Community Helper, The Doctor, Comes In For A Visit

Next half of February!

Thank you to all the families who participated in our Valentine’s day celebration! The kiwis enjoyed distributing their valentine’s day cards and treats.

Please make sure you have the latest version of the Brightwheel app for daily updates, communication and our calendar.

Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: Friendship

Color/s: Pink &Purple

Multicultural Visit: China

Animal: Farm animals

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: Presidents Day

Letters/Sounds: Gg, Ww, Aa

Shape: Rectangle

Numbers: 9, 10

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Brightwheel app.

Circle Time

During our circle time, we begin our class by singing a good morning song, counting how many kiwis came to school today, the weather and days of the week. This is also when we we introduce the activities as well as reviewing letters and numbers.

Third Week

School will be closed on Monday, February 19^th for Presidents day.  We will take this opportunity to learn about presidents on Tuesday. By reading about president George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, our kiwis will learn about past presidents. We will also learn of some important roles the president plays in our country.

Fourth Week

During our last week of February we will learn about our community helper, the doctor. Our dramatic area will be turned into a doctor’s office by including a stethoscope, bandages, medicine syringe, and gloves. Other activities such as making x-rays, band-aid art, and an ambulance will further assist in learning about doctors.

Reminders

Cubbies and Lunch Boxes

* Parents, please remember to keep your child’s cubby stocked with pull-ups/ diapers as well as wipes if needed. Along with extra clothing in case of any accident. (This includes 2 pairs of underwear, 2 shirts and 2 bottoms)

* Please label all of your kiwis things including lunch boxes and water bottles.

Upcoming Birthdays

If you’re kiwi has an upcoming birthday, and you would like to bring a treat to share the celebration, please remember the following:

– We are a nut free school

– No frosting

– Treats are served towards the end of their lunch time, approximately around 11:15a.

– Notify the teachers in advance to let parents know in case, they would like to opt out due to allergies or other diet concerns.

School Calendar 2017

February

Wednesday- 21st- Petting Zoo

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Cynthia

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to Monday, Mar. 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Blueberries Make Giant Dragon To Celebrate China

Hello Parents!

Thank you to everyone who helped out with our Valentine’s party and to everyone who helped their children prepare Valentine’s cards.  You truly helped make the day extra special for our Blueberries!   Now that we are half way through the month, we have some fun new activities planned!

Curriculum

Theme: Love

Color: pink and purple

Animal: farm animals

Value: friendship

Multicultural visit: China/Asia

Additional Theme: President’s Day

Community Helper: Doctor

Sounds and Numbers: f and n, 9 and 10

Shape: heart

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Bloomz app.

During the second half of February we will spend more time focused on our doctor and China themes!

In the art center, we will make a giant classroom dragon to celebrate China.  Collaborative art pieces are a great way for the children to practice team work!  In addition, we will have open ended art activities to continue learning about our monthly colors pink and purple.

The children will make chalk x-rays that will be displayed in the science center.   We will talk about the important work that doctors do and ways we can take care of ourselves by making healthy choices.

For circle time, we will  read books about the doctor and our health such as Germs Are Not For Sharing, Froggy Goes To The Doctor, and Eating The Alphabet.   We will also learn new songs about health including “Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands,” “I Need A Tissue,” and “I Am A Doctor.” We will also talk about the names and uses of hospital equipment that doctors use.

If you have and questions about our themes or activities, feel free to ask!

Reminders

– If you plan on parking in the lot, we ask that you to please limit your stay to 10 minutes. Lingering in the lot makes it difficult for other parents trying to pick up/drop off their child on time.

– I know saying goodbye can be hard, but you can do it and so can your child!! Remember to keep a consistent routine throughout the year, prepare your child for your departure, validate their feelings, and remind them that you will be back.

– Hot lunch will continue to be $5 when ordered in advance, however if ordered the day of or by the week it will be billed at $6.

– Date Night is every other Saturday from 5:00pm-12:00am. $15/hr for an individual child or $20/hr for a pair of siblings (min. charge is $60). Dinner and a movie are also provided.

– We are now NUT FREE! We have a number of students in the school allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, in order to keep them safe we ask that you please do not send your child to school with any products containing nuts. If you would like a list of nut-free food suggestions let me know and I will get you a list!

– And lastly, a personal request from myself, please try to label all of your child’s items! Many families buy the same things and sometimes other students or teachers may move your child’s items mistakenly; labeling your things will greatly help avoid any mishaps!

If you have any other questions about the parent handbook feel free to ask myself, Gabriel, or Ms. Annie.

Upcoming Events

The Petting Zoo is coming to PLAY!

One of our learning themes this month is Farms. On Wednesday, February 21st the children will have the opportunity to see and pet small/baby sheep, goats, bunnies, chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, and a pony.

Feel free to dress up your child in a fun Farmer or animal outfit!

Picture Day is Monday, March 5th!

All pictures will be taken between 8a – 11a. If Monday is not your regular school day you are welcome to bring your child in for just the pictures or for an extra school day as a Drop-In.

Feel free to pack a spare play outfit for when pictures are all done!

School Calendar 2018

February

Wednesday – 21st – Petting Zoo at PLAY day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Cynthia

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Focusing on Love, Friendship, China, Farm Animals, And Doctors

Hello Raspberry families,

Hope you are having a great 2018 so far!   This month is just the right time to incorporate some hearts into our Raspberry classroom. Covering everything from heart-y social emotional learning activities to colorful art, number, and letter projects.

During the month of February, we will be focusing on Love, Friendship, China, Farm Animals, Doctors, Diamonds, the colors pink/purple, president’s day, the numbers 10 to 30, the letters Ww, Ee, Oo and Sight word list 1 and 2.

February won’t disappoint; it continues the learning with balanced theme activities and lots of LOVE in the air!

Monthly Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: friendship

Color: Pink and purple

Multicultural Visit: Asia/china

Animal: Farm Animal

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: president’s day

Letters/Sounds:  Ww Ee Oo

Shape:  Diamond

Numbers: 20-30

Reminders

Peace Corner Photos – We are compiling family photos and notes for students to keep in peace corner to look at when they are having a tough day or missing their family. Please provide a family photo and note. Thank you!

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Bloomz app.

** Week One

————————————————————

** This week we will focus on friendship, love, the letter Ww  and numbers 1 to 20.

Math

– We will continue to work and use Montessori materials in circle time and math centers.

– We will count  1 to 20  objects as well as writing those numbers.

– We will make estimation jars for math center

————————————————————

Reader’s Workshop

This week in Reader’s Workshop, we will  continue to learn about the structure of reader’s workshop (how to read during independent reading time, how to share about a book, and how to clean up when reader’s workshop is done) as well as the strategies of a good reader: look and Think

Writer’s Workshop

-This week in Writer’s Workshop, Students will practice putting sequenced  ideas onto paper through pictures/ words.

– We will use our notebooks to  focus on proper letter formation for  W .

Phonics

This week students will  learn the letters W and the sound it makes. We will  also practice Words that start with W.

-We will practice Sight word list 1.

Mindfulness

This week students will practice deep breathing and understanding how this can help calm our bodies down. We will learn  how to find and get into a mindful position.

Teaching for Understanding

– learn primary colors and what two primary colors make

– learn what it means to be a good friend.

– Explore concepts such as kindness, love, and respect.

Activities:

-Art: Teamwork open ended  activity: primary/secondary  painting activity

Valentine’s hearts

W’ is for worm spaghetti painting activity

Watermelon craft

– Sensory table activities: Worm noodles and alphabet activity / water activities

– Circle Time:  filll up Bucket Friendship activity

– Science : experiment with walking water! (water absorption) We will make our predictions and write down our findings.

– I will  incorporate literacy, math, songs,  dramatic play, large motor  skills, and much, much more!

Week Two

This week we will be focusing on China/Asia, farm animals, the letters ‘Ee’ and the diamond shape.

Math

This week, the students will continue to work on number order, number writing, and connecting numbers to corresponding quantities, focusing on numbers 10- 20.

Reader’s Workshop

We will read February themed books. Students will also  learn  that readers re-read old favorites, remembering to say more and more about the story.

Mindfulness

This week we will  learn about how our bodies are connected to our emotions and thoughts and how we can help control that.

Phonics

This week students will learn  the letters Ee  and  sounds that they make.

We will continue to practice sight word list 1.

Handwriting

We will  focus on proper letter formation for Ee.

Teaching for Understanding

– We’ll be learning about  China. We will  locate the country on the map and talk about their location, climate, culture, language, historical landmarks, traditional dances and food.

  Well learn about the importance of farmers and farm animals  in our environment

Activities:

** Science: indestructible egg activity/ planting and seeds

Art : stomping mud art using farm animals/ Asian fans /lanterns /dragon crafts

-And much more!

————————————————————

Reminders

– If you plan on parking in our lot, we ask that you please limit your stay to 10 minutes. Lingering in the lot makes it difficult for other parents trying to Pick Up/Drop Off their child on time.

– I know saying goodbye can be hard, but you can do it and so can your child!! Remember to keep a consistent routine throughout the year, prepare your child for your departure, validate their feelings, and remind them that you will be back.

– Hot lunch will continue to be $5 when ordered in advance, however if ordered the day of or by the week it will be billed at $6.

– Show and Tell is every Friday! Encourage your child to bring in a special toy of their choice to share with the class. Show & Tell is great because it’s fun for the kids and simultaneously enhances effective communication, strengthens their vocabulary , improves their listening skills, and promotes self confidence.

– Date Night is every other Saturday from 5:00pm-12:00am. $15/hr for an individual child or $17/hr for a pair of siblings (min. charge is $60). Dinner and a movie are also provided.

– We are now NUT FREE! We have a number of students in the school allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, in order to keep them safe we ask that you please do not send your child to school with any products containing nuts. If you would like a list of nut-free food suggestions let me know and I will get you a list!

– And lastly, a personal request from myself, please try to label all of your child’s items! Many families buy the same things and sometimes other students or teachers may move your child’s items mistakenly; labeling your things will greatly help avoid any mishaps!

If you have any other questions about the parent handbook feel free to ask myself, Gabriel, or Ms. Annie.

School Calendar 2018

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Chinese New Year

Monday – 19th – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Valentine’s Day, Love, and the Chinese New Year

Hello Peach parents!

Welcome to the month of February! Thank you to those of you that came to Parent Teacher Conferences last week. I hope to have answered all your questions and plan to fulfill all of your goals for your little ones! If you missed them, not to worry, I am always available via Brightwheel and am open to chatting anytime you see me on the playground!

For the rest of the school year you should be receiving biweekly emails, such as this one, that will give you some insight on what we will be learning in class.

Throughout the month of February I plan on enriching your children with meaningful memories and experiences where they will come to love their new school (if they don’t already!). I will do my best to incorporate all of our monthly themes in depth, however many of the things we do are based off of their interest level and engagement in a particular subject. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: Friendship

Color: Pink & Purple

Multicultural Visit: China / Asia

Animal: Farm Animals

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: President’s Day

Letters/Sounds: G, W, A

Shape: Rectangle

Numbers: 9 & 10

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to Brightwheel.

Since this a class designed for two and three year olds, many of the learning activities we will be doing will involve reading stories, singing songs, creating simple art projects, and having light discussions in order to keep the kids engaged and having fun.  This is a class for them to expand their minds and grow as both individuals and intellectuals, while also feeling free to be themselves.

As stated above, over the month of February I will be teaching your kids about love, friendship, doctors, farm animals, China & Asia, the Lunar New Year, President’s Day, rectangles, the colors pink & purple, the numbers 9 & 10, and finally the letters “G”, “W”, and “A”. I will also be incorporating our previous monthly letters, shapes, and numbers when appropriate.

The activities I have planned for the following weeks will mainly focus on farm animals and the letters “G” and “W”  in the first week, and then Valentine’s Day, love, and the Chinese New Year in the second week.

Some of the activities you can look forward to seeing and hearing about are…

– Learning a variety of farm animals and the sounds they make.

– Learning what different farm animals may provide for us (such as milk or wool).

– A fine motor activity that simulates milking a cow.

– A special Valentine’s Day card made just for you!

– Learning what the Chinese New Year is

– & much more!

Reminders

If your child has a birthday this month feel free to come celebrate with us!!

– We celebrate during our lunchtime around 11:15

– If you’re bringing a treat, we ask that it not include frosting, as it is just before our nap time.

– Please be aware of allergies – NO nuts!

– Just give us a heads up!

Be aware of your child’s cubby!

– Please keep it stocked! (Shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, diapers, underwear, etc.) You never know when an accident is going to happen!

– I also graciously ask that you bring in a container of baby wipes (yes, even if your child is potty trained!). I have found that on new playground the children constantly get extremely dirty and the easiest way to remove the dirt is a baby wipe. I hate sending your children home full of filth, so please help me clean them!

Highlights from Back to School Orientation

Just to recap on some of the information I went over at Back to School Orientation…

– If you plan on parking in our lot, we ask that you please limit your stay to 10 minutes. Lingering in the lot makes it difficult for other parents trying to pick up their child on time.

– I know saying goodbye can be hard, but you can do it and so can your kid!! Remember to keep a consistent routine throughout the year, prepare your child for your departure, validate their feelings, and remind them that you will be back.

– Hot lunch will continue to be $5 when ordered in advance, however if ordered the day of or by the week it will be billed at $6.

– Show and Tell is every Friday! Encourage your child to bring in a special toy of their choice to share with the class. Show & Tell is great because it’s fun for the kids and simultaneously enhances effective communication, strengthens their vocabulary , improves their listening skills, and promotes self confidence.

– Date Night is every other Saturday from 5:00pm-12:00am. $15/hr for an individual child or $17/hr for a pair of siblings (min. charge is $60). Dinner and a movie are also provided.

– We are now NUT FREE! We have a number of students in the school allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, in order to keep them safe we ask that you please do not send your child to school with any products containing nuts. If you would like a list of nut-free food suggestions let me know and I will get you a list!

– And lastly, a personal request from myself, please try to label all of your child’s items! Many families buy the same things and sometimes other students or teachers may move your child’s items mistakenly; labeling your things will greatly help avoid any mishaps!

If you have any other questions about the parent handbook feel free to ask myself, Gabriel, or Ms. Annie.

Upcoming Events

School Calendar 2017

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Chinese New Year

Monday – 19th – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Learning About Susan B. Anthony And Rosa Parks

Happy February!

Ahh, I can’t believe we are in the last 6 months of school! From this point on we will begin our mock Kindergarten structure to school. We will have a consistent schedule and routine for work and play. Please be sure to arrive by 9:30am so that the children understand the flow of the day, can do their appointed jobs and to hear about what our day will be like.

This month we will be learning about SO many new and interesting things like, various countries in Asia, the story behind Lunar New Year, Our Presidents, Farms, Farm animals and their special jobs, Love & Friendship, and doctors!

Monthly Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: Friendship

Color: Pink & Purple

Multicultural Visit: Asia

Holiday: Valentine’s Day & Lunar New Year!

Animal: Farm Animals

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: President’s Day

Letters/Sounds: Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu

Words: – ot family words & CVC list 1

Numbers: 30-50

Shapes: Pentagon, Hexagon, Octagon

** Week One – Feb. 5 – 9

————————————————————

In preparation for Presidents’ Day, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, and George Washington’s Birthday, we will begin our week by learning about our Presidents! We will learn how many we have had, when the first president took office, all about the job, their responsibilities, why we have a president and how they too can become one if they wanted one day. I will highlight our most distinguished Past Presidents, their accomplishments, and the impact they had on our country. Not all presidents were famous men of change but there are still some very fun/funny facts to learn about them! I will share a few about the more obscure and less famous presidents with the children. Our class will also learn about the lives and actions of 2 strong, brave, and forthcoming women who fought for liberty and justice for all; Susan B. Anthony (honored on Feb. 15th) and Rosa Parks (honored on Feb. 4th). Please don’t forget, there will be no school on February 19th for President’s Day.

In Social Studies and Geography, our class will take an imaginative journey oversees to Asia! Our class will learn about various countries such as, China, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We will find the countries on our map and learn more about each country by seeing pictures of the cityscapes, natural environments, and native animals, listening to music, listening to the language and trying out phrases for ourselves, trying on traditional garments, and looking at, recreating, and discussing each countries flag.

While in Japan, the children will learn about sushi, Koinobori Windsock Flags, and chopsticks! Our class will discuss what the chopsticks are and how they are used, and they will have the chance to experience using them with a fun manipulatives activity.

On our trip to China, we will learn facts about the country and locate it on our world map! We will discover that China is the most populated country on our planet and that the animals that inhabit its land and waters include various species of panda, the only 2 fresh water dolphins on Earth, various monkeys, and even some tigers. We will look at and learn fun facts about a few famous landmarks such as, the Great Wall of China, the forbidden city, the Terracotta Warriors, and Mount Everest. We will also learn a couple of phrases in Chinese as well as our number 1-10. Some of our arts and crafts projects and activities will be panda masks, making a recreation of the Chinese flag, creating our own Terracotta Warriors, and trying to recreate the Great Wall of China.

Week Two – Feb. 12 – 16

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, we will be learning about LOVE and FRIENDSHIP. We will create a list of all the ways we can show love, give love, and how to be a good friend. We will read books about love, friendship, patience, and sharing, such as, Toot and Puddle: A Present for Toot by Holly Hobbie, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems. The kids will always work together to make a FRIENDSHIP QUILT! Each child will receive a square piece of paper and be asked to decorate it how they want. It will be a unique artistic representation of themselves.

Our writing center will be transformed into a Valentine’s Day card making station! The children will be able to write a card to whomever they’d like with the fun materials provided. We will also be making a special batch of cards to send joy to the children at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

In preparation of the Lunar New Year, our class will listen the story of how the animals for the Chinese Zodiac came to be. We will also learn about how this year is the year of the Dog and find out what animal they and other members of our school are! As a collaborative art project, our class will create a Chinese dragon out of recyclable materials and tissue paper! Our class will then take this Dragon around in a Lunar New Year  parade with the Raspberry and Strawberry classrooms.

Monthly Academic Focus

Academically, we will be going over the VOWELS:  Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, and Uu. Each week, we will focus on one letter/sound and practice writing it using worksheets and our lined practice paper, review words that start with that sound, search for things in our classroom that start with that sound, and read a book about that letter and its sound. So far in the school year we have learned 4 word families (-at, -an, -am and -ad) and will start learning our -ot Family words using the sounding out methods we have learned so far! The words we will learn this month are cot, dot, hot, lot, not, pot, rot, and spot. We will learn to read these words by blending sounds from left to right and matching them to picture words!

For math, the children will have the opportunity to create Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and farm animal patterns using our class tangram shapes. This will help them practice identifying the shapes, figure out which shape best fits where, and enhance puzzle skills. Our class will practice going over numbers 30-50 with the 100’s pocket chart, the Montessori Tens Board and beads, and our unifix blocks. These materials will allow the children to match the quantities with its appropriate number. We will also practice reading numbers from left to right and how our 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s numbers all have a 3, 4, or 5 in the front followed by our unchanging 0-9 pattern.

Valentine’s Day

Abraham De Los Santos

Elijah Sessions

Jaiden Moore

Philip Duffy

Rania Shakra

Rogan Alper

Reminders

– Hot lunch will continue to be $5 when ordered in advance, however if ordered the day of or by the week it will be billed at $6.

– Show and Tell is every Friday! Encourage your child to bring in a special toy, book, or game of their choice to share with the class. Show & Tell is great because it’s fun for the kids and simultaneously enhances effective communication, strengthens their vocabulary , improves their listening skills, and promotes self confidence.

– Date Night is (typically) every other Saturday from 5:00pm-12:00am. $15/hr for an individual child or $17/hr for a pair of siblings (min. charge is $60). Dinner and a movie are also provided.

– We are now NUT FREE! We have a number of students in the school allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, in order to keep them safe we ask that you please do not send your child to school with any products containing nuts. If you would like a list of nut-free food suggestions let me know and I will get you a list!

– And lastly, a personal request from myself, please try to label all of your child’s items! Many families buy the same things and sometimes other students or teachers may move your child’s items mistakenly; labeling your things will greatly help avoid any mishaps!

If you have any other questions about the parent handbook feel free to ask myself, Gabriel, or Ms. Annie.

School Calendar 2017

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Lunar New Year

Monday – 19th –  NO SCHOOL- President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Blueberries Learn Color Blending to Make Pink And Purple

Hello Parents!

Thank you to everyone who attended our parent teacher confreres last week.  It was great getting to talk to you all about our Blueberry kiddos!  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, our class will spend the next few weeks focusing on love and friendship!

Curriculum

Theme: Love

Color: pink and purple

Animal: farm animals

Value: friendship

Multicultural visit: China/Asia

Additional Theme: President’s Day

Community Helper: Doctor

Sounds and Numbers: f and n, 9 and 10

Shape: heart

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Bloomz app.

During the month of February we will be celebrating Valentine’s day!  In the spirit of Valentine’s Day we will focus on how to be kind and loving friends to one another.  We will also work together to make fun Valentine’s decorations for our classroom! We will also make goodie bags to pass out Valentine’s Day cards.  In addition, we will have open ended art activities to learn about our monthly colors pink and purple.

In our science center, we will be practicing color blending to make pink and purple.  We will also mix ingredient to make our own pink and purple play-dough.

For circle time, we will be reading Valentine’s and love themed books such as Guess How Much I Love You, Llama Llama I love You, Pete The Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool, and How To Be A Friend. We will also learn new songs about love including “Yes,I Love You,” “5 Little Hearts,” and “Skidamarink.” This month we are focusing on the letters F and N, the numbers 9 and 10, and the shape of a heart, so we will spend part of circle time learning the sounds that the letters F and N make and practice pronouncing some simple words that start with those letters.  We will also practice counting up to 9 and 10 and practice recognizing those numbers along with recognizing a heart shape.  We will also be talking about the doctor and the importance of  caring for our bodies.

Our cultural theme this month is China!  We will spend some time making a cultural board in celebration of Chinese New Year!

If you have and questions about our themes or activities, feel free to ask!

Reminders

– If you plan on parking in the lot, we ask that you to please limit your stay to 10 minutes. Lingering in the lot makes it difficult for other parents trying to pick up/drop off their child on time.

– I know saying goodbye can be hard, but you can do it and so can your child!! Remember to keep a consistent routine throughout the year, prepare your child for your departure, validate their feelings, and remind them that you will be back.

– Hot lunch will continue to be $5 when ordered in advance, however if ordered the day of or by the week it will be billed at $6.

– Date Night is every other Saturday from 5:00pm-12:00am. $15/hr for an individual child or $17/hr for a pair of siblings (min. charge is $60). Dinner and a movie are also provided.

– We are now NUT FREE! We have a number of students in the school allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, in order to keep them safe we ask that you please do not send your child to school with any products containing nuts. If you would like a list of nut-free food suggestions let me know and I will get you a list!

– And lastly, a personal request from myself, please try to label all of your child’s items! Many families buy the same things and sometimes other students or teachers may move your child’s items mistakenly; labeling your things will greatly help avoid any mishaps!

If you have any other questions about the parent handbook feel free to ask myself, Gabriel, or Ms. Annie.

Upcoming Events

School Calendar 2018

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Chinese New Year

Monday – 19th – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Strawberries Learn About China And Meaning Of Love

Welcome!

Hello Strawberry parents!

Welcome to the month of February! We’re now in the time of love and friendship! This February we will be learning about China to prepare for the Lunar New Year! Look forward to receiving bi-weekly emails, such as this, to give you a guide of our educational activities. Reminder, we are a nut free school! Please, read the nut free options on the form that were mailed and/or given.

Monthly Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: friendship

Color: Pink and purple

Multicultural Visit: Asia/china

Animal: Farm Animal

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: president’s day

Letters/Sounds:  Ww Ee Oo

Shape:  Diamond

Numbers: 20-30

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Brightwheel app.

** Week One

————————————————————

This week we will be focusing on the Letter ‘Ww’, love, friendship, and numbers 20-30

This week the strawberries will begin to discuss the meaning of love! How love can be expressed through family, friends and our community. We will first open the discussion by asking them what they think love is (will be written down). Then we will talk about how we can express our love to others by being kind, patient, considerate, and compassionate.

Writing:

The strawberries will be writing and tracing the letter Ww and its corresponding words and Phonic sound. We will begin introducing sight words! Such as: it, an, to etc. Every morning, the strawberries will start the day by writing their names on our sign up folder. This will let them practice identifying, recognizing and writing their names on their own!

Math:

Throughout the week we will be incorporating math in our daily activities by counting, measuring and/or making patterns. We will also be practicing identifying, writing, and creating our numbers 20-30 using Montessori boards/beads.

Science :

We will be conducting an experiment with walking water! (water absorption) We will make our predictions and write down our findings.

Art:

* We will be creating Valentine’s hearts!

* ‘W’ is for worm! we will be doing a worm painting out of spaghetti instead of brushes.

Sensory:

This week, the strawberries will be feeling the texture of rainbow worms! (spaghetti)

Week Two

This week we will be focusing on china/Asia,  farm animals, the letters ‘Ee’ and the diamond shape.

This week, we’ll be learning about various China. We will  locate the country on the map and talk about: their culture, language, historical landmarks, traditional dances, and food.  As well as, talking about the importance of farmers and farm animals are to our environment.

Writing:

The strawberries will be writing and tracing the letter Ee and its corresponding words and Phonic sound. We will continue introducing sight words! Such as: it, an, to etc.

*    The strawberries will attempt to write a few and simple Chinese characters using black markers.

* We will create our own farm poem.

Math:

Throughout the week we will be incorporating math in our daily activities, by counting, measuring and/or making patterns.

*  We will be planting a seed with an ABC pattern.

* We will be sorting farm animals and non farm animals.

Science: The strawberries will try to make an indestructible egg (white balloon) by using materials in the classroom to ensure that it does not break (pop) when we drop it from a high area (stairs).

Art:

* stomping mud art using farm animals

* making traditional Asian drums

* making chopstick art

sensory:

* The strawberries are going to have a washing station. They are going to clean all the dirty farm animals using tooth brushes!

* The strawberries will get to experience how to milk a cow through gloves! We will fill the glove with water with a tiny hole and they will “milk” it in a cup.

School Calendar 2017

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Chinese New Year

Monday – 19th – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Farm Animal Crafts, Sensory Play and Udder Painting

* January was a great start to our new year. We’ll keep 2018 going with another fun filled and enriching month!

* If you have not done so, I encourage you to fill an “All About Me” handout about your kiwi student. Handouts are above the kiwi cubbies.

* Please make sure you have the latest version of the Brightwheel app for daily updates and communication.

Curriculum

Theme: Love

Value: Friendship

Color/s: Pink &Purple

Multicultural Visit: China

Animal: Farm animals

Community Helper: Doctor

Additional Theme: Presidents Day

Letters/Sounds: Gg, Ww, Aa

Shape: Rectangle

Numbers: 9, 10

As in every preschool classroom, these plans may evolve to better suit the interests of the children. I will be updating parents with pictures, videos, and write ups of what the children are learning and doing during the day. These will be posted to our Brightwheel app.

Circle Time

During our circle time, we begin our class by singing a good morning song, counting how many kiwis came to school today, the weather and days of the week. This is also when we we introduce the activities as well as reviewing letters and numbers.

First Week

During the first week of February, the kiwis will be learning about farm animals. We’ll have farm animal crafts along with other activities such as making play dough, sensory play, sorting and udder painting.

Second Week

We’ll then, continue to learn about love and friendship as we prepare for Valentine’s day. We’ll be making some valentine’s in class for family members. You are welcomed to send Valentine’s day cards/treats for the kiwis to distribute in class. Currently we have 15 kiwis in our class.

We will also learn about the Chinese New Year which will be on February 16th, by reading a story and making a dog puppet.

Third & Fourth Week

The kiwis will learn about Presidents day and our community helper the doctor towards the end of the month. More information to follow in our next biweekly email.

Reminders

Cubbies and Lunch Boxes

* Parents, please remember to keep your child’s cubby stocked with pull-ups/ diapers as well as wipes if needed. Along with extra clothing in case of any accident. (This includes 2 pairs of underwear, 2 shirts and 2 bottoms)

* Please label all of your kiwis things including lunch boxes and water bottles.

Upcoming Birthdays

If you’re kiwi has an upcoming birthday, and you would like to bring a treat to share the celebration, please remember the following:

– We are a nut free school

– No frosting

– Treats are served towards the end of their lunch time, approximately around 11:15a.

– Notify the teachers in advance to let parents know in case, they would like to opt out due to allergies or other diet concerns.

Upcoming Events

School Calendar 2017

February

Saturday – 3rd – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Friday – 16th – Chinese New Year

Monday – 19th – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day

March

Saturday – 3rd- Date Night with Ms. Jennifer

Monday – 5th – Picture Day

Saturday – 10th – Date Night with Ms. Diana

Friday – 16th – Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday – 20th – Egg Hunt

Friday – 23rd to 2nd – NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April

Tuesday – 3rd- Back from Spring Break

Saturday – 7th- Date Night with Mrs. Gloria

Saturday -21st – Date Night with Ms. Jennifer