A Peek at the Week
This week we had fun talking about Halloween and fall fun! The children made pumpkins by cutting out the traced shape (with some help from the teachers) then ripped orange paper which was then glued onto the pumpkin shape. Each child’s picture will be put in the middle of these pumpkins and they will be our hallway bulletin board.
Centers this week included: orange play dough with some Halloween cookie cutters, a feeling/matching shape game, journal writing, train station and track building, chalkboard, and computer.
Today’s party is sure to be lots of fun. Mrs. Beck, our room parent, will be making “worms in mud” with the children for their snack. We will be doing more play dough fun, spin art painting, and making spiders with pipe cleaner legs.
Vocabulary words this week: orange, black, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, bat, ghost, witch, cat, and trick or treat.
Speech and Language
This week “Bear” needed to put on his socks. He had 5 pairs of socks and they were all different colors. The children sorted the socks by color and put the pairs together. They named the color. We also mentioned that 5 pairs make ten socks. The children counted to 5 and then to 10. Again we focused on sounds that make the lips come together and the /s/ sound. A great activity would be to have your child help you sort socks in the laundry. Have your child find all the socks and then put the ones that are the same together. Have a wonderful weekend!
PT Group
This week the children had the opportunity to ride on the scooter boards. They sat or lied on their bellies on the scooters, and had to follow Renee’s directions. They had to pick up one or two paper ghosts and pumpkins, depending on what Renee asked them, and return to their starting point with these objects. This was great practice following directions while being active and having fun!
Reminder: Parent conferences are being held November 12th and 13th. I will be sending home a sign up sheet for appointments. Watch for this in your child’s backpack today or next week.
Looking Ahead
November’s topics are: positional/place words, furniture/utensils, and Thanksgiving. I will be starting the parent reading days in November. A sign up sheet will be sent home soon. We look forward to seeing each of you in the coming weeks and months.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have any concerns about your child’s day at school, please don’t hesitate to call or email me, so we can resolve the issue quickly. We want to work with all parents to make your child’s preschool experience as positive and fun as possible. Thanks. knagy@cromwellct.org
Shhhh….
To avoid sharing confidential information about children in the class, and to avoid rumors or inaccurate information, please be careful about what is discussed in the hallways of the school, as well as out in the community. We have recently had a couple of instances of parents hearing inaccurate information and having concerns about this information. Just a friendly reminder that what other parents share with you about their child should be kept in confidence. Thanks for your help with this issue.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Sunday, October 26, 2003
ECS Pre-K Classroom News Morning Class October 24, 2003
A Peek at the Week
This week we spent some time talking about “action words”, and how these words tell us what someone or something is DOING. We also continued our unit on farm animals, practicing the sounds the animals make, identifying them, and also giving the names for the male/female and baby animals.
The changing leaves were also a big topic this week. For centers, the children colored a leaf mural, using autumn colored chalk. These murals are hanging both inside the classroom and in the hallway. Other centers included practicing cutting with scissors, and the computer program “Little Brown Bear on the Farm”, which practices clicking the mouse. The children made cards for Mrs. Camosci and Garret in the paper fun center (see notes below).
Speech and Language
This week we worked on the concepts of loud and soft by beating a drum. While doing this we also practiced counting. For articulation we continued to work on sounds that bring our lips together, like p,b, and m. We also worked on the /s/ sound. I tell the children to pretend that their teeth are a cage and they have to keep their tongue in the cage, while the blow. Everyone is able to do this. We continued to practice the words my and your.
PT Group
Leaves were falling in PT Group this week. The children used autumn colored scarves as leaves…throwing them up and catching them with one or two hands, catching them on their heads or elbows, and scrunching them up inside one hand. For the group game, each child had a turn being the “tree” with leaves (scarves placed on the child’s head, arms, and tucked in pockets). The other children were the wind, blowing slowly, quickly, up, down, and around, making the leaves fall off the tree. This was lots of fun.
Please remember to send your child to school in sneakers on Wednesdays for this PT group. Thanks.
Reminder:
We’re trying to collectively read 100 books for the Scholastic Classrooms Care event. If we read 100 books, they will donate books to children who need them. So, don’t forget to send us a note when you read some books, we’ll color in the boxes on our chart. We’re up to 14 so far…keep ‘em coming!
Thoughts of Sympathy
We’ve been thinking of Mrs. Camosci as she deals with the loss of her Stepfather. He passed away last Saturday, and therefore Mrs. Camosci has been out this week. We miss her, and send her our love.
Get well soon…Garret was absent last week and this week due to surgery. We have missed him, and hope he gets better soon.
Words to songs we’re learning:
Leaves, leaves, falling down,
falling to the ground,
red, orange, yellow, brown,
falling to the ground.
Looking Ahead
Next week’s theme will be Autumn and Halloween Fun. On Friday we will be having our classroom party from 10:30-11:30. While this party is for the children only, we will be having parties in the future for which parents will be invited. For the morning group, we ask that you DO NOT send your child in wearing his/her costume. Instead, we will be having a “show and tell” time with the costumes. Children will have a chance to show us his/her costume and tell us about their plans for Halloween night.
Thanks for helping us with this party through the items you are sending in for that day. It should be LOTS of fun…I’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures to post on the class website.
In November, we’ll be learning about positional/place words, furniture and utensils, and Thanksgiving.
This week we spent some time talking about “action words”, and how these words tell us what someone or something is DOING. We also continued our unit on farm animals, practicing the sounds the animals make, identifying them, and also giving the names for the male/female and baby animals.
The changing leaves were also a big topic this week. For centers, the children colored a leaf mural, using autumn colored chalk. These murals are hanging both inside the classroom and in the hallway. Other centers included practicing cutting with scissors, and the computer program “Little Brown Bear on the Farm”, which practices clicking the mouse. The children made cards for Mrs. Camosci and Garret in the paper fun center (see notes below).
Speech and Language
This week we worked on the concepts of loud and soft by beating a drum. While doing this we also practiced counting. For articulation we continued to work on sounds that bring our lips together, like p,b, and m. We also worked on the /s/ sound. I tell the children to pretend that their teeth are a cage and they have to keep their tongue in the cage, while the blow. Everyone is able to do this. We continued to practice the words my and your.
PT Group
Leaves were falling in PT Group this week. The children used autumn colored scarves as leaves…throwing them up and catching them with one or two hands, catching them on their heads or elbows, and scrunching them up inside one hand. For the group game, each child had a turn being the “tree” with leaves (scarves placed on the child’s head, arms, and tucked in pockets). The other children were the wind, blowing slowly, quickly, up, down, and around, making the leaves fall off the tree. This was lots of fun.
Please remember to send your child to school in sneakers on Wednesdays for this PT group. Thanks.
Reminder:
We’re trying to collectively read 100 books for the Scholastic Classrooms Care event. If we read 100 books, they will donate books to children who need them. So, don’t forget to send us a note when you read some books, we’ll color in the boxes on our chart. We’re up to 14 so far…keep ‘em coming!
Thoughts of Sympathy
We’ve been thinking of Mrs. Camosci as she deals with the loss of her Stepfather. He passed away last Saturday, and therefore Mrs. Camosci has been out this week. We miss her, and send her our love.
Get well soon…Garret was absent last week and this week due to surgery. We have missed him, and hope he gets better soon.
Words to songs we’re learning:
Leaves, leaves, falling down,
falling to the ground,
red, orange, yellow, brown,
falling to the ground.
Looking Ahead
Next week’s theme will be Autumn and Halloween Fun. On Friday we will be having our classroom party from 10:30-11:30. While this party is for the children only, we will be having parties in the future for which parents will be invited. For the morning group, we ask that you DO NOT send your child in wearing his/her costume. Instead, we will be having a “show and tell” time with the costumes. Children will have a chance to show us his/her costume and tell us about their plans for Halloween night.
Thanks for helping us with this party through the items you are sending in for that day. It should be LOTS of fun…I’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures to post on the class website.
In November, we’ll be learning about positional/place words, furniture and utensils, and Thanksgiving.
Monday, October 20, 2003
Classroom News October 17, 2003
A Peek at the WeekThis week we learned about the animals that live on a farm. These included: pigs, horses, cows, chickens, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, and mice, among others. For centers, the children enjoyed playing with the farm animals and barn in the block center. Here they could drive the farmer around in his tractor, set up fences, and care for the animals. Other centers this week included: cutting out a sheep and gluing on cotton balls, the kitchen as a farmhouse, listening to the stories “I Went Walking” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” on tape, and playing with play dough.
Vocabulary words this week: Pig, piglets, cow, calf, horse, chicken, goat, kid, sheep, lamb, dog, cat, kitten, mouse, rooster, hen, duck, ducklings, milking, working, silo, barn, and barnyard.
Speech and Language
Due to its popularity, we continued with the car and truck with Bear this week. We expanded our language to include making requests for the type of vehicle each student wanted to use and for what we would do with it. In addition we worked on the concept of through, using a tunnel we created. /S/ is the sound we focused on this week, while still encouraging the children to maintain lip closure for p,b, and m. While working with the cars we practiced the pronouns: I, me, my, you and your.
PT Group
This week the children had fun acting like the different animals on the farm. These included: a horse galloping, a pig, a cow, and a chicken, among others. Also, each child got a turn being the “farmer” (see pictures on the website) where they had to chase the animals on the farm. This was a “farmyard” version of freeze tag.
Thanks to Jack Beck and family for the book donation “Caps for Sale” to our class library. Also thanks to Darien's family for "Who Says Woof?", and Chera's family for "All you need For a Snowman". It’s nice getting books from our wish list.
Looking AheadNext week we’ll continue to talk about farms, action words, and the next week will be Halloween fun. We will be planning a simple Halloween party for Friday, October 31st.The party will be a small event, taking place from 10:30-11:30. Our room parent, Mrs. Beck, will be contacting you to discuss items to send in.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
The classroom website has been updated, and I will do my best to update it weekly. You can visit it at www.geocities.com/ecsprekclass@sbcglobal.net
Vocabulary words this week: Pig, piglets, cow, calf, horse, chicken, goat, kid, sheep, lamb, dog, cat, kitten, mouse, rooster, hen, duck, ducklings, milking, working, silo, barn, and barnyard.
Speech and Language
Due to its popularity, we continued with the car and truck with Bear this week. We expanded our language to include making requests for the type of vehicle each student wanted to use and for what we would do with it. In addition we worked on the concept of through, using a tunnel we created. /S/ is the sound we focused on this week, while still encouraging the children to maintain lip closure for p,b, and m. While working with the cars we practiced the pronouns: I, me, my, you and your.
PT Group
This week the children had fun acting like the different animals on the farm. These included: a horse galloping, a pig, a cow, and a chicken, among others. Also, each child got a turn being the “farmer” (see pictures on the website) where they had to chase the animals on the farm. This was a “farmyard” version of freeze tag.
Thanks to Jack Beck and family for the book donation “Caps for Sale” to our class library. Also thanks to Darien's family for "Who Says Woof?", and Chera's family for "All you need For a Snowman". It’s nice getting books from our wish list.
Looking AheadNext week we’ll continue to talk about farms, action words, and the next week will be Halloween fun. We will be planning a simple Halloween party for Friday, October 31st.The party will be a small event, taking place from 10:30-11:30. Our room parent, Mrs. Beck, will be contacting you to discuss items to send in.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
The classroom website has been updated, and I will do my best to update it weekly. You can visit it at www.geocities.com/ecsprekclass@sbcglobal.net
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Classroom News October 3, 2003
A Peek at the Week
This week the children participated in many activities involving shapes. They painted with watercolors, and watched as outlines of shapes “magically” appeared. Shapes were first drawn on the white paper with a white crayon, so that when the children painted on the paper, the outlines of shapes remained white. Making pictures by gluing on different colored paper shapes was also an activity this week. Stringing foam shapes, using shape sorters, shape puzzles, a shape/color game, and using wikki stix were some of the centers this week. They children were able to make shapes with the wikki stix, which are wax sticks that stick to themselves and each other. At the flannel board, there were many shapes and colors to build things with. Also, 8 circles, starting small and getting progressively bigger, were mixed up on the flannel board. The children were asked to put the circles in order from smallest to the biggest. We continue to observe the worm farm for activity, but so far it’s been a bit disappointing: the worms are hiding pretty well.
Vocabulary words this week: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, heart, diamond, hexagon, trapezoid, oval, cross, and egg were the most talked about shapes this week. We also discussed small, medium, large, smallest, and biggest.
Speech and Language
This week we worked on the words on, off, forward and backward. We did this with the help of our bears. Again we practiced keeping our lips together for the p,b, and m sounds. We also practiced keeping our teeth together for the s sound. Taking turns and using our words to take turns was also rehearsed. With the help of a flashlight we counted things in the classroom. Working, mostly, on saying the words for 1 – 4 correctly. At home you can help by blowing bubbles and having your child suck thick things through a straw.
PT Group
This week the children had fun going through a shape obstacle course. Large wooden shape cutouts in stands were placed throughout the AP Room floor. The children crawled through these shapes, and as they did, they had to name the shape and color of the shape they were crawling through it. They also practiced going backwards through each shape as well.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
The playground is now free of bees, and we have been able to go outside a few times this week. While outside, the children enjoy riding bikes, climbing and going down slides, riding on a mini roller coaster ride, playing in the sandboxes, playing with the pretend kitchen materials, and raking/weeding the garden, among other things.
Reminder: As long as the weather is “nice” we will be going outside, even if it is a bit chilly out. Please send your child to school with a jacket for playground time. Thanks.
Looking Ahead
In October, we will be discussing Self-care, farms, action words, and Halloween. We will be planning a simple Halloween party for Friday, October 31st. More information will be available, as the time gets closer.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
The classroom website has been updated, and I will do my best to update it weekly. You can visit it at www.geocities.com/ecsprekclass@sbcglobal.net
This week the children participated in many activities involving shapes. They painted with watercolors, and watched as outlines of shapes “magically” appeared. Shapes were first drawn on the white paper with a white crayon, so that when the children painted on the paper, the outlines of shapes remained white. Making pictures by gluing on different colored paper shapes was also an activity this week. Stringing foam shapes, using shape sorters, shape puzzles, a shape/color game, and using wikki stix were some of the centers this week. They children were able to make shapes with the wikki stix, which are wax sticks that stick to themselves and each other. At the flannel board, there were many shapes and colors to build things with. Also, 8 circles, starting small and getting progressively bigger, were mixed up on the flannel board. The children were asked to put the circles in order from smallest to the biggest. We continue to observe the worm farm for activity, but so far it’s been a bit disappointing: the worms are hiding pretty well.
Vocabulary words this week: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, heart, diamond, hexagon, trapezoid, oval, cross, and egg were the most talked about shapes this week. We also discussed small, medium, large, smallest, and biggest.
Speech and Language
This week we worked on the words on, off, forward and backward. We did this with the help of our bears. Again we practiced keeping our lips together for the p,b, and m sounds. We also practiced keeping our teeth together for the s sound. Taking turns and using our words to take turns was also rehearsed. With the help of a flashlight we counted things in the classroom. Working, mostly, on saying the words for 1 – 4 correctly. At home you can help by blowing bubbles and having your child suck thick things through a straw.
PT Group
This week the children had fun going through a shape obstacle course. Large wooden shape cutouts in stands were placed throughout the AP Room floor. The children crawled through these shapes, and as they did, they had to name the shape and color of the shape they were crawling through it. They also practiced going backwards through each shape as well.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
The playground is now free of bees, and we have been able to go outside a few times this week. While outside, the children enjoy riding bikes, climbing and going down slides, riding on a mini roller coaster ride, playing in the sandboxes, playing with the pretend kitchen materials, and raking/weeding the garden, among other things.
Reminder: As long as the weather is “nice” we will be going outside, even if it is a bit chilly out. Please send your child to school with a jacket for playground time. Thanks.
Looking Ahead
In October, we will be discussing Self-care, farms, action words, and Halloween. We will be planning a simple Halloween party for Friday, October 31st. More information will be available, as the time gets closer.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
The classroom website has been updated, and I will do my best to update it weekly. You can visit it at www.geocities.com/ecsprekclass@sbcglobal.net
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Classroom News September 26, 2003
A Peek at the Week
WOW! The family collages were great! The children were all very eager to tell the class about their family pictures, and did a great job doing this! We will have them displayed in the class all next week. This week we read “Mortimer”, another book by Robert Munsch. In this story, Mortimer’s mother, father, sisters and brothers each try to get him to be quiet at bedtime. Each time, Mortimer sings a noisy tune. The children really enjoyed singing this each time it happened in the book. This book, along with last week’s “Mud Puddle” book will be sent home with each child starting next week. Your child can share this book with you, and should be able to tell you much of the story.
The afternoon class made a worm farm on Wednesday. This required scooping soil, sand, and leaves into a clear box, and then adding the worms. We will continue to observe the farm for signs of worm tunnels and other changes. Centers this week included: dollhouse with multicultural families, blocks, making family finger puppets, and coloring family books.
Vocabulary words this week: We learned the hand signs for these words: family, mother, father, sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, child. Other vocabulary included: soil, sand, upstairs, downstairs, and tunnel.
Speech and Language
This week the bears went bowling. The students practiced the words for “my turn”, “your turn”. We also worked on requesting “try again”. We identified the pin, ball and roll. For articulation we practiced keeping our lips together when we make the p, b, and m sounds. We also worked on keeping our tongues behind our teeth when we make the /s/ sound.
Words to songs we’re learning:
Mortimer In the book, Mortimer repeats this each time another family member comes upstairs:
“Clang clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day, clang clang rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day!”
For our flag time, the children are learning both “Yankee Doodle” and “Grand Old Flag”.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
We have been having problems with bees making nests in every little spot on our playground. The custodians have sprayed multiple times, and we’ve had professional exterminators here twice. Hopefully we will get them under control soon, since we have not been able to go out for the past two weeks. Thanks for your understanding.
PT Group
This week the children practiced bouncing and catching balls, throwing them up and catching, as well as doing this with a partner. Following directions was also incorporated since everyone had to listen to Renee to hear when to start, stop, and what action to do with the ball.
PICTURE RETAKE CHANGE
As of today, picture retake day has been rescheduled to October 6th from 1:30-3:00 in the library. If you would like your child’s picture retaken, you will need to bring your child in during this time. If you expected a package and didn’t receive one, this means your child did not have an order form and money to hand in on picture day. Bring your check and order form Oct. 6th, and you can have your child’s picture taken then.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will be learning all about shapes. We will use shapes in various art projects, and practice drawing shapes with our fingers in shaving cream. We will also be using playdough and other fun sensory materials for practicing shapes.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
WOW! The family collages were great! The children were all very eager to tell the class about their family pictures, and did a great job doing this! We will have them displayed in the class all next week. This week we read “Mortimer”, another book by Robert Munsch. In this story, Mortimer’s mother, father, sisters and brothers each try to get him to be quiet at bedtime. Each time, Mortimer sings a noisy tune. The children really enjoyed singing this each time it happened in the book. This book, along with last week’s “Mud Puddle” book will be sent home with each child starting next week. Your child can share this book with you, and should be able to tell you much of the story.
The afternoon class made a worm farm on Wednesday. This required scooping soil, sand, and leaves into a clear box, and then adding the worms. We will continue to observe the farm for signs of worm tunnels and other changes. Centers this week included: dollhouse with multicultural families, blocks, making family finger puppets, and coloring family books.
Vocabulary words this week: We learned the hand signs for these words: family, mother, father, sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, child. Other vocabulary included: soil, sand, upstairs, downstairs, and tunnel.
Speech and Language
This week the bears went bowling. The students practiced the words for “my turn”, “your turn”. We also worked on requesting “try again”. We identified the pin, ball and roll. For articulation we practiced keeping our lips together when we make the p, b, and m sounds. We also worked on keeping our tongues behind our teeth when we make the /s/ sound.
Words to songs we’re learning:
Mortimer In the book, Mortimer repeats this each time another family member comes upstairs:
“Clang clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day, clang clang rattle bing bang, gonna make my noise all day!”
For our flag time, the children are learning both “Yankee Doodle” and “Grand Old Flag”.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
We have been having problems with bees making nests in every little spot on our playground. The custodians have sprayed multiple times, and we’ve had professional exterminators here twice. Hopefully we will get them under control soon, since we have not been able to go out for the past two weeks. Thanks for your understanding.
PT Group
This week the children practiced bouncing and catching balls, throwing them up and catching, as well as doing this with a partner. Following directions was also incorporated since everyone had to listen to Renee to hear when to start, stop, and what action to do with the ball.
PICTURE RETAKE CHANGE
As of today, picture retake day has been rescheduled to October 6th from 1:30-3:00 in the library. If you would like your child’s picture retaken, you will need to bring your child in during this time. If you expected a package and didn’t receive one, this means your child did not have an order form and money to hand in on picture day. Bring your check and order form Oct. 6th, and you can have your child’s picture taken then.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will be learning all about shapes. We will use shapes in various art projects, and practice drawing shapes with our fingers in shaving cream. We will also be using playdough and other fun sensory materials for practicing shapes.
As always, please feel free to call and leave a voice mail, send a note in your child’s backpack, or email me if you have any questions/concerns.
knagy@cromwellct.org
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