Preschool News Posted 02/05/12
This week in preschool we celebrated Groundhog’s Day! At the art center we made pop up groundhog puppets on a Popsicle sticks. We also sang “I’m a Little Groundhog.” The students loved singing it and kept asking to sing it again.
“I’m a Little Groundhog, furry and brown
See me pop up while I look around
If I see my shadow, down I’ll go
Six more weeks of winter, OH NO!!”
In Miss Randell’s class we had a special visitor on Wednesday- Miss Lauren from Westfield State University came to play in our classroom. The students welcomed her with her open arms and were very good hosts by showing her around our classroom, doing puzzles, and reading books with her. She will hopefully be back again! Also, this week we finished making snowmen out of paper, glue, and markers. They have become beautiful decorations for our classroom! We also colored and cut shapes. For science we began to observe growing bulbs! The students drew a picture of what they saw, and what they think it will look like when it’s done growing. The bulbs have sprouted and changed rather quickly, which is exciting for the students to see. We have discussed that living things need water, sun, and air to grow. As before, we had a great time writing our names in shaving cream!
In Miss Patti’s class we’ve been looking at different types of evergreen branches on the science table, and have been singing "Oh Evergreen."
Oh evergreen, oh evergreen, how lovely are your branches
Oh evergreen, oh evergreen, how lovely are your branches
Not only green in summertime, but also green in wintertime
Oh evergreen, oh evergreen, how lovely are your branches
We have been learning different ways to sort things: we have sorted by color and by size, and we also sorted cooking tools & building tools; thick & thin attribute blocks; “silly” things and “true” things in our new Silly/True game.
Reminders: Please call or email if you can bring a healthy snack to the Valentine Parties! We especially need red fruits for our Valentine salad: watermelon, strawberries, grapes, cherries.
Preschool News Posted 01/29/12
Can it really be February already? This week we sent home Progress Reports for the preschoolers. Preparing these reports reminded us how much the preschoolers have grown and changed since school started in September! Please sign the report and send it back to school. It will be updated and returned to you in June for you to keep.
On Thursday we all attended a whole school meeting hosted by the second grade. The preschoolers really enjoyed hearing the 2nd graders sing, watching them dance a fun and energetic Zumba routine, and learning how to be “bucket-fillers.” This is our whole-school language for helping a friend, being kind, and making friendly and supportive statements to our friends. Every time we do or say something kind, we fill a friend’s bucket. If we do or say something unkind, we are tipping a friend’s bucket, so we look for ways to stop and turn that around. The preschoolers all practiced being bucket-fillers, by saying things like, “You’re my friend; Yes, you can play with me!; I like your shirt; I will help you; You can have the next turn when I’m done; I like you.” You can notice and praise your preschooler when he or she is a “bucket-filler” at home!
In Miss Patti’s class, we had fun celebrating Chinese New Year this week. We read books about Chinese New Year and made red construction paper lanterns. We learned that this is the Year of the Dragon and found out which animal represents the year we were all born. We learned the difference between “thick” and “thin” and practiced sorting attribute blocks this way. Our favorite books this week we were some short stories from The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. The preschoolers love “The Zax Story” and “What Was I Scared of?”- a spooky story with a happy ending. We also welcomed two new paraprofessionals to help us out during our busy “Choice Times” (free play): Mrs. Streeter and Mrs. Clark.
In Miss Randell’s class we practiced spelling our names by using magnetic fishing rods to catch the letters in our names. The students love the magnets and often ask, “Can we go fishing?” Then, we practiced writing our names on the snowmen that we created at the art table! We learned a new song called “Tap Tap Tap” from the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. The students loved it! Each student gets 2 sticks and taps them together. The song instructs them to do other things as well like tap them hard, tap them softly, play an air drum, tap the stick on their heads, put them under their chairs etc. This week we also talked a lot about feelings, and focused on being happy. We looked at pictures of happy people and discussed what someone’s face looks like when their happy. When people are happy they smile, their cheeks go up, and their eyes are slightly squinted. We practiced this facial expression and each student shared something that makes them feel happy.
Preschool News Posted 01/22/2012
We had a fun time here at preschool this week! It was nice to get outside and enjoy the playground with snow on it. The students are doing a fantastic job as they get into the routine of putting all of their snow gear on. We use picture lists (in their lockers or near their cubbies) to help them remember the order in which to put things on. Many of them are referring to these pictures, and actually becoming quite independent!
Also, our friend Miss Cheri from the town library came to visit us on Tuesday. The preschool classes got together and Miss Cheri read us the “The Loud Book” and “Duck on a Bike.”
In Miss Randell’s class we finished our Baby Owls Billboard- make sure you check it out! At the art table we used our creativity by making different pictures out of colored tape! On Wednesday, we went to the library for a special trip to watch books on video while the older students were on a field trip. The students really enjoyed spending time in the library, watching a movie, and eating popcorn.
In Miss Patti’s class, we had fun making fresh butter! We took a container of heavy cream, and took turns shaking it for an hour until it turned into butter. We sang this traditional butter-making song while we made it: “Come butter come; come butter come; (Child’s name)’s at the garden gate; Waiting for a butter cake; come butter come.” We then had bread and butter for snack! We also made symmetry paintings in class and made symmetry animals in an art lesson with Miss Kerby.
We have been enjoying many books by Jan Brett, and acting them out too. Last week, we acted out Annie and the Wild Animals and this week we tried The Mitten. The students had fun squishing together on a naptime cot while pretending to be forest animals squishing into a mitten!
Reminders:
- Please send SNOW BOOTS and SNOW PANTS whenever there is snow on the ground!
- Also, full-day preschool families: please send either a water bottle or 3 juice/milk boxes so your child has something to drink for lunch and both snacks. Thank you!
Preschool News Posted 01/15/2012
This week in preschool the students were all very excited to finally see some snow! Please remember that your preschooler will need BOOTS and SNOWPANTS whenever there is snow on the ground!
In Miss Patti’s class, we continued our mini-unit on birds. We learned a song about cardinals called Red Bird and listened to a cardinal call on the computer, comparing it to the chickadee call we learned last week.
We also read three books this week that featured a character who loses a button: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback, The Button by Arnold Lobel and the old preschool classic Corduroy by Don Freeman (originally published in 1968). Then we had fun playing with our own buttons, sorting them, counting them, and using pipe cleaners to make button bracelets and necklaces!
In Miss Randell’s class we continued to talk about the New Year by reading Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gaul Piernas-Davenport and Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller. We talked about the meaning of a resolution and the students came up with their own (many of you will be happy to hear that many students choose to be better “cleaner-uppers” and listeners at home)! We also read the story Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and started making our own baby owls, which we will continue to work on next week.
We hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!
Preschool News January 09, 2012
Welcome back Preschool! It was great coming back together in school and hearing all of the students’ holiday and vacation stories. In both classes we spent our first week back celebrating the New Year. Each student had a turn doing foot prints to signify “Stepping Into the New Year.” They really seemed to enjoy getting their feet painted and walking across paper- it was definitely an enjoyable experience for everyone!
In Miss Randell’s class we also did “Scrap Art,” and the students did such a wonderful job being creative as they took paper from the scrap box and created a picture. We also read the book “Old Bear,” which helped us to start think about the different seasons, and we learned what the word “hibernation” means.
In Miss Patti’s class we began a mini-unit on birds. We have real birds’ nests in our science center; we read books on birds; and we learned a new song called “Chickadee,” about the Massachusetts state bird that stays here throughout the winter. We heard the Chickadee bird call on our class computer, so we know how to recognize the chickadee if we hear it this winter. We also made playdough and home-made applesauce. Yum!
Reminders:
Wednesday is a half day, all preschool students dismiss at 10:45am
Preschool News Posted 12/18/2011
The preschoolers were busy this week, making decorations for our holiday parties, and special presents to give to our families.
Both classes had fun cooking this week too. Miss Randell’s class made special cinnamon-scented playdough! Miss Patti’s class made egg salad and whole-wheat English muffins pizzas.
Miss Patti’s class has been enjoying books by author / illustrator Jan Brett. Our favorite was Gingerbread Friends – the preschoolers have been asking to read it every day! We have also been practicing our songs for the Winter Concert.
Miss Randell’s class we continued to talk about healthy habit and learned how to brush our teeth. We learned the song, “Brush Your Teeth” by Raffi and painted with toothbrushes! We started to explore the holidays by talking about Christmas and Hanukah (we’ll continue to learn more the week leading up to our holiday break). We enjoyed reading the book Gingerbread Baby and Froggy’s Best Christmas.
The new song we learned this week is called “5 Little Snowmen”
5 Little Snowmen
(please ask your child to show the moves to the song!)
5 little snowmen sitting on a hill
The 1st one said, ‘Brr, I feel a chill”
The 2nd one said, “I’m glad I wore a hat”
The 3rd one said, “I’m big, round, and fat”
The 4th one said, “The sky is looking gray”
The 5th one said, “More snow!! HORRAY!”
Sign-up sheets for our holiday parties have been posted in each classroom.
Reminder: Friday is a half-day. All preschoolers dismiss at 10:45am
Preschool News Posted 12/10/2011
This week was an exciting week at preschool! On Wednesday we participated in a practice Lock Down Drill. We told the students that during a fire drill we go outside and the fire fighters come to make sure we’re safe. However, during a lock down drill we stay inside and the police officers come to make sure we’re safe. All of the students did such a wonderful job! They listened to their teachers, stayed sitting, and turned their voices off.
Both classes continued to learn about healthy living habits which, will also continue onto next week. Part of learning how to be healthy is staying clean- Miss Martha, the school nurse, came into Miss Randell’s class to teach us the importance of cleaning our hands. She will visit Miss Patti’s class next week. The students were able to put fake germs on their hands, wash their hands, and see how washing with warm water and soap make the germs go away. We talked about how germs are spread, and how germs can make us sick. Miss Martha taught us a song to sing while we wash our hands to help us remember how it’s done!
To the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
“Wash, wash, wash your hands
Get them very clean,
Do the rub, do the scrubs,
Germs are very mean.
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
We should sing it twice,
Do the rub, do the scrub
Being clean is nice”
This week in Miss Randell’s class we welcomed a new friend to our classroom, Kai the gecko! Kai belongs to Miss Patti’s son, and he was kind enough to let Kai visit us this week. The students really enjoyed watching him crawl around, stick to the side of his tank, and stick his tongue out. Also, in Miss Randell class we started to talk about the 5 Senses- See with your eyes, hear with your ears, smell with your nose, touch with your hand, and taste with your mouth. We started this lesson by using our 5 senses to explore a coconut. At the end of the lesson most of the students chose to try a piece of the coconut and the coconut juice. Unfortunately, tasting the coconut was not a big hit- none of the students liked the way it tasted.
In Miss Patti’s class we started to touch on Holidays by decorating Christmas trees and dreidels at the art center. Also, we mixed different colored paints together in an ice cube tray to create new shades and colors. The students really loved being able to be mix all the colors together and make something new!
Details on the holiday parties will be sent home this week.
Preschool News Posted 12/04/2011
This week in preschool we continued to discuss our healthy habits. We talked about all the different ways we get exercise- including every single day on our own preschool playground! We have a new path of tree circles where the vegetable garden used to be, and all the preschoolers have enjoyed jumping and hopping along them. We also had our mini-trampoline out this week. Since it is only large enough for one child at a time, we all got a chance to practice patience and turn-taking along with jumping for joy!
In Miss Patti’s class, we had a special visitor this week: a Crested Gecko named Kai. The children enjoyed observing him and learning words such as Gecko, nocturnal, tropical, etc. We also learned a cheer about appreciating each other to practice for the Whole School meeting last Wednesday afternoon: “2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? (Name, Name) YAY! (Name)”. We also began a study of the 5 senses by exploring a coconut: we looked at it, listened to the juice sloshing inside, felt it, broke it open to smell it, and some brave preschoolers even tasted the coconut juice at snack time!
In Miss Randell’s class we also started to learn about healthy habits. We sorted “all the time” from “sometimes food” and made a graph of our favorite “all the time food.” We continued to work on our letter recognition- the students seems to really enjoy the “Fishing For Letters” game. Also- Thank you to our Mystery Readers who came in and read to the class, we loved having you!
Preschool News Posted 11/25/11
We managed to pack quite a bit of learning and fun into our short week of preschool! Both classes did some gardening and worked together to remove the old morning glory vines from the fence. This tied in to an indoor science lesson: we read a book about morning glories and then worked hard to remove tiny black seeds from old morning glory pods; all the preschoolers brought home morning glory seeds for planting. We also worked together to rake large piles of leaves and then jump in them!
On Wednesday, the preschool classes switched rooms for playtime (since it was raining and we couldn’t go outside). The students really enjoyed exploring a new area and playing with different toys. Miss Randell’s class all worked nicely together to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen area of Miss Patti’s room and enjoyed the rice table. Miss Patti’s class liked the soft beach sand in Miss Randells’ sand table and all the new toys in her dramatic play area.
This week in we talked about what we are thankful for. Many students were thankful for their families, friends, pets, and toys. We read all our Thanksgiving books and sang our Thanksgiving songs, such as “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
In Miss Randells’s class, we took the necklaces that we made last week, and the students each gave one to a special friend! All of the students were very thankful to have received something from a classmate! We continued to work with our letters by playing a fishing game. We learned a new song during morning meeting, “If You’re Thankful and You Know It” (to the tune of if “ You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you’re thankful and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands (stomp your feet, shout “I am!”)
In Miss Patti’s class, we enjoyed the book-and-felt-board-set of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.” We continued to learn about these six “healthy habits”: eat healthy food, exercise, brush your teeth, drink water, wash your hands, and get plenty of rest! We also welcomed a new helper into our class: Jamison, a student from Smith Academy, will be helping out in the preschool every afternoon throughout the month of December.
We hope you all had a healthy and fun Thanksgiving! Miss Patti and Miss Randell
Preschool News 11/20/11
Morning Meeting is a special time each day in preschool. We take this time to count all the preschoolers (math), sing songs (literacy and phonemic awareness), enjoy a brief game or learning activity, and greet each other by name (community building and manners!). This week we have also used meeting times to discuss the things and people in our lives for which we are thankful.
This week we have made all sorts of turkey and Thanksgiving crafts, as well as exploring rainbow paints on the easel. We have read books about Thanksgiving, too. However, the favorite book in Miss Patti’s class this week was the old Sesame Street classic, There’s a Monster at the End of this Book. Miss Randell’s class loved reading Thanksgiving Day and Countdown to Thanksgiving.
For the past two weeks, we have had a mini-soccer goal set up on our playground, and we all enjoyed the opportunity to practice our running and kicking skills. As the leaves begin to fall off our Bradford pear tree, we are also conducting impromptu science experiments with leaves and wind!
We continued with our Second Step lessons, using puppet shows, stories, and songs to learn about the following feelings: happy, sad, surprised, scared, and angry.
In Miss Patti’s class, we have also begun to discuss “healthy habits.” What things can we do to keep ourselves healthy? We discussed which food are “healthy, growing foods” and which foods are “once-in-a-while treats.” The preschoolers show a very good grasp of the difference! We all agreed that both kinds of food are delicious.
In Miss Randell’s class we assembled our classroom turkey! Thank you to all the families for making such beautiful feathers- be sure to check our turkey on the bulletin board in the classroom. During choice time the kids LOVED playing in our new dramatic play area- The Veterinarian Clinic! At the art center we made turkeys with our names and painted different kinds of noodles. Each student made a necklace with the noodles for another friend in the class. We used this activity to show kindness and sharing with your friends as we learned about the meaning of Thanksgiving. We also learned a new song called Mr. Turkey:
Mr. Turkey has no feathers, has no feathers, has no feathers
Mr. Turkey has no feathers, has no feathers, has no feathers, what’s he going to do?
Oh, Mr. Turkey here’s a red feather, here’s a red feather, here’s a red feather
Oh, Mr. Turkey here’s a red feather, here’s a red feather, here’s a red feather, and it’s just for you
(Repeat last 2 lines with different colors – yellow, orange, brown, etc. Each student has a feather; they bring a feather up and give it to Mr. Turkey when their color is sung.)
Reminder: Wednesday, November 23rd, is a half-day, and all preschoolers will dismiss at 10:45am. School is closed on Thursday and Friday.
Preschool News Posted 11/14/2011
Last week was another another short, yet active week at preschool! The classes are now combining for morning recess, so we had fun playing with friends old and new. We also made a new scarecrow (this one has a dinosaur head!) and planted acorns and maples keys in the garden.
This week in Miss Randell’s class we continued letter recognition by going fishing! Each student had a turn fishing the letters in their name- during this game we also introduced letter to sound recognition as well. We also read the books, The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and Pumpkin Soup. During choice we painted Indian corn using Q-tips, used actual cobs as a painting tool, and used shaving cream to build writing skills. Also, this week our puppet friends, Suzie and Jamal, visited us as we continued 2nd step. We used our hands to created “attent-o-scopes” to practice us focusing on different objects and speakers.
In Miss Patti’s Class, we practiced our ABCs in many fun ways: we made snakes with playdough and then turned the snakes into letters; we traced letters and words in trays full of sand; and we used wooden curves and lines to construct capital ABCs. We also had a sing-along each day, and the new favorite is Hello Mr. Turkey (sung to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It):
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap clap)
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap clap)
With a gobble gobble gobble, and a waddle waddle waddle,
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap clap)
Reminders: Wednesday, November 16th is a half day. Dismissal is at 10:45am.
Weekly Update Posted 11/05/2011
After the unexpected five-day weekend, it was wonderful to be back in school and to see all the preshcoolers, safe and sound! We did discuss the storm and the power outage, but overall, the preschoolers were much more focused on seeing their friends again and on our Halloween parties.
Thank you to all the families who attended the parties, and to all those who sent in party supplies and healthy treats. The children really enjoyed the parties- we sang Halloween songs, admired one another’s costumes, read our favorite Halloween books, enjoyed our snacks, and went on a Halloween parade throughout the school. As one preschooler said, “This party is so fun! This is the best party I ever saw!” Everything is still new and special through the eyes of a preschooler.
In Miss Patti’s class we made “witches’ brew” in the water table with cauldrons, ladles, and plastic insects and snakes. We read a new book called “The Z was Zapped” by Chris Van Allsburg. We scooped the seeds out of our pumpkins and roasted some for the parties. On Friday we made a small snowman and a small scarecrow on the playground.
In Miss Randells’ class we had a great time having parents come in for our Halloween Party! We made paper jack-o-lanterns, colored Halloween pictures, and played pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern. We also used pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin we dissected last week to do a counting activity. We read the books “Going On a Ghost Hunt,” “There Was an Old Monster,” and “Arthur’s Halloween.”
Reminders:
There is no school on Tuesday, November 8th and no school on Friday, November 11th.
Preschool Update Posted 10/28/11
This week in Miss Randell’s class, we prepared for Halloween! We talked about our Halloween costumes, Trick-Or- Treating, and how to stay safe on Halloween. We read the books, Big Pumpkin, It’s Pumpkin Time, and Go Away, Big Green Monster. In Art, we created Jack-o- lanterns, and made our own big green monsters (Tuesday/ Thursday students will make their big green monsters during their Halloween party on Tuesday). We also learned the song “5 Little Pumpkins,” (lyrics are in the previous post).
In Miss Patti’s class, we learned how to cut triangle shapes to make Jack-o-lanterns! We enjoyed reading and acting out “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,” which was one of the books in our Listening Center this week. We also emptied the sand table and filled it with paint! In our water table we plucked the kernels out of corn on the cob. At the art center we had a lot of fun using ink to stamp bugs and spiders onto a spider web. In our writing center, we drew Halloween pictures and some of us learned to write the word B-O-O!
We are very excited for our Halloween Parties next week! If you would like to bring a healthy treat and/or come to enjoy our party, please sign up in your child’s classroom or send your child’s teacher an email.
Party Times:
Monday and Tuesday: 9:30-10:30am (Miss Randell)
Monday and Tuesday: 1:15 to 2:30pm (Miss Patti)
Reminders: If it above 20 degrees, the preschoolers will be going out play! Your child will definitely need snowpants and snowboots this week. Playing in the snow offers so many wonderful science lessons, plus it is healthy and FUN! Please make sure your child has the proper clothes to enjoy this experience.
Also, this is good time to check the clothes in your child’s “extra clothes” box and make sure they are complete and seasonally appropriate.
Thank you for your help!
Preschool News Posted 10/23/2011
This week on the playground we have been observing “volunteer” bean plants that have sprouted up in the area where the vegetable garden used to be. We saw some geese flying south and heard them honking. And we got a lovely autumn surprise from Mrs. Tetrault (first grade paraprofessional)- she brought in several giant cornstalks and tied them to the end of our swing set. Some preschoolers thought they grew there over night, like in Jack and the Beanstalk!
In Miss Randell’s class we used real acorns to make acorn paintings, and we also made fall trees with real colorful leaves! In Miss Patti’s class, we worked together to make a giant maple tree, using sponge paints and real maple keys, as well as a giant oak tree, using sponge paint and real acorns. Some of our fall artwork is on display in the hallway across from Miss Patti’s room. Come and take a look!
We have been learning our ABCs in lots of fun ways in preschool. In Miss Patti’s class, we fished for ABC letters in our water table and practiced writing letters while fingerpainting with shaving cream. We also read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and put little letters on our own velcro coconut tree, just like in the book! In Miss Randell’s class we used wiki-stix to shape the letters in our name.
Here is a fun Halloween song that teaches counting and ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc):
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said, “OH MY! It’s getting late.”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
The whooo-ooooo went the wind, and OUT went the light.
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
We are getting in the Halloween mood by reading lots of Halloween / autumn / pumpkin books. Sign-up sheets for the Halloween parties will be up in the classrooms this week. Please stop by, or email your child’s teacher to sign up. Thank you for being a part of our preschool community!
Preschool News Posted 10/15/2011
This week in preschool we continued to talk about all the wonderful things about Fall!
Both classes painted with fall colors, observed autumn gifts from nature, and learned a new leaf song. We talked about leaves changing colors, and how much fun it is to watch them fall from the trees, rake them into a big pile, and jump into them! We will continue to explore all of the interesting items on our science table such as, a gourd, a pumpkin, milkweed, flowers, leaves, and acorns. Thank you to all the families that have sent in these things and please continue to do so! We read the books Let It Fall and Apple Countdown. We also learned that fall has another name…autumn!
Miss Randell’s class learned this song:
Little Leaves
5 little leaves hanging on a tree
Singing autumn songs, lad-y-da, lad-y-dee
Then along came the wind with a wooooooosh sound
1 little leaf floated to the ground.
In Miss Patti’s class, in dramatic play we have been practicing how to be gentle and caring by taking care of sick animals at the Vet. Bingo has also been a fun part of our week! We played Dinosaur Bingo, ABC Bingo, and also “Listening Bingo,” a game that we used our good listening skills for; while hearing different sounds on a CD.
Another exciting event this week was Picture Day! Needless to say, the preschoolers looked absolutely adorable! Even simple events like this are learning opportunities for our students. The picture studio was on the second floor, so we discussed the safe way to go up and down stairs (single file and using the railing). Then we all had to wait patiently for our turn for the individual pictures, and we all had to practice cooperating and following directions as the photographers organized us for the group photos. Small events are big adventures in preschool!
Reminders: Conferences are next week on Wednesday and Thursday. All preschoolers dismiss at 10:45am.
Preschool News Posted 10/04/11
It was a busy and exciting week in preschool, with special events and visitors.
Tuesday was Fire Safety Day. Several firefighters from the Hatfield Fire Department came to visit us in preschool. Firefighter Melissa suited up in all her gear so the preschoolers could see what that would look like. Then we learned and practiced “stop, drop, and roll” and talked about smoke detectors and what we should do if a smoke detector goes off. These are all great topics to discuss at home with your preschooler also.
On Thursday, we had a visitor from the Eric Carle Museum, Ms. Diana MacKenzie, who read us the story “Llama Llama Red Pajama” as part of a literacy campaign called Jumpstart Read for the Record. You can read more about it here: http://www.jstart.org/site/PageServer?pagename=readfortherecord_about
Ms. MacKenzie was a wonderful reader, and also read us a brand new Eric Carle book, “The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse.” The children found that book to be hilarious and would probably love to check it out of the library to read with you at home!
In Miss Patti’s class we had fun marble painting, using scissors, writing the letters “T” and “L” on the whiteboard, and singing Grey Squirrel (ask your child to show you the motions): Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, swish your bushy tail; Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, swish your bushy tail; Crinkle up yourfunny nose, put a nut between your toes; Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, swish your bushy tail!
In Miss Randell’s class, we continued to learn about apples! We painted created apple trees during art by using finger paints, and paint dots. We had such a great time with our visitors from the fire station and the Eric Carle Museum.
Reminders:
Picture Days are Wednesday October 12th and Thursday October 13th. We will have individual and class pictures taken on both days.
Parent Teacher Conferences are being held on Wednesday, October 19th and Thursday, October 20th. These are half-days and all preschoolers will dismiss at 10:45am so that they can go home and have lunch. Please contact Miss Patti and Miss Randell to schedule a conference time if you have not already done so. Thank you!
Two more reminders that make the preschool day run more smoothly: please do not allow your child to bring in toys from home. Also, please don’t send sweets in for snack and / or lunch. They do not fit in with our healthy food curriculum, and they distract children from enjoying the main part of their meal! Thank you for your cooperation. We really appreciate your help in these matters!
Preschool News Posted 10/04/11
Last week we continued to learn about apples! In Miss Randell’s class we sorted apples by color, did an apple taste test, learned a new song about apples, painted with apples, and read apple books! We are going to continue learning about apples next week. At the art center we learned that there are seeds and a star in the middle of apples! Mrs. Wilson taught us a new poem called “ Way Up High In the Apple Tree,” and Miss Randell taught one called “ 5 Little Apples.”
In Miss Patti’s class we also learned a new apple poem called, “Way Up High In the Apple Tree,” and did a special painting activity with the poem! We also read the book called “I Am an Apple” that taught us the life cycle of an apple.
In both classes we continued to do Second Step, our curriculum that teaches social and emotional awareness. The children are really enjoying meeting their new puppet friends, and are doing such a wonderful participating and interacting with each other.
A big THANK YOU to all the parents who came and gardened last Wednesday! We took the vegetable garden out and put in some fall plantings. The garden looks WONDERFUL thanks to your efforts and donations! The preschoolers explore the garden every day, looking for what is new and what has changed.
Reminders: Parent Teacher Conferences are being held on Wednesday, October 19th and Thursday, October 20th. Please contact Miss Patti and Miss Randell to schedule a time. Thank you!
Tomorrow, Wednesday October 5th, is a half day. There is no lunch at school, and all preschoolers dismiss at 10:45am to go home for lunch.
Way Up High In the Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree
Two big apples smiles at me
So I shook that tree as hard as I could
And down came the apples!
Mmmmmm, good!
5 Little Apples
5 little apples sitting in a tree,
teasing Mr. Slinky worm “you can’t eat me!”
Well, along comes Mr. Slinky Worm sneaky as can be,
and he snatched that apple right out of the tree!
Preschool News 09/24/11
We are now exploring the theme of Fall and we began by learning about apples. Miss Patti’s class made applesauce last week and Miss Randell’s will do so this week. Cooking offers us a chance to use math (measuring), literacy (following the recipe), and fine motor skills (chopping). There is also a wonderful community feeling in working together to prepare a snack to share!
Miss Patti’s class- Don’t forget to bring in whatever “backyard treasures” you find as fall changes begin. Thank you to Madison who brought in oak leaves and acorns to share, and to Antonia who brought in two black feathers, and to Annabelle who brought in a perfectly preserved monarch butterfly! We put these items in our science Center and the children love to explore them.
Another theme we explore in September is “All About Me.” In both classes the preschoolers have drawn self-portraits and told their classmates a little about themselves and their families. We are reading books such as I Like Me by Nancy Carlson and Quick as A Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood.
In Miss Randell’s class we welcomed Mrs. Wilson to our class! She will be with us for the remainder of the year, and we are so excited to have her J
We will have a gardening afternoon this Wednesday, September 28th, right after school. Please come join us!
Thank you to all the families who came to Open House. The preschoolers were very proud to show you their classrooms!
Miss Patti and Miss Randell
Preschool News Posted 09/16/11
The students had such a great week! We were able to spend lots of time outside on the playground. It’s great to see the students playing together and doing things such as riding bikes, coloring with chalk, playing tag, digging in the sandbox, and swinging on the swings.
In both classes we continued to learn our new friends’ names by playing “Who’s Missing?” All the students close their eyes and the teacher chooses one student to hide. Then, the rest of the students had to guess which friend was missing from the rug. They did really well and seemed to really enjoy it.
In Miss Randell’s class we learned a new game called “5 Elephants” and also learned a new song called “The Pirate Song.” We continued to work on “Show 5.”
During choice time the students enjoyed painting with colors, making hands prints, and using crayons and stencils to create beautiful flowers!
In Miss Patti’s class we learned 3 new songs- Row Row Row Row Your Boat, Ring Around the Rosey, and Make New Friends! We’ve also been talking a lot about our three classroom rules: Be safe; Be kind; Be gentle. We practiced all these rules when we were taking seeds out of the center of a sunflower with tweezers- all the students did such a wonderful job!
Other exciting activities we did this week included taking a field trip to the front garden to see what was growing, painting self portraits, and singing the ABCs.
Preschool News Posted 9/11/11
Again, WELCOME to new and returning preschoolers and families!!
The first week of preschool was fun and exciting for all of us. The children enjoyed seeing old friends and making new friends. It was fun for them to explore all the toys and learning centers in their new classrooms, and to play on the playground once the sun finally started shining!
We learned beginning school skills such as how to greet each other at our Morning Meeting, how to take turns and share toys, and how to walk in line to the lunchroom. The preschoolers were amazing in their patience and cooperation. Going to school and learning all these new routines is a major milestone. You have every reason to be very proud of your brave and wonderful children!!
We also made playdough, played games in the gym, and read books about starting school and making friends!
There was a fire drill on Tuesday afternoon which gave us the opportunity to discuss fire safety. Dinofours: It’s Fire Drill Day is a great picture book that explains fire drills in a preschool-friendly way.
Reminders:
- Here are some things you can do to make our day run more smoothly:
- PLEASE label lunchboxes, backpacks, coats, etc with your child’s name. If you don’t want to write directly on these items, using masking tape and a sharpie marker works well.
- Please pack lunch and snacks separately. Label the containers “Snack” and “Lunch” (and “Snack #2” for full day students). This will really help us out!
- When sending in lunch or milk money, please use the school form and put the money and the form in an envelope. Make sure it is labeled with your child’s name! If you don’t have the form on hand, just write on the envelope all the information about what you are ordering. Please don’t send in loose money – it quickly gets mixed up!
- Please do not enter the classroom until 8:15am, when the first bell rings.
- Parents and little siblings should wait outside the gate at dismissal. Please do not enter the playground at this time. Teachers need to pay careful attention to the preschoolers and big siblings who are leaving. If people are entering, as well as exiting, it creates an unsafe and confusing situation. Please help keep the preschoolers safe by waiting outside the gate.
Thank you so much for your help, and for being a part of our preschool community! We are ready for another great week in preschool!
Preschool News Updated 9/6/2011
Welcome 2011-2012 Preschoolers and their families!! We are ready for a great new year in preschool. Thank you for being part of our preschool community this year. Check back this weekend for all the details about what we did during our first week in preschool.
WELCOME!!!
Miss Patti and Miss Randell
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Preschool News Updated 6/19/11
We had a great last week of school! Miss Randell’s class enjoyed Pajama Day and an Ice Cream Party for filling up their Teddy Bear Jar!
In Miss Patti’s class we learned all about puffins on Monday. One of our friends and his family brought in puffin art projects, pictures, and poems. We also learned a new song- John the Rabbit!
In both classes, we continued to explore signs of summer. In Miss Randell’s class we talked about what we do in the summer such as go to the beach. We painted fireworks and sea animals during small groups. We also continued to work on learning our letters with a beach ball game.
Both classes made special Father’s Day gifts- Happy Father’s Day!
The students who are moving up to kindergarten had a wonderful time making their last visit to kindergarten before becoming full time kindergarten students! They took their first trip to the “Big Kid Playground,” and they also took a bus on around town and really enjoyed their time with this new experience.
Preschool News Posted 6/12/2011
Monday was Fire Safety Day and the preschoolers learned some important fire safety rules and practiced leaving the house quickly and safely if they hear an alarm. The firefighters emphasized the importance of a family meeting place outside the house. Practice at home with your preschooler!
We all enjoyed reading fire safety books too, such as Fred the Firefighter, Arthur’s Fire Drill, and Dinofours Fire Drill Day. Another favorite book in Miss Patti’s class this week was Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes. Miss Randell’s class has been reading many Little Critter books by Mercer Meyer.
The preschool classes survived the heat wave and still managed to have fun playing outside. Blowing bubbles and playing in the water table were favorite outdoor activities this week!
Thank you for all the “backyard treasures” that have been sent in: we now have some wonderful things in our science centers: birds’ nests, bird feathers, moth wings, flowers, etc. If you find some interesting things in your yard, or some flowers in bloom, please send them in!
Here’s what’s happening the last week of school:
Wednesday, June 15, 10:00am, for pre-K only: Practice riding the bus! Tuesday / Thursday pre-K students can be dropped off at 9:30 am (bring a snack) and picked up at 10:30am.
Thursday, June 16, Last day of Preschool!
Thursday, June 16, Move up Event for pre-K only at 8:30am. (M/W/F students can be dropped off at 8:15am and picked up at 9:30am).
Friday, June 17, 11am to 1pm, Preschool Picnic! Please join us!!
Friday, June 17, 2:30 to 3:30pm, Family Gardening. Do you miss preschool already? Then come weed and water!
See you at the picnic- Miss Patti and Miss Randell
Preschool News, Posted 6/3/2011
We had a lot of fun this week! We hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend.
On Wednesday we enjoyed field day! We learned the importance of team work as we participated in relay races. We enjoyed hotdogs outside on the lawn for lunch.
This week both classes continued exploring insects, maps, and started to talk about signs of summer! We are all excited for the nice weather and partaking in the summer activities that we have discussed in class (swimming, going to the beach, going camping, etc.)
There was a special visitor in Miss Patti’s class this week- Kai the Gecko! The students were able to observe him and ask questions. They learned that geckos are nocturnal (they sleep during the day and play during the night), they do not have eyelids, they can jump really far, and have sticky feet.
Our students moving into kindergarten next year enjoyed visiting kindergarten for morning meeting.
Reminders:
- Half day students who will be going to kindergarten are invited to stay full day for the last two weeks of school.
- Preschool students will be participating in Fire Safety on Monday. Please check and sign permission slip if you have not done so already.
- Wednesday, June 8 is a half day for everyone
Have a great weekend everybody :)
-Miss Randell and Miss Patti
Preschool News, Posted 5/30/2011
This week we all enjoyed the preschool field trip to Sierra’s house. We saw chicks, chickens, and cows; walked to the Connecticut River; and had a great time playing in Sierra’s playhouse made from a hollowed out tree! Thank you to the many parent volunteers- we could not have done it without you! Thank you also to the Grandonico’s for planning this wonderful trip for us, and even sending us home with goodie bags!!
Mrs. Tetrault sent 5 baby chicks to live in the preschool all week. We all loved watching them and listening to their constant “peep peep peep” sound. We all took turns holding them every day and letting them perch on our fingers, too! We were sad to say good-bye to them on Friday, but they were already getting too big to live in our classroom!
We have continued our end-of the-year explorations in maps, insects, and gardening. All the preschoolers worked hard watering the garden this week too. We filled up the water table and then the students ran back and forth to the garden with their watering cans.
We are also studying signs of summer. Kindergarten transition is another topic we discuss often, along with our weekly kindergarten visits.
Wednesday is field day- please be sure to apply sunscreen before school. Now that the days are so warm and sunny, it is a good idea to apply sunscreen EVERY day before preschool. If you would like us to re-apply in the afternoon, please send in a bottle of sunscreen labeled with your child’s name. (We will keep it at school and return it on the last day).
Here are some important dates coming up.
Wednesday, June 1st - Field Day, we need preschool parent volunteers for this!
Wednesday, June 8th – Half-day, all preschoolers dismiss at 10:45am
Thursday, June 16- Kindergarten Move-up Event for ALL pre-K students. (If you have a MWF pre-K student, please drop them off at 8:15am and pick them up at 9:30am).
Thursday, June 16 - Last Day of Preschool
Friday, June 17 – Preschool Picnic! Parents, grandparents, and siblings are welcome!