We have officially started our Opening the World of Learning literacy curriculum (OWL). Our first unit focuses on family. We will be talking about our families, how they are all different, and who makes up our family. Over the next few weeks, please feel free to send in a family picture to share with classmates and display for our unit. Next week, we will also be starting our religion curriculum, "I Am Special." Please see below for next week's centers and stories.
Reminder: Wednesday, 10/7 is an early release day for professional development. We will begin dismissing students at 11:15-11:30. Students will need a snack only.
Painting Furniture (ART/DRAMATIC PLAY): Uses language while participating in dramatic play. Initiates interaction with children. Engages in socio-dramatic play. Uses play to explore social roles and emotional states. Makes connections to text.
Playing with Family Figures (BLOCKS): Engages in conversation and uses language to enter play. Begins to understand family needs, roles, and relationships. Uses classroom materials purposefully and respectfully.
Making Paper Collages (ART): Creates artwork to express thoughts, feelings, and energy. Uses a variety of tools and materials. Uses basic shapes and forms of different sizes to create artwork. Explores and experiments with concepts of pattern and symmetry.
Painting with Primary Colors (ART): Experiments with color mixing. Explores two dimensional artwork.
OWL Stories: "Noisy Nora" by Rosemary Wells "Peter's Chair" by Ezra Jack Keats
Hello Families!
I hope everyone had a great weekend- and a Happy Mother's Day!
Centers for the week:
-Draw or paint your favorite fruit (art): Draw your favorite fruit using paint, crayons, or markers! Then wright the first letter of that fruit. If you want a challenge try writing the full word. Your child can also use shadow writing.
-Make a pattern (Math): Use blocks, legos, magnatiles, pompoms, or any item that has a multiple. Pick two of your favorite colors or do three for a challenge. Don't forget to say your pattern out loud. Another option is- you can draw your pattern using markers,paint, or crayons.
OWL Story- Make Way For Ducklings by Robert Mckloskey See you on our regularly scheduled calls! Emily
Hello Families!
This week will be a review week before Spring Break. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter : )
Self- Portraits: children observe, record and document what they see while looking at their refections in a mirror. Please share photos- we love to see these!
Name-writing: Have your child trace or write their name (first, last or both!) depending on their level. Switch up the materials, if you have access to highlighters let them trace with a highlighter!
Write the room- have children use walk around your house and copy sentences/words/letters from around your home. Make it fun! You can even take it outside and look around your neighborhood.
Hello Families!
We will be taking a break from OWL to get ready for Easter. Have a fun week and see you Thursday!
Easter Egg Stamping (Art) - Take one half of a plastic Easter egg (you can use Q-tips if you don't have Easter eggs), dip it in paint and stamp on paper of your choosing. Let it dry and cut them into the shape of a bunny or Easter egg.
Sensory Bin (Sensory) - Take a large bin or box and fill it with rice and plastic Easter eggs. Children can play, scoop, dump, and pour the rice with the Eggs. Take it outside : )
Tissue Paper Cross (Art)- Draw a cross on paper or cut the shape of a cross out of paper. Cut little squares of different colored tissue paper out (use construction paper if you don't have tissue paper) and glue onto the cross, covering all of the negative space.
Jellybean letter tracing (Writing)- Write a letter on paper and use jelly beans to shadow write the shape of the letter. After you are done, you have a yummy treat to eat!
Alphabet Easter Egg Hunt - Write letters on small pieces of paper or use magnetic letters and place inside plastic Easter eggs. Let your child go on an egg hunt and tell you what letter is inside each egg. See if you can find the entire alphabet and put the letters in order!
Centers for the week of 3/31:
Looking at floating object's reflections (SAND & WATER): Observes and explores materials, objects, or events in the environment. Uses language to discuss, record, or describe observations.
Cloud paintings (ART EASEL): Explores and experiments with wet media to create two-dimensional artwork. Explores and experiments with basic shapes and lines in artwork. Creates artwork in relation to the book, The Puddle Pail.
Exploring glittery finger paint (ART): Creates original artwork to express thoughts, feelings, and energy. Explores and experiments with how color can convey mood and emotion. Builds finger dexterity.
Reflective blocks (BLOCKS): Explores reflective surfaces and their properties. Interacts with others appropriately by cooperating, helping, and sharing. Explores spatial relationships. Wrap building blocks in tinfoil and encourage your child to create reflective buildings or roads!
OWL Stories (or whatever you have at home : )) 'Raccoon on His Own' by Jim Arnosky 'The Puddle Pail' by Elisa Klevin
Songs: Five green and speckled frogs, the wheels on the bus
Centers for week of 3/24
Painting on Tinfoil: very fun! Take it outside if you can : )
Looking for Reflections in Bubbles (WATER): Observes and explores materials in the environment. Investigates and describes states of matter. Performs tasks that require fine-motor control.
Reflective Paper Collages (ART/SCIENCE): Creates two-dimensional artwork. Builds finger dexterity and uses thumb/forefinger in pincer grasp. Explores and experiments with dry media to create art work. You can also let the children cut up the cut up the paper for some more fine motor!
Playing with Blocks & Mirrors (BLOCKS): Interacts with others appropriately by cooperating, helping, sharing. Uses language to develop and maintain relationships in play. Explores spatial relationships. Encourage children to build with blocks and then check out their building's reflection using a hand held mirror!
OWL Stories: Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets Raccoon on His Own by Jim Arnosky (also the author of "Rabbits & Raindrops" - one of our favorites!)
Songs: Form the avocado (our fav, there are two I don't do- see if your child notices!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFmr_TZLpS0
Centers for week 3/17
Literacy/Writing/Dramatic Play: Post Office- use writing materials, to create post cards, letters, pictures, envelopes. Write letters in yellow marker and let your children trace on top of the letters with a pencil. Set up a props you may have (cash register, make a mailbox out of an old tissue box.
ART: Junk sculptures: Use items you may have at home, empty boxes, paper towel/toilet paper rolls, apple sauce caps, and let them glue them together.
Sensory: Kinetic sand (play dough can be substituted!) and sea shells/ toy sea animals. Use this opportunity to take a walk to the beach and collect some treasures : )
Stories Dear Juno by Sonyung Pak youtube book available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVBjcmw6qec
The Lion and the Little Red Bird by Elisa Kleven youtube book available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MMsF6oMzRc
A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats youtube read alouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7kUhzeozbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTn_C2oareI
Hello Families,
Next week we will be taking a break from OWL to work on some Thanksgiving themed centers! Please see below for next week's centers.
Conferences will be held the week of 12/2 a sign up genius will be going out shortly!
Week 2 OWL Friends Unit
Centers: Making Sand Molds (SAND/WATER): Observes and explores materials and objects in the environment. Uses a variety of tools and materials to strengthen hand grasp, flexibility, and coordination. Describes physical properties of materials.
Road Construction Vehicles (DRAMATIC PLAY/BLOCKS): Explores simple machines. Becomes aware of the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by community workers.
Easel Painting with Primary Colors (ART): Create two-dimensional artwork. Explores and experiments with wet media to create artwork.
EC Christmas Concert will be on 12/17 at 10:30 AM more details to follow!
OWL Stories: "Dandelion" by Don Freeman "Matthew and Tilly" by Rebecca C. Jones "A Letter to Amy" by Ezra Jack Keats
Week 1 OWL Friends Unit
-Pizza Paintings (ART): Creates two-dimensional artwork. Explores and experiments with basic shapes and lines in artwork. Builds finger dexterity and uses thumb/forefinger in pincer grasp.
-Family figures, dollhouse furniture, families in a neighborhood (BLOCKS): Engages in socio-dramatic play. Identifies common features in the home. Begins to understand various family structures. Approaches tasks with inventiveness.
-Drawing & Labeling Friendship Pictures (WRITING): Creates artwork to express thoughts, feelings, and energy. Talks about their understanding of relationships among people.
Owl Stories: The Little Red Hen Makes A Pizza by Philemon Sturges A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats
Centers week 2 OWL- Family Unit
Literacy- Family Portrait; children draw shapes and characteristics to represent their family Art- Apple Stamping Dramatic Play- Painting furniture with water and props from Peter's Chair- children act out scenes from the story, and pretend to tell the story as a group.
OWL Stories: Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Have a great Columbus Day Weekend!
Hello Families!
Centers for this week: Art: Apple Tree Activity Art: Acorn Tissue Paper Activity Dramatic Play: Kitchen Area Water Table: Sensory Noodles, Tweezers for fine motor strength
Reminder: Wednesday, September 25th is a half day for the entire school (extended day is available) , dismissal will from 11:20-11:30 in the schoolyard.
Centers this week: Sand & Water Center - Caterpillar observations: Watching our classroom caterpillars transform from small caterpillars, to chrysalis, to butterflies and recording our results in our very own butterfly books Sand & Water Center - Playing with animals in the grass (Children will play with animals in the grass that we grew in our water table) Art Center - Self portraits Writing Center - Practicing name writing OWL Stories: "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey "Bigger" by Daniel Kirk
REMINDERS: Last day of school is Thursday, June 13th - Ms. Jessica & Ms. Emily