Well the groundhog did not see his shadow, so we're in for an early spring. That is, if it hasn't already arrived! We've been sloshing in the mud, are a little less bundled, and have noticed the light stretches into the end of our school day.
A few quick notes: We will be closed on Monday February 15th in observance of President's Day, we will reopen on Tuesday the 16th.
The newsletter will take a tiny hiatus next week, and will return after President's Day with all the usual news (I'll be cooking up some food for thought reading too, so stay tuned).
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The room is on the move in a big way. Some of the children have been visiting the neighboring classroom to spend time exploring the larger play structure. They love crawling through the tunnel and heading down the slide. They have also been eager to play on the rocking boat and snail rocking chair. There has been a new interest in singing songs and dancing. In fact, one of the older infants is working on singing along with "Row Your Boat." Another favorite is "Twinkle Twinkle" which seems to get everyone smiling. Be sure to check out the photos below, we've included a few shots from our painting project last week.
Infant II: Wet, wet, wet! The children loved playing in the water, slush and mud on both the front and back playgrounds. Shoveling, pushing wagons/carts and climbing the big muddy hills kept the kids active and engaged in their play. We have had an absolute ball. When not exploring the outdoors, we could be found using the sensory table and playing in even more water. The soapy, bubbly water and sponges lead to investigations in cause and effect as squeezing the sponges made for even more bubbles. Additionally, we continue to work on using gentle hands with one another as well as using walking feet while indoors.
Toddler I: We have some new toys that we've been calling our "stained glass" blocks. The children have been very creative in using them. They look through as the different colors turn everything yellow or blue (see photo below), use them to make little puzzles on the floor, or stack them into towers. A few children have been bringing books from home to share with the class during circle time. We'd encourage other families to do this as well; the children really enjoy reading books that their peers enjoy, and the act of sharing a book from home has been positive as well. We've been very focused on our classroom rules, and ask parents to help us with these at drop off and pick up times. Your child is familiar with language such as "please use walking feet" or, "quiet inside voices." Your consistency will only bring them more success in following and understanding these rules. Thanks for your help!
Toddler II: We've enjoyed exploring the colored blocks on the light table. We've made patterns, rainbows and a variety of shapes with them (see photo below). As the mud crept in, the children went to work spreading hay around the playground spaces. They were excited to have a job to do, and several of the children commented that they were working hard. The class has been having discussions about the Valentine's holiday and that it is a celebrations of love, kindness and being respectful to others. Overall this has opened up even more talk about how we treat one another and the importance of being both kind and gentle. In our yoga practice, we have been focused on "inhale" and "exhale" and being mindful of our breathing. We've taken this skill and and successfully applied it to transition times, which can be trying.
Pre-K: Our outings this week have included bus rides to the mountain and the library, and a trip to the nearby deer playground. In the classroom, we started work on a very challenging 300 piece puzzle. The children worked SO well together. They encouraged their peers and found pieces for each other to connect. We would be very happy to accept donations of 100-300 piece puzzles. And, we'd also like to try out some board games, especially cooperative ones, but any game with specific rules will work. We've had a special focus on manners and using "please/thank you/excuse me" especially at the table during mealtimes. These manners show a respect for our food and the company we keep at meals.
As Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
See you the week after next. -Sam
A few quick notes: We will be closed on Monday February 15th in observance of President's Day, we will reopen on Tuesday the 16th.
The newsletter will take a tiny hiatus next week, and will return after President's Day with all the usual news (I'll be cooking up some food for thought reading too, so stay tuned).
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The room is on the move in a big way. Some of the children have been visiting the neighboring classroom to spend time exploring the larger play structure. They love crawling through the tunnel and heading down the slide. They have also been eager to play on the rocking boat and snail rocking chair. There has been a new interest in singing songs and dancing. In fact, one of the older infants is working on singing along with "Row Your Boat." Another favorite is "Twinkle Twinkle" which seems to get everyone smiling. Be sure to check out the photos below, we've included a few shots from our painting project last week.
Infant II: Wet, wet, wet! The children loved playing in the water, slush and mud on both the front and back playgrounds. Shoveling, pushing wagons/carts and climbing the big muddy hills kept the kids active and engaged in their play. We have had an absolute ball. When not exploring the outdoors, we could be found using the sensory table and playing in even more water. The soapy, bubbly water and sponges lead to investigations in cause and effect as squeezing the sponges made for even more bubbles. Additionally, we continue to work on using gentle hands with one another as well as using walking feet while indoors.
Toddler I: We have some new toys that we've been calling our "stained glass" blocks. The children have been very creative in using them. They look through as the different colors turn everything yellow or blue (see photo below), use them to make little puzzles on the floor, or stack them into towers. A few children have been bringing books from home to share with the class during circle time. We'd encourage other families to do this as well; the children really enjoy reading books that their peers enjoy, and the act of sharing a book from home has been positive as well. We've been very focused on our classroom rules, and ask parents to help us with these at drop off and pick up times. Your child is familiar with language such as "please use walking feet" or, "quiet inside voices." Your consistency will only bring them more success in following and understanding these rules. Thanks for your help!
Toddler II: We've enjoyed exploring the colored blocks on the light table. We've made patterns, rainbows and a variety of shapes with them (see photo below). As the mud crept in, the children went to work spreading hay around the playground spaces. They were excited to have a job to do, and several of the children commented that they were working hard. The class has been having discussions about the Valentine's holiday and that it is a celebrations of love, kindness and being respectful to others. Overall this has opened up even more talk about how we treat one another and the importance of being both kind and gentle. In our yoga practice, we have been focused on "inhale" and "exhale" and being mindful of our breathing. We've taken this skill and and successfully applied it to transition times, which can be trying.
Pre-K: Our outings this week have included bus rides to the mountain and the library, and a trip to the nearby deer playground. In the classroom, we started work on a very challenging 300 piece puzzle. The children worked SO well together. They encouraged their peers and found pieces for each other to connect. We would be very happy to accept donations of 100-300 piece puzzles. And, we'd also like to try out some board games, especially cooperative ones, but any game with specific rules will work. We've had a special focus on manners and using "please/thank you/excuse me" especially at the table during mealtimes. These manners show a respect for our food and the company we keep at meals.
As Seen at MVS
See you the week after next. -Sam
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