NO SCHOOL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22nd

Due to the SNOW, there will be NO SCHOOL TODAY, Thursday, December 22nd. We will see you tomorrow! Our class party is still on for tomorrow. Enjoy this snow!!!

Preschoolers: Dressing Your Child for Cold Weather - Kaboose.com

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December 19-23

2011 is winding down fast, and we are in our last week of school for this year!!! This week will be a fun-filled, craft-filled week. We can't wait!

First things first, please don't forget about our Winter Program on Wednesday, December 21st at 6pm in the school cafeteria. This program includes our 2 preschool classes, and the students have been practicing for weeks! It is sure to be fun! Please have your child in their classroom about 10 minutes before 6 dressed nicely. Since we will be in the cafeteria on the stage, feel free to invite family and friends.

Our Winter Parties will be on Friday, December 23rd at 10:15. There will be a sign up sheet on our sign-in book for help! Please look it over and let us know what you can do to help. All students are welcome to attend!

This week for curriculum we will be talking about Winter, Sweden, and Christmas. We will also continue talking about our sense of touch, review the letters of the alphabet, and the numbers 1-10.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with us! They truly make us smile every day!!!

Week of December 12-16

Here's hoping we get out to our playground this week! The snow and cold have left it fairly snow packed and icy. We do like to take the preschoolers on walks outside, and to play in the cafeteria though!

Here is what we are studying this week:

Theme: Winter

Social Studies: Israel, Hanukkah

Science: the sense of touch

Math: Numbers 1-10

Literacy: The letter Kk, rhyming words

Writing: Words that start with K, names and tracing

Shape: Star

Color: Yellow

Spanish: Days of the Week

Show and Tell: Free Choice

For Spanish, we also practice counting to 10 daily, and sing our weather song in Spanish.

Please don't forget about our Winter Program on Wednesday, December 21st, at 6pm, on the stage in the cafeteria. Please have your child at school about 10 minutes early, dressed nicely. We will be singing 5 holiday songs, and will have cookies and juice afterward. This program is JUST the 2 preschool classes. Please feel free to bring grandparents, aunts and uncles, and anyone else who would like to watch. While we make no guarantees that every child will sing, we do promise it will be fun!

Week of December 5-9

Brrrr!  It's going to be a very cold week!  Please make sure your children are bundled up in coats, hats and gloves.  We will be going outside on any day that the weather permits, but I'm guessing we'll have quite a few indoor recesses this week!

Here's what we are studying this week:

 

Social Studies: Africa, Kwaanza

Science: Sense of Touch
Math: The number 10, Addition
Literacy: The letter H
Writing: Writing name and tracing, sending letters
Shape of the Week: Star

Color of the Week: Yellow

Spanish: Los dias de la semana-Days of the Week

 

Show and Tell: Something about Africa

As the holidays draw near, we will be learning about various traditions and celebrations.  If your family has a special holiday or cultural tradition your child would like to share with our class, please let Mrs. S or Mrs. Nye know.  We want to celebrate our diversity as well as our similarities!  It's a wonderful time of year!

Hablamos Espanol!

Hola!  We've had some parents request that our Spanish vocabulary be posted on our blogsite, so here are our words for the month of November.  Also, we are studying Puerto Rico this month.  Our focus will be on the culture as well as the native coqui.  A coqui is a tiny frog that has a distinct song (it sounds like "co-key").  The people of Puerto Rico love their coquies and have written songs and legends about them.  Ask your child what they have learned about Puerto Rico and the coqui!

Vocabulario (vocabulary):

• los colores (lohss co-lore-ace) the colors
• rojo  (row-hoe) red
• anaranjado (on-uh-ron-ha-dough) orange
• amarillo (om-uh-ree-yo) yellow
• verde (vair-day) green
• azul (ah-zool) blue
• morado (more-ah-dough) purple
• negro (nay-grow) black
• blanco (blahn-co) white
• marrón (mah-rone) brown
• rosado  (row-saw-doe)  pink
• gris  (grease)  grey
• grande (grahn-day) big
• pequeño (peck-kay-nyo) small
• duro (dur-oh)  hard
• suave (swah-vay) soft
• delgado (del-gah-dough) skinny
• gordo (gore-dough) fat

To help your child practice Spanish, ask them to describe everyday items.  For example, “What does your pillow look like?  What color is the pillowcase?  Is it soft and fat, or hard and skinny?”  You can play “I Spy” in the car, or even practice singing our “Canción de los Colores.”
 

“Canción de los Colores"

(to the tune of “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”)

I see the color red right here, red right here, red right here,

I see the color red right here, in Spanish red is rojo.

(Substitute various colors in English and Spanish.)

Week of November 28-December 2

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a wonderful break!

Here is what we are doing this week:

Social Studies: Starting to study Our Community and Community Helpers

Science: Sense of Touch

Math: Review #1-9, patterning and addition

Literacy: Review all letters learned so far

Writing: Writing name and tracing, sending letters

Show and Tell: Free Choice!

There will be a few changes occuring this week with the change in director. As most of you know, I will be taking over for Caylee as the preschool director. I will be teaching in the morning, just as always, until about 11. After that, we will have another teacher in the classroom to help with recess, lunch, nap, and the afternoons. I am so excited to have this opportunity and to still be able to teach your children.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at any time at sschlagenhauf@tpaak.org.

Please be sure to see our notes to the right for important updates!!

Week of November 21-23

Hello Parents!

This is a short week this week. We will be in school with normal hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Please let us know if you are going to be missing one of your usual days or if you plan to attend a day that you normally would not. This helps us make sure we have enough adults and supplies for every day!

This week we will be talking about Thanksgiving, being thankful, and nutrition. We will be eating some traditional Thanksgiving foods for snacks, and talking about foods that keep us healthy. We will be doing several Thanksgiving crafts, and, in general, having fun.

Please remember to prepare for the weather! We go outside if the temperature is 20 degrees or higher. With our playground in the shade, sometimes it can get chilly. Please make sure your child has a warm coat, hat and gloves when needed for school. We will make sure they wear them when the weather turns colder.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break!!

Week of November 14-18

This week we will begin our unit on Thanksgiving, starting with a study of Native Americans. We will be talking about the clothes, food, and culture of Native Americans and will be making some Native American instruments.

Here is what the rest of our week looks like:

Social Studies: Native Americans

Science: the sense of touch

Math: #9 and patterns

Literacy: Letter Bb

Fine Motor: Cutting and tracing

Art: Native American designs

Spanish: Los colores (colors)

Show and Tell: Something you are thankful for.

Since we will be going outside on days that are 20 degrees or warmer, please make sure your child comes to school with the appropriate clothing. We are more than happy to help with gloves and hats before we go outside. Please make sure everything is labeled with your child's name or initials. We will place things in cubbies or in backpacks.

If you have any questions, you can now contact Mrs. Nye and Mrs. S via school email! Our email addresses are:

Mrs. S: sschlagenhauf@tpaak.org

Mrs. Nye: jnye@tpaak.org

Have a great week! Be sure to scroll down and read the article posted by Mrs. Nye on Thursday!!

Teaching our Children Gratitude

With the holiday seasons upon us, I found this article to be really interesting.

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/teaching-children-to-be-grateful/ 

November 7-11

This week we will be learning about our wonderful state, Colorado! We will continue some of our Forest Animal week by talking about the animals that live in Colorado.

Themes for the week:

Social Studies: Colorado

Science: Hearing

Math: #8

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Brown

Letter: Nn

Art/Fine Motor: Tracing/Cutting

Music: Instruments and November songs

Spanish: Los Colores--Colors

Show and Tell: Something that Starts with Nn

Instead of doing all the monthly themes each week, we will be focusing on one per week. This month it will be Forest Animals, Colorado, Native Americans, and Thanksgiving.

As our weather turns colder, I am sure our students will have more and more layers to wear to school. Most days, if the temperature is above 20 degrees with the wind chill, we will go out. Exceptions include if it is raining, snowing hard, or if our playground is snowy/icy. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing. Since we have a lot of jackets, snow pants, boots, gloves and hats that look the same, please take a moment to label your child's things with their name.

You should have gotten a survey in your child's box about our Holiday Festivities. Please take a moment to fill this out, as it will help greatly with planning.

Have a great week!!!

October 31- November 4

A HUGE thank you to all the parents that helped out with our fun Fall party on Friday. I think the students had a great time, judging by how tired they were when it was all over. And we could not have pulled it off without your help! Thanks again!

Reminder: We will not be wearing costumes to school on Halloween!

As our weather turns colder, I am sure our students will have more and more layers to wear to school. Most days, if the temperature is above 20 degrees with the wind chill, we will go out. Exceptions include if it is raining, snowing hard, or if our playground is snowy/icy. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing. And, to ensure that everyone gets their clothing back, please label everything with your child's name.

Themes for the week:

Social Studies: Forest Animals

Science: Hearing

Math: #7

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Brown

Letter: Pp

Art/Fine Motor: Tracing/Cutting

Music: Instruments and November songs

Show and Tell: Something that Starts with Pp

Instead of doing all the monthly themes each week, we will be focusing on one per week. This month it will be Forest Animals, Colorado, Native Americans, and Thanksgiving.

Weather Watch!

With the expected snow coming in tonight, we thought it would be a good idea to review our weather closing procedures.

If TPAAK is closed, that information will be posted on 9News, on the TPAAK main school page (www.tpaak.org), and on the preschool blog page (http://tpaakpreschool.blogspot.com/).  We are listed as TPAAK or TR Paul Academy.  If Poudre School District is closed, we will be closed as well.  All information will be posted by 6am.  If you do not see us listed, we will be in school as usual.

Week of October 24-28th

It's that time of year again!  Our Halloween Party is this Friday at 10:30 am.  Feel free to send a costume with your preschooler.  We are encouraging the children to dress up as a character from their favorite book, but they can wear a different costume if they wish.  Family members are welcome to attend.  Even if your child doesn't usually come on Friday, you are invited to join us for the party!

This week we will be wrapping up our studies of this month's themes:

         Country: India

         Theme: Fall, Columbus, Weather

         Science: Hearing

         Shape: Rectangle

         Color: Orange
         Spanish: Weather vocabulary, Peru

The Focus for the Week:

          Letter: Review of L, R, T

          Number: Review of 4, 5, 6

          Art/Fine Motor: Cutting and Tracing Skills

          Music: Songs about fall and October

          Show and Tell: Something SPOOKY!


With the change of the weather, we have noticed a lot of coughs and sniffles in our classroom.  Please keep your child home if they exhibit any flu symptoms AND have a fever, or if they are obviously too sick to attend.  Also, if your child throws up, it is school policy that they cannot return until a full 24 hours afterwards.  Thanks for your help in keeping our classroom healthy!

October 17-21

BOOK FAIR IS THIS WEEK! It is every day until 6pm in the library. There are tons of great books for all ages!! This is a great way to build your home library while helping us build our classroom libraries!!!

We had quite a fun week last week, learning about India, fall and practicing our letters and numbers. We also did a fun science experiment where we learned what 2 colors mix together to make orange. Be sure to check out our artwork hanging on the walls when you drop off or pick up your child.

This week, we will continue to learn more about India, talk about the season changing to fall, and work on more letters and numbers. We will be doing more with books, so watch for these to come home each week.

Here is what we will be doing this week:

This month's themes:

Country: India

Theme: Fall, Columbus, Weather

Science: Hearing

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Orange

The Focus for the Week:

Letter: Tt

Number: 6

Art/Fine Motor: Cutting and Tracing Skills

Music: Songs about fall and October

Show and Tell: Something that begins with the letter T

Centers this week will include:

What to wear for the weather

Listening Lotto

Number Lines and Numbers through 30

We are also working a lot with the children on school skills. These skills include things like walking in a line, raising hands, how to sit in circle, etc. These seem like basic skills to us, but for them, these things can be difficult. In addition to these skills, we are also working on sharing with others, playing with others, and being a good friend. At this age, learning these things is one of our main priorities.

Our Halloween party will be held on Friday, October 28th at 10:30. More details will come this week. If you do not usually attend school on Fridays, but would like to attend the party, please just let me know! You can switch days, add a day, or just bring your child in for the party. We just need to make sure that we are prepared for everyone who wants to attend.

October 10-14

Fall has arrived, and with it, much cooler and less predictable temperatures. We will go outside most days unless it is raining. Please send a jacket or sweater with your child in case they need it for recess time. Also, please make sure we have an appropriate change of clothing for your child.

This month's themes:

Country: India

Theme: Fall, Columbus, Weather

Science: Hearing

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Orange

The Focus for the Week:

Letter: Rr

Number: 5

Art/Fine Motor: Cutting and Tracing Skills

Music: Instruments

Show and Tell: Something that begins with the letter R

Look back for more information on what we will be doing for Halloween!!

October 3-7

Wow! October is here! And with it, we will see a change in what we are doing in school, as well as a change in the weather. We will still be going outside unless it is raining, so please make sure your child is dresses appropriately.

This month's themes:

Country: India

Theme: Fall, Columbus

Science: Hearing

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Orange

The Focus for the Week:

Letter: Ll

Number: 4

Art/Fine Motor: Cutting Skills

Music: Instruments

Show and Tell: Something that begins with the letter L

Every Friday, the 6th graders at TPAAK come in to our classroom to read and do projects with our class! The students have so much fun doing this. Be sure to ask your child about what they did during this fun time.

Check our board daily for more information about what we did that day! And be sure to empty your child's "mailbox" for lots of fun artwork and other work :)

Please let me know if you have any questions! You can comment right here, or email me :)

Fun with Science

We had a little fun with some milk, food coloring and Dawn today at school! This is a very fun, easy experiment that you can do at home with your kids!

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000066

Have fun watching the colors explode!!!!

SCHOOL SPIRIT WEEK!

This week is TPAAK's School Spirit Week.  Your child can join in the fun by participating in each day's theme.  The themes are:

Monday - Pajama Day - school appropriate
Tuesday - Crazy Hair Day
Wednesday - Solid Color Day - wear one color form head to toe
Thursday - Silly Socks Day
Friday - Green and Gold Day - show your TPAAK and CSU support with these colors

Also, on Thursday (September 29) TPAAK is sponsoring a SPIRIT NIGHT at Chick-Fil-A.  

 Be sure to pick up a coupon at the front desk.  Students will be performing from 5-8 pm.

Week of September 26 - October 1

Hello parents,
Fall is here!  Luckily, we are still anticipating some beautiful weather this week.  Since we are studying the sense of sight this month, it will be fun to watch the leaves begin to change outside.  Here are the other things we will be learning about this week:
Our monthly themes this month are:
Social Studies: China
Science: The sense of sight
Overall: Personal Awareness and Pets
Shape: Circle
Color: Red
Spanish: Guatemala

This week we will be focusing on:
Letter: Review of M, S, F
Number: Review of 1, 2, 3
Show and Tell: Free Choice

You have probably noticed the bulletin board outside our room has lots of new pictures on it.  Be sure to check it out and look for your child.  We tried to include as many of our preschoolers as possible!

September 19-23

We have quite a busy week this week! Friday we will be having our school pictures. Everyone should have received information in their boxes about this. If Friday is not your regular day for school, but you want your child to have pictures done, please talk to me about how we can make that happen!

The other big event this week is our Fall Festival! Saturday, September 24th from 11-3, there will be games, activities, food and fun at TPAAK! This is a fun event for the whole family. The preschool will have a bouncy house at the festival this year. We need parents to work 1 hour shifts from 11-3 to help out. All money made at the bouncy house will go directly back to the preschool. Please talk to us about volunteering or sign up on the sign up sheet located at the sign-in table.

Here is what we will be doing in school this week:

Our monthly themes this month are:

Social Studies: China

Science: The sense of sight

Overall: Personal Awareness and Pets

Shape: Circle

Color: Red

This week we will be focusing on:

Letter: F

Number: 3

Show and Tell: Something that starts with the Letter F

I will also be continuing to do assessments this week. Please let me know if you have any questions. The easiest way to contact me is email.

Have a great week!!!

BACK TO FOOTBALL FRIDAY!!

Tomorrow is Back To Football Friday at TPAAK! Wear your favorite NFL gear to school tomorrow and support your team!!!

Week of September 12-16

Happy weekend families!!

We had a lot of fun learning about the letter M last week! This week we will be diving into a new letter, as well as learning more about our country for this month - CHINA! Here is our plan for this week:

Our monthly themes this month are:

Social Studies: China

Science: The sense of sight

Overall: Personal Awareness and Pets

Shape: Circle

Color: Red

This week we will be focusing on:

Letter: S

Number: 2

Show and Tell: Something that starts with the Letter S

I am planning to start doing our initial assessments this week on the kids. These are academic and developmental assessments that will give us a baseline of where your child is, and what we will be working on. Please let me know if you have any questions about these assessments.

We are looking forward to another fun week!!!! If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mrs. S or Mrs. Nye anytime!

Spanish for September

Hablamos Español

 (We speak Spanish)

¡Hola!  This month we are playing a little catch-up with vocabulary, as well as adding some new words.  Since last month was so busy as school started, we did not have a chance to learn our pet vocabulary.  So, this month we will learn pets, family members, and numbers.  We will also learn a little bit about Guatemala, and make quetzal bird crafts.   The quetzal bird is a bright, colorful bird chosen as the national bird of Guatemala.  It is so popular that Guatemalan currency is also named after it.  Some have even called the quetzal “the most beautiful bird in all the Americas!”

Vocabulario (vocabulary):

• Tengo ____  (tango)  I have ___
• animal doméstico  (ah-knee-mawl  dough-mess-tea-ko) pet
• gato  (gaw-toe) cat
• perro (pear-row) dog
• pescado (pace-ca-dough) fish
• conejo (cone-ay-hoe) rabbit
• ave (ah-vay) bird
• los numeros  (los new-mer-ohs)  numbers
• uno  (oo-no)  One
• dos (dohs)  Two
• tres (trays)  Three
• cuatro (qwah-troh) Four
• cinco  (sing-co)  Five
• seis  (sayss)  Six
• siete  (see-et-ay)  Seven
• ocho  (oh-cho)  Eight
• nueve  (new-ay-vay)  Nine
• diez  (dee-ace)  Ten
• Tengo ___ años. (tango __ on-yohss) I am __ years old.
• familia  (fuh-me-lee-uh)  family
• mama  (maw-ma) mother
• papa (paw-pa) father
• hermana (err-mon-uh) sister
• hermano  (err-mon-o) brother
• bebé  (bay-bay)  baby
• abuela  (uh-bway-luh)  grandmother
• abuelo  (uh-bway-lo)  grandfather
• Amo a mi familia.  (ah-mow ah me fuh-me-lee-uh)  I love my family.
• Te amo.  (tay ah-mow)  I love you.

Canción (song):

“Diez Deditos”—(Ten Little Fingers)
(to the tune of “Ten Little Indians”)

Uno, dos, tres deditos,                       (One, two, three little fingers,)

Cuatro, cinco, seis deditos,               (Four, five, six little fingers,)

Siete, ocho, nueve deditos,                (Seven, eight, nine little fingers,)

Diez deditos hay.                                 (I have ten little fingers!)

Week of September 6-9

REMINDER: NO SCHOOL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH!!!

 

WOW! I cannot believe that September is already here! Now we just have to

keep hoping for some of that beautiful fall weather!

 

Our monthly themes this month are:

Social Studies: China

Science: The sense of sight

Overall: Personal Awareness and Pets

Shape: Circle

Color: Red

 

This week we will be focusing on:

Letter: M

Number: 1

Show and Tell: Something that starts with the Letter M

 

We will also be starting some fun at-home activities for you and your child. These are not homework, just some ideas that will tie into what your child is learning at school.

 

As you can see, it is going to be a fun, busy month!!!

 

Just a few reminders:

• Please remember to send a water bottle with your child every day! We encourage them to drink a lot of water, especially on hot days.
• Because we do play outside a lot, and sit on the floor a lot, please have your little girl wear shorts under her dresses and skirts.
• Don't forget to sign your child in and out every day.
• If your child is getting hot lunches, these must be ordered and paid for in advance through Ms. Whealton-Amott.   If you need more information, please let me know.

 

Thanks so much for allowing us to teach your child! Every day is so much fun for all of us. If you ever have any questions, concerns or ideas, please feel free to email me at shanda.schlagenhauf@gmail.com.

 

Overheard in our Classroom

Today during Spanish we were practicing the words for family members.  I asked the children:  "You say 'Mama' for Mom.  How many of you have a mom?"  One cute little guy raised his hand and said "I have a Mommy!"

Thanks for sharing your children with us!  They make us smile every single day.  :)

Lost on what to pack for lunch?

Here are a few articles that I find helpful when packing lunch for my preschooler:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/80320-lunch-box-ideas-preschoolers/

http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/photo-gallery/healthy-lunch-box-ideas-for-preschoolers.aspx#/slide-1

Clothing Request

We have some wonderful, active preschoolers!  This means we do a lot of running outside, as well as spend much of our time sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor.  Please be sure your daughter has shorts on underneath her skirt or dress.
Also, school policy requires that children wear close-toed shoes to school.  Flip-flops or open-toed sandals leave little feet exposed during playtime.  Please help us keep your children safe and happy!

Week of August 29 - September 2

This week we are finishing up our theme of “All About Me.” We have some fun games and art projects planned for the preschoolers. We’ll also do our final review of squares and rainbows. Next week we dive right into the letter “M” and the number one.

We have started Spanish and the children are really excited! Be sure to look for the purple vocabulary sheet each week so you can practice with your child!

As a reminder, there is NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. Have a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend!

Week of August 22-26

It’s a new week, and we’re going to have a blast! This week we are digging deeper into our theme of “All About Me.” We will share and discuss some of the things that make each child unique. We’ll also be studying the following for our academic curriculum:

Shape: Square
Color: Rainbow
Country: Australia
Letter: Letters in each name
Number: Counting

It’s so fun to watch the children experience their first few days of school. Thank you for sharing your precious child with us!

Love to Learn?

Here's a fun site that will satisfy your child's curiosity--and you might learn a thing or two, also! 

http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/

Week of August 15-18

Our year is off to an amazing start! Mrs. Nye and I are having so much fun getting to know our new students and their families. We are so excited about the wonderful, fun year we are going to have.

Here are some things we are studying this week:

Shape: Square

Color: Rainbow

Country: Australia

Letter: Letters in each name

Number: counting

We are also learning lots of fun things like lining up, participating in circle, doing classroom jobs, and sharing with our friends.

Just a few reminders:

- Please make sure your child brings a water bottle to school each day. It is hot outside and we want everyone to stay hydrated.

- Make sure your child has on sunscreen before coming in the morning. If you need some when you get to school, just let us know.

- Finally, please be sure to sign your child in and out each day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, Shanda (also known as Mrs. S.), at shanda.schlagenhauf@gmail.com. I am always more than happy to help!

And we're off!

Whew!  The first week of preschool is already halfway over, and it's been great!  Our new preschoolers are adapting beautifully to the new room and all of their new friends.  Mrs. S., Miss. Ashley, and I have been excited to meet each new child and get to know them.  We especially love all the sweet hugs we get from them!  So far it has been smooth sailing. 

If you have any concerns or questions, please talk to one of us.  It is a priority for us to keep in close contact with parents, and to address any needs the children have. Thank you for trusting us with your little ones!

Preparing for Preschool

Here's a great article to help prepare you and your child for preschool!

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/preparing-for-preschool/

Week of August 8-12

This week we'll be spending a lot of time just getting to know one another!  Mrs. S, Miss. Ashley and I look forward to meeting each of our preschoolers and helping them feel comfortable and happy in our classroom.  We plan on taking it easy for this first week, showing the children around and teaching some of the basics of preschool--sitting on the carpet during circle time, raising your hand, walking in lines, and being a friend.  We'll review the alphabet briefly, and acquaint the preschoolers with the different areas (centers) in our room. 

Be sure to ask your preschooler to share their first few days with you!  If there are any concerns or questions, please feel free to approach any of us.  We're excited for a great year of learning and fun!

Welcome, New Families!

This Monday is the first day of our new school year!  We are really excited to meet all the new preschoolers and their families.  We would like to "go green" by encouraging parents to view the weekly newsletter on this blog instead of receiving a paper copy.  If you are interested in doing this, please let Mrs. S. or Mrs. Nye know.  It's going to be a fun year!

Thanks!

A big "thank you" to all the parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends who showed up for our Summer Story Hour today.  It was a blast!  There is something so neat about seeing children so engrossed in reading with people who love them.  And the cake and popsicles were delicious, too!  Thank you for your support!

Week of August 1-5

This week is going to be explosive! We’ll be studying all about volcanoes. We’ll also learn the vowels “O” and “U” and focus on the number nine. Our colors for the week are black and white, and our shape is an octagon.

Don’t forget! This Wednesday from 10-11 AM we will be having our Summer Story Hour. Feel free to bring your child’s favorite books to share with the class. Family and friends are invited. Popsicles will be served afterwards.

Movin' On Up!

Next week is our last week of Summer Preschool.  On Monday, August 8th, most of our Preschool class will shift up into our Pre-K class with Miss. Scheffer and Mrs. Sykes.  The Pre-K class is a perfect "inbetween" for children who will be starting kindergarten in the 2012-2013 year.  While still being a fun and exciting environment, our Pre-K class digs deeper into literacy, math, science, and social studies.  Additionally, students are given more responsibilities and become more independent. 

It is a bittersweet transition for Mrs. S and I to watch the children move on.  We are so proud of our preschoolers and all they have accomplished and learned.  We know they will be in good hands, but we will miss them.  It's almost like watching our own children grow up!  Thank you so much for trusting us with them and letting us love them and teach them.  At least we will get to see them during Spanish, lunch, and recess! 

Summer Story Hour--This Wednesday!

Don't forget that this Wednesday, August 3rd, we are having our Summer Story Hour from 10-11 AM.  All family members are invited to come and read some of our favorite books with us, as well as enjoy popsicles afterwards.  Preschoolers are welcome to bring their favorite book from home that day to share with the class.  We look forward to seeing you then!

Overheard in our Classroom

Today we learned a new song about dinosaurs.  It went to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and went as follows:  "I'd like to be a dinosaur, dinosaur, dinosaur.  And if I were a dinosaur, I'd like to be a __________."  Each child got the chance to decide which dinosaur they would have liked to be.  We had quite a few long necks and T Rexes, but my favorite was the little girl who declared she wanted to be...a flamingo.  It's so fun working with these sweet children!

Week of July 25-29

This week we are traveling back in time to discover the world of dinosaurs! This is always a favorite topic for our preschoolers, so we expect a really fun week. We will also be learning about vowels, the number eight, the color brown and ovals.

Don’t forget our Summer Story Hour next Wednesday at 10 am. All family and friends who would like to attend are invited.

Week of July 18-22

We’re seeing stars this week—and planets, too! Our class will be blasting off into space and exploring its outer reaches. We’ll also learn the letters X, Y, and Z and the number seven. The shape for this week is a heart, and the color is pink.

The 2011-12 School Year

Our first official day of preschool for the 2011-12 school year is Monday, August 8th.  At that time, our older preschoolers will move into the Pre-K classroom with Miss. Scheffer and Mrs. Sykes.  The younger preschoolers will remain with Mrs. Nye and Mrs. S in this classroom, and will be joined by many new friends. 

SAVE the DATE!

On Wednesday, August 3rd, we will be having a special Summer Storytime from 10-11 AM.  This is a fun event when parents, grandparents, siblings and special family friends can join us to read some favorite picture books and then have popsicles afterwards.  We look forward to seeing you!

Week of July 11-15

This week we are exploring the exciting (and sometimes icky) world of insects!  From butterflies to dung beetles, it is certain to be a fun week.  We will be focusing on the letters T, U, V, and W, and on the number six.  Our shape for the week is a star, and our color for the week is purple.  It's going to be a great week!

NO SCHOOL MONDAY, JULY 4th!

Week of June 27-July 1

This week we are focusing on America!  In preparation for the 4th of July we will have some patriotic crafts and songs.  We'll also be sending home a fun star project for you to work on with your child.  Our color for the week is blue and our shape is a rectangle.  We will learn the letters M, N, O and P, and focus on the number four. 

The weather forecast for this week predicts some hot, sunny days.  Please be sure to put sunscreen on your child each day.  We are happy to apply it occasionally if you forget, as long as you have signed a permission slip.  Also, remember to dress your child in light, comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes.  We spend several hours playing outside each day.

A big "thank you" to all of our parents who have supplied us with tons of toilet paper and paper towel rolls, and egg cartons.  We have a great stash of them now and no longer need more.  We'll let you know as other supply needs arise.

Have a fantastic week and great holiday!

Week of June 6-10

This week we are discovering all about Planes, Trains and Automobiles!  We'll review the letters A, B, C, and D.  Our color focus is RED and our shape focus is a square.  We'll also review the number 1.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog for the younger classroom at the Academy of Arts and Knowledge Preschool!  If you are looking for information about curriculum, activities, changes, or events in our class--this is the place.  This is an open blog, meaning it is not private, so no names or pictures of the children will be posted.  Feel free to leave any comments or feedback!