Woodworking Project:
This week we spent as much time as we could outside. The fresh air really made our bodies feel great, and it was the perfect way to speak some more about buildings and what they need to function. As we walked, we observed that some buildings have trees on the roof, and some don’t. Some have water towers. There are ladders on the front of some buildings that are used as a fire escape- and we spoke a little bit about what they are used for. We took the time to look at different windows and doors, at what’s around a building too (like sidewalks, trees, and street light poles). We tried to look at the differences between a storefront and an apartment building. There were small details too, like a building that had stars on it, and some of the different places we looked had numbers on them. We noticed pipes and vents and steps. Some buildings are flat on top, and others have points at the top. There are so many varied details! It was such a productive way to really start to understand what we might want to work on when we build in the classroom. Weather permitting, we will continue to explore the neighborhood for architecture and building styles.
Thank you SO much for all of your donations- they are pouring in and we are very excited to plan some next steps for our project. We have lots of tools and wood now, and are eager to get to work.
Autumn Observations:
We were also able to take a good look at what Autumn is all about- the leaves on the trees are dwindling and the ones that are left have such beautiful vibrant colors right now. We collected acorns, watched pigeons move around the playground, and soaked up the brilliant sunlight!
Sensory Play:
In the classroom, we did some really exciting sensory projects this week. We worked with puffy shaving cream paint and saw how paint can be used in a three dimensional capacity. We also did a foot painting, which became a full body painting experience. The paint was so slippery! Una and Ericksen really enjoyed the sensation of sloshing and sliding through the paint, whereas Millie and Cleo were a little more cautious about their footing. Paint doesn’t always have to be done with a brush!
Why is Sensory play so important? For one, our senses are involved in everything that we do. Having them actively learning and moving gives our brain the proper information to really absorb and understand what is happening in the world around us. Everything that we can touch and use our whole bodies for becomes a lasting memory. It allows us to understand how we feel about different things as well; it’s important to know that you enjoy painting with your fingers, but not with your toes. It’s important to know that materials don’t only vary in color, they can vary in texture, consistency and weight. Sensory play also gives our fine and gross motor muscles a workout. The more that we can do with our fingers, the better prepared we will be when it’s time to start writing letters and words. We need our fingers to have muscle memory, endurance, and strength to hold up a pencil to write a whole paragraph. Each project that we work on in the classroom is getting your child prepared for big important tasks in the future!
Specialists:
Ernestina brought in puppets and masks for us to explore with this week as we learned about different farm animals and the unique sounds they make that differ from our American interpretation
Diane had us mix together cinnamon, corn chex, and raisins to make a trail mix this week. We are focusing on the difference between crunchy, soft, sweet, sour, and salty
Coach C played such a fun “splash” game with us during soccer! We were all laughing so much. The goal was to practice running and pulling the pinnies from Coach’s pocket to splash him with.
Mr Andrew sang us a new story this week! We heard Tiptoe Joe by Ginger Foglesong Gibson
Reminders:
We are closed on Monday, Nov. 11th for Veterans Day
We are closed on Friday, Nov. 15th for Parent Teacher Conferences (please let me know if you need to change your time)
Our first curriculum breakfast is on Friday, Nov. 22nd from 9:00-9:40 / Sign up sheet coming to you very soon
We are closed on Thurs & Fri Nov 28 & 29 for Thanksgiving