The cold weather has caused our internet service to come to almost a halt.  Yesterday, I could get just enough service to read the school's email, but not reply to anyone.  I couldn't get the blog page to come up at all.  Today, it was slower yet, which I did not think could be possible.  The good news is that we are in the process of getting a new service installed which is promised to be much faster and more reliable.  Hopefully, this will be ready for us when we return from our Christmas break.  So, today, I am blogging from home and hoping I can remember everything that we did today. 

Story:  Our story for today was Rabbit's Gift by George Shannon.  Snow is coming, coming soon, so Rabbit needs to find food fast. Just in time, a turnip turns up, and a second one, too. Who in the woods wouldn't want to tuck away an extra turnip for the long winter? Not Rabbit.  Rabbit decides to share the extra turnip with Donkey.  Donkey already has a potato, so he decides to share it with Goat.  This story continues as each animal chooses to share their "wealth" with their animal friends.  Who eats the turnip at the end?  Ask your child to tell you.

Small Groups:  The Green Group brought items to show for Show and Tell.

Large Group:  The children practiced the Christmas program on the risers in the Great Hall.  They are doing very well!

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins and juice brought by Isla.  The afternoon class had graham crackers, frosting, and juice provided by the preschool.  Lani was supposed to be the Queen today, but was ill.  We hope she gets well soon!

Group Meeting:  Some of the children are bringing home paintings that were created by dipping Christmas bows in paint and stamping them on paper.   This will be available at the art table all week if your child would like to try it.

Story:  Our story for today was There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Lucille Colandro.
If you are familiar with the old story of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,  this story is the Christmas version.  An old lady swallows a bell, bows, gifts, a sack, a sleigh, and reindeer.  Why does she swallow them?  Ask your child to tell you

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  A student in the afternoon class donated a "Stick the Red Nose on the Reindeer" game for us to play.  We took turns being blindfolded to see who could stick the nose on the correct spot.  The children really enjoyed this game!

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Gus.  The afternoon class had Wheat Thins and milk brought by Kennedy.  Thank you!  

The children are bringing home reminders of the Christmas program as well as information about a raffle for the tree that was decorated for the Festival of Trees.  If you have any questions about either of these items, please let me know!

Gingerbread

Group Meeting:  All of our activities for today revolved around gingerbread girls and boys.  We started our day by eating a small gingerbread cookie.  For some of the children, this was a new experience.  Some children told us that they had build a gingerbread house at home or had seen them at the Festival of Trees.

Story:  Our story for today was The Gingerbread Man retold by James Aleysworth.  In this classic story, an old woman and old man decide to make a gingerbread man.  After baking him in the oven, the gingerbread man jumps off of the table and out the door.  The couple chase him and are joined by a butcher, a cow, and a sow.  Will anyone be able to catch him and eat him?  Ask your child to tell you.

Small Groups:  The activities  for this week and schedule for today are listed below.
Activity #1  (red group)  Sorry, I can't share any information about this group today.  Christmas secrets.
Activity #2 (yellow group) The children decorated a paper gingerbread boy or girl that will be used in our Christmas program.
Activity #3  (green group)  The children were given 8 items from the classroom that were wrapped as gifts.  They had to guess what was inside using their fingers to feel.  They colored the corresponding gift on their paper.

Large Group:  The children practiced their Christmas program using some of the props that they have been making.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese sticks, pretzels, and juice brought by Colin.  The afternoon class had granola bars, carrots and juice brought by Journey.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  The children have been counting down the days until Christmas by gluing cotton balls onto Santa's beard.  We are counting backwards from 25 to 1.  Today was number 18.

Story:  Our story for today was Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner.  Have you ever wondered what snowmen do for Christmas?  This story tells us that while children are sleeping, snowmen, women and children gather at the park for a special celebration.  Ask you child to tell you what they eat and who comes to visit them?

Small Group: The children made a book about a chipmunk getting ready for winter using the Let's Find Out magazine.  Take a few minutes to read through this book with your child.

Large Group:  The children in the yellow group brought items for show and tell.

Snacks:  Today was Birthday Day.  The children made a snowman face using a bagel, cream cheese, raisins and a carrot.  We also had birthday brownies and juice.

Group Meeting:  The children are making decorations for our hallway.  They are putting paint on shiny paper, putting a piece of plastic wrap on top, and smearing the paint between the paper and wrap.  When they are finished mixing the colors, we remove the wrap to see the texture and colors.  When it is finished, we will cut it into an ornament shape and hang it on the bulletin board.

Story:  Our story for today was Santa's Secret Helper by Andrew Clements.  One year, Santa had a helper that dressed and acted just like him.  The secret helper delivered toys, found a puppy for a child, and gave the reindeer hay to eat. After being given many clues, we figured out who the helper was.   Ask your help to tell you.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children practiced the songs for the Christmas program.  We got out the parachute and shook it while we sang.  We also placed jingle bells in the parachute to accompany our songs.

Snacks:  The morning class had animal crackers and juice brought by Cael.  The afternoon class had cheese, crackers, apple slices, and juice brought by Holden.  Thank you!

I am attaching a few pictures from our road study which we completed this week.

AM class concrete with roads drawn

PM concrete with roads drawn

crayon rubbing of parking lot

crayon rubbing of block sidewalk

children making roads with paint

crayon rubbing of concrete sidewalk

Group Meeting:  We finished our Road Study today.  We took a look at a few of our projects.  I will take a few pictures tomorrow and will post them for you to see.

Story:  Our story today was The Elves and the Shoemaker retold by Freya Littledale.  A poor shoemaker has only one piece of leather left to make a pair of shoes.  He cuts the leather and leaves it on his bench to assemble in the morning.  The next day, he finds the leather made into a beautiful pair of shoes that sell for a gold coin.  This is enough money to buy more leather.  He cuts leather to make two pairs of shoes.  The next morning, there are two pairs of shoes ready to sell.  Who is helping the shoemaker? Ask your child to tell you.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today is:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  Following our story, the children played The Shoe Game.  The children took off their shoes, put one in the center of the rug, and hid the other in the classroom.  Then, they had to select a shoe that was not their own and try to find the match.  The children thought this was a very fun game to play. 

Snacks:  The morning class had bread, peanut butter, jelly, and milk brought by Brogan.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Ellie.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  We added materials to the writing and drawing for the children to make cards to take home or give to one another.   We looked at the materials and got some ideas of what we could use.

Story:  Our story for today was The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer.  Petey is a little puppy who would like a boy of his own for Christmas.  His mother promises to get him one if he is a good puppy.  However, when she goes to get a boy, she finds that all of the boys already have puppies.  So, Petey sets off to find his own boy.  He finds many other dogs that already have boys, but none are willing to give their boy away.  Will Petey ever get a boy?  Ask you child to tell you how the story ends.

Small Groups:  These are the activities for this week along with today's schedule.
Activity #1 (Red Group)  The children played a game called Roll and Write.  They were given a letter dice and a paper grid.  They had to roll the dice and copy the letter onto the grid.  When the grid was filled, they counted how many of each letter was in the grid.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group)  Sorry, I can't share the details of this group today.  It's a Christmas secret!
Activity #3  (Green Group)  The children are making a jingle bell shaker to use in the Christmas Program.  They put a jingle bell on a pipe cleaner and added beads to the pipe cleaner in a pattern.

Large Group:  The children learned and practiced a few of the songs that we will be singing in the Christmas Program.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese sticks, Chez its, and milk brought by Ben.  The afternoon class had granola bars and juice brought by Ella.  Thank you!

We're counting the days.

Group Meeting:  The children danced to the song "If You're A Kid: Christmas Remix"

Story:  Our story for today was Froggy's Best Christmas by Jonathan London.  Froggy has never celebrated Christmas before.  He is usually hibernating.  His friend Max wakes him up and along with his friends he finds a Christmas tree, decorates it, and makes presents for his parents.  Ask your child to tell you what happens when he tries to put he star on the top of the tree. 

Small Group:  We are counting down the days until Christmas.  The children have colored a Santa Claus face, and we will be adding cotton balls to his beard until Christmas.  We started with covering number 25 today.

Large Group:  The children completed the O page in our Handwriting Without Tears workbook.  The red group brought items for Show and Tell.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese sticks, bananas, and juice brought by Angel.  The afternoon class had  applesauce, graham crackers, and milk brought by Charlie.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  The Cookie Store held it's Grand Opening today.  After our discussion, the children were busy baking and selling cookies, hot chocolate and coffee.

Story:  Our story for today was If I Had a Snowplow by Jean L.S. Patrick.  "If I Had a Snowplow", is the story of a little boy who shows his love for his mother through imaginative play with his toys. If he had a snowplow he would crash through the deep snow to clear a road for her, if he had a cement mixer he would pour a sidewalk for her.  At the end of the story, the boy knows that his toys are pretend, so he tells his mother what he would like to do for her.  Ask your child to tell you what that was.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today is:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2  Red Group
Activity #3  Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children made the letter O on the wet, dry, try boards.   We checked out concrete to see if it had "cured".  We also started learning some new songs for the Christmas program. 

Snacks:  The morning class had peanut butter Ritz bits and milk brought by Andon.  The afternoon class had cheese sticks, oyster crackers, and juice brought by Beckett.  Thank you! 

Group Meeting:  Yesterday, we decided to change our Housekeeping Area into a cookie store.  Today, I brought a few of the items that I had gathered to show the children.  Tomorrow, we will make the change.

Story:  Our story for today was Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney.  In this book, a girl shows a map that she has drawn of her room.  Then, she shows a map of her house, street, state, country and world.   After the story,  we talked about addresses and where everyone lives.  Please take a few minutes to show your child the number on your house and your street sign if you have not already done so. 

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  Following our story, the children drew a map of their bedroom.  The children wrote the words "My Room" on their papers.  We also looked at the concrete that we had mixed yesterday.  The surface was still a little wet.  We will check it again tomorrow.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese sticks, graham crackers and juice brought by Adde.  The afternoon class had Scooby Snacks and milk brought by Ashlyn.  Thank you!

It's good to be back to school!

Group Meeting: We are going to change our Housekeeping Area into a Christmas Cookie Bakery.  The children helped me make a list of all of the things that we are going to need.  I will get those things together so that they can help me rearrange things on Wednesday.

Story:  Our story for today was David's Drawings by Cathryn Falwell.  One winter day David sees a beautiful bare tree. As soon as he gets to school, he begins to draw a beautiful picture of the tree he has seen. One by one his classmates come by with suggestions for the drawing, but the fun really starts when they all join David to add grass, stickers, clouds, a rainbow, and other imaginative details to the picture. And as the drawing develops, David finds a way to make new friends.  Ask you child to tell you what David does with the drawing.

Small Groups:  We are back to our regular small group schedule.  The activities and schedule for today were:
Activity #1 (red group)  The children played a game in which they had to count the number of syllables (claps) in a word and put that word in the correct box.
Activity #2  (yellow group)  The children made a group painting of roads.  They used brushes to guide paint around various obstacles that were placed on a large sheet of newsprint.  When the paint dries, the children will add houses and building to the empty spaces.
Activity #3 (green group)  The children colored a picture of Santa.  We will use these pictures to count down the days until Christmas, starting on Thursday. 

Large Group:  The children mixed concrete mix and water in individual cups.   When it was completely mixed, they dumped it into a square form.   When the square dries, we will take it out of the mold and add road lines, signs, etc.

Snacks:  The morning class had lemon poppy seed muffins and juice brought by Topher.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Addison.  Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Group Meeting:  The children shared their plans for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Then, we danced the Turkey Hokey Pokey.

Story:  Our story was Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving? by Jerry Pallotta.  It is Thanksgiving Day and the turkey needs to be carved. Who will do the job? A killer whale, or a saber-toothed tiger, or a Tyrannosaurus rex? None of those seem to be quite right. So who will carve the Turkey this Thanksgiving?  Ask your child to tell you.

Small Group:  The children had another "Let's Find Out" magazine to view and discuss.  This one was about the Wampanoag people and Pilgrim people.  The back page had words for us to complete by figuring out the beginning letter/sound.  The children did this page very well!

Large Group:  The children played a game called "The Turkeys and the Farmer".  The farmer is trying to catch a turkey for Thanksgiving (I played that part).  The turkeys (children) stand on one side of the room (field).  They ask if they can cross to the other side.  The farmer calls out a color.  If the turkeys are wearing that color, they may cross.  However, the rest of the turkeys get chased across the room trying to get to the other side without being tagged.  It was a fun way to end the day.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese sticks, granola bars, and juice brought by Taylor.  The afternoon class had bread, peanut butter, jelly and juice brought by Wesley.  Thank you!

We hope that everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving Holiday!

Turkeys

Group Meeting:  This week, we have two days of school.  So, we will not be doing individual small groups or a letter of the week.  Our normal school routine will return on the 28th.

Story:  Our story for today was Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey.  A group of  children are riding in a school bus when they happen upon a turkey farm.  They stop and meet the owner, Farmer Mack Nugget.  He introduces them to his turkeys.  The children have a wonderful time playing with the turkeys.  Then, one child notices an ax by the barn door.  What is it for?  What will happen to the turkeys?  Ask your child to tell you how the children save the turkeys from being eaten on Thanksgiving.

Small Group:  The children looked at and listened to the magazine "Let's Find Out", about turkeys.  They completed the coloring page on the back. 

Large Group:  The children played the game Marching Around the Alphabet.  This is musical game in which the children march in a circle around letters of the alphabet.  When the whistle blows, they stop by a letter, pick it up and identify it.  Help was given to those who were unsure.

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers and juice brought by Scarlett.  The afternoon class had Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and juice brought by Vivian.  Thank you!

Preparing for the Field Trip

Group Meeting:  We discussed our plans for tomorrows field trip.  We will have a little class time before having snacks and preparing to go.  We will have a list of questions prepared for Mrs. Emerson.

Story:  Our story for today was Ten Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessey.   This book uses the rhythm of the song "Ten Little Indians" to tell the story of the Pilgrims coming to America and meeting the Wampanoag people.  The Pilgrim and Wampanoag children help with growing food and hunting animals to prepare for the first Thanksgiving feast.  Ask your child to tell you what the turkeys were doing.

Small Groups:  I read the story Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland.  The children in this story tell about the things for which they are thankful.  After the story, I gave the children a paper feather from our turkey bulletin board display.  On the feathers, they drew pictures of things that make them thankful. 

Large Group:  The children used the wet, dry, try boards to make the letter C.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins, bananas, and juice brought by Mason.  The afternoon class had diced peaches and milk brought by Elliott.  Yesterday, the afternoon class had yogurt and raspberries brought by Paxton.  Thank you, everyone!

Group Meeting:  We discussed the upcoming field trip to the Bettendorf Food Pantry.  I told them that the food pantry was a place for people to go to get food if they didn't have any at home or if they didn't have money to buy food.  On Thursday, the children will be taking food to the pantry and put it on the shelves. 

Story:  Our story was Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena.  Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.

Small Group:  Because of our schedule this week with Parent/Teacher conferences and the field trip, we will be doing more large group activities.  Today, the children were given a picture of a plate.  They were asked to draw their favorite meal.  I tied this in to our Group Meeting discussion of helping those who don't have enough food or don't always get to eat their favorite food.  We held a discussion on the kinds of food that they could bring with them to the food pantry.

Large Group:  In our road study, we are learning the purpose of roads.  We talked about vehicles using roads to transport people and using roads to transport things.  We took paper and pencils outside to tally how many vehicles go by the preschool that are transporting people and how many are moving things from one place to another.  You will find that we had many more vehicles transporting people due to the preschool being in a mostly residential area.

Snacks:  The morning class had beef sticks, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Kolsyn.

A busy, but fun day!

Group Meeting:   We made some changes in our schedule so that we would have plenty of time to go outside during play time and spend most of our day outdoors.  It was very nice.

Story:  The story that I read was The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins.  In this story, Ma has made a batch of cookies.  She puts them on the table for the two children to share, and then the doorbell rang.  Two neighbor children were at the door. There are enough cookies to share, and then the doorbell rang.  More children were at the door.  There are enough cookies to share, and then the doorbell rang.  As more and more children come to the door, there are only enough cookies for everyone to have one, and then the doorbell rang.  What happens next?  Ask your child to tell you.

Small Groups:  The children made Pumpkin Muffins to eat at snack time.  The recipe was very simple;  one yellow cake mix, one can of pumpkin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of nutmeg, and a quarter teaspoon of cloves.  The children mixed the ingredients and put the batter into muffin cups.  We baked them for 25 minutes in a 350 oven. 

Large Group:  The children completed the U page in their workbooks.  The green group brought show and tell items to tell us about. 

Snacks:  The children ate the pumpkin muffins and had juice to drink.  We also had birthday brownies.

The afternoon class will not meet on Monday due to Parent/Teacher Conferences.  The morning class will do the same on Tuesday. 

Group Meeting:  We have a lot of leaves in our Outdoor Classroom.  Today, we brought a few in and invited the children to use them at the art table to make leaf rubbings or anything else that they would like to do with them.

Story:  Our story was And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street by Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.  This is Dr. Seuss' first published story (1937).  In this story, Marco's father tells him to keep his eyes open as he walks to school.  He wants to know what exciting things Marco will see on the way.  Marco sees a horse pulling a wagon.  Marco does not think that that makes a very exciting story.  So, he starts to change bits and pieces.  Instead of a horse, it was a zebra pulling the wagon.  Instead of a wagon, it was a chariot.  Marco keeps changing the story in his mind to include some elaborate details.  When he gets home, what does he tell his father?  Ask you child to tell you.  After we read the story, we talked about making up a funny story.  Your child may try to tell you something very interesting as we made up a story of what happened at school today.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children made the letter U on the wet, dry, try boards.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese, crackers, and juice brought by Kai.  The afternoon class had soft pretzels and juice brought by Nora.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  Yesterday, we explained to the children that the preschool is going to be decorating a Christmas tree for the Festival of Trees in Davenport.  The children will be doing this during small groups throughout the week.  More information about this will be sent home in a letter.

Story:  Our story was A Hole in the Road by Philip Ardagh.  In this story, a water pipe has broken under the street.  The repair crew comes with all of their big machinery to fix the water pipe and repair the hole that was made in the road.  Throughout this story, two animals are playing around the workers.  Ask your child to tell you which animals and what they were doing.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today:
Activity #1 (yellow group) The children are taking turns pretending to read story books to their classmates.  These are books that we have read before during story time.
Activity #2  (green group) The children are painting letters of the alphabet to put on a Christmas tree for the Festival of Trees.
Activity #3 (red group) The children are using blocks in the block area to build a bridge for the Three Billy Goats Gruff.  They used goat and troll figures to test the bridge to see if it is strong enough to hold them.

Large Group:  The children used paper and crayons to do rubbings of the sidewalk, the parking lot, and the stone block steps at the entrance of the church.  We looked at the rubbings to compare the textures.  These will hang in our hallway.

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins and juice provided by Jackson.  Jackson was absent today.  We hope he feels better soon.  The afternoon class had apples and milk brought by Mia.  Thank you!

Story:  Our story for today was The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Bonnie Dobkin.  In this classic tale, three billy goat brothers are trying to get across the bridge to get to green grass on the other side of the meadow.  However, under the bridge lives a scary, stinky old troll that likes to eat anyone who crosses.  The billy goats need a plan.  Ask your child to tell you how they got across.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Tuesday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children completed the I page in their workbooks.  Then, we went to the Outdoor Classroom. 

Snacks:  The morning class had Goldfish and juice brought by Jocelyn.  The afternoon class had frozen blueberries and raspberries and milk brought by Leslie.  Thank you!

I will be absent on Monday so there will not be a post for Monday's activities.  I'll try to catch up on Tuesday.  Mrs. Hoogheem will be leading the class in my absence. 

 Group Meeting: The movement video that we watched today was Simon Says by the Kiboomers.  Some children were familiar with this game, but for some, it was new.  It is a very good game for practicing listening skills.  Play it at home to help your child learn to listen for details.

Story:  Our book for today was Backseat A-B-See by Maria van Lieshout.  This is a book of street signs that you might see as you are riding in the car.  They are arranged alphabetically.  For example, A is for Airport, B is for Bike Route, C is for Children at Play, etc.  As you are riding in the car with your child, take a few moments to point out the street signs that you are passing.  They know that signs that are yellow mean slow down, signs that are red mean stop, and signs that are green mean go.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  The children looked at pictures of parts of roads.  They included curbs, rumble strips, traffic lights, man hole covers, and reflectors.  The morning class had a little extra time to make their own street sign.

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins and juice brought by Isla.  The afternoon class had granola bars and juice brought by Lani.  Thank you!

Continuing our Road Study

Group Meeting:  We took a break from our road study last week to do some Halloween activities.  Today, we started back into our study.

Story:  The story for today was Along A Long Road by Frank Viva.  This was a picture book with a few words describing the road that a man was driving on with his scooter.  It had a lot of words that we use when describing roads; up, down, around, bump, bend, etc.  

Small Group:  The activities for this week and schedule for today are:

Activity #1 (red group)  The children selected road puzzle pieces that had pictures of words that begin with an f, b, or t sound.  They had to identify the beginning sound and attach the matching sounds together to make a road.
Activity #2  (yellow group)  The children sorted small cars by color and identified which group had the most and least.
Activity #3 (green group)  The children used a tape measure to measure how far a car traveled down a ramp.  They thought of other things that they could use to measure distance.

Large Group:  The children looked at pictures of different types of roads and documented what they saw in their journals.  Ask your child to tell you about some of the pictures.

Snacks:  The morning class had animal crackers and juice brought by Hollie.  The afternoon class had cheese sticks, pumpkin muffins, and milk brought by Kullen.  Thank you!

I want to thank all of the adults that provided transportation to Senior Star for the children yesterday.  I am so glad that we can visit the residents and share some of the joy that we get from the children at school.

Group Meeting:  The children finished their October Math Journals today and are bringing them home.  Please take a few minutes to look through them.

Story: The morning class had the story Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi.  Little Mummy is playing hide and seek with Big Mummy when he gets lost.  As he looks for her he sees a skeleton, a glob, and a vampire, but he is not afraid of them.  Then he sees a little mouse.  He is very afraid of it.  Big Mummy comes to the rescue.

The afternoon class story was A Very Scary Jack-o-Lantern by Joanne Barkan.  Elliott wants to carve a very scary jack-o-lantern.  He asks his grandfather for help.  Grandfather tells him that he must follow a black cat, a ghost, and a skeleton to find the witches house.  She will have a pumpkin for him.  This is a glow in the dark book.  To see the pictures glow, we needed a dark room with no windows.  We used the girls restroom.  The children thought that it was very silly to stand in the girls restroom for story time, but the pictures were worth it!

Small Groups:  The children learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin in the Let's Find Out Magazine.  They completed the words on the back page and matched the colors.  I thought that this activity would be hard for them, but they did it very well.

Large Group:  The yellow group brought items for show and tell today.

Snacks:  The morning class had Scooby snacks, grapes, and milk brought by Gus.  The afternoon class had cheese sticks, pretzels, and juice brought by Kennedy.  Thank you!

Monday will be our Halloween party.  The children may wear their costumes to school.

Group Meeting:  We are learning a few songs to sing at Senior Star on Halloween.  We worked on these a little bit today.

Story:  Our story for today was Ten Orange Pumpkins, A Counting Book by Stephen Savage.  This book started with a 10 pumpkins.  A Halloween character on each page took one pumpkin away as we counted down to 1.  The children enjoyed seeing the pumpkins disappear.  Ask your child to tell you what animal appeared on every page.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #1 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children participated in an obstacle course.  They had to run around cones, walk across a balance beam and throw a bean bag at a ghost.  It was a good gross motor game for a cold rainy day.

Snacks:  The morning class had applesauce, granola bars, and milk brought by Colin.  The afternoon class had peanut butter, jelly, bread, and juice brought by Journey.  Thank you!

Halloween planning

Story:  Our story for today was The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.  A little old lady takes a walk in the forest to collect spices and herbs.  When it starts to get dark, she turns around to go home.   On her way home, she sees two shoes, a pair of pants, a shirt, a hat, a pair of gloves, and a jack-o-lantern that are making scary noises (ask your child to make the noises), but she is not afraid.  When she gets back to her house, the things have followed her.  What will she do with them?

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  Yesterday, the children made a list of games to play and snacks to eat at our Halloween party.  However, the list was too long.  Today, we voted on which games we would play and which snack we would eat.  To vote, each child was given a plastic chip to put in the container next to the picture of the game that they wanted to play.  The games with the most votes were; Flip Boards with Pumpkins, Ghost Bowling, and Spider Web Walking.  They also voted for a snack.  The winner was pumpkin cut out cookies to decorate with frosting and sprinkles.  Now, we have to get to work getting things ready.

Snacks:  The morning class had grapes, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Cael.  The afternoon class had bread, peanut butter, jelly, and juice brought by Holden.  Thank you!

It's time to get ready for Halloween

Group Meeting:  The children have been telling me for two weeks that Halloween is coming, and that we need to get ready.  So for the next three days, we will be participating in Halloween activities and making Halloween decorations.  Our party will be on Monday.  For our opening song today, we did "If You're a Kid: Halloween re-mix" by Harry Kindergarten Music.

Story:  The story for today was Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.  In this story, a witch has planted a pumpkin seed.  It grows and grows into a big pumpkin.  She would like to make pumpkin pie on Halloween, but the pumpkin is too heavy for her to move.   A ghost, a vampire, and a mummy, come to help her, but it is to heavy for them as well.  Finally, someone comes along with an idea.  Ask your child to tell you who the hero of the story is and why.

Small Groups:  The activities and schedule for today is as follows:
 Activity #1 (red group) The children played a board game in which the pieces were added according to how many syllables were in a selected Halloween word.  If the word had one syllable, it was added to the ghost line which also has one syllable.  If it had two syllables, it was added to the monster line. To help the children understand syllables, I use clapping.  A clap represents a syllable.
 Activity #2 (yellow group) The children sorted pictures of monsters.  They selected the categories such as color, eyes, spots, etc.  
Activity #3 (green group)The children counted pumpkins, added the correct amount of chips onto a 10 frame and added the correct numeral. 

Large Group:  The children helped me brainstorm some ideas for our Halloween party.  We thought of several game and snack ideas.  Tomorrow, we will vote for our favorites.  We are also learning a few Halloween songs to sing at Senior Star.

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers and milk by Brogan.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Ellie.  Thank you!

Fire Prevention Day

Group Meeting: We discussed fire prevention today.  Our opening song was "Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Firetruck".  We conducted a fire drill following our story.
The afternoon welcomed a new student to our class.  Her name is Elliott.

Story:  The story for today was It's Time for a Fire Drill by Steve Metzger.  In this story, Albert's preschool class is going to have a fire drill.  Mrs. Dee tells them that when the alarm sounds, they should all line up to go outside.  Albert is afraid of the loud alarm.  Mrs. Dee tells him that although the alarm is loud, it is a good sound.  It is the sound of children being safe from fire.  When the alarm goes off, Albert realizes that it is not as loud as he thought it would be. 
Our preschool cannot set off the alarms without the fire department being notified first.  For now, we will pretend, but someday we will sound the alarm to let the children know what it sounds like.

Small Groups:  The children completed the "Let's Find Out" leaflet about fire safety.  Take a few minutes to review this at home.

Large Group:  The red group brought items for show and tell.  We also completed the letter H page in our workbooks.

Snacks:  The morning class had cinnamon graham crackers and milk brought by Ben.  The afternoon class had oranges and milk brought by Ella.  Thank you!

 Group Meeting:  As the children arrive at school, one of their tasks before Group Meeting is to sign in.  I've noticed that the children have improved greatly in printing their names.   Please encourage your child to practice at home, remembering to start all letters at the top.  They have learned a song to help them remember this.

Story:  Our story for today was Tomas' and the Library Lady by Pat Mora.  Tomas' family are migrant workers.  In the winter, they pick fruit in Texas.  In the summer, they help the harvest in Iowa.  As Tomas' travels back and forth, his grandfather shares stories with him.  However, Tomas' has heard all of grandfather's stories.  Grandfather encourages him to visit the library.  Tomas' has never been to the library before.  He is amazed at the size of the building and amount of books in the library.  A very nice library lady helps him find books that he enjoys.  Now as he is riding back and forth in the car, he has books to help him enjoy the ride.  Ask your child to tell you what Tomas' favorite book topics are.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  Yesterday, we made a list of things that we know about roads.  Today, we came up with a few things that we would like to learn about roads.  I'll be sharing that soon.
We also did Wet, Dry, Try for the letter H.

Snacks:  The morning class had oranges, animal crackers, and juice brought by Angel.  The afternoon class had pretzels and juice provided by the preschool.  Charlie was supposed to be the snack helper today, but was ill.  We hope he is better soon.

Group Meeting:  Mrs. Hoogheem was absent again today.  She has grandchildren from Michigan visiting her.  She will be back tomorrow.  It is also her birthday tomorrow, but don't tell her that I told you:)  Our sub for today was Mrs. Smith.  Some of the children were familiar with Mrs. Smith from last year, but for some, she was a new teacher.

Story:  The story that I read today was Hooray, A Pinata by Elisa Kleven.   Clara is planning her birthday party.  She will have cake, balloons and a pinata.  Her friend, Samson goes with her to the pinata store to pick one out.  She selects a puppy pinata.  Clara becomes very fond of her pinata, treating it like a real dog.  When it's time to get ready for the party, she doesn't want to break it.  Samson has a solution.  Ask your child to tell you what he does to make Clara feel better.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in yesterdays post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  Now that we have talked about roads for a few days, we made a list of everything that we know about roads.  Tomorrow, we will think of things that we want to learn about roads.  I will share the lists when we are finished.  We also went to the Outdoor Classroom.  We never know how many more nice days were are going to get.

Snacks:  The morning class had peanut butter crackers and milk brought by Andon.  The afternoon class had oyster crackers, apple slices, and milk brought by Beckett.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  We received new paint sticks for the art table.  I showed the children how to use them if they should want to go to the art table during play time. 

Story:  I read the book Machines on the Road by Sian Smith. This is a non-fiction book with lots of pictures of cars, trucks, buses, etc. that travel on the road.  The book described the function of each machine.  The last picture in the book was a steam roller.  The text asked if we could identify the function of this machine.  Ask you child to see if he/she remembers.

Small Groups:  The activities and schedule for small groups this week are:

Activity #1 The children played a game in which they had to match rhyming picture words such as king/ring, boat/goat, etc.  (red group)
Activity #2 The children made small towers using the Unifix cubes.  Then they had to make towers that had more or fewer depending which the spinner indicated.  We are working on using the words more or fewer/less.  (yellow group)
Activity #3 The children took turns throwing a bean bag into a Halloween pail.  After it landed, they had to describe where it landed such as in, next to, beside, in front of, or behind. (green group)

Large Group:  We went outside to look at the parking lot.  We noticed that the hard surface was made up of a lot of rocks held together by black stuff.  We will be learning about how roads are made later in our study.  A note concerning our new study was sent home today.

Snacks: The morning class had crackers, cheese, salami, and juice brought by Addelyn.  The afternoon class had Cinnamon Toast Crunch and milk brought by Ashlyn.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  Today was Birthday Day.   We had one birthday in the morning, but none in the afternoon. 

Story:  The story for today was 20 Big Trucks In the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee.  An ice cream truck breaks down in the middle of the street.  Other trucks come upon it, but cannot move around it.  In all, 20 trucks are stuck in the middle of the street.  A young boy has an idea of how to get traffic moving.  Ask your child to tell you the solution.

Small Groups:  The children made Apple Crescents for snack.  Each child was given a Pillsbury crescent dough triangle and an apple.  The apple was placed on the wide end of the triangle and was then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  The children rolled up the apple in the crescent and put it on the cookie sheet to bake.  It tasted just like apple pie.

Large Group:  Six children brought items for Show and Tell.  Everyone has now had one turn.  We will start over again next week.

Snacks:  The children enjoyed the Apple Crescents and Birthday Brownies with juice.

Maps

Group Meeting:  We have three new floor puzzles.  I introduced them to the children as they will be available during play time.

Story:  Our story for today was Walk on Maps by Mel Campbell.  This is the story of Anthony who will be attending a new school.  He lives close enough to the school to walk.  His father has drawn a map of the streets in his neighborhood.  Together they select the best route to get to school.   The book had pictures of street signs and school crossing signs.  As you are traveling in your vehicle, point out signs to your child along the way.

Small Groups:  The activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  Following our story, I displayed a road map of Iowa.  I pointed out Bettendorf, Davenport, and DeWitt (my home).  I also pointed out Des Moines which is where the teachers went to the inservice training two weeks ago.  Some children were familiar with Ames, Iowa City, and the Mississippi River. 
We also learned two new songs today; "Where Do You Start Your Letters?" and "Boom a Chicka Boom".

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers and juice provided by Topher.  Topher was absent today due to illness.  We hope he is back tomorrow.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Addison.  Thank you!

Let's Take a Look at Roads

Group Meeting:  We have been observing our cut apples for about three weeks now.  They are shriveled up, brown, and are starting to mold.  Curiously however, they smell good, kind of like apple cider.  We will place them outside now in the dirt along side of the north door.  We can still keep an eye on them as they break down into the soil.

Story:  I read The Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race by Stan Berenstain.   Brother Bear is entering a road race.  His car is small and slower than the other four cars.   Will he be able to win the race?  Ask your child to tell you how Brother Bear won.

Small Groups:  The activities for this weeks small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  Today's schedule was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:   I showed the children two pictures of roads; a paved and a gravel.  I asked them where they would see these types of roads.  I asked them if they had used paved roads or gravel roads to get to school.  Then we took our journals outside and sat on the sidewalk next to Utica Ridge Road.  The children drew pictures of what they saw.  We have some great documentation of roads!

Snack:   The morning class had animal crackers, grapes, and juice brought by Taylor.  The afternoon class had bread, peanut butter and juice brought by Wesley.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  During group meeting, we reviewed our trip to Cinnamon Ridge Farm.  The children shared their favorite parts of the trip.  They remembered a lot!

Story:  I am considering starting a study on roads which would include road construction, maps, how people use roads, and bridges.  To help gather some information on what the children might be interested in, I read the story Miles To Go by Jamie Harper.   Miles is the name of a preschooler who takes his petal car to school.  His mom follows him as he drives down the sidewalk avoiding obstacles and seeing friends a long the way.  Following the story, we talked about how we get to school everyday.  We will continue our discussion tomorrow. 

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups this week and the schedule for today are:

Activity #1 (red group) The children will roll a letter dice, find the matching letter on their Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree and stamp the letter with a dauber.  When your child brings his or hers home, ask them to identify the letters that they stamped. 
Activity #2 (yellow group)  The children played number bingo with the numerals 1-20.
Activity #3  (green group)  The children read through the "Let's Find Out" magazine about Autumn with the teacher and completed the activities on the page.

Large Group:  We are learning about the letter E this week.  We learned the words to the letter E song.  We went to the Outdoor Classroom.  We took out bubbles and large bubble wands.  I've attached a few pictures.

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers and juice brought by Scarlett.  The afternoon class had carrots, ranch dip, oyster crackers and juice brought by Vivian.  Thank you!

Preparing for our field trip

Group Meeting:  We are prepared for our field trip tomorrow.  I informed the children of what we can expect when we get the farm.  I'm sure everyone is going to be a good listener.  We will go rain or shine, so dress accordingly.  A jacket and/or boots might be a good idea if it is raining.  I sent a map home with everyone today so that you can make driving plans.  We will meet at the preschool at arrival time.

Story:  Our story today was Growing Pumpkins by Melvin Berger.  This non-fiction book has wonderful pictures of the pumpkin seeds, vines, leaves, blossoms, and pumpkins.  The only thing that the book left out was how the flowers are pollinated.  Ask your child to tell you what needs to "dance" on the flower before a pumpkin will grow.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children completed the L page in the HWTears  workbooks.  We opened a tub that contains 6 toys that start with the F sound. 

Snacks:  The morning class had cheese crackers and juice brought by Owen.  The afternoon class had graham crackers, peanut butter, and juice brought by Simon.  Thank you!

Story:  Today I read The Leaves on the Trees by Thom Wiley.   This book uses the words of a song to describe the different kinds of leaves on a tree.  The melody was from "The Wheels on the Bus".  After the story, we talked about the different shapes of leaves on trees.  Have your child look at the leaves on the trees in your yard.  What shapes do they make?  Do you know what kind of tree it is?

Small Group:  The activities for small group are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  The children sang the song "The Ant, the Bug, and the Bee" that we learned yesterday.  Their workbooks have a coloring page with the directions to color the ants black, the lady bugs red, and the bees yellow.  This is a good page for following directions and it gives us practice in holding the crayon the correct way.

Snacks:  The morning class had granola bars, grapes, and milk brought by Mason.  The afternoon class had carrots, ranch and juice brought by Paxton.  Thank you!

We went outside for a few minutes to enjoy this beautiful day.  Mrs. Hoogheem took a parachute out for the children to enjoy.  I tried to snap a few pictures.

The Ant, the Bug and the Bee

Group Meeting:  The children have new Math Journals for October.  We took a look at them and colored the pumpkin on the front.

Story:  Today's story was The Fox and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson.  Fletcher, a fox, notices that his favorite tree is turning brown.  He thinks that it is sick.  One day, a leaf falls off of the tree.  He chases after it and sticks it back on.  However, more leaves begin to fall.  He is worried that the tree will soon have no leaves.  A squirrel takes a few leaves for his nest.  A porcupine takes a few to use as a blanket.  Ask your child tell you what happens to the tree at the end of the story.  What will happen to the tree in the spring?

Small Groups:  These are the small group activities for this week along with the schedule for today.

Activity #1  The children will be introduced to a new alphabet game.  The game pieces are Popsicles with upper and lower case letters printed on them that fit together to make a large Popsicle.
Activity #2  The children are introduced to Unifix cubes that we use for counting and measuring.
Activity #3  The children listen to the story Picking Apples and Pumpkins.  This book will help us prepare for our field trip to the farm on Thursday.

Large Group:  The letter for this week is F.  We learned the F song.  We also learned a new song that will help us learn to make lines that go up, down, and around.  It is called "The Ant, the Bug and the Bee".  Hopefully, by the end of the week, your child will be singing a few lines from this song for you.

Picture Day

Group Meeting:  Today was picture day.  I explained to the children how the routine would work for the day.

Story:  I read the story I Am A Leaf by Jean Marzollo.   In this story, a leaf explains how a tree changes with the seasons.  It starts with summer and ends with spring.  Ask your child to tell you what makes the leaves on the tree green.  It's a big word, but we practiced saying it.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Mondays post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity # 2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children completed the L page in their Handwriting Without Tears workbooks.    Today was also show and tell day for 7 more children. 

Snacks:  The morning class had English muffins, peanut butter, jelly, cheese cubes, and juice brought by Kai.  The afternoon class had granola bars and milk brought by Mia.  Thank you!

We will not be holding preschool classes tomorrow.  We will be at a professional development conference. 

Group Meeting:  We discussed Family Night Open House.  We have a game for your family to play tonight along with refreshments.  The children were reminded that tomorrow is picture day.

Story:  I re-read the story Peeny Butter Fudge.    I read this story almost two weeks ago, but the children still remembered the main points of the story.  I had made some Peanut Butter Fudge at home and brought it for the children to try.  

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  The children printed the letter L on our Wet, Dry, Try chalkboards which are part of the Handwriting Without Tears program.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning class had Goldfish and juice brought by Jocelyn.   The afternoon class had bagels, cream cheese, and juice brought by Libby.  Thank you!

Starting with letter L

Group Meeting:  I explained to the children that starting tomorrow, they would need to "sign in" when they arrived at school.  After washing hands, the children will go to the semi-circle table to find a paper with their name on it.  They will print their name.  Help will be provided if needed.

Story:  This week, we are starting to learn about the letters of the alphabet.  I chose to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault to get us started.  The letters of the alphabet are climbing up the coconut tree.  Will there be enough room at the top for 26 letters?  Ask your child to tell you what happens when all of the letters get to the top.  We have a coconut tree in our classroom.  Today, there was a letter L at the bottom.  Will it try to climb the coconut tree?

Small Groups:  I am listing the small group activities for this week.
Activity #1 The children will play alphabet soup.  They will take turns selecting a letter out of the soup bowl.  They will identify the letters that they know.  Red Group
Activity #2  The children will copy patterns made by the teacher.  They will do AB, ABBA, and AABB patterns.  Yellow Group
Activity #3 The children will complete board puzzles.  Green Group

Large Group:  The children learned about the letter L.  They echoed the letter L song and are bringing a copy home today. 
The children drew pictures of Mat Man to put on the bulletin board for tomorrow night's open house.

Snacks:  The morning class had Froot Loops and juice brought by Jaxson.  The afternoon class had watermelon and milk brought by Leslie.  Thank you!

Apples!

Story:  The story that I chose for today was Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss).  This book is full of counting and rhyming as three animals try to balance apples on top of their heads.  After reading the story, we looked for the rhyming words.  Ask your child if they remember what rhymed with three and eight. 

Small Groups:  Today, we used small group time to look at a Let's Find Out magazine.  First, we watched a video about apples.  Then, we used real apples to answer the questions on the inside.  If your child wants you to cut an apple in half to find the star on the inside, remember to cut through the width of the apple.  I told them that you have to "lay the apple down". 

Large Group:  Throughout the year, we will do show and share on Thursdays.  Instead of having all of the children bring it on one day, we take turns.  Seven children were given show and tell bags yesterday and had their turn today.  I do this because the children have a hard time sitting through 20 turns of show and tell on one day.  I do, too!

Snacks:  The morning class had yogurt, granola, and milk brought by Jackson.  The afternoon class had watermelon, carrots, and juice brought by Lani.

We have a lot of things going on next week.  Your child should have reminder notes in their backpacks today.

The last day of summer!

Group Meeting:  We did the Freeze Dance before group meeting started today to help us get the wiggles out.  This is a Kiboomers video on youtube.  The children really liked it.

Story:  Tomorrow is the first day of autumn.  To help us understand what will be happening, I read Cliffords First Autumn by Norman Bridwell.  When Clifford was a puppy, he loved the summer, but one morning when he woke up, the heater was running and he could see his breath.  He and Emily Elizabeth went for a walk.  Ask your child to tell you what he saw that was a sign of fall. 

Small Groups:  Our activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children colored fireworks in their Handwriting Without Tears books.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.  We are seeing a lot of improvement in handwriting grips this week!

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins and milk brought by Isla.  The afternoon class had crackers, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Kullen.  Thank you!

Corduroy

Group Meeting:  We had a bathroom talk today.  We are trying to get the children into the habit of using the bathroom when they first get to school, or wait until snack time.  We will always let them use the bathroom whenever they want to, but we are trying to explain to them that we don't want them to miss any important school time. 

Story:  Yesterday, we read Corduroy.  Today, we read A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman.  In this story, Lisa and her mother are going to the laundromat to do their laundry.  Lisa takes Corduroy along.  Corduroy hears Lisa's mother tell her to empty her pockets so that her things do not get wet in the washing machine.  Corduroy notices that he does not have a pocket.  He slides off of this chair to go look for one.  Ask your child to tell you what Corduroy sees in the laundromat.  Does Corduroy get a pocket?  What gets placed inside of the pocket?

Small Groups:  The activities for our small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3  Red Group
The children are starting to remember which group they are in every day.

Large Group:  The children sang the song that we learned yesterday, "Pick up a Crayon".  They practiced making small crayon marks in their workbooks by coloring small stars. 

Snacks:  The morning class had Reese' cereal and milk brought by Hollie.  The afternoon class had oranges and milk brought by Kennedy.  Thank you!

Pick up a crayon!

Group Meeting:  At our meeting today, we learned how to handle "drippy" glue.  This is white glue in a pot with a brush.  Some of the projects that the children want to do require something more than a glue stick.  The children learned to wipe the brush on the side of the pot before using it.

Story:  The story for today was Corduroy by Don Freeman.  A lot of the children had heard this story before.  Corduroy is a bear who lives in the toy department of a big store.  One day, Lisa, who is shopping with her mother, sees Corduroy and wants to buy him.  However, he is missing a button on his overalls.  Where is the button?  Will Lisa still want to buy Corduroy if he is missing a button?  Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.

Small Group:  Today, the children were assigned a color group.  They may or may not be able to tell you which group they are in, but soon it will be something that they can remember.  There is a red, yellow, and green group.  The activities for this week are:
Activity #1  The children completed a drawing of Mat Man that was missing some body parts.  Red Group
Activity #2  The children put apples (red puff balls) into a 10 frame according the numeral on the pictured apple tree.   Yellow Group
Activity #3 The children listened to the story Man Man Shapes and used different shapes to make Mat Man's body.  Green Group
Tomorrow, the groups will rotate to the next activity.

Large Group:  The children learned the song, "Pick Up a Crayon".  This song teaches them the proper way to hold a crayon for writing and coloring.  If you want to know how your child should be holding the crayon, refer to the handout in the packet that you received at Parent Orientation.  The children used this grip to color stars and fireflies in their workbooks.

Snacks:  The morning class had bananas, graham crackers, and milk brought by Gus.  The afternoon class had carrots and juice brought by Journey.  Thank you!

Birthday Day

Group Meeting:  Today was our first Birthday Day of the school year.  We recognized all of the children that have a September birthday.  On Birthday Day, the children make their own snack.  We did that at Small Group Time. 

Story:   The story that I read today was a repeat from Monday.  It was Charlie Anderson.  This is the story of the cat that had two homes.  You will find that I occasionally re-read a book, especially if it has a concept that might be a little more challenging.  It also gives us the chance to discuss a few more parts of the story line.  The children usually enjoy hearing the same stories over and over again.  Perhaps you've experienced that at home. 

Small Group:  The children made cinnamon rolls for snack time.  They took refrigerator biscuits, dipped them in butter, dipped them in cinnamon sugar and put them on a foil square to bake.  I put them in the oven and took them out just in time to cool.  They were delicious!

Large Group:  The children drew pictures of themselves using Mat Man as a starting point.  They listened to the Mat Man song, drew along with it, and then added the pieces that make them different from everyone else such as hair, clothes, shoes, etc.

Snacks:  The children had cinnamon rolls and juice.  We celebrated the birthdays with Birthday Brownies!

We have everyone's family picture on our Family Tree display.  You will have a chance to see it during our Family Night Open House on September 27th.  Thank you for sending in the pictures!

Drawing Mat Man

Story:  The story for today was Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison.  In this story, Mom has to go to work, so she takes her three children to Nana's house.   Mom leaves a list of things that they are supposed to do before she returns to pick them up including getting ready for bed.  The children have a great time playing and pretending with Nana.  Nana asks them if they would like to make Peeny Butter Fudge.  It is an old family recipe.  The children are in the middle of making the fudge when Mom returns.  She sees that the children are not in bed and that the kitchen is a mess.  Will she get angry?  Ask your child to tell you what happens next.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Monday's post.

Large Group:  The children watched me draw Mat Man on the chalk board while listening to the Mat Man song.  Then, the children drew a Mat Man on the chalk board, each child taking a turn to draw one part.  If you would like to learn more about Mat Man, please go to the Handwriting Without Tears website which is www.hwtears.com.  Click on The Learning Lounge.  When you scroll down, you will find the song and some activities to do with Mat Man. 

Afternoon class Mat Men

Morning Class Mat Men

Snacks:  The morning class had animal crackers and milk brought by Colin.  The afternoon class had peanut butter and/or jelly sandwiches with milk brought by Holden.  Thank you!