Halloween

View an Animoto of Halloween Activities

Wacky Hair Day

Mrs. W arrived at school with crazy orange hair for Wacky Hair Day. Some of the kids came with crazy hair too.  

Tomorrow is Costume Day for Pre K.  I wonder if I will recognize anyone?

We scooped out pumpkins today and I am roasting some seeds for everyone to taste tomorrow.

Pajama Day

One of my favorite Spirit Days---Pajama Day!

Witches' Brew

We have been singing "Witches Brew" by Hap Palmer everyday for the past several days. After singing the song, we pretend to drink some of the magic brew. Then we take turns telling everyone what we turned into. The classes really enjoy this language building activity. We sing the song from a CD, but I found it here on YouTube, too.

Picnic

The girls had fun having a picnic this afternoon.  Lots of language and social skills were used!

Cloud Dough

Today we made Cloud Dough in class.  We mixed 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 cup of hair conditioner.  The kids enjoyed mixing and playing.  This activity was good for fine motor development.  It was also great for language and social skills as the children used lots of language to remind each other that they each needed a turn to mix.  Talking about playing with the dough and cleaning the spoon and bowl gave the children lots of opportunities to use language too.

                  

EYE ASSESMENT

Today, I was out of the classroom administering EYE (Early Years Evaluation) to the four year olds in our class.  EYE is an Assesment that the Ministery of Education requires teachers to give to all four year olds in Pre K.  Children are tested in a quiet area away from the classroom for 45 minutes per child.  As there are 19 children in our classroom that the Ministery requires to be tested, it will take several days to test and I will be out of the classroom for several days.  Mrs. W will be in the room, and a substitute teacher, Mrs. H has been hired to be in the room during this time also.

The EYE assesses the children's development in several areas:

Awareness of Self and Environment, Gross Motor, Cognitive Skills, Language and Communication and Fine Motor Skills.  After the assessment is done, we will have a "snapshot" of how the children are doing in these areas.

I look forward to discussing how your child is doing at the Parent/Teacher Interviews in November.

I am also looking forward to returning back to the classroom to work and play with your children by Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Thanksgiving Soup

Today, we ate a special snack of Thanksgiving Soup, buns and pumpkin cake with whipping cream.  The pumpkin cake with whipping cream was a hit!  Mrs. McKay, our school nutritionist, is a great cook!

Library Day

We borrowed books to take home for the very first time, today.  Have fun reading them and re-reading them for a few days.  By listening to stories over and over again, children's language gets better and better.
If your child brings their library book back by Monday, October 21, they will be allowed to choose another book to take home.  (next Monday is Thanksgiving, so no library next week)

     Some of the books that we got to choose from this week.

These are our "Library Cards".

These are our library book bags.

Music

Singing, dancing and playing music are a big part of Pre K.  Children have fun playing the piano during playtime.

Pumping



Learning to Pump yourself on the swing is good for large muscles and excellent for Independence and self concept.  Children are so proud when they learn to pump themselves!

Fine Motor Skills

It is important to develop the small muscles in little fingers and hands. These muscles need to be strong for when children are ready to print. Cutting and playing with a magnetic maze help to strengthen small muscles. Playing with “Theraputty” (a material similar to play dough or plasticine but firmer) is also excellent for improving fine motor skills. The children love hunting for gems in the Theraputty and hiding it again for their friends to find.



Science Table

 

 

 

Our Science Table has lots of things to explore! Thank you to parents for their donations! We have ladybugs, pine cones, acorn squash, oats, sunflowers, sheep's wool, horse hair, and a strawberry plant with strawberries that are quickly ripening. These are all wonderful for encouraging conversations and a sense of wonder! Crab apples were a great treat!

Gross Motor Skills

Our Pre K classes have been taking advantage of the warm fall weather to improve Gross Motor Skills. Take a few minutes to look at our Animoto Slide show! (Hint: Click on the bottom right hand corner to view full screen)

"What makes us move is also what makes us think. Certain kinds of exercise can produce chemical alterations that give us stronger, healthier, and happier brains. A better brain is better equipped to think, remember, and learn." (Ratey, 2001, p. 178)