Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Good afternoon!
Consistency is important in establishing our new routines. Today we began with a choice of sensory and a firefighter puzzle.
I'm amazed at the length of our circletimes- especially the first circle, "Morning Meeting". Much of this circle involves math concepts- day of the week, month, season, year, counting to 30, and patterns (ABA). We also touch on social skills (Hello Neighbor song involves shaking hands properly (right hand) and greeting others). Today, we again reviewed our New Teacher Social Story. The boys giggled as the saw themselves in the book- they really think they are superstars!
We met two new "Everyday Words": 'A' and 'the'. We sang a song about the words, spelled them and found them in our book. When you read with your child at home, pause and let him read these words!
Ms. Michelle and her helper, Ms. Erin brought fun 'snow'. First, we put 'snow' (large cotton balls) on a parachute, bounced and caught the balls. Then, we played in pretend snow, digging to find hidden treasures. Finally, the children glued marshmallows in the shape of a snowman. They worked on touching a variety of textures, working together, asking for supplies, describing pictures, and following directions. Plus, it was a lot of fun!
Though it was chilly, we bundled up and headed to the park for a science experiment. Before we left we observed a piece of paper, talking about the shape, color, and texture. Each child drew a picture of it in their science journal. At the park, we predicted what would happen while the paper burns. We watched the paper as it caught on fire and burned to a crisp. Once back in the classroom, we talked about the differences before and after and recorded the changes in our journal. We sent the journal entry home so that your child can talk with you about the changes. Please return it to school and we will add it to our journal.
We joined our green friends to make firefighter hats. We had fun painting a bowl and a a plate bright red.
Some of us enjoyed it a lot.....getting it all over! We'll take a picture of them tomorrow before sending them home.
Throughout this weekly theme, we are talking about fire safety. Only adults light and handle fire. It's hot and can burn. Only adults touch lighters and matches. We've talked about and practiced 'stop, drop, and roll' and calling 911.
Tomorrow we're headed to Fire Station #2 to see the fire fighters, trucks, and the special equipment. Dress warmly!
This Week's Everyday Words- A, The
