Our specialists started this week!
Wednesday: Diane is back this year for more cooking. We started off with a simple taste test of apples and honey. Everyone was able to try a green, yellow, and red slice of apple. We were also introduced to the apple corer, and though we didn’t get a chance to use it just yet, we were amazed to see the apple transform from whole into slices.
Thursday: Each Thursday we will be having Super Soccer classes during our gym time. This week we met Coach C and he lead us through a few activities that helped us remember that we only use our feet and not our hands to play soccer.
Friday: We met Mr. Andrew, who is our new music teacher. He sang a few of our favorite songs, and also sang two great books: Baby Bear, Baby Bear and From Head to Toe. Many videos on Instagram!!!
We’re going to be DUCKS!
Our Halloween costumes have been decided: ducks it is! Please bring in a long sleeved white shirt for your child (a few sizes big so that it can fit over a bulky coat - it’s usually pretty chilly for the parade) so we can start the decorating. This year the children will work on their own costume- no need for parent assistance! We can’t wait to show off our amazing costumes later this month.
Speaking of ducks- our class duck, Quack Quack, is going to be traveling home with each child. I will be sending a google doc sign up so that you can select a weekend to bring Quack Quack home. A few pictures of your adventures with Quack Quack and a few captions are all we need. Your child will get to show everyone the pages that you add to the journal. Thanks for your help, we think the kids are really going to enjoy bringing our sweet duck home. (And please note- it does really have a quacking sound - sorry in advance!).
Connecting with Nature
This week we continued to take advantage of the beautiful Autumnal changes in our neighborhood. We went to Morgan’s Market to pick out two pumpkins for the classroom, explored our local farmer’s market and bought bread and jam to enjoy in our classroom. As we ventured through the park, we even got to see the pigeons taking a bath in a puddle. We encourage the children to notice the subtle changes, like leaves on the ground, the colors changing, and the increase in windy days.
In the classroom, we have been using leaves and acorns for a lot of our work. With a little teacher help, we have been creating leaf people. Activities like this open up a dialogue about the parts of the body and facial features. Children are able to identify textures, colors, size differences, and anomalies - like little rips and tears on a leaf. We are fostering language development through our nature play.
Other activities involving nature this week:
Sunflower still life drawings
Washing our new pumpkins
Looking at apple seeds (and hopefully we will plant a few next week).
Books we loved this week
Pete The Cat’s Five Little Pumpkins
Night Animals
Dig!
Go Away Big Green Monster!
Self Portraits
Eudenis and I are so impressed with this month’s self portraits! They are really starting to take shape and personality.
