Tuesday, November 29, 2011

November Newsletter

Playdough Tools
Dear Families,
Thank you for your book orders. I expect them no later than Friday Dec. 2. I will go ahead & put out the December Scholastic Book Club order to give you one last chance at ordering for Christmas. They will be due the following Friday, Dec. 9. We must have them ordered by Saturday Dec 10 at the latest to insure timely delivery. You are not obligated to order, but if you do, please understand the need for this deadline date. Thank you for your understanding in advance.

We’ll keep it simple for December in our themes. Holidays are hectic for many & children feel the stress as much as we do. We will cover Christmas topics such as the colors Red & Green, Shapes associated with Christmas such as Gingerbread Boy, Star & Christmas Tree, and others I choose to keep up with the seasonal learning opportunity.

Our Tentative Christmas Caroling dates are as follows:
Friday, Dec. 9 @ 5:00 pm
Friday, Dec. 16 @ 5:00 pm
I have chosen 2 in case of inclement weather. I also have selected a later time to allow parents to accompany us as well as to allow neighbors to be “at home”. It has been a challenge in previous years to find people at home to sing to. I will send more info by note with your children next week.
Have a great week!!       Stephanie


Learning Centers
Language: Weekly Readers w/activity page – Writing Journals using prompts such as Music, Turkey Letters & Thanksgiving Food Cards – On Track to Kindergarten page – Color by letter Turkey Turkey Sound/ABC match – Beginning sounds song/game w/ Thanksgiving food cards
Fine Motor: Stacking blocks & making block creations – Cutting food pics – Sorting  legos – Dressing vests
Math: Lego play *inside* the circle rugs – Mr & Mrs Potato Head play – Find the Teddy Bear card/color & shape game – Pattern block cards – Bear Bingo (small,med. & large) – Bear Bingo w/colors – Math mat w/playdoh (cover pie mat with certain number of playdoh “cherries” – Puzzle play – Pom poms & tongs filling & dumping
Science: Recording our voices singing, talking, telling a story on a recorder – Paint & salt writing – Make popcorn & graph favorite flavors(butter,cinnamon,garlic) -
Music: Music toy choices while singing – Christmas carol practice
Art: Cereal Necklaces – Color turkey, paint w/glue & sprinkle thyme over the glue -
Large Muscles: walk on the tape line with arms out, arms up, etc – Action cards – Jump in the leaves – Try to bounce a ball in the leaves (science experiment in asking for predictions) – Toy washing indoors
Dramatic Play: Hospital Prop Box – Puppet Play – Shoe Store Prop Box
Conversation Can: Have you ever lost something you really liked? What did you do?

Stories
LMNO Peas 
The 3 Billy Goats Gruff
The Leaf Blew In   
ack & the Beanstalk
My Apron    
 Tom Goes to Kindergarten
Cock a Doodle Hooooo   
Pancakes, Pancakes
& many more

Sunday, November 6, 2011

November is Here!

Life-size tracing of Gracie for her 3rd Birthday Party!!
We used the back side of wallpaper samples & taped them together to make a large enough paper for the tracing.

Notice we are copying 'Happy Birthday'??? Exciting to see the pre-reading going on!!

This home made game became a popular 'after nap' activity for the early-risers.
Newsletter Below:

Dear Families,
Book orders for November are available. Great idea for stocking stuffers!! They are on the bulletin board behind the front door if interested. If ordering, make any checks out to myself as I order online with my check card. End date for ordering is Friday, Nov. 18.
Themes coming up are “ The Five Senses” & “Thanksgiving” as well as letter/prereading activities. The next newsletter will be after the Thanksgiving Break.Have a great week!         Stephanie

Fingerplay For The Coming Week!!

I Clap My Hands

I clap my hands. (Suit actions to words.)
I touch my feet and
I jump up from the ground.
I clap my hands.
I touch my feet and
I turn myself around.
I clap my hands.
I touch my feet and
I sit myself right down.
I clap my hands.
I touch my feet and
I do not make a sound.
Learning Centers

Language: Weekly Readers w/activity pages – Online Halloween Haunted House (for fun) – ABC cover up on pumpkin shape – Make a Word game -

Math: Color,cut,glue sequence page(pumpkin) – Trace Gracie & color (size comparison makes this part Math, part art) – Puzzles

Art: Shy Bats (paper folding) -  Orange collage – Tattoos for party – Water color painting –

Science: Cooking together
·         Mixing up a batch of Cole Slaw
·         Mashing crackers for Tuna Patties

Large Muscles: Monster golf (eyeballs drawn on ping pong balls) – Monster eye toss in parachute – Hop scotch indoors –parachute ball toss  & roll – Trade places under the parachute with a friend  -- ABC Bean bag toss

Manipulatives: Pumpkin lacing cards – Letter Pumpkin Fishing – Drop the eyes in a can

Music: ABC Musical Chairs (write the letter on their tablet when they sit in a chair) -

Dramatic Play: Dress up free play w/clothes, shoes, hats, costumes, etc.

Conversation Can: How many animal sounds can you make? – What kind of treat would you buy for yourself ?

Stories
5 Little Bats Flying in the Night
Shake Dem Halloween Bones
The Night Before Halloween
Look Whooo’s Counting
What Will You Be?
The Bears and the Great Big Storm