Hello again! Whether you've been eyeing some classic cars this weekend, enjoying lots of music outdoors, or spending time taking in the beautiful Vermont landscape, we hope you've had some great summer moments out there! Here's the news from our neighborhood.
Nature Corner
Activity: Take paper and crayons when we go outdoors. Have me make rubbings of different textures such as tree bark, leaves, shells, pine needles, and rocks. Help me to hold the paper on the object while I rub the paper with a side of a crayon.
Why?: Vision alone does not provide the best learning. Using many senses gives my brain the chance to make the best possible connections.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: With three children transitioning to Infant II in a few weeks, we have been working on mirroring our routines to help get them adjusted. This week those children spent time visiting their new classroom. For the crawlers in the room, we continue to provide verbal and visual cues when it is mealtime to allow them venture over and get ready to eat. When a high chair is taken out, the children are learning, that's a signal for lunch! The younger children continue to work on rolling, both over and back again. Books are still of high interest; the children enjoy flipping the pages, holding the books, and pointing to pictures.
Infant II: A little story. This week a large truck was a little unsure of how to back up into the driveway to make his delivery. The Infant II children, having watched numerous trucks with fascination, are in fact, experts on the subject. When the truck was unsure to go, the children pointed the way and eagerly provided encouragement. We're pretty sure it helped!
In other news, we are working on a variety of skills including our "please and thank yous" and putting on shoes independently. Although the shoes prove challenging for some of the younger children, with persistence they are really making the connections to get the job done! Also, we love hearing from you, so feel free to use the weekly journals to write back to the classroom teachers. It's always great to know what's happening at home, or what adventures you have with your kids on the weekends. Thanks!
Toddler I: We've had some visits from children who will soon be joining us from downstairs. Our classes this week have been rather small, and we look forward to having everyone back together again once all families return from their vacations. The week consisted of several walks and lots of outdoor time. On Thursday, the kids discovered a new batch of soccer balls on the playground and spent time kicking, throwing and sitting on them. The class has also made some schedule adjustments to pay more attention to their mealtimes. For instance, routine care now comes ahead of lunch to alleviate some of the hustle bustle. This way, the class can share the lunch time and make it unhurried and even more enjoyable. These practices are also connected to general idea of slowing down, savoring the food we have and respecting it.
Toddler II: Sarah and Holli have had many adventures with the children of Toddler II this week. The class took lots of trips "off campus" (see pictures below) and also had lots of fun here at school as well; the children worked on some weaving with a variety of fabric on the chain link fence. On Friday, they made fruit and yogurt popsicles. The children helped chop and mix the fruit, then watched the blender do its magic. The class enjoyed the frozen delights in the afternoon. The class has also been practicing being gentle to the objects they find outdoors on their adventures. The leaves belong to the trees, flowers to the plants, and small insects require gentle stepping and handling.
Pre-K: This week we continued practicing any number of things. You'll remember this has been a big topic of conversation for the children. We also have done well during times of disappointment. When the berry picking trip was rescheduled, the Pre-K rallied and talked about it, instead of becoming overwhelmed with emotions. The class read stories about blueberries and summarized them. They drew pictures to go along with their ideas. They have also been very into listening to Blueberries for Sal on CD as well as singing and dancing to the activities at the end of the book. The class has also been creating and playing a number of silly games on the playground. If you've not yet heard of "The Running Potatoes" it's in your best interest to find out! (See photos below).
As Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
Nature Corner
Activity: Take paper and crayons when we go outdoors. Have me make rubbings of different textures such as tree bark, leaves, shells, pine needles, and rocks. Help me to hold the paper on the object while I rub the paper with a side of a crayon.
Why?: Vision alone does not provide the best learning. Using many senses gives my brain the chance to make the best possible connections.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: With three children transitioning to Infant II in a few weeks, we have been working on mirroring our routines to help get them adjusted. This week those children spent time visiting their new classroom. For the crawlers in the room, we continue to provide verbal and visual cues when it is mealtime to allow them venture over and get ready to eat. When a high chair is taken out, the children are learning, that's a signal for lunch! The younger children continue to work on rolling, both over and back again. Books are still of high interest; the children enjoy flipping the pages, holding the books, and pointing to pictures.
Infant II: A little story. This week a large truck was a little unsure of how to back up into the driveway to make his delivery. The Infant II children, having watched numerous trucks with fascination, are in fact, experts on the subject. When the truck was unsure to go, the children pointed the way and eagerly provided encouragement. We're pretty sure it helped!
In other news, we are working on a variety of skills including our "please and thank yous" and putting on shoes independently. Although the shoes prove challenging for some of the younger children, with persistence they are really making the connections to get the job done! Also, we love hearing from you, so feel free to use the weekly journals to write back to the classroom teachers. It's always great to know what's happening at home, or what adventures you have with your kids on the weekends. Thanks!
Toddler I: We've had some visits from children who will soon be joining us from downstairs. Our classes this week have been rather small, and we look forward to having everyone back together again once all families return from their vacations. The week consisted of several walks and lots of outdoor time. On Thursday, the kids discovered a new batch of soccer balls on the playground and spent time kicking, throwing and sitting on them. The class has also made some schedule adjustments to pay more attention to their mealtimes. For instance, routine care now comes ahead of lunch to alleviate some of the hustle bustle. This way, the class can share the lunch time and make it unhurried and even more enjoyable. These practices are also connected to general idea of slowing down, savoring the food we have and respecting it.
Toddler II: Sarah and Holli have had many adventures with the children of Toddler II this week. The class took lots of trips "off campus" (see pictures below) and also had lots of fun here at school as well; the children worked on some weaving with a variety of fabric on the chain link fence. On Friday, they made fruit and yogurt popsicles. The children helped chop and mix the fruit, then watched the blender do its magic. The class enjoyed the frozen delights in the afternoon. The class has also been practicing being gentle to the objects they find outdoors on their adventures. The leaves belong to the trees, flowers to the plants, and small insects require gentle stepping and handling.
Pre-K: This week we continued practicing any number of things. You'll remember this has been a big topic of conversation for the children. We also have done well during times of disappointment. When the berry picking trip was rescheduled, the Pre-K rallied and talked about it, instead of becoming overwhelmed with emotions. The class read stories about blueberries and summarized them. They drew pictures to go along with their ideas. They have also been very into listening to Blueberries for Sal on CD as well as singing and dancing to the activities at the end of the book. The class has also been creating and playing a number of silly games on the playground. If you've not yet heard of "The Running Potatoes" it's in your best interest to find out! (See photos below).
As Seen at MVS
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| "Boys, can you tell me the rules of Running Potatoes?" C: "Yes. No serious business. Only funny." A: "YEAH!" |
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| Running Potatoes in all it's glory. |
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| It may LOOK like soccer, but it is far, far more than that.... |
-Sam
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