Check out our amazing little Saints! They are working so hard and creating such awesome projects!

We are keeping very busy with lots of fun, new activities and experiences for the little learners in our Pre-K classroom this year!

The students use various materials and manipulatives for hands-on activities and projects which will help them explore the world around them.

For May, our Saint of the Month is The Blessed Virgin Mary. We will also continue along in our Spring unit, learning about May flowers, ladybugs, and so much more. We have lots of fun S.T.R.E.A.M. projects planned as well!

A different letter and number will be in the spotlight each week. The children are loving it so far. Ask your child about our "letter and number hunts" throughout the school.

Also, please remember the children love receiving mail in our magic mailbox! Thank you so much to all of the families who have been sending in mail.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

-Mrs. Siano

​E-Mail: Siano.Sara@spsj.org

​School Phone: (908) 859-1244

Dates to Note:

Important Forms:

Did you ever wonder How Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

Need Summer plans? Join the Pirasaurs!

If the Dinosaurs Came Back. A read aloud in two parts:

Join Annie and Moby as they learn about fossils:

"DINOSAURS POP! " Read aloud below. Read a book about dinosaurs from your home library!

The letter of the week is T, and the number of the week is 17.

This is the perfect book to help little learners begin to discover the many different names and representations of Mary from around the world:

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Please enjoy this read aloud, and choose another book from your home library to share together.

Our favorite lady is back! Try your hand at feeding the Old Lady with your sequencing cards, and just for fun click on the worksheet image below for an Old Lady Roll and Color activity page:

An animated reading from The Beginner's Bible about The Ascension:

Reading? Math? Super cute ladybug manipulatives?? YES PLEASE, TO ALL!

Here is a cool life cycle video from Scholastic:

Watch this video to learn the basics of the ladybug lifecycle:

The letter of the week is J. J is for Jonah, and Jesus (of course!) The number of the week is 16. Review the number 6 (remember when we talked about an insect having 6 legs?) To make a 16 put a 1 in front of a 6!

Check out Chicka Chicka Boom Boom if you don't have a copy at home:

Enjoy the Jonah movie from Beginner's Bible:

Here is the flower craft I made with my students a few years ago which I described in the plans for the week:

Are you working on your recipes? Here is a reading of Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle:

Here is a very special reading of Mary, Mother of Jesus from Storytime with the Sisters:

Here is the story of Jonah from The Beginner's Bible. Please read the story of Jonah in a picture book or from a collection of children's Bible stories if you have one.

Practice counting to 16 with acorns!

The letter of the week is Q. Q is for Queen, and Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth. This would also be a great week to review the letter M, which we learned a long time ago. The number of the week is 15. Review the number 5 which should still be fresh in our minds. May is the fifth month of the year, and a number often associated with Mary. To make a 15, put a 1 in front of a 5!

Enjoy this special reading of The Night Before Mother's Day by Natasha Wing.

Here is a short clip of a very important event in the Mary's life:

A super silly pirate counting song!

The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle. You may have this in your home library, but if not, please choose another book to read together. If you are interested in a fun art project, i can give you instructions on how to make Eric Carle style pictures.

This is a great song for practicing the sound Q and u make when they are together!

If you are having a feista tonight, here's a little information on why we celebrate Cinco De Mayo.

Here is a link to Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller. This book is full of information about seeds and how plants grow. Please remember to read a book from your home library today.

Here is our Saint of the Month poster for May. Please read it with your child, and if possible, print it out and display it.

Click the image to link to the printable file

Here are some ideas on how to make your handprint flowers for a fun Mother's Day project!

The letter of the week is N (N is for Noah and New) and the number of the week is 14 (Review the number 4 and remember to look for the 1 in front of it! )

A song about the letter N :

The Rain Came Down by David Shannon (and boy, it has been coming down here too!)

Now that you've learned a little bit about Noah, enjoy this movie from The Beginner's Bible:

Here is the story of Noah's Ark from The Beginner's Bible (a read aloud):

Here is Arky Arky to sing as we learn about Noah and the Ark:

Some inspiration for your worm creations:

More on the Number 14:

How to Grow Happiness read aloud to enjoy at "gnome":

Get ready to do some Singing in the Rain!

A little birdie told me you are really enjoying the roll and count math activities. Here is an April showers themed roll and count but it's extra tricky. Use 2 dice and practice some early addition to get higher sums!

April Showers Roll and Count

Enjoy this reading of Worm Weather:

Remember to pick a book from your home library to share together today!

The letter of the week is F (F is for Frog) and the number of the week is 5 (Five begins with F, and we will read and sing about the Five Green and Speckled Frogs!)

Check out What the Old Lady is swallowing this time!

If you liked Frog on a Log, check out Dog on a Frog! This series has been very popular at my house this week.

Here is The Earth Book written (and read!) by Todd Parr, if you do not have a copy in your home library.

Check out these Crayola coloring pages for Earth Day:

Earth Day Coloring Pages

If you love silly rhyming books, than Frog on a Log is perfect for you! If you don't have this book, please enjoy this video read aloud and read a different book from your home library.

Here are some examples of the finished paper plate frog project. This craft is completely optional, and very customizable. Please refer to the information in this week's lesson plans for some ideas of how to decorate your frog.

Here is how we decorated our letter Fs last year. Send me a photo of your creation!

Get ready to have this adorable counting song stuck in your head!

If you don't have the Five Green and Speckled Frogs book, read another book from your library, and practice singing the Five Little Speckled Frogs instead.

One of my favorite songs about the number 5:

Here is a video to help get you started on learning all about amphibians, frogs and more!

Our Saint of the Month for April is Saint Bernadette. St. Berndatte lived in France, and not that long ago. Mary came to visit St. Bernadette when she was about the same age as an 8th grader! Do you remember who Mary is? That's right-- she is Jesus's Mommy. Mary has many names. She is known as The Blessed Mother, Our Lady Guadalupe and Our Lady of Lourdes. Bernadatte lived in a place named Lourdes. Many people did not believe St. Bernadette even though she was telling the truth. She kept telling the truth, even when it was hard and people treated her poorly.

Click the grahic below for a St. Bernadette printable you can display at home, the way we do in our classroom!

The letter of the week is R (for the Resurrection) and the number is 13 (there were 13 people at the Last Supper).

Happy Birthday, Scarlett!

So here it is is-- the BEST way to color Easter eggs with early learners (in my opinion). I have been coloring eggs using this method for the last few years and I will never go back. It is mess free, makes a cool speckled pattern on the eggs, is perfect for learning about color mixing AND the kids stay actively involved. There is no downtime while they are inpatiently waiting for the eggs to sit in dye. They are movin' and shakin' to get the color on the eggs. Paas came out witih a kit a few years ago, that I think they have stopped making but luckily I bought out their remaining suppoly when it went on clearance at Target. Lucky for YOU, it's easy enough to recreate at home using Ziploc bags, food coloring and uncooked rice. After boiling the eggs and letting them cool, you place some rice in a Ziploc bag with a few drops of food coloring. Put the egg in the bag, seal the bag tightly and let your kiddo shake to their heart's content. The longer they shake, the more color will be on the egg. Next, you can either take the egg out and set it aside for drying, OR place it in another bag to make a color combination. I promise it is very fun and the kids will love it. I found a video that shows a very basic tutorial, but it's easy to figure out. I'm also including some photos of our eggs from years past, and a photo of the Paas kit if you are able to find it! (*note, even with the kit, you will need to supply your own rice which is hard to find this year! I will be attempting to use wild rice, which is all I could get).

Finally! A tulip!

Pete is ready for a Big Easter Adventure! Please remember to try to read to your child at least once a day.

Please view Patricia A. Pingry's "The Story of Easter" if you do not have a copy at home.

Please remember to try to read to your child at least once a day.

One of my favorite S.T.R.E.A.M. activities of the entire year is growing our class Resurrection Garden. It really makes the Resurrection come alive for the children. If you have a green thumb or are just a good sport (like me) I highly suggest taking on a growing project while we are away from school. This is a very simple one, and you know that because even I could make grass grow! You need a large planter dish, which you will fill with soil. Place a small terracotta planter towards the back on its side, and cover with soil. Let the kids get their hands dirty! Place a large rock in front of the planter's opening (this is the tomb). Use river rocks or other small stones to create a path leading to the tomb's opening. Sprinkle grass seed all over the soil, and then place in three crosses made of sticks. Each day, mist the soil with a spray bottle, and keep your Resurrection garden in a sunny place.

If you are unable to complete this optional garden project, please do not worry! Because this project can be a big undertaking, I have included the tomb coloring sheet with this week's printables. If you do not have the materials needed to complete this project, please substitute as needed. There is no need to go to the store.

When you are discussing feelings and emotions with your child this week, as they begin to learn about empathy, Here are some resources you may find helpful. Thanks to Mrs. Finegan for finding the Thomas activity!

Learn to sing this Easter song with me, and we will sing together tomorrow morning!

Don't forget to practice the letters in E-A-S-T-E-R!

Here are the Easter egg printouts we decorated with pasta last year. Feel free to decorate them however you would like. Send me your photos if you'd like to share!

Are you working on patterns today? You can make a pattern out of anything! Don't forget, it has to repeat.

Hope this "Five Little Bunnies" read aloud makes you feel "hoppy"!

Beginning Monday, March 30th, we will begin preparing for Easter in Pre-K. I have again tried to simplify the unit and tailor it to (hopefully) work well in a home learning environment. We now know that we will not be returning to school before Easter, so Mrs. Szczepanski and I will have some fun Easter surprises to send home with the students once we all return back to school! (We are certainly going to have a lot of celebrating to do when we finally get back in the classroom-- and I cannot wait!)

Just a reminder, the letter of the week is E and then number is 0. Easter begins with E, and there were ZERO people left in the tomb!

Flower update! Lots of daffodils and 2 buds on the tulip. The third one was eaten by a critter.

If you wanted to try to make a simple paper Easter basket, here is the link that was included in our plans this week.

Have a family movie night and watch The Story of Easter from The Beginner's Bible

Here is an video reading of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick" if you don't have a copy but would like to do the sequencing activity with your little Old Lady!

Enjoy this reading of "On Easter Morning" from the Holiday Happenings series. Please note: I did change some of the wording since a lot of our Easter celebrations will look a little different this year. Don't forget to also read a book from your home library together. See how many Es you can find while you read!

A visit from an OLD friend!

A Wednesday read aloud from some-bunny special!

Don't forget to ask your child what their favorite Easter tradition is, and shoot me an email!

I wanted to post some info about the He is Risen/Sunrise Easter Craft. I strongly encourage you to try to to create one with your child. It is not hard to do and really reminds us of the true meaning behind Easter. It is also easy to modify if you want to create it using different materials. Below is a photo of one we made last year in class.

It is best not to try to complete the entire craft at once, and instead work on it over the course of 2 or 3 sessions. First we used water colors to paint the plate yellow and orange, like the sun is rising in the sky. When that is dry, you can fold up the bottom of the plate and color it (or paint it brown). We used brown crayon and stapled it into place after attaching the crosses in the next step. Cut 3 crosses out of brown construction paper and used a glue stick to attach them. Finally you can print out and glue or write "He is Risen" to complete your project.

When Spring Comes...

Here is another fun video about the number zero:

"What is Easter?" by Michelle Medlock Adams, read by a real funny bunny!

Here is a video to help us kick off a week of learning about zero:

Begin sharing your favorite Easter traditions with your child. Help them "interview" different family members.

It's a great week for an egg drop! For anyone unfamiliar with this S.T.R.E.A.M. activity, the challenge is for kids to design a vessel using recycled materials. Whatever they design must protect a RAW egg from a high fall. We have dropped them from the top of the stairs at home, and we always put our egg in a ziploc back before placing it in its vessel, which helps minimize the mess. This is a popular activity for elementary and middle school students, but it is also a great, hands on project for a pre-schooler and a parent! Here are photos of "Humpty Dumpty" (made out of cups stuffed with cotton balls) and "Hola Egg-migo" (made out of a roll of toilet paper!) if you need some inspiration.

Happy Monday! It is one of my favorite weeks of the year-- caterpillar week! I have condensed the unit and tailored it to (hopefully) work well in a home learning environment. I absolutely love to raise live caterpillars in our classroom, and release the newborn butterflies in Mary's flower garden. I am truly sad that we may not have the chance to do that this year. Keep hoping and praying, and we will see what happens! Study the life cycle carefully with your child-- I have another adorable project to build on what they learn in this unit, that we will (hopefully!!) be able to work on in the classroom when school reopens.

Just a reminder, The letter of the week is C and then number is 6. Caterpillar begins with C, and caterpillars/butterflies are insects. Insects have 6 legs!

Thank you all for a fantastic first live session this morning using Google Meet! I was so happy to see all of your bright, shining faces! Mrs. Szcepanski and I miss you all SO MUCH. And a special Thank you to the parents. You are all doing an amazing job!

Have you started to think about what type of family tree you might want to create? I posted some great samples above, in the student photos. Here are a few other ideas:

Here is the Butterfly Song with music that goes with the lyrics you shared with your child yesterday.

I am now posting YouTube video links using EdPuzzle which is supposed to help filter out commercials and ads. If you have any issues or other feedback please let me know. We have a great School Technologist who is tirelessly working to help improve our distance learning capabilities!

Our first daffodil finally opened! Which signs of Spring have you seen outside this week?

Ten Magic Butterflies Read Aloud! (and finally a decent thumbnail) I love this book because it combines Reading with Math. It is a great book to read with your child so that they can practice counting the flowers/butterflies. Parents check out the video for a fun fact about the author.

Read your child The Butterfly Song lyrics and discuss.

All of God's creations are so amazing! We are so lucky. You can really see the world He created for us come alive in the Spring. What are some "Spring" things that your child feels grateful for?

The Butterfly Song

If I were a butterfly, I'd thank you Lord for giving me wings

If I were a robin in a tree, I'd thank you Lord that I could sing

If I were a fish in the sea, I'd wiggle my tail and I'd giggle with glee

But I just thank you Father for making me, me.

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I'd thank you Lord by raising my trunk

If I were a kangaroo, I'd just hop right up to you

If I were an octopus, I'd thank you Lord for my fine looks

But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were a wiggly worm, I'd thank you Lord that I could squirm

If I were a crocodile, I'd thank you Lord for my great smile

If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I'd thank you Lord for my fuzzy, wuzzy hair

But I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

The Family Book by Todd Parr would be a great book to read this week as we are learning about our families.

If you have completed your caterpillar/butterfly life cycle sequencing project, check out this video. It is one of my favorites and really makes science come alive! I had never learned about how newly hatched butterflies pump the fluid out of their bodies before I watched this a few years ago.

Here is a video reading of Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar if you don't have a copy. Please choose a different Pete the Cat book to read, or a book of your choice from your home library.

Is anyone ready to start working on their butterfly life cycle sequencing? Here is an example of a student's completed work from last year. It is not perfect, but you can see the student had a basic understanding of the life cycle. Your child will need support but they should be able to color, cut and glue with gluestick fairly independently.

I wanted to share a fun caterpillar Math game I made last year. You can count how much the caterpillar eats. The students would take turns opening the caterpillar's body sections and then they would identify the number inside. After that, they would count out a matching quantity of manipulatives. We used erasers that looked like fruit. See if you can come up with something similar at your house, using whatever materials you have on hand.

Have you had a chance to talk about your family yet this week? Who is in your family? What makes your family special? Take some time today to look at photo albums with your child.

I am just not catching a break on the thumbnails attached on these video previews!! I tried making this clip using the recording feature in Google Meet so that I'll be ready for Friday.

Check out this reading of Clara the Caterpillar. It does a great job of illustrating the caterpillar/butterfly life cycle, uses LOTS of our the letter of the week, and has a great moral!

Have you been going outside and checking for signs of Spring? I checked in on my garden last week. I showed the students the crocuses on our last day of school. The daffodils are only buds, and I will be SHOCKED if any get any tulips-- the animals always eat them! I will be talking more about perenials in the next few weeks, so hopefully I will have more blooms by then. This week I will see if I can get any photos of insects. You should try too!

This week, please talk with your child about how we are like caterpillars. Jesus sacrificed his life for us, so that we can have a new life in Heaven. When our soul goes to Heaven, it is like the caterpillar starting a new life as a butterfly.

I wanted to show you what the "C is for Caterpillar" project might look like when you are finished. We completed these in class last year using construction paper circles. I can't wait to see your creations!

I wanted to share a fun math activity with you that can be completed a varied of ways. You can "build" caterpillars of different lengths by adding sections to their bodies. We completed these in our classroom last year using bingo daubers but you could also let your child dip their finger in ink or paint. Draw a caterpillar face on a peice of paper and when your child has finished, ask them to write the number that matches the "length" of the caterpillar's body.

I think many of you may have a copy of Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" in your home libraries, but if not, I am linking to a read aloud featuring Eric Carle himself . I am also sharing one of my favorite animations. Enjoy!

Happy 4th Birthday, Charlotte! I know you have been waiting for this day :)

Today we will be learning about Daniel and the Den of Lions. This Bible Story contains a vital message, one which is important to share with your children now more than ever, considering what our community is currently experiencing. God protects Daniel, even in a terrifying and seemingly hopeless situation. Daniel had Faith, stayed loyal to, and trusted in God. Daniel's story can be found in many collections of children's Bible stories. If you do not have one at home, view Daniel and the Lions from The Beginner's Bible. Even better, do both!

Please enjoy the read aloud below, despite the very unflattering cover photo :p

Have your child color the Daniel /Lions page. Ask he or she to retell you the story in their own words.

If possible, have your child re-create part of the story using their toys and then act out the scene with them. Make a list of things you will need and search through the toys bins. Sort of like a scavenger hunt! We looked for lions, rocks, a man and an angel. (Does our Daniel look familiar to you? I bet some of the lions do!)

Don't forget to talk about how March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb. If you complete your pasta art lion, send me a photo!

Happy Saint Joseph's Day!

As a bonus/optional activity, talk with your child about Saint Joseph. Who was Joseph? Why was he important? Stress that Joseph was the foster father of Jesus (his father here on Earth) and he helped Mary raise Jesus with his heart full of love. Show your child a picture of The Holy Family. St. Joseph is known as the worker. He was a carpenter and taught Jesus his trade. Click the button for a printable coloring sheet. Ask your child about the image. Who is the little boy? (Jesus!) Why are there tools in the picture? (Because he was a carpenter!)

We got mail in our Magic Mailbox!! Check it out!

One of my absolute FAVORITE counting songs/videos, and perfect for Spring!

Today practice counting 12 objects. Can you make groups of like objects (12 legos, 12 dolls, 12 cookies?) How many groups of 12 can you make?

Share one last St. Patrick's themed story with your child. Many of you may have "How to Catch a Leprechaun" in your home library. If not, please view the video below and select a different physical book to read together today.

Spring has arrived!!! Goodbye Winter! I hope you were able to go outside yesterday to get some fresh air. It was a beautiful day! The Siano boys took a hike and explored. We also saw lots of wildlife in our yard. What animals have you seen outside this week? How is the weather going to change now that it is Spring? What other things will change?

Read "Springtime Prayer" by Ralph Waldo Emerson with your child.

Who made the flowers? Who made the grass, birds and bees? Who made EVERYTHING?

Aren't we blessed to live in such a beautiful world, that was created just for us?

What are your favorite things about springtime? Draw a picture!

Please begin working on the cloud worksheet with your child. Talk to them about why they feel lucky. What things and people in their life has God blessed them with?

*Please note- the craft portion (adding ribbons, streamers) is optional but please discuss/fill out the cloud with your child.

Have you been discussing different helpers in your neighborhood each day? Here is a fun song, which also may help your child think of more/different types of helpers in our community!

Kids! Help your parents learn how to be Weather Watchers!

Parents- Click the image below and select the option at the bottom of the box to view the video without signing in/creating an account.

Please have your child practice number formation / identifcation as they complete the Pot of Gold number tracing sheets today. Tracing is so important; it helps build muscles in their hands and arms so that they'll be ready to write!