“FIRST MONTH OF 2024 SCHOOL YEAR”

Our first month of school has ended and most of our kids have settled down. Our little friends are learning each others names and are also learning to share space and toys. We have exposed our class to the letters “A,”and “B.” Our bible story for this month was Genesis 1:1, we reviewed the beautiful work that God created in six days and that He rested on the seventh day.

Lemurs Vs Raccoons 🦝

In our classroom we have a paper lemur that travels around the room. The class gets to find her during morning meeting ( if they haven’t started looking already). We have named her Lucy the lemur. One day a classmate said that Lucy looks like a raccoon and that led to the discussion.

What makes them similar? What are the differences? Here are some pictures from that investigation and what we did to figure out why Lucy the Lemur isn’t a raccoon.

Ms. Heather showed us with a tape measurer the average size of a lemur and that of a raccoon. We got to draw pictures of both.

She also brought weights so we could feel how heavy they are. The weights were passed around in morning meeting and the drawings were done during free play.

Ms. Heather also found some facts about where they live as well what they eat. We all learned something new and had fun investigating what makes them similar and what are their differences.

We learned that while lemurs and raccoons have some similar features that they are not the same animal.

📚🖍️Starting a New (School) Year 🖍️📚

It is already September and this school year has been a time of learning and exploration; from the new class schedule to small groups and our new outdoor environment. We have had fun every day learning and growing together.

Here are a few photos of the year thus far:

We love our new patio area and we are able to run and jump and play and use all of our gross motor skills.

Inside the classroom we rotate our table activities and our block area items. Sometimes we have interesting ideas about how to use classroom materials.

We still get to use the big preschool yard and we really enjoy the time we get to play there! The only thing that is missing is grass and we get that when we go to the big field.

So far this year we have been twice and we are excited for future visits. We played red light, green light. We ran races (the children won most of the time) and we kicked some balls around the field. I get asked every day if today is big field day.

We have started small groups as well! In our small groups we get to explore many different subjects and learn about the world around us. Small group activities are posted in the classroom on the parent board.

So far we have accomplished so much and we look forward to the rest of the school year.

(This is Lucy the Lemur. Lucy travels all over the classroom and each morning we ask the children to find her. Feel free to help the children find Lucy as you drop off or pick up)

🌞 Fun in the Sun ☀️ (week 3)

This week has gone by quickly and we have done so many fun things! Here are a few photos of the fun:

We enjoyed free play in the classroom and each week we have new items to touch and explore.

Wednesday we went on our first field trip to the Wildlife Center and saw a lot of different animals. We asked the class which one was their favorite. The snakes were a popular answer. 🐍

Today we played made paper cup monkeys and had popcorn 🍿 and we watched Octonauts ( a rainforest episode). And so another week comes to a close!

We are looking forward to next week but before that we hope everyone has a great weekend! 😁

Fun in the Sun ☀️ (week 2)

It has really started to warm up and we are finally getting summer weather. Here are a few photos of all the fun we have been having:

We have had a lot of water fun due to the warm weather. From the creek to buckets to standing in soapy streams we have enjoyed water in all its forms.

We made masks for our rainforest party

The bike wash was a big hit!

We also had a dance party for our rainforest party. It was a lot of fun!

Fun in the Sun (week 1)

The summer is just beginning and we are having a great time already! We are getting to know each other and our new classroom. Here are a few photos of what we have done our first week together:

We have had so much fun in a short amount of time and we look forward to more fun in the sun! 🌞

Bird Nests on The Older Pod Patio

Every spring, Mourning Doves make their nests around The Older Pod Patio (in the rafters). Our friends in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 enjoy watching the birds fly around, gather twigs and care for their eggs. We enjoy observing and discussing the beauty of nature in our learning environment.

Check out how our friends use playdough and natural elements to create their own bird nest inspired creations.

PREPARING FOR OPEN HOUSE

The metamorphosis of a butterfly has always been a favorite science project in our class. We got the little caterpillars in a small container, watched them slowly move, eat and grow. The kids got to see the chrysalis formed on the top of the container and a few few days later we found the butterflies flying around in their habitat.
We released the butterflies in our garden
Our class was exposed to different kinds of seeds, the kiddos chose from tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash or carrots to plan in our starter pots. As a surprise Ms. Silvia shared her carrots from her garden. All the kiddos got a chance to pull one of the carrots and were taken home.
Tie dye shirt was an adventure from beginning to end. Wrapping rubber bands on the t-shirt to make a design, squirting different color dye, unwrapping the rubber bands and watching the ultimate creation.
Ooh, Lala!

Fun in the sun ☀️

Our littles are enjoying some fun in the sun. They enjoyed playing with the water play and making lots of splashes! 🐳 Our littles also enjoyed the sand area and playing with the trucks during our outside time 🚚