Fireworks - FAS T/Th class
January 19, 2018, 06:00 AMWe
had the sorting box and the foam stacking activity out last class. These were
two separate experiences that the children played with. While I was busy
helping the children at the snack table, I suddenly heard 3 continuous loud
sounds, then I saw the foam rings flying up in the air. When I looked up, I saw Aiden and Era picking
up the foam rings and stacking them on the wooden dowels. I continued to watch
them in their play. Era opened and closed the sorting box that created a
popping sound. After the popping sound was made, Aiden lifted the foam rings
off the wooden dowels. This happened two more times and I decided to ask them
what they were doing. Aiden was quick to reply with “We are making fireworks”.
The children were able to apply their understanding of what fireworks are in their play. A loud sound and different colors in the air were present. This play required Aiden and Era to play cooperatively and communicate with each other to successfully make fireworks.
The children were able to apply their understanding of what fireworks are in their play. A loud sound and different colors in the air were present. This play required Aiden and Era to play cooperatively and communicate with each other to successfully make fireworks.
Until
next time,
Patricia
Comments
Questions - Fine Arts & Science M/W/F AM & PM Classes
January 17, 2018, 06:00 AMI am a HUGE Christmas fan. I love the music, décor, and all-around
joyous spirit that fills the air during this magical time of year, which is why I get so excited to bring any Christmas-themed
activity into our classroom. So, during the first week of December I thought
that it would be a neat idea to write a letter to Santa Claus as a class. At circle time we wrote a fun letter to
Santa, his elves, his reindeer, and of course Mrs. Claus. Instead of writing
him a wish list, our goal was to fill the letter with questions. This was a good
way for us to practice the skill of asking questions as well as
brainstorming. This was challenging at
times for some to hold back their magical wish list items however we all did it
and the letter was done!
Unfortunately, Santa's response arrived
after our last day of class however it was still exciting because we got to
open and read it on our first day back. The letter answered some of our questions
and described Santa's and Mrs. Claus's passion for gardening. Because their
garden is magical they are able to grow plants that thrive in warmer and cooler
climates. The letter explained that they often bring home plants and seeds from
their travels all over the world to grow in their garden. The letter also
included a pack of sunflower seeds for us to grow in our classroom. Everyone
had an opportunity to either plant or water the seeds. The children were
thrilled to be able to bring a bit of Santa's magic to our window sills.
Until next time
Jordan
Sensory Tray - 3 Year Old Class
January 15, 2018, 06:00 AMHappy New Year! We hope you have had a restful winter break with
family and friends. January onwards is a milestone for many of the preschoolers
in the 3 year old class. They have settled into a routine and are more comfortable moving
from parallel play to social play.
At our last staff meeting we had discussed what areas of the preschool
were often visited by the children and all staff agreed on the sensory table which
we change weekly from ice cubes, to shredded paper, sand, play dough, etc. We
decided to purchase a large sensory tray for the preschool classes to share.
The sensory tray arrived and we decided to put some colourful pellets
in it for the children to explore.
Ching Ching lays in the tray while A.J stands in the tray.
I wonder if
A.J thinks he could squash the pellets with his boots.
Siya, Scotia and Ching Ching all play together in the sensory tray.
Ching Ching is using fine motor skills. She has found a hole on the edge
of the tray and she carefully picks the pellets up to put into the hole.
She is
focusing on getting the pellets into the hole.
At clean up time everyone helps to put the pellets into a basin.
Until next time
Jess
Leaving the Creativity to the Children - 3 Year Old & 4 Year Old Classes
December 22, 2017, 10:15 AM
Here at the preschool we emphasis the importance of process and
creativity, whether that be learning how
to hang up a coat and bag or taking a snack out of a bag. It’s a stepping stone to a
child’s confidence to independence. Learning the self help skills at an early
age allows children to take on new challenges with confidence.
We did a science experiment with milk, food coloring and dish soap. The children were curious how the colors blended as they added the dish soap. Many of the children needed to repeat the experiment as they wanted to understand what caused the colors to mix or maybe they just enjoyed watching the pattern the colors made.
We put out materials for the children to create snow people, the
children made their own creation with the help of big buddies
We did a science experiment with milk, food coloring and dish soap. The children were curious how the colors blended as they added the dish soap. Many of the children needed to repeat the experiment as they wanted to understand what caused the colors to mix or maybe they just enjoyed watching the pattern the colors made.
Inspiration Art is exactly that and the children got busy to create
with the picture they were inspired by.
Children will often be found at the drawing table making their own
creations sometimes asking for tape to hang their artwork in the
classroom.
Daniel making his own creation out of playdough.
We had the pleasure of a parent musician play his guitar throughout the
morning and the children were able to play too! Thank you Chuck for
teaching us about the guitar and what it's like to be a professional
musician.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jess
Postcard Exchange - Part II - 4 Hour Class
December 20, 2017, 04:30 AM
After receiving a couple of postcards and letters from our
friends, we were excited to start writing back to the other preschools. A few
of our friends went straight to work, each drawing a picture that represents
our school.
At circle, we talked about how we are going to send the mail over
to our new friends. Some suggested email, while others disagreed because we
cannot send real paper by email. We started asking about the mail that arrives
to our houses. One child said, “It needs to be in an envelope and a name on it”
while another said, “We need stamps”. We started talking how we need to get
envelopes, add our friends’ addresses, and buy stamps with real money. So, we
got our envelopes, addresses, and stamps so that we could mail our letters.
We have learned so much through our postcard exchange. As we wait for a few more postcards and letters to arrive, we have been exploring different countries and how people and animals live. We see that there are many differences yet many similarities as well. Throughout this whole process, there have been a lot of learning opportunities from other schools. In the end, we concluded that no matter how different we are, we will always have friends around the globe.
Until next time,
Karen