Family Newsletter 10-2-12

Pre-K Family Newsletter                                                              October 2, 2012

Last week, the kids started choosing the centers/"rooms of the house" that they want to play in. They chose a colored clothespin and then went to that color center. The basic goal is to have them self-regulate enough to stay in that center, playing, for twenty minutes or so.  (For example, they clip the blue clothespin to their clothing to remind them (and the adults) they should be playing in the blue center/literacy center/living room.) The higher goal is to have them play a legitimate role in that center, like the mom or the dad or the cousin, etc., and have some pretend actions that would dovetail with that role. A bit of angst appears at this stage, because there are only four pins per center, so depending on where one's name is on the rotating list of who goes first, one may or may not get one's first choice. 

Stand by to hear, "I didn't get to go to the _________ (room of the house) today!" But know the list will rotate predictably, and this is actually another deliberate part of the curriculum. Kids will be bringing “play plans” home on a regular basis soon. This will be a picture, eventually some writing, done in colored marker that represents your child doing something at a center. Please ask them about the plan, what they are doing in the picture and who they are pretending to be.

We’ll be doing some leaf rubbings soon. If you and your child could collect 5-6 leaves to send in for this activity, that would be great.

Thanks for signing your kids out as requested at noon time.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bridgman and Mrs. Peavey