December 2011 – Garden Room News
Ok, I know winter is NOT officially here until the solstice, but oh my goodness we can feel it all the way to our bones…yikes!
We are still a little unprepared as we seem to be running out of mittens and all those little ‘kittens’ have lost theirs too. Help, please- what you can do?
The children who bring their rain pants are the happiest playing children outside. Having some snow pants or bibs would also help.
Rain or Snow…bring it on!
Dates to remember:
December 15 and16 – Pajama Days. Yay!
December 19–January 2 – Winter Vacation
Tuesday January 3 – First Day of School after Break
La lluvia! The rain:
We are learning about rain (seems like Jack Frost heard about it and he had to ruin our experiment).
So far, our circle has had some interesting inputs about what rain is:
from “angry clouds hitting each other and making rain” to “the water goes up from the lakes in a cloud, gets dark and then comes down with lightening.”
Not bad for preschoolersJ
We will be able to actually make some rain experiments in class and learn the appropriate vocabulary, including some talk about lightening and thunder.
During the next couple of weeks, we hope to make some water collectors and rain gauges. The children will learn how to use them. Please bring in a small empty plastic bottle ( the water bottle kind). We will hope for some rain.
Last week of 2011 @ CW from the 12th to the 16th:
Please sent your children in warm PJ’s for the 15th or 16th. Please have a bag of extra clothes just in case they want to change to go outside.
Sharing Family Celebrations: I would like to invite those of you who would like to share a project or food of your seasonal tradition. Please come and enrich our world. Send me an e-mail with your idea and time to share that works best for you. One day is already taken by Juliet and Amelia’s mom. The next 4 families will take the available spots on the days Monday to Thursday. That is all for now.
Happy Celebrations Everyone!
January 2012–Garden Room News Happy New Year Everyone! I wish you have a most successful year.
I sure am taking this New Year with a lot of enthusiasm and hope for our world. Children make life brighter even when the sunshine (or snow for that matter) is missing.
Fun comes in different ways, especially when you are a preschooler.
Coming back to school after two weeks of family time is an adjustment, so fun may turn into ‘oh-oh’ time to re-learn being together as a class.
This year I was surprised that not many children show a need to do that.
They are more than ready to continue. So are we J
Dates to Remember:
January 16th – Martin Luther King Day No School
Agua-Water
We are looking during this month at the 3 different water stages.
In addition to the stages of rain the children observed a rain experiment. They are also finishing their rain gauges and when they take them home and a rainy day happens to show up they will be ready to measure it.
We are also looking at water from liquid to solid and how it expands as it freezes. They will learn the importance of water in our body and why the earth is called a “blue planet”. I hope to get to snow and snow flakes in the last week so they will also be able to see snow flakes with a powerful lens.
PTC
We do not have a formal time schedule for parent teacher conferences but we are open to meet and ‘check-in’ between 1:30-2:00 PM M-F. It needs to be scheduled in advance. We can discuss various aspects of your child learning experience in the classroom such as, but not limited to: Language-(vocabulary-verbal skills etc), Math, Fine- Gross Motor development and such.
ABC/Sign Language/ Spanish
We are moving along with this fun way of learning. I am adding new Spanish basic words and new signs are included until we are able to learn the Sign Language Alphabet as well. That is all for now.
We are having fun and it is a great way to begin 2012!