Dear 3K/PreK Families,

 We are starting our new study on balls. The children are curious about various kinds of game balls, how people use balls, what they are made of what is inside them, and how high they can bounce. We think balls will make an interesting study.

If you can, we would like your help in gathering a collection of balls to investigate. We will need many diverse types of balls. Here is a list of suggestions, but you may also send in balls that are not on the list. We will take loving care of them so we can return them to you at the end of the study. Please let the teacher know what you can bring to the class.

baseball, basketball

football, golf ball

racquetball

beach ball, bowling ball

kick ball, Koosh ball

soccer ball, tennis ball

 cotton ball

marble, ping-pong ball

volleyball, Wiffle ball

crystal ball, doggie ball

pool (billiard) ball

 As we study balls, we will learn concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. We will also be using thinking skills to investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions, and assess our ideas.

 What You Can Do at Home

 Spend time with your child, playing with balls of all shapes, types, and sizes, such as playground balls, tennis balls, ping-pong balls, Koosh® balls, volleyballs, baseballs, footballs, and marbles. Talk about what the balls are made of, whether they are heavy or light, and whether they are big or little.

Wonder aloud with your child to encourage his or her thinking about balls. For example, you might ask, “I wonder what is inside a tennis ball. I wonder how far you can throw a foil ball, a beach ball, or a tennis ball. How can we find out?”

Help your child use all his or her senses when playing with balls. You might ask, “What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like? Smell like?”

See how many types of balls you can find around the house and in your neighborhood.

Halloween Notes:

Halloween Day the children are invited to wear a costume that does not have accessories, for example guns, wands, swords…. etc. Please try not to dress your child in a one-piece costume. It makes it difficult to use the bathroom. We will be making Halloween treats and enjoying having fun on this special day.

We invite you to our Halloween Parade on October 31st. From 2:00pm to 2:35pm, the 3K and PreK classes will be parading around the school yard. You may watch the parade from outside the school yard on 57th Street. When the children finish the parade, they will go back to their classroom to get their belongings and be dismissed at their regular dismissal door.