March 22, 2012

Activities:

• Snack Helpers:  Braxton and Will
• Topic:  Staying Healthy!
• Art Projects:  Frog - squish bag - fingerpaint inside; Butterfly!
• Dora's clues:  green marker, green crayon, green paper - we found a song and book about green in the backpack!
• Mortimer the puppet introduced the letter "T" - he found a toothbrush in the woods!  Practice words with the letter T with your child!
• We've got mail:  We found "Bac" the bacteria puppet!  His real name is B-A-C-T-E-R-I-A and he didn't want the children to wash their hands or keep things clean, because he wanted a place to hide and make people sick!  But, the children remembered it was easy to get rid of Bac - just wash their hands and keep things clean!  We also talked about the germ busters:  elbow sneeze and cough, throw tissues in the trash can, and keep toys out of your mouth!  You can't see the germs on your hands, and it is especially important to wash your hands before you eat!
• Dismiss for snack activity:  snowman color match and match food
• Stories:  Bear Wants More; You are What You Eat; Eating Right
• Songs: 1)  (sung to row row your boat):  Wash, wash, wash your hands; to the count of fifteen; scrub em and rub em; rub em and scrub em; till they're really clean!  1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11,12,13,14,15.... Now I'm clean!       2) (sung to she'll be comin' around the mountain):  When you cough or when you sneeze, cover your mouth;  When you cough or when you sneeze, cover your mouth;  When you cough or when you sneeze, cover your mouth, if you please;  When you cough or when you sneeze, cover your mouth!  
• We talked about treats and healthy food, for an interesting discussion with the children!

March 15, 2012

Activities:

• Snack Helpers:  Molly & Ryder
• Theme this week:  transportation!
• Art Projects:  we made a butterfly and a shamrock (out of hearts)!
• Books:  Plane Rides, Boat Rides, Train Rides
• Songs:  "Choo Choo Train"; and "I'm a Little Airplane" (sung to "I'm a little teapot"):  "I'm a little airplane in the sky; I start out low; then I fly up high.  When it's time to land, my wheels come down.  And then I gently touch the ground."
• Dora's clues:  leprechaun, shamrock, green hat...... Happy St. Patrick's Day!
• We found a pot of gold (chocolate kisses) in the school today--- we decided the leprechauns brought it and forgot where they left it so we each got a piece of gold!!  We also had mysterious green footprints in the school -- did they match our feet?  Who left the green footprints? :)
• We've got mail:  We found a project - how to make a balance scale!  Directions:  use a clothes hanger to make a balance - tie two identical cups on each end of the hanger so that they balance and tape them in place.  Hook the scale to a door knob or cabinet handle, or hang it from the ceiling.  Invite the children to weigh and balance small toy animals, clocks, shells, rocks, etc.  How many rocks does it take to balance against one toy animal?  What happens when you place one block in each cup?  Does one square block weigh more or less than a rectangle shaped block?  Or, do they weigh the same?
• Dismiss for snack activity:  match transportation pictures!  We talked about different ways that we travel - by air, land, and water.
• Mortimer the puppet introduced the letter "S"!  He was wearing Socks!!

March 8th, 2012

Announcements:

• Conferences Friday March 9th, no school!
• Thanks for signing up to bring snacks!

Activities:

• Snack helpers:  Emma and Lydia
• Art projects:   we made a kite; and we worked on a story - "If I could drive a car....."
• We've got mail:  We found an experiment - "salty water makes the egg float"!  To do the experiment, fill a glass cup half full with water, carefully drop an egg in the water - it should sink! Slowly stir salt into the water - the egg should start to float.  It is much easier for people to float in the salty water of the ocean too!!
• Mortimer the puppet introduced the letter "R" - he found a rainbow colored rabbit in the woods!
• Dismiss for snack activity:  snowman number match, and position pictures!
• Dora's clues:  small, medium, and large diamond - there was a diamond kite in the backpack for the children to color!
• Stories:  Who Cares About the Weather; Bears Your Manners are Showing; Manners at School
• Song:  "Teddy Bear Hokey-Pokey" song:  You put your teddy bear in, you put your teddy bear out; You put your teddy bear in, and you shake it all about, You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, That's what it's all about!

March 1st, 2012

Announcements:

• Booklet of Experiences:  Your child brought home their booklet on Thursday!  Spring progress reports will also be in the booklet...... And, you have an assignment to do!  Please write about your child's favorite place to go with your family.  You may include pictures.  Have fun writing and talking to your child about his/her special place.  Please remember to return the booklet to school - you will get to keep the booklet in May!

Activities:

• Snack helpers: Laine and Andrew
• Theme: dinosaurs
• Dora's clues:  star, star, star - we found a dot to dot paper exercise that makes a star!
• We've got mail:  We found a rainbow volcano experiment!  You need a small bowl of water.  Squirt shaving cream into the center of the water, drip colors of water (use food coloring) on the top and watch the water run down the volcano - you will make a rainbow of colors in the water!
• We took a walk/fieldtrip to Dr. Dvorak's dental clinic - ask us what we learned about eating healthy foods and taking care of our teeth!
• Mortimer the puppet introduced the letter Q!  Mortimer had a quilt - did it keep him warm??
• Dismiss for snack activity:  dinosaur match exercise
• Books:  Dinosaur book; Can I have a Stegosaurus Mom?  Can I Please?
• Songs:  Dino Play, sung to "row row row your boat":  "Dino, Dino, dinosaurs; How are you today?;  Dino, dino, dinosaurs; Would you like to play?"; and Stegosaurus:  sung to "are you sleeping?":  "Stegosaurus, Stegosaurus in the swamp, in the swamp.  Plates upon your back, with your tail you whack - klomp, klomp, klomp!"