Month: April 2017

BALLS!!

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Our study this month is BALLS.  We will investigate how they bounce, roll, size and our favorite.  The students will play with a variety of balls, paint with them, measure them and explore what in on the inside of them.  For math this week we will be measuring and the letters are review , Y, U, J, X, H, N

As we begin to wind down the school year we will try very hard to play outside each day.  It is prohibited for us to apply sun screen to your child at school without a medical statement from your doctor.  If sunscreen is a summer protocol for your family, please apply it to your child before they come to school each day.

If you attended the ice cream social and art show last Friday thank you for coming.  It was a huge success!!

PM Class ONLY:  Our last field trip will be back to the Music Settlement however this time we will be exploring outside and water. We advise you to wear boots as we may be getting WET!!

It is hard to believe that school will be ending soon.  Our last day of DAP is the same as the district June 8, 2017.  The children have learned so very much this year and we are super thrilled to have been witnesses to their success.

We would like to welcome Gwenn Kelly to the morning class and Victoria Smith.  The morning class is very busy and fun with 15 students!!

What is living and non living around us?

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What is Living and Non Living?
Learning about what is living and non living around us is so very exciting.  Last week we planted Zinnia’s in egg cartons and it will be interesting to see how much they have grown when we return to school.  We watched the video of the  The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent.    https://youtu.be/A3Wo15Sr4vA and wondered how caterpillars became butterflies.  We have caterpillar larva in the classroom to observe over the weeks to see how they turn into caterpillars and then become butterflies.  Did you know that moths sleep in cocoons and butterflies sleep within chrysalis’?

Life Stages

Although they have several differences, butterflies and moths go through the same life stages. The adult female lays eggs, which hatch into caterpillars. As caterpillars grow, they molt and shed their skin four to six times before transforming into pupae. The pupa is the final stage of development, during which metamorphosis takes place over a period of about two weeks, at the end of which an adult butterfly or moth emerges.

Chrysalis

The chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterfly development. Just before its final molt, a butterfly caterpillar spins a small disk of silk to attach itself to the underside of a leaf or twig. The caterpillar sheds its skin one last time as the pupa emerges. The outer surface of the pupa hardens into a protective shell, which often takes on a color and shape to help blend it into its surroundings.

Cocoon

Moth pupae don’t harden like butterfly pupae do, so to protect themselves during this final transformative stage, moth caterpillars spin cocoons of silk around themselves before the final molt. This silk hardens into a protective casing, allowing the pupa to go through metamorphosis relatively undisturbed. Some moth caterpillars, such as silkworms, spin cocoons entirely from silk, while others incorporate leaves, plant matter and even hair from their own bodies into the cocoons. Moths are not the only insects that build cocoons. Ants, fleas and wasps are a few of the other insect species whose development includes a pupal stage that must be protected by a cocoon.

This week we will be exploring things that are living and non living.  We will sort items in the sensory table, use clip cards to strengthen our fine motor and work on our art projects that will be on display during the ART SHOW on April 28th.

We will enjoy an Earth day Assembly on April 18th and honor our earth with an Earth Day Project.

The vocabulary for this week and next is living, habitat, grow, food and move.  Our math is patterning and the letter of the week is U.

Our final May field trip for the PM class through the University Circle Initiative is going back to the Music Settlement with a twist in what you think we may do.

May’s field trip is going to take place outside. Please encourage your students to wear boots and outerwear to be outside. There is a water pump included in the outdoor learning space so things may get a little wet.

Botanical gardens and more!!

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This week we will be investigating and learning about the life cycle of a frog and how we can reuse recyclable items to help study natures growth and development.

For the PM class, our field trip this month will be to the Botanical Gardens and Miss Debbie will visit on Monday.  I wonder what she may share with us that will include the growth of a frog?

We will read the story The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent.    https://youtu.be/A3Wo15Sr4vA

For art this week we will make tadpoles out of egg cartons and plant grass in egg cartons as well.  The sensory table will be filled with black beans/dirt so that the students can pretend to plant flowers in the black bean “dirt.”  We will also be working on our art projects for the Art show on April 28th.

Our letter this week is J and Math will include sorting items from our recycling unit along with spring.  We may include spring items such as eggs, jelly beans, and carrots to sort.  Happy Good Friday and  Easter is April 16th with No School on Monday April 17th.  See you on April 18th!!

We will have an Earth Day assembly on April 18th and celebrate Earth day on April 22.

As we begin to wind down for the year, if you are interested in having a conference about your child’s progress please send an email to the teacher.  We would be happy to sit down with you and talk about your child’s progress and the future.  It truly has been an amazing year with a great deal of educational growth and tons of fun!!.

Reminder***** DAP will be cancelled on May 4th as our whole staff will be attending  the (OAEYC) Professional Development Early Childhood Conference on that day.  Thanks for your understanding!!

 

 

 

 

Reduce, reuse and recycle!

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The theme for the next few weeks is reduce, reuse and recycle.  We will be learning about how it is important to recycle and take care of our planet.  Throughout the unit we will be building with “garbage” painting with a variety of non-paint brushes and finding ways to feed the birds, grow plants.  It should be very fun and creative.  If you have any empty milk cartons or gallon jugs, please send them in to school.  We will attempt to make bird feeders out of them.  Have your child help you recycle items at home.  This is a great sorting activity along with being socially responsible.

Math this week focuses on counting 0-20 and we will be reviewing the letters W, L, E, V and X.  Have your child try to find an item in the house that begins with each letter.

Please note:  Kindergarten registration is April 5th in the gym from 9-12 PM and 4-7 PM.