Typically we save creative art experiences for the end of our morning. It is something to really look forward to. Who doesn't like that sensory time, color and fun? Here are a few pictures from our textile arts time yesterday and from our cookie dough exploration last week ...
Tools of the Mind
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Fourth week
I predict you may hear news from your preschooler today. We had an exciting schedule planned (our schedule is a linear posting of familiar icons that has our activities, both usual and special ones on it). Kids checked the schedule frequently during the morning. The big ticket items of our day were going to the teachers' room to view our Read for the Record book, Otis, on the big screen projector in there. We kind of pretended that we were going to the movies. The kids were very well behaved, and we'll do this again sometime for the other books on this site. Here is the link to that website (lots of great titles - a free log in): http://www.wegivebooks.org/
The other exciting activity, well ... I'll back up a bit. You know we are in the midst of our family theme for dramatic play. Baking is readily considered a family activity, so yesterday we explored molasses cookie dough, as if it were playdough, for our creative art time, a multisensory activity for sure. We really got into it, sniffing the spices, gooey hands, creating different shapes and cutting them with plastic knives. Today I brought in baked molasses cookies (made from an "unexplored" batch of cookie dough), and after rereading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, we happily sat down to cookies and lowfat milk at the end of our morning. It was a delightful time, though perhaps marginal in the eyes of our Health Policy.
Your students are getting the hang of working in pairs, which is something we do often in pre-k. Buddy Reading, some of our small group math activities, Share the News, and creative art events are done in pairs. The kids are learning the give and take of social exchanges, and the art of negotiation and collaboration during these times, really important stuff. It is an honor to be part of the process.
Have a great weekend - Mrs. Bridgman
The other exciting activity, well ... I'll back up a bit. You know we are in the midst of our family theme for dramatic play. Baking is readily considered a family activity, so yesterday we explored molasses cookie dough, as if it were playdough, for our creative art time, a multisensory activity for sure. We really got into it, sniffing the spices, gooey hands, creating different shapes and cutting them with plastic knives. Today I brought in baked molasses cookies (made from an "unexplored" batch of cookie dough), and after rereading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, we happily sat down to cookies and lowfat milk at the end of our morning. It was a delightful time, though perhaps marginal in the eyes of our Health Policy.
Your students are getting the hang of working in pairs, which is something we do often in pre-k. Buddy Reading, some of our small group math activities, Share the News, and creative art events are done in pairs. The kids are learning the give and take of social exchanges, and the art of negotiation and collaboration during these times, really important stuff. It is an honor to be part of the process.
Have a great weekend - Mrs. Bridgman
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Third Week
Hi Pre-K Families,
Another solid week, with students happy to be coming to school. We love that. Finished off this week by making our own sock babies to take home, which dovetails nicely with our family theme. Kids stuffed socks, which with the addition of magic marker eyes and mouths, a ribbon to define the neck, and a blanket, make a reasonable baby surrogate. They named and gently held their babies as we walked down the hall to meet you all at noontime. This activity also builds on the concept of "gentle hands", which is one of our class rules.
The front office has asked, with firmness, that if you are late arriving at school, please stop by the office and sign in on the clipboard. Thank you.
Next week, our class will be practicing a fire drill. Because of our shorter hours, we have missed the school wide drill with the loud alarm and all.
We'll also be adding play planning to our dramatic play time next week. Kids choose a colored clothespin that indicates which center they want to play in. Then they will draw a picture of themselves playing in that center. This helps establish intentional mature play, that in turn, builds elements of self regulation that we are looking for. Play plans will be coming home about every week. You can ask your students about the picture (hopefully you will see an elementary figure that represents your child emerge as time goes on.) The color marker used, will indicate the color of the center they chose.
blue - he or she went to the living room
orange - laundry
green - bathroom
brown - garage
red - bedroom
purple - kitchen
Many thanks for your tolerance with our cardboard box painting activities. With the nice weather, we have been hauling our materials outside to paint at recess. This puts some jackets at risk, though the kids are getting very adept at putting their painting smocks on over them. This coming Wednesday, we'll be painting our "washing machine" and then we'll have completed our props for the family theme.
The cardboard car, that is the focal point in the garage center, is very popular.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bridgman
(some pictures from dramatic play)
Another solid week, with students happy to be coming to school. We love that. Finished off this week by making our own sock babies to take home, which dovetails nicely with our family theme. Kids stuffed socks, which with the addition of magic marker eyes and mouths, a ribbon to define the neck, and a blanket, make a reasonable baby surrogate. They named and gently held their babies as we walked down the hall to meet you all at noontime. This activity also builds on the concept of "gentle hands", which is one of our class rules.
The front office has asked, with firmness, that if you are late arriving at school, please stop by the office and sign in on the clipboard. Thank you.
Next week, our class will be practicing a fire drill. Because of our shorter hours, we have missed the school wide drill with the loud alarm and all.
We'll also be adding play planning to our dramatic play time next week. Kids choose a colored clothespin that indicates which center they want to play in. Then they will draw a picture of themselves playing in that center. This helps establish intentional mature play, that in turn, builds elements of self regulation that we are looking for. Play plans will be coming home about every week. You can ask your students about the picture (hopefully you will see an elementary figure that represents your child emerge as time goes on.) The color marker used, will indicate the color of the center they chose.
blue - he or she went to the living room
orange - laundry
green - bathroom
brown - garage
red - bedroom
purple - kitchen
Many thanks for your tolerance with our cardboard box painting activities. With the nice weather, we have been hauling our materials outside to paint at recess. This puts some jackets at risk, though the kids are getting very adept at putting their painting smocks on over them. This coming Wednesday, we'll be painting our "washing machine" and then we'll have completed our props for the family theme.
The cardboard car, that is the focal point in the garage center, is very popular.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bridgman
(some pictures from dramatic play)
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Second Week
Dear Families,
Pre-K is getting their routine and procedures and schedule down pat. Enough to handle anomalies like finding the music room in the upper netherlands of Dike Newell School, and a bus evacuation drill with ease. The kids know a number of songs and finger plays (which have a link on the right hand side of the blog page, if you want to sing or chant along.) We practice our "share rule" the most and it works pretty well. It goes like this. If you want something from another person, you use your words. If they are not ready to share, they can say, "Come back in one minute." You go away for a bit, but when you come back, that other person has to share. The asker, has to practice some self regulation by waiting a bit. The giver has a minute to adjust to the idea, he or she will be letting someone else have the desired object, and then has to do so.
We went to music with Miss Cyr for the first time this week. Concepts we learned about there were echo and up and down. Also, we are slowly getting a grasp on walking in a line, and that our school hallways are a whisper zone.
Pre-K has been busy making some props for our Family Theme. Many times we'll be using cardboard boxes to make ... a washing machine, a car, pretend beds, you name it. Today we painted the beds red, outside at recess - it was a highly engaging activity! We'll be pretending to be different family members in different rooms of a house during our dramatic play time for the next five or six weeks. You might want to ask your student/s, "Who were you today?" (Typical answers would be, the mom, dad, grandpa, sister, cousin, etc.)
Scholastic book orders are due next Thursday, September 26th. Our classroom earns free books from these orders, as well as the kids getting nice books to read and have read to them.
Thanks for a great week, and great to see those of you who could make it last night to the Open House.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bridgman
Pre-K is getting their routine and procedures and schedule down pat. Enough to handle anomalies like finding the music room in the upper netherlands of Dike Newell School, and a bus evacuation drill with ease. The kids know a number of songs and finger plays (which have a link on the right hand side of the blog page, if you want to sing or chant along.) We practice our "share rule" the most and it works pretty well. It goes like this. If you want something from another person, you use your words. If they are not ready to share, they can say, "Come back in one minute." You go away for a bit, but when you come back, that other person has to share. The asker, has to practice some self regulation by waiting a bit. The giver has a minute to adjust to the idea, he or she will be letting someone else have the desired object, and then has to do so.
We went to music with Miss Cyr for the first time this week. Concepts we learned about there were echo and up and down. Also, we are slowly getting a grasp on walking in a line, and that our school hallways are a whisper zone.
Pre-K has been busy making some props for our Family Theme. Many times we'll be using cardboard boxes to make ... a washing machine, a car, pretend beds, you name it. Today we painted the beds red, outside at recess - it was a highly engaging activity! We'll be pretending to be different family members in different rooms of a house during our dramatic play time for the next five or six weeks. You might want to ask your student/s, "Who were you today?" (Typical answers would be, the mom, dad, grandpa, sister, cousin, etc.)
Scholastic book orders are due next Thursday, September 26th. Our classroom earns free books from these orders, as well as the kids getting nice books to read and have read to them.
Thanks for a great week, and great to see those of you who could make it last night to the Open House.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bridgman
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
First Day 9-10-13
Dear Pre-K Families,
16 new students, their teachers and their families, all made it through the first day of preschool! We faithfully went through our normal schedule (including circle time, play center time, buddy reading, snack, recess, small group story time, small group math, closing group, and a creative art activity - phew!) and kids seemed well engaged. Good job getting them prepared and here!
Mrs. Peavey and I were overwhelmed with your generosity created from our wish list. Everything requested (and more) was donated to our classroom. Many, many thanks for your thoughtfulness. We are well stocked for a long time.
Wednesdays will be the day we have Phys Ed in the gym. If you can send your child with sneakers on Wednesdays, that would be appreciated.
As soon as folks' paperwork giving permission to publish pictures on our school website (we never use student names) comes in, I will happily post slideshows of what your kids are doing in class and on the playground.
Looking forward to learning lots every day. Thanks for sharing your kids with us!
Sincerely, Mrs. Bridgman
Exploring materials in our centers:
16 new students, their teachers and their families, all made it through the first day of preschool! We faithfully went through our normal schedule (including circle time, play center time, buddy reading, snack, recess, small group story time, small group math, closing group, and a creative art activity - phew!) and kids seemed well engaged. Good job getting them prepared and here!
Mrs. Peavey and I were overwhelmed with your generosity created from our wish list. Everything requested (and more) was donated to our classroom. Many, many thanks for your thoughtfulness. We are well stocked for a long time.
Wednesdays will be the day we have Phys Ed in the gym. If you can send your child with sneakers on Wednesdays, that would be appreciated.
As soon as folks' paperwork giving permission to publish pictures on our school website (we never use student names) comes in, I will happily post slideshows of what your kids are doing in class and on the playground.
Looking forward to learning lots every day. Thanks for sharing your kids with us!
Sincerely, Mrs. Bridgman
Exploring materials in our centers:
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Last Pictures ...
Missing you all - hope you are going lots of places, talking about everything, and reading everyday!
Lots of love, Mrs. Bridgman and Mrs. Peavey
Lots of love, Mrs. Bridgman and Mrs. Peavey
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