Happy Holidays

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Winter Break.  See you in the new year!  School resumes Wednesday January 2nd!

Crazy about Christmas

This week we have been preparing for Christmas.  The children are working on a special gift for their parents.  We have also been making other craft related to Christmas.  The children sewed (laced) a stocking and glued on cotton balls.  After they sewed the stocking, they were given a candy cane to put in the stocking (but most of the friends ate their candy cane).  Lacing or sewing is a great way to develop fine motor skills and concentration.  It's easy to make your own sewing activities.  All you need is some paper, a hole puncher, and some string.  There are also all kinds of cross stitching supplies available for kids that develop fine motor skills.  The children also made a candy cane with pipe cleaners and beads.  We practiced our pattering skills when making the candy cane.  It took a lot of concentration to thread the tiny beads onto the pipe cleaner, but everyone worked really hard at it!

Our letter of the week is R.  We will not have a letter next week and will resume letter of the week after the winter break with the letter D.  We will also be working a lot on rhyming skills after the break. 

Next Thursday, 12/ 20 will be our holiday party.  Parents are invited to join us for the last 30 minutes of the day to help make and decorate gingerbread houses.  Please read letter sent home today for more information about the party.  Remember, you MUST have fingerprints on file at the Board Office to attend any classroom activities.  

REMINDERS...
*The flu and other illnesses are going around school.  If your child is sick, please keep him/her home.  We want our classroom to be a healthy place.
* Help your child dress appropriately for the weather.  We will play outside any day the temperature is above 32 degrees. 

HOMEWORK...
*Letter R worksheets
*Hand On Homework Activity Bag - remember to return by Tuesday next week.
*Read Letter Book

Sixty Degrees and Snow!

This week we started learning about winter by reading about snow men and making some snow man crafts.  We made snow fluff by mixing corn starch and shaving cream together.  It was very messy but a lot of fun and it really felt like snow (except it wasn't cold).  The children enjoyed sculpting it and making various shapes with the snow fluff.  Hopefully we'll have real snow soon!  The children also used their cutting skills to cut out a snow man.  We also learned size words and position words while making the snowman.  We also made a snow man using mini marshmallows.  Each child cut out a melted snow man and came up with a reason why the snow man melted. 

This week's letter: N
Letters we've learned so far: M, T, A,S, P, C, I, B.


REMINDERS...
*Sign up to bring in supplies for Gingerbread Houses.
*Christmas Party will be on 12/20 at the end of the preschool day.  Don't forget to get fingerprinted if you plan to attend.

HOMEWORK
*N worksheet
* Hand on Homework Activity Bag.  I hope you and your child are enjoying these learning activities together.  Thank you for sending them back each week so other children have the opportunity to use them too.
* Letter books will start going home this week.  These books are a way to review letter names and sounds and build vocabulary.  Please read the book with your child, asking him/her to name the pictures.  Please send the book back to school the following week.

Fun with Fruits and Vegetables

This week we learned about fruits and vegetables.  The children pulled different fruits vegetables from the mystery box, named them, and sorted them.  The children also sorted paper fruits and vegetables and colored them.  On Wednesday, the children painted with vegetables including: celery, carrot, artichoke, sweet potato, and broccoli.  On Thursday, we were visited by Mr Kipp, the food service director for Norwood Schools.  He brought some different fruits and vegetables for the kids to explore and also talked about what they taste like, how to eat them, and where they grow. 

This week our letter was B.  Next week's letter is N.  We are working really hard on learning letter names and sounds. 

Next week we will begin our study of all things winter.  Some subjects we will cover include snow, snowmen, and of course Christmas.  The children will also be learning some Christmas songs and making some Christmas crafts. 

Reminders
*Our holiday party will take place on 12/20.  If you plan to attend, you MUST have fingerprints on file at the Board of Education.  More details about the party soon.
* If your child is sick or not feeling well, please have him/her stay home.  This is for your child's comfort and the health of the other children and adults in the classroom.  Thank you!


Scholastic Book Orders Due for November and December.  I will be placing the order on Friday.  If you want to order, please turn in your order and money or order online by Friday.  Thanks to everyone who has already ordered. 

Homework...
*Hands on Homework Activity Bag.  Please complete the activity with your child and return the bag by Tuesday.  Please remember to return you bag on time so other children have a chance to use these kits.  If you repeatedly forget to turn in the bag, your child will not be able to participate in Hands on Homework.  The goal of the activity bags is to engage in a fun learning activity with your child.  Feel free to adapt the rules or directions to meet the needs of your child. 
*B worksheet
*Bring in a strange/different/exotic fruit or vegetable (ex. parsnip, star fruit, kiwi, radish...)  to share with the class.  The children will have the opportunity to explore the fruits and vegetables in the science center.  If you aren't able to send in a fruit or vegetable, send a picture.  This is a great way to develop new vocabulary.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Preschool Families!
     November is flying by and Christmas Break will be here before we know it!  We finished up our study of homes last week and now we are learning about food.  We read the book "A House for Hermit Crab" by Eric Carle and talked about the hermit crab we have in our classroom.  We also matched pictures of animals to their homes.

     We made "Friendship Soup" this week.  Each child was asked to bring something to contribute to our soup.  All of the children helped make the soup and then we ate it.  The children also made a turkey with hand prints and a cut out of their foot.  Some of the children's cutting skills have really improved already this year.  Keep practicing cutting at home.  Fun things for children to cut include strips of paper, straws, and play-doh.   


*Book Orders for November and December due 11/29 - I hope you will give your child the gift of reading this Holiday season!
https://orders.scholastic.com/J6YFH

*Holiday Party - Mark you calendars and get your fingerprints... We will have a short and simple Holiday Party on 12/20 at the end of the day.  We will be decorating Gingerbread House!  I will be sending home supply sign-ups next week.  More information soon.

Homework
*Thanksgiving page.  Ask your child what he/she ate on Thanksgiving.  Write, draw, or cut out pictures to illustrate some of the things you ate on Thanksgiving.  The children will share their page with the class next week. 

Homes for People

This (short) week, we began our study of homes.  We read the book "Homes A to Z" and learned about many different types of homes that people live in.  We used paper shapes to make our own house on paper.  We also have many new materials out in our classroom including a doll house, barn, and animal sorting work.  The children have been very interested in the new materials.  In addition to letter of the week, we have begun reviewing the letters we have already learned using large picture flash cards.  We say the name of the letter, it's sound, and name the picture on the card.  You can also help your child practice letter names and sounds with the flashcards your child received at the beginning of the year.  If you did not receive any and would like a set please let me know.  The letters we have learned so far this year are: M, T, A, S, P, and C.  Next week we will learn about the letter I.

If you're wondering why your child doesn't bring a lot of art work home, there are 2 reasons...
1) We save a lot of your child's art work and projects and put them in his/her portfolio.  You will be able to look at your child's portfolio at conferences and it will be sent home at the end of the year.  Portfolios help us see the progress your child is making over the course of the school year.
2) We focus more on the learning process and not on the product.  Each child has his/her own way of showing what they are learning.  We encourage the children to explore classroom materials in their own way.  One child may cover the whole page with paint and next may only make a few brush marks.  It's about the process (of learning and exploring), not the product!    


REMINDERS...
- If you received an ASQ questionnaire, please return it on Tuesday.
- Parent-teachers conferences are tonight and next Wednesday 11/14.  I'm looking forward to talking with everyone.
- No School on: 11/12, 11/21, 11/22.  (November is going to fly by!)
- Scholastic Book orders for November and December will be coming home next week.  Books make great gifts!  If you order online, you get a $5 coupon for your next order and the classroom gets a $3 coupon.  Thanks to the parents who have been ordering.
https://orders.scholastic.com/J6YFH

HOMEWORK...
- C worksheet
- Counting doors and windows page
- Send in a picture of your house (you can use google maps to find one on the Internet)
- Hands on Homework Activity Pack (please remember to send back to school with all pieces by Tuesday of next week.)

Pumpkins in Preschool

     This week... We learned about pumpkins.  We talked about where pumpkins grow and how they grow.  We learned that pumpkins come in many colors other than orange.  We also learned that if you have a big enough pumpkin, you can scoop it out and use it as a boat!  Wow!  We read the book "Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie" and "We're Going on a Ghost Hunt."  The children tore strips of paper and glues them onto a paper plate to make a pumpkin.  Tearing paper is a great way to develop fine motor skills necessary for writing.  We also had a small Halloween Part on Wednesday.  I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween.
     Our letter of the week this week is P.  Next week week we will talk about the letter C.  We will also begin our new theme next week: homes and houses.  We will talk about homes for people and animal homes. 

HOMEWORK...
*P worksheet
*Send in a picture of the front of your house.  We will use these as part of our homes and houses theme.
* Hands On Homework - Starting this week, each child will have a bag with a learning activity in their backpack.  I will rotate the activities each week.  Please help your child complete the activity in the bag and send the bag with all of the activity pieces back to school by Tuesday of the following week.  It VERY IMPORTANT that you send the activity back to school each week so that other children will have an opportunity to use the activity.  If you have any questions about Hand On Homework, please contact me. 
     All of the activities teach different skills.  If the activity seems to difficult for your child, see if there is another way you can use the material; such as naming the colors, sorting the pieces, or counting them.  Most importantly... have fun learning with your child!

Happy Birthday
10/27 - Citlalli
11/17 - Joseph

REMINDERS...
11/6  - No School, teacher in-service day.
11/8 and 11/14 - Parent-teacher conferences.  Conferences are scheduled to last 15 minutes in order to make time for all parents.  Please arrive on time so we have plenty of time to discuss your child's progress.  Thanks!
11/12 - No School, Veteran's Day

A Special Thank You...
  To the PTA for some of the leftover pumpkins from Pumpkin Night last Friday.  Each child was able to paint and take home their own pumpkin.  The children really enjoyed painting the pumpkins.  We will also use one of the pumpkins for a fine motor activity (hammering golf tees into the pumpkin).  Thanks PTA.  Please consider joining Sharpsburg PTA.  The dues are only $5!  The dues help support the great things PTA for our school.  If you're interested in joining, please send you name, child's name, and phone number with $5. 

Lovely Leaves

     This week we talked about leaves.  We read the book "Fall Leaves Fall."  The children used scissors to snip strips of paper and then glue them onto a leaf cut out to make a leaf mosaic.  We also used different colored leaf cut outs to make an AB pattern hat.  Learning to copy, extend, and create patterns are important skills for both reading and math.  Help you child practice making patterns with things at home such as Lego's, shoes and socks, and silverware. 
     Our letter of the week is S.  Some of the children are beginning to write legible letters during our "erase and trace" chalkboard activity.  Next weeks' letter is P.
     We also did a little yoga for the first time this week.  We read some pages of the book "My Daddy is a Pretzel" and did a few yoga poses and some breathing excises.  The children enjoyed trying the yoga poses.  We will introduce more as the year goes on.
     This week we built and drew Mat Man for the first time.  Mat Man is part of the Handwriting Without Tears program that teaches handwriting, builds fine motor skills, and teachers letters.  If you have questions about Mat Man, feel free to ask me at conferences or check out their website:  http://www.hwtears.com/hwt/parents
    
    

REMINDERS AND OTHER NEWS...
*If you signed up to supply treats for our Halloween Party on Wednesday 10/31, please send treats in on Monday or Tuesday next week. 
*If you signed up to attend the Halloween Party, you must have fingerprints on file at the Board Office.  Fingerprints need to be renewed on a yearly basis.  If you do not have up to date fingerprints, you will not be allowed to attend the party.  This is a district policy. 
*Parent-teacher conference confirmations will be sent home next week.  If you did not sign up for a conference time, one will be assigned for you.  I look forward to the opportunity to talk with each parent about their child's progress! 
*Today is the last day to order books from Scholastic for this month.  Thanks to the parents who have ordered!
*Some members of our classroom have allergies and sensitive respiratory systems.  In order to keep everyone in our classroom healthy and comfortable, please have your child refrain from using cologne or perfume before coming to school.  While fragrance sprays are appealing to some people, they can make others with allergies sick.  We appreciate your support and efforts to keep everyone healthy and happy at school. 

HOMEWORK...
*Letter S worksheet
*Pattern page.  Make your own patterns by coloring the blocks, using stickers, or writing letters.
*Next week will begin our Hands on Homework Program.  I will be sending home a game or activity each week.  It is VERY IMPORTANT that you send the game back to school (with all the pieces) by Tuesday of the following week so that other children will have the opportunity to use the game.  Each week, your child will receive a different game or activity for you to do together.