It's been a very busy week here at Mountain Village School, here's the long and short of it...
Upcoming Nutrition Issue
Another reminder, this month we will feature a newsletter focusing on entirely on nutrition. If you have recipes, tips, or other ideas to contribute, let us know at mountainvillageschoolvt@gmail.com
The Throws of Summer, and Those Pesky Ticks!
As the beautiful stretch of weather continues expect that we will be spending as much time out of doors as possible (And, on second thought, we'l be out even when it's not so beautiful too!)
While ticks can hop a ride onto a human anywhere, many of the children in the upstairs classrooms venture out into wild areas multiple times a week, so it is a good practice to give your children a daily once over to check for ticks.
In the past, ticks have not been a major problem in our state, but in recent years ticks in Vermont have become more common. Here's a helpful guide to these pests from the Vermont Department of Health. We also have a few paper copies that we will place in the front hallway if you would like one.
Nature Corner
Activity: Let's collect between six and ten different nature items such as pine cones, sticks, leaves, stones or flowers. We can arrange then on a tray or a cloth. Take one away when my eyes are closed and have me guess what is missing. As I get better, take away more than one and see if I can still remember what was there.
Why?: My brain develops memory abilities gradually. As I get older I can remember more than one thing. I need to develop these skills with real objects.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: So much movement and curiosity! As members of the class become more mobile, teachers are working with the children on being aware of others: For instance, crawling around a classmate instead of over them, or touching another child gently instead of hitting them to get their attention. The class continues to adjust sleep routines, most recently for the older children in an attempt to have their day more closely mirror Infant II. A new soft book called Touch and Feel Puppy has been very popular with the kids. They enjoy touching the puppy's face, ears and tail while they "read" the book.
Infant II: The class celebrated a birthday this week with one of the students turning 2! The children had a lot of time to play and splash in the swimming pool, a very welcome activity on these hot days. The children were eager to bring some of their babies out to care for them on the playground (see photo). The class has also been focusing on naming body parts, specifically of interest have been shins and shoulders. On the social front, the children are trying the following: When there is a problem with another person, instead of crying or simply letting it happen, the move is to instead tell them, "Stop," or, "I don't like that."
Toddler I: This was Beth's first week in the Toddler I classroom, she in enjoying getting to know the children and families even better. This week the group had a lot of extended outside time. With the nice (and dry!) weather, the class has been taking books outdoors and doing more of their circle activities out on the playground. Earlier in the week, the group split in two, with one group heading up the hill to check out the tractors and construction equipment in the neighborhood nearby. The other group stayed at school and had a long morning recess time. During mealtimes, the teachers have started giving the children their baskets so they can begin making choices about the foods they want to eat. Hannah and Beth are offering the children guidance on these choices; i.e. "Veggies first, what will you have after your veggies?"
Toddler II: The class welcomed Anabelle this week, and also enjoyed that they were able to see Beth during the combined outdoor times on the playground. The children went on many challenging adventures and will continue to do so in the months to come! This week the children made a big trip to the Stowe Arena where they watched and cheered on a girl's hockey practice. The children report, "It was loud and cold." Other activities included exploring nearby streams and finding slugs, snails, berries and mushrooms. A favorite book was Polo and the Dragon, which many kids enjoyed reading outdoors in the shelter.
Pre-K: Everyone settled in after a very busy weekend: Independence Day, A classmate turning 4...such excitement! Some of the highlights from the week included working together with a variety of art materials such as crayons, watercolors, play dough and wire. The class has been learning quite a lot about ants, and even completed an "ant jar." But on to other insects...we are still observing the crickets in our classroom and are very interested in the spiders and variety of other bugs out on the playground. Pre-K also made trips to the library, playground and stream.
A reminder that Jen will be out for the entirety of next week. She will be attending a professional development course at Shelburne Farms and will return on Wednesday July 22nd. We can't wait to hear about all the exciting new learning she will come back with.
As Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
Upcoming Nutrition Issue
Another reminder, this month we will feature a newsletter focusing on entirely on nutrition. If you have recipes, tips, or other ideas to contribute, let us know at mountainvillageschoolvt@gmail.com
The Throws of Summer, and Those Pesky Ticks!
As the beautiful stretch of weather continues expect that we will be spending as much time out of doors as possible (And, on second thought, we'l be out even when it's not so beautiful too!)
While ticks can hop a ride onto a human anywhere, many of the children in the upstairs classrooms venture out into wild areas multiple times a week, so it is a good practice to give your children a daily once over to check for ticks.
In the past, ticks have not been a major problem in our state, but in recent years ticks in Vermont have become more common. Here's a helpful guide to these pests from the Vermont Department of Health. We also have a few paper copies that we will place in the front hallway if you would like one.
Nature Corner
Activity: Let's collect between six and ten different nature items such as pine cones, sticks, leaves, stones or flowers. We can arrange then on a tray or a cloth. Take one away when my eyes are closed and have me guess what is missing. As I get better, take away more than one and see if I can still remember what was there.
Why?: My brain develops memory abilities gradually. As I get older I can remember more than one thing. I need to develop these skills with real objects.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: So much movement and curiosity! As members of the class become more mobile, teachers are working with the children on being aware of others: For instance, crawling around a classmate instead of over them, or touching another child gently instead of hitting them to get their attention. The class continues to adjust sleep routines, most recently for the older children in an attempt to have their day more closely mirror Infant II. A new soft book called Touch and Feel Puppy has been very popular with the kids. They enjoy touching the puppy's face, ears and tail while they "read" the book.
Infant II: The class celebrated a birthday this week with one of the students turning 2! The children had a lot of time to play and splash in the swimming pool, a very welcome activity on these hot days. The children were eager to bring some of their babies out to care for them on the playground (see photo). The class has also been focusing on naming body parts, specifically of interest have been shins and shoulders. On the social front, the children are trying the following: When there is a problem with another person, instead of crying or simply letting it happen, the move is to instead tell them, "Stop," or, "I don't like that."
Toddler I: This was Beth's first week in the Toddler I classroom, she in enjoying getting to know the children and families even better. This week the group had a lot of extended outside time. With the nice (and dry!) weather, the class has been taking books outdoors and doing more of their circle activities out on the playground. Earlier in the week, the group split in two, with one group heading up the hill to check out the tractors and construction equipment in the neighborhood nearby. The other group stayed at school and had a long morning recess time. During mealtimes, the teachers have started giving the children their baskets so they can begin making choices about the foods they want to eat. Hannah and Beth are offering the children guidance on these choices; i.e. "Veggies first, what will you have after your veggies?"
Toddler II: The class welcomed Anabelle this week, and also enjoyed that they were able to see Beth during the combined outdoor times on the playground. The children went on many challenging adventures and will continue to do so in the months to come! This week the children made a big trip to the Stowe Arena where they watched and cheered on a girl's hockey practice. The children report, "It was loud and cold." Other activities included exploring nearby streams and finding slugs, snails, berries and mushrooms. A favorite book was Polo and the Dragon, which many kids enjoyed reading outdoors in the shelter.
Pre-K: Everyone settled in after a very busy weekend: Independence Day, A classmate turning 4...such excitement! Some of the highlights from the week included working together with a variety of art materials such as crayons, watercolors, play dough and wire. The class has been learning quite a lot about ants, and even completed an "ant jar." But on to other insects...we are still observing the crickets in our classroom and are very interested in the spiders and variety of other bugs out on the playground. Pre-K also made trips to the library, playground and stream.
A reminder that Jen will be out for the entirety of next week. She will be attending a professional development course at Shelburne Farms and will return on Wednesday July 22nd. We can't wait to hear about all the exciting new learning she will come back with.
As Seen at MVS
-Sam
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