also played a couple rounds of Monkeys and Bananas. It was a great day!
Monday, May 10th I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! This morning we went down to the music room to practice our graduation songs with the other preschool classes.They did a great job! Our story today was The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Ask your child what happened to the troll. For art, the children worked on Father's Day gifts. In the sensory table, we had water with magnetic fish and some fishing poles. The children really enjoyed it! We also turned our dramatic play area into a pet shop/Veterinary Clinic. That was also a popular area today!
Have a great day! Tammy
Wednesday, May 5th Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! Today was all about Cinco de Mayo! We learned about why and how people celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The children recognized that it is similar to the 4th of July. Both celebrations have parades, flags, and fireworks. During art, the children made sombreros using paper plates and cups. They are awesome! Unfortunately, the glue wasn't dry so we couldn't send them home. Also, the children already had their hands full carrying their Mother's Day gifts. Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing mothers!!! During Seeds, we learned that Jesus wants us to obey our parents and love everyone. We also talked about the Rosary. If you have rosary beads at home, please show them to your child. We were very fortunate to be able to watch the 7th/8th grade play-The 10 Best/Worst Things About Middle School. It was hilarious! The children were super listeners during the play. I was very proud of their behavior! Ask your child what they like best about the play. The highlight of the day was the pinata! Each child had a turn trying to break the pinata with a yard stick. It was a tough pinata! I had to give it a good whack and finally it broke! Each child received 5-6 pieces of candy. We ended our day watching the road construction in front of the school. They really enjoyed it!
Enjoy the rest of your week! Tammy
Monday, May 3rd It was go great to be back together again! The children were so happy to see each other.
Our last study of the year is Balls. During group time, we did a fun action song about balls and we talked about the different types of sports ball. Our story was The Little Red Hen. We talked about doing our share of the work at home and at school. For art, the children used a red handprint to make the little Red Hen. They also added seeds, wheat, and bread to the picture to tell the story. The children have been very busy creating special projects for someone special at home. Hmm...who could it be? We reviewed our shapes and numbers. Mrs. Gorr practiced the Graduation songs with the children during music. We ended the day playing outside on this gorgeous day!
Have a great night! Tammy Wednesday, April 21st At the easel today, the children used celery stalks dipped in paint to make flower prints. The children thought it was pretty cool! During group time we talked about Earth Day. We played an Earth Day game on the smart board and we read the book It's Earth Day. During our Seeds lesson, we learned that Jesus is our shepherd and he takes care of us. We talked about the people who care for us at home and school. For art today we used crayons and watercolors to make a rainbow. They are beautiful! During small group, we played Earth Day bingo. It was a great day! In your child's folder, you will find this week's "homework". On Friday, your child's Seed magazine will be sent home. There is a fun game in the magazine that your child can play with a parent or sibling.
Take care, Tammy
Monday, April 19th This week we will continue the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle study. We read the book Sam Helps Recycle and watched a 4 minute video about what happens to our trash after we throw it out. We also learned about garbage trucks. During small group, we played a game where we sorted uppercase and lowercase letters. We talked about different tools we used to measure and played a measuring game on the smart board. For art, the children used forks dipped in paint to make tulips. We ended our day outside. Brrr!!! Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, April 16th Happy Friday! We had a very busy and fun day today. During our morning meeting, we took a vote of our favorite gym activity that we've done so far. We used tally marks. With twelve votes, the obstacle course was by far their favorite! We also learned a silly poem called Litter Monster. I then dumped some litter on the floor and turned a fan on. The litter went everywhere! My friends know not to litter, because it could harm animals and it is not good for the Earth. For art, the children colored coffee filters with blue and green markers to make the Earth. The children sprayed the coffee filters and watched the colors run. They cut out their hands that we traced during arrival and a heart to complete the project. During small group, we made rain clouds. In a mason jar filled with water, we added shaving cream to the top (a cloud). The children took turns using eyedroppers to drip colored water into the "clouds". When the cloud became full of water, it started to "rain". They really enjoyed this STEM project! During gym, we did an obstacle course. They had to crawl, walk backward, hop, jump, and run. We ended our day playing outside in the sun.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, April 14th During arrival, the children wrote the word book in their journals and then drew a picture of something from their favorite book. Our art project today was a handprint flower. During group time, we talked about trash and I read the book I Stink! Ask your child what the book was about. We did a listening activity where the children had to follow specific instructions. These will be placed in your child's portfolio. Our Seeds theme today was Jesus surprises his friends. We also talked about feelings during our Seeds lesson. We were finally able to go outside today. The children were very excited!
Have a great night! Tammy
Monday, April 12th Today we continued to talk about Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. During group time, we examined the trash in our garbage can. We talked about ways we could possibly reuse or compost what was in our garbage. We also played a fun movement game. First, I showed the children how a paper clip moves with a magnet wand. I told the children that my hand was a magnet, and they were paper clips. I moved my hand in different ways and they followed with their bodies. They really enjoyed this simple game. We read a birthday book for Lucy's birthday. Please check your child's backpack for a treat from Lucy. During art, the children used watercolors to color a circle cut from newspaper. They used the circles to make snails. They turned out great! For small group, we bowled using recycled water bottles. We talked about starting with 10 pins, counted how many were knocked down and how many were left standing. We also reviewed our shapes. It was a fun day! Have a great night! Tammy Wednesday, April 7th It was so wonderful to see everyone again! The arrival question was "Did you have a nice Easter?". We only had one child say "no" and that was only because her family couldn't find the last Easter egg. We were happy to hear that it was plastic, and not a real egg. =) During arrival time, the children drew a picture of what they like to do in the rain. We have a lot of puddle jumpers in the class! This week, we begin our new study-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We read the story There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed Some Trash and Recyclables. We talked about the words reduce, reuse, and recycle and how each one helps the Earth. During art, the children made Recycled Robots using recycled cardboard. They turned out great! We didn't get to go outside, so we did some fun movement activities on the Smartboard. Our Seeds lesson today was He is Risen.
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, March 26th During arrival time, the children colored their Easter Bunny books. If they wish, they can finish them at home. Our art project today was Easter eggs. It was quite the process. We sprayed some shaving cream onto parchment paper and then added drops of paint. The children used a toothpick to mix the paint and shaving cream, and then placed an egg shaped piece of paper over the shaving cream and rubbed. After lifting the paper off of the shaving cream, they used a squeegee to scrape the shaving cream off of the paper. What was left was a beautiful egg! We will be hanging the eggs in the hallway. We also played "Find the Easter Bunny". I hid the Easter Bunny behind a colorful numbered egg, and the children took turns trying to find the bunny. They had to say the number on the egg. I used the numbers 11-20. During small group, we talked about the events of Holy Week, and then the children colored pictures representing the events of Holy Week and placed them on a piece of paper in the shape of a cross. We played some fun games in gym and ended our day outside. *Please check your child's backpack for Fish Fry tickets and other items. Thank you!
I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and a wonderful Spring Break! We will see you on Wednesday, April 7th! Tammy
Wednesday, March 24th We didn't let the rain dampen our fun today! We had an awesome day filled with Easter fun! The children finished the Jelly Bean Prayer activity, which we used during large group. We read the story Happy Easter, Biscuit! and we made a graph of our favorite jelly beans. Ask your child which colors were the favorite (red and black). We had an Easter Egg Hunt on the smartboard, we played some fun Easter movement games where they had to try and collect Easter eggs and jump over the Easter bunny, and we played a game where the children had to see who could find a shape first. Our Seeds lesson today was about Palm Sunday. You will find paper palms in your child's folder. For art, the children used chalk to make a bunny picture and they used a squeegee and paint to decorate an Easter egg. They are beautiful! Finally, for small group, the children completed an Easter Bunny positional word booklet. We read the page and the children had to glue a bunny to each page using the positional words. Ex., "The bunny is beside the house".
Have a great day! Tammy
Monday, March 22nd ***I added Friday's photos to the photo site Today we did our safety lesson. We talked about bubble space, feelings, and our safety networks. We did an activity (which will be coming home on Wed.) where we traced the children's hands and they gave us the names of 5 people that are in their safety network. Ask your child to explain safety networks. The children colored and cut large jelly bean shapes that we will be using for a project on Wed. We watched a short video about Palm Sunday. What can your child tell you about the video? We then talked about Holy Week. We will be talking about Easter the rest of the week. The children had music with Mrs. Gorr.
A huge Thank You to everyone who helped with this year's auction-either by donating items to the preschool basket or purchasing an auction item. We truly appreciate all of your support! We are blessed with amazing families!
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, March 19th Today was such a great day! Any day the children have gym is a great day. We learned a new game today called Rob the Nest. We had 4 teams. Each team had a hula hoop "nest". The nests were place in the 4 corners of the gym. In the center, there was a nest with 10 balls (eggs). The children took turns running and grabbing balls to place in their nests. When I said "go", the children ran to the other nests and "stole" the eggs. At the end, we counted which nest had the most eggs. They seemed to enjoy the new game. During arrival, the children wrote the word Me in their journals and then drew a picture of themselves doing something they love. Because tomorrow is the first day of spring, we talked about the different signs of spring and animals in spring. We also sang a fun spring song. We are all very excited for spring!!! We played a fun rhyming puzzle during group time. During art, the children used forks and paintbrushes to paint yellow flowers. They are beautiful! For small group, the children used clay and insect toys to create insect fossils. They really enjoyed this activity! We then did a flower counting sheet. We ended the day playing outside in the beautiful weather!
Enjoy this beautiful day! Tammy
Wednesday, March 17th Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! We had an awesome day! The day started with a mess by the lockers. There were gold sequins everywhere! When the children opened their lockers, they found gold chocolate coins (it is in your child's backpack). We figured out that the mischievous leprechaun must have made the mess last night. During group time, we read a couple of St. Patrick's Day books and watched a 4 minute video about the history of St. Patrick's Day and the life of St. Patrick. The children learned that while trying to convert the Irish into Christians, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We also played a fun movement game on the smartboard. The children had to reach high and low, jump and lean to collect gold coins. For snack, the children had St. Patrick's Day cookies. Yum! During art, the children made leprechaun hats. Adorable! Our Seeds theme today was God makes food for us. During small group, the children sorted Lucky Charms marshmallows and then completed a graph with their data. They did a great job!
Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Mrs. Sirek
Friday, March 12th We had such a great day today!!! We played in the gym, we played outside, and we made our own preschool town. The children came up with possible names for the town and then we took a vote. Book Town was the winner! Each child was given a small box. They were asked to turn their box into a house. We had a large piece of paper with streets. The children glued their houses in a spot that they chose. They added ponds, sand boxes, trees, flowers, etc. They also used animal stickers to fill the ponds and backyards. They had so much fun doing this group project! I will be posting a picture on the photo site later today. During group time, I showed the children photos of buildings in town and asked the children if they knew the buildings. They did! There was a bank, McDonald's and the pet store. During group time, I introduced the numbers 21-26. The children rolled a die with those numbers and then used daubers to cover the numbers on a worksheet. They did a great job!
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me during conferences!
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, March 10th During arrival time, the children drew pictures of today's rain in their journals. The journal word for the day was rain. We read the book Changes, Changes. The book has no words. I had the children tell me the story as we looked at the pages. The story was about a couple who build different items using blocks. Ask your child what happened to the couple's first house (fire). I challenged the children to make their own books at home. I told them they could draw the pictures and tell a parent/sibling the story and write it down. Any books that are brought in will be placed on the bookshelf to share with all of their friends. I will also give them an opportunity to "read" the book to their friends. This is totally optional! For art, the children made x-ray pictures. These will be coming home on Friday. In today's Seeds lesson, we explored the feeling of being afraid and shared what we are afraid of. We problem-solved different ways to handle our fear. We learned that God is always with us, even when we're afraid. We did not go outside today due to the rain, but we did get to dance to The Floor is Lava! and The Sonic Dance. It was a great day!
Take care, Tammy
Monday, March 8th Today we read another version of the Three Little Pigs. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is told from the wolf's viewpoint. You can imagine it's quite different from the pig's viewpoint! I asked the children whose version they believed, and surprisingly the majority voted for the wolf's version.
During group time, we talked about symmetry. I had cards with only half of a heart, flower, shamrock, etc. I asked the children what they thought the pictures would be if there were two sides. I then placed the card against the mirror. They had a lot of fun guessing, and they guessed correctly each time! We also played a game where the children rolled dice with letters on them. They had to give me a word that begins with the letter that was rolled.
For art, we placed paper and paint at the art table and the children had a choice to paint. I was thrilled to see that some of my friends chose to fold the paper and experimented with symmetry.
We ended the day by playing outside in the beautiful weather!
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, March 5th During arrival time, the children were asked to draw something yellow (our letter of the week is Yy) in their journals. We had some amazing suns, sunflowers, bees, and even a yellow fly swatter! During group time, we read the book The Three Little Javelinas. The story is an adaptation of the Three Little Pigs. We compared the two stories. In today's story, the javelinas lived in the dessert and there was a coyote, not a wolf. Ask your child what the javelinas used to build their houses (tumbleweeds, sticks, and adobe bricks). For art, we talked about symmetry. Each child wet a coffee filter, folded it in half, and used markers to create a design on half of the filter. Then they opened the filter and were able to see their beautiful symmetrical designs! In gym, we played "Clean Up Your Yard" again. We changed it up a bit. Today, the goal was to not end up with the blue ball on your side. It was so much fun listening to and watching them strategize!
Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, March 3rd During arrival time, the children stuffed paper bags with newspaper. The children used the paper bags to create houses. They were sent home in your child's backpack. Mrs. Kallal came to the classroom and recorded the class talking about our wishes for the classroom. The wishes will be a part of the SWS Starry Night Auction. Watch for the video on Instagram and Facebook! If you requested that your child not be on Facebook/media, your child will not be in the video. In today's Seeds lesson, Jesus became angry because people were selling sheep and doves in the Temple. He made the merchants leave so that he could pray in the Temple. This led to a discussion about how to behave in church. We went for a walk around the front of the school and past the church. The children counted how many windows were on side of the school. We also talked about the materials used to build the school. We celebrated Hattie's 1/2 birthday today. She sent a treat home with your child. You will find it in his/her backpack.
Have a great day! Tammy
Friday, February 26th During arrival time, each child drew a picture of their family. During art, the children cut out a house and glued colored squares (1 per person/pet that lives with them) into the house. The two projects were placed together onto a large piece of construction paper. They turned out great! During group time, we read Buildings, Buildings, Buildings. The book describes different buildings in our community and what happens in each building. We also played a letter game and a shapes game. In gym, the children paired up and practiced throwing and catching. They also practiced kicking. During the last few minutes, we played a couple rounds of "Clean Up Your Yard". They had a blast!!! On the way to the playground, we took a walk around the block to look at the different buildings in our school neighborhood. We talked about the similarities and differences between the buildings.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, February 24th Today we talked about the letter Vv, the /v/ sound, and listed off V words. For art, the children cut out a 'V' and used it as a vase. They used markers to draw stems for flowers and then they used daubers to make the flowers. They are beautiful! We went to the church and looked at the Stations of the Cross and summarized each station. The students amazed me with their knowledge of the stations! This warmed my heart. We did not do our Seeds lesson today(because of the church visit). The Seeds magazine will be in your child's folder. During group time, we read the book House, Sweet House. The book was about different types of houses. Tepees, igloos, straw huts, the White House, house boats, etc. Ask your child which house was their favorite. It doesn't matter what type of house you live in. It's the family that makes a house a home.
Enjoy the rest of your day! Tammy
Monday, February 22nd The kiddos had a lot of energy today! We started the day adding final touches to our neighborhood pictures. During group time, we read the story A Chair for My Mother. Ask your child what the little girl and her mother were doing with the coins (saving them to buy a chair) and why they needed a new chair (they lost everything in a fire). For art, we tried our first directed drawing. Some of my friends are still learning to wait patiently for directions. We'll get there! We talked about compound words and played a game where they had to use pictures to come up with a compound word. They did a great job with this concept! Book orders are due today.
Enjoy this beautiful weather! Tammy
Friday, February 19th We had such a great day today! We were able to go outside (Yay!) and we learned a new game in gym. The game is called "Clean Up Your Yard!" We broke up into two teams, one on either side of the gym. Each player had a ball. The goal is to have the cleanest yard (fewest balls on your side of the gym). They had fun! During group time, we read the book Keep Counting. We then discussed the different buildings you see in towns/cities. We also talked about the letter Ww and practiced our letter/number recognition. For art, the children made their own towns using house shaped sponges dipped in paint. On Monday, they will add flowers, vehicles, etc. to their towns. I can't wait to see the finished products! At the end of the day, the children made Lent booklets, which we will send home on Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy Wednesday, February 17th Today we talked about Ash Wednesday. We watched a 2 minute video summarizing what Ash Wednesday is about and then we watched another short video of elementary students talking about what they will be doing for Lent-giving up sweets, saving money and donating to the poor, giving up t.v. and tablet time, etc. Lent is a time to pray, fast, and give. Father did not come to the classroom today, so we did not receive the ashes. Each child was sent home with a special Stations of the Cross picture booklet and a cross.
Our study for the next few weeks is Buildings. We read the story The Three Little Pigs. For art, the children made a straw house, a stick house, and a brick house. We talked about which house was sturdier and why.
This week's Seeds lesson theme is Jesus tells God's Good News. For the Seeds activity, the children made little booklets. These will be sent home on Friday.
It looks like the frigid weather will be moving out, so please send your child's snow gear each day.
Take care, Tammy
Friday, February 12th We had a blast today! We danced, played Find Cupid, played with the parachute in gym, made adorable valentine headbands, and played with friends. We made a visit to the 8th grade classroom to give them their valentines that the children made. They were very appreciative! During small group, the children cut and sorted hearts by size. We also did an activity where the children were each given 10 candy hearts. They sorted the hearts by color and then they wrote down how many of each color they had. When they finished, they were given a few (untouched) pieces of candy as a treat. Speaking of treats, your child has a bag FULL of valentine treats! Reminder- there is no school on Monday.
I'd like to wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day! Tammy
Wednesday, February 10th Another great day in PreK today! We were not able to go outside today, so the children had more time to explore during arrival time, which they enjoyed! Many of the students chose to use the extra time to create valentines. Lots of stickers and sequins! At the easel, the children used pattern rollers dipped in purple and pink paint to decorate a large heart. Our story today was Love, Ruby Valentine. Ruby spends days making valentines for her friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, she is so exhausted that she sleeps right through Valentine's Day! Ruby decides to distribute the valentines on the 15th. She learns that ANY day is a good day to tell someone that we love them. We also played a game of letter and sound Bingo on the smartboard and did some movement activities, since we were unable to go outside. In today's Seeds lesson, we learned that God's love is for ALL people. We are called to do the same. During small group, the children used heart rulers to measure different shapes. For art, the children used cotton balls to create a cloud, to which they attached 3 ribbons of different length (discussed shorter, longer, longest) and attached hearts to the end of the ribbons. These will hang in the classroom.
Mrs. Schmitz is on vacation. She sure picked a good time to go! She will return on Monday, Feb. 22nd. Mrs. Langfield is her sub.
Friday is our Valentine Party. The children are VERY excited! OK, I may be a little excited, too!
Take care, Tammy
Monday, February 8th This week is all about LOVE! The children made valentine art by filling in a heart shape with colored paper that they ripped. Ripping paper is great for building their hand strength. During group time, we read the story Valentine's Day. The children realized that the children in the book were doing a lot of the same valentine activities that we are doing in our classroom. We also talked about the letter Z and made a list of Z words.
During choice time, some of the students used hole punches to punch holes around a heart shape. I taped a piece of yarn to the heart that they used to thread through the holes.
The students made valentine cards for their 8th grade buddies and they also made valentine bags to hold all of the valentines they will receive on Friday. They are so cute! During small group, we worked on recognizing beginning sounds.
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, February 5th Our story today was The Girl Who Wore Too Much. Ask your child what happened to the girl on the way to the dance. (She wore too many of her beautiful dresses and jewelry so she couldn't get up the hill and had to miss the dance.) For art, the children made melted snowmen by painting a white "blob" using sponges. They then added arms, eyes, a hat, and a scarf. In gym, we practiced our self control skills by playing Red Light, Green Light. We also practice skipping and galloping. Our 8th grade buddies gave the preschoolers Valentine cards with a special treat. You will find these in your child's folder, along with a birthday treat from Brayden. We will be taking Valentines to the 8th graders next Friday. We were unable to go outside due to the cold weather, but we did get plenty of movement in by playing a fun Valentine movement game-Find the Gnome!-on the Smartboard. They loved it! We ended our day with a Curious George Valentine video. It was a GREAT day! Stay warm! Tammy
Wednesday, February 3rd Today's dress-up theme was Dress to Impress, and they definitely did! I added a picture under the Photo tab.
The children made cards to send to their grandparents. One card per set of grandparents. We will be sending these home on Friday along with envelopes. The cards are adorable! Our art project today was Comb Art. We squirted paint onto the children's paper and the children used a comb to paint instead of a paintbrush. They thought it was quite interesting to "paint" with a comb! Our story today was Something From Nothing. Ask your child what Joseph's grandfather, a tailor, made using Joseph's blanket jacket (a vest, a tie, a handkerchief, and finally a button). The children enjoyed sharing about their favorite blanket/stuffed animal/clothes. Our SEEDS lesson theme was: Jesus heals and makes us disciples. We talked about the importance of loving and caring for family members and we learned that praying is talking to God. We can pray to God anywhere and anytime! I am looking forward to Pajama Day on Friday!
You may send your child's Valentines anytime. There are 18 students in our class.
Have a great night! Tammy
Monday, February 1st Catholic Schools Week is here! We have some wonderful activities planned for the week, starting with today's dress-up day. I loved all of the characters! I posted pictures under the Photo tab.
During group time, we talked a little bit about petitions. I asked the children to think about who/what they want to pray for and Mrs. Schmitz wrote the petitions on slips of paper which the children placed in a basket by the office. Grades K-8 will offer up the petitions during the Divine Mercy Chaplet tomorrow.
Our story today was Little Red Riding Hood. We talked about the lessons we can learn from the story such as never talk to strangers and listen to our parents. We played a fun movement game on the Smartboard called "Snowball Fight". The children had to jump, duck, dodge, and throw snowballs. I think it's their new favorite movement activity! A great way to burn off some extra energy. Mrs. Gorr brought a friend to the classroom today, Ms. Schneider, the kindergarten teacher. For character day, they were Piggy and Elephant from Mo Willems popular books. They acted out two of his books. The children loved it! Especially when "Piggy" played the trumpet. What a treat! During small group, we played the game Memory with shapes. For art, the children made Little Red Riding Hood.
I look forward to seeing my friends dressed in their finest on Wednesday! Tammy
Friday, Jan. 29th We had a great day today! During group time we read the story Uncle Nacho's Hat. Ask your child what happened to the hat at the end of the book. We also talked about the letter Uu and did some fun movement activities. In gym, we did some running, galloping, and skipping. The children practiced writing the letter Uu during small group time. For art, the children were given 1/2 of a paper plate. They cut the flat part to make "waves" for the bottom of the umbrella. Then they decorated the umbrella with markers. Finally, they cut out a handle for their umbrella and glued it to the paper plate. The umbrellas will be coming home on Monday. I talked to the children about next week's dress-up days. It sounds like most of them already have a plan for what character they will be on Monday. They are very excited for Friday's Pajama Day!
Reminder: Sweepstakes tickets are due no later than next Tuesday. Thank you!!
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, Jan. 27th During arrival time, the children were given a sheet of paper with a mitten on it. They were asked to draw something that would fit in their mitten. These were sent home in folders today. During group time, we read the story Who Wears What? and talked about the variety of clothes people wear-uniforms for work and sports, dress clothes for parties and other events, specific clothes for different sports (shin guards, helmets, etc.), clothes for different types of weather, etc. We also talked more about the letter Uu and did a rhyming activity. For art, we used yarn dipped in paint to make beautiful pictures. Our Seeds lesson today was about recognizing ways to find peace and make peace.
Our friend, Kole, brought candy bars to share with his friends for his birthday. The candy bar is in your child's backpack.
We did go outside today, but only for a few minutes. It was very cold!
Take care, Tammy
Friday, Jan. 20th Today we learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. During large group, we watched a short video about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. We talked about the good things that he did and about his dream for the world. I then asked the children what their dreams are for the world. These kids are going to grow up to do AMAZING things!
We did an activity where I showed the children 3 eggs-white, brown, and tan. We talked about the differences in their looks. I asked the children if they think the insides are different. A few friends thought they would be different. I then cracked the eggs into a bowl. Although the eggs look different on the outside, they are the same on the inside. We talked about this in relation to people, that people look differently on the outside but everyone is the same on the inside. The children then completed a worksheet related to our activity.
For art, the children made a Martin Luther King, Jr. project. On their project, we wrote what their dreams for the world are. These will be hanging in the hallway. Have a great night! Tammy Wednesday, Jan.13th During group time, the children shared their favorite shirts and explained why the shirt was their favorite. We also talked more about the letter Bb, read the book Llama Llama Red Pajama, and learned a new alphabet movement song.They really seemed to enjoy it! For art, the children created their own pajamas using crayons, markers, sequins, and stickers. The children completed a /B/ beginning sound worksheet during small group. Anne brought a special treat for her 1/2 birthday. Our Seeds lesson today was We listen toJesus in the Gospel.
Have a wonderful night! Tammy
Monday, Jan. 11th Thank you so much for sending in materials for our clothes study! The children will be using them for projects throughout the study. During arrival time, the children made paper chains. We put all of the chains together to create one big chain that we hung in the classroom. They were really amazed at how long the chain was. Teamwork! In our dramatic play area, I added a clothes rack, hangers, a variety of clothes, and a suitcase. The children had fun folding, packing, and hanging the clothes. I may have to bring in another suitcase. It was definitely a popular item!
During group time we sang the song, "What Are You Wearing?", talked about the letter B, and read Caps for Sale. This is one of my favorite books to read with the children. They enjoy hearing about the silly monkeys and angry peddler. Ask your child what a peddler is and what happened when the angry peddler threw his hat down (the monkeys threw their hats down).
For art/fine motor, the children drew something that begins with the letter B and then wrote the word. During small group, we talked about rhymes and completed a rhyming worksheet that goes with Caps for Sale. Mrs. Gorr introduced a new instrument in music today- a rain stick. Ask your child what it was made from (a dried out cactus). They also sang a variety of fun songs.
We had an awesome day! I am blessed to have such an amazing group! Tammy
Friday, Jan. 8th We had a very busy day today! During arrival time the children worked on their fine motor skills by tracing dotted lines and playing with toys. Once all of our friends arrived, we had circle time. During circle time, we talked about Baptism. I explained to the children that Baptism makes a person a child of God and a member of the family of the Church. We talked about why a white gown/outfit is used. I presented a slide show with the children's Baptism photos and we talked about what we noticed in the photos-Baptismal gowns, candles, holy water, holy water fonts, godparents and a priest/deacon. There was special meaning to a few of the gowns/outfits. At least two were made by a grandmother, and one was made from a mother's wedding dress. I love hearing the stories. In our sensory table we put some snow and we got to dig with shovels and play with arctic animals. In the gym, we ran laps and then played some fun games with a parachute and some balloons! For art today we made some fireworks. The children drew fireworks and then we covered their fireworks with glue. The children then covered the glue with salt and used watercolor paints to paint the salt. They are beautiful! These will be coming home on Monday.
Your child has an envelope with 4 pictures- a baby, a gown, a candle, and a pitcher. Please ask your child what each item is used for. Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, Jan. 6th Today was a great day! During group time, we talked about the letter Ff and watched the read-aloud Bringing in the New Year. The book is about how people celebrate the Chinese New Year. This led to a discussion on how we celebrate New Years. Many friends shared that they spent the day with friends and family, some friends watched the ball drop, and some friends used horns and decorations to ring in the New Year. Ask your child how people celebrate the Chinese New Year (make Get-rich dumplings, wear special clothing, sweep out the old year through the front door, cut their hair, etc.) Today's art project was creating circles using cups of various sizes dipped in a variety of colors of paint. These will be hanging in the hallway. I love how creative the children were with using only circles. We had a snowman, a mouse, etc. During small group, we worked on beginning sound recognition. This worksheet will be placed in your child's portfolio. We ended the day with some fun dancing and spending time outside in this beautiful weather!
Have a great night! Tammy Monday, Jan. 4th Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Break!
This week's theme is Happy New Year! The children painted colorful 2021 pictures, which we hung in the hallway. They also sang familiar songs with Mrs. Gorr in music and made music using rhythm sticks. During group time, we read Squirrel's New Years Resolution and then talked about resolutions. They had many great ideas! We also sang Happy (1/2) Birthday to Alma. Alma sent a treat home with your child.
Have a great night! Tammy
Monday, Dec. 21st We had a great day today! It was so fun to see my friends in their adorable pajamas! I will post a class pic on the photo site. We had Christmas cookies for snack and watched a couple of short (2-3 minute) films. Ask your child what happened in the deer video. They loved it! Mrs. Gorr sang some fun Christmas songs with the children and they did some fun movement games. During group time, we talked about the next time we will gather, which will be in a new month and a new year. For art, the children created snowflakes using pipe cleaners and beads. We will hang these in the classroom. We celebrated Ivan's half-birthday today and he brought fruit snacks for everyone. They were sent home in your child's backpack, along with a folder full of Christmas art projects. =) The link to the Preschool Program will be sent later today. Enjoy! I hope you have as much fun watching it as we did making it! I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! God Bless, Tammy
Friday, Dec. 18th It was so fun to see my friends wearing their Christmas clothes and hats/headbands! We took a class pic that I will add to the photos page. For art, the children made a "tree in the window" scene. They are beautiful! At the craft table, we had Christmas cards that the children could fill out and we also had ornaments and trees that they could decorate with glitter glue and stickers. In gym, we played a few fun games, including Santa and Snowmen. We celebrated Elijah's 1/2 birthday. He brought a blow pop for all of his friends. Please check for the treat in your child' backpack. In the gift bag that we sent home, you will find the manger scene that your child made along with the reindeer he/she made earlier this week. Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy Wednesday, Dec. 16th During group time, we read the story Pete the Cat Saves Christmas. We also played a game where we rolled an alphabet die and had to name the letter and give a word that begins with the letter that was rolled. The theme for our Seeds lesson this week was Jesus is God's son and Mary's son. The children made a booklet that you will find in your child's folder. Please have your child tell you the story.
For art, the children made reindeer. We traced their hands and they cut the hands out and used them for the antlers. So cute!
We also made reindeer food using oats and glitter. We will be sending the bags home on Friday. The children can sprinkle it outside on Christmas Eve.
The children had a lot of fun using stickers, glitter glue, and other items to make decorations for their trees. Beautiful! They also made decorations for their friends, which I thought was so sweet!
We are going to try a new release method at the end of the day. We will stay inside of the playground gates and excuse one at a time. Mrs. Schmitz will be by your cars to make sure the children get to you safely.
Have a great day! Tammy
Monday, Dec. 14th ***Retakes are this Wednesday Today we learned about the Legend of the Poinsettia. We also watched Zetta the Poinsettia (3 min. video). Ask your children what happened when Pepita placed the green weeds on the altar. (The leaves turned red and then became flowers in the shape of a star). For art, the children used leaf shaped sponges to create their own poinsettias. We also used red and green glitter. They are beautiful! We talked about the letter Oo and worked on a letter Oo sheet.
In music, the children sang "The Twelve Days of Christmas", danced to the Reindeer Pokey, and rang some jingle bells. They always have so much fun with Mrs. Gorr!
The photo page has been have been updated.
Take care! Tammy
Friday, Dec. 11th Preschoolers were the only children in school today, so we took the opportunity to take a tour of the kindergarten classrooms. The children were also able to see where the school library and music room are located.
The children were so excited that we were able to go to the gym today! We played Santa and His Reindeer and What Time is it, Mr./Mrs. Santa? The children were full of energy today, so it was a good day for the gym.
During art, the children painted paper plates green and when the plates were dry, they used pine cones, buttons, and tissue paper to decorate their wreaths. They are going to look lovely hanging in our room!
The children worked on letters to Santa during small group time.
One of the favorite activities of the day was the Gift Wrapping Station. We had tape, boxes, scissors, and a variety of wrapping paper the children could use to wrap and rewrap gifts. It was quite obvious that some of my friends help mom/dad with wrapping at home.
Enjoy the weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, Dec. 9th During morning group, we talked about the importance of keeping our hearts healthy by eating right and exercising, but it's also important to do exercises to keep your heart loving. How do we do that? The children had many great ideas-giving hugs and kisses, saying nice things, helping, being kind, smiling at someone, etc. These loving actions help us get ready for Jesus. We also talked about the letter of the week, Gg, and made a nice list of Gg words.
During Seeds, we talked about John the Baptist and his message that God was going to send a Savior, the Messiah (the Chosen One). Our Seeds activity was a Christmas Card the children made for someone special. They are in your child's folder. There is also a sheet that the children can cut and play a matching game.
The children made Santa today. These will be hanging in the classroom.
During choice time, the children decorate the classroom tree, use stickers and ribbon to make crafts, use different shapes to decorate felt trees, and use shape blocks to make Christmas objects. On Friday, we will open our wrapping station. If anyone has any extra tape, we would gladly accept any donations!
Have a great day! Tammy Monday, Dec. 7th The children looked so beautiful/handsome today for their Christmas program! Their performance was AmAzInG!!! We will be sending the videos in the near future. The children received a special snack as a reward for doing such a great job!
During group time, we lit the 2nd Advent candle-the Candle of Peace. I also shared with the children the photos of the Christmas trees that you so graciously shared with me. Thank you! We talked about the differences in size, shape, real vs. artificial, star vs. angel, etc. If you did not have a chance to send a photo, no worries. I can share the photos another day.
The children used colored tissue paper to decorate a contact paper tree. We will be hanging these in the windows so you can see them when you drop your child off in the morning. The children also put the finishing touches on a "secret" project.
Have a wonderful day! Tammy
Friday, Dec. 4th Happy Friday! We had a super fun day today! We started our day by drawing a Christmas tree in our journals and writing the word Christmas. This Sunday is St. Nicholas Day. During group time, we learned a little about St. Nicholas and what a generous man he was. We sent a gold (chocolate) coin home in your child's folder. We also practiced our Christmas program songs. They are doing such a wonderful job!
For art, the children used craft sticks to create Nativity scenes. They also used glitter, which is always a hit! The Nativity scenes turned out great! During small group, we played Nativity Bingo. Fun!
Today we had our first event for Dashing Thru December. During snack time, the children received a mini Rice Krispie treat. They also had a cup of popcorn to eat while they watched the original "Frosty the Snowman". They were super excited!!!
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, Dec. 2nd During arrival, the children cut out pages for their Advent books, which we used during group time. They followed along in their books while I read. The books will be coming home. They can color them and "read" them to you. We also sang the song "The Christmas Song" and listed the rhyming words we heard in the song.
For today's art project, the students used bows to paint a present. During small group, we did a Nativity graphing worksheet. When we finished the graphs, we discussed more, less, same.
Our Seeds lesson today was about John the Baptist and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Ask your child what fell out of Juan Diego's cloak when he went to the Bishop (roses).
We have been practicing our songs for the virtual Christmas Program. The children are doing a great job!
During the month of December, our school has some super fun activities planned! This Friday, your child can wear his/her favorite hoodie and we will watch a Christmas movie and a special snack. On Monday, your child can wear his/her favorite color.
We're going to have a wonderful December!!! Tammy
Monday, November 30th I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week's theme is Advent. We are also learning about the letter Dd and the number 13. The children had fun decorating our classroom Christmas tree! At the end of the day the ornaments come down so new friends can decorate the tree on the following day. During group time, we watched a 4minute video about Advent. We also talked about the Advent wreath and lit (I placed a paper flame vs. a real flame) our first candle on our classroom wreath. The children really seem to "get" that Christmas is about Jesus, not Santa or gifts, etc. In music, Mrs. Gorr taught the children some fun Christmas songs-some new and some familiar ones. Our art project was an Advent wreath. The children ripped paper to create their wreaths. Have a great day! Tammy Monday, November 23rd Because today was the first and last day of school for the week, we had a very busy day! During circle time, we talked about what we like to eat on Thanksgiving; turkey, corn, potatoes, venison, fish, and of course-pumpkin pie! We also talked about the letter Mm and made a nice list of M words.
For art, the children made adorable turkey headbands. Before making the headband, we talked about patterns. Ask your child to tell you what pattern they used on their headband. These came home in your child's folder today, along with a placemat they can use on Thanksgiving.
In music, Mrs. Gorr played some fun Thanksgiving songs that the children sang and danced to. They had a lot of fun in music today!
Our story today was The Night Before Thanksgiving. Ask your child what happened to the turkeys from Mack Nuggets farm.
I would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! I look forward to seeing your kiddos next Monday, when we will begin our Advent theme. Tammy
Friday, November 20th It was so nice to be back with the kiddos today! I sure did miss them.
During arrival, the children made handprint turkeys for a special project they are working on. For art, the children cut out a turkey body and added feathers, feet, and a beak. On each feather, we wrote something they were thankful for. I was touched by the children's answers-"mom and dad", "school", "my sister/brother", "God", etc.
During group time, we played Hide the Turkey. I placed several shape cards in the middle of the circle and hid a turkey under one of the cards. The children had to find the turkey by naming a shape. Fun! We talked about beginning sounds and did a letter Tt/Pp worksheet during small group time.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Friday, November 13th ***Book orders are due on Monday, Nov. 16th***** During arrival time, we traced and cut out hands to use for the art project (a scarecrow). Cutting out hands is difficult, but they did a great job! We will send the scarecrows home on Monday. The children also drew ten objects in their journals and wrote the word ten.
We talked about the different parts of a pumpkin. The children showed their understanding by completing a worksheet where they had to label the parts of a pumpkin. They did a great job!
The children played a new game in gym-Lions and Unicorns. They seemed to enjoy the new game! We also played Monkeys and Bananas.
We had colored rice, funnels, and shovels in the sensory table. It was a hit!
Enjoy the weekend! Tammy
Wednesday, November 11th Happy Veterans Day!!! Our focus today was Veterans. During arrival time, the children worked on Veterans Day booklets. Please take a moment at home to read the booklet with your child. Many did not have time to finish coloring, so if they have some free time at home, they can finish their booklets.
During morning meeting, we talked about what a veteran is, why we honor veterans, and different ways we honor them. I also did a short presentation on the veterans from our families. Thank you for sending in the photos of the veterans in your lives. The children did such a nice job listening to the stories of the veterans and their jobs in the military. One of our preschool dads was a paratrooper, so we watched a 1 minute video on paratroopers. The children loved it so much they asked me to replay it.
For art, the children made special Thank You projects for the veterans. The projects are hanging in our windows for all to see! I would like to take this opportunity to thank the veterans in our preschool family. Thank you for your service and God Bless You!
Our Seeds lesson today was about talents. God gifted each of us with talents and he wants us to share our talents with others. I asked the children if they had any talents. I was so happy to see that each child was able to name at least one thing they do well. It warmed my heart.
We ended the day playing in the snow. It was a great day!
Have a wonderful day! Tammy
Monday, November 9th This week's theme is Harvest. We will focus on the letter H, the pentagon shape, the color black, and the number 10. We began the day with journaling. The children were asked to use their black crayons/markers to draw something black. We had some cows, a black tree, some black cats, and a variety of other items.
During large group, we sang a new song about the days of the week, we did the finger play 5 Little Scarecrows, and we read the book Food From Farms. Ask your child what foods come from a farm.
During music, Mrs. Gorr shared her husband's military uniform jacket with the children. She explained to the children that he jumped from planes. They thought that was cool! She also played the Service Songs from the 5 branches of the military. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Gorr, for your service!
The children used paper plates to create beautiful wreaths. The wreaths will be hanging in the classroom.
We were unable to go outside today due to the rain. Instead, we did some fun movement songs! The current favorite is The Floor is Lava!
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, November 6th I was absent on Wednesday, which is why there was no update. I heard the students had a fun day with Mrs. Schmitz and Mrs. Tobias!
Today we wrapped up our Tree Study by reading the story A Grand Old Tree and reviewing what we learned about trees. During gym, we played catch with a friend, practiced throwing the ball to the wall and catching it, and practiced kicking. For group time, we practiced counting, making tally marks and writing our numbers. For art, the children made beautiful tree paintings using clothespins to dip cotton balls into paint. They turned out great!
It was wonderful to be able to connect with you on Google Meet! I don't get a chance to see many of you. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about your child!
Take care, Tammy Mon., November 2nd During morning group, I showed the photos that you shared with me of your children trick-or-treating (thank you!). They loved seeing themselves on the Smart Board and sharing their trick-or-treat experiences! If you did not have a chance yet to share a photo with me, you can still send it in an email. I will share the new ones on Wednesday.
Because tomorrow is Election Day, we decided to hold our very own election in preschool. We watched a video e-book titled Election Day. Mr. Bear and Ms. Owl want to be president of the forest. Mr. Bear says he will plant more trees and keep the forest quiet at night. Ms. Owl says she will keep the river and ponds clean and prevent humans from picking the berries. After watching the e-book, we talked about some of the words we heard-debate, candidates, election, and ballot. We also discussed the importance of voting. During choice time, the children had a chance to fill out a ballot and place it in the ballot box. During group time, we tallied the votes. Ms. Owl was the big winner! The children shared with the group who they voted for and why. They gave some really great answers!
During music, Mrs. Gorr and the children danced and sang to some really fun autumn songs!
Have a great night! Tammy
Fri., October 30th Happy (early) Halloween! We had so much Halloween fun today! During group time, we read the story Ten Timid Ghosts, and then played a ghost number recognition game. We then headed to the gym where we played with "pumpkin" and "ghost" balloons. The children paired up and had to keep their ghosts/pumpkins in the air. We then placed the balloons on a parachute. The goal was to knock the balloons out of the parachute. They used problem solving skills to see what would work best. We also played a few games of Ghost, Ghost, Witch (Duck, Duck, Gray Duck). After gym, we washed up and had our special snack-Ghosts in the Graveyard. Each child received a cup of chocolate pudding. We placed small marshmallows (ghosts) in the pudding and also an Oreo (tombstone). Yummy!!! Then it was time for the all-school Bingo. The children did a wonderful job listening! During small group time, the children complete a pumpkin counting worksheet. They had to count the number of pumpkins on a wagon and then write the number.
Our principal, Ms. Doyle, visited the classroom and gave each child a treat. You will find Ms. Doyle's treat, your child's mini pumpkin, and a treat bag from the preschool staff in your child's backpack.
Have a wonderful (and safe) Halloween! Tammy Wed., October 28th During choice time, the children counted spiders and placed them on webs, pounded tees into a pumpkin, placed pumpkin and cat mini-erasers into ten frames, used felt shapes to create Jack-O-Lanterns, used "witch" fingers to pick up spiders and place them in a cauldron, and tossed eye-balls into pumpkins. Eeewww!!! For art, the children used sponges and paint to create a bat scene. These will come home on Friday.
During group time we read the story There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat. Ask your child what happened when she yelled, "BOO!" We also did our Exploding Pumpkin experiment. I will be posting pictures of all of the fun activities on Friday.
We are all looking forward to our Halloween party on Friday! Tammy
Mon., October 26th This week is all about Halloween! At the sensory table, the children washed mini pumpkins with soapy water and toothbrushes. Other friends helped gut a pumpkin that we will be using on Wed. for a science experiment. We made candy corn art, painted mini pumpkins, played some fun Halloween learning games on the Smart board, and tallied our favorite Halloween activities. The big winner was trick or treating, followed by eating candy, wearing costumes, and carving pumpkins. We had animal x-rays at the light table and pumpkin dot-art at the easel. We also learned a new prayer today, Guardian Angel. We are going to have an awesome week!
Take care, Tammy
Fri., October 23rd We had a Fabulous Friday!!! Firefighters Steve Rynda and Paul Tupy paid a visit to the preschool. The children learned about the gear the firefighters wear and they also had a chance to check out the fire engines! The firefighters gave each child their very own fire helmet and a sticker. We love the NPFD!
During small group, we played a syllables game with fire safety words. The sheets will go in your child's portfolio. In their journals, the children were asked to draw a picture of one of the 5 fire safety tips that we discussed this week. On the way to the gym, we looked for fire safety items in the hallway. We found a fire extinguisher, a few fire alarms, exit signs, and sprinklers on the ceiling. In the gym, we practiced two of our fire safety rules: Stop, Drop, and Roll and Stay Low and Go. Thank you, parents, for taking time to talk to your children about fire safety. Many of them told me they knew where their fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are.
Parents, if at all possible, please send your child's hat, boots, mittens, and snow pants in a separate bag. This way we can be sure your child's backpack has room for their folders and other important items that we send home. Also, please label all snow gear. This way we can be sure your child comes home with the correct gear. Thank you!!!
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wed., October 21st During group time today, we learned a new movement song, Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck and read the story, 3 Little Firefighters. We also did a fun Bubbly Fire science experiment! I put some baking soda into a clear cup. In another cup, I added red and yellow food coloring to some vinegar. We watched the red and yellow turn to orange and then slowly poured the mixture into the cup with baking soda. We tried it again, but the second time I poured it quickly. Ask your child what happened when we added the vinegar to the baking soda. We then talked a bit about "reactions". The children really enjoyed it! Your child may be asking you if have vinegar or baking soda at home. =)
We played a Dice Number Matching game during small group. Each child received a pair of dice and a game board. They rolled the dice and had to find the match on their game board. When they covered all of the dice on the game board, they won!
The children were very excited to see that we added a pop-up firetruck to our dramatic play area.
Our Seeds lesson today was Jesus has two rules for us. Love God and love one another. When we follow these two rules, we follow all the other commandments.
Have a great night! Tammy Mon., October 19th It was so nice to be back together again. We had a great day! This week's theme is Fire Safety. We are also focusing on the letter C, the number 7, the color pink, and the heart shape. Our story today was No Dragons For Tea by Jean Pendziwol. This led to a discussion about ways to stay safe during a fire. Some of the safety rules we covered are: Don't Hide-Get Outside, Stay Low and Go, Stop Drop and Roll, and Get Out and Stay Out. I asked the children to ask a parent what your family's safety plan is in case of a fire. We will discuss the plans later this week. In their journals, the children wrote the word "pink" and drew a picture of something pink. For art, the children painted paper plates red. We will be using the plates to create firefighter hats, which we will wear during the NPFD visit on Wednesday. The children are very excited about the visit! During small group, we worked on #7 mats. The children traced the number 7, made 7 tally marks, used manipulatives to create the number 7, and used playdough to make 7 small balls and placed them in a ten frame. The children had a great time in music! They danced and sang to a variety of Halloween songs with Mrs. Gorr. I think the highlight of the day was the snow! On the way to the playground, we had many friends trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. The magic of snow!
Take care, Tammy
Wed., Oct. 14th Whew! We had a very busy (but fun) day! During group time, we sang "I'm a Sturdy Oak Tree" and pretended to be sturdy trees by stretching our branches (arms) up and planting our roots (feet) into the ground. They had fun! We also watched a 2 minute educational video about animals that live in trees and talked about rectangles and the number 6. Our story today was The Grouchy Ladybug. This led to a discussion on feelings and how it's okay to feel grumpy, angry, sad, etc. We just need to remember not to treat others poorly when we are not feeling our best. And if we see someone feeling that way, treat them with kindness.
During small group, we talked about rhyming riddles (I'm thinking of something that you wear on your head that rhymes with cat...) and played a fun game where the children had to slap the table if they heard two rhyming words. I tried to trick them, but they were too smart for that! Rhymes help the children with phonemic awareness, which leads them on the path to reading. Bedtime is a great time to play some fun rhyming games with your children.
We did a fun process art project where we put acorns and pine cones into a box with a piece of paper. After placing a few drops of paint on the paper, the children shook the box to move the acorns and pine cones. They turned out great!
Book orders are due today. I will put the order in at 8:00 tonight, so you still have time to order. Have a wonderful long weekend! Tammy
Mon., October 12th This week we will be focusing on animals that live in trees. We will also talk about the letter Nn, the color purple, number 6, and the rectangle shape. Before reading the book, Who Lives in Trees, we made a list of animals that we think/know live in trees. It was an impressive list! After reading the book, we learned of a few animals that we did not have on our list.
We finished our owls today. The children cut four circles for eyeballs and pupils (I took this opportunity to explain a bit about pupils to the children). They also used cray-pas to add detail to their owls.
During small group, we did story problems using a variety of manipulatives. We also talked about more/less and worked on subitizing (recognizing a small group of objects without counting).
Mrs. Gorr visited and sang some fun songs and did some rhythm activities using rhythm sticks.
We did not go outside today because the playground was wet. Hopefully we'll be back out on Wednesday!
Have a great day! Tammy
Fri., October 9th I apologize for the late update. My daughter, Katelyn, had a volleyball game after school and then my son, Eddie, had a football game. I'm so happy we are able to attend their sporting events!
During arrival time, the children painted newspaper owls using watercolor paints. We will be doing a project with the owls next week. During art, the children used apple halves dipped in red, yellow, and orange paint to make leaves on a tree. These will be coming home on Monday.
In gym, we used scarves to practice eye/hand coordination. The children were asked to toss the scarves in the air and catch them using their hands, head, and feet. They really enjoyed the activity! They were also given balls to toss in the air and catch, as well as kick. They loved it!
We also did some comparison activities which covered the concepts of short/long, tall/short, wide/thin.
We had a great week!!! Take care, Tammy
Wed., October 7th During group time today, we read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We talked about uppercase and lowercase letters. We also played a fun number recognition game.
For art, the children made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees. They painted the rim of a paper plate and cut it into six pieces for the branches. They also put the letters of their names on stickers which were placed on their coconut tree. They turned out great!
The theme for our Seeds lesson was Jesus invites us to his table. The Gospel story was about a king who wants to celebrate his son's wedding in the most festive way possible, but the invited guests refused to come. The king then invites anyone he sees, and they have a grand time. The king invited guests, just as God invites us on Sundays to His banquet. All are welcome!
Enjoy this beautiful weather! Tammy
Mon., October 5th During arrival time, the children cut out the leaves for their paper mache apples. We will send the apples home on Wednesday. Our study for the next few weeks is Trees. We read the story Our Tree Named Steve. Ask your child what happened to Steve. The children made fall trees in art today. We traced their forearms and hands to make the trunk, which they colored in using a marker. They then added red, yellow, and orange leaves using q-tips. Mrs. Gorr taught the children some fun new movement songs, including Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear and The Wheels on the Bus. They also had the chance to use maracas. Fun! During group time, we talked about the beats (syllables) in our names. We did tally marks for how many syllables were in each child's name. They really seemed to enjoy this activity! It was a beautiful day to play outside, which is how we ended our fun day.
Have a great night! Tammy
Fri., October 2nd This morning, the children painted their paper mache apples. They had the choice of using green or red paint. We will add the stems and leaves on Monday. Our story today was Crazy Pizza Day. It was a silly story about different pizzas that were ordered on Crazy Pizza Day. Ask your child what was on the bird's pizza (worms and other wiggly things). In gym, we used scooter boards for the first time. The children were very excited! Scooter boards are great exercise for the legs! We did some more fun rhyming activities, including singing This Old Man. The children had fun trying to find words that rhyme with number words. It was a great day! Pictures have been updated.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wed., September 30th During arrival time, the children did an activity using shapes and symmetry. You will find it in your child's folder.
Our story today was Hooray, A Piñata! We discussed the history of piñatas. Some of the children shared their experiences with piñatas. We all agreed piñatas are fun!
For art, we started our paper mache apples. The children enjoyed getting their hands sticky! On Friday, the children will finish their apples by painting them red or green. I can't wait to see the finished product!
Our Seeds lesson theme was Jesus wants us to grow. We talked about the signs of growing-clothes don't fit, shoes are tight, we get taller, etc. We also talked about things we can do to that will help us grow-eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of rest, etc. God takes good care of us and helps us grow.
Have a great night! Tammy
Mon., September 28th Today was the SWS Marathon. The children did a great job running laps on the playground! It was so nice to see many of you cheering them on! Thank you for sending in donations. We at SWS truly appreciate the support!!!
Our story today was The Gingerbread Man. That Gingerbread Man sure was sassy! Ask your child what happened to him. Yikes!
For art, we placed red, yellow, and blue paint on a piece of paper and covered it with cling wrap and let the children mix the paint together. We talked about what colors were made when yellow and red, blue and red, and yellow and blue were mixed together. We will hang the projects in the hallway.
Have a great afternoon! Tammy
Fri., September 25th Wow! We have been blessed with beautiful weather this week!
We celebrated Grady's 5th birthday today. Grady sent a treat home with his friends. You will find the treat in your child's backpack. Thank you, Grady!
We went on a little walk around the church today on our way to the playground. We saw beautiful flowers and some bugs!
We did a listening assessment today. The children did a good job. We also made triangle turtles. Each child gave their turtle a "T" name. We will be sending the turtles home on Monday.
Our read aloud today was The Adventures of Gary and Harry-A Tale of Two Turtles. Ask your child what happened when Harry swallowed a "jellyfish" (it was a plastic bag). This led to a discussion on littering and how it can be dangerous to animals.
We played a new game in gym today, Monkeys and Bananas. We also played Red Light, Green Light.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wed., September 23rd Today was Picture Day. Thank you for turning in your forms. The children did a WONDERFUL job waiting patiently for their picture to be taken!
Our story today was A World of Families. We discussed the differences and similarities between families all over the world. We also talked about the fun things we do with our families. For art, the children drew pictures of their families in their journals and practiced writing the word FAMILY.
Our Seeds lesson theme today was Jesus Teaches Us. The Gospel reading was The Story of the Two Sons. Both sons made poor choices, but one son changed his mind and made the right choice by helping his father in the vineyard. We talked about all of the choices we make in a day. What to wear, what to eat, what to play with, etc. We talked about trying our best to make the right choice, and that God loves us, even if we don't always make the right choice.
During center time, some of our friends made bracelets using pipe cleaners and beads. Others made patterns in ice cube trays by using tweezers to pick up colored cotton balls.
During large group, we talked about the letter Tt, how letters are put together to create words, and I introduced the sight words a, in, and to.
Photos have been updated!
Enjoy this beautiful weather! Tammy
Monday, September 21st REMINDER: Wednesday is Picture Day and Scholastic book orders are due Wed.
Miss Lucy was our our first Shining Star today! We learned that Lucy likes the colors pink and purple, that she loves ribs, and her favorite book is Llama Llama Goes to School. She also gets to be the line leader for the week, which is HUGE in preschool=)
Our story today was Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak. We talked about the changes that happen during autumn. Leaves change color, some birds head south, the weather gets colder, days get shorter, etc.
For art, the children made stained glass leaves. They placed colorful tissue paper inside of a leaf cutout, and covered it with contact paper. These will be displayed on our windows. Be sure to check them out when you drop your child off in the morning!
Mrs. Stavos brought in three huge sunflower heads for the children to explore. The children used tweezers to remove the seeds from the sunflowers.
Today we had our first music class with Mrs. Gorr. The children learned a few new songs, including No More Pie and Frog in the Meadow. Mrs. Gorr also did a fun activity with them using rhythm sticks.
Fri., September 18th We had a fabulous Friday! During arrival time, the children played with playdough. Manipulating playdough is great for strengthening hand muscles. For art, the children made beautiful sunflowers! They used cupcake liners for the flowers and placed real sunflower seeds in the center of the flower. During morning meeting, we used rhythm sticks to play a fun rhythm game. We also played a letter match game on the smart board. We played What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? in the gym. Our story today was Peeny Butter Fudge. It was a beautiful day to play outside! Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Mon., September 14th For art today, the children began an apple project. They painted a paper plate red and made a green leaf by placing their hand in a green stamp pad. We will finish the projects on Wednesday when the plates are dry.
We played a couple of fun games during morning meeting. We played a number match game and we played a movement game where the children had to stand up if I showed an uppercase letter, and squat if I showed a lowercase number. They did a great job!
We had to do some reminding today about voice control. I take that as a sign that the children are comfortable, happy and having fun, which is AWESOME, but I did tell them that we have to be respectful of the other classes on the preschool floor.
Just a friendly reminder, please have your child use the restroom before coming to school. Thank you!
Have a great night! Tammy
Friday, Sept. 11th It was great to see so many of our friends wearing their Marathon t-shirts today!
The children made name rockets during art today. There were many steps to making the rockets, but the children did a super job! We talked about the different shapes used to create our rockets-squares, stars, triangles, and rectangles. The children did a great job writing the letters in their names, too! We're really trying to stress that the only uppercase letter in our names is the first one. The rest of the letters are lowercase.
The letter of the week is Ss, so we talked about the sound that the letter S makes and used our "magic" writers to practice writing the letter. Our story today was Wemberly Worried. Wemberly was very worried about her first day of school. This led to a discussion about things that worry us.
In gym, we played a new game called What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? They seemed to really enjoy it!
Thank you for remembering to send coats with your children. Many also had hats and mittens. You are prepared!
Have an awesome weekend! Tammy Wed., September 9th We had an awesome day today! During arrival time, the children used watercolors on "magic" paper. They noticed that when they started painting, their name suddenly appeared (wax crayon)! During art, the children made Humpty Dumpty-after the fall. They were given a white oval piece of paper and were asked to cut on a pre-drawn zigzag line, and then glue the "cracked" egg onto a piece of paper. Band-aids were used to hold Humpty together. They then accordion folded arms and legs for Humpty Dumpty. We practiced a lot of skills today! Both projects will be hanging in the hallway. During morning meeting, we recited the nursery rhyme "Humpy Dumpty". Using an actual egg placed on cardboard bricks, we played out the rhyme as we said it. The children were so surprised that we used a real egg! SPLAT! We talked about Humpty having a unique name, which led to a discussion about our own names. We will be doing many name activities this week. We also started assessments today. Due to the rain, we did not go outside today. We did, however, go on a Bear Hunt and danced to some other favorite songs. In your child's folder, you will find an SWS Marathon t-shirt. On Fridays, the older SWS children are able to wear the t-shirts instead of their uniform shirts. We would love it if your children would also wear their Marathon shirts on Fridays. Of course, this is not mandatory. We also sent home some Scholastic book flyers along with an instruction sheet on how to order. You can order online or fill out the flyer and send it to school in your child's folder.
Take care, Tammy
Fri., September 4th No tears today! Yay! I was impressed with how many of our friends remembered the arrival routine. They came in, placed their folders in the basket, and placed their names on the Who's Here Today board. They also did a great job of remembering the rules that we covered on Wed. Today, we talked about the playground rules. There are a lot of rules to remember at school! The children made self-portraits and practiced writing their names. The self-portraits were awesome! We will place this project in their portfolios which we will share with you at conferences. We had the children fill out an All About Me form, which will also be placed in their portfolios. Today's story was Chrysanthemum. Ask your child what happened to Chrysanthemum when she went to school (she was teased about her name). We have some fun art projects lined up for next week. We will get a chance to use watercolor paints and practice cutting, folding, and using glue sticks. If you ever have a question or concern, please feel free to contact me.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tammy
Wed., September 2nd Thank you so much for your patience during drop off this morning. We truly appreciate it! There were a few tears this morning, but after a couple of minutes, everyone was playing and having a great time getting to know their new friends! We had a very fun (but busy) day! The children explored the classroom, made new friends, decorated and cut out a 1st day crown, and made a special gift for mom and dad. They could not wait to get outside! The merry-go-round and swings were a hit with the students. We read the story The Kissing Hand. The story is about a little raccoon who is going to school for the first time. We talked about the feelings the children had about coming to school today. Almost all of the students said they were excited, which made me so happy! I can honestly say the students did a GREAT job following directions and listening. This is going to be an AMAZING year!!! We have a Family board in our classroom, and I would love to hang your family photos on the board. If you could send a 4x6 photo to school in your child's folder, I would really appreciate it! Photos have been added to the Photo page.