This week in the Green Room

Hello,

Such a fun week we had in the Green Room celebrating Dr Suess' birthday! Tuesday, we read Green Eggs and Ham and made "green eggs and ham" for our science experiment. We spoke about the eggs (yolk and whites) and took a survey to see if we liked the eggs or not.

On Thursday, we had a guest reader and read The Cat in the Hat. The kids enjoyed making their very own hats that they were able to take home! We have been able to go outside so please dress the kids accordingly. We have gravel on our playground so tennis shoes, for example, work best to keep the small gravel out of our shoes.

We celebrated the beginning of a new month... March and learned our new March song sung to the tune of the Muffin Man. Matthew and Shreya were the special persons of the week! Thanks for sharing. Danielle is the special person of the week for the AM class no PM special person. The letter "Qq" is the letter of the week for show and tell. Thanks again for the fantastic items the kids are bringing in.

March 14th are conferences if you have not already signed up and save the date for May 5th! We will be going to the zoo. More information to follow.

Thanks again. It has been great watching the kids grow and making new friends, such great kids to have in class!

This week in the Green Room

Hello all -

I am glad this weather decided to hit on a Friday and not interfere with another preschool day!

This week was a fun week. Tuesday we discussed Presidents Day and George Washington's birthday. We made a flag to celebrate this with profiles of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. We made a three corner hat which they all enjoyed a ton. On Thursday we had an ocean day in honor of our letter of the week. We read The Rainbow Fish (Matthew's favorite book) and made an octopus out of their precious little hands. We made an ocean scene out of some edible fish and worms and we had a special ocean snack which they all loved. This was an english muffin with blue cream cheese and goldfish on it. We had an ocean in our sensory table and discussed all types of fish.

Next week we are learning about Dr. Seuss and many of his fun books the entire week. We will be eating green eggs and ham on Tuesday and making a cat in the hat hat on Thursday. The letter of the week will be P. Keep sending in those share items. They really understand this process now and are a bit disappointed if they do not have an item to share. It is so fun to see them describe their item and tell us about it.

The very special people for this week are Matthew in the morning class and Shreya in the afternoon class. Please don't feel any pressure about this. Send in whatever they would like to share. Pictures are fun (they don't have to be on a poster but many have been). Lots of kids have brought in their favorite book for us to read or other items that are important to them that they want to show to their classmates.

We are asking that you please send in items from two different food groups for snack now. This has actually always been the policy but we are trying to follow it more now since we are applying for a 2nd Step Up to Qualify star. Thank you.

We hope that Mrs. Ramsey is feeling better and back with us next week! She was really sick and the kids missed her very much!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Ramsey

Addie's Valentine

This is the Valentine we made to pass out to Addie's friends and teachers at school today.

School Christmas Program

Addie's school put on a Christmas Program today. It was the most precious thing ever! They sang and signed "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", "J-E-S-U-S (to the tune of B-I-N-G-O) and a couple others. She did such a good job, aside from being the nose picker of the group. Hey, someone's gotta do it. It just so happened to be my kid this year!

Walking to the front with her favorite teacher, Mrs. Ramsey.

One of the many pictures of her digging for gold. :)

And this is what happens to little brother when he misses morning nap to watch sissy's Christmas program and then is intentionally kept up until afternoon nap so he and sissy will sleep at the same time and give mommy some alone time! He was a champ and made it, only to pass out on his bottle. This hasn't happened in many, many months. So sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

2010-2011 School Picture

(l-r) bottom: Danielle, Abby, Donovan, Addison, Shelby

top: Mrs. Reed, Matthew, Mrs. Ramsey

The Pledge of Allegiance

I love these recent videos of Addie (the name she has asked everyone to call her by now - LOL!) reciting The Pledge of Allegiance. They just started learning it at school and she has it down pat (almost!). It amazes me how quickly young minds pick up on things!

Preschool Halloween Party

We have had a busy Halloween Season this year. It's fun to see how much more Addison is enjoying things this year over last. Yesterday, we had not one, not two, but three opportunities to dust off the mouse ears and collect some treats.

We started the day off with her preschool Halloween party. The parents were invited, which was great except I had to cut Chase's nap short (really short) so he and I could be there. Fortunately he showed no signs of such a thing happening.

The kids sang halloween songs, had a special snack, made a craft and then headed outside for a parade with the rest of the school.

Addison's class.

One of her classmates.

The school parade.

Collecting goodies. Something would be wrong with the picture if my child wasn't the first in line!

This week in the Green Room

Hi All,

This week we celebrated Halloween in the green room. On Tuesday we read Courdoroy's Halloween and made ghosts out of cotton balls. We also put faces on pumpkins. On Thursday we read Froggy's Halloween and did our science experiment. We opened up a pumpkin and discussed that there are pulp and seeds inside. We then made our own pumpkin and put pulp (ribbon) and seeds inside as well.

We are so proud of your children. They are learning so much already. They are doing very well with saying the Pledge of Allegiance and learning the words to many of our songs. Ask them to sing the "days of the week" song for you. If you want to really be impressed--ask them to do the "preschool flip" for you. This is how they put their own jackets on and many of them have already got it down.

On Tuesday of this next week we will have our fire fighter visit. We will take pictures. The kids will all have a chance to get inside the truck but only if they would like so don't worry if you think you little one will be afraid. It is a great day and they learn a lot about fire safety.

Thursday is our Halloween party. The party will be from 10:30-11:10 for the morning class and 2:30-3:10 for the afternoon class. The parade will start just after the end of the party. Please remember to keep the costumes simple to put on since we have very little time for our party (we have something very neat to make) and only 5 minutes to get into costumes before the parade. It is a very fun day and we would love to have parents attend!!

Have a great weekend and again thank you for sharing your little ones with us.

Together we teach,

This week in the Green Room

I get an email every week from Addison's teachers letting us know what they did in school that week. I thought it would be fun to document some parts of each week. This one is from 10/10:

We had another great week in the green room! We read Where the Wild Things Are on Tuesday and did a project where your child designed their own wild things. On Thursday we had a guest reader come in and read A Snowy Day for the read for the record program. Your children enjoyed each of these books and projects very much. Ask you kids what happened to the colors in the milk when the detergent was added on Thursday. We are hoping they will tell you there was a reaction!

This next week we are going to be reading Jamberry and if you give a Moose a Muffin so ask you little ones what they thought of these stories and look for related projects to come home.

Picture Day

Today was picture day at school. Addison likes to....let's say...."cheese it" when prompted to smile in front of the camera so I thought a little practice this morning might help. Of course I haven't seen the product from today, so how cheesy she got remains to be seen!

Not too bad.

Someone forgot it's just a school picture, not a modeling shoot.

A: "Mommy, let's move over in front of the plant."

M: "Okay sweetie, say cheese."

A: "CHEEEEEESE!"

M: "Okay, now turn your head more toward me."

M: "But remember to smile when you do that."

M: "Look at the camera, sweetie."

M: "Great, but don't look down."

M: "Ooops, now you're looking too far up."

M: "Addison, can you please smile AND look at the camera?"

Field Trip

Addison had her first school field trip today. We went to Lynd's Fruit Farm to do some apple picking. She had a great time!

One of her best playmates, Abby.

You may have noticed that Addison is quite the social butterfly. Man, she loves her friends...I can't even tell you! I think it's a great character trait that I hope continues throughout her life.

Walking hand in hand with Shelby.

The 3 musketeers.

Aren't they ADORABLE?!?

Yes, Addison is the shorty. Poor thing...smallest in her class. We're waiting on a growth spurt!

Abby and Shelby have been two of Addison's closest friends for a while now. Abby and Addison met at 18 months old through my mom's Club and she and Shelby were in gymnastics together and have since become even better friends since Kim (Shelby's mom) joined the mom's club. Liz (Abby's mom), Kim, and I thought it would be nice for the girls to be in the same class so once we all agreed on a school, we made sure they would be together! I think it made the transition to school easier for Addison. The 3 of them are just sooooo sweet.

After we filled our bags with Golden Delicious apples, we headed inside the barn for a demonstration on how Apples were grown - from the little sapling, to the leaves, to the blossoms and finally, the fruit. Our guide asked for volunteers to hang the leaves on the tree and Addison was the first to jump up and run to the front of the room. (This did not surprise me one bit!)

Placing her 3rd leaf.

Placing the blossom.

Reaching out for an apple to put on the tree. The guide deliberately handed out 3 apples before getting to my little angel. Way to discourage an eager child. I could have punched him!

The beautiful apple tree.

Letter from Addison's teachers

I received a letter today from Addison's teachers about this week in school and definitely want to include it here for keepsake purposes:

This week went very well. We are all getting into our new routines nicely. It is awesome how well your children are adapting to our classroom. They are all such special individuals.

This week we spent time talking about how we are all unique but all special. The things we all have in common and what we don't. We made puzzle pieces with our hand prints and talked about what is alike and different about them. They were all measured and we will see how they grow throughout the year. On Thursday (our science day) we made flubber which was a big hit. Did they all show you the flubber they got to bring home? They love music and we are learning lots of fun new songs. Some of them really have some great dance
moves :)

The next couple of weeks we will be talking about apples leading up to the apple farm trip. If your child cannot eat apples, cinnamon or brown sugar please let us know as we are planning to taste a variety of apples and decide which we like best. We will be graphing these results and learning about graphs. We are also planning to make applesauce next Thursday.

If you are planning to make a scholastic book order those are due September 24th.

Have a great weekend and thank you for letting us enjoy being a part of your child's lives.

Second week of school

Addison had another good week at school. Tuesday was a little iffy as she told me she "didn't do nothin' " while there for 3 hours (though I finally got from her that they finger painted) and as soon as we got home, had a very uncharacteristic meltdown. When, I dropped her off, she ran right in and started putting together a puzzle with her teacher, but by pick up time, I don't think she was feeling the best. She barely ate lunch and went down for her nap an hour earlier than usual.

Today was much better. As her teacher put her in the car (pick-up is curbside), she started with the details of her day:

A: Mommy, I made blue Fluvver.

M: You made a blue flower?!?!

A: No, blue fluvver.

M: Blue fluffer?

A: NO! Blue FLUUUUUVVVVVERRRRRRR!

M: Oh! Blue flubber?

A: Yes, Mommy!

Indeed, she did make blue flubber. We came home, had lunch, and then she wanted to play with it. She made a turtle and then, a cat. She told me that's what they were and they actually looked like it. I swear I didn't touch the stuff. I am not sure how she created these herself, but I personally think it's pretty amazing. Coincidental? Maybe. But, still, amazing.

The making of the turtle.....

The making of the cat....

Yes, I know the cat doesn't have legs and at second glance, it kind of looks like a mouse. But, I still think she's awesome! Later this afternoon, she was on the phone with my mom (Gammy) and the. same. exact. conversation ensued. I then tried to get her to say "Flubber" and she demanded "My teacher said FLUVVER!!!!!" I know she can say it the correct way, and think it is really cute that she was pronouncing it the way she interpreted it and was getting frustrated with us for saying it "the wrong way"!

I asked her what book she read, knowing from the September calendar that I was given, that they were reading Little Miss Spider At Sunny Patch School.

A: It was about a bug.

M: Was it about a Spider?

A: Yes!

M: Neat! Did you sit on your mat for circle time?

A: I couldn't see.

M: Why couldn't you see?

A: "Sit on the carpet and you will be able to see better..." (quoting her teacher, I assume)

M: Where were you sitting?

A: At the table.

M: Why didn't you sit on the carpet?

A: Because I wanted to sit at the table so I could take my friend's toys.

Oh, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall!

And one more...

A: Mommy, I got hit in the face. Matthew hit me in the face.

M: Oh, sweetie. Was it an accident?

A: Yes.

M: Did he say he was sorry.

A: Yes.

M: Did you cry?

A: Yes, I cried because I....he....you aren't there.

M: Well, I am sure the teachers made you feel better.

A: No. I cried because you aren't with me.

M: Yes, baby, but Mommy can't be with you at school. School is a special place for you and your friends.

A: Where are your friends, Mommy?

M: My friends are at their homes.

A: You don't have any friends, Mommy.

M: Yes I do! (picking my self esteem off the floor...he he) Emily is my friend. (my best friend, Emily, is currently in town but not present during this conversation)

A: No you don't. Emily is not outside. I have friends and I will give you one. (proceeds to name pretty much every single kid in our neighborhood)

Preschool Update

Addison completed her first week of preschool! She had her second day (first day without parents) yesterday. I was so worried about how she would do.

I dropped her off and she walked right over to color with Shelby. We were advised not to stick around too long, so I said goodbye (about 16 times because she wasn't even acknowledging me!) and told her I would be back once Chase (who was in my arms) woke from his nap. She finally said "Bye, Mommy" and I left.

3 hours later, I went to get her. Pickup is curbside so I knew I wouldn't have much of a chance to ask her teachers how she did until I drop her off next Tuesday. As Mrs. Reed was putting her in the car, I asked how she did and Mrs. Reed said, "GREAT!" I said, "She didn't cry?" and Mrs. Reed said, "Not at all. She had a wonderful time and was such a sweetheart!" Whew, I was very relieved!

She got in the car and started telling me all about it. First, she pulled out her craft which was a little (yellow, imagine that!) cut-out person that she decorated with stickers. Then she told me about snack and a very fast slide!

Next, she told me that Mrs. Reed said, "Please keep the sand in the sand table!" and then proceeded to tell me that she "didn't do it because it's too hard, so I made a mess."

Throughout the day, I heard 3 new songs. One was a song about washing hands, another about cleaning up and a third that I can't quite make out, but it includes names of kids in the class so I am assuming it's a welcome or goodbye song.

Later in the afternoon, out of the blue, Addison told me that "Myla cried and the teacher had to hold her." I asked her why Myla was sad and she said "She got hit in the face." She then told me that she was the one that hit Myla in the face, but "it's okay, Mommy". I didn't believe her because 1) she has never hit anyone before and 2) I don't think Mrs. Reed would have told me that she did so wonderfully if she had hurt another child. I then told Addison that it is NEVER okay to hit anyone and she agreed and told me she didn't hit her, but that Myla fell on a stick. She also told me that Donovan hit his face on a stick and she hugged him and made it all better. My guess is that Myla cried for her Mommy and Donovan fell on a stick. I think I'll ask her teachers on Tuesday because I'm curious to know what part of her story was real. Either way, I was cracking up almost all day listening to her talk about school!

I think it's going to be a great year! Now if only she could ride the bus with her friends in the neighborhood....