Gingerbread Man

I'm getting really bad about posting on Fridays but it's such a busy time of year.

Your kids have been so busy creating some pretty special gifts to you from them for Christmas! We just put the final touches on yesterday!

We had so much fun "traveling around the world" learning about how so many different countries celebrate Christmas. We learned how we are all different and the same.

One country we focused on a lot this week was Germany. We learned that Germany is famous for the Gongerbread cookie and make beautiful gingerbread houses. We watched an animated story version of The Gingerbread Man. During centers one of the things the kids were able to do was pretend to bake gingerbread cookies. Rather than using play-doh like we always do we made a gingerbread scented salt dough that resembled cookie dough. The kids LOVED "baking cookies" this week. 

1cup flour

1cup salt

1/2 cup water

Gingerbread or Anise flavoring (small drop)

Friday we ended our journey with the last stop to the North Pole. We read a special story about Santas Elf and watched a short movie, The Elf Story. We learned how important it is to be kind and the magic of Christmas. 

Monday we will have a fun filled day of all things Christmas/holidays, from crafts to games to holiday themed dance party. 

Tuesday is our last day before winter recess, your child came home with a reminder that they can wear their pajamas, bring a special stuffed animal and blanket. We will go to the community room to watch The Polar Express and have Polar Express Hot Chocolate and snack! 

I hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Mrs. Miller

All Aboard!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...and also a very busy time so please forgive me when I have late posts.

This past week we started our adventure on Mrs. Millers' Polar Express.  One thing I always start out teaching your child as soon as school starts is that we are all different. My famous saying is "we are all different and that's okay".  During this holiday season your child has been learning about how people all around the world celebrate Christmas. We have been reading stories, watching videos of actual families and their traditions, finding the countries on our globe and comparing and contrasing other ways people celebrate Christmas to how we do in America.

Day 1:

All Aboard! Today we read the Polar Express. I showed the kids a globe and explained what it is. I showed them where we live and we discussed what we see and do in the United States of America at Christmas time.  We talked about what each of our families have done and do at Christmas. We painted a Christmas Tree with water color paints.

Day 2: Mexico

The kids learned that in Mexico posadas is a holiday they celebrate and Christmas. They celebrate for 9 days and spend the night at family or friends house having dinner and giving thanks. We only celebrate two days. In Mexico they play a game called the piñata, some of us have played that at birthdays but in Mexico it's one of their games at Christmas. They do have family dinners and Christmas trees like in America. The Mexican Christmas flower is a poinsettia which we can find in stores at Christmas time. The kids painted poinsettias with pretty red glitter paint. 

Day 3: Brazil

Brazil is similar to Christmas in America, Santa comes on Christmas Eve, they have lights and Christmas tress and give gifts. But, on Cheistmas thousands of people gather to see millions of lights and the largest Christmas tree made of lights illuminate. There is also a big firework display, we do not do that in America on Christmas Day.  The kids painted fireworks with neon paint and forks (the forks were a fun way to easily create the firework design). We watched an actual home video on YouTube of the light illumination and firework display in Brazil!

Day 4:  South Africa

South Africa celebrates Christmas with a tree, Santa, family and gifts also. But, in South Africa the weather is very warm so many families have BBQ's for Christmas! There is also a big parade and carnival that thousands of people attend on Christmas. We watched an actual video of people in a parade and at the carnival on Christmas in South Africa. 

Friday we reviewed all of the countries we have learned about so far! The kids are really excited and into Christmas. They look forward to finding out where we are going to go on our globe each day and with some prompting they can recall many facts we learned about each country. The kids are learning that while others may look different, speak different and even celebrate different there are also things that are the same that they can relate to.

We've also been very busy working on Christmas surprises! 

This is such a fun time of the year (and very busy) time of the year!

My apologies again for the late post,

Mrs. Miller

5 senses

What a great week we had learning about the five senses! The kids really this unit.

We watched a video as an introduction to the 5 senses and while some of the information was a bit advanced there were parts that really broke down what each sense for us.  

We focused our whole week on being in tune with our senses in our classroom environment, we:

-painted gingerbread cookie cut outs with anise flavor added to the paint to get the scent of cookies. The gingerbread pattern we painted was on sandpaper so the kids were able to explore sense of touch as well.

-discussed what we see, hear, smell, taste and touch when at school

-learned about what it means to be deaf and blind and how people rely and use their other senses in their daily life

-played a game where we had to guess a shape only through our sense of touch.  I placed one shape block at a time in a bag and the kids took turns trying to guess the shape by only being able to feel the block.  When we learned about shapes we talked about their attributes, the kids were able to use their prior knowledge to help them with this game.

-Around the home bingo.  The kids used their sense of hearing and sight to play a bingo game which entailed various sounds you would hear in your home.

-Shape tree, as you may have seen in their folder the kids made a Christmas tree out of various shapes!

Friday we wrapped up the Five Senses unit with a fun activity where the kids were able to get in touch with all of their senses.  I made popcorn with the popcorn air popper.  The kids loved listening, seeing, smelling, touching and of course tasting!

We worked on many other things this week also such as the Letter J, number 8, rhyme and shape review.

The kids also have turned into busy little elves as we spent all week working on a VERY special Christmas gift for YOU!

This week we hop on our imaginary 'Polar Express' and learn about Holiday's around the world, this unit will lead us up to our last day before winter break!

Don't forget that I am hoping to place a Scholastic Book order online Monday, in case you want to order and special gifts for the Holidays.  Use the classroom code L96PC if you order online!

Have a GREAT rest of the weekend!
Mrs. Miller

Thanksgiving

I had such a great feast with all of the kids and families able to make it!

I am thankful for all of you,  "my" families, "my" kids bring such joy every day!

But seriously:

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Mrs. Miller gets snowed in...

Thruway close to me

A snow drift going from my hot tub gazebo to my back roof (nothing but snow holding up the middle)

First night of storm

My house, I was lucky to get a crew out to shovel my roof, the drifts in the back were higher!

Snow up to the bedroom windows

Drift from roof before having it cleared off

My attempt at knocking some down (I actually got a lot off...this was the start of the process. Never thought I'd be doing this)!

It's been quite a week! I'm happy to say I was finally able to get out of our house! My husband is working out of state and with the help of neighbors we weathered the storm. I did things I never imagined and got through it! 

I'm looking forward to returning to school next week. Our feast as of now is still on for Tuesday. Due to no school on Friday, please bring in whatever you had signed up/were selected to bring in for the feast on Monday so we can prep for Tuesday.

Have a fantastic weekend. If you have friends or family within the storm I send out my thoughts and hope all are safe. Cross your fingers I don't have flooding now!

~Mrs. Miller

Sometimes...All the time...

Happy Friday!

Is it just me or is November flying by?!  As I was planning for next week I realized that next week is the last full week of class in November!

I can't say Thank You enough to those of you who are able and have responded to helping with our Family Feast.  I am looking forward to just spending some time together as one big Pre-K family before the holiday hustle and bustle starts.

This week we started our nutrition unit.  I can assume that some kids have come home and become almost obsessed with talking about "all the time food" and "sometimes food".  Each year without fail I hear from parents that their kids really become interested in learning about healthy vs. unhealthy food.  I explain to the kids in a way that is easy for them to understand that:

Healthy food is AKA All the time food, they are foods that are good for our body and it is okay, if not great to eat these types of food every day!

Unhealthy food is AKA Sometimes food, food that tastes good but is not very good for your body and should not be eaten every day.

This week we really focused on looking at different foods and using the smart bord to play interactive sorting games in which they determined and sorted food into healthy and unhealthy categories.

They learned that nutrition means how we eat and take care of our bodies.  Healthy food has so many vitamins that help us to stay healthy and grow up big, strong and smart.  They learned that although unhealthy food tastes REALLY good, there are things in them that can make our body unhealthy and maybe even feel tired.

We also discussed breakfast as being the most important meal because it gives us the energy we need to make it through the day.  We talked about foods that would make a healthy breakfast.

Today's focus was on exercise and how it is good for the heart, body and mind.  They learned that exercise does not mean simply working out but can be other things like playing outside, climbing the playground, bike riding, skating, running, dance and other sports.  We exercise every day in class after snack time during gross motor in which we do movement activities from the smart board.  Today we did work out videos:

The kids learned that stretching our bodies is also important to keep our muscles from getting sore or hurt.

Other things the kids learned this week included:
~comparing-longer/shorter, more/less, wide/narrow

Click for comparing games we played here I.1 I.5

Letter H extras:

I have enjoyed meeting with some parents for conferences and look forward to the upcoming scheduled conferences.  It is nice to get time to talk to each of you without other distractions!

~Have a Great Weekend!

Mrs. Miller

Learning and Laughter

Happy Friday!

I apologize for the missed post last week.  With last Friday being Halloween it was quite busy between the party at school with the kids and trick or treating at home with my own kids. Mrs. Pohl and I cannot thank our families enough for helping make the party a success.  Thank you for your donations and volunteering.  The kids looked awesome and they had so much fun!  With that being said, you will now find information about our Family Thanksgiving Feast in which all are welcome to attend in their folder this weekend...
'Tis the season!

We have been working on so many new things and continuing to practice other skills as well.

One thing that has really been standing out most in my class that the kids seem to really love is how I explain letter formation.  On the web there are many, many catchy ways to explain to your child how to properly form and print letters and numbers.  This week's letter G and number 5 had the kids cracking up each day we talked about it and practiced.

My version of writing G is different than what I will post below:
Capital G-First you make a C then throw food in it's mouth
Lowercase g- First you make a small circle and then an upside down candy cane

Number 5-Give it a hat, short neck, belly fat

So I highly recommend referring to some of these silly poems when practicing name writing, letter writing or number writing at home.  It really catches their attention and they look forward to practicing each day just because they like to hear me say it while I show them.  I even heard some of the kids saying the silly phrase as they attempted printing the letter and number!  SUCCESS!   (Even when they just aren't getting it I tell them how great I think they are doing and to keep practicing...why?...even when it looks nothing like the letter?...because they are trying and motivated to keep trying).

Capital and Lowercase Letter Formation Poems

A - Pull down twice from the point to the top. Add a seat to view the apple crop.

a - First make a round apple to eat, then a slide for an ant when he's finished his treat!

B - Big old B has a tall straight back and two big bellies 'cause he just ate a snack!

b - Draw a straight back just like me. Don't forget to add a belly for b.

Cc - Cars can cruise down curvy c. Stop near the ground- that's it you see!

D - Down to the ground, then take a break. Half a circle is what you'll make.

d - First you make a dime to spend. Go way up high then down to the end.

E - Pull straight down for capital E. Then add some shelves 1, 2, 3.

e - A little line start off e. Add a plate for an egg- here's breakfast for me!

F - Big F is a tall flower for you. E has three lines, F has two.

f - This flower grows tall and hangs a little. Add a line right in the middle.

G - Big round circle but don't go too far. Add a garage to park your car!

g - A garden starts with a little seed. The roots grow down that's all you need!

H- Make two lines, high to low. Connect the lines so they can say hello!

h - First start high then take a jump. Little h has a little hump.

I - Big I starts with one side of a door. All it needs is a roof and a floor.

i - Little i goes down, it's an ice cream treat. Add a sprinkle on top and it's ready to eat.

J - Jumping jack J jumps up and down and then curls up. Jack needs a hat 'cause he likes to dress up!

j - Little j is so thin and lean. Jump way down, then add a jellybean!

Kk - K and k have three lines as you can see: a tall straight back and a sideways v.

L - Pull down a line and add a lap. Lie down, lazy! It's time for a nap!

l - Little l looks like a number one. Just draw a line and you are done!

M - Go down, hit the ground, then draw a V. Down to the ground again big M is two mountains for me.

m - Go down, hit the ground then get ready for bumps. Little m is easy to write, just add two humps.

N - Stick a nail in the ground and slant another one right. Add a third pointing up and say “nighty-night”!

n - Go down, hit the ground and your almost done. Little m has two humps, n has only one!

Oo - Oh yum! An orange to eat! Nice and round, it's a healthy treat.

P - Pull down your pencil, then pick it up off the ground. Add a half a penny, nice and round.

p - Pop on down and then up, you see. Finish it off with a little pea!

Q - Big Q is a round quarter to spend. Add a line when you're at the end.

q - A fancy queen with a little pearl. Give q's hair a special curl.

R - First draw a line and then a rainbow. Add a ramp and you're ready to go!

r - Go straight down, then race on back. r has an arm, like a little rack.

Ss - Silly S and s, those slippery snakes. Twisty, turny, ready to shake!

T - Big T is a big tall tree. Add a fort at the top so you can see.

T - Little t is a little tree. Add a fort in the middle for you and me!

U - Big U is just like a cup. Start by going down and then curve up.

U - Curve down and up, then down once more. Little u is a cup that's ready to pour.

V v - Slant down first then up like so. This upside-down volcano is ready to blow!

W w - W and w have two pointy waves. Swim in the water if you're brave!

X x - A criss and a cross and in case you forgot, where is the treasure? X marks the spot!

Y - Capital Y has a V in the air. The pole at the bottom holds it there.

Y - Slant down right, down to the ground. Slant down left and take it underground.

Z z - Zigzag Z and z are easy, you see. Just zig a zag - 1, 2, 3!

Number Formation Poems

Straight line down

And then we're done.

That's the way

To make a one.

Around and back

On the railroad track.

Two, two,

Two, tow.    

Around a tree,

Around a tree.

That's the way

To make a three.

Down and over,

Down once more.

That's the way

To make a four.   

Straight line down,

Then around.

Hat on top

And five's a clown.

Stick and a hoop

Do the tricks.

That's the way

To make a six.

Across the sky

And down from heaven.

That's the way

To make a seven.

Make an S

And do not wait.

Go back up

And that's an eight.

A loop and a line

That's a nine.

Straight line down,

Then around with a grin.

That's the way

To make a ten.

I hope you have a GREAT weekend...stay warm!

~Mrs. Miller