Week in Review (5/8-5/9)

Week in Review (5/8-5/9)

Hitting the Road

This week we asked the children to help create their own roads in the block area. They chose where they should go and we used tape to create them. The students named thier roads with names like "Zippy Zoppy Road", "Northville Street", and "Chestnut Street". We added some bridges and tunnels to the roads as well. After watching the children drive their cars on the roads for a while, we offered them markers and clipboards to create maps of the roads. We saw students being very thoughtful about where they added roads and bridges and connecting their drawings to the actual roads. We are excited to extend on this more.

Objectives Met: 

4. Demonstrates traveling skills
5. Demonstrates balancing skills
6. Demonstrates gross motor manipulative skills

1. Regulates own emotions and behaviors
a. Manages feelings
b. Follows limits and expectations
c. Takes care of own needs appropriately

Active Art

We love having an active class! This week we focused on ways for the children to express themselves artistically while using their whole bodies. They were able to draw and paint on large spaces with different tools to create pictures. It was fun to see the children being active artists. 

Objectives Met:

c. Solves problems 

d. Shows curiosity and motivation 

e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking 

4. Demonstrates traveling skills 

5. Demonstrates balancing skills 

6. Demonstrates gross motor manipulative skills

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination 

a. Uses fingers and hands 

b. Uses writing and drawing tools

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning 

a. Attends and engages 

b. Persists 

33.Explores the visual arts 

Week in Review (11/28-12/2)

Week in Review (11/28-12/2)

Curriculum Night

Thank you to all of the families that came to Curriculum Night! It was wonderful to see students sharing their work with families. Most of this work is still posted throughout the classroom and on the board outside the room (above the drinking fountain). We invite you to take a look during drop-off or pick-up to see what your child has been up to.

Finding Out About Funnels

Students experimented with funnels with sand and water this week. They observed how the water traveled through the different funnels and used them to fill the cups. We talked about how full the cups were and compared different sizes and amounts. Children noticed it was easier to fill funnels with sand and that the water fell out of the funnels quicker. We talked about other similarities and differences as well.

Objectives Met:

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

28. Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

Creating a Train

Students and Ms. Farhat continued their work with trains. Ms. Farhat brought large boxes the children could use as train cars.  The children lined them up and thought about what train cars would look like. We heard them talking about different types of train cars such as the engine, caboose, or coal car. Students enjoyed the opportunity to sit in the cars and have a more hands-on experience with trains. 

Objectives Met:

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning 
a. Attends and engages 
b. Persists 
c. Solves problems 
d. Shows curiosity and motivation 
e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

Weeks in Review: November 7th- 18th

Weeks in Review: November 7th- 18th 

Building an Elevated Train Track

After noticing the children's interest in trains, Ms. Farhat introduced the idea of elevated tracks. The students looked at pictures and studied how tracks could be build up to travel in different locations. To bring this idea into the classroom, Ms. Farhat offered the children train tracks and blocks. They used the materials to create elevated tracks and tested their different creations with trains. 

Objectives Met: 
7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination
a. Uses fingers and hands "
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 
21. Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes
a. Understands spatial relationships
b. Understands shapes
22. Compares and measures

                                                         Testing Our Boats 

Children used different materials such as sponges, straws, and fabric to create boats with Ms. Erin. some children created sails on their boats while others use the straws to create hoses for their "fire boats". After being boat builders, the students took their creations to the water and tested them. They talked about how different boats moved and tested these different ways. Some children tried blowing on their boats while others created waves in the water to move the boats. 

Objectives Met: 

 24. Uses scientific inquiry skills. 

25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things 

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

Exploring Tunnels 

Students have been investigating tunnels with Ms. Chante and Ms. Hana throughout the semester. We noticed the children incorporating tunnels into other types of play and were curious about their thinking. We have offered them a variety of materials to create tunnels with including paper towel tubes, PVC pipes, and wooden arches. They often test these materials out with small balls and comment on how they roll through the tunnel. We have seen them comparing tunnels of different sizes, shapes, and angles.

Objectives Met:
26. Demonstrates knowledge of physical properties of objects and materials 
28. Uses tools and other technology to preform tasks

d. Shows curiosity and motivation e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

We are Loving Legos!

We introduced legos during explorations last week and discovered the class has a big interest in them! Many children had prior experience with them and other quickly understood how to connect the pieces to build. The first time they were offered, the children wanted to make vehicles with the legos but had only a few wheels available to share. The next time we offered them, we supplied them with a variety of wheels to add to their creations. It was exciting to see how each child created their own custom vehicles. 

Objectives Met: 

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination
a. Uses fingers and hands "

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 

21. Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes
a. Understands spatial relationships
b. Understands shapes
22. Compares and measures

  

Week in Review (10/24-10/28)

Week in Review (10/24-10/28) 

Drawing Self-Portraits

We see children at this age working to figure out their own identity. To help them increase their own self-awareness, we invited children to explore themselves in mirrors. We asked them what they saw and listened as they discovered and shared what they noticed about themselves. Afterwards, the children represented what they saw through drawings. It was exciting to watch how each child represented themselves artistically. 

Objectives Met: 

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning 

a. Attends and engages 

b. Persists 

c. Solves problems 

d. Shows curiosity and motivation . 

e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking 

12. Remembers and connects experiences 

a. Recognizes and recalls 

b. Makes connections 

13. Uses classification skills 

14. Uses symbols and images to represent something not present 

a. Thinks symbolically 29. Demonstrates knowledge about self 33. Explores the visual arts 

Visiting the Art Studio

Our class enjoys working in the art studio. This week, children were able to visit the studio and work with clay. The studio environment allows for more careful, thoughtful, work from the children. These pictures show the students working with clay using safety knives.

Objectives Met: 

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination 

a. Uses fingers and hands 

Celebrating the Halloween Walk

What a special event! We loved seeing the children show their interests through their costumes. This was an exciting way for families and children with varying schedules to come together for a celebration. 

Week in Review: October 17th- 21st

Choo Choo!!! How do trains communicate with one another?

We have been exploring trains with Ms. Farhat, and ramps & pathways with Mrs. Lovejoy. The children are interested in many different aspects such as train movement on tracks, different types of trains, and train sounds. We have worked on building a completed track together as a group. The children were able to work cooperatively and problem solve which track pieces work together to build a complete track. Children have also shown an interest in train sounds and how they communicate with each other and people in their surroundings. We will focusing on the different types of train sounds and what they mean by listening to videos and recognizing what each sound means.

TS Gold Objectives Met: 

3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations a. Balances needs and rights of self and others B. Solves social problems 7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination a. Uses fingers and hands 11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning a. Attends and engages b. Persists c. Solves problems d. Shows curiosity and motivation . e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

Exploring Ramps and Pathways 

The children  have enjoyed driving cars around a track and rolling balls down a ramp with Mrs. Lovejoy. They have explored balls, cubes, triangles, seashells and pens going down a ramp and how the height of the ramp changed the speed. We also noticed that some objects rolled while others slid down the ramp. To continue, we plan to place objects in the way to slow down the speed of the objects with different materials. The children are using scientific inquiry skills by making predictions and testing their ideas. They are recognizing and making real life connections to what they know and see about trains, ramps and pathways. Parents can participate by finding trains, ramps, and pathways and sharing their findings with the class!

TS Gold Objectives Met: 

6. Demonstrates gross motor manipulative skills 

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning a. Attends and engages b. Persists c. Solves problems d. Shows curiosity and motivation . e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

12. Remembers and connects experiences 

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills

Exploring Boats 

The children have shown a genuine interest in the boats. This week we provoked their thinking by setting up a large screen, projection of a sailboat and large wooden blocks. The children began their exploration by arranging the large wooden block pieces into a rectangle shape. The children used the triangle blocks to assist them while getting on and off the boat. A second set of blocks were set on top of the platform to act as the seats on the boat.This exploration brought up a lot of ideas about pirates, treasure, where can travel on our boat, and what our boat needs to be successful. 

TS Gold Objectives Met: 

3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations a. Balances needs and rights of self and others B. Solves social problems 11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning a. Attends and engages b. Persists c. Solves problems d. Shows curiosity and motivation . e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

29. Demonstrates knowledge about self 30. Shows basic understanding of people and how they live

36. Explores drama through actions and language

Exploring Fall Through the Visual Arts 

We have had several conversations about the changes we see taking place outside. Many of the children notice how the temperature has been cooler and the trees are changing color. We wanted to bring the various elements of fall indoors. This week we had the children represent the pumpkins and gourds through painting. The children pointed out the bumpy and smooth parts of the gourds and pumpkins. We placed leaves on the light table and discussed the differences among the leaves. 

Ts Gold Objectives Met: 

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 33. Explores the visual arts

12. Remembers and connects experiences a. Recognizes and recalls b. Makes connections

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination a. Uses fingers and hands b. Uses writing and drawing tools