Weekly Update

May 20, 2024

Last week was full of excitement as our Luna moth, polyphemus moth, and Painted Lady butterflies all emerged from their cocoons or chrysalises over the course of the week! The children loved observing, drawing, and releasing all of these critters. We learned about different homes that insects have (e.g. bee hives, wasps' nests, termite towers, anthills) and formed these homes out of play dough.

This week, we will wrap up our insect study. We are looking forward to our final storytime of the school year with Miss Coralie this Wednesday and to presenting her with a special gift!

Our class will have a pajama day this Thursday, May 23.

Mark your calendars! Field Day is coming up on Friday, May 24 (rain date: Friday, May 31). Please have your child wear something red on Field Day. Please make sure your child has a hat/sunglasses, closed-toed/closed-heeled shoes, an extra change of clothes, a labeled water bottle, a labeled towel, and has had sunscreen applied to him/her before school. We will be in the fenced-in outdoor areas behind the school from about 9:30-11:30 am on Field Day. Following a brief bathroom/wash hands break, we will return outside at about 11:45 am for a picnic lunch before going inside to prepare for rest time. You are welcome to join us anytime between 9:30 and 11:30 and/or for the picnic lunch. The picnic lunch location has changed and will now be in the fenced-in courtyard between the kindergarten/pre-k wing and the gym. If you have extra picnic blankets you can bring, that would be great. You are also welcome to bring camp chairs for yourselves. The cafeteria will still provide school lunch to all children who order it.

There will be no school on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day).

Our school will have a Red, White, and Blue themed spirit day on Friday, May 31 in honor of Memorial Day.

Please see the June Spirit Day schedule that was sent home in folders for all of the special themed days coming up in June!

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Wednesday, June 12, which will be our last day of school.

May 13, 2024

Last week, the children were excited to release some praying mantis babies outside. We watched a video about how bees make honey and found some chrysalises/cocoons in one of the trees in our courtyard! Madison discovered a hatched egg during outside time on Tuesday and the children had a blast imagining what might have hatched out of it (some guesses were a bird, a snake, a crocodile, a lizard, and a dinosaur!). The children then formed their own eggs out of clay and painted them with watercolors after they dried. We will be designing and making a nest for our eggs this week! Last week, we also had a lot of water-themed centers. The children performed sink-and-float experiments and sorted items by whether they floated or sank. We also tried making boats out of play dough and clay and tested them to see if they would sink or float, although this mostly turned into a big sensory experiment as the children mixed play dough and clay with water and made observations about what happened.

This week, we will continue to watch our class chrysalises and cocoons for signs of the butterflies and moths emerging. We will also try to catch some live insects and other bugs outside to observe in our science center.

Mark your calendars! Field Day is coming up on Friday, May 24 (rain date: Friday, May 31). More information about times when you can join our class for some special Field Day events will come home soon.

Our school will have a Red, White, and Blue themed spirit day on Friday, May 24 in honor of Memorial Day.

Our class will have a pajama day on Thursday, May 23.

There will be no school on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day).

May 6, 2024

Last week, the children were excited to watch as our caterpillars grew bigger and then formed their chrysalises! We will continue to observe as they progress and eventually emerge as butterflies. We are also waiting for our praying mantises to hatch from their egg case and for our moths to emerge from their cocoons. The children did several activities involving putting the numbers 1-10 in order. They were also very busy taking care of our baby dolls in the dramatic play center and giving other baby dolls baths in the water table. We learned about the body parts of insects and made lists of bugs that are and are not insects. Our class set up our May calendar and are excited about some upcoming events. On Friday, we participated in the Husky Hop by hopping 100 times! We did ten sets of ten different hops - hopping on one foot, hopping on the other foot, hopping like a grasshopper, hopping like a frog, bunny hopping, etc. The children had so much fun!

This week we will continue to learn about insects. We will also talk about family members as "I Love You Day" (Mother's Day/Father's Day combined) comes up this weekend. The children will be bringing home presents for the grown-ups this Friday, May 10!

There will be an early dismissal at 12:15 pm this Thursday, May 9. Please plan accordingly.

More special events will be coming up later this month - stay tuned!

April 29, 2024

Last week, the children enjoyed wrapping up our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle unit and celebrating Earth Day by reading and writing about different ways to help the Earth, picking up litter on the playground, and making recycled paper. We also learned about Passover - the children enjoyed hiding matzah from each other in the dramatic play center! Our class also was excited to see our caterpillars grow and to watch as more of our marigold plants sprouted. Our salamanders hatched out of their eggs on Friday and it was so much fun to observe them swimming around! The children also learned about the stages of the butterfly life cycle.

This week, we will begin a study on insects. We will continue to observe our caterpillars and check on our moth cocoons and praying mantis egg case. The children are also looking forward to playing in the water table and to making some special art projects this week.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal next Thursday, May 9. Please plan accordingly!

Thanks so much for filling out and sending in the ASQs and digital Family Input Pages.

April 22, 2024

Last week, the children did a great job readjusting to our routine following spring break. They examined what we threw out in the trash and figured out which items could have been recycled or composted instead. The children made art projects out of a variety of recycled items and pretended to drive recycling trucks in our dramatic play and block centers. We have also been tearing up newspapers so that we can make recycled paper this week. We have been observing the progress of our marigold plants and were happy to observe that eleven of the plants had sprouted by the end of the week! The children have also welcomed several "critters" to our science center, including a Polyphemus moth cocoon, a Luna moth cocoon, several salamander eggs, a praying mantis egg case, and five Painted Lady caterpillars. The children suggested and voted on names for our caterpillars - the final names are: Owl, Tails, Mask, Ladybug, and Six Legs. :)

This week, we will continue to make observations on the critters and plants in our science center. We will make recycled paper and pick up litter in honor of Earth Day/Earth Week. We will also learn about Passover, which begins on Monday night. We are also looking forward to Miss Coralie coming to do a storytime with us this week!

We have a birthday in our class this week! CJ will turn five years old on Tuesday, April 23. Happy birthday, CJ!

Please fill out and return your child's Ages and Stages Questionnaire by this Friday, April 26. Please fill out and submit the digital questionnaire you received via email by this Friday, April 26 as well. Having your perspective on your child's development helps us greatly with the assessment process. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Please remember to send your child with rain boots and/or an extra pair of shoes on rainy days or on days right after a big rainstorm - our playground gets very muddy!

April 15, 2024

Welcome back! I hope you all had a fantastic spring break with your children. Before April break, the children were excited to welcome our new friend CJ to our class. The kids had lots of fun planting marigold seeds, learning about Eid celebrations, and participating in ladybug-themed math activities. In the dramatic play center, the children pretended to be "litterbugs" and then picked up and sorted the recyclable items that they had littered into cans by category (paper, plastic, and metal). They created recycled art by turning cardboard tubes into ladybug art projects and enjoyed sorting toy insects while playing "Scoop-a-bug". This week, we will be focusing a lot on how to take care of our planet as we get ready to celebrate Earth Day next Monday, April 22. We will make more "recycled art" and will begin tearing up newspaper and scrap paper so that we can make recycled paper next week!

Today (Monday, April 15), our class has planned to have a Pajama Day. We are excited to see everyone's PJs!

This Friday, April 19, your child will bring home an Ages and Stages Questionnaire in his/her folder. Please fill out and return your child's questionnaire by next Friday, April 26. Additionally, you will receive a digital questionnaire via email with some further questions regarding your child's development in a variety of areas on Friday, April 19. Please fill out and return that questionnaire by next Friday, April 26 as well. Having your perspective on your child's development helps us greatly with the assessment process. Please let me know if you have any questions!

April 1, 2024

Last week, the children started learning about recycling. We learned to identify the recycle symbol and looked for it on different items in our classroom and in our lunchboxes! The children enjoyed playing "Recycle Bingo" and watching a video about what happens at a recycling plant. They also enjoyed building with recycled materials in our block center and creating robots out of recycled materials in our art center. We learned about Holi as well as some Easter traditions. The children sorted seeds in our science center and are looking forward to planting some seeds this week!

This week, we are all very excited to welcome a new friend, CJ, to our class! We will learn more about taking care of our planet. We will also begin our April math theme based on ladybugs. On Wednesday, we will have our monthly visit from Miss Coralie and on Friday, we will attend a musical performance! We will also learn a bit about Eid traditions.

Our school will celebrate autism acceptance by having everyone wear something blue to school on Tuesday, April 2.

Dismissal will be at 12:15 pm on Thursday, April 4. Please plan accordingly!

There will be no school from Monday, April 8 through Friday, April 12. I hope you all have a wonderful break!

The children have scheduled our next class Pajama Day for Monday, April 15 (our first day back from spring break!). Be sure to have your child wear PJs to school that day.

March 25, 2024

Last week the children enjoyed learning about Purim by making noisemakers, reading a silly story, and wearing costumes to school on Friday! We also wrote and drew pictures about our favorite parts of spring after learning about some of the changes that will be coming during this new season. We looked for bugs during outside time and noticed that the geese have returned after going away for the winter. The children learned about wearing safety equipment, such as helmets or knee pads, to keep our bodies safe while exercising. We also discussed dental hygiene! The children enjoyed making robots out of Legos and also were super excited to watch a robot vacuum clean our rug!

This week, we will wrap up our March math unit on robots. We will begin a new study about recycling! As we delve into this study, please feel free to send in "clean garbage" that we can use, such as empty egg cartons, rinsed out margarine tubs, cardboard tubes, etc. This week we will also learn about the holiday of Holi, which takes place today, and about Easter traditions. At the end of the week we will set up our April calendar!

We have a birthday in our class this week! Owen will turn five years old on Wednesday, March 27. Happy birthday, Owen!

There will be no school this Friday, March 29 (Good Friday). Bedding will be sent home on Thursday, March 28.

Dismissal will be at 12:15 pm on Thursday, April 4. Please plan accordingly!

There will be no school from Monday, April 8 through Friday, April 12. I hope you all have a wonderful break!

March 18, 2024

Last week, the children learned about why eating healthy foods are important. We read books about healthy foods and created healthy food collages by cutting out pictures of healthy foods from grocery store circulars. The children also learned about different parts in our bodies that are used when we exercise, such as bones and muscles, and even got to "work out" by lifting some hand weights in different ways. They enjoyed planning and building leprechaun traps as well as making "pot of gold" art projects. We all worked together on two leprechaun traps that we set up on Friday afternoon and are looking forward to checking on Monday morning! The kids also practiced their cutting skills when cutting out crescent moons for a Ramadan display. We marked the children's heights on our growth chart (see photo above) and the children were so excited to see how much they have grown since we measured them in September and December.

This week, we are looking forward to more learning about exercise and other ways to stay healthy. We will also discuss seasonal changes as we celebrate the first official day of spring. We will learn about the holiday of Purim, which takes place this coming weekend, and will have a "Costume Day" this Friday, March 22 as part of our learning about the holiday of Purim. Your child may wear a costume of any kind to school this Friday as long as s/he can independently use the bathroom in it and has footwear appropriate for outdoor play.

Our school will have "Silly Socks Day" as part of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day this Thursday, March 21. We will also have an early dismissal that day (12:15 pm) for professional development.

It was great meeting with all of you over the past couple of Thursdays! Thanks for attending your conferences!

March 11, 2024

The children had a blast with all the special activities during Reading Week last week! They especially enjoyed getting some new books to take home, attending the Dr. Seuss themed magic show, and having several guest readers come and read to us! If you were unable to read to us last week but would like to come in and read to the class, please send me an email so we can schedule a time that works. The children also had fun finding worms in the rain last week - they are definitely excited for spring! On Friday, we learned about Ramadan, which started last night. We also did several robot activities since robots are our math theme for the month of March.

This week, we will continue to learn about exercise. The children will also learn more about Ramadan and St. Patrick's Day and will make some special projects for these holidays.

Family conferences will continue to take place in the afternoon and evening on Thursday, March 14 (dismissal will be at 12:15 pm on March 14). Remember, if you would like to have a virtual conference, please email me after you have signed up for your conference time. Please plan to arrive a bit earlier than your conference to allow time for parking and to get to the classroom. Conferences are expected to last about fifteen minutes. Preschoolers should NOT attend their conferences; please make alternate arrangements for them. I look forward to meeting with you all!

Our school will have a "Wear Green" day on Friday, March 15 to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Our school will have "Silly Socks Day" as part of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day on March 21. We will also have an early dismissal that day (12:15 pm) for professional development.

Our class will have a "Costume Day" on Friday, March 22 as part of our learning about the holiday of Purim.

March 4, 2024

Last week, the children continued to exercise and move their bodies in different ways. We set up our March calendar and are very excited for all the special events coming up this month! The children enjoyed bringing their stuffies to school on Thursday and sorting them into categories. They also practiced positional words (e.g. behind, in front of, underneath) using stuffed animals and a cardboard box and also painted rainbows to decorate our classroom for spring. Another fun project was making planets to put on our "Books are out of this world!" bulletin board for Reading Week! (Be sure to check it out when you come in to read to the class or when you have your conference.)

Reading Week is here! We are looking forward to several guest readers (including our monthly story time with Miss Coralie from the Henry Carter Hull Library), a Dr. Seuss themed magic show, Cultural Day on Tuesday, March 5 (when your child is welcome to wear or bring in clothing from your culture to share with the class), and Pajama Day and a special assembly on Friday, March 8. We will also be doing some math activities based on books as part of Reading Week.What an exciting week! Thanks so much to those of you who volunteered to come in and read to the children. This week, we will continue to learn about health and exercise. At the children's request, we will have a doctor's office themed dramatic play center this week.

Family conferences will take place after school this Thursday, March 7 and in the afternoon and evening on Thursday, March 14 (dismissal will be at 12:15 pm on March 14). Remember, if you would like to have a virtual conference, please email me after you have signed up for your conference time. Please plan to arrive a bit earlier than your conference to allow time for parking and to get to the classroom. Conferences are expected to last about fifteen minutes. Preschoolers should NOT attend their conferences; please make alternate arrangements for them. I look forward to meeting with you all!

Our school will have "Silly Socks Day" as part of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day on March 21. We will also have an early dismissal that day for professional development.

February 26, 2024

We had a fun short week last week! We began our new study on exercise. The children had the chance to share their knowledge about exercise, practice moving their bodies in different ways, and got to watch some videos of different kinds of exercises/sports, including figure skating, snowboarding, hurdling, gymnastics, dance, and basketball. The children especially enjoyed "working out" in our dramatic play center and practicing snapping and buttoning skills in our fine motor center. Our class also enjoyed attending the schoolwide 100th day celebration. Thanks again to everyone who donated to Bare Necessities!

This week, we will delve more deeply into our exercise study. We will wrap up our February math unit focused on teddy bears and plan on using our stuffies in some math activities on our Stuffy Day (this Thursday, February 29). Another special activity planned for Stuffy Day is leaping and jumping in different kinds of ways for Leap Day! At the end of the week, we will set up our March calendar.

We have a birthday in our class this week! Grant is turning five years old today (February 26). Happy birthday, Grant!

Our class will have a stuffy day this Thursday, February 29.

Reading Week will be celebrated March 4-8. If you would like to come in some time that week to read a story to our class, please send me an email so we can schedule a time. Part of Reading Week includes Cultural Day on Tuesday, March 5, when your child is welcome to wear or bring in clothing from your culture to share with the class. Another special part of Reading Week will be Friday, March 8, when the whole school will have a Pajama Day!

Mark your calendars! Family conferences will take place after school on Thursday, March 7 and in the afternoon and evening on Thursday, March 14 (dismissal will be at 12:15 pm on March 14). If you would like to have a virtual conference, please email me after you have signed up for your conference time. Let me know if you have any issues logging on to the Canyon Creek online scheduler. I look forward to meeting with all of you!

Our school will have "Silly Socks Day" as part of World Down Syndrome Awareness Day on March 21.

February 21, 2024

Last week ended up being even shorter than planned, but we still had fun and learned a lot! On Monday afternoon the children made predictions on how much snow we would get. The kids had a blast playing in the snow again and practiced our word of the week, "gigantic," as they found large pieces of ice on the playground. Many children designed their own paper bag vests as a culminating activity for our clothing study. The children were also excited to distribute their valentines! We are now beginning a new study focused on exercise.

We have a birthday this week! Today (February 21), Elliott turns five years old. Happy birthday, Elliott!

Our class will have a stuffy day on Thursday, February 29.

Reading Week will be celebrated March 4-8. If you would like to come in some time that week to read a story to our class, please send me an email so we can schedule a time.

February 12, 2024

We had a fun week learning about lunar new year traditions and creating lunar new year projects, including making a dragon that we paraded through the halls on Friday! The children enjoyed making Chinese lanterns and reading books about the lunar new year as we welcomed the year of the dragon. We also made our predictions on Friday about which team would win the Super Bowl - the class was pretty evenly split! The children enjoyed playing a bunch of different math games during our small group time on Tuesday. They also had a blast during our monthly storytime with Miss Coralie from the Henry Carter Hull Library! This week, we will wrap up our unit on clothes and will begin a new unit of study focused on exercise.

We have a birthday coming up! Madison will turn five years old next Monday, February 19. Happy birthday, Madison!

Our class will have a pajama day on Monday, February 12. Please make sure your child still has adequate footwear for outdoor play.

We will have a voluntary valentine exchange in our class on Wednesday, February 14. If you choose to send in valentines, please make sure you send in one for each child in our class. Valentine distribution is easier if you have your child sign his/her valentines but do not address them to individual peers. We currently have 15 total children in the class. Valentines that contain candy or other edible treats will NOT be accepted.

There will be no school from Friday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 20 for our Presidents Day long weekend. Please plan accordingly. Bedding will be sent home for laundering on Thursday, February 15.

Our class will have a stuffy day on Thursday, February 29.

Reading Week will be celebrated March 4-8. If you would like to come in some time that week to read a story to our class, please send me an email so we schedule a time.

February 5, 2024

Last week, the children enjoyed playing "clothes store" in dramatic play and talking about where our clothes come from (e.g. the store, hand-me-downs, gifts). They had a blast reading and reenacting the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. We learned about Groundhog Day and made predictions about whether or not the groundhog would see its shadow. The children were also excited to change our calendar to February and to preview all of the special events that will be happening this month!

This week, we will learn about clothes that are worn for special events, such as weddings, sporting events, and cultural celebrations. If you have any photos of your child wearing an outfit for a special occasion, please send it in for the class to see! We will also learn about Lunar New Year and create several projects celebrating this special holiday as the Year of the Dragon begins this coming weekend. On Friday, we will also make our predictions about which team will win the Super Bowl this weekend!

Our school will have a spirit day this Friday, February 9 in honor of Lunar New Year. Please have your child wear something red to school on Friday, February 9.

Our class will have a pajama day on Monday, February 12. Please make sure your child still has adequate footwear for outdoor play.

Our class will have a stuffy day on Thursday, February 29.

Reading Week will be celebrated March 4-8. If you would like to come in some time that week to read a story to our class, please send me an email so we schedule a time.

January 29, 2024

Last week, we started out the week playing in our snow gear and ended it by playing in our rainsuits! The children had a fantastic time last week learning about different ways that clothes are made. Mrs. B. showed the children how to knit and all the children got to try knitting stitches on their own. I brought in my sewing machine and demonstrated how to sew a fleece hat, then all the children got the opportunity to "drive" my sewing machine to make zigzag stitches. Ms. Nicole, one of the playground aides, demonstrated crocheting and also gave each child a crocheted stingray to keep! The children explored different kinds of yarn and got to be "fashion designers" as they drew outfits on giant paper after we traced their bodies. We also learned about the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, which celebrates trees. It was definitely an exciting week.

This week, we will learn about different ways we can get clothes (e.g. as gifts, as hand-me-downs, from the store, online). We will have a clothing store set up in our dramatic play center to support this learning. We are also looking forward to celebrating the 100th day of school this Thursday and learning about Groundhog Day this week and then finding out the groundhog's prediction on Friday.

Your child's mid-year narrative summary was sent to you via email on Friday, January 26. If you did not receive it, please let me know!

Pre-K Info Night will be held virtually this Wednesday, January 31 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. If you (or your friends and family members in Clinton) have a child who will be eligible for preschool next year please be sure to attend so you can learn about our programs and the application process for this coming school year. The link to the Google Meet for Pre-K Info Night can be found on our school's homepage. If your preschooler is not eligible for kindergarten next year, his/her spot in next year's preschool program is secured and you do not need to attend Info Night or reapply.

Our school will have a spirit day next Friday, February 9 in honor of Lunar New Year. Please have your child wear something red to school on Friday, February 9.

January 22, 2024

Even though last week was a bit of a whirlwind (and super short!) with a holiday, a snow day, and a delayed opening, the children had a blast and learned a lot! We discussed different ways to take care of our clothing, such as mending and washing our clothes. The children engaged in laundry play in our dramatic play center and water table by washing our baby dolls' clothes and hanging dress-up clothes on a clothesline using clothespins. They got to decorate t-shirt cutouts by fingerpainting with foamy, soapy finger paints. The kids also got to see me fix a rip in my robe using a needle and thread and shared stories about when they have had rips in their clothes. Of course, we also had a fantastic time playing and exploring in the snow, even finding some cool "leaf icicles"!

This week, we will focus on learning about how clothes are made. Mrs. B. is going to show the children how to knit, and I will bring in my sewing machine and let the children try using it. We will also have a special guest, Miss Nicole, who will demonstrate crocheting for the children. It will be a busy week!

Your child's mid-year narrative summary will be sent to you via email on Friday, January 26.

We will have a schoolwide "Cozy Sweater Day" on Friday, January 26.

January 16, 2024

The children loved starting the week off by playing in the snow last Monday! Thanks so much for sending your children with the outerwear they needed to stay warm and comfortable during outdoor snow play. The children learned the order in which we put on our snow gear at school and showed lots of independence as they got ready to go outside! Our class learned about how to figure out the sizes of our clothing and we made a graph showing which of our coats' sizes were in letters only (e.g. XS), which were in numbers only (e.g. 5-6), and which had both letters and numbers (e.g. 4T). Some children discovered they wore the same size coat as a friend and were very excited! The children liked bringing pieces of snow into the classroom to explore in our sensory table; once the snow melted, we ended the week with sand in our sensory table instead. The children cut out pieces of fabric to dress snowmen they made out of play dough and construction paper and practiced "sewing" using plastic needles and yarn. They also enjoyed dressing up and dressing/undressing our baby dolls. Towards the end of the week, we read a book about Martin Luther King, Jr. and discussed how he changed the rules to make things fair for everyone.

This week, we will focus on how we take care of clothes. We will engage in some laundry and laundromat related play and will also learn about how to repair clothes when they get ripped or torn.

Your child's mid-year narrative summary will be sent to you via email on Friday, January 26.

January 8, 2024

Last week, the children readjusted to the school routine and wrote/drew about things they had done over winter vacation. We began our clothing study by discussing what we already know about clothes and what is special about our clothes. In the sensory table, the children wore mittens and gloves made out of different materials while playing with ice to determine which kinds of mittens and gloves did the best job of keeping their hands warm and dry. They made fabric collages in the art center and loved playing dress-up in the dramatic play center! We also practiced a new kind of repeating pattern (AAB), which we will continue to practice all month with our new January calendar pattern, mitten-mitten-scarf. We also did a snow dance in hopes of getting some snow over the weekend and learned a bit about Three Kings Day!

This week, we will continue to explore clothing, focusing on different features of our clothes such as colors, patterns, and fasteners. We are hoping to be able to add snow to our sensory table and to play in the snow outside if the weather cooperates! We will also learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal for professional development this Friday, January 12. Bedding will be sent home for laundering this Thursday, January 11.

There will be no school next Monday, January 15 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).

January 2, 2024

Welcome back! I hope you have all had a relaxing and fun-filled break. Before winter vacation, the children had a blast learning about different Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's traditions. They used a kinara in dramatic play and made their own paper kinaras. The children also enjoyed making "Christmas candy" out of play dough and creating New Year's "fireworks" artwork. Many of the children enjoyed participating in Spirit Week and loved getting to participate in a schoolwide sing-along in their pajamas on the day before break. We also wrapped up our study on light, shadows, and reflections. In the middle of the week, we measured the children's heights on the wall in our classroom right next to the measurements we took of them in September. The children were SO excited to see how much they have grown over the last three months! We look forward to measuring the children's heights again in March and June.

This week, we will begin a new study based on clothing. The children frequently show off their clothing to us and to each other, and many of them have been working on skills such as zipping, snapping, and buttoning. As we continue to pile on the layers for the cold weather (and hopefully to play in the snow at some point!), we will learn much more about clothing. We will also learn about special clothing required for certain jobs/activities as well as clothing from different cultures. If you or someone in your family makes clothing (e.g. knitting, crocheting, sewing) and would like to share your skills with the class, please let me know!

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal for professional development on Friday, January 12. That week, bedding will be sent home for laundering on Thursday, January 11.

There will be no school on Monday, January 15 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).

December 18, 2023

Last week, the children had a blast finding shadows and reflections outside. They enjoyed using a projector to experiment with shadows and light during center time as well. We read several books about winter and winter holidays, which we will continue to learn about this week. The children also worked hard on their gifts for you, which will be coming home in backpacks this week! This week, we will make some more crafts related to winter holidays like Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. The children will also practice their writing by making cards and will practice identifying different emotions.

Our school will have a spirit week from Monday, December 18 through Friday, December 22. Please click here for each day's special theme!

We are looking forward to a schoolwide sing-along/assembly this Friday, December 22.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Friday, December 22 to begin our winter break. Please plan accordingly and enter any dismissal changes in the app. Bedding will be sent home on Thursday, December 21. There will be no school from Monday, December 25 through Monday, January 1. School will resume on Tuesday, January 2. I hope you all have a very happy and healthy holiday break!

December 11, 2023

The children had a blast last week with Pajama Day, our family craft party, Miss Coralie's monthly visit, and visiting the book fair! They also experimented with ice, food coloring, and water, noticing how colors mixed and changed as well as how the ice began to melt after adding salt. Some fourth graders visited our classroom to read to the children during center time one day, which was a special treat! We continued to engage in learning about light - the children learned the difference between and practiced identifying shadows and reflections. They also learned and practiced vocabulary words such as "opaque", "translucent", and "transparent" to describe different objects and used flashlights to help determine whether items were opaque, translucent, or transparent. This week, we will continue to explore these concepts as we go on a shadow and reflection hunt outside and as we experiment with shadows using a projector in our classroom! Our class also learned about some Hanukkah traditions - the children were very excited to bring home their own dreidels on Friday! This week, we will continue to learn about Hanukkah as well as traditions associated with Christmas and Kwanzaa. If you would like to share a special winter holiday tradition that your family has, please feel free to send in an email or note - photos are always great, too!

Thanks so much to everyone who has attended conferences so far! I look forward to finishing up conferences with the rest of you on Thursday, December 14 after school. Please remember to make alternative arrangements for your child during our conference time.

Our school will have a spirit week from Monday, December 18 through Friday, December 22. Please click here for each day's special theme!

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Friday, December 22 to begin our winter break. Please plan accordingly. Bedding will be sent home on Thursday, December 21. There will be no school from Monday, December 25 through Monday, January 1. School will resume on Tuesday, January 2.

December 4, 2023

Happy December! The children finished off the month of November by reviewing the shapes we had learned. We also began learning about a new shape, the hexagon, and how snowflakes are hexagonal in shape. The children engaged in lots of experimentation with flashlights and with salt painting last week. We set up our December calendar and are looking forward to lots of special events this month! The children also made calendar markers for our December calendar pattern.

This week, we are looking forward to our monthly visit from Miss Coralie (from the Henry Carter Hull Library) and to browsing/shopping the book fair on Wednesday! (See the papers sent home in your child's folder for more information about the book fair.) The children are also very excited for the family craft party taking place this Thursday. We will get messy, so be sure to not wear any fancy clothes to the craft party! We are also looking forward to some new centers and other learning activities this week focusing on shadows and light. The class will also be learning about Hanukkah, which begins this Thursday evening, and will get to make dreidel paintings.

If you have not already done so, please sign up for a parent-teacher conference on the Google Doc that was emailed out on November 14. If you are unable to access it, please let me know. I look forward to meeting with all of you! Conferences will take place on the evening of December 6, in the afternoon on December 7, and after school on December 14. Preschoolers should NOT attend their conferences; please make alternative arrangements for your children during conferences.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Thursday, December 7 for parent conferences. Please plan accordingly.

We will have a schoolwide Pajama Day on Friday, December 8 to benefit the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford (please see the flyer that went home for more information). Thanks in advance for your generosity!

November 27, 2023

We had a very short but fun week last week! The children enjoyed making shape collages, gave our baby dolls baths in the water table, practiced cutting with scissors, and loved showing off and hanging out with their stuffies on Stuffy Day. This week, we will wrap up our math unit on shapes and begin a new one based on snowflakes. Our class will also wrap up our signs study and begin a new study focused on shadows and light. We look forward to setting up our December calendar at the end of this week and filling in all the special events we are looking forward to in the coming month.

Our class will visit the school book fair on Wednesday, December 6.

Save the date! We will have a family craft party on Thursday, December 7. Please RSVP as soon as possible. Each family may send up to two people to participate in our craft party due to limited space in the classroom. Thank you for your understanding.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Thursday, December 7 for parent conferences. Please plan accordingly.

Here is a link to the December lunch menu (also found on our website's homepage).

November 20, 2023

The children had another busy week last week! We continued to learn about shapes through a variety of activities, including making crayon rubbings of the brick walls outside to create rectangle pictures. The children practiced lacing in our fine motor center, made turkey art projects, and wrote/drew about what they are thankful for on turkey feather shapes, which have been made into a turkey display on our hallway bulletin board. They used turkey basters to blow feathers around and even made up a game where they would place a feather in the opening of the baster, squeeze it to blow it straight up in the air, and then try to catch the feather in their opposite hand! We played with toy animals outside and the children loved making habitats for them. They got to experiment with cornstarch and water in our water table. We also noticed several birds visiting our birdfeeder - we even had to refill the feeder to make sure the birds would have enough food to snack on over the weekend! The class did a great job during our first lockdown drill, which took place during music class on Friday. They also discussed how signs keep us safe in different ways.

This is a short week, so we will be doing some more shape activities before we move on to our December math theme, which will be snowflakes. We will also wrap up our signs study before beginning a new study after break, which will be focused on shadows and light. The children have been showing great interest in shadows upon arrival (they check to see if they can find their shadows on the wall when they enter the building to determine if it is sunny or cloudy out) as well as during outside time (they love to combine shadows or make their shadows "hide" inside a teacher's shadow). When we found frost on the playground, some children noticed that the slides that were in the sunlight did not have frost, while those that were in the shade did. We look forward to lots of upcoming science investigations as part of this study!

We will have our class Stuffy Day on Monday, November 20.

There will be no school from Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Save the date! We will have a family craft party on Thursday, December 7. More information will come home soon. That day we will also have a 12:15 pm dismissal for conferences.

November 13, 2023

We had a jam-packed week last week with picture retakes, voting, vision screenings, and an assembly for Veterans Day! The children began learning about thankfulness and gratitude as part of a schoolwide theme this month. We continued to learn about different shapes (the children especially enjoyed finding and labeling circles in our classroom as well as going on a rectangle hunt!) and identified the shapes and colors of several signs we commonly see each day. The children made signs thanking the veterans that we brought to the Veterans Day assembly on Friday and enjoyed practicing seasonal vocabulary as they played November bingo. They had a blast using turkey basters to squirt and mix colored water in our sensory table and enjoyed playing "grocery store" in dramatic play. We made American flag and circle art projects. The children also used their fingers and different kinds of tweezers to take kernels off of Indian corn - what great fine motor practice! It was also exciting when the children found a bug in our classroom this week. We observed it and then released it outside at the end of the day.

This week, we will learn about how signs keep us safe. We will continue engaging in activities having to do with shapes as well. The children will use turkey basters to try and move different objects across a table and will experiment with cornstarch and water in our sensory table. We will use the Indian corn kernels that we collected last week for a few different projects. Monday, November 13 is World Kindness Day, and we will read books in which people are kind and will discuss how we can be kind to others.

Our school food drive has begun! Preschoolers are being asked to donate canned tuna. Thanks in advance for your generosity and thanks to those of you who have already donated! Donations are due by this Friday, November 17.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Thursday, November 16. Please plan accordingly.

We will have a class stuffy day on Monday, November 20 (voted on by the children on Election Day!). Your child may bring one reasonably sized stuffy to school on that day. We are looking forward to meeting everyone's stuffed friends!

Bedding will be kept at school on Friday, November 17 and will be sent home for laundering on Tuesday, November 21. If you know your child will be absent on November 21 due to family travel plans, please let me know so I can make sure your child brings home his/her bedding on the appropriate day.

There will be no school from Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 6, 2023

We had a very busy and fun week last week! The children were so excited to wear their costumes, pajamas, or Halloween-themed clothing to school last Tuesday and march in our school parade. They enjoyed setting up our November calendar and are looking forward to all the special events happening this month. We had our November storytime with Miss Coralie last week and also learned about the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). The children practiced identifying and describing squares and triangles, made square and triangle art projects, and practiced making an AABB repeating pattern. With the big weather changes last week, the children also got to experience lots of science in the natural world as we found frost, ice, a grasshopper, worms, and a live frog during our outdoor learning times! They also explored the insides of a pumpkin when we made our class jack o'lantern. The children discussed what they know about signs as well as questions they have about them. Several children enjoyed copying pictures and words from signs they looked at in books! We also began learning about gratitude/thankfulness and discussed what the children are grateful for.

This week, we will continue to work on AABB patterns and will work on identifying and describing circles and rectangles. The children will get to engage in a grocery store themed dramatic play center, complete with signs they have helped make to label the different sections in the store (e.g. dairy, bakery, produce). They will also practice seasonal vocabulary words as they play November bingo and will experiment with mixing colored water using turkey basters in our sensory table!

Our school food drive begins this week. Preschoolers are being asked to donate canned tuna. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Picture Retake Day will take place on Tuesday, November 7. Please return your child's picture package by that day if you would like your child's picture to be retaken.

Fall book orders will be due by Wednesday, November 8. Our online class code for Scholastic is GRP2R.

Our class will have vision and hearing screenings on Wednesday, November 8.

There will be a Veterans Day assembly at school on Friday, November 10.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal next Thursday, November 16. Please plan accordingly.

October 30, 2023

It's hard to believe that October will end this week! The children greatly enjoyed engaging in a variety of activities last week, including dissecting some small gourds, learning about and discussing feelings, doing number matching and counting activities for 1-6, playing dress-up, making sensory bottles, creating pumpkin patch paintings, and writing about their favorite things about Halloween. Our class also read "With Lots of Love" as part of Jumpstart's Read for the Record campaign. The children greatly enjoyed the story and even requested a reread! The children did a great job during the fire drill at the end of the week and loved having a cozy pajama day at school.

This week, we will begin a study on signs. The children displayed interest in road signs during our roads study and have also been noticing signs around our school, such as a "Caution! Wet Floor" sign that we found in the hallway. They will learn that signs help keep us safe and give us information. Our November math theme is shapes, which we can practice identifying as we study different-shaped signs. We are also looking forward to carving our class jack o' lantern this week and using electric tealights to light it up during rest time on Monday and Tuesday. The children voted and decided our jack o'lantern should have a happy face, so that is what we will make!

There will be a schoolwide Costume Day on Halloween (Tuesday, October 31). Please be sure that your child is able to toilet independently while wearing his or her costume. Please be sure to have your child wear or bring appropriate footwear for outdoor play and PE.

Looking ahead - next week we will learn about voting and about veterans. If there is a veteran in your immediate family, please let us know! We will be making cards for veterans next week.

Picture Retake Day will take place on Tuesday, November 7. Please return your child's picture package by that day if you would like your child's picture to be retaken.

Fall book orders will be due by Wednesday, November 8. Our online class code for Scholastic is GRP2R.

October 23, 2023

Last week the children enjoyed some more road-based learning activities. They made their own "asphalt" by mixing black-tinted glue ("tar") and sand, then used rollers to flatten the asphalt down onto their roads. We also looked at a road map of Clinton on our Smart TV and located each child's street as well as our school. The children enjoyed seeing who lived on long roads, short roads, straight roads, and winding roads. They also discovered that some of them live very close to one another! We used our fine motor skills to make torn-paper bats that are now hanging in our classroom. The kids loved playing "firefighters" in dramatic play. The children also did some sorting and graphing with leaves we collected outside during our leaf hunt; they also made some leaf crowns!

We have been learning about all kinds of different feelings as part of our Second Step social-emotional curriculum, as well as how to calm down as part of the Zones of Regulation curriculum. This week, each child will make his or her own sensory bottle to take home and use when he or she needs to calm down. The children will practice self-help skills while playing "dress-up" in different costumes in our dramatic play center this week. We will also take part in the international "Read for the Record" initiative this week, where people all across the world pledge to read the same book on the same day. This year's book is "With Lots of Love" by Jenny Torres Sanchez, which we will read on Thursday, October 26.

Our class will have a Pajama Day on Thursday, October 26. Please make sure your child still has appropriate footwear for outdoor play that day.

Picture Retake Day will take place on Tuesday, November 7. Please return your child's picture package by that day if you would like your child's picture to be retaken.

Fall book orders will be due by Wednesday, November 8. Our online class code for Scholastic is GRP2R.

October 16, 2023

The children had a fun and busy week last week! We learned about the holiday of Diwali and learned a lot about fire safety before and during the visit from the Clinton firefighters. During the firefighter visit, our class got to practice dialing 911 and got to go on an ambulance and a fire truck! The children built roads and bridges in the block center and were able to add buildings that we made out of milk cartons to create whole neighborhoods and cities. We made leaf rubbings, pumpkin-leaf patterns, and had a dramatic play farm stand with gourds, pumpkins, and toy vegetables and fruits. The children made vehicle art projects to add to our class "road" that we have hung in the hallway outside our room.

This week, we will learn about different signs that we might see on the road and will make signs to add to our hallway road display. We will make our own "asphalt" in the sensory table and practice rolling it flat just like road builders do when they make roads. The children will also engage in a firefighter-themed dramatic play center as they continue to learn and practice fire safety.

Dismissal will be at 12:15 pm this Thursday, October 19. Please plan accordingly and let me know if your child's dismissal plan will change due to the early dismissal.

We are collecting clean, sturdy plastic bottles with caps for an upcoming project (e.g. Gatorade bottles). If you have any, please send them our way!

Our class will have a Pajama Day on Thursday, October 26. Please make sure your child still has appropriate footwear for outdoor play that day.

Fall book orders are coming home this week and will be due by Wednesday, November 8. Our online class code for Scholastic is GRP2R.

October 10, 2023

Last week, we started our October math theme focused on pumpkins and leaves. The children enjoyed comparing pumpkins/gourds and leaves by shape, size, and texture. They practiced measurement by estimating the circumference of a pumpkin with string and then identifying whether their strings were shorter, longer, or the same size as the pumpkin. The children also practiced identifying "heavy" and "light" by putting different pumpkins and gourds on a balance. They learned the different stages of a pumpkin's life cycle and practiced making numerals using play dough. As part of our Roads study, we built roads, bridges, and tunnels out of different materials and enjoyed watching a time-lapsed video of someone driving on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel - the children were fascinated to watch a road turn into a bridge, then a tunnel, then a bridge, then a tunnel, then a bridge, and then a regular road again! The children also discussed who uses roads and learned about safety on the road by following signs and traffic signals. They painted empty milk cartons to make buildings, which are now being placed along the roads that the children are building in the block center. We greatly enjoyed our first storytime of the year with Miss Coralie from the Henry Carter Hull Library!

This week, we will continue to use pumpkins and leaves to practice different math skills. The children will make leaf rubbings as well. We will learn more about how roads are built and repaired. We will also learn about fire safety and are especially excited for a visit from the Clinton Fire Department this Friday!

Dismissal will be at 12:15 pm next Thursday, October 19. Please plan accordingly and let me know if your child's dismissal plan will change that day.

October 2, 2023

Happy October! The children spent the last week of September making apple prints, creating different vehicles out of cardboard boxes, practicing identifying numerals, and learning more about how roads are made. We learned about different ways to stay safe on roads, such as driving within the lines and following traffic signals. The children enjoyed playing "Red Light, Green Light" and also learned about the holiday of Sukkot. They also explored some math materials like pattern blocks and miniboards. This week, we will continue our roads study by learning about how roads cross bodies of water (e.g. bridges, tunnels) and will begin our October math theme focusing on pumpkins and leaves. We also look forward to welcoming Ms. Coralie from the Henry Carter Hull Library to our classroom for a special storytime this Wednesday! Ms. Coralie will be visiting the Joel preschool classrooms on the first Wednesday of every month going forward.

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to make it to Open House! Packets were sent home to those of you who were unable to attend.

There will be no school next Monday, October 9. Please plan accordingly!

Here is a link to the October lunch menu. Remember, when hot dogs are listed as the main course, preschoolers are served an alternative lunch (usually chicken patty sandwich or chicken tenders) per our preschool food policy. Older siblings will still receive hot dogs if they order school lunch.

September 25, 2023

The children continued to explore apples last week! We did apple sink-and-float experiments and also cut apples open to find out what was inside. The children have started an apple seed collection and are planning what they would like to do with the seeds. They pretended to bake apple cakes and apple pies in dramatic play. The children created an AB color pattern with real apples and also made a graph with apples, after which they were able to compare quantities and determine which kind of apple we had more of. We also began discussing what we know about roads and what would we would like to find out about roads as we begin our roads study. The children learned about Yom Kippur and the importance of saying sorry. We practiced saying "sorry" in sign language! Every child also finished his or her self-portrait, which are on display in the hallway outside our classroom. Be sure to check them out at Open House this Thursday evening!

This week, we will continue to learn about and explore roads. We will also learn about the holiday of Sukkot. The children will practice counting skills while playing a "road" dice game and will also use their creativity to turn cardboard boxes into vehicles that they can pretend to drive on roads.

We have a birthday in our class this week! Natalie will turn four years old on Thursday, September 28. Happy birthday, Natalie!

School picture day will take place on Tuesday, September 26. See the notice sent home in your child's folder for more information on how to order your child's picture package.

Open House will take place in the evening on Thursday, September 28. This is planned to be an "adult only" event. Please see the weekly blast from Mrs. Gingrave for more information.

September 18, 2023

Last week was filled with fun and learning! The children practiced labeling and extending an AB pattern with red and green apples on our calendar. They compared apples by size (bigger, smaller, same) and by weight (heavier, lighter). The children all "wrote" about their favorite things at school and added more features to their self-portraits. We learned about Rosh Hashanah and enjoyed "cooking" outside. The children enjoyed climbing trees and finding different insects outside, including a small grasshopper!

This week, we will continue learning various math skills such as sorting, patterning, and counting using apples. We will also begin a study on roads, as many of the children have shown interest in roads and vehicles.

We have a birthday in our class this week! Abby will turn four years old on Wednesday, September 20. Happy birthday, Abby!

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal this Thursday, September 21 for professional development. Please plan accordingly and let me know as soon as possible if your child's regular dismissal plan will change.

School picture day will take place on Tuesday, September 26. See the notice sent home in your child's folder for more information on how to order your child's picture package.

Open House will take place in the evening on Thursday, September 28. This is planned to be an "adult only" event. Please see the weekly blast from Mrs. Gingrave for more information.

September 11, 2023

The children had another fun week at Joel School! They expressed their creativity through dramatic play, construction play in the block center, play dough sculptures, and collages. They handled the change to our routine on the early dismissal day very well. We have also begun our phonological awareness, math, and social-emotional learning programs (see notices that were sent home in folders on Friday for more information - be aware that a couple of the notices are double-sided). The children have been practicing the "Listening Rules" during group times - "Eyes watching, ears listening, voices quiet, body calm." We started class jobs and calendar last week as well! The children continue to learn our routines and to practice independence throughout the day.

We are excited for our first five-day week this week. We will introduce some more learning centers and materials. The children are very excited that we will be opening our sand table this week! We will continue to work on our self-portraits and to discuss similarities and differences between ourselves and others. We will also work on creating and extending AB patterns!

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal next Thursday, September 21 for professional development.

School picture day will take place on Tuesday, September 26. See the notice sent home in your child's folder for more information on how to order your child's picture package.

Open House will take place in the evening on Thursday, September 28. This is planned to be an "adult only" event. Please see the weekly blast from Mrs. Gingrave for more information.

September 5, 2023

The children had a fantastic start to the school year last week! They have been learning each other's names as well as the names of all of their teachers*. We have practiced walking in line in the hallways and have had two successful fire drills. Our class has played in three different fenced-in outdoor areas, and on Wednesday the kids got to play in the wet weather in their rainsuits! The children have been excited to play in different centers in our classroom, listen to stories, and participate in PE and music classes while simultaneously learning routines and expectations. At the end of the week, we attended the first "pup rally" of the school year (whole school assembly for school spirit) and started our September calendar!

This week, we will introduce some new center activities based on apples. We will introduce how to use glue and glue sticks as well as how to appropriately wash hands. The children will also begin to work on their self-portraits, a multi-step project that will be on display during Open House!

School breakfast will start to be served this week.

There will be a 12:15 pm dismissal on Thursday, September 21 for professional development.

School picture day will take place on Tuesday, September 26.

Open House will take place in the evening on Thursday, September 28.

*Here is a list of the teachers/staff that interact directly with our class:

Ms. Jarett (teacher) Mrs. B. and Mrs. R. (classroom paras)

Mrs. Neddermann (aka Mrs. Ned, music teacher) Mr. Karcich and Mr. J. (PE teachers)