Preschool

Hi Everyone,

If you haven’t ventured into the classroom, lately, you would be surprised to see that it has turned into Dinosaur World!  There are dinosaurs and fossil-related activities and resources in every corner of the Berkshire Room.  Mrs. Atwater’s cousin, “Dr. Atwater,” came for a visit on Wednesday, while Mrs. Atwater was attending a meeting!  She was very sad to find that she just missed him.  Dr. Atwater is a “famous” paleontologist, who works at a local university, researching dinosaur bones and fossils.  After asking the children what they already know about dinosaurs, he brought them into the Berkshire Room, where he introduced the children to the new toys and activities.  He also modeled how to use the new equipment and where the materials will be stored.  There are dinosaur puzzles, domino games, lotto games and card games.  We have small colorful dinosaurs for counting and sorting in the Math Corner and small, medium and large dinosaur figures in the Block Corner.  Two of the newest areas in the classroom are the “Dig Site” and the Paleontology Lab, located in the Pretend Area.  Here, the children use chisels, hammers, sifters, buckets and brushes to excavate dinosaur bones.  Once the bones are uncovered, they are transferred to the Paleontology Lab, where the team of Paleontologists will measure, weigh, photograph, trace and study them.  Also in the lab are white lab coats, goggles, magnifying glasses, microscopes, maps, clipboards and reference books.  The children have had a wonderful time exploring each of the areas.  We also talked about how paleontologists discover fossils, which are the bones and teeth of dinosaurs that have been buried in the ground and mud for millions of years and turned to stone.  Paleontologists also find fossils with the impressions of insects, sea shells, foot prints, dinosaur skin, and plants.  The children made their own fossils using real clay, pine branches, sea shells and our own plastic bones and dinosaurs.  Once they have hardened, we will carefully wrap them and send them home. 

Our trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum yesterday was great fun.  We learned all about how   Margret and Hans A. Rey came up with the character and stories of Curious George.  Did you know that Curious George was first named Fifi?  They visited lots of zoo’s when deciding what kind of animal they wanted to feature in their stories.  They decided that they liked the monkeys the best.  Our docent, Melinda, also pointed out the colors that the Reys always used when creating the illustrations with water colors.  We also visited an exhibit of pop-up books.  We happen to have some of them in our own classroom collection.  At the end of our visit, Melinda led the children in creating their own pop-up cards.  The children traced and cut out their hands and then inserted them into folded cardstock.  This was an inspiring activity which we will try again.  You may learn more about the Curious George exhibit by visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum’s web site. 

On our weekly venture to Letterland, we visited Red Robot with his roller skates and red remote controlled race car!  Red Robot is a robber, as he takes things that belong to others and carries them away in his red sack.  He likes to growl his “rrr” sound as he rolls around with a radio and a rose.  There are Robins, rainbows, rubies and rubbish in his world!  Red Robot tries to trick us when he is in his capital form, but we all recognized that rascal!  The phrase we learned to help us remember how to write “r” is:

Run down Red Robot’s body.  Go up to his hand.  Then watch out for this robot roaming round Letterland. 

Next week we will meet Sammy Snake, who makes a special sound, ‘sss…’  He is a friendly snake who is always smiling! 

We also painted large pieces of paper with red paint using red rollers.  We will be using this paper for some red decorations in our room next week.     

On Tuesday, February 14th, we will have our Preschool Valentine Party.   If your child would like to bring Valentines, please be sure to include everyone.  Our Class Parent, Priscilla, has posted a sign-up sheet for simple red, white and pink treats for the morning.  We will have the children make Valentine Envelopes to hold their Valentines next week.   

  Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Please be sure to send neccessary flatware with your child’s lunch. 
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Friday, February 3rd, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Friday, February 10th, Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Tuesday, February 14th, Preschool Valentine’s Day Party
• Friday, February 17th, Pizza Lunch and Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Monday, February 20th, No School, President’s Day
• Tuesday, February 21st, No School, Mid-Winter Break
• Friday, February 24th, Lunch Bunch, courtesy of the Sash/Hautzig and McDonnell families; NO SKI-FRIDAY, regular dismissal
• Thursday, March 1st, Parent/Teacher Conferences, beginning at 3:30pm
• Friday, March 2nd, NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences, 8:00am-noon, Ski Friday, 1:00pm
• Friday, March 9th, Make-Up Ski-Friday, if necessary.  Spring Break begins at the end of the day
• Monday, March 26th, Teacher Professional Development Day, No School
• Tuesday, March 27th, Classes resume

Have a Nice Weekend,

Ellie and Joni

Gung Hi Fot Choy!

We hope that you all have a happy, rich and prosperous New Year.  On Monday, we began learning about the Chinese New Year.  We are now in the Year of the Dragon.  Apparently, there are many different kinds of dragons.  This year, it is the very rare “Water Dragon.”  The children made paper red Chinese Lanterns to light the way for the New Year to come in.  They also made Chinese Dragon puppets from paper bags, sequins, crepe paper and tissue paper.  As a final touch, everyone added google eyes to “wake-up” their dragons.  Legend has it that the colorful dragons scare the bad luck away for the New Year.  We have also talked about pairs and how some things come in pairs, such as a pair of socks, a pair of earrings or a pair of shoes.  The number 2 is considered lucky on New Years Day and things in pairs are also considered good luck. 

We are so very happy to have Mrs. Olsen back with us.  Last week she had to take some time to recover from having her wisdom teeth removed.  The children traced and cut out their hands to make flowers.  We added their own well wishes to the backs of the flowers and we made a big pink bouquet for her.  Mrs. Atwater delivered it to her along with a handmade pink card.  It made her feel much better!  We would like to thank Mrs. Caputo for joining us while Mrs. Olsen was out.  We had lots of extra time singing with her.

In addition, we also celebrated Sam’s Star Day last week.  His mom, Terri, dad, David and older sister, Jeri joined us for his special Morning Meeting.  We learned that when Sam was a baby, one of his favorite things to do was the “Sammy Mad Dance.”  Now that he is five, he likes to play with his sister.  His favorite food is rice and he shared that he loves his family so much, because they give him healthy snacks.  David showed the children a slideshow of photos of Sam when he was a baby and as he was growing up with his family.  He also took a silly class photo which made everyone squiggly.  Terri read one of Sam’s favorite stories, “Those Darn Squirrels!” by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri.  For snack, Sam and his mom made some yummy zucchini muffins.  Happy Star Day, Sam!     

We have been learning a lot about the solar system.  The children have been building puzzles, playing games, listening to stories and factual books about the sun and all of our planets.  We also traced planets and created our own planets for our Preschool Solar System bulletin board.  We made purple playdough, with which the children decided to make planets, as well.  A number of years ago, Mrs. Caputo wrote a poem to help children remember the names of the planets in our solar system.  We were very fortunate that she shared it with us:

The Planets

by Vivian Caputo

I bought a MERCURY to go to visit VENUS.

But how on EARTH can I afford to go to MARS?

Jumping JUPITER, SATURN’s sale is Saturday.

URANUS said that NEPTUNE’s selling (Pluto’s mini cars.)

The children each donned a black crown that displayed one of the planets.  We also had a giant sun crown.  The person wearing the sun crown stood in the middle and the rest of the planets practiced orbitting around it while they recited the poem.  It was great fun!  Now, we know the names of all the planets.  The children are also learning various facts about the planets, such as what they are made of and how hot or cold it is on a planet.

In line with star gazing, Pajama Day was simply dreamy.  The children were very excited to wear their pajamas to school.  They were also surprised to see Mrs. Atwater and Mrs. Olsen in their robes and slippers, as well.  Kindergarten joined us for a “Night Meeting.”  We kept the lights out and sang “Are You Sleeping,” “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Moon Shadow,” which was a special request.  Mrs. Patel led us in a night game of “Just Like Me” and she read “What! Said Granny, an Almost Bedtime Story,” by Kate Lum and Adrian Johnson.  Next, we split up into groups and traveled to different stations where the children participated in different night activities.  Mrs. Olsen led a game of Glow in the Dark Star Toss; Mrs. Atwater talked about the Moon and the children made Moon Books; and they made night pictures with Mrs. Patel.  After having French and Music in our pajamas, we snuggled down for some black and white Disney “Silly Symphonies” cartoons which were made in 1930.  The skits were titled “Autumn,” “Frolicking Fish,” “Monkey Melodies,” “Night” and “Summer.”  We projected them onto a big screen in Kindergarten.  As an extra treat, Priscilla made brownies for us and we also had popcorn and hot chocolate. 

The children have also met the Letterland characters Peter Puppy and Quarrelsome Queen.  Peter Puppy lives in the Letterland Park.  He loves to swim in the pool with his puppy pals and penguin pals.  There are lovely poppy and primrose flowers growing in the park.  It is a great place for a picnic or a party.  The saying we learned to help us remember how to write “p” is:

Pat Peter Puppy properly.  First stroke down his ear, then up and round his face so he won’t shed a tear. 

Quarrelsome Queen likes to spend quiet time doing her quiz (crossword puzzle) with her quill pen.  If anyone disturbs her, the Queen will quarrel with them.  In fact the reason why her name is “Quarrelsome Queen,” is because she has so many quarrels.  She also has a special umberella she brings with her everywhere.  The saying we used when learning to write “q” is:

Quickly go round the Queen’s cross face.  Then comb her beautiful hair into place. 

Next week we will meet Red Robot, who love to roller skate. 

Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Please be sure to send neccessary flatware with your child’s lunch. 
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Friday, January 27th, NO SKI-FRIDAY!  REGULAR DISMISSAL!
• Thursday, February 2nd, Field Trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum with Kindergarten
• Friday, February 3rd, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Friday, February 10th, Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Tuesday, February 14th, Preschool Valentine’s Day Party
• Friday, February 17th, Pizza Lunch and Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Monday, February 20th, No School, President’s Day
• Tuesday, February 21st, No School, Mid-Winter Break
• Friday, February 24th, Lunch Bunch, courtesy of the Sash/Hautzig and McDonnell families; NO SKI-FRIDAY, regular dismissal
• Thursday, March 1st, Parent/Teacher Conferences, beginning at 3:30pm
• Friday, March 2nd, NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences, 8:00am-noon, Ski Friday, 1:00pm
• Friday, March 9th, Make-Up Ski-Friday, if necessary.  Spring Break begins at the end of the day
• Monday, March 26th, Teacher Professional Development Day, No School
• Tuesday, March 27th, Classes resume

 Enjoy the weekend!

Ellie and Joni

Happy New Year Everyone!

We were all very happy to rejoin as a class last week.  The children greeted one another with smiles and hugs.  Perhaps the highlight of our return to school is welcoming our new friend, Ayush, to Preschool.  Ayush and his parents, Venka and Rekha, have recently moved to the area from India.  With the help of his classmates, Ayush is quickly learning all about Preschool.  Welcome! 

Although it has hardly seemed as though it is Winter, we have started talking about this new season and learning some new songs and poems about it.  Last week, we took a Winter walk to Barrett Pond to see if it had iced over.  We talked about how ice forms on ponds and lakes when the temperature is below freezing for a number of days.  The children observed that there was some ice that had formed on our pond.  We strongly pointed out that the ice on our pond was not safe to walk on.  We knew this, because Mr. Bingham tests the ice and then flies a flag in front of the pond to indicate if the ice is safe or not safe.  If the ice is DANGEROUS and people should NOT walk or skate on it, the flag will be RED.  If the ice is SAFE to walk on or skate on, the flag will be GREEN.  We also talked about the fact that it is never okay for children to walk on ice unless they are with an adult.  The flag is currently red. 

In addition, last week, the children traced small, medium and large circles to create snow people.  They glued on cottonballs and added details with markers.  In the Science Corner, the children have been exploring magnets.  We have sets of magnets to build sculptures and a bin that holds a collection of items made from a variety of materials with which to experiment.  We also have a magnetic letter fish game and a number of board games.  Upon popular demand, we have returned the dress-ups  to the Pretend Area.  There are pirate, princess, fairy, fire fighter, cowpoke and a number of assorted costumes.  They often like to mix and match! 

The children have also made their January Self-Portraits.  They are posted in the Berkshire Room.  Recently, while playing games in preparation for completing Student Profiles, we shared the self-portraits the children have done since September with them.  Many were surprised to see how much their drawings have changed.   

Last week, we met Noisy Nick, from Letterland.  Nick loves to make noise and hammer nails.  His neighbors think he is nice, but a little too noisy.  He is celebrating his ninth birthday.  His parents gave him a set of drums for his birthday.  Now he will make even more noise! 

The saying we learned to write ”n” is:

‘Now bang my nail,’ Noisy Nick said.  ‘Go up and over around my head.’

This week, we met Oscar Orange.  He lives at the docks near the ocean.  Ostriches and otters also like to spend time with Oscar as they help unload crates of oranges and olives from the ships.  Old Mr. O sometimes visits, as well.  He lives far across the ocean.  In honor of Oscar Orange’s sound, we painted with orange glitter paint and we used glue and tissue paper to create collages on orange paper. 

The saying we learned to help us write “o” is:

On Oscar Orange start at the top.  Go all the way round him, and…then stop!

Next week, we will meet Peter Puppy. 

Thursday, January 26^th, we will have Pajama Day!  The children (and teachers) are invited to wear their pajamas to school for the day.  Kindergarten will join Preschool for some cozy night time activities and we will provide a special snack.  Children may also bring a special blanket, a cuddle toy and a flashlight.  Feel free to send in a set of regular clothes for your child to change into later in the day, should they choose to do so.

On Thursday, February 2nd, we will join Kindergarten on a field trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum to see the Curious George exhibit.  Mr. Bingham will drive us in the BCD bus. 

During the coming weeks, we will begin exploring our Solar System.  We hope to learn the names and qualities of the planets, as well as some other facts about outer space.  Children are invited to bring in books, music or other activities about space to share with the class. 

Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Please be sure to send neccessary flatware with your child’s lunch. 
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Friday, January 13th, Pizza Lunch, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Monday, January 16th, No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Wednesday, January 18th, Preschool Parent Chat with Head of School, 8:15am, BCD Library
• Thursday, January 19th, Lunch Bunch, courtesy of Robin Williams and Priscilla France
• Friday, January 20th, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Monday, January 23rd, Chinese New Year, wear red for good luck!
• Thursday, January 26th, Pajama Day
• Friday, January 27th, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Thursday, February 2nd, Field Trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum with Kindergarten
• Friday, February 3rd, Ski-Friday, dismissal at 12:45pm, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Wednesday, February 8th, Alaska Day, dress for outdoor play all morning!
• Friday, February 10th, Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Tuesday, February 14th, Preschool Valentine’s Day Party
• Friday, February 17th, Pizza Lunch and Ski-Friday, 12:45pm dismissal, regular buses at 1:30pm
• Monday, February 20th, No School, President’s Day
• Tuesday, February 21st, No School, Mid-Winter Break
• Friday, February 24th, Lunch Bunch, courtesy of the Sash/Hautzig and McDonnell families; NO SKI-FRIDAY, regular dismissal
• Thursday, March 1st, Parent/Teacher Conferences, beginning at 3:30pm
• Friday, March 2nd, NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences, 8:00am-noon, Ski Friday, 1:00pm
• Friday, March 9th, Make-Up Ski-Friday, if necessary.  Spring Break begins at the end of the day
• Monday, March 26th, Teacher Professional Development Day, No School
• Tuesday, March 27th, Classes resume

 Enjoy the weekend!

Ellie and Joni

Hi Everyone,

We had great fun going to see “Knuffle Bunny” at The Colonial Theater on Monday.  The children were excited to ride on the bus with Kindergarten.  There were lots and lots of children from all over Berkshire County in the audience.  The story of “Knuffle Bunny,” by Mo Willems, was turned into a musical.  If you are not familiar with the story, it is about a little girl named Trixie, who goes to the laundromat with her father.  Sadly, Trixie loses her treasured stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny.  She can’t tell her dad, because she is very little and cannot talk!  It was a wonderful time!     

Last week in Preschool, we met “Kicking King,” who lives in a castle in Letterland.  He loves to kick balls and play football, which is known as soccer in the United States.  He is also fond of many animals, such as the koala, kangaroo and kittens.  On windy days Kicking King and his friend Noisy Nick enjoy flying kites.  The saying we use when remembering the proper way to write “k” is:

Kicking King’s body is a straight stick.  Add his arm, then his leg, so he can kick!

The children also tasted kiwi and made beautiful kites.  As we introduced our next unit of study, “Peace,” we talked about using kind voices and committing random acts of kindness. 

This week in Letterland, we met Lucy Lamplight.  She lives in the Letterland Lighthouse.  Her hat is a lamp and when she smiles, she lights up all that is around her.  Animals, such as the lion, leopard, lamb, llama, lizard and lobster love Lucy very much.  She also grows lemons and lillies on her land.  The phrase we will use as we learn to write “l” is:

Lucy looks like one long line.  Go straight from head to foot and she’s ready to shine! 

Another activity we have recently completed was decorating our aprons with fabric crayons.  Please be sure to place your child’s apron in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes, in order to heat set the ink.  Nothing else should be in the dryer when doing so. Please send these back to school as we will be using them for our art and cooking projects   We also discussed symbols of peace.  Yesterday the children colored and cut out round symbols of peace.  Once glued onto small squares, they were assembled to make Peace Books.  As the children are observed being extra kind to one another, we will record their acts on a white dove and post it on our Peace bulletin board.

Next week we will continue to discuss Peace and holidays related to light that take place around the world during this time of year.  If you would like to share any special traditions from your family, please let us know.  You may also wish to send in a special trinket or token that is special to your child or family.  We will invite children to share during Morning Meetings. 

This week and next, we will be making gifts to present to our Peer Readers, as well as some special gifts for our families. We have also created a Gift and Card Center in our Art Corner.  As this is a season for giving, many children have an interest in making cards and gifts for one another.  The center is filled with glitter, beads, pipe cleaners, special paper and sparkly gems. 

Our Winter Solstice Party will take place on the last day of school before Winter Break, Friday, December 16th.  We will celebrate the fact that from December 21st, forward, the days will become longer.  We will also celebrate the gifts of the Earth and make special gifts for the birds.  In addition to some special snacks earlier in the morning, we will have a pizza lunch.  A sign up sheet is posted in the Coat Room.

Scholastic book orders have been placed.  Books should arrive early next week.  Thank you so much for ordering, as we were able to earn points and purchase a number of books for our classroom collection.  We would also like to thank families for purchasing books from the Library Book Fair for themselves and our classroom last week.  Proceeds from the sale will directly benefit our own BCD Library. 

We also thank families for participating in the Holiday Gift Giving Program.  The 9th Grade students collected the gifts on Tuesday.  They will be delivered to families later this week.

Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Please be sure to send neccessary flatware with your child’s lunch. 
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Friday, December 9th, Pizza Lunch
• Friday, December 16th, Preschool Winter Solstice Party,  Winter Break begins at 3:00pm
• Tuesday, January 3rd, School resumes
• Friday, January 7th: First Ski Friday, dismissal for all Preschoolers at 12:45pm
• Monday, January 16th, No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Enjoy the weekend!

Joni and Ellie

Hi Everyone,

We have have been quite busy in Preschool during the last two weeks.  In addition to meeting Impy Ink and Jumping Jim, from Letterland, the children made insect pictures by stamping insect stamps on paper with ink.  They also tried juggling scarves.  We introduced the new USDA’s “My Placemat,” which has taken the place of the food pyramid.  The Placemat has a fork, a plate and a circle in the upper right hand corner.  The plate is sectioned into four color coded food groups, protein, vegetables, fruit and grains.  The circle is for dairy.  Initially, the children are learning which foods go in which food groups.  They colored a copy of the placemat using the appropriate colors and we laminated them to use at our snack and lunch tables.  We also made a giant placemat and use some of our plastic food to practice sorting.  If you would like to investigate the new Placemat, you may go to ChooseMyPlate.gov.  Our Pretend Area is now a restaurant equipped with a cash register, play food, chef hats, aprons, receipt books and menus.  Sam and his mom brought in a Mancala game that uses small ceramic fruit as the counters.  This is becoming a popular choice during Activity Time.

We learned that the Letterland character Impy Ink is a special bottle of ink who has rainbow colored ink inside.  He invented a special machine just to make this fancy ink.  It’s incredible.  His ink can be used to make invitations and write notes.  He also has a pet iguana and a number of insects.  The poem to remember how to write “i” goes like this:

Inside the ink bottle draw a line.  Add an inky dot.  That’s fine!

This week we met Jumping Jim, who loves to juggle.  He lives in a jigsaw house and he also loves to jump!  He can jump as high as a jet.  The poem we learned to help us remember how to make his sound is:

Just draw down Jim, bending his knees.  Then add the one ball which everyone sees. 

Next week we will review all of our Letterland friends, as we will only be together for a day and a half.  It is hard to believe we have already met 10 Letterland friends. 

This week we also cut and decorated Friendship Feathers for our turkey.  The children glued a variety of collage materials onto oak tag feathers.  Finally, we put them all together on our chilly turkey.  As we worked, we talked about how each of our feathers are different, but when put together on the turkey, they created a beautiful piece of art. We also worked cooperativly to make a class puzzle.  Each child recieved a blank puzzle piece which to decorate.  When finished, we put the pieces together to make a puzzle.  Inspired by one of our student’s desire to share home made jewelry with some of her friends, we decided to make friendship bracelets for one another.  This was such a fun activity, nearly everyone made one for school and one for home.   

In preparation of our Friendship Lunch on Thursday, we joined Kindergarten and listened to the story Stone Soup, which was retold and illustrated by Jon J. Muth.  In addition, we made butter by shaking heavy cream in jars, baked chocolate chip cookies, made some new placemats (which we will also use for BCD Soup) and we listened to another story about cooperation.  Our feast was fantastic!  On Thursday, the children helped set the tables.  Before eating, we listened to the story “Plump and Perky Turkey,” by Teresa Bateman and Jeff Shelly.  Our menu included spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, bread, butter, carrots, cucumbers, dip, juice and cookies.  It was great fun to work with our Kindergarten friends on this special event.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we will have members of the 8th Grade Peer Mentoring Program join us during 8th period, which is at the end of the day.  Sam joins us on Mondays, Ginger on Wednesdays and Jack and Isabelle on Fridays.  The students will help prepare projects, read to the children and play with the children.  Our Preschool students are very excited and really looking forward to spending time with their new older friends.

We would like to thank Jenny for treating the class to a delicious Lunch Bunch on Tuesday.  We put two tables together to make one long table.  It was quite fancy with real plates, tablecloth and silverware.  Jenny even brought us a lovely potted daisy for a center piece.

Each Preschool child was sent home with a star for our holiday gift giving program.  This is a voluntary activity. Our class is asked to provide a wrapped educational toy, book, or puzzle for a boy or girl aged 3, 4, or 5. Please attach your star to the gift so that it can be delivered to the appropriate destination..  The gifts from Preschool will be donated to Head Start in Lee. Please ask if you have any  questions about this program.  Gifts are due in the classroom by Monday, December 5th. 

Thank you for sending the orzo, we are looking forward to spying it in our soup on Tuesday.  Along with the orzo, each student is also asked to bring in an apple.  As a reminder, you are welcome to send in a regular lunch for your child on Tuesday, if you do not believe he or she will eat the soup.  Fruit, yummy rolls and butter will also be served with soup.  Dismissal for Thanksgiving Break will be at 1:00pm on Tuesday.  There are no after school activities on this day.   School will resume on Monday, November 28th. 

Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Please be sure to send neccessary flatware with your child’s lunch. 
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Tuesday November 22nd: BCD Soup, 1p.m. dismissal (No After School Activities)  Thanksgiving Break, return to school Monday November 28th
• BCD Book Sale:  Monday November 28th through Friday December 2nd
• Friday, December 16th, Preschool Winter Solstice Party (details TBA)  Winter Break begins at 3:00pm
• Tuesday, January 3rd, School resumes

Enjoy the weekend!

Joni and Ellie

Hello Families,

Last Monday, we brought out our Halloween themed games and activities.  We traced and cut out orange pumpkins, which we turned into Jumping Jacks and Jackies!  The children added faces to their pumpkins and then added 2 legs and 2 arms.  They each had 4 strips of black paper which they folded accordion style to create the “jumping” effect.  We also took  a trip to Letterland to learn about Harry Hat Man.  We learned that he likes things to be quiet so you can hear his soft “h,h,h” sound.  He makes hundreds of hats and lives on a high hill. 

On Tuesday, our Peer Readers came over and we read some silly Halloween stories as a group. Our next visit will have the second graders reading to their Preschool partner.  We also had time to decorate our poem and song books for Halloween.  The children have been working hard to memorize many of the songs!

Some of the children helped Mrs. Olsen make our first batch of play dough last Wednesday.  We were hoping for blue, but it turned out light green.  The children explored with Halloween themed cookie cutters while manipulating the dough.  Harry Hat Man made a visit and we learned the poem to remember how to write his letter:

“Hurry from the Hat Man’s head down to his heel on the ground.  Go up and bend his knee over, so he’ll hop while he makes his sound.” 

Mrs. Caputo, who was teaching with Mrs. Olsen while Mrs. Atwater was away, visiting another school,  read The Vanishing Pumpkin, by Tony Johnston and then did a movement activity with the children.  They were thrilled and enjoyed having her as a guest teacher!

On Friday we went on our annual Pumpkin Walk.  We  joined the Kindergarten class and were thrilled when we spied something in the distance….it seemed to be a fairy….beckoning us to follow……which we did across the campus and to a field filled with magical pumpkins.  It was an adventure we will always remember.  You can see pictures of our adventure in an earlier blog. 

Monday greeted us with a chilly, snowy Halloween! Our classroom was overtaken by a Policeman, Rapunzel, a Fire Fighter, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Thomas the Tank Engine, a Woodland Fairy, Batman, a butterfly and a jellyfish!  We had a wonderful parade around the BCD campus and got to show off our costumes to lots of “big kids” and faculty members.  Everyone said we all looked fantastic! In the classroom the children got to play in Witch’s Brew, which consisted of purple water with glitter and lots of snakes, spiders, bats and skeletons.  They also played with a number of dress-ups, the Pumpkin Pom-Pom Toss and Halloween cookie cutters with the green play-dough.  Margaret shared a really fun Halloween BINGO game, which we all enjoyed.  Each child received a Halloween pencil after reaching BINGO!  Our Halloweeny snack and lunch times were filled with yummy and healthy treats.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to our party, we had a spook-o-licious time. 

Tuesday we had our first recess in the snow.  We talked about the BCD snow rules that include: no throwing snow and no eating snow.  We encourage the children to work together to build snow sculptures and forts.   Please be sure your child has the following items to better enjoy their time in the wet snow: snowpants, a warm jacket, boots, hat, mittens(waterproof or resistant are best) and an extra pair of socks to change into.  These items can all be left at school if you wish.  Please be sure to label everything, so that we can ensure items are returned to you if misplaced.  Preschool will go outside everyday as long as the air temperature is reasonable.

We celebrated Ben’s Star Day on Wednesday. His mom, Courtney, dad, Andrew, and brothers James and Emmet joined us for Morning Meeting.  We learned that when Ben was little he loved to make his brothers laugh.  Now that he is bigger he continues to make his brothers laugh, but he also likes to play Spud.  Ben’s favorite food is yogurt and granola.  On vacation on a ranch in Wyoming, he really liked to go horseback riding.  His mom read us the silly story Imogene’s Antlers,  by David Small.  Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, was another story that he brought in to share.  Ben shared pictures of himself with his family, as well as his grandparents, cousins and friends on an IPad.  He did a fine job   They brought in apples and honey and delicious brownies to share with the class.  Happy Star Day, Ben!

On Thursday, November 17th we will join Kindergarten for our annual Friendship Lunch.  Earlier in the week we will spend time with our Kindergarten friends to prepare some of the courses of the meal.  As the details regarding the menu of this special feast unfold, we will let you know.  This is one way we celebrate being a part of a community. 

We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to join us for Parent/Teacher Conferences this week.  It is always nice to have the time together to reflect on your child’s experiences and development.  They have all grown so much in just the first two months of school!  Please let us know if you have any further questions, concerns or thoughts and we will be happy to schedule additional time to meet with you.   

A new set of book order flyers will be sent home next week.  Please feel free to order from these or place your order online with our activation code: J6XGN.   The book orders are due Thursday Nov. 17th and will be in before our Winter Break.  Remember that there is also the BCD Book Sale coming up Monday Nov. 28th through Friday Dec 2nd.  Happy reading!

 Important Reminders:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers or other shoes in school is a good idea. 

 Dates to remember:

• Friday November 11th: No School, Veterans Day
• Tuesday November 15th: Lunch Bunch, Benson Family
• Thursday November 17th: Friendship Lunch with Kindergarten
• Friday November 18th: Pizza Friday
• Tuesday November 22nd: BCD Soup, 1p.m. dismissal.  Thanksgiving Break, return to school Monday November 28th
• BCD Book Sale:  Monday November 28th through Friday December 2nd

Enjoy the weekend!

Joni and Ellie

Hi Everyone! 

What a surprise the children had this morning!  We were sitting in the Kindergarten classroom listening to the story Big Pumpkin, when all of a sudden, Mrs. Patel noticed something orange and green flutter by the window.  It was the Pumpkin Fairy!  It was dancing about the courtyard, waving its magic wand.  It seemed as though it wanted us to follow, so we put on our coats and we did.  We followed it as it led us through the snow covered Cole Field and up on to the next soccer field.  We followed it as it went on Mike’s Trail.  It was great fun to venture through the forest as the sun was shining and beginning to melt the glistening snow.  It was glistening, like magic fairy dust!  All of a sudden, the trail opened up to the field behind Mr. Lindenmaier’s house and there it was!  The fairy was doing leaps and waving its magic wand around the field.  It invited us to come and take a look.  Lo and behold…it had left us magic pumpkins!  In all of the excitement, we didn’t even notice that it had flown away.  We started our trek back to the school in search of the Fairy, but we never did find it.  We asked everyone we met on our way if they had seen it.  Not even Mr. Frantz had seen it.  He had been in a meeting on the second floor when all of the excitement had occurred.  Here are some of the theories and thoughts the children had about our adventure:

Jacob:  ”We looked out the window in Kindergarten.  It was dancing and then it flied away.  The fairy went to make magic after going in First Grade and no one was there.  Or, she went home.  There were sparkles on the roof of the car.  It put a spell on each pumpkin.”

Margaret:  “The fairy was wearing an orange costume.  She was shy.”

Sam:  “She was waving the wand and pumpkins appeared on the ground every where.”

Tom:  “We found pumpkins on the soccer field.”

Ben:  “It all started in Kindergarten when Mrs. Patel shouted, ‘Oh!’  The fairy put a spell on the car that was driving.  It didn’t talk.”

 Gabrielle:  “She flew off and left magic.  I think the fairy went to Fairyland.”

Katelynne:  “We were listening to Big Pumpkin when she came.”

After we recalled the events of the morning, Mrs. Atwater took a look around the classroom to see if, perhaps, the fairy had visited Preschool.  Far off, in the Extended Day Room, she discovered a beautiful model of the Pumpkin Fairy!  Had it turned itself into a statue?!  It remains a mystery…until next Halloween!

Have a Safe and Fun Spooky Weekend!

Old Witch Atwater and Goblin Olsen

Hello Families,

Last Tuesday morning we celebrated Gabrielle’s Star Day.  Her Mom and Dad joined us for Morning Meeting and shared family photos of Gabrielle when she was little.  We learned that she was born in Texas and had a cat named Tiny that she loved to play with.  Her favorite food is sweet cereal and she likes to make up her own dances.  When Gabrielle went on vacation to New Hampshire, she enjoyed playing on the beach.  Gabi loves fairies and shared a wonderful book of poetry titled:  The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies, by Cicely Mary Barker.  The book inspired us to make our own woodland fall fairies on Wednesday.Gabrielle brought in delicious chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, sliced apples and angle food cake to share for snack!  It was very delicious.  Thank you Gabrielle and Happy Star Day!

Last week we met Firefighter Fred on our trip to Letterland.  He is famous for putting out fires with foam!  Near the farm, Firefighter Fred has friends and they are the fox, the frog, and the finch.  On Thursday we learned how to write the letter “f”.  The little phrase to help learn to write his shape is:

First draw Fred’s helmet. Then go down a ways. Give him some arms and he’ll put out the blaze.

We also finger painted with foam paint on the tables.  Using large white paper, we took prints of their creations before washing the gloppy mess up.  They are posted in the Berkshire Room.  Posted in the Long Room, are colorful feathery collages the children made using glue and feathers.  Inspired by Gabrielle’s Fairy book, we made Fall Fairies from clothespins, acorn caps and silk Fall leaves. 

Last Thursday, Mr. Uhas came and read to our class.  He is a middle school teacher and former preschool librarian.  Mr. Uhas read: The Great Gracie Chase Stop That Dog! by Cynthia Rylant.  The children loved this funny tale of a dog who likes things to be quiet.  He also read: What’s Your Sound Hound the Hound?  by Mo Willems.  We will continue to invite other faculty and staff members to be guest readers, as the children really like to meet other members of our BCD family.

Last week Reem, one of the 6th grade girls, helped out in our class and played with the children on the playground.  The children loved running with her on the playground and she is a great puzzle builder.  Perhaps she will join us again, soon!

This week we met Golden Girl from Letterland.  Golden Girl loves the color green and she has long golden hair, which she actually uses as a swing.  Her grandparents think she is a great gardener.  She grows tasty green grapes in her greenhouse.  She also has a pet goat.  Here is the phrase we learned when learning to write “g”:

Go round Golden Girl’s head. Go down her golden hair. Then curve to make her swing so she can sit there.

We also made a welcome banner for our Grandparents and Grand Friends tomorrow.  In addition, we talked about what we like to do with our grandparents and we read a number of Grandparent books.  Today, the children traced hearts, cut them out and glued photos of themselves on to the hearts.  They decorated the hearts with fall leaves and the teachers wrote their messages to their grandparents on the back.  The children will present their creations to their special guests tomorrow.  If your child will not be with us or he or she will not have a grandparent joining us, they can give it to them at another time, or even mail it to them via the U.S. Postal Service. 

Earlier in the week, the children created new Self-Portraits.  They will always be posted on the same bulletin board in the Berkshire Room.

One of our old friends, Jack, who was in Pre K last year, sent us a brand new Letterland puzzle.  He really loved meeting all of the characters and reading their stories.  In order to thank him, we drew pictures of our favorite Letterland characters and put them together to make a book.  We will send it to him in the mail.  Thank you, Jack!   

We would like to thank Jacob’s family for preparing and serving our first Lunch Bunch!  The children enjoyed mac n’ cheese, apples, chocolate chip cookies and rice krispy squares.  Our next Lunch Bunch is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15th. 

 As tomorrow we will be very busy with Grandparents and Grand Friends, we decided to post our newsletter today.  We will post seperate blogs about our fantastic trip to Ioka Farm on Tuesday and our special day tomorrow next week.  Much thanks to Paul, Jenny and Terri for joining us on our trip to Ioka.  It turned out to be a bit chilly, but fun!  Everyone got a pumpkin.  We also road on hay bales in the pumpkin wagon and we fed goats, geese, chickens and turkeys.  They also had some very interesting looking bunnies.  After spending a good amount of time sliding down the giant slides, riding the go-carts and playing with the ducks and the hand water pumps, we ate lunch at the gazeebo.  We would also like to thank Mr. B. for driving the bus and spending the day with us. 

As stated in our last newsletter, we will celebrate Halloween on Monday, October 31st.  On this day, children are invited to wear their costumes to school.  Costumes should be easy to put on and allow children to move about freely.  Please do not send irreplaceable accessories, as we cannot ensure that they will return home in the same condition that they arrive.  We know that the children may have other events to attend.  In addition, please refrain from allowing children to bring any pretend weapons, masks, or overly scary costumes.  Weapons are against classroom policy and  masks hinder vision and coordination. 

 Our Class Parent, Priscilla France, will be helping us organize Halloweeny treats.  A sign-up sheet will be posted in the coat room next week.  We will have a “trick-filled” Morning Meeting and then we will go on our annual Halloween Parade around the BCD campus.  Parents are welcome to join us for the parade.  Once we return to the classrooms and we say good-bye to parents, we will have our own celebration with special Halloween activities.  Special treats will be served for snack time and after lunch.  Please be sure to send in a set of clothes in a labeled bag for your child to change into whenever he or she is ready.  This should be a fun-filled morning!  

 Reminders to Note:

• Please send in the green paper leaves with your family photos on them.  We would like to decorate our Preschool Tree. 
• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups.
• Forks sometimes work better for pasta dishes.
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children.
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays. 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container.
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes and please leave an extra warm layer in case your child is chilly.
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers in school is a good idea for the days when we play in the wet grass in the morning.   

Dates to Remember:

Friday, October 28th, Pizza Lunch

Monday, October 31st, Preschool Halloween Party

Tuesday, November 1st, Family leaves with photos are due

 Thursday, November 3rd, Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30 -7

Friday, November 4, No School for Preschool, Parent Teacher Conferences 8a.m. to noon

Have  fantastic weekend!

Joni and Ellie

Hi Everyone,

 Monday morning we were greeted by our monarch butterfly!  Over the weekend the butterfly hatched out of its chrysalis. We carefully carried it out to the BCD flower garden and Mrs. Atwater gently scooped the monarch out of the habitat and onto a daisy petal.  Everyone was so excited to see it pump its wings and climb on the flowers.  We think it has started to make its way to Mexico.  Unfortunately, it was apparent that the second chrysalis was not going to mature into a butterfly.  It usually takes around 17 days for a chrysalis to open.  We observed that the second chrysalis has been formed for at least one month and we talked about the fact that it probably stopped growing and it will never turn into a butterfly.  We also speculated that the first butterfly may already have laid new eggs.  Thank you for sharing this special find with us, Henry!

On Tuesday we had our first Peer Reading with 2nd grade.  The 2nd grade students come to our classroom every other week and we share books.  for the first few times, one of the teachers read to the whole group.  Each preschooler has 2 reading partners.  This first visit was all about imagination, friendship and getting to know each other. Mrs. Olsen read, “When I Close My Eyes” by Ty Jackson.  The preschoolers then toured their peer readers around the classrooms and talked about what types of books they like to read.  We are very excited for our next gathering!

 On Monday, September 28th, we celebrated Margaret’s Star Day with her mom, Priscilla, Mrs. Freeman and her new baby, Mia, joining us for a special Morning Meeting.  We learned that Margaret was born in Guatamala and adopted by her mom and dad when she was three months old.  Margaret also has an older sister, Lucy, and a neice, Mia, in addition to Mimi and Poppa and a number of aunts, uncles and cousins.  She has one pet named “Moo,” who is a small white dog.  When Margaret was a baby, she loved to play with her baby gym.  Now that she is five, she loves to play on the playground!  Her favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs, but she was very surprised to learn that she also likes to eat lobster.  Priscilla read us the story “Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct,” by Mo Willems.  It is a fun story about a kind dinosaur who made cookies for everyone she met.  Margaret also donated this fun story to our classroom collection.  For a special treat, she brought in mini cupcakes with sprinkles, grapes, cheese sticks and juice pouches.  Thank you and Happy Star Day, Margaret!    

 Last week, we met Dippy Duck in the Letterland Duck Pond.  He has a “D” shaped door on his house and he loves to dip into the water in the duck pond.  He also grows daffodils and daisies around the duck pond.  Among his other interesting friends are dinosaurs and donkeys.  He also has a doll dressed in a dress, which may be donning a diamond!  We learned how to draw Dippy Duck’s “d” shape.  This is the saying to help them remember how to do it:

Draw Dippy Duck’s back.  Go round her tum.  Go up to her head.  Then down you come! 

On Wednesday, we painted dragonflies with glitter paint and on Friday, we dipped apples and crackers in honey.  This week we met Eddy Elephant.  He thinks it is very exciting to go to the Letterland fair!  In his story, we learned that he likes to show everybody how he can juggle eggs.  Although he’s not yet exactly an expert, he keeps on trying.  At the Letterland Fair, he also met Mr. E, the Easy Magic Man.  We also spied the “Entrance” and “Exit” signs on the tents at the fair.  We learned how to write Eddy Elephants “e” shape.  The saying to help us remember is:

Ed has a headband.  Draw it and then stroke round his head and his trunk to the end. 

 On Thursday, the children traced triangles and cut them out with scissors.  Before we began, we talked about what scissors are made out of, what it is okay to cut (paper) and how to use them in a safe manner.  We practiced positioning them on our hands and then cut along the lines of our triangle.  Today, we decorated the triangles, along with two strips of paper.  Once assembled, they made Eddy Elephant hats!  We will continue practice cutting and snipping all sorts of paper. 

For our Yoga poses, we added “Dinosaur”, “Dog”, “Dolphin”, “‘Do Nothing’” Pose, “Easy Pose” and “Elephant.”  The children are getting very proficiant in their yoga moves and enjoy the relaxing music that is played during yoga time.   

Friday was filled with excellent “e” activities.  We did an experiment with oil, water, salt and food coloring. The children observed that if you stir really fast, the oil and water will mix, but if we let the mixture sit, they separate!  A few children predicted that the oil would indeed “float” on the water!  We tried adding more water to one mixture and more oil to the other mixture: nothing helped as they observed; no matter what we did, the two liquids would not join together.  We plan on adding more simple experiments each week.  We also cooked eggs in 2 ways: hard boiled and scrambled.  This was a yummy experiment.

On Tuesday, October 18th, we will join the Kindergarten class for a trip to Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock.  We will travel by bus and will leave BCD at 9:30a.m.  We will have an early snack before we board the bus.  Once at the farm, we will visit the petting zoo, go on a hay ride to the pumpkin patch, select a pumpkin to take home and have some time to play on their playground.  We will also bring our lunches to eat at the farm.  Please be sure that your child is dressed for walking about a farm and spending the morning outdoors.  Pants, sturdy shoes and layers work great.  Regarding lunches, please be sure to send forks, spoons and water bottles.  We will not be able to heat anything up in the microwave.  

Friday, October 21st is a very special day at BCD.  As you may be aware, it is Grandparents’ and Grand Friends’ Day.  On this day, parents should send lunch and beverages for all of their children and grandparents in the morning.  Please remember to send in a separate snack and beverage for your child for earlier in the morning at our 9:30 a.m. snack time.  Grandparents and Grand Friends will be escorted to the Preschool classrooms at 10:30a.m.  Preschool students, Grandparents and Friends will have a quick Welcome Meeting and then have time to play and explore the classroom together.  Lunch will begin for Preschool at 11:45a.m.  At 12:30, we will all go to Fitzpatrick Hall for a special choral presentation.  Grandparents will be dismissed at 12:45p.m.  Let us know, in writing, if your child will depart with his or her Grandparent or Grandfriend.  Parents may pick children up at the wall at 1:00p.m.

Some Guests will have more than one grandchild or grand friend to visit.  Our time together will be exploratory and informal.  These families have a number of options:

• Families with multiple Grandparents and multiple siblings may choose to divide their time equally, between different siblings’ classes, and then join together (preschooler included) in the oldest siblings’ classroom for lunch.   In this case, grandparents should return to the Preschool classrooms to collect the Preschool child and have lunch with the older sibling in their designated lunch area.
• Some families may choose to have one grandparent stay with one child and another grandparent visit his or her sibling.  For lunch, everyone can join together in the oldest student’s classroom. 

Please let us know ahead if your child’s guests will be in need of any special accomodations.  We would like them to be as comfortable as possible.   

Thank you so much for helping us coordinate this very special day.  If you have any questions, please let us know.  We are happy to help! 

Halloween is also fast approaching!  We will celebrate this fun day on Monday, October 31st.  On this day, children are invited to wear their costumes to school.  Costumes should be easy to put on and allow children to move about freely.  Please do not send irreplaceable accessories, as we cannot ensure that they will return home in the same condition that they arrive.  We know that the children may have other events to attend.  In addition, please refrain from allowing children to bring any pretend weapons, masks, or overly scary costumes.  Weapons are against classroom policy and  masks hinder vision and coordination. 

 Our Class Parent, Priscilla France, will be organizing Halloweeny treats.  We will have a “trick-filled” Morning Meeting and then we will go on our annual Halloween Parade around the BCD campus.  Parents are welcome to join us for the parade.  Once we return to the classrooms and we say good-bye to parents, we will have our own celebration with special Halloween activities.  Special treats will be served for snack time and after lunch.  Please be sure to send in a set of clothes in a labeled bag for your child to change into whenever he or she is ready.  This should be a fun-filled morning!  

A huge thank you to everyone who ordered from this past Scholastic book order.  We were able to purchase 18 new books for our class library!  The next order will be in November for holiday shopping.  I will again send home paper fliers and you are always welcome to order on line with our class code to help earn even more books for your children to enjoy while in preschool.

Reminders to Note:

• Please be sure to send in a refillable drink container for us to fill with water as children need it.  In our efforts to be green, we try to refrain from using plastic cups
• Forks sometimes work better for pasta dishes
• A variety of snack items is encouraged for young growing children
• Please be sure to return Library books on Wednesdays 
• If your child needs to have an item warmed up, please be sure it is in a microwave safe container
• Please be sure to replenish extra clothes  
• Leaving an extra pair of sneakers in school is a good idea for the days when we play in the wet grass in the morning   

Dates to Remember:

Monday, October 10th, No School, Columbus Day

Friday, October 21st, Grandparents’ and Grand Friends’ Day, all school dismissal at 1 p.m.

Friday, October 28th, Pizza Lunch

Monday, October 31st, Preschool Halloween Party

Have a Nice Long Weekend!

Ellie and Joni

Hi Everyone,

We would like to thank those of you who were able to join us for Back-to-School-Night.  The children thought that it was very funny to hear that their parents had an “Evening Meeting,” instead of a Morning Meeting.  We have also posted your Hopes and Dream clouds on your child’s painted heart.  If you did not have the opportunity to make one last night, we are happy to give you a cloud on which to write your Hopes and Dreams for your child this school year.

One of the highlights of our week was on Thursday, when author Ty Jackson visited Preschool and our Kindergarten friends to read his new book When I Close My Eyes.  Before reading the story, Ty spoke with the children about how he came up with the idea for his story.  His daughter is very imaginative and is always pretending she is doing all sorts of different things.  The girl in this story also loves to imagine she is in all different parts of the world and universe, interacting with all sorts of creatures and people.  He also shared that he had to search far and wide for someone special to illustrate his stories.  He finally found his good friend Jonathan Shears.  He also shared that he founded the company Big Head Books, so that he could publish his own books.  As quoted in his bio, “his mission is to introduce children of all cultures to the fun and empowerment of reading.”  Madame Whalen held up large copies of the illustrations on each page as Ty read the story to the children.  After reading it, he answered lots of questions and he had the children share ideas from their imaginations.  As a thank you, the children created an “Imagination Book” to send to Ty.  We truly enjoyed his visit and hope that he will return to read us his new book that will be coming out in the Spring.  He also handed out bookmarks designed to look like $1,000,000.00!  Danny Dollar, a character in one of his first books is on the bill.  We encourage you to visit his website dannydollar.com or bigheadbooks.com. 

As noted, this week the children met Clever Cat from Letterland.  Clever Cat lives near the Letterland Castle, where she likes to drink cups of cocoa and do her crossword puzzles.  She also likes to drive around in her car and help people with their problems.  She is very clever.  She also likes to cook carrots and cauliflower.  We also made Clever Cat masks.  Our yoga positions for the week included Candle, Cat, Cobra and Chair.  Next week we will meet Dippy Duck!

The children drew their first Self-Portraits of the school year.  Before starting, we talked about the fact that a self-portrait is a drawing of one’s self and it should include a head, a body, arms, hands, legs and feet.  We also asked them what we could add to the head.  Children were encouraged to look in the mirror to see what color their eyes and hair are, so that they can use those colors in their drawings.  The results have been posted in the Berkshire Room.  We will do new self-portraits every six weeks, or so.  Also related to our Self-Awareness unit of study, the children made paper figures of themselves.  This activity introduced glue sticks, as well as, what we call, “Gooey Glue.”  These beautiful creations will be posted in the classroom next week. 

On Tuesday, the children colorfully decorated squares of paper which were made into peace pin wheels.  In honor of International Day of Peace, we gathered with the entire school community around the Peace Pole.  The Third Grade students had also decorated pin wheels and we planted them all around the Peace Pole.  Mr. Frantz shared some reminders of living peacefully and taking care of one another.  Earlier in the day, we read Todd Parr’s story The Peace Book.            

Some of the Books we Read:

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

Have You Got My Purr, by Judy West and Tim Warnes

The Peace Book,  by Todd Parr

The Little Kitten, by Judy and Phoebe Dunn

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig

Little Bear’s Friend, by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak

When I Close My Eyes, by Ty Allan Jackson and Jonathan Shears

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, September 29th, No School, Rosh Hashanah

Monday, October 10th, No School, Columbus Day

Friday, October 21st, Grandparent and Grandfriend’s Day, dismissal at 1 pm, details coming soon!

Friday, October 28th, Pizza Lunch

Monday, October 31st, Preschool Halloween Party, details TBA

Have a Nice Weekend!

Ellie and Joni