Building and Constructing
There are so many different tools in our classroom that aid in our ongoing building research. This week there was a big desire to create with the Duplo Legos. We had such a wide range of outcomes with the legos- some friends used them to create ducks, while others focused on houses and towers. What’s amazing is all of the conversation and enthusiasm that we overhear. The children are so incredibly proud of their creations. They take a lot of pride in their work and are more than happy to tell you the whole story behind it. We are noticing a big surge in storytelling and conversation. There are big leaps in our vocabulary! Plus, every time we work with manipulatives like the Legos, our fine motor muscles are getting a work out, our eyes and hands are learning how to work in harmony, and we have to use a great deal of problem solving and trial and error to put everything together successfully.
We also love to build with: Magna-tiles, Bristle blocks, Plus plus, sticky blocks (a mild adhesive on all sides of the shapes), and our unit blocks.
Science: What’s inside that pumpkin?!
This week we finally got to cut open our pumpkin and create our Jack-o-Lantern! Before cutting into the pumpkin, we asked the children to think about what might be inside. Often, when we ask questions as a large group, the answer becomes contagious- as was the case this time- but it’s still a great exercise in learning how to create a hypothesis.
Chase: Orange
Louisa: Orange
Addie: Orange
Aris: Orange
Una: Orange- no, it’s pink!
Ericksen: Ants
Cleo: Orange
Antoine: Oranges
Of course, we found seeds and stringy pumpkin “guts” inside and a few of us were brave enough to use our hands to scoop out the contents, while others used a spoon to remove the seeds. We’ll be cooking them up next week for a delicious snack (and thanks to Millie for sharing some of her roasted pumpkin seeds with us, too!).
We also cut open our little pumpkins and used tweezers to remove the seeds. Another wonderful way to get up close and personal with pumpkins and learn how to squeeze the two sides of the tweezers together.
We also voted on which shapes to use to create our Jack-o-Lantern!
Creating our November backdrop
We worked collaboratively to paint a new backdrop for our November photos. Each child approaches painting in a different way- some make large sweeping strokes with the paintbrush while others focus on covering a very small area at a time. There are children who work in a circular motion and others that always make lines. Either way, it’s a fabulous method to develop a sense of creativity, community, and color.
Self Portraits
This month there was a more focused approach to self portraits. Before starting, each child was encouraged to talk about all of their facial features that they wanted to include in the portrait. We heard a lot of “Nose” “Eyes” and “Mouth/Lips” but also some less common features such as “Eyebrows” “Forehead” and “Cheeks.” There has also been another leap in fine motor coordination- some of the portraits are really starting to resemble a face!
Specialists:
More spooky Spanish fun with Ernestina, veggie taste testing with Diane, and singing along with Mr. Andrew!
Happy Halloween!
Thank you for a fantastic parade and party. It was SO much fun thanks to all of your participation.
Reminders:
BMS is closed on Monday, Nov 11th for Veteran’s Day
Parent teacher Conferences are on Friday, Nov 15th - no children in school this day
BMS is having a Math Fair on Saturday, Nov 16th from 10am-12pm (I’ll be there!!)
Our first Curriculum breakfast is on Friday, Nov 22nd - details to come
BMS is closed on Thurs & Fri Nov 28 & 29 for Thanksgiving
